Ask any kid what he likes best about summer and he will inevitably mention something having to do with water. Whether it’s going to the beach, the pool, or simply running through the sprinklers, it’s a kid’s favorite way to cool off—second to the ice cream parlor.
To kick off summer this year, we packed up the car and headed somewhere where the weather was hotter and the water a lot wilder because sometimes the Slip ‘N’ Slide just doesn’t cut it. (Plus, you sometimes slide over those little burs from the grass that hurt your belly.)
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor offers 23 waterslides, a wave pool, a lazy river that meanders around the entire park, restaurants, and family recreation areas. (And no prickly burs.) The water park features thrill slides like Black Snake Summit, which offers five wet ways to get a rush. It includes California’s two tallest fully-enclosed slides, and slides with names like Venom Drop, Coiled Cobra and Twisted Fang.
For those who can’t experience a thrill alone, you can climb more than seven stories above the ground dragging three friends and a huge raft only to plummet through a tunnel that hurls you into a giant funnel, which spins you around its 60-foot diameter at Tornado.
Of course, with Sebastian I knew I would be assigned to staying in Castaway Cove, a kid-approved water playground exclusively for the little guys.
When we got there, however, this shimmering Camelot of watery fun-ness remained locked on the other side of the impenetrable fortress that was the result of Six Flags staff newbie ineptitude. Issues with our season passes kept us in one line or another for two and a half hours, a purgatory devoid of concession stands with the hot sun scorching down on us.
First there was the line to pick up the pass, which we were told we’d have to pay for despite having paid already online. After tracking down several managers, we were given a phone number. We called, and the girl on the other end cheerfully looked up our account, and told us to instruct the guy at the window to look up our account and give us our passes. After waiting in line again to see the guy at the window, we got our passes, and then promptly got in the line to process them.
Two and a half hours in the hot sun with three boys—one of which is only 2 years old—just feet away from refreshingly cool bliss was painful. Adding to the pain was the occasional sound of rushing water, laughter, and squeals coming from the other side of the gates. Once in a while a mist of water could be felt in the air and my boys would sigh. The fact they endured the process of getting into the park stands as a testament to its awesome factor.
Once in, however, clothes were shed, bags tossed, and it was all about making up for lost time. Ron took the older boys on the fear-inducing rides because, frankly, I can’t stand to watch my kids drop from a five-story building into a pool of water without major stress on my heart. So I played in the much more mom-friendly kiddie area, where I discovered an embarrassment bigger than slipping into a bikini: Turns out when you are 2 and among a flailing mass of shiny flesh and surf trunks, anyone can be your dad.
To narrow the field Sebastian picked out a few clues: red ball cap, tank top, dragon shoulder tattoo. Turns out Ron’s style isn’t so unique. Sebastian spotted such a guy and ran across the park to him waving and yelling “My dad, my dad! Hawo, dad, hawo!” straight to the guy’s legs, with me trailing after him and the guy’s wife suddenly turning her attention from her own daughter to Sebastian and me.
When the man looked down at him, Sebastian’s eyes went from excited to confused to his trademark “back off” angry stare. And I quickly apologized and ushered him away as the man’s wife gave me what I assume was her trademark “back off” angry stare.
In true major theme park fashion Hurricane Harbor offers all the hunger-inducing fun, the exceptional thrills, and glitz at a premium price. No food is allowed in the park so you are enticed to pay $12.95 for a single meal of three chicken strips, fries, and a small drink, which we did and shared to escape selling some of our stock to pay for lunch. But half a chicken strip is a weak soldier, only briefly holding hunger at bay, and so our trip was over.
We are by nature wanderers so we like to make the two-hour trek every once in a while, but there are water park options closer to home.
Locally, there is Mustang Waterpark at Lopez Lake featuring two 600-foot curving waterslides; Stampede!, a giant half-pipe that plummets 38 feet; two wading pools for kids; three mini-slides; and two waterfall trees. Mustang also features picnic areas and a snack bar.
For more information, call 489-8898 or visit mustangwaterpark.com
North of Mustang Waterpark, in Paso Robles, is The Ravine Waterpark, featuring 325-ft.-long flume slides, Viper and Anaconda, a 175,000 gallon wave pool at Calypso Bay. Take a lazy drift along Kickback Kreek or spend the day at the 9,000 square-foot Kiddie Cove. For those who want adventure, take a five story-high climb and then spin and plunge through Vertigo or drop straight down on Kamikaze. The Ravine also offers beach volleyball, concession stands, restaurants, and all the other conveniences you would want at a water park.
For more information, call 237-8500 or visit ravinewaterpark.com.
Arts Editor Shelly Cone is all wet. Send her a towel at scone@santamariasun.com
This article appears in Jun 24 – Jul 1, 2010.