a trip to the park

For several years now I've been craving roller-coasters. Not just the Giant Dipper, which is still one of the most fun I've been on, but a real throw-you-around make-you-fear-for-your-life experience. Last weekend my craving was satisfied.

We got some 1/2 price tickets to Marine World (discovery kingdom I do not accept you) through twitter and braved the atrocious coast-bound traffic to meet up with friends in Vallejo and ride some damn rides.



We met up with the always fabulous Rah:



and her friend Dominic (an awesome guy who also battled the traffic from Sac. and is not intimidated by killer whales.)



Jevan spent the week before saying his Saturday was going to be spent "waiting in lines, in the heat, with screaming children." So that was true, but the lines weren't so long, the breeze was cool, and the children didn't scream very loud.

I even caught him smiling:



We saw captive wildlife:


Tank of the blue dolphin



This bird had amazing feet that looked two sizes too big.



This Indian Fruit bat was my favorite, when it climbed up to eat a piece of pear you could see it had a face just like Falcor. The collar looked uncomfortable.



And great wild chickens



It's hard to find a greater density of miserable-looking people that are supposed to be having fun that in an amusement park; looking around there was nary a smile to be found. Thousands of people with small children and infants in strollers waiting in line for rides only a few of the family can go on, asking youth that wants to run around to stand still and behave, it just doesn't seem like an ideal family outing.



What do you do with a five year old and these?



Oh, feed them "American Fries."



Marine world is a self declared "family environment" where you can be expelled for offending anyone, and no drugs of any kind are tolerated. However, this was the musical act of the day:



Yep, "Canobliss," 'coincidentally' is similar to cannabis." the band all had matching t-shirts with their name on them.


There was one place in the park everyone had genuine smiles and looks of awe and wonderment -- the butterfly exhibit.












We had a great time, and were reminded amusements parks are definitely not somewhere we want to visit more than every three years.

But last weekend, this made it all worthwhile: