Visiting Aquarium at the Boardwalk in Branson, Missouri with Kids

Disclosure: I received press passes to visit this location. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own. 

We recently had the opportunity to visit Branson as a family, and near the top of our list for things to do was to visit the Aquarium at the Boardwalk, an oceanic walk-through adventure featuring 400.000 gallons of salt water, more than 7,200 live sea animals, and countless fun photo opportunities.

The visit began by staring in awe at the 55 foot sculpture of "Aquarius the Octopus" that wraps around the front of the building! It is designed to reflect its surroundings - the day we went, it was cloudy and rainy, which made the whole sculpture a shiny silver color! 

We were delighted to head inside and begin exploring the sea creatures. We have been to quite a few aquariums, but this was the first time we have ever seen a visual display of shark eggs with babies inside them! This was definitely a highlight for our whole family. We also really enjoyed seeing seahorses, pufferfish, blacktip sharks, and fish that seemed to glow in the dark.

A fun surprise was the 5D adventure ride near the beginning of the attraction - I was not aware prior to arriving that this was part of the aquarium! It definitely added to the adventure spirit of our visit to feel like we were truly whisked away on an ocean journey.

My daughter loved the carousel and mermaid photo locations, and both of my kids thought that the crawl-through tunnels and special bubble viewing areas were the best. We also have to highly recommend the Kelp Climber in the Kelp Forest section - the kids didn't want to leave! 

Near the end of the experience, we were given a chance to touch stingrays, sharks, horseshoe crabs, sea anemones, and sea stars. Being able to interact with ocean creatures in this way in the middle of the USA was a special treat. 

If you're planning a trip to Branson, check out www.AquariumattheBoardwalk.com to learn more about this fun aquarium and purchase tickets.

Thank you to Aquarium at the Boardwalk for providing our tickets and family memories! All opinions expressed are my own. 

50/52

I can't believe how close we are to the end of this project. Do you like this photo series? Should I start over again in 2015?

  "A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Lincoln - looking just far too big lately. Helping Daddy retrieve our
brick-fired pizza at Silver Dollar City this week.

Addie - mesmerized by lights and Christmas and magic.

Linking up at Practising Simplicity. 

Visiting Branson with Toddlers: Silver Dollar City Rides & Kid Zones

Disclosure: In exchange for my post and to facilitate my honest review of this experience, my family received tickets to this attraction and a meal voucher as part of a promotional blogger tour of Branson, MO through US Family Guide. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

I have no idea how many times I've been to Silver Dollar City in my life. Most of my childhood vacation memories are centered around this place. My parents recognized the value of a season pass, and some years we would visit three, four, even five times. I know the park like the back of my hand, possibly because when I was little my dad made us a board game to keep SDC memories alive out of a copy of the park map. I haven't been quite as often as an adult, but we did take our kids to visit during the Christmas festival last year, and it was nothing short of magical. We all agree that Silver Dollar City is an ideal family destination - and we'll be visiting often, for sure.

At the end of this post, I'll be sharing 6 Tips for Rides and Attractions at Silver Dollar City with Toddlers, so stay tuned for that! Plus, make sure you check out my other post from this trip: Visiting Branson with Toddlers: Silver Dollar City Food, Festivals, and Entertainment.

We love all of the things for kids to do at Silver Dollar City - and every time we visit, we find something new! We didn't even have a chance to do everything on this trip, but our adventures filled over 8 hours and left us all smiling and exhausted.

The Star-Spangled Summer festival has the park completely decked out in patriotic splendor this summer, and my kids spotted this little wooden train when we first entered the park. It doesn't move, but they had the best time running through it and pretending to drive. There was also a little playhouse nearby, and throughout the park I spotted several places to have your kids pose with their faces in a patriotic painting. Silver Dollar City doesn't do anything halfway - and as a result, you are immersed in the spirit of America while visiting the park!

Since Lincoln and Adelaide were so thrilled with the mini, non-moving train, we decided that a ride on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line Steam Train was in order. Both kids were really excited about riding on a real "choo-choo" and sat patiently throughout the ride.

Photo Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

Midway through the journey across Silver Dollar City's 100-acre property, the train comes to a halt as two robbers ambush the passengers and demand that they give up all their silver! The cast of this skit had us all laughing hysterically - especially when the audience participant they selected answered in a way they did not anticipate, and the whole skit went spiraling off-book into crazy improv!

We actually started our morning at Half Dollar Holler, which is one of the best attractions for the toddler-age set. This little corner of the park is tucked away near the steam Frisco Steam Train and the Swinging Bridge (another fun thing for kids that we didn't make it to on this trip). Half Dollar Holler features Hugo & Mary's Carousel (a park staple that has been around longer than I can remember - although this is a new location from its original spot), Treetop Trail, Sand Play, and Storybook Circle. This section of the park is designed for kids ages 3-7.

Addie loves the carousel and would probably ride it contentedly over and over, while Lincoln's favorite is the super cool TreeTop Trail, which features a wacky maze of elevated dwellings for kids to climb over and through. Lincoln made his way from top to bottom at least three times before we moved on to something else.

Another fun area for little ones is the Grand Exposition, which is near the Red Gold Heritage Hall (where we saw the Flying Aces show). There are rides for kids of all ages - from toddlers to teens, and we happened to stop by when it was not super busy and the lines were low.

Photo Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

There are height restrictions on each ride, and Lincoln was only tall enough this year to ride a handful. He really enjoyed Elephant March and Royal Tea Party. Addie had to miss out on those, but she is tall enough to ride with an adult companion on Happy Frogs, The Ladybugs, and Wings of Wonder. She thought it was amazing to fly in a "pink!!!" bug.

We spent a lot of time in the Grand Exposition even though we only rode a few rides! I know that as the kids age, this will be a spot we return to multiple times a day in our visits to the park.

A classic that is tucked just off Main Street behind the General Store is Grandfather's Mansion. This quirky, mystifying house has slanted floors, funky mirrors on the wall, and spectacles that will astound you within its walls. This has been around since I was a kid and I can remember running through it in endless loops with my brother when we were little.

This summer, we definitely spent the most time at Geyser Gulch. This giant Treehouse (touted as the largest in the world) has a single entry/exit point that allows parents to just sit back and let the kids run wild, if they so desire.

Wild is definitely the word for it. Something about seeing the majestic three-story playground before your eyes just sets little hearts on fire for adventure! Lincoln happily played here for close to two hours and had to be dragged away.

There are water sprayers outside the treehouse structure for kids to cool off, water blasters to shoot out at the Geyser in Silver Lake, and more towers, bridges, ramps, and crawl spaces than a person can count to explore.

The biggest hit for my kids was the giant room of foam balls and interactive ways to play with them. They can be vacuumed off the floor with giant hoses (Addie's favorite activity), shot from cannons from every level of the treehouse, wheeled upward on a vertical conveyer belt, and more.

I loved Geyser Gulch when I was a child (we visited the first year it opened), and watching my kids enjoy it now is just precious. What magical family memories we have been able to make at Silver Dollar City already - and we've only visited twice!

I think our kids are old enough to enjoy the Flooded Mine ride, as well, but we ran out of time to get there on this trip. It's an interactive boat ride during which you can shoot laser guns at targets to score points, and it takes place mostly inside a flooded mine that features all sorts of water spraying and exploding around you.

Top 6 Tips for Rides and Attractions at Silver Dollar City with Toddlers.

1. Hit the Grand Exposition During the Lunch Rush. While everyone else is eating, you can hit up your child's favorite rides multiple times, maybe even without a wait!

2. There's a Toddler-Sized Playground Behind Geyser Gulch. All of the chaos of Geyser Gulch may be too much for the littlest members of your party, but there's a tiny little toddler-sized playground tucked away just inside the Geyser Gulch entrance (turn right and take the stairs inside the parent seating area). There's a slide, some ride-on toys, and more.

3. Frisco Silver Line Steam Train: Try to Sit in the 2nd or 3rd Car - as close to the middle of the train as possible. You'll get the best view and possible interaction with the cast members during the stick-up during the train ride.

4. There's a Nursing Station at Geyser Gulch. There are actually Nursing Stations throughout the park, but this one is especially nice since kids may get super worn out playing in this giant treehouse. If you need a place to calm a toddler down, head back toward the restrooms and you'll find the little building which holds a bench and rocking chair for moms to nurse or calm babies.

5. Lie Down on the Bed in Grandfather's Mansion to See a Hidden Message. Hint: it's a challenge and it's kind of tough. Watching a toddler try to do it might be amusing.

6. Visit the Official Ride Measuring Station at the Grand Exposition. You'll be able to get each child in your party a wristband that will enable them quicker entry to all of the park rides. This will save a lot of time for kids who want to ride everything but are hovering near the height requirement.

Photo Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

For a park that was built around a cave (pictured above), this is a pretty entertaining place to spend your Ozark vacation time. I hope I've convinced you that it's a fantastic place to be.

If you're past the toddler stage of life, chances are you're interested in the more exciting and groundbreaking rides - like Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City's world-famous, award-winning wood roller coaster.

Photo Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

This coaster sends riders upside-down three times, including a double barrel roll as one of the twists! It's high on the list of must-ride attractions for thrill-seeking guests and visitors continue to come from around the world for this experience. I'm not sure, but I think my roller coaster days are over - but I can just imagine how many times Lincoln will want to ride this in a few years!

Guests who were born or married in 1976 receive a FREE season pass this year only! Spread the word! You can find out more and purchase tickets to Silver Dollar City here - plus make sure you are following on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! 

Disclosure: In exchange for my post and to facilitate my honest review of this experience, my family received tickets for this attraction and a meal voucher as part of a promotional blogger tour of Branson, MO through US Family Guide. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own. For more info, you can view my Disclosure Policy.

Visiting Branson with Toddlers: Silver Dollar City Food, Festivals, and Entertainment

Disclosure: In exchange for my post and to facilitate my honest review of this experience, my family received tickets to this attraction and a meal voucher as part of a promotional blogger tour of Branson, MO through US Family Guide. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

If you're from the Midwest, you've probably at least heard of Silver Dollar City. If you've never been, let me tell you: you're missing out. It's amazing at anytime of the year, and although I'm particularly fond of attending the Christmas Festival, there's never a lack of things to do or see when you are in this theme park designed to resemble an 1800's mining town.

At the end of this post, I'll be sharing 5 Tips for Food, Festivals, Entertainment, and General Kid-Friendly Things at Silver Dollar City with Toddlers, so stay tuned for that! And make sure you read my other post from this trip: Visiting Branson with Toddlers: Silver Dollar City Rides & Kid Zones.

From the moment we first arrived at Silver Dollar City, it was clear we were in for a patriotic adventure! The summer festival, Star-Spangled Summer, is in full swing and is a celebration of America all around - from the decor to the music and the entertainment throughout the park. Star-Spangled Summer is going on until July 20, but there's always something in the works. Here are the upcoming festivals for the rest of 2014:

Moonlight Madness (July 19-August 3), featuring a fireworks finale each night!
Southern Gospel Picnic (August 22 - September 1), with hundreds of performances from Grammy and Dove Award winners.
Country Music Weekend (September 6-7), presenting concerts from the stars of classic country hits.
National Harvest & Cowboy Festival (September 12 - October 25), the largest national festival of demonstrating craftsmen.
An Old Time Christmas (November 1 - December 30), one of the most-acclaimed Christmas festivals in the country - featuring five million lights.

Silver Dollar City started as a cave tour business back in 1894. The original attraction, Marvel Cave, is still operating and is truly a wonder! We didn't make it into the cave on this trip and will probably wait until the kids are a little bit older to venture below the ground with them, but for those traveling without toddlers, it's definitely a highlight! The park officially opened on May 1, 1960, and has seen 71 million guests since that day. And it all started as a hole in the ground!

Silver Dollar City was named the Home of American Craftsmanship by the U.S. Congress, and daily you can find craftsmen demonstrating and selling their wares. It's fascinating to watch these artists work!

Photo Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

Lincoln doesn't have the patience to watch many crafts, but he was definitely intrigued when we stopped by Brown's Candy Store and watched as the 1800s-clad staff members made Silver Dollar City's signature peanut brittle before our very eyes.

He was most interested in eating the free samples, of course!

There are many interactive opportunities for kids when visiting the Silver Dollar City shops. One of my favorite things as a girl was to visit Carrie's Candles and hand-dye my own candles in my choice of colored wax. Andrew and I put a heart candle set that we hand-dipped while we were dating on our Christmas tree every year.

And speaking of Christmas, you can feel the holiday spirit year-round when you stop by the holiday shop (close to the train station) and snag holiday gifts or a souvenir ornament for your family's tree.

Photo Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

Everywhere you turn, you can find a theater or street show to watch as you make your way through the park. Music streams through the Ozark hills, and the entire park has such an old-time, down-to-earth feel, that you just find yourself having the most relaxing time away from the "real world."

Photo Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

There's so much to do and see that it's very easy for the youngest members of a group to become just plain worn out. Addie lasted until about 1pm before completely crashing in my Ergo baby carrier.

Since she was asleep, I made a stop in one of the convenient Nursing Stations to sit down and chill with her, while Andrew and Lincoln attended the new Flying Ace All Stars show at Red Gold Heritage Hall. Lincoln was impressed by the Olympic athletes, world champions, and future hopefuls who performed amazingly daring stunts on trampolines.

Silver Dollar City is not your "typical" theme park and there is nowhere that it is quite so obvious as in the abounding food choices throughout the park.. At other amusement parks, you can expect to pay exorbitant prices for sub-par greasy food that no one even expects to taste good. But here? You're in for a treat no matter where you decide to dine - and there are a dozen restaurants and a huge assortment of street and snack vendors to choose from. It's no easy choice!

Photo Courtesy of Silver Dollar City.

As part of our blogger tour, we were treated to breakfast at Molly's Mill Restaurant, which features a world-class buffet. Kids 3 and under are free (yay), so this is a logical choice for our family, anyway.

Our morning at Silver Dollar City started off as we filled our plates in the buffet line with countless breakfast delicacies - biscuits and gravy, grits, potatoes, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, a huge assortment of fruit...honestly just about anything you can imagine was there. We all had multiple servings and were stuffed as we headed off for our adventures in the park. I had never eaten breakfast at the park before, but I loved this meal and hope to make it a tradition. I think it's a great way to get the day off to an energizing start.

For lunch, we went with a location we had tried during last year's Old Time Christmas festival and ordered a cheesy delight from Crossroads Pizza. I was hoping to add something a little healthier to our lunch, too, so we ordered a Caesar salad to split. Between the four of us, we could not even finish all the food! It was delicious - and pizza is something I knew the kids would eat since it is familiar.

I really wanted to stop by Hannah's Ice Cream Parlor for some homemade, creamy goodness, but we just ran out of time and energy! It's on my Silver Dollar City bucket list for another time!

Top 5 Tips for Food, Festivals, Entertainment, and General Kid-Friendly Things at Silver Dollar City with Toddlers.

1. Kids 3 and Under Eat Free at Molly's Mill Restaurant and Mine Restaurant Buffet. Free=always good. Am I right? You can also ask at any restaurant if you have special dietary needs or need to see an ingredient list.

2. If You Forget Basic Supplies, Don't Fear! You can stop by the Hospitality House for diapers and wipes, sunscreen, medicine, camera batteries and more.

3. Strollers Are Available for Rent. Expect to pay $13 for a single or $18 for a double - if you're short on luggage space, this might be a bargain.

4.This Summer, Stop By the Carousel Barn for Special Character Meet & Greets - including Scooby-Doo and Shaggy, Team Unizoomi, the Backyardigans and more! Find out more here.

5. There Are Nursing Stations Throughout the Park. And they are fantastic. If you need a spot to chill with a baby, seek out one of these air-conditioned spaces.

And last - but definitely not least - no trip to Silver Dollar City is complete without a trip to Eva & Delilah's Bakery, located just inside the park entrance. We stopped by on our way out and nabbed a big box of cinnamon rolls, which Andrew and I embarrassingly consumed within 12 hours in our hotel room. Don't go here if you're hungry and trying to avoid sugar! It's hopeless - in a good way.

Guests who were born or married in 1976 receive a FREE season pass this year only! Spread the word! You can find out more and purchase tickets to Silver Dollar City here - plus make sure you are following on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! 

Disclosure: In exchange for my post and to facilitate my honest review of this experience, my family received tickets for this attraction and a meal voucher as part of a promotional blogger tour of Branson, MO through US Family Guide. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own. For more info, you can view my Disclosure Policy.

Visiting Branson with Toddlers: Grand Country Resort

Disclosure: In exchange for my post and to facilitate my honest review of this experience, my family received accommodations as part of a promotional blogger tour of Branson, MO through US Family Guide. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

Have you ever been to Branson? It's a tourist town, which means there are a lot of lodging options available. It can be overwhelming to know where to stay. If you're looking for a quiet place to crash after busy days of family fun, but want restaurant and shopping options nearby, I have just the place for you. Plus - there's a water park on site and it's included with your resort stay! We stayed at Grand Country Resort on our recent trip to explore Branson, and had a blast!

At the end of this post, I'll be sharing my Top 6 Tips for Staying at Grand Country Resort with Toddlers - so keep reading for that!

The Grand Country Resort has been a Branson destination for 40 years and is a total vacation experience on its own. There is enough to keep families entertained for hours - or days - right on the property!

There are multiple live shows every day, three miniature golf courses (indoor and outdoor), a family amusement center with bumper cars, laser tag and more. Resort guests can visit two outdoor pools, one indoor pool, plus the indoor/outdoor water park - for free! Brightly colored wristbands grant access to the water park.

There is even an extremely tempting sweet shop on site - and the sheer amount of fudge and taffy available for purchase is astounding.

Every time we go on vacation, we end up in a conundrum of where should we eat - usually when there is very little time left before our next planned activity. The convenience of having multiple food options within walking distance of our room is unmistakeable! We tried out the Grand Country Buffet and Papa Grand's Pizza during our trip.

Our favorite was Papa Grand's Pizza - it's a pizza and salad buffet that was relatively inexpensive and very low-key, which is super important when you are dining out with toddlers. It's housed in the Fun Spot building, which is pretty noisy - so no one cared when our kids decided to make tons of noise. Next time we stay, we will have to check out the Mining Company Grill and Glenn's Frozen Custard!

Grand Country Resort has recently upgraded many of their rooms to "Clubhouse Room" status - these rooms feature a super fun Amish-crafted kids clubhouse bunk bed for kids. These would be exciting enough for little ones, but the clubhouse even features a TV and built-in DVD player, plus AUX hookups. I know I would have loved something like this as a kid! We were in a standard room this time around, which was fine by me - Lincoln would probably have fallen out of the bunk bed or something.

Our room held two queen beds, a standard bathroom, and a microwave and mini fridge! Lincoln was extremely excited by the number of pillows and tossed them off the bed immediately, so I have no nice photos of the room before the toddler tsunami hit!

Having access to a fridge was so nice - and is definitely a plus for traveling families who need to keep things cold for their kids. I didn't realize we would have a fridge, or I would have planned to bring some snacks from home since the kids tend to turn to extremely picky eaters while vacationing.

It was a great place to just make ourselves at home during our time in Branson. We were busy with so many fun activities that we didn't spend much time in the room unless we were sleeping, but the kids happily climbed on the beds and threw toys in every corner of the room - just like home!

Tip for cloth diapering moms: did you know you can dry diapers on hotel hangers? This load of laundry was clean, but I didn't have time to dry them before we left home, so I brought them along and hung them up once we arrived.

The kids were so incredibly worn out from all of our adventures that they spent most of our time in the hotel room totally zonked. Free WIFI was included with our room, so I was able to work a little bit after the kids went to sleep each night.

Definitely one of the most appealing elements of the Grand Country Resort is the indoor and outdoor water park, Splash Country. Our itinerary was so packed that we only made it to the pool once and water park once, but Lincoln and Addie both loved every minute of it.

Indoors, you can find a three-level Treehouse play area with sprayers and a 1,000 gallon tipping bucket, slides, and more. There's a Basketball Pool, Toddler Splash Area, 250-foot Lazy River, and hot tubs with temperatures safe for kids or adults depending on which one you choose. We never even made it inside to play, though we did take a peek. I know we'll visit again because it looked like our kids would tear it up in there in a few years!

When we did visit the water park, we stopped by the Outdoor section, where Lincoln played joyously (in spite of what I thought was frigid water) in the cave and on the water slides. Addie got a kick out of the jumping water fountains and giant frog slide. They had just as much fun here as they did at White Water, to be honest!

Top 6 Tips for Staying at Grand Country Resort with Toddlers.

1. There are Laundry Facilities in the Indoor Pool Building. If you need to wash clothes while you're visiting Branson to save on luggage space, you'll be able to do so here! Bring quarters if you're planning to do laundry! I didn't realize this was an amenity or I might not have dragged along so many extra cloth diapers!

2. Don't Miss the Frog Slide. It's so cute. Look at the photo below. Seriously. So, so cute.

3. Kids 3 and Under Eat FREE at the Grand Country Buffet and Papa Grand's Pizza. I absolutely love that most places in Branson keep families in mind with their generous age 3- or 4-and under freebies.

4. There's a toddler-appropriate "Ballocity" play area in the Fun Spot. We never even saw it, but I know the kids would have loved it!

5. Bring a Mini DVD Player or iPad. The cable TV had Disney channel, but not Disney Jr. There were a few times we needed to distract the kids so that we could get ready for our next activity - but after mid-morning, we had to search for something our kids would watch on TV.

6. Elevators = Free Entertainment. I think Lincoln would have gone for elevator rides just to keep him busy for hours.

We had a fantastic experience staying at the Grand Country Resort, and it's at the top of my list for our family's accommodations the next time we plan a trip to Branson. Lincoln has asked to go to the water park every day since our vacation ended!

Disclosure: In exchange for my post and to facilitate my honest review of this experience, my family received accommodations as part of a promotional blogger tour of Branson, MO through US Family Guide. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.For more info, you can view my Disclosure Policy.