Elitch Gardens

Last Thursday night we had the opportunity to go to Elitch Gardens (a Six Flags Theme Park). Once every summer, Adam's company, KPMG, has a party there.  The families of all the employees are invited, and they cater dinner and everything.  It's pretty cool.  

After dinner, we decided to hit the rides we could go on with Ty:  the carousel and ferris wheel. 

Ty and me on the ferris wheel

Our family photo, taken by Adam

A view of downtown Denver from the wheel

Adam and I decided to take turns watching Ty while the other went on a few of the big rides.  We hit a couple of the bigger roller coasters, obviously not as fun when you are riding them by yourself, but you do what you gotta do!

For the last ride of the night, I got in line for a roller coaster called the Boomerang.  In front of me in line were a group of maybe five or six black kids.  They had some friends come up to the line, and they invited their friends to jump up with them.  Annoying, but oh well, right?  Well, the friends kept coming and coming and coming.  I am not kidding when I say that in the next ten minutes 40-50 kids had jumped in front of me in line.  I was pretty ticked about it, but I felt like it wasn't my wisest option to say anything to a very large group of rough-looking kids.  Needless to say, the ride took three times as long as I had anticipated to get on, but finally I was at the gate, the next person to get on.  The roller coaster pulled back up to the dock fully loaded with the teenagers I just mentioned.  As soon as the ride operator unlocked the seat belts, pandemonium erupted.  I now know what it feels like to be in the middle of a mob.  These 40-50 kids started beating on each other.  They were punching, kicking, cussing and screaming, and I was unwillingly right in the middle of it!  Eventually, after what seemed like forever, a few security guards came in and broke things up.  Luckily, I wasn't hurt at all, but I did give a girl a good hard shove when she came jumping into me.  

After I got off the ride, I saw the teenagers hanging out in groups nearby.  I was livid!  After all that, they didn't even get kicked out of the park?  I found Adam and Ty, who had witnessed the entire scene from the ground below, and marched to the Guest Relations office.  I generally avoid conflict at all costs, but if I am worked up enough, I can really "go off."  I did.  All I got in return for my angry comments were a couple of free tickets to the park.  Like I want to go back!!  So, basically, what could have been a fun family night at the amusement park turned into a very bad ordeal.  Oh, well.  You win some and lose some, right?