Are We There Yet: Knott's Berry Farm Fun

Last week we went to Knott's Berry Farm with my brother's family. Someone I know from my kids track and field was selling tickets for $10 each (adult or child) but they expired 12/30/11. We bought enough for all of us and went the following week.

Parking was about $16 per car but we split the cost.

I hadn't been to Knott's since 5th grade. I went on a school field trip, with my class. There was three cars of people (parents driving) and two arrived and we were waiting for the third one and were allowed to explore the 'outside the park gift shops.' Well, a while passed and I noticed the other kids with me were gone. Long story but they had ALL gone inside without me and I was locked outside the park until about 10 or 11pm, waiting for them. I do not know why I didn't call my dad, probably because the place was 1 1/2 hours away, but I walked around, from the entrance to the cars (to make sure they were there) the whole day and night. I had no money on me for food and the park's intercom system worked two areas 1- outside the park and 2- inside the park. So when I was having them try to locate my teacher and everyone else, they never heard it... and they never did a head check and noticed I was missing!

Finally, when the park was closing they call came outside to leave and saw me. I was trying not to cry and trying to

speak and started choking on my gum and I remember the teacher saying that 'this was nothing to cry about' and to quit it.

and... we all went home. I never got a refund. Not sure my parents ever knew about it. I never got an apology. It was just kind of unspoken in the classroom.

So..... almost 30 years later...I was back at Knott's again. I finally got to experience the fun of it all and (barely) remember things from the last time I'd been INSIDE there, a few years before.

Daeton won't go on any scary rides (he hates loosing his equilibrium, doesn't even like swing sets much) and Kaela went on a few with my brother or his wife that she wouldn't have been able to go on alone or with me (since I couldn't leave Daeton to stand outside of a line alone) so it was great to have extra people there.

When everyone else was in line for the Ferris Wheel Daeton and I bought a GIANT pretzel and ate some, and shared with everyone else when they caught up with us. Normal soft pretzels were $5 and this huge on was $10 and all 7 of us shared it.

We, grungly, dragged the kids to the Merry-Go-'Round, aka, carousel, and they LOVED it! Of, course.

I can't seem to get my words lined up right with the photos but the pictures of the horses coming down the street was a free ride we could go on but we never found it.

I laughed when I took a picture of the batman guy sitting on the bench. He even had bat ears on his hoodie. I need to see if I can find one of those!

The seven of us split a $27 family value pack meal at once of the places inside the park and were all full. It has tacos, burritos, rice, beans and a soda. Not bad considering how high most food items are inside the amusement parks.

Kaela bought a 'Hello Kitty'

bow that was a headband. It lights up and has a button to change the frequency of the flashes *yes cute but super annoying.*

The kids did Bumper Cars and I watched. I did not want to be hit in them, since stuff like that hurts my neck (I had surgery on it a few years ago and have a titanium plate in my neck where I had a slipped disc).

Daeton wanted to do the 'shooting gallery' in the midway and, surprising, he did GREAT... I guess all the time he plays with his air-soft gun has payed off. It was an unmanned booth, we inserted $1 bill in a slot for a ton of rounds on the gun, so there were no prizes, but he sure did great.

Since it was right before Christmas the trees and buildings were all lit up. We also saw 'Snoopy on Ice' and it was cute with some EXCELLENT ice skaters.

In the 'craft section' at the end of the park we saw a man painting people's names with animals and other shapes painted inside each letter. He was amazing and the kids were mesmerized.

For myself I bought a 'your name on a grain of rice' necklace.

I had them put Daeton's name on one side and Kaela's name on the other. The capsule that it is in is glass and I don't want to break it so I hung it from my rear-view mirror in my car.