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Friday, August 04, 2006

six flags and the march of time

when i was but a young pup, 6-7 years old, my sister took my brother and i to six flags for the first time. we spent the night at her house, and she drove us ALL the way out there to eureka. it seemed like it was another country. actually, it was probably 20 minutes from her house in ellisville...

it was a daunting place. it was huge, with all these scary rides and long lines for all of them. the mine train, the log flume, the expensive sodas. we loved it, even though we could only go on a few of the rides. actually, i was the downer, not being quite big enough for lots of the cool rides. it really seemed like a little city of roller coasters and water rides and cool stuff.

fast forward to the future, and the beautiful mrs. k and i took hanna and tyson for their first trip to six flags. i've never seen six flags from this view. directing a 5 and 6 year old around to the rides that they can enjoy was quite a bit different from dashing about between my own favorite rides. they loved any and every one. they were excited by their first ride, the old time cars. and they loved the log flume and the tidal wave. they both really liked my own favorite, the mine train. the old thing is still lots of fun and it isn't overdone or very commercial. it's just a fun old roller coaster. hanna was sooo scared. she's scared of any ride until it gets under way. then, of course, after each one, she shouts CAN WE GO AGAIN?? tyson will do anything. if there was a ride that grabbed you by the big toe and swung you around like a puppet until you puked, that would be his favorite. deanna and i are not big "spinning" rides people. i get sick easier than her, but we really like to avoid the scramblers and stuff like that at carnivals. the kids were so darn happy to be soaking wet from the tidal wave. i've never really been happy about being soaking wet in clothes.

we had a good time, but the mrs. and i were pretty disappointed. the cost was astronomical. $4 for a coke and $27 for a pizza? you can probably get these things cheaper in communist russia. and the entry fee? fagettabowtit. and it seems that over the years the park has gone downhill in terms of cleanliness, and it certainly has gone south in terms of management...teenagers are the only ones running the place, and it shows in the service of the eateries.

in the end, those things didn't matter to the kiddies. they loved it. expensive pizza and poor service are parents' problems.

1 comment:

Ted C. MacRae said...

enjoying 6 flags through the eyes of the younguns is more fun than I ever had there myself! we think the pizza sucks, then you look at them gobbling it down like there's no tomorrow - it's all about perspective.