The First Day of Summer - Valleyfair Amusement Park

Alvin and Prescott go on the RipCord, a combination of hang gliding and skydiving, for the first time.

THE RIDE

On a bright Wednesday morning, the gang assembled at my house, one by one. A buzz of excitement filled the air as we reflected in unison the fact that we had finished high school. Today was our first day of summer, and we were going to spend it at an amusement park. At around 9am we split up into two groups and departed for Valleyfair. Group 1 was chauffeured by yours truly, while Group 2 was taken hostage by the one and only Prescott Atkinson, our local Alabamian. Despite the construction and unpredictable merging of lanes, as well as jams caused by slow vehicles, things were going as planned. All seemed well as we drove along Highway 52, until our group got broken up-- we had taken different GPS routes. Alvin Faisal, my copilot, managed to pick out the strangest route ever, which included super sharp turns and a one lane bridge (those exist?). But rest assured, Group 1 managed to keep its cool by jamming to a mixed CD that I created, titled GET HYPE!!! Everything worked out in the end-- even though we took the longer and weirder (scenic, according to Alvin) route, we still got there before Group 2. Apparently Prescott took the wrong turn and almost killed them a few times. Although they are still in denial, our victory is evidenced by the fact that they were behind us in line at the parking lot gates.

THE VISIT

Once we walked through the entrance gates, there was the customary question of “Where do we go first?” It was unanimously decided that we start at the Steel Venom, everybody’s favorite single twist impulse coaster with a U-shaped steel tubular track. There was an aura of nervousness as we hopped on board the very first ride of the day. The first ride is always more queasy-looking than usual. After the ride was finished, though, the ice had broken and we were ready for more thrill-seeking adventures. 

Alvin and Prescott were so thrilled that they signed up to go on the RipCord, which is basically a combination of skydiving and hang-gliding. Riders experience an 18-story free-fall with the rip of a cord. As the two were being pulled up by the machine, we distinctly heard Alvin shout “I REGRET MY DECISION!” They screamed with the utmost passion at the first drop. After that, they were fine and made Superman poses as they swung back and forth. Everyone applauded them once they got back to land.

The rest of the day consisted of a steady flow of thrill and relaxation. The lines were surprisingly short and we didn’t have too many problems with sticking together. After going on the Renegade the first time, we took a lunch break. Most of us went to Coasters Diner. We watched episodes of The Rascals while eating overpriced burgers, as delicious as they were. Ally Kann bought a 6-something-dollar milkshake. What would Vincent Vega have said about that? Maddy wins an honorable mention here, as she calmly accepted the fact that her order got misplaced. Shout out to our waitress, who somehow looked like a mix of Frankie (Maddy’s foreign exchange student) and Laura Cook (this girl we know), and was also very helpful. 

The gang (minus Alvin) takes a picture with Snoopy. From left to right: Dalena, me, Simbo, Ally, Maddy, Wil, Prescott, Lisa, and Sharon

After lunch we circled around the park and went on all the thrill rides. Another anecdote worth mentioning is our experience on Thunder Canyon, one of those rides where up to 6 people sit in a tubular raft and go through a river of sorts and sometimes you get soaked and sometimes you don’t. I had the pleasure of riding with Sharon Chen, who was a varsity swimmer on the Mayo High School Girls Swim team. With that in mind, she was screaming hysterically most of the time, trying to not get wet. We have footage of her screaming, and it is solid gold. Somehow, Simbo Pra and I managed to get soaked. My entire back and right side was drenched, as well as my shoes, socks, and rear end. After we got off, Simbo and I spent quite a bit of time wringing our socks and clothing. By the end of it all, my hands smelled like my feet. Ally stayed completely dry the whole entire time. Later on in the day we went again, hoping that Sharon and Ally would get wet, but they never did.

THE RIDE BACK

At around 6:30pm, we stopped for some Caribou and then left the park. I put in my SUMMERY THINGS mixed CD and we proceeded with a relaxing ride back home. Most of the time I was just hoping that Prescott would get a speeding ticket. We got back home a little before 8pm. Once we were finished with our trip, we congratulated each other on a day well spent. I had the feeling that this summer was going to be great-- alas, the turning up has just started.