How to beat the heat? Three words: Canobie Lake Park.
Students who traveled there to Salem, NH, Saturday enjoyed not only a distraction from the loads of summer homework and studying, but a fun bonding experience.
The park consisted of multiple thrill rides such as the Untamed Coaster, Yankee Cannonball, Corkscrew Coaster, Pirate Ship, Starblaster, Wipeout, and spinning rides such as the Turkish Twist and Zero Gravity.
This park also had multiple water rides including the very popular Boston Tea Party Coaster that not only gets the riders soaked, but also drenches unsuspecting passersby.
These water rides were very popular with students who wanted to cool off from the very hot and sunny day. Along with the rides and games there were many options for food and snacks like cotton candy, pretzels, caramel apples. The Be Bop Diner served fries and chicken nuggets.
Many students also enjoyed the bumper cars, carousel, Ferris wheel and other smaller attractions at the park. In order to get a break from the thrill rides and the constant walking, there were also very relaxing boat rides around Canobie lake that left every half hour and a sky ride that took you on a chair lift through the park down to the lake.
Other smaller rides included the Tea Cups, Big Swings, Caterpillar, Train Ride, Antique Cars, and Rowdy Roosters. Around 9 p.m. a fireworks display went off and students could spot it from almost anywhere around the park. It was a unique sight to see following the gorgeous and colorful sunset over the lake.
Overall I think that Canobie Lake was a great experience. Although the thrill rides were not quite as impressive as some place like a Six Flags or any other larger amusement park, the students had a chance to get away from school for a night and see something new. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun on all of the rides and students definitely appreciated all of the water rides. Exeter seemed to have taken over the park because around every corner there were friendly faces of exeter students.
Coming from California which is filled with large and intense amusement parks I thought Canobie Lake was a lot smaller then what I have been used to in places such as Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm. It was more relatable to a carnival than to a large amusement park, but I can clearly see why it is such a huge attraction for so many people here.