WILD WAVES AND ENCHANTED VILLAGE

A waterpark in wet, wet Washington? You bet!

When it's 48 degrees out, the water feels very warm! Yes, we've been there when the weather was that cool. We broke down and bought season passes. Well, actually we bought them when we were in southern California -- $50 for a whole year of Six Flags entertainment!

David says: The water slides are the best! I like the one with four different slides to choose from. The yellow and red ones go the slowest, so they are good for people like Mom who are afraid. Even though the Konga River is a slow ride, it's fun because the water is heated and you can go around as many times as you want.

Jenna adds: The green tube slides are really fast and fun! Be careful, though, or you could crack your head. The wave pool is not that exciting and seems to be crowded with some not-so-nice kids. I like the teacups because they go really fast! The new Zooma Falls is fun and fast, but very short with a huge long line..

Elisha likes the hot tubs, and Elizabeth prefers the children's area. Note: If you have young children and are really only interested in the children's water play area, you might instead prefer the Moses Aquatic Center in Renton (rates $4-$12 pp, or get a family pass).

Tips: Fork over the money and rent the locker ($11 for a small!). Or better yet, just don't bring anything of value inside the park. You can lock everything in your car and simply clip the key to your shorts. We routinely leave our extra clothes unguarded on top of the lockers and have never had a problem (you have to wear shoes and shirt for the rides.). Bring quarters for the carp. They're a trip to watch! Food is REALLY expensive. You're better off packing a cooler and leaving it in the car. The one semi-bargain is the souvenir cup. $8, but refills are only a dollar. If you don't mind sharing, it's a good way to fill up on the liquids. The walk from anywhere in the lot is pretty short to the entrance. Parking is now up to $12 (gasp!), but you can drive to the public street just past the parking lot entrance and park for free -- if they aren't taken already. Make sure to park only where marked (it actually SAYS Six Flags parking on the street signs) because there's a tow truck that cruises the area. When the park is full, go ahead and rent your tubes. They're about $8 for the whole day, but it saves a lot of waiting-in-line time. When it's busy, you can rent a lawn chair for "only" $15.

There is a homeschool day every year where the tickets are about $20. Subscribe to the HIK info list and you'll get the announcement when they're going on sale. This is worth it, but realize that "homeschooled" does not necessarily equal modest. It's a tough call. Many of the girls are walking around in suits no bigger than a dinner napkin. I wish Six Flags would institute a "modesty" day that allowed one piece suits only, or set some sort of decency standard. David isn't quite old enough for it to be an issue yet (why can't they stay small?) ;-). We've found the best bets to be a Tuesday or Thursday.

Admission Prices: Gate price at time of this posting is $34.99; buy online at SixFlags.com for $29. Season passes are $85, but are good for all Six Flags parks.