Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens is fun for all ages.  They have shows for toddlers, live animals, shows, roller coasters etc. 

I visited this park as a teen with my family, and I'm pretty sure my parents have a photo of my siblings and I on these same statues.  We were all wearing ponchos I think since it was pouring rain when we were there.  Little did I know... but that same scenario was going to play out later in the day.

When we got out of the ice skating show above (which was really fun), it was pouring rain.  This was the type of rain that soaked you to the bone as soon as you dared dash from one covered area to the next.  There was thunder as well as a severe storm warning. No one wanted to go out into the rain after the show, so the exit became backed up as everyone tried to figure out what to do.  Anyone who didn't get their stroller parked under the covered stroller parking area had to deal with soaking wet strollers and belongings after the show, but thankfully ours had stayed somewhat dry.  We decided to make a mad dash to the closest covered area so others could leave the show, but we got pretty wet!  

We bought ourselves ponchos in a nearby gift shop, as well as one to put over the double stroller, and then tried to make a mad dash to the next show.  It turned out that the water puddles were so deep that anything in the bottom storage area of the stroller would just get soaked, so we turned around and left for the day!  It was a short day, but these tickets came "free" with our SeaWorld tickets, so it wasn't a huge loss.  It was the experience, but we had a fun morning before the rain started. We knew ahead of time that this was a possibility, so we had seen the outdoor exhibits first, but little did we know that even the indoor shows would be hard to reach and that the rain would be so torrential!

By the time we were outside the park, the rain was coming sideways and many were just embracing it, running through the puddles in bare feet.  I even saw one family who had all stripped down to their bathing suits.  I guess they had planned ahead?  The Mr. left the boys and I under a shelter and ran to the shuttle so that it could take him back to the parking lot on the other side of the freeway.  Lots of people were leaving early and were somewhat lost in the parking lot since it was hard to see your car through the wall of rain! Apparently the parking lot was a mess of honking cars and The Mr. had to run around looking for ours.  I am so thankful he went ahead for the car without us!  He pickedthe kids and I up at the front gates and we went straight back to the hotel for dry clothes.  What an adventure!