In Massachusetts, on summer weekends, you are one of two people. You flee south to the Cape and islands or you head north to the lakes and mountains. In the past, we have always been southern people but on this particular Saturday day we threw caution to the wind, cast off traditions, and headed toward the border determined to live free or die.

Or, at the very least, survive a day at Canobie Lake Park.

Before we got to the park we had to make it to the couch.

The idea of a surprise felt fun…for about ten minutes and then it felt like a mistake as we were peppered with questions and Michelle, never great at keeping secrets, almost cracked. Eventually we got them into the car.

My only real touchstone memory for a regional amusement park is the departed Rocky Point in Rhode Island. Canobie Lake Park turned out to be like Rocky Point’s better looking cousin.

Maybe they both started out the same but Canobie Lake grew up and prospered. Still small, even with the addition of a new waterpark, it was clean and family friendly with a mix of older, classic rides (tea cups, swings, wooden coaster) and newer, faster thriller rides.

The water park opened a half hour before the rides, so the plan was to hit up the water park in the morning before the crowds really hit, break for lunch and then hit the rides.

The new water park includes three slides and a lazy river. Later in the day when we came to take one last cooling lap, this view would be a river of humanity and tattoos. We made the right call going in the morning.

There was also a splash-pad type of area with slides for younger kids and the requisite big bucket of water dump.

We escaped all the cutely named fried lunch places by bringing a cooler and exiting the park for lunch. We aren’t totally cruel. We did let the kids get their fill of dippin’ dots (how did this bizarre ‘ice cream’ novelty corner the amusement park market?) and Chelle eventually got her Dole Whip.

In the afternoon, we hit up the rides. Ally was very brave and rode her first “real upside down” coaster.

Everyone enjoyed “driving like Mom” with the bumper cars.

No flip flops were lost on the classic swings.

Thankfully, not a lot of time was lost at the “Taylor Swift” concert though Ce did admit the performer was pretty good.

There are discount tickets in the afternoon and the crowds (and sun) really started to build and we pulled the plug before all the kids melted down. 

Sadly, it was too late for me. The Gravitron and the vertical coaster and the sun did me in. I do now have an interesting question for my doctor about the effecst of amusement park rides on Addision’s. 

The kids did hold up remarkably well despite the heat and lines.

We finished off the day with a stop at Anna’s to get our favorite burritos.

Water slides, roller coasters, burritos and exhausted kids before sunset. How is that not a good day?