 |
| Where Adam usually ends up - next to Mommy |
 |
| We just finished breakfast!? |
 |
| The parking lot stayed pretty empty. We couldn't believe our luck. The schools in most of the states we visited didn't get out until mid to late June. |
 |
| Adam in his Joe Cool car. He still likes to ride a lot of the younger kid rides. |
 |
| Derek thinks he's too big for the little kid rides, but some of them can still be pretty fun |
 |
| Helen could not get her balance in Treasure Cave with its slanted floors. She got so tickled and couldn't move. The kids thought it was hilarious. |
 |
| Lots of coasters. The kids loved this Stunt Coaster with explosions, guns, helicopters, etc and rode it over and over. |
 |
| Driving the antique cars is always a hit |
 |
| Adam was elated that one of his favorite places, Panda Express, was in the park |
 |
| Funnel cake and Icees |
 |
| Adam couldn't wait to get Mommy on the cat and mouse coaster |
 |
| Adam doesn't care for the big metal coasters, but loves the big wooden ones |
 |
| Derek is starting to feel it. All the motion and junk food is starting to catch up to him. |
 |
| Put a fork in him - he's done |
 |
| Adam tries to hit all the big wooden coasters before the park closes |
 |
| Maybe we'll see the real Liberty Bell when we get to Philadelphia |
 |
| There was a beautiful sunset as we headed out of the park |
 |
| We drove to Alexandria. Derek wasn't feeling well and went straight to bed. The rest of us went out and had some really good food at the Austin Grill. |
Thursday June 2, 2011
I hated not being able to see some of the sights in Richmond...again, but we headed through there too late. The same thing happened on last year's road trip when we had a beautiful sunset drive up the James River into Richmond, but got bogged down in all the traffic in the downtown area before deciding just to get out of the city and find a hotel room north of the city.
The only thing on the agenda for today was King's Dominion Amusement Park. Our hotel was only a few miles away and the park didn't open until 10:30 so we didn't have to rush. The day before had been really hot and we were worried that the amusement park was going to be hot and crowded, but it turned out great. The parking lot looked to be less than a quarter full, the temperature was very comfortable, and there was even a nice breeze.
The kids were so excited. They were squealing with anticipation. We hit one of the big coasters near the entrance, but Adam chose to sit it out. It was nice that we could leave him alone with our backpack. I'm not sure we would have done that last year, but it felt OK this year. Now, we often give Derek the option of staying home alone. It's very liberating not having to be tethered to your kids at all times.
We were very impressed with the park. The layout was nice with plenty of trees and water. The employees were attentive and well spoken - even looking you in the eye when they spoke with you (I know, shocking in this day and age). The food was even good. They had a number of chain restaurants like Chickfila and, one of Adam's favorites, Panda Express.
It was so nice having short lines. A non-crowded amusement park - things like that just don't happen to us. We kept waiting for the crowds to flow in, but they never did. We went from ride to ride working our way around the park mixing in some rides for Derek and some for Adam. It was cute that Adam still gets excited for rides that are probably too young for him and was cuter when Derek would reluctantly join Adam on some of the "tween" rides and then we would see them both laughing and having a great time.
Derek and I rode the big coasters, the Volcano and the Intimidator. I was feeling like tossed salad with all the twists and turns. At some point Derek started feeling it also. We had lunch at Panda Express, but Derek didn't feel that hungry and just had some fries.
After lunch we hit the water park for a couple hours. The water park closed at 6 and towards the end I managed to find chair and catch a nap. Helen rested some but Adam grabbed her to go ride something. They like getting Mommy to ride things because they love it when she screams...and she screams a lot.
After the water park we still had a couple hours until the park closed. We played some games and then took a funnel cake and Icee break. Adam wanted to ride the "cat and mouse" coaster and then a couple of the big wooden coasters. He doesn't like the big metal coasters but he loves the wooden ones. Derek prefers the metal ones because the wooden ones shake so much. I don't mind the big ups and downs, but I can do without the loops because enough of them eventually make me nauseous.
Derek rode the "cat and mouse" coaster and then had to put his head down. We thought he was done, but he reluctantly went with us on the big "Grizzly" wooden coaster. And that was all she wrote. For the rest of the night he was pitiful and on the verge of hurling. Thankfully he managed to hold it down.
We closed the park down at 8 and then drove an hour and a half north to Alexandria, Virginia. We stayed in Alexandria last year while visiting DC, but not in the old town part. This year we stayed at the Hotel Monaco in old town. I booked it using the no name option on Expedia where they give you a description of the hotel and the rate but don't tell you the name until you book it. It was a really nice boutique hotel. We felt very under dressed. The old town area was bustling with people dressed up for a night on the town.
Derek was still feeling bad so he went straight to bed and the rest of us headed out to find something to eat. It was after 10:30 and most of the places that looked somewhat kid friendly were closed. We finally managed to find a place a few blocks away called the Austin Grill. They closed at 11 but welcomed us. I had a big beer and we split some fajitas while we watched the NBA Finals playoff game between Miami and Dallas. We could tell right away from the quality of the chips and salsa that the place was really good. All the food was very flavorful and we were glad we stopped in.
We had a nice walk back to the hotel and when we returned it looked like Derek had not budged.
No comments:
Post a Comment