Photo TR: Mercy Co-Worker Appreciation Day

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Silver Dollar City played host once again to Mercy Hospital's annual co-worker appreciation day, and this year they really outdid themselves. They supplied us with five hours of ERT--now, granted, Mercy is the Ozarks' largest employer, with hospitals in Springfield and Joplin, so it was still a little crowded, but the lines weren't all that long. Less than would be reasonably expected for trees this popular.

The first thing you'll notice in this photo is the ubiquitous white pickup. The trees at SDC are very popular among owners of white pickups--and you can see in the background just why so many people love them.

First things first--my daughter has to pose for the camera. The trees in this area are especially interesting for their "swoosh" sound. We then ran to Grandfather's Mansion. It is a wonderful crooked house, and a great bit of nostalgia for me, but we were a little disappointed at its lack of trees.

Next we visited these trees. I found them a little scary at first, but since then I’ve grown to love these trees. The queue was quite short too, even though the park was still open at this point. I waited maybe 15 minutes.

The Grand Expo is a must for us. On the way there, we passed the only indication there was anything special going on today—this small banner.

The Grand Expo Coaster is my daughter’s favourite. It was actually the longest queue of the day, about 30 minutes, due to its low capacity. Surprisingly, there are very few trees around this ride, just some bushes and flowers. Perhaps SDC’s guests are changing their taste in foliage.

My son and I are enjoying Elephant March, a pneumatic rider-controlled flat ride. It’s tall, but not very fast. Perfect for little ones—and it’s surrounded by trees!

The park was very busy today. Lots of people coming to see the trees. It’s too bad I couldn’t get a good picture of them with those pirate-themed rides in the way.

Some of the trees are a little bright. We needed shades.

The Insectarium is one of three great areas for little ones. It’s out of the way, too, so there’s not any through traffic. Lots of parents bring cameras here, to take pictures of their kids looking at the trees from atop a Happy Frog.

Then it was off to Half Dollar Holler for the can’t miss ride Hugo and Mary’s Carousel. It’s the only ride in the park all five of us can ride together.

A quick bathroom break offered the chance to photograph the scenery. This is at the base of Hill St., near the entrance to Wildfire. SDC does their theming better than most.

Off to Wilson’s Farm. I thought it odd at first, walking between Fire in the Hole and Lost River, since that was always the back of the park when I was a kid. Since then, I’ve grown to love this view of Lost River.

This tree has gotten a lot of attention lately, so much that SDC is putting in a new $10 million viewing platform behind it. Looks great!

By the time I had queued for the Giant Barn Swing, it was dark. So much fun, even moreso in the dark. Then it was off to…WILDFIRE! I got the back row on the outside, and only a twenty minute wait. Very intense there, and so much better in the dark.