Six Flags New England: A Day Out

by Jamie Rhein on

Here are a few things I discovered about Six Flags New England in Springfield, Massachusetts. If you leave 13 towels and assorted other belongings piled together on two chairs in Hurricaine Harbor water park and forget that the water park closes at 7:00 PM, the park people collect all belongings and bring them to the Lost and Found near the park’s main gate. But, what ends up at Lost and Found is a bit different that what was left behind. Thirteen towels becomes four and a tan pair of child’s sandals possibly walked off with the missing towels. Somehow, an extra pair of sunglasses did end up with all the stuff that was recovered.

Despite the water park snafu, which I have to say has something to do with the thunder and lightening storm that sent us to take shelter under the thatched umbrellas in the water park in the first place, Six Flags is a great day activity for a multi-aged crowd. While the five-year-old went on the kiddie rides in the The Wiggles section, the older kids headed off to the roller coasters. Not just the older kids, but the kids at heart as well. I talked my best friend to go on the Superman: Ride of Steel roller coaster with me even though she swore up and down that under no circumstances would she ever get on it. Two hours after her declaration, there we were, our hands gripping the lap bar, heading towards the sky.

The Superman: Ride of Steel roller coaster is a massive steel thing that’s been named the “Number One Coaster in the World.” For the biggest thrill, sit on the left. That’s the side without the catwalk railing. I can vouch that it feels like being on the edge of the world without any barrier to falling off. I had the brief thought, “Ya, know, I don’t really like this all that much” as I took in the unobstructed view of the Connecticut River. That thought flew out as we flew down the first incline. At the end of the ride that lifted us slightly out of our seats on a couple dips, my friend opened her eyes and said, “That was fun. I’m glad I did it, but never again.”

The Batman: The Dark Night ride coaster that made upside down loops suited both of us more and I’d have gone on it again if we didn’t have to go retrieve our stuff, or what was left of it. [The photo is from The Coaster Critic who blogs about rollercoasters.)

* As a note, the park had nothing to do with the missing stuff. It was totally our fault since we left it for hours on end. Moral of the story: Lock up belongings, or at least remember the water park closes before the rest of the park does.

Bargain Day at the Bronx Zoo

by Jamie Rhein on

If you’re thinking about a trip to the Bronx Zoo as part of a New York City vacation, go on a Wednesday. This is the day when the admission cost is what you choose to donate. The place was packed, but not terribly so considering we went on the 4th of July.

We started our trip there at Union Square on 14th Street and 2nd Avenue. The 5 subway went within two blocks of the zoo’s entrance. I think the subway is a special thing to do in itself. Once the train crosses to the The Bronx, the train travels above ground so it’s a chance to get a top of the buildings view and glimpses of neighborhoods.

The Bronx Zoo is lush, expansive place with loads of trees that are as much a focus as the animals. On a hot day, this would be perfect. The trees kept us from getting wet when it started to rain. I’d also head to the zoo in the fall. I bet it’s gorgeous when the leaves turn colors.

Of all the exhibits, the World of Birds was my favorite. The exhibits are on two levels. The first floor gives you the bottom of the forest version of the birds’ habitat and the second floor is a top of the trees view.

One of my son’s favorite activities was the carousel. Instead of horses, the zoo’s version has gigantiic insects. My son chose a grasshopper.

Another thing I liked about The Bronx Zoo is it’s focus on environmentalism. There are several exhibits set up by the Wildlife Conservation Society that show the impact of humans on the environment and what people can do to help alter the course of destruction. Considering the zoo is in a part of the United States that has had to wrestle with this reality on a daily basis.

The most wonderful aspect of the zoo, however, was the people. Sure you can see exotic animals, but the variety of people here is perhaps unrivaled. There seemed to be families from all parts of the world enjoying the day along with us. It was terrific to think we could gather here on the 4th of July without spending a fortune to do it.

Hershey Park Turns 100 and Opens the Largest Water Play Structure in the World

by Jamie Rhein on

As we drove from Columbus, Ohio to New York City this week (9 1/2 hours with two quick stops) I picked up a coupon for Hershey Park, Pennsylvania. Hershey Park is the amusement park in Hershey, Pennsylvania that is connected with Hershey chocolate. I had just been talking about this place with one of my relatives who has been there so the coupon caught my attention.

Hershey Park is having a hallmark year. It has turned 100. To commemorate the occassion, the amusement park has created some special events. Through tomorrow, July 7, is Hershey’s Kisses Celebration Week. If you are riding the Kissing Tower, you might win a prize. A prize is given every 100 minutes to some random rider. Around the Kissing Tower from 1 to 3 p.m., you can also sample all sorts of Hershey Kisses flavors.

The biggest part of the 100 year celebration is the addition of The Boardwalk, a water park that boasts the largest water play structure in the world. There are 7 slides, 600 interactive water toys and two crawl tunnels that make up East Coast Waterworks. There are several other water attractions besides.

Darn, I wish we had had more time to use that coupon. If you’re around Hershey, check out a McDonald’s restaurant. That’s where I picked up the coupons. I left plenty.

Splashy Hotel Pools: Lounge-Worthy and Some

by Jamie Rhein on

A month ago I wrote a post about cooling off in public pools. If you really want to splurge, forget public and head to a private hotel. Family Fun Magazine has a round-up of eight suggestions. One of them is Smuggler’s Notch Resort in Vermont, also a previous post. Waterfalls, slides, lazy rivers, ponds, fountains etc. make these pools more than the neighborhood pool that I remember as a kid. Here are the other seven. If you’ve come across other great ones, let us know.

Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort--Phoenix, Arizona (There’s a special offer that begins after July 4th. It looks like a great summer deal where springing for the hotel room is a bargain.)

Hot Springs Lodge & Pool–Glenwood Springs, Colorado. This one has day rates for the pool only.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel–Anaheim, California. If you’re looking for a break from the Magic Kingdom, this might be a decent alternative.

Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa–San Antonio, Texas. This place looks ritzy and in the middle of nowhere. Perfect for relaxing. There is also a pool just for adults.

Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn–Orlando, Florida. This place is one kids might love and adults might not be too fond of. It’s like living in a cartoon. There are room deals right now, though.

Disney’s Coronodo Springs Resort–Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Aniother alternative to going to the sites of Disneyworld.

Chula Vista Resort–Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. The pool is really a gigantic water park and I can’t tell from the Web site if you can go as a day guest.

Wild West World: A Brand New Theme Park

by Jamie Rhein on

In Columbus, Ohio, the small theme park/water park combo Wyondotte Lake closed down at the end of last year. It was bought by the next door Columbus Zoo. I think that’s what happened. I think the plan is to build another theme park/water park or just a water park.. Now, there are bulldozers and the traffic route in and out of the zoo has been altered for the adjustments. It’s slated to open next year. I think.

While my details about what exactly is happening with my own city’s up and coming tourist attraction are sketchy at best, I do know about Witchita, Kansas’s latest.

Wild West World opened this past May. This is a brand spankin’ new place with rides and attractions that center around a cowboy style theme. It makes sense since Kansas at one time was part of the Wild West. The real reason I’d go here this summer is because of the China Wuquio Acrobats. This 10- person team is performing throughout the summer to the end of August.

I think I saw this group perform at Magic Mountain when I was visiting a friend in California. This acrobat team was well worth the admission price to Magic Mountain. Wild West World’s admission is reasonable, I think. It’s $25.50 for adults and $20.50 for kids under 48 inches. Here’s a link to printable coupons for reduced admission.

As an interesting cross cultural aside I discovered. The Prairie Rose Wranglers are singing here on the 4th of July. This is a group that sings cowboy western favorites. According to their website, they toured China last year. So China sends acrobats and we sent cowboys and both groups are meeting up in Kansas. The world is truly facinating.