Beech Bend Park/ Bowling Green, Kentucky

For the next leg of our trip, we were off to Bowling Green, Kentucky to visit Beech Bend Park.  We missed the morning extra ride time on the Kentucky Rumbler, because of Kamdyn being sick the day before.  Mike and Justus went ahead, while Brad, Madison, Austin, Kamdyn, and I got a slow start and arrived at the park at lunch time.  There was a nice meal with fried chicken waiting for us.  They also had corn cakes.  Being a northern girl, I thought they were pancakes, so I was looking for the syrup.  Apparently, it's a faster way to make corn bread, and still just as delicious.  While we were eating, the park was hit with a pretty fierce thunderstorm that we actually thanked God for, because some cooler weather blew in with it. 

By the time we were ready to head out, the rides were back up.

Beech Bend Park is another family owned park, where you could feel the enthusiasm in the park.  Not just with the visitors, but with the people who worked there.  Madison and Austin wanted to ride in the front seat of the train, because it had a bell.  The front seat also had a small button.  When the operator was ready to start the ride, he told Madison to push the button to start the ride.  As soon as she pushed that button the ride jerked off, making her think that she had started the ride.  While something like that might seem silly, it shows a park that cares about people.  We have been to a lot of parks, and someone who will take the extra few seconds to make a child feel special is not something you find everywhere you go.  But it is at Beech Bend.

Another highlight was the take-over of the Dragon kiddie coaster.  A take-over is when our group has taken over the ride with riders.  You'll never see grown men so happy to ride a kiddie coaster.

Notice my daughter.  She's the one with her arms sprawled out like she is flying and Justus holding on to her for dear life.  Good man, Justus.

My girl has no fear when it comes to rides.  She knows how to ride 'em.

We hung out with Bob and Shannon a lot too : )

That night, after the general public had gone from the park, we had it all to ourselves.  The wave pool was opened for us, until we had dinner.  My whole family loved the extra ride time on the bumper cars.  We love to smash each other, in love, of course. 

We ended our day by re-riding the Wild Mouse roller coaster, one of Madison's favorites. 

My big girl measuring up.

My only regret from our time at the park was when I was rebuked for changing Kamdyn on a table in the kiddie park area.  My only defense is to claim temporary insanity.  Maybe if the lady knew that I had walked around amusement parks in the smoldering heat for days and had rushed my baby to the ER a couple days before, she would have let it go, but probably not.  I claim insanity.  So sorry about that Beech Bend Park.  I learned my lesson : )