Day two of our adventures dawned and I found myself up a bit earlier than I had anticipated. (I shall spare you the details, but suffice it to say that I suggest AGAINST eating a large Italian meal at nine o’clock at night after spending an afternoon walking in the heat.) We were headed to Six Flags Fiesta Texas and the park opened at 10. Our motel was only 4 miles away and seeing as how this wasn’t a Disney park, there were no rope drop concerns to factor into our departure time.
Once I was back to my usual self, I quietly got dressed and headed down to the lobby. If there is a benefit that I enjoy the most about a non Disney vacation, a free continental breakfast certainly ranks high on the list. After loading up on some bacon and biscuits and gravy, it was time to sit and do some people watching.
As I sat and reflected on our trip, the thought occurred to me that it was exactly a year and a week since I had been sitting in Everything Pop following a similar bout of digestive instability. Only in this case there was nothing photo worthy to go out and take pictures of. Nana and Papa Biscuit joined me after a few minutes and we planned out the rest of the day.
Nana needed more sunscreen so we got the location of a Target store from the desk clerk. I then grabbed the girls some breakfast and headed back the room to pack up. The girls were up when I arrived and while they ate, I set about gathering up all our junk and getting it packed away.
Because we are the Biscuits, it took a few min longer than anticipated to get out the door. The clock was showing five minutes till ten when we made it down to the cars. Luckily the Target store was on the way and we found it with minimal difficulty. Finding the sunscreen within said Target proved to be bit more problematic so our five minute stop turned into fifteen. Eventually though, we were back on the road and we made it to Six Flags about 20 min after they opened. Turns out, we need not have worried about missing the opening as the parking lot was practically deserted. We wound up parking near the gate and passed through an empty entrance plaza to enter the park.
I’ve been to this park a handful of times and my mom has been there literally dozens of times as a youth sponsor. Neither of us had EVER seen the park this empty. It was, in a word, fantastic.
For those of your unfamiliar with this park, allow me a moment to set the scene. The park itself is built inside an abandoned rock quarry. The park itself is roughly horseshoe shaped and is surrounded on three sides by sheer rock cliffs. Many of the coasters in the park take advantage of this, as do many of the water slides in the water park.
Here’s a birds-eye overview from atop the Ferris Wheel. (The "street" at the lower left is actually inside the park and part of the design of that area.)
The park’s design is not only cool looking, but it effectively isolates you from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city. Unlike many of the other Six Flags parks I’ve been in, you can’t see an interstate or shopping malls or cheap hotels from inside the park.
Which is nice.
And is a feature which bears resemblance to another favorite park of mine.
That is until they build a massive resort right behind Space Mountain.
Not to be a hater.
I’m just saying.
Our first order of bid’ness was to head over to the “you think you’re driving, but you’re really not” miniature cars.
It was a walk on.
While the girls went puttering around the track, I perched on a bridge and took their photos as they rolled past. At some point along the way, the girls spotted the The Hustler and it was ON!
Now I have to say, The Hustler is an evil ride. Pure nasty funkiness. The concept is identical to the tea cups, except they aren’t cups, they are giant pool balls. Which spin you unmercifully until your innards attempt to exit your body.
Evil.
I was somehow elected to ride with the girls.
Joy.
The line for this one was a walk on as well.
So we walked on. And I got the girls buckled. And I took their pictures. Then I walked off.
That’s right; I left the girls to face the horror of the billiards alone.
Remember that continental breakfast I was singing the praises of a while back? I figured the girls would prefer not to have it displayed for them. And I knew beyond any doubt that if I parked my ample belly inside a giant billiard orb of evil, that there would be fahrvergnügen in the corner pocket.
Besides which, they were the only two on the entire ride so I didn’t have to worry about them disappearing in the crowd.
While they were riding and waving at Nana, Papa and First Lady Biscuit, I poked my head around the corner and shot a few more pics.
(Theater housing a 1950's Rock 'N Roll Stage Show.)
(Restaurants and shops in the 1950's Americana area.)
The girls soon emerged with nothing but smiles and we headed over towards the boardwalk area to discover a plethora of lineless attractions.
We were LOVING us some Six Flags Fiesta Texas!
