Blogs 12 Long Island: Summer Lives On

By: Carol Silva

Every spring, my family sits down to our family "summer" meeting. We try to make sure we get to our favorite things during summer (all right - that we get to the KIDS' favorite things) Well, the heat was on last week, because we're now near the end of August. So over the weekend we covered one of my kids' two essentials: Splish Splash. (The other is Montauk, where we've already had some great times during the summer of 2008!)

But we did Splish Splash a way I've never done it before. We went "cabana style!"

I know it's an additional expense - maybe for a special party - but I can't tell you what a difference the cabana made. There are several cabana sites around the Splish Splash property. One is in front of the wave pool. We were in the more Caribbean-type huts - above the left side of the wave pool.

Each of those cabanas comes with a little refrigerator, filled with drinks (no, no beer or wine! We don't need to send anyone off on a water ride feeling that kind of happy!) But better yet, you've got shade! There's a roof, a table, lounge chairs, and a little sandy beach! A couple of us tested the lounge chairs for you and are happy to report, they're perfect for a break from all the action and napping!

Oh, and there's waiter service to boot! For your pizza and salad, or burgers and chicken nuggets. James was our waiter - a very pleasant young man. It was a great place for the family to relax from the thrills of the park, or for my husband and I to have a few minutes while the kids went off to another ride without us.

Now, about the park itself. Some of the Splish Splash experts told us Monday through Fridays you're more likely to see some of your LI neighbors. They arrive early - so you'll see some crowds at the start of the day at 9:30. Weekends more out of town visitors come through. And Sunday you don't see the bigger crowds until about noon (is everyone in church?)

Come dressed in your bathing suit. Don't waste time getting changed when you get there. First you've got to try the the Alien Invasion at the back on the park, (it's along the right side the weggie ride - the Cliff Diver - that's the water slide that drops you straight down about 8 stories in 3 seconds. Hence the "weggie" name.) Don't get rundown by the kids dashing for the Alien Invasion when the park opens. The ride takes 4 park-goers at a time (I think they're "victims") on a long boat ride through a twisty, dark tunnel, before shooting them into a huge green and black funnel.That's where your raft swings from port to starboard - as you're hoping the force will hold your boat against the funnel walls. Eventually you settle into the bottom of the funnel and are spit into the pool beyond. Phew!

Dragon's Den is a similar assault on your equilibrium, through the smoky steam of a dragon's breath. (You can see the steam rising on the left here - over the dragon's "neck.") The folks at Splish Splash put it this way: " Your quest for maximum thrills is fulfilled as you catapult through mysterious darkness and plummet into the mist-shrouded abyss of the dragon!" It's worth every assault on your vocal chords as you scream your way through the tunnel into a ramp at the bottom. You can check videos of these rides on the Splish Splash website.

Shotgun Falls is a long ride off a short water slide, which ends in a 5- foot drop into the 10-foot pool below. Refreshing. But don't scream on the way down or you too will swallow more water than you need to. Hollywood Stunt Rider is a totally dark, action packed family ride down to the bottom. My final plea before the Splish Splish workers release our boat at the top is always the same, "Please, my husband LOVES to be the one to ride backwards (through the dark, as we spin in cool waters at break neck speed!)" So far, I've always been convincing.

Splish Splash has been open since 1991 - and it's interesting to see how my family has grown with the park. I haven't been to the wonderful Elephant Slide sprinkler or Monsoon Lagoon kiddie side of the park in years! And as I mentioned, this year our children went off on their own for a while. A fascinating basis of comparison.

You've got through Tuesday, September 2nd, to get a thrill at Splish Splash. And if the weather is extraordinary (warm and all) they may also open up the following Saturday, September 6th. You can get a full schedule and details on the Splish Splash website.