Passing the Cotton Candy Torch

I MAY HAVE MENTIONED how much I like Kings Island.

(Summary: a lot.)

So I feel almost ridiculously fortunate to have the privilege of taking someone else to see the park - and all the many wonders it holds - for the very first time.

Penny's little brother Mason turned twelve a few weeks back, and I loudly declared it Time He Rode a Rollercoaster. He's never ridden one before, you see - not even kind of - and, well, if you ask me that's downright criminal.

So we're going this weekend.

I really hope he likes it, though it's totally okay if he doesn't. I can't expect him to dig the place as much as I did at his age... partially because by age 12 I'd been going there for seven years or so. It was a part of my growing up.

In fact, I went to the website yesterday and printed out this park map, and was thrilled to see it done in the same fantastic illustrated bird's-eye view I remembered from dozens of crinkly brochures. There are some new rides, yes, but all my old favorites are still there, and I look forward to trying out the Tomb Raider and Italian Job installations.

(That is, if Mason wants to.)

I can't wait.