Six Flags-Magic Mountain

   Every year we take the High School bands and choirs on a big end of the year trip. The last two years we have gone to Disneyland, but this year the kids voted and decided they wanted to do Six Flags instead. It is a four day/three night trip and we usually have a lot of fun. This year we ended up having over 60 kids go. Luckily there are always enough parents willing to go along and chaperone so Jake and I don’t have to constantly be babysitting.  We drove down on Thursday and it seemed to take forever! We had to stop every one or two hours for “potty breaks” and not just for the kids but half the chaperones too. I think it is pretty ridiculous that anyone over the age of 12 can’t hold it for more than two hours (unless of course you have a medical condition or something) but anyway.

   So we got there late Thursday night, and then got up early Friday to go to the music competition. The groups all did pretty well considering we are from such a tiny school. The bands both got bronze (which is considered in the top 30%) and both the choirs got silver (top 20%). We were done at the competition by about one thirty then we headed back to the hotel for a quick lunch and clothing change and headed to the beach. The beach was pretty fun, of course Jake didn’t even get in the water (because he is so lame! Just kidding honey I love you), but I had a good time goofing around with the kids. The water like always was freezing, and as usual it was a little windy but it was still warm enough to be fun. The next day we headed out to spend the entire day at Magic Mountain. If you like roller coasters then this is definitely a place you should visit. I, myself, am a roller coaster fan so I was very excited to get a chance to go. I have included some pictures of the roller coasters there, and my opinions of them, in case any of you ever go there then you will know the best rides!

  This is a picture of the park from the freeway. It actually ended up being a really good day when we were there.  It got a little hot in the afternoon for a couple of hours but as soon as the sun started going down it cooled right off.            This is the Colossus and I think it is the highest (and one of the oldest) wooden roller coasters in the western United States. It was definitely one of my favorites. I am a sucker for the good old standard roller coasters! 

   I think this one is called the gold rusher but I am not sure. It is a pretty simple roller coaster (no loops, or cork screws) and it probably wouldn’t have been very scary but we happened to ride it at about nine pm when it was really dark and the track is surrounded by trees so we couldn’t really see where we were going. That made it pretty good, somewhat of a disneyland’s space mountain effect.

 This one is the superman which most people have heard of before. Instead of the usually slow start that most roller coasters have it takes off right out of the station and goes from 0-100 mph in about 7 seconds. As soon as it is up to full speed it turns 90 degrees straight up in the air and supposedly riders are completely weightless for about 6 seconds. Very cool, I highly recommend it.

 This is the Batman ride. It is called an “inverted, looping roller coaster”, which basically means that you are sitting in a seat similar to a ski lift and the track is over your head. So when you go around the loops and what not, your feet are flying in the air. It is the first roller coaster of this kind that I have been on and I definitely enjoyed it.

  This one is the riddler. A lot of the kids were saying how awesome this one was so we decided to give it a try. You can’t tell from the picture, but you are actually sort of standing up for the entire ride. Thre is a little bit of a bike type seat to somewhat rest on but you are supposed to stay on your feet the entire rie. I have to say that this was one of my least favorites all day. The little seat thing doesn’t fit very well between your legs, and after the first couple seconds it makes your legs go numb like they have fallen asleep. I thought it might have been just me but Jake said the same thing. Needless to say, this is one you can skip and you’re not missing much. 

     I decided to save my favorite for last. This one is called the Tatsu. You load it similar to the Batman in that ski lift kind of way, but then once you are all buckled in they tip you over. The picture is of the person after being tipped over and you are parallel to the ground.    

   Then you fly all over this crazy coaster track either laying on the track through the cork screws or flying through the air. The majority of the time is spent with you hanging and it is probably the closest thing to actually flying that I have ever done. Plus it is super fast and the loops are totally awesome! Best roller coaster ever (at least so far for me)!!

Cathedral Gorge

In the areas surrounding Panaca here in Lincoln County there are at least 5 state parks. They are all easily within about an hours drive. Jake and I, being the lazy and tired homebodies that we are, haven’t done much sight seeing since we have lived here.  We have gone camping and fishing at the two state parks that have lakes. In fact the Lester family had a reunion at Echo Canyon state park a few years ago. That being said, we haven’t done a lot of sight seeing outside of those few occasions.  About a year ago (I think) Emily was down visiting and was hanging out with some of the friends she has made here. One day she came home late in the afternoon covered in mud. She told us she had been out at Cathedral Gorge and that it was so cool! I couldn’t believe that she had been there before us considering we lived about a mile away for more than two years. Anyway, a few months later, Jake’s parents and grandmas were visiting and decided they wanted to go out and see it.  We didn’t have a lot of time but we did get to wander around a little. Then last weekend my parent my parents and Emily came down and brought Ashton (my nephew). Sunday morning we went out to Cathedral Gorge and spent a lot of time roaming the caves and climbing the “mountains” of dirt. It is pretty cool out there and we took some pictures so I decided to share them.

Here is Ashton and Ethan stopping for a minute so we could take their picture. It was all we could do to get them to sit still when they just wanted to keep climbing.  

This is me and my mom posing in one of the first caves you come upon. It was pretty hot outside but once you get inside those caves it is cold!

Here is Ethan and Jake sitting by a cool rock (mud?) formation. You can’t see Ethan’s face very well but he definitely would have preferred to be running around.

   

You can’t tell from this picture but we are actually pretty high up considering right behind us is the top of the mountain. The boys loved climbing up so high. Ashton was much more careful (and a little nervous I think) than Ethan, who is totally fearless, and probably a little too young still, to realize that it would definitely hurt if he fell.

     

This last one is me and Emily still on top of the mountain waiting for everyone else to climb down 

We had a lot of fun, and Jake and I are hoping to go back once the house is done and spend the whole day exploring. Maybe take Ethan out for the morning and then get a babysitter for the afternoon when he starts to get tired and ornery!