Busch Gardens

Just after our fun visit with Linsy, we headed down to meet up with the Cummings family in Busch Gardens. My grandparents had a timeshare in Williamsburg that my parents inherited, and we have been lucky enough to join them for several summer trips. It always makes me very nostalgic when we go down to Powhatan Plantation and stay in the same unit Gma and Gpa Cummings always had. They were spectacular people, and they loved being in Williamsburg.

This was a big trip for our family. We were REALLY glad to have the support of my extended family since it was our first time braving an amusement park with 3 kids. We found an AWESOME deal at Busch Gardens that got our 3 and 5 year olds in for free. An added bonus was that the tickets Adam and I purchased were good for the rest of the summer! That meant lots of Busch Gardens days for us! Adam was only able to stay in Williamsburg for the weekend because he had a business trip on Monday, but the kids and I stayed the rest of the week with my siblings and Mom. Thank goodness for that! We had plenty of entertainment and lots of extra hands. Sweet Sarah helped me bathe my kids each night; Trina kept Spencer and Emma engaged as they "played stories" and served snacks out of their "Gambol's restaurant" (excellent pink pie...aka fruit snacks); Joel played soccer with Spence and helped me push the double stroller everywhere we went; Heather kept Emma happy and entertained in extreme temperatures, even if that meant giving piggybacks; Mom held John and watched all the kiddos so I could get a few roller coaster rides in too.

This year, we had lots to do besides just the Land of the Dragons (kiddie area), although we do love it there...




Spencer and Emma wanted to spend most of their time in the Sesame Street "Forest of Fun." There is an excellent splash play area, a welcome reprieve from the record heat and humidity. (Heat index on our first day there was a blistering 110 degrees).



Emma's favorite ride in the area was Prince Elmo's Spire. It flips your stomach again and again as the hydraulics push you up and drop you down. She loves that feeling! Spence thinks it is pretty spectacular too.


I'm SO sad that I don't have a better picture of this and that blogger still refuses to upload my videos. Spencer became KING OF THE COASTERS on this trip. Grover's Alpine Express was just his size. He rode it the first time at the end of our first day there, and then proceeded to ride it another 7 times during the week. Hands up ALL the way!


Another favorite moment that really deserves video...Emma, John, and I were waiting in one of the courtyards while the rest of the gang (including Spencer) did a "big" ride. A performance had just ended, and Emma, moving to the music that was being piped through the speaker systems, took to the stage to put on her own show. She danced and swayed to her heart's content and was pleased to receive applause from passersby. What a charming little LOVIE we have.



And the award for BEST BABY goes to none other than JOHN. He braved the heat, didn't complain when he was dragged around day after day, contentedly napped in the Baby Bjorn, smiled from the stroller, and didn't mind being doused with water periodically as his mother attempted to keep him cool.



All in all, two thumbs up for Busch Gardens.