To say it gets hot in the South about this time of year doesn’t quite cover it. As we speak, the steam’s started to seep from the southern soil. There’s a way to strike back, to combat the effects of global warming on your outlook on life: head to a waterpark.
Here’s a trio of the best:
- Alabama’s Splash Adventure waterpark may not be the most massive around, but some folks contend it’s one of the best – an affordable, family-friendly sort of place. The park is located just west of Birmingham, off Interstate 20/59. It’s a straight shot from the airport and there are ample hotel accommodations to be had nearby. Among the new attractions is the Aqua Course, essentially an obstacle course with some edgy thrills embedded. If you love mazes, Splash Adventure just opened a neat one. The labyrinth is full of nested nooks and crannies – as well as some sudden surprises.
- It’s a quick 177-mile flight north via Southwest to another great Mid-South aqua enclave, Nashville Shores. A couple of years back the waterpark embarked on a major expansion. That begat a huge wave pool, a family-tuned 1,000-foot long Lazy River, and a bodacious wave pool called Breaker Bay. This is a big deal – literally. It encompasses 25,000 square feet and features a patented WaveTek system capable of spawning five different wave patterns, including four-footers.
- Six Flags White Water: Atlanta is a Travel Channel Top Ten Waterpark, altogether an amazing place. For the braver of you there’s Cliffhanger, replete with a 90-foot freefall. Too tepid? Try Dragon Tail’s mythic 250-foot triple drop. Six Flags White Water is equally accommodating of families too. Consider taking the kids to the White Water Activity Pool. You’ll find it in Wildwater Lagoon.
You’ll also find extraordinary air access to all this. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International is the busiest airport on the planet. Delta is a major player here, and Southwest recently began flying there.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: PrincessAshley)
