Lisa2014_1It’s summertime… and depending where you reside, swimming has always been a great way to have fun on a hot sunny day. So for those of you not near a beach, most likely you may know where your nearest waterpark might be; even amusement parks such as Sea World and Six Flags, among others… have sectioned areas of these parks offering all sorts of water entertainment for any age; but with that being said, don’t forget to bring your wallet, as these parks aren’t free.

Waterparks are fairly large in size and usually have an assortment of slides, including tubing and splashing rivers, clearly it is a family fun destination whether it is an indoor or outdoor park. But I’d like to discuss the outdoor parks, where sunbathers come by the hundreds. Outdoor parks (like indoor ones) have to section off the kiddie areas from the adults, as many young children enjoy water but haven’t quite learned how to swim yet. I recently have had the pleasure to go to an outdoor waterpark with my daughter and granddaughter, and I must tell you… it’s been years since I’ve attended one.

First off, there are a set of rules, (more like guidelines), that are posted when you pay to enter. You must have the proper attire, meaning swimwear, in order to swim in the water. They don’t want cut-off shorts and such for swimming… which I do understand. So I couldn’t help but notice what people were wearing… or NOT wearing; mind you… we are sitting in the kiddie section of the park. We couldn’t help but wonder what a single 30 something year old man was doing all alone, watching the mothers and children… “Creepy… I think so,” as this man came with absolutely no one. Then there was the grandmother who brought her grandson; admirable yes, as she appeared to be in her 70’s and sporting a bikini. However… to lie down on the chair (stomach side down), and then removed her top… “I don’t think so!” This is a kiddie pool area, and I don’t think it is appropriate for any female to remove their top around lots of toddlers in a public place. I am not talking about untying a strap; literally she removed it from underneath her body. Anyhow, I’m also not claiming to be an expert, but I had three young daughters myself (a while back of course), and I don’t believe it to be ideal around someone else’s children; it is called ‘respect.’

Secondly, coolers were not allowed at this particular park, so we were turned away with ours. After a couple of hours, as we glanced around the park… we began to see all kinds of coolers in the park! What the heck? These weren’t soft sided either; one woman was using hers as a foot stool, and no one seemed to bother her. My thought was this… “How did she get her cooler by the attendant?” As my daughter and I exited later in the day, we said something to the attendant (the one who made us return ours to the car), but he didn’t even reply… we were on ‘ignore.’ The only guess I could come up with, was someone might have handed it to her over the fence that surrounded the pool area. So, for what it’s worth, if you are headed to a water park, you may want to call ahead of time to find out what their rules are; apparently different parks have a variety of alternate guidelines.

Snacks can be costly at these types of parks, so I definitely advise taking some of your own inside, not to mention bottles of water. I think it’s preposterous to pay $3.00 or more for water, but then again… water isn’t as plentiful as it was many years ago. Also, take plenty of sunscreen. My recent experience with cancer… including skin, I now use 50 proof. Be safe, and enjoy your summer!

Make your week count.