Well, we have made it to Bryan/College Station.
We are officially in the seventh circle of exhaustion. I place all the blame on Six Flags. And the travel fan I bought at Target that decided to start rattling at 2 a.m. last night.
The good news is we are officially on the low key side of our travels at this point and can relax. It should also give my neck a little time to work out a kink I incurred on the Yosemite Sam Shoot-Out ride. Yes, that’s considered a mild ride for young children, but don’t discount what can happen when the boat behind you bumps into you while you’re looking backwards. Which is what I plan to tell the office staff when I call the chiropractor’s office to make an appointment on Monday.
(Also, Gulley and I spent the duration of the ride wondering about the political correctness of Porky Pig.)
We left for Six Flags at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Our dear friend from college, Hite, met us for the day. Like actually took a vacation day to spend it carrying our backpack all over Six Flags for us and occasionally riding a nausea-inducing ride. That’s true friendship.
The first ride Gulley and the boys chose to ride was some sort of Rocket Ship that went all the way upside down. Caroline, Hite and I decided to forgo this particular ride because it’s never enjoyable to throw up before 11 a.m. But after that we all headed for Runaway Mine Train and that was a huge hit, even though it was the first rollercoaster I’d been on in years and I’d forgotten that those old wooden ones tend to be a little jarring.
Then Gulley and the kids decided to ride the new Texas Sky Screamer. It’s a swing ride that goes up 400 feet in the air. I seriously hyperventilated just watching them from my safe spot on the ground and it didn’t help that Hite mentioned what might happen if one of those cables were to snap.
We went from ride to ride as fast as we could and marveled that it wasn’t boiling hot like it tends to be in July in Texas. Finally, Hite, Caroline and I stopped for lunch while Gulley and the boys went to ride Mr. Freeze. This was a low point in the day because Hite inadvertently spent $24 on his lunch because he didn’t realize his burger already came with onion rings. I realize it’s an amusement park, but any lunch that costs $24 should come with valet parking and a crab cake at the bare minimum.
Later in the day Jen and her little boy, Lincoln, came to meet us. Sadly, this was just about the time it decided to start pouring down rain and all the rides closed. But Linc is only two and he was just as thrilled to splash in the puddles as he would have been on any ride. Being two is awesome.
So the kids ran around in the rain while we all visited and drank $8 Slurpees. Then, just as we thought the rain was going to end our day, it cleared out and they began to open up the rides again starting with the antique cars.
Caroline and I got in one and Will was driving Jen and Linc in the car behind us. When we came around the bend, I realized there was a six car pileup because a car had gotten stuck on the track. I told Caroline to come to a stop and turned around just in time to see Will barreling towards us with a huge grin on his face. I’ve never felt so helpless. I yelled, “TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE PEDAL! TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF!” and he finally paid attention about four seconds before I might have ended up in a neck brace.
Then the car Gulley, Jackson and Hite were driving died on the track and they had to walk back to the entrance. We met them there and that’s when Hite and Jen decided they were done with the Six Flags fun. It was understandable considering we were all as wet as if we’d just jumped out of a shower. Well, maybe Hite wasn’t but that’s because he had the foresight to pack a raincoat. Which, by the way, Gulley and I mocked him for earlier in the day. Who’s laughing now?
Our last three hours were fabulous because almost everyone had left the park. We had no lines and rode everything we wanted multiple times. Gulley and I declined to end the night with Aquaman, but that didn’t stop the kids from riding it six times in a row. I feel almost certain the clothes and shoes we had on yesterday will never be the same again. There’s only so much amusement park water that a garment can withstand.
We finally got back to our hotel room eleven hours later. Tired, wet, in need of a masseuse, and a bottle of Advil. But we had the best day and I wouldn’t have traded a minute of it. Except for maybe the part where I wrenched my neck on Yosemite Sam and forgot to close my mouth during the drop on Aquaman.
And now we’re in Bryan, recovering and recouping and planning to sleep at least twelve hours tonight.
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Okay, now for the fun giveaway. My friend, Chrystal Hurst, has written a book called Kingdom Woman: Embracing Your Purpose, Power, and Possibilities with her father, Dr. Tony Evans.
I had the opportunity to read an early copy and I can’t say enough good things about it. One of the things I like about Chrystal is the way she doesn’t pretend to have it all together and that’s the woman we see as she tells her story in this book alongside Dr. Evans practical Biblical teaching. It’s about a real woman doing her best to live in the freedom God has called us to. This isn’t a call to be perfect. It’s about being the woman God created you to be. It’s an inspiring read and I walked away feeling encouraged. I’m almost positive you’ll feel the same way.
And, BEST OF ALL, one of you can win a copy of Kingdom Woman. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Maybe it can be about your favorite ride at Six Flags. But really it can be about whatever.
I’ll leave comments open until Sunday at noon and then choose a winner at random.