What do you do when you crave a wave but don’t want to go to the beach? You make your friends go to a waterpark with a wave pool. And that is exactly how this story starts.
Over the boarder and through the woods…
My friends found Kentucky Splash last year, but by the time I could tag along with them, it was closed for the season. Since then, I’ve wanted to check it out. So as the days swelled with heat, increasing in its oppressive humidity, I called my friends and made plans. We were gamed for opening day at the water park.
The day of found us running late and meeting overcast weather at the park. But it wasn’t raining, so I didn’t care. I was prepared to spend some money to get in, but entry was low compared to other parks. Low enough to make the hour drive completely worth it.
Our group quickly made its way towards the chairs near the lazy river. Most of us stripped down to our swimsuits and immediately entered the flowing water. The first touch of the pool stunned our senses. The transition from spring to summer may have brought some heat, but this water was cold! We breathed through the shivering pain until we were submerged, and then we grabbed some floats and lazied away.
Our floats were massive, and the hole was small. Maybe some like it small, but some people need a wider fit. I held on with my arms. It grew exhausting for my shoulders, but I kept going. After a lap or two, some of the others braved the slides. Because of the overcast kind of morning, there were very few people to crowd the pools and lines, so they enjoyed those slides over and over for a while. I wasn’t interested in going down any waterslides. Maybe one day, but not that day.
While the sliders made their way up and down, one of the girls and I waddled with our floats over to the wave pool. My goodness, the wave pool is so much fun. Especially when you find one the park’s smaller/thinner floats that don’t make your arms feel like they’ll be ripped from the socket. I think it’s a “ten minutes on ten minutes off” deal. We played around, but not enough to get whistled at by the redsuits. I bumped some people. Some kids bumped and kicked me. But everyone was having fun. I can see how quickly things could’ve turned, but with the three to four lifeguards watching, it wasn’t suspenseful.
I loved jumping and letting a wave catch me during the waves, then gently guide me back down only to repeat the action. I also used the waves for swimming from side to side, seeing how many times I could lap before the end of the ten minutes. It’s a soothing, exciting, contained adventure. “Contained” might not sound like fun to others, but there’s something relaxing about controlled chaos, like practicing for a test by using an easier test to challenge yourself. Maybe I am just setting myself up to swim in the great salt waters.
…Not likely, though. The sea freaks me out! It’s beautiful, mysterious, and awesome, and I’ve had some great adventures in the many oceans I’ve visited. However, my overactive imagination will not allow me to get over the fact that there could totally be a giant tentacle monster just waiting for me to float over the deep dark and grab me…
We stayed for a few hours before making the decision to go home. There were other plans for the day, but it was also good timing as the clouds dissipated and the crowds grew. All in all, I rate this place a 4.75 out of 5 sea slugs.
