Saturday, June 27, 2009

Do you find this amusing?

Today, my wife and I took my three youngest daughters to Carowinds, a Disneyworld wannabee near Charlotte, N.C. Soon after arriving, we waited 45 minutes in 100-degree heat to get on the Rip Roarin' Rapids, only to have the ride shut down about 20 people from our turn to get on.

Later, we bought and shared two seafood platters at $12.99 apiece, six bottled waters at $3.75 apiece ($4.06 after taxes), and six Diet Cokes at the same price. We tried to buy two margaritas at $7.49 apiece, but they couldn't sell them to my wife and I because they had no one working the cash registers who was 21 or older. Overall, we spent more than $100 on food and drink and were still hungry. And I can tell you, it's not because we're pigs.

I actually enjoyed the hokey ice skating show, but only because the theater was air conditioned. Anything with either air conditioning or shade was awesome.

Overall cost: just shy of $300, not including gas. And there was nothing priceless about it.

Ironically, we all were in great moods on the ride home, simply because we were riding home (and my Honda CRV has great air conditioning).

As you can tell, we're just not amusement park people.

6 comments:

Kappa no He said...

Hey! I have a Honda CRV, too!

Sorry to hear about the obnoxious prices. But cute to imagine everyone happy to be heading home.

Cindy Hosea said...

Thumbs up for the CRV, air conditioning and the happy family.

Thumbs down for 100-degree heat and Carowinds.

Going in two weeks. :(

-thumbs used in the modern sense :)

Jim Melvin said...

I love my CRV. 140,000 miles and still going strong. But I don't think I'll ever use it to drive to Carowinds again!

Kathy said...

So much overpricing everywhere you go these days.

Almost better to stay home and go on a slip and slide in your back yard and drink some lemonade!

Cheryl said...

I hear ya, Jim. What an annoying experience. I'm spoiled. I hate going anywhere that doesn't have air conditioning.

We're heading down to the Outer Banks for the first two weeks of August. Think it will be a bit hot there. LOL!

Thought I would pop in and see what you're up to.

Wishing you all the best,

Cheryl

Jim Melvin said...

Kathy and Cheryl:

Thanks much for your comments. I hope that all is well!

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About Me

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Clemson, SC, United States
I was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., but grew up in St. Petersburg, Fla. I graduated from the University of South Florida (Tampa) in 1979 with a B.A. in Journalism. I now live in South Carolina near the Blue Ridge Mountains, a pleasant setting for writing, to say the least. I was an award-winning journalist at the St. Petersburg Times for twenty-five years and I currently work at the Charlotte Observer. I am married with five daughters.

The author

The author
Jim Melvin, a veteran journalist, debuts as novelist.