With last week being Spring Break for the girls, we had our tour of the Capitol on Wednesday and planned to head down to Williamsburg on Thursday tp Busch Gardens. With rain, high 50 temps, and 15-25 mph winds, we didn't quite make it. But, a day later, we were looking at sun, mid-70's, and no wind - in other words, off we went. We left the house around 7:30 and got to the park right at the 10am opening. 9 and a half hours later, we were headed out and, as you can see from the pictures below, we were all pretty tired. We were back home by 10:30 Friday night and then the sleeping began. Here is what happened in between.


We started out the day with me and Mo riding Apollo's Chariot (a.k.a. the LSU coaster) - think the Scream Machine at Six Flags over Georgia.


From there, me and K hit the tea cups - if anyone can explain how a large roller coaster won't make you sick to your stomach but the tea cups can, please let me know.


Then we hit the mini-coaster ride thing. Can't remember what it was called but K was a big fan.


Here are some of Mo's portraits. She says she was taking a picture of the statue - I think she was taking a picture of the guy with the backpack, stroller, and diaper bag.


Stop staring at me swan.


After K got on her first somewhat adult coaster and quickly declared both during the ride and immediately after that she would never ride such a horrible, horrible thing again, everything was smoothed over by the all-powerful bumper cars. Here is the race to find a car.


In one corner - Mom and K. And in the other - Big Mo. I'll let you decide who won.






While K and I hit up the monster playhouse, Mo, C and Kerrie had a little rest.








C likes the carrier.




Looking for bald eagles....anybody seen any bald eagles?


Mo's terrific pic of a Eurasian Eagle Owl.


K with the star of the Pet Shenanigans show - think Letterman's Pet Tricks but to music.


Mo liked the wolf show.


This is Griffon, the newest coaster at the park. Pictured is the initial 200-foot, 90 degree drop that puts you at 70 mph by the time you get to the bottom. Even more fun, when you get to ledge of the drop, the ride stalls for a couple of seconds so that, especially if you are on the front row, you are literally hanging straight down looking 200 feet below. There are also a few loops and the ride ends by going through a bit of water. I thought it was cool. The rest of my crowd thought I was nuts. I took these pics while in line but when I rode I was on the front row on the far left. Here is a link to more pictures from the official site (be sure to look at the last one - it shows just how much of a straight drop it is).


Me and K in line for the log ride.


And down we go . . .






C meeting Bert and Ernie.


Here we are. And if it looks like I am tired . . . well I was.


Me and C waiving to . . .


E L M O ! ! ! ! !


Mo's pic of the train.


C liked the train - not so sure about the whistle though.


Mo and K meeting a Budweiser Clydesdale.


Big horsey behaving with the girls.


Big horsey eating daughter's jacket.


By the end of the day, C was being held and someone else had taken over the stroller.


Here is me and Mo on the Loch Ness Monster - think the Mind Bender from Six Flags. We are in the middle of the turn above and on the fourth to last car below. And I don't want to hear any smack about not seeing any hands - it had the pull-down-over-your-shoulder harness thing that pretty much pins your arms in your lap. I can't like those.




Here we are headed out to the car 9 and a half hours after arriving - a cool 30 minutes before the park closed. Suffice it to say, Kerrie was looking much better than I was at the end of the day - but then again, that is always the case.


Mo pushing the stroller containing K - I am taking the picture with C strapped to me in his carrier. If the picture is a little out of focus, blame little hands grabbing camera straps.