Lagoon - 2008

We took our annual trip to Lagoon yesterday (July 31). We actually had a really good time. The last time we went wasn't much fun so I was pleasantly surprised this time. The rides don't hold the excitement for me that they used to in my younger days. Now the enjoyment comes from watching the kids get so excited. This was the first time we took Damon and he had been looking forward to this day for weeks. I don't think he really had a clue where we were going or what we were going to do but the girls' excitement rubbed off on him.
When we go to an amusement park Brent and I don't get to spend much of the day together. We have to split up with the kids. We have one child that LOVES the great big fast rides, we have one child that is a wimp and refuses to go on the big rides and is timid of even some of the kiddie rides, and the third child really wants to be able to go on the big rides but he's not big enough so, much to his disappointment, he has to stick with Kiddie Land. I usually do the smaller slower rides with Brooklyn and Damon and Brent takes Brittany to the big stuff.

After we arrived, we stashed our coolers and swimming stuff by a picnic table and took off for the rides. Brent and Brittany headed for Wicked, a new one this year, and waited in line for 45 minutes. They reported the ride was very intense, even scary. Brooklyn, Damon and I headed for OdySea, another new one this year. The ride consists of a big octopus in the center with fish cars on it's tentacles. The cars go up and down as the octopus turns in circles. Then there are dolphins spitting water as the cars pass so you get wet. Its a cute little ride and very mild but when we got to the front of the line, Brooky chickened out and ended up waiting for Damon and me instead of participating. She did actually muster up the courage to try it out later in the day and enjoyed it.

Near the entrance there is a fountain that shoots water in all different directions and patterns. I had left my cell phone in the car and decided I needed to go back out to get it. We stopped at the fountain to cool off a little. Brooky and Damon got soaked. I don't think Damon's clothes ever did completely dry, even with as hot as it was.

When we went to Lagoon last, we took Brooklyn on Puff The Little Fire Dragon. Its a small roller coaster intended for little kids, although adults can ride too. The hills are not steep and it doesn't go very fast. Brooklyn screamed and cried like she was being tortured. I got a lot of sympathetic looks from the ride attendant and other parents standing in line that day. This year, Brooky decided she'd give Puff another try. She told me she was nervous as we waited in line. When our turn came, Damon and I took the seats in front of Brooklyn. Big mistake. She screamed so loud my ears rang for quite some time afterwards. But this time she liked Puff. Her screams were those of enjoyment rather than fear. She can scream REALLY loud.

Damon had a blast. Everything was a novelty for him. He really wanted to go on the big roller coasters but he just wasn't big enough. He and Brooky both really liked LadyBug Bop. On this one the seats are pulled up a 40-foot tower and dropped. They bounce and turn a little and go back up and drop again. I thought for sure this one would scare both kids but they loved it.

I asked the kids what their favorite part of the day was. Brooklyn loved the LadyBug Bop. Damon liked the boat ride, the one where he got to ring the bell. Brittany loved the big old white Roller Coaster. She went on it at least 5 times. I've realized that I have only one picture with Brittany and Brent and quite a few with Brooklyn and Damon (I'm not posting them all). This is becaue I had the camera most of the day and I was with the younger kids whereas Brit and Brent were elsewhere. The best part of the day for Brent was drag racing. We actually met up with some friends, the Holmes family, after we got to the park and Brent and Mike raced.

I, myself only went on one grown up ride. The Jet Star. Brittany went with me. Its a roller coaster that I used to really enjoy. You ride two people per seat, one in front of the other. I sat in back while Brit took the front. As we were speeding along I was worried that Brittany's head was going to flip back and hit me in the face so I tried to hold my head back out of her way instead of ducking my chin to protect my neck like I should have. As we barrelled around corners and sped down hills my neck couldn't stand the force positioned as it was and my head snapped back. It really hurt. I've got some whiplash going now. Thankfully nothing too serious, just really stiff. I'm pretty sure my fast-ride days are over.

We spent a few hours at Lagoon-A-Beach playing in the water cooling off. And then it was back for more rides. I originally thought we'd head for home at 7 or 8 that evening but we ended up staying until the park closed at 10. By the time we got to the car and got out of the parking lot (that took forever) and actually made it home, it was after midnight. It was a good day.