Speaking of Marine World

Parker and I went to Marine World yesterday, and had a splendid time. We still call it Marine World even though it became Six Flags Discovery Kingdom a couple of years ago.



It was a perfectly lovely day, except for the fact that the two of us were woefully underdressed for the weather. I'd prepared us for mid 60s Oakland weather, rather than low 40s Vallejo weather, which is what greeted us as we stepped out of our car. Parker was ok once we put his spare shirt on him, but in my thin shorts and windbreaker, I was unpleasantly cold for the entire visit. I lit a fire when we got home just to get the chill out of my bones.



I got us season passes, so that we can come as much as we want in 2009. Parker enjoyed getting his little membership card with his picture on it, but I don't think he understood the point. He'll get it soon enough, I'm sure.



They don't allow you to bring in outside food or drink, and they search your bags when you come in, so I had to hide our contraband lunch in Parker's spare clothes.



The whole place is sort of obnoxiously commercial. You expect them to be hawking their own branded stuff all over the place, and it's not too surprising that they shove the Loony Tunes characters in your face everywhere you go. But they also have billboards for Lucky supermarkets throughout the park, and the tram from the parking lot is sponsored by a local tire joint, I'm not kidding.



On the other hand, they also have sharks that you can see from a tunnel that runs through the tank. Or as Parker calls them, big fish.



Parker's favorite place continues to be the big room with all of the vacuums and tubes used to shoot foam balls all over the place. He is partial to the giant cannon, which he shoots straight up into the air, and the little stove that allows balls to hover in the air.





This time we also went on a little submarine ride that for clearly illogical reasons sends you up 20 feet in the air. This aspect of the ride caught him by surprise.



We were denied entry on one of the bigger rollercoasters because Parker was just a hair too short. But I predict that he'll be tall enough on our next visit. In the meantime, the spinning balloons had to do.