The Rollercoaster Zoo

While everyone else was feting their fathers, or attending a wedding ceremony, or perhaps undergoing commencement exercises at fine educational institutions everywhere, I had a birthday instead. Usually I make for wine country and have a splendid day with friends in the country. This year I wanted a change of pace.

As I approach middle age wine tasting seems so staid; I thought something more exciting was called for. I settled on rollercoasters and corralled a group of friends who don't have fathers, weren't getting married, and who have already graduated. We had a splendid day at the steel towers.

After a lovely brunch at the Usual Suspects cafe, with err, the Usual Suspects, TheRoommate and I piled into the hydrox of station wagons and headed for the hills. Specifically, we went to Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, CA. The park has an odd history, it started as an oceanarium and wild-animal park, but has since seen a fairly aggressive addition of large scale rollercoasters after it was acquired by Six Flags. Now it's an oceanarium, wild-animal park and amusement park all rolled into one.

We rode all the big coasters. We wandered through the shark exhibit. I did not get a photo taken with the sharks, despite promises of professional courtesy. We wandered through the butterfly forest. We looked at the big cats. I did get a photo taken with the cougars because, well... We would have eaten a delicious homemade picnic, but such things are not allowed in the park, so we ate in the captive audience food-court. We drank gigantic beers (they were out of cups for the smaller size and Would Not Sell the a smaller volume in the bigger cups). Later we ate birthday ice cream, Ben & Jerry's, which somehow got terribly smeared on my face.

Closing time came right as the sun went down and the temperature plummeted.

If you need a suggestion for how to spend your birthday, I highly recommend this one.