Thank you to California’s Great America for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
Summertime and amusement parks have always been a perfect match. The sounds of laughter and music, the scents of churros and popcorn, and that rush of adrenaline when you go on that first ride all combine to make a magical experience for grown-ups and kids of all ages.
California’s Great America Amusement Park
That’s why we took our girls to California’s Great America to ride their first real roller coaster as soon as school let out! Clara is finally tall enough to ride the legit coasters like Demon (which has TWO loops! And a couple of corkscrews!) and Rose was tall enough for all of the kiddie coasters in the Planet Snoopy area of the park. They were so excited!
For you serious thrill seekers, there is a brand new roller coaster called Railblazer that looks intense. It’s open now so you should check it out!
Despite having some nerves about going upside down at high speeds, Clara was super brave and as soon as we got off she was asking to do it again. So Paul took her the second time while Rose and I rode the carousel.
Rose had every bit as much fun on the smaller coasters that provide the perfect thrill for little kids. She was so excited on every ride, and her perma-grin lasted all day long. But even if they couldn’t ride, there is still so much to see and do at California’s Great America. We loved this park because there is so much there to enjoy even if you are not a thrill seeker! The girls absolutely loved the Snoopy’s Dog Days of Summer show and are still talking about the beach music they listened to and requesting I play it for them.
And if the weather had been warmer, we probably would have spent the entire day at Boomerang Bay, which is the waterpark area of California’s Great America, complete with a wave pool and lazy river, along with slides for the girls to enjoy. We will have to go back on a hot day to take advantage!
Little kids (at least our little kids) love meeting characters as well, and even though our girls aren’t as family with the PEANUTS™ gang, they have seen the movie and were so happy to meet Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and friends!
And we all enjoyed the food. Of course we ate our favorite amusement park treats, sharing a popcorn and cotton candy, then getting churros for the girls later on. But we were also pleasantly surprised at the tasty fare that was available at the many dining options in the park. I had a hard time choosing between the shrimp po’ boy and fish sandwich at the Outback Shack for lunch, and later in the day we had some delicious roasted chicken with baked beans, corn, and cornbread at Maggie’s Smokehouse.
Everything was decorated in American flags and streamers since we went on Memorial Day weekend and I love that California’s Great America celebrates holidays and events that way to keep things fun and exciting through the year!
It was the perfect way to kick off summer and enjoy a Saturday spent together as a family making memories! I made a fun video of our day – you can check it out below!
I was compensated for this post, but as always, the contents and opinions expressed are my own.
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