Whew! We’re in the home stretch! This may come as a surprise, but there are MANY things I am thankful for and one of them is: (ready for this?) AMUSEMENT PARKS. I love a good thrill every now and then. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever outgrow these parks. What’s ironic is I’m slightly afraid of heights, but I can’t seem to resist a good roller coaster or thrill ride. I feel like I’m constantly on the hunt for a place where they take roller coasters seriously, I’ve been to Six flags Great Adventure, Busch Gardens, Disney World, and Hershey Park.
Amusement parks are great family entertainment. They certainly have come a long way from mere rides. Shows, shopping, a vast amount of food offerings….you could truly spend a lot of time and money at an amusement park! You’ll never be at a loss of something to do and it’s probably a good idea to do it over a span of days (depending on how big the park is). I know some of you are saying, “If a park is close by to me, why would I want to waste money on accommodations?” Here’s my reasoning: Great Adventure is a road trip for me and I never make overnight accommodations. I tried to plan it once, but decided not to do it. What ended up happening? Well, I love to close a park down, and of course, all the rides are so awesome, that the lines are LONG; and sometimes, I like to repeat the thrill knowing it’ll be a while before I go back. On the drive home, I find myself thinking, “I wonder what the shows are like.” So many times have I wanted to see a few shows, but I’ve never stayed. I vow to watch some shows in the future by planning appropriately.
If you ever get a chance, check one out. Amusement parks are a great way to bring out the kid in you. Even if you’re not one for thrills, the carousel, at the very least is still a fun ride that you can’t outgrow….trust me, I rode a carousel recently when I went Cooperstown. With so many choices, you’ll never be at a loss for regular rides that aren’t as intense or heart-pounding as a roller coaster.
The Empire State Carousel in Cooperstown is a gorgeous sight to behold. It was made by designers and artisans from all over and has scenes representing New York State. It even has various New York towns from Upstate to Long Island. As we were given a “tour” of the carousel and the history was narrated to us, we took a ride on this carousel. Naturally, I rode on the fish which was positioned in front of the mirror that had a New York Yankees image hand carved into it. Think that was coincidence? The ride operator noticed my Yankees purse and she directed me to where the “Yankee” mirror was. There were other carvings as well, the New York ambers, the Statue of Liberty, but the natural draw for me was the Yankees, of course.
Do YOU have a great suggestion for amusement parks to visit? I’d like to see as many as I can and I also promised myself I’d try to visit all the stadiums (or most of them at least) if I can. Pease feel free to share your stories and make sure you check out my roller coaster reviews! Thanks!
XOXOXOXO,
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