Dolly’s Splash Country!

Today was a perfect day.  Actually, my idea of a “perfect” day is tubing down the lazy river with a floating cooler full of ice-cold Coke Zero, only stopping long enough for a snack of fresh-cut french fries.  But, THAT aside….Today was a perfect day!

Grace had so much fun and she was SO BRAVE!  Today was definitely a milestone for her.  Our shy, hesitant little girl brazenly climbed stairs, waited patiently in line, and went down big slides all by herself!  She was so proud and felt like such a big girl! 

This was the best water park I have ever been to.  It was immaculate, beautifully landscaped, and conveniently designed for families.  Most of the employees are retired folk (with the exception of the lifeguards!) who seem to really love their jobs.  Even the sweet old lady stationed in the bathroom was smiling as she cleaned each stall after a person left.  We will be making Splash Country a summer tradition from now on!

We managed to keep ourselves from getting sunburned despite spending seven hours outside.  I attribute that to reapplying sunscreen like a dermatologist every hour.  The only exception was the part in my hair…who thinks to put sunscreen on your scalp? 

Grace was a real trooper and stayed happy most of the day.  In true Grace form, right after lunch, she announced that she was “tired and needed to rest.”  We went to our reserved lounge chairs where she proceeded to lay her headrest on the lowest level, cover up with her beach towel, pray and thank God for all the fun we’re having, and take a brief catnap.  After a while, she announced that she was ready to play, so off we went!  She repeated this procedure in mid-afternoon.  She also fell asleep briefly while floating down the lazy river.  That’s my girl! 

I just can’t say enough great things about this place.  Another thing we appreciated was the family-friendly atmosphere.  The music being piped through the speakers was tasteful and fun (mostly 50’s music).  The gift shops contained NO inappropriate t-shirts or souvenirs.  As a matter of fact, there were an abundance of Christian items throughout the park. 

Todd and I had a chance to go on a couple of adult slides while Grace’s grandmother (Nan) swam with her.  When Todd wanted to go down the crazy-scary slides, I bid him adieu and headed to the lazy river (anyone see a pattern here?) with Nan and Grace. 

Lunch was good, too.  They offered a delicious veggie burger, which made me happy.  Grace also drank this incredible banana slushie that was yummy.  The food is a bit overpriced, but I guess that’s true at all theme parks.  On our way home, we stopped at Little Caesar’s and picked up a couple of $5 pizzas for their supper, thus completing Todd’s idea of a perfect day!

Unfortunately, I didn’t take a lot of pictures.  I found out it’s called Splash Country for a reason…and our camera is not waterproof.  Consequently, it stayed in our rented locker for most of the day.  But we made some great memories, and I’m so thankful that Grace wasn’t scared and was able to enjoy the water and attractions.

If you’re ever in the Tennessee area during the summer months, plan on checking out Dolly’s Splash Country!