Three Kids and a Dog: Memorial Day Weekend 2019 @ Cedar Point!

What a fun Memorial Day Weekend we had! It could have been spoiled by rain but somehow the rain seemed to miss us in Ohio.

We ventured to Cedar Point, Ohio, on Friday for a baseball tournament for Austen. We left after school and made the long trek (4 1/2 hours) to Cedar Point, getting in late and barely noticing the maybe two star hotel that our team had been assigned by tournament officials. I'd liken it to the Econolodge with outside room access, a toilet that barely flushed, squishy carpet and barely enough room to lay out our four small suitcases. The beds were new and comfy but there were only two of them (and no rollaway beds were available) and we're a family of five. So what to do at midnight? Sleep three to a bed with Hailey snuggled in between Tom and I in what they claimed was a queen bed but was clearly a double.

Luckily, morning came quickly as the boys had an early game so we didn't have to spend much time at the hotel that morning and we didn't return after the first game, opting to go to a Panera before the second game where I talked to another mom who had booked a hotel outside of the tournament. I quickly looked that one up, Tom and I made a few calls and just before the second game we moved hotels to the Breakers at Cedar Point. (Another family followed suit shortly thereafter too.)

Hands Up Hailey!

What a difference a hotel can make. More space, right on the shores of Lake Erie, a big Starbucks located inside and just steps from the Cedar Point Amusement and Water Park. It definitely made the trip. That and the fact that Cedar Point is huge and full of amazing rides!

Now that our kids are getting a little older, they'll venture on more rides. Peyton, crying, but bravely went on her first real roller coaster, Iron Dragon. Austen did some fun ones too - Corkscrew and Raptor. Hailey had fun at Planet Snoopy (the Peanuts characters are the theme of the whole park!) where she rode a mini roller coaster, Woodstock Express, and the Monster, and participated in whatever rides her height would allow her to go on. She can't wait til she's bigger and can go on more!

Tom and I went on many rides separately but we were able to ride one fun one together - Steel Vengeance which was an amazing old wooden roller coaster that they replaced with a steel track. The line for this one stretched upward to 2 hours most days but because we were hotel guests, we got on in 30 minutes or less during early arrival admittance. I could see why too - clearly one of the best roller coasters I've ever been on as you dipped and corkscrewed through the intricacies of an old wooden roller coaster at break neck speed, often thinking you were going to smash your head into the beams.

We spent 3 days at the park in between baseball games. Baseball? Oh yeah, the reason why we were there. However, the boys were certainly out of their league at this tournament although I thought Austen performed well hitting and fielding. But this was definitely more of a mini vacation for our family. On the way home, the kids begged to go back and I think we will. It was a great and unexpected place to visit. We had a blast (and thanks to all the men and women who serve(d) in the military, we can).