Ticket to Ride

DO THE PUYALLUP: Today was one we'd been looking forward to for weeks - our annual trip about an hour south to the Puyallup Fair.

The weather was lovely - clear blue skies and nearly 80 degrees. We got there about 11, right when the midway was opening. After standing in a way too-long-and-slow line to buy all-access-to-ride wristbands, we hit it hard for the next four hours.

We started with a classic: The Scrambler.

We soon made our way to the big slides.

 

There were roller coasters to be ridden. First, the screaming steel Wildcat. ... (CJ and Annabelle are in the back of the car with the flame job.)

And next up we had to check out the just-opened, recently-refurbished wooden track roller coaster. 

You can see CJ above in a bright yellow t-shirt and Christian solo in the car behind him. Annabelle's mostly obscured by the people in front of her.

It was a long line for the wooden coaster, but the kids and Christian said it was worth it. Christian said he was actually lifted up out of his seat a couple times by it.

Originally constructed in in 1935, the coaster is coming off a a three-year, $1 million reconstruction project.

Until we rode the sky tram, I didn't realize just how big that wooden roller coaster was. You can see it in the distance in this shot.

There was also a fair amount of circling 'round high overhead today.

The Vertigo was lovely to look at. They were soaring so high up in the air!

See the kids? They are at 8 o'clock with Christian at 8:30-ish. 

 

There was a fun hang-glider type ride, too. Christian thought he was Superman.

 

 

As the kids get older, each year they've become more interested in the thrill rides. CJ is an absolute animal. He insisted on going on the Zipper, as well as the Skydiver (steel cages, spinning and twirling).

In the photo above, CJ and Christian are in the topmost car. Below, they're completing an orbit. 

 

After the Skydiver, we boarded the nearby Sky Ride. It's an overhead tram on a cable that takes you from one end of the fairground to the other. Before we boarded, we learned that the Sky Ride debuted in the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle!

 Here, Annabelle enjoys the scenery. The fair actually looked even bigger from our overhead vantage point.

At the south end of the fairgrounds, where we were exiting, were the extreme attractions. Throughout the day, CJ had been mentioning going on the Slingshot - where a pair of riders are strapped into seats which are attached to steel cables under high tension., Hydraulics are used to stretch the springs and then BOOM! They're shot up into the sky. The sign at the ride said it was 5 Gs (Christian is skeptical of that claim) and that riders go 100 MPH (he thinks that may be true). It was fun to watch. (Here's a random video of someone else doing it on YouTube). Below are pics of CeeJ and Christian's wild ride, but it's hard to capture the size and scope of it in still shots.

 

 

CJ thought it was GREAT fun.

Our last stop was an attraction where Annabelle could walk (and roll and crawl) on water. Miraculous! ;)

True confession time. ... OK, so you notice there are no photos of the educational exhibits, or the arts and crafts and agricultural and livestock thingees. Yeah, um, well, that's because all we did for 4+ hours was the midway. This makes me feel like a huge loser, but after 4 hours of lines and heat and lines and heat, we were ready for lunch/dinner and since we really try to avoid fair food (deep fried butter, anyone!?), we decided it was time to go. Next year, we're doing the quilt show first, I tell you!

THIS, NOT THAT: Since Friday, CJ has been waging a campaign to go see "Finding Nemo 3D."  I told him we'll get to it, but it's apparently not going to be fast enough for him. Saturday afternoon he was hardcore asking to see it that night.

I finally stopped my mudding and taping (yes, the addition continues) and hopped on the computer to see screening times. I checked the Pacific Science Center's IMAX schedule first, as I always do because a) it's super close to our home and b) I'd rather the science center get our $ than some huge movie chain.

I quickly discerned that Finding Nemo was not showing but wait ... what's this?! A limited engagement, ends-this-weekend showing of "Raiders of the Lost Ark"?! ZOMG?! Are you kidding me?

"You're going to THIS tonight," I informed the kids and Christian, quickly scooping up tickets.

And so I delivered them curbside for the flick, and picked them up afterwards. They reported that it was a full house, every seat filled front to back. The kids were absolutely electrified after the film, raving about how great it was. I'm SO glad they got to see that epic adventure in a theater, where it should be seen.