What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette E arly in the morning, while the rest of Branson is waking up, Gerald Jenkins climbs to the top of the mountain and surveys his domain. "I can see the whole park from Kalani Towers," says the general manager of White Water. "And it's a beautiful thing." That's usually Jenkins' last stop before the water rides open for the day. By then, he's already walked every area of the park — from Waikiki Wave to the Surf's Up Wave Pool and from the KaPau Plummet to the Aloha River. "I look for anything from loose trash to weeds in the flower beds," he says. "Every section of the park has a certain way it sounds, and I listen for anything out of the ordinary." That's where the predictable portion of Jenkins' day ends. From then on, it's "all about customer service." "We usually have a park host whose job is just taking care of our guests," he explains. "All of us in leadership take on that role. So I could be helping the foods crew cook hamburgers, helping maintenance with a plumbing problem or trying to find a way to minimize a line so folks can do everything they want to do. Every day is different." It's a good thing Jenkins spent 41 years training for the job. A homegrown success story for Herschend Family Entertainment, Jenkins spent most of that time at sister property Silver Dollar City, where he worked in foods, maintenance and construction, attractions and safety and security. "Everything I did before led me to this," he says. That includes a childhood in Reeds Spring, Mo., just down the road from Branson. "There weren't a lot of pools," he says with a laugh. "We went to the lake and the creek. When the water got so warm in the lake it wasn't comfortable, we'd pack a picnic and go to the creek. It was wonderful just to splash out and let the cool water pour over you." Kids, says Jenkins, may have changed since he was one, "but fun is universal." "In this element, there's no technology involved," he muses. "It's just getting wet, and the thrill of riding the slides, and playing in the wave pool. And mom likes it because she can relax in a cabana or go to the Lazy River and cool off. "Our guests feel like the park is safe," he adds. "Parents can let their kids run and not feel like they're in danger. We have a lot of eyes watching to be sure our park is family friendly." MAY 20-26, 2018 WHAT'S UP! 9 BRANSON FAQ White Water WHEN — 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, opening May 26 WHERE — 3505 W. Missouri 76 in Branson COST — $20-$44 daily; season tickets are $93-$103 INFO — 800-831-4FUN(386) BONUS — Night Water, when the park is open late on Friday and Saturday, runs through the month of July into the first weekend in August. There will be fire- works on Saturday evenings. Water, Water, Everywhere Park offers families thrills, chance to chill Courtesy Photo Kalani Towers lets sliders free-fall 75 feet down a 300-foot-long drop slide as they body surf at speeds over 40 mph. If you want a little bit more action, the "Better" ticket comes next. A climate-controlled tram ride through the safari with a knowledgeable staff member added to the experience is going to get you some more insight into the animals in the park and why the zoo is doing everything possible to conserve and protect them. You also may get to feed a few of them along the way. Also part of this ticket level, a VIP Animal Encounter, like the Live Show, involves a keeper introducing guests to a few animals not on display. But when you're in the "VIP lounge," you'll get to hold these little guys in a more intimate setting. Some 15 animals are on rotation for this encounter so as not to overwhelm any one of them, and during my visit, we got to hold a teeny ringtail possum, a very chill ball python and a red kangaroo joey as she lounged in her man-made pouch. (She likes to be scratched on the neck and was very cute.) The "Best" ticket package provided what were, I must admit, the highlights of the day for me. An Exclusive Encounter that again, varies based on the available animals and how they're feeling that day is added at this tier. But regardless of who's feeling social during your visit, know you're in for an experience you won't find many other places. Back in the Animal Adventure Building, our small group of four stepped inside the enclosure with three sleepy sloths lounging under a heat lamp. They didn't mind slowly climbing their way over to us, though, because they knew people in the room meant they got some delicious slices of apple and pear. Three adorable faces with their funny little round noses hung upside down, reaching out their hooked claws to pull our hands in so they could reach another piece of fruit. It was a really special experience. As unique as it was to meet a sloth in person, Neo the lemur (short for Neapolitan) was my favorite animal of the day. The small primate was curious and friendly from the moment we entered her enclosure, bouncing from person to person as she inspected my notebook and our hair. It was a treat to interact with her as long as we did — at least 10 minutes, but it felt like more — as Phillips educated us on the species, Neo and the zoo's efforts to keep all the animals healthy and happy. The highest ticket tier is the Ultimate Excursion, which adds an off-road tour that gets you right up next to the animals. In a small RTV vehicle, Phillips revved along through the park where we met emus, camels, ostriches, water buffalo, fallow deer and more just next to us. A few of the animals we would stop and feed — sometimes needing the "drool towel" Phillips provided us. This package also brings you to the edge of Mace the giraffe's cage where you stand eye-level with him as you feed him lettuce leaves. Not yet fully grown, Mace will grow 4 or 5 more feet in height but is already impressive to stand face-to-face with. Being so close to so many beautiful, imposing and majestic animals was an incredible experience. And being there with Phillips every step of the way added so much as she described behaviors, pointed out interesting features and illustrated the consequences of people not being equipped to take care of an animal. Some 30 percent of Promised Land's animals are rescues — even more among the birds. The education and conservation components of my visit left me very aware of the importance and the purpose of such establishments.