On Sunday, some of my friends and I made a trip to Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro. We decided to face our fear of the heat as my friend had a bunch half-price coupons. The park is a 15-25 minute drive from downtown (depends what part you're in), and can also be reached via Metro by taking the Blue Line to Addison Road, then taking the C21 bus to the park.

While I love roller coasters, my trips to theme parks aren't always enjoyable due to my bitter hatred of lines. Luckily, the longest I had to wait for anything was 15 minutes, giving me more time to revel in the joy of steep drops, seemingly impossible flips, and unimaginable speeds. Fun was had, and no one contributed to any semblance of a bad time (other than the high prices, which are unavoidable). There was one thing, however, that was out of my control…

IT WAS SO HOT, OMG. With 90+ degree temperatures all day, we had to balance the want to go on roller coasters (loads of fun) against water rides (not quite as fun, but very refreshing and necessary for survival). The roller coasters won out for several hours, before the heat started to gradually sap our souls of their life force, leaving me and my friends to walk around the park like a pack of sarcastic zombies. At the peak of this zombie coma, we found ourselves standing on the bridge over the ride where the boat goes down the flume and makes a gigantic splash. That was awesome. Another crucial experience was Dippin' Dots--a party in your mouth that is not to be missed, no matter where you are. We eventually made it to the accompanying water park, but we didn't stay long, as a) We were hot and didn't want to wait in line for a water slide, and b) We were tired and no amount of water could have rejuvenated our heat-plagued bodies.

Even with the heat, we had a great time, and if you've got some extra cash burning a hole in your pocked during these last weeks of summer (Side Note: BRING MONEY. YOU WILL NEED LOTS OF MONEY), consider taking a trip out to Six Flags. Preferably on an overcast day.


-Andrew Bean