By Billy Davis, staff writer for Onenewsnow.com.
July/August 2014 – Branson’s Silver Dollar City shines with authenticity
“Are these baked … here?” I asked the sweet lady behind the counter at Eva and Delilah’s Bakery in Silver Dollar City. In my hand was a cinnamon roll the size of a dinner plate, and it smelled fresh and delicious. My question was innocently ignorant – my family and I had been in Silver Dollar City for our first visit, for all of 10 minutes.
“Oh, yes,” the sweet lady told me. “Right behind us.”
Sure enough, there they were, her co-workers up to their elbows in dough. She told me they’d been there since 4:00 a.m.
So it is all over Silver Dollar City, the family-friendly amusement park owned by Herschend Family Entertainment and winding through 100 acres of Ozark Mountains near Branson, Missouri.
The park is famous for many things – thriller rides, skilled craftsmen, delicious food among them. But what impressed me most was the attention to detail.
For example, the 1843 cabin on the SDC Square is a history lesson right in front of you. And somebody had taken time to locate a gourd spoon and hang it there on the wall. Details. And no fakery at all.
Was I onto something? Or just being fooled by good marketing and old-fashioned salesmanship?
Well, the story of the Giant Swing weathervane helped me decide. Rex Morton, an SDC coppersmith, built and installed the rooster weathervane in 2007 atop the Great Barn, part of the $6 million Giant Swing ride. The vane stands 10 feet tall, weighs about 300 pounds, and is probably the biggest weathervane in the world.
“It could have been a plastic shell,” noted Martha Bohner, SDC senior publicist. “But look at the artwork and the detail.”
An Ozark tradition calls for a family’s creed or motto to be placed inside their weathervane. The rooster overlooking SDC carries a silver dollar and a reference to 1 Corinthians 13:13: “… and the greatest of these is love.”
Bohner said, “It could have easily been made to resemble copper with much less fuss and much less cost.” But that’s not how things are done at Silver Dollar City.
And it shows.
Set sail for dinner theater
Not all of Herschend’s Branson attractions are on land. The Showboat Branson Belle is their authentic paddle wheel boat. It first launched into Table Rock Lake in 1994.
The showboat experience is still going strong, offering lunch and dinner cruises boasting three hours of music, entertainment and a gourmet meal served by a wait staff extraordinaire.
During the evening cruise, comedian/illusionist Christopher James entertained us with rapid-fire one-liners, a sort of comedic machine gun. He doubles as emcee, and between musical acts he wowed us with head-scratching, sleight-of-hand tricks, including that “magic” donut.
Did that donut really come out of that little girl’s ear?
The stage show included “Made in the USA,” a rousing patriotic tribute to America, and the Rockin’ Dockers, a live band.
A stunning unique act was Janice Martin, aerial violinist. Yes, you heard me right.
How does she play violin hanging in mid-air?
Intermission gave us time to stroll the decks on all three levels and enjoy the lake views – without missing the meal or the show. The boat stretches 278 feet from bow to stern and hosts as many as 700 guests on each cruise.
One final must-do: go ahead, splurge. Buy the Branson Belle mug. First, because you get a delicious strawberry fruit smoothie. Second, the mugs are honored for free soft drinks back at SDC. But you won’t be thinking about that on the Belle – you’ll be too busy enjoying the smoothie. One more fine detail in an entertainment world designed for families. 
The Showboat Branson Belle and SDC will feature Southern Gospel music in late August. For more information, visit silverdollarcity.com or call 800-888-7277.
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Article written by Billy Davis, staff writer for Onenewsnow.com.
