It was my birthday weekend. I was born on June 1, 1962. This event happened on my forty-seventh birthday. My daughter and I decided to do a mother/daughter weekend. We decided to go to a casino, stay in a hotel and go to Valleyfair Amusement Park in Shakopee, Minnesota the next day.
We checked out of our hotel in the morning. I cannot remember what time the amusement park opened, but by the time we got there, it was open and there were people milling about.
I, being no stranger to the park, having been there many times in the past. It opened the year I was 13, as I recall. I think my church group sponsored trips to it quite regularly and it quickly became the place to take your kids so my friends parents willingly brought us to play there. I think I managed to go there ten times the first summer it was open.
My daughter has been there several times. The big attraction about Valleyfair used to be that they added a new ride every year, so you definitely had an opportunity to try a new ride every time you went.
She loves roller coaster rides and we went to ride as many as we could. You see, you pay a certain amount and then you have unlimited rides on any ride you choose. There are a few rides there that you pay extra to ride on, but it is because when you go on them, they are a one-on-one type attraction, meaning that they train you on how you should act on the ‘˜ride’ and instruct you on what you need to do.
The one my daughter wished to go on was called the Ripcord. You basically got strapped into a lifejacket type harness. They pulled you into the air, several stories up, and when they instructed you ‘˜to fly,’ you waited briefly, pulled the ripcord and proceeded to swing down back and forth until you stopped.
So, here we were. Waiting in line. I really had no intention of going. I was going to watch her do it. Famous last thoughts, apparently. I told her that I would watch. She begged. Mind you, she was 21 years old. I resisted. She even employed the ride operator to extol the virtues of the ride. I read the rules posted by the side of the ride. It said you couldn’t go on it if you suspected you were pregnant. ‘˜I think I am pregnant — ‘ I said to her.
She did not believe me.
So, there I was, getting into a harness that reminded me of a boat lifejacket. There was a padded handly like object that I stood on that reminded me of a padded tow rope for waterskiing. I took my glasses off and laid them with my stuff in a tub and placed it in an area on the shelf.
They hooked hooks to loops on the back of our harness. The floor then dropped and there we hung, waiting. Then, they started pulling us up the steep incline. I looked down, miserable. I was thankful that I was not wearing my glasses. I am afraid of heights, but the impact wasn’t as intense with no glasses on. Thank heavens!
Then, they told her to pull the cord. We started to drop. There was this momentary feeling of falling through the air, then the swing caught and we swung. I did swear a little bit as we started swinging. I cannot say that I want to go on the ride again. My daughter said she loved it and thanked me for going on it with her.
We also went on a few roller coaster rides. We did not go on any real mind boggling rides. We waited in line on a few rides, but, the waits were minimal.
The weather that day was sunny and hot. Minnesota has a tendency to be hot and humid and the vendors were supplying water all day. For that I was thankful. Will I go again to Valleyfair? Yes. I will — Will I go on the Ripcord, again? Well. Maybe.
