Woo-hoo!
After climbing aboard the King Kobra, Kings Dominion’s newest roller coaster, and accelerating from 0 to 60 mph through a 46-foot diameter inversion loop, my big brother and I shouted out our enthusiasm.
With hands raised to the sky, we hung weightless on a 138-foot incline before careening back through the 360-degree loop in reverse, traveling up another incline in the opposite direction.
The 28-passenger train with seven attached cars finally eased back into the station for a second time, completing the exhilarating thrill ride.
Let’s ride it again!
“That line’s 30 minutes long,” confirmed John with a resolute voice, leading us toward the next adrenaline-charged attraction. “By sticking to our original plan, we’ll take a whirl on every ride in the park; and then we’ll go back and ride all our favorites a second time.”
Following a week of church-related activities at the 38th General Council of the Assemblies of God in Baltimore, Maryland, my adventurous family and I hopped on Interstate-95 and headed south toward Richmond, the capital of Virginia, to visit Kings Dominion, one of the newest family entertainment venues on the eastern seaboard.
Unfortunately, my 8-year-old sister Kathleen woke up with a slight fever that morning; but since this was our one and only opportunity to visit the amusement park, my parents kept giving her Tylenol every four hours just to get her through the day.
As soon as our Plymouth Voyager station wagon rolled into the parking lot, we spotted a miniature Eiffel Tower soaring over 300 feet into the clear blue sky, calling to us; so, this close-knit family climbed up to the observation deck upon paying the entrance fee.
Wow, we can see the entire park from here!
“Why don’t we head back down to solid ground,” suggested Mom, who was deathly afraid of heights, after everyone had an opportunity to soak in the breathtaking views. “If you boys want to ride all the attractions this park has to offer, we better get a move on, because the park closes at nine o’clock; so, you don’t have a minute to spare.”
Not long after being forced to ride all the attractions geared to tiny tots with our little sisters, Dad finally gave these lifelong roommates permission to explore the theme park on their own, as long as they promised to meet up at five o’clock for dinner in Coney Island.
Scouts honor!
With a brand new $10 bill for incidentals, we ran off to find the King Kobra, the most death-defying attraction the kid-friendly zone had to offer, according to a previously seen television commercial.
By the time this rising eighth grader’s wristwatch displayed the aforementioned time for the main meal of the day, he and his oldest sibling not only managed to take a spin on every ride throughout much of the crowded outdoor recreational facility, but they also blew through their loot.
They shared a chili cheese dog, a super-sized Coca-Cola and a cone of blue raspberry cotton candy that turned their lips and tongues purple.
Did you junior high schoolers have fun?
“We had a total blast,” I noted with eyes as big as saucers while inhaling a cheeseburger with a side of french fries and a chocolate milkshake. “While John and I didn’t make it to The Lost World, we rode every other ride in the park; and our money was spent on a hot dog with the works and a Giant Big Gulp.”
Since your tongues and lips are a purplish hue, I can tell that you also enjoyed some blue raspberry cotton candy for a mid-afternoon dessert.
That was like the icing on the cake!
“I’m glad to see the cotton candy didn’t spoil your appetites,” chuckled the blond-haired minister, watching his two oldest children shovel it in like there was no tomorrow. “If you two vacuum cleaners would like to tag along, we’ll be heading over to ‘The Lost World’ after dinner; and then maybe you can ride the roller coasters one more time before the park closes.”
Upon arriving at the Journey to Atlantis — a log flume ride — inside a 15-story man-made mountain which housed the three brand new attractions of The Lost World, we sat in the front of a carved out log, with a handrail on either side and one long bench seat down the middle, thinking our parents and sisters would get the wettest.
Well, the joke was on us!
Even though these co-conspirators ducked their heads coming down the 40-foot hill into the reservoir below, they looked like a couple of drowned rats after exiting the water-like roller coaster.
It looks like a couple of mice got caught in their own trap!
“I don’t get it,” I fumed, shaking my head like a wet dog following a bath. “It looked like the riders in the back were getting splashed the most when we came by here earlier.”
“So, this was a pre-planned attack,” snickered the father of four as he placed both the teenage boys in a headlock while heading to the next ride on our unwritten itinerary. “I guess your little plan fizzled out.”
Once we made our way through The Lost World’s trifecta of attractions, the man of the house gave us permission to ride those hair-raising roller coasters one more time before the fireworks display signaled our exit to the parking lot.
What ended up being your all-time favorite ride at Kings Dominion?
“Mark and I loved the Rebel Yell the most,” declared the gridiron gladiator, putting his arm around my shoulder. “It reminded us of the Racer — a similar wooden roller coaster — at Kennywood Park; and it was much more exhilarating, especially since our train won the heated competition.”
“Plus, it was featured in a 1977 theatrical movie — “Rollercoaster” — starring Henry Fonda and Timothy Bottoms,” I added while flashing my pearly whites.
Laughter filled the car, as we recounted those special moments and relived the excitement of each ride while traveling back to the motel for the night.
Exhausted but elated, we knew this day would be one for the memory books — a perfect ending to our summer escapades.