What routines or traditions do you have at the park?

[slow_walker]

For the past 6 or 7 years I've developed a tradition of entering the park and heading straight to Brown's Candy Factory to get a chocolate-covered strawberry, which I eat on the benches outside of the shop. Then I backtrack back to the square and begin my SDC day. I can't remember how this routine got started, but it's one that I definitely enjoy continuing to do. And when there are no strawberries (due to wrong season or large crowds) then I just get something else chocolate-covered.

My mom always has to have a funnel cake everytime she goes. I always have to taste test the pork rinds (and usually buy a bag). My brother visits the leather shop every single time. My sister-in-law always steps into Wilderness Church. What do you guys do every single time you're there?

[haytater]

We head straight for the apple butter shop to get a turnover. Then we head back to the main square and go to the right - Browns, Carrie's, Sullivan's and TNT is the first ride we ride.

The musts for every trip:
Saloon Show
Cinnamon bread at Sullivan's
Train ride
Pork rinds
Skillet cookery
Fried pickles
Grandfather's mansion
Dipping candles at Carrie's
Riding TNT backwards
Buying a bar of lye soap

[StaceySue]

We like to make it in for the opening ceremony.  We then head to Wildfire, PowderKeg, and now the Giant Swing to ride as soon as the rides open.  We often ride Wildfire a couple of times.  The lines are super short, and we can get several rides on these in.  While we're on this side of the park, we hop on Fire in the Hole.  If it's Christmas, we head to Dickens's first show of the day.

We always eat lunch at the Riverside BBQ place.  We then spend the rest of the day taking in everything as it comes.  If we have the kids, this includes several rides on the Flooded Mine.

[marolinesdad]

We show up early and on the way in the gate we stop by the stroler rental and say hi to my cousin we haven't seen since last season.  Then we walk thru Eva & Delilah's Bakery to see what goodins they have this time.  At this point it is a be line for the Breakfast Buffet at Molly's Mill.  They we hit the Flag raising and opening song.  At this point things change from season to season.  Opening day we will go straight to TNT and be on the first train out of the station for the season (this is very important to my daughter Caroline).  Then we head to the flodded mine (for my daughter Mary).  Then to my favorite Fire in the Hole.   The rest of the day will be filled with riding and eating, riding and eating, riding and eating.   Then of course colapsing intobed tired as hec to get a good night sleep for tomorrow....

[sdcforever]

We always head straight for TNT and ride it first thing, never fail.

Every visit we also taste test the pork rinds, step inside Wilderness Church, Grandfather's Mansion, and eat lunch at the Lumbercamp Restaurant.

[Junior]

Gotta start at the blacksmith shop, work my way through the candy factory and glassblowers, then to the woodcarvers, flooded mine, and across the swinging bridge to the mill...then on to Grandfather's Mansion...on onward (AHHHHHH! I WANT A FUNNEL CAKE NOW!)

[rubedugans]

Ohh counter clockwise there Junior...you rebel!

I always hit it clockwise starting at the homestead, and church, and then I make my way down to the Apple Butter Shop, and back around again. The first lap usually ends up just a warm up, we like to enjoy the emptiness and serenity of the morning, and then as it gets more crowded we take lap 2 and actually enter the stores/ rides. I know it sounds weird, but any other way just wouldn't work for us...we have tried!

 I always end with my visit to the taffy shop for a taste of taffy (usually a bag to hide in my bottom desk drawer from the kids), and a beverage for the ride home (Always a sarsaparilla. I have them at home too but it is never as satisfying or nearly as cold or something...something is different there it changes things and makes them better). Oddly enough even when I fly solo on my SDC trips, I still end up doing the SAME EXAACT THINGS (Don't tell the wife, she'll know that she has won by making me a predictable man!)

[slow_walker]

Ohh counter clockwise there Junior...you rebel!

Weird. I never would have thought about it until you called out Junior, but I wonder if there is one direction more popular than the other? I always go to my right when I enter the park. The same direction as Junior. It never even dawned on me that people may actually come in and go left. Lol. That seems so backwards to me. I think it would totally weird me out to do that. I guess I go right because it seems natural... you drive on the right side of the road, you walk on the right side of the hall, etc. And I'm left-handed so you would think to the left would be natural. But you'd be wrong.

[DeweyBald]

Breakfast at the mill then catching the opening/flag raising.  Hit the homestead, the church and then visit with Ray Johnson as he makes a knife.  It is at this point, the wife gets very upset with me because I could stand there for hours watching and listening to him.  From that point on, we hit the rides and make several circles around the park.  Several rides on Fire in the Hole and the Flooded Mine, and if the line is not too long, several rides on the Train.  I don't ride the newer stuff because I'm not that much into roller coasters....by the end of the day we hit the candy shop and I get as much taffy as I can!

[History Buff]

^^Because of the grades, clockwise is the recommended route.  Cardiac Hill can be a pretty rough ending for the visitor who goes right.

That said, our tradition is to make every trip different, keep it fresh.  If I can get through a day and see one thing I haven't ever noticed before, my trip has been a success!

[Coaster]

We always head straight for Wildfire and Powderkeg. We ride those two, Fire in the Hole, and the Giant Swing to start the day. Then we somehow end up at the square and work our ways counter-clockwise around the park re-doing some things and eating.

To end the day we always try and get on one of the last cave tours, and a trip to the taffy shop and some cinnamon bread are a MUST.

[haytater]

@rube - i like the idea of the first lap and taking in every bit of SDC. There is something about picking an ice cold root beer from the barrel of ice. We get ours while waiting for the train. Funny story - When I was 6 I got stung by a bee in the general store and a lady pulled a cold one out of the barrel and held it to my sting.

As for going to the right, we like to end up at the saloon for an afternoon show. Usually we go right one day and left the second day.

[Firstvisit1967]

Breakfast at the Molly's then it is on our way.  Fire in the Hole. 
Biggest Family Tradition. This is dating back several years(my wife could tell you when) getting a picture taken at the American Plunge.  We started when our daughter was young, added her husband, and then our son, and now the family picture has a grandson in it.  We have done this at other parks also, but we have one from every summer from SDC.  By the way I still look like a young father everyone else looks older.

[Kriddels]

First thing is to take a picture by the Clock at the Entrance for that year. Once I enter the park I have to head straight for Grandfather's Mansion because since I can remember it's what me and my sis would do (now me and my nephew and sometimes sis  ) Then we use to go straight out and take a pic at the Kodak Coffin and then head for the Tree House after takin' a pep' in the hole (of course the Tree House is shut down so now I make a hook around to the Jail sometimes stop at the bakery and get some smells). Take a picture at the Jail and then most likely head down the swingin' bridge. But of course this all happens after the opening and breakfast at Molly's Mill (or bakery if my mom is with me  )

[Junior]

I got to thinking about WHY our family always takes the route that we do when going into the park. I think it stems from 1970 when Shad Heller, dear departed mayor of hero township and blacksmith, was at the forge. He was the big hero and celebrity on park at the time. He appeared on the St. Louis kids shows of the late 60s and early 70s, promoting SDC. I guess we kids just HAD to see Shad up close. We were seldom disappointed, as I remember. Even in recent years, when I walk by the blacksmith shop, I look for Shad. (He's not there, anymore. He rests next to his beloved wife at Evergreen Cemetery. Stop and visit, if you have a chance. You'll also see many names connected to Shepherd of the Hills, and the Herschend family plot is there, too.)