Silverwood One of the First Amusement Parks to Open in America

Silverwood Theme Park in north Idaho is open for business with a reduced capacity and hardly a mask in sight. The park, for now, is specifically limiting the amount of people they let in to maintain proper social distancing, but how that was defined exactly, wasn't made clear.

Technically, Washington residents can't go to Idaho due to travel restrictions, except for the, say it with me, "essential trips only", so when you are crossing the state line to go to Silverwood Theme Park, that reasoning probably does not apply. Getting your scream on just may be essential in this period of time, however, there buddy.

Now Washingtonians know how Idahoans feel when they cross into the Evergreen State to buy their weed, then surreptitiously scurry back to their north Idaho hole, lest they get caught with the hippie lettuce.

Silverwood gets it -- opening now is risky. But Silverwood employs 1,300 people bringing in $80 million to the local economy, and in the town of Athol, ID, Pop. 11,000, what call would you make?

At the grand re-launch last Saturday, Boulder Beach was screaming with happy kids, nary a youngster wearing a mask, while adults staked out their favorite parts along the Lazy River, and over in Roller Coaster Alley the rides were scaring the yell out of everybody.

Did you know in Japan they are restricting screaming on roller coasters to thwart the spread of coronavirus? I always thought a coaster scream was involuntary. How can I enjoy the ride if I'm worried I might utter a sound and infect the whole ride with my germs?

Plus you have to catch this video of a roller coaster in Holland with nothing but 22 stuffed animals on the ride. How can inanimate objects look like they're having the time of their non-existent lives?

On the Silverwood story, Spokane's Spokesman Review was the source for that piece of the post.