Sam’s summer “vacation” has been just shy of four months long. That is one-third of a year, folks. I’ll cut to the chase — what’s up with that? Does he really need that long to regroup from the tremendous rigors of preschool? (In case you are wondering, I was in fact being sarcastic.) And to think that at the beginning of the summer I was worried about complete and utter boredom. The sea of open unstructured days stretched out ahead of us like a desert without even a mirage on the horizon. Now with fall upon us, I am just hoping that life moves at a slower pace than the summer has galloped past us. I guess that’s where the expression “time flies” evolved from, right? Yup, I’m quick like that.
Back in the caveman days when I was a kid, the only time we left town was to go to the next town over for an out-of-town swim meet. Little Sam Macky has been off on trips to Vail, Dallas, and Cape Cod, to name a few. Granted some have been to visit family, but let’s not forget drawing camp, two Vacation Bible Schools, other camps, play dates, swimming lessons, etc. It’s exhausting to be so over-indulged. So I hear, anyway. That concept didn’t exist in the 70’s when I was a young’un. And perhaps I am better off for it. The jury is still out on that one.
Anyway, Sam and I finished off the summer o’ fun with a bang today. We crammed in one last we-are-so-lucky-to-be-here outing. It was our first-ever trip to Busch Gardens with a dear Army friend of mine and her 13-year-old son. We already can’t wait to go back for more and more and more! Despite the jolly good time we had in the England, Ireland, Scotland, and Texas areas, I couldn’t thinking how much fun it would also be to go kid-free and hang out in the pubs and taverns quenching some thirst. Maybe after Sam goes to college if we are not too addicted to Geritol…
The place is truly humungous — we never even made it over to the Italy, Germany, or Oktoberfest areas. I had heard all the hype about Busch Gardens and never thought reality could possibly live up to it all. It did and then some, quite a pleasant surprise. Although the admission fee is steep, it really is well worth it. (FYI – We gleefully learned that military member get in free once a season.) I never knew an amusement park could be so beautiful, clean, and downright.. amusing. It’s no traveling county fair. It’s an insult to Busch Gardens to even group the two in the same general category.
Our favorite spot had to be Sesame Place where we rode the Grover rollercoaster three times in a row. Grover definitely had some tricky moves which I did not expect! I was worried Sam might be scared. Instead he loved every second of it, running out of his seat at the end to get back in line to get on again and again. Our friends rode along with us, which was beyond kind. How many Army colonels and/or 13-year-old boys do you know who would ride on the Sesame Street roller coaster once, let alone three times? Heck, the fact that they were willing to even walk into Sesame Place without a mask on was downright impressive to me.
Alas, after a train ride around the park and some incredible barbeque from Trappers’ Smokehouse in the Wild West, the last “hurrah” of summer was over. Bring on the fall. We’re ready!
LibbY