Well, it’s August, and summer has been in full force for some time now. The sun is showing us no mercy as we are forced to either turn on our air conditioners or smother ourselves with sunscreen. While we may be keeping cool inside our homes, we are also limiting ourselves in terms of entertainment. Since the soap operas and talk shows can only take us so far, there comes a time when we need to escape cabin fever and challenge the ruthless sun. But how can we cool off and be entertained at the same time in such merciless heat? Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to find the perfect alternative. During my visit to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, my air conditioner and talk shows became refreshing water rides and Jimmy Buffet music. My couch became an inner tube, which I used to rocket down my choice of 25 different water slides. Instead of withering away indoors and letting the television numb my brain, I soaked up some sun, got wet, and had the time of my life.
It was a scorching 87 degrees the day I made the trip to Hurricane Harbor, and I couldn’t wait to cool off. When I made my way through the turnstile and was serenaded by a relaxing Bob Marley tune, I already knew it was going to be a good day. Walking a little further down the bend, I turned the corner and gazed at a vast array of water slides, each varying in color and design. But there was more…an enormous wave pool, a water play structure, and a “Lazy River” where people were drifting in their inner tubes and soaking up the sun. With so much to accomplish and only so many hours before close, I couldn’t wait to get started.
My first endeavor came in the form of a giant cone-shaped water slide called the “Tornado.” Sprawling out across the gigantic inner tube, I laid back and waited to be pushed. Once the coast was clear, the attendant gave me a nudge that sent me soaring down a dark tunnel. After only a few seconds, I slid back into daylight and shot up the side of the enormous cone – my body was instantly cooled as water splashed me from all angles. Funneling my way down to the bottom, a sheet of water drenched my entire body as I reached the end. I flipped off my tube backwards into a cool oasis of water at the bottom and felt completely rejuvenated. I got to my feet, looked around, and pinpointed my next venture.
Off in the distance, I could see two huge bowl-shaped water slides next to each other called “Vortex” and “Typhoon”. I journeyed closer and made my way up towards the top of the “Vortex” line and waited my turn. It didn’t take long before I was sitting in my tube staring down into a pitched-black tunnel, waiting for the attendant to be given the green light from down below. Once the coast was clear, a familiar nudge once again sent me shooting down a dark passageway – except when I reached daylight this time, I was spinning around the sides of a massive bowl. After five or six rotations, my tube slowed down and almost came to a complete stop. Was it over? Not quite…I was sucked into another black hole, this time backwards. As sheets of water engulfed my body from all sides, tiny white lights on the top of the dark tube were my only guide as to which direction I would be turning next. When I finally reached the bottom, I was greeted by another refreshing pool as my inner tube hit the water and threw me into it. Once again feeling revived, I looked around for my next refreshing journey.
After cruising down several other water slides, I decided it was time to take a relaxing stroll down the “Lazy River” so I could end my day with some sun and relaxing music. There turned out to be no line at all, so I was able to grab a tube right away and set off down the stream. While drifting, faces carved into the stone walls sprayed me with water from holes in their mouths. Whenever I drifted towards either wall, I was doused by a refreshing waterfall. I laid back, soaked up the sun, and drifted through paradise. By the time the stream reached its end, I had nearly fallen asleep. Reluctantly, I flopped off my tube into the water and handed it to the attendant to give to the next person in line.
My day at Hurricane Harbor had ended, and it was time to head home. As silly as it may sound, I feel like I accomplished something that day. While water slides and a “Lazy River” might not sound like accomplishments, I successfully escaped the confines of my house and got some fresh air – for many of us, that is an accomplishment in itself. While air conditioning and television can be tempting, they can’t quite compare to a day at the water park.

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