Great America

We spent yesterday at Great America which is why I didn't go to work today. I knew I would be exhausted so I scheduled the extra day off. Going to Great America after a 5-year hiatus felt a little off. I really love the thrill rides. Spending every moment either in line for the ride or actually on the ride is all I want to do. No shows, no food, no stopping for games or souvenirs. Nothing but rides. And the weather was perfect. Sunny, in the 70's, not a cloud in the sky.

We started with the familiar Batman. I insisted we go to the first row. Being at the lead with nothing to block your view of everything coming at you is a pretty incredible feeling. It did lengthen the amount of time spent in line, so this became a one time thing for the day. After the Batman we went our usual route, Iron Wolf, American Eagle, the Viper, and finally the best ride, the Raging Bull. We initially skipped the new Superman ride, mostly because we like the familiarity of our route around the park.

Most rides had a waiting time of 20 minutes. I think the only ride that took longer was the American Eagle. At least that was until we got to the Superman. We waited 50 minutes to get on that one. I had mixed feeling about whether it was worth it. The ride was fantastic, there was no doubt about that, but it was short. And the long wait in line didn't make me like it any better. The thrill was without a doubt amazing, but I didn't like my legs being locked down. The ride tips you into a position where you simuate flying like Superman (obviously) but in the process your legs are buckled in.

Once we finished with that ride we had spent pretty much most of the day. It was after 4 and the park closed at 6. So we decided to head back to the favorite, the Raging Bull. The Viper happened to come between us and the Raging Bull so we got in line there first. I live the Viper for the constant dips. As soon as you get past one, another one comes up. It's pretty cool.

One last ride on the Raging Bull and we were done. We headed out to a sports bar for some food and relaxation before the ride home. We took the motorcycle and it was getting dark, so the ride home was a little chilly.

For some reason the whole experience wasn't as exciting as it used to be. I do love the rides but it just didn't seem as big of a deal as it used to be. Maybe I've outgrown the amusement park thing. Maybe it was that I'm just getting older and just don't need this kind of thing anymore, nah-that can't be it. Maybe I will just have to try again. After all, I did have a great time.