Home to the Commonwealth: Day 5, Kings Dominion!

Heather, Chelsea and I also couldn't resist a chance to visit Kings Dominion amusement park, while mom went over to Melissa's to help out with some wedding prep.

It is no exaggeration to say that some of earliest foggy childhood memories are from times at good 'ole KD. Sitting with my sister and brother under the Candy Apple in the dark while my parents rode a roller coaster? yep. Being scared to death of the guy with glowing eyes at the end of the Haunted River? yep. My very first roller coaster ride on the Scooby-Doo which was also the last roller coaster I ever rode until I was 12 or 13? yes. All of those memories before age 5. And watching my older preteen sister flirt with boys in Yogi Bear's Cave and wondering when I'd be old enough to also attract the attention of said boys? oh dear. unfortunately yes.

Anyway - I love that place. It's changed a bit through the years. Some rides are gone, some of the themes are different, a bunch of new rides have cropped up. But walking around and riding those rides I can still clearly remember so many things. Being an obnoxious teenager singing Violent Femmes "Blister in the Sun" at the top of our lungs in the back seat of the Rebel Yell with Shelly. Spur of the moment evening trips with Alyssa. Getting picked up and physically thrown into one of the fountain ponds (for fun?) by a boyfriend. Senior Skip Days with Carolyn and Anne. Lots and lots and lots of summer days spent there.

After my mission to Germany I even worked in this gift shop with my sister Melissa:


That summer was also the last time I'd been to Kings Dominion before now, incidentally. Crazy!

Anyway - here's me in the front there on the bobsled ride, in the Germany car of course:

And we got soaked to the skin in the white water raft ride. Soaked. to. the. skin:

and me in front of the best roller-coaster in the universe. yes, the universe:

(Although the new Intimidator 305 roller-coaster (with a 305 ft straight drop) was also a whole lot of fun, I must say.)

So anyway - we had a really fun day together with the 3 of us. The weather was tolerable. There were no lines (!!!). And a whole new set of Kings Dominion memories were added to the many others in my happy-place brain. :) yay.

(all photos courtesy of Heather's camera and iphone - since I didn't want to bring my bigger camera along. Thanks Heather!) :)