Published: 7 Nov 2024

From The Previous Chapter:

Mr. Ken told the boys not to go to fast and to not spill the water. Phillip turned and told him that was why Mark was there. Mr. Ken laughed at the boy and told him to come to him. The foster dad then gave his foster son a hug. Mark inwardly smiled at what he saw and then the two boys got Chief her ice water. The two boys then hurried up to their room, but first they stopped to drain their dragons before going to bed.

The Cove was full of people who would be leaving on their trip in the morning. They were all settling down for what they hoped would be a good night’s rest before getting up at O’dark thirty. They would then ride in a limousine for about ninety minutes before heading out on a three-hour air plane ride to their first destination, Fantasy Fun Park. Eventually, The Cove was quiet the for the whole night though.

Alarm clocks inside The Cove went off at varying times that Saturday morning. Mr. Ken’s was probably the first one to ring, as he wanted to go out to the Kitchen Nook and get breakfast tacos heating for everyone to have before they headed out to the Austin-Bergstrom Airport.

Miriam’s cell phone was probably the alarm that went off next, as she told herself that she needed a few more minutes to get ready than the males needed. The boys hated getting up so early, but they all knew it was for a good cause – going to visit their ‘dad’s’ amusement parks.

Phillip and Mark got out of bed as soon as the alarm sounded. They knew they needed to take a shower, get dressed and be downstairs for their breakfast taco before they loaded into the limo for the long ride to the airport. But they forgot they weren’t alone that morning when they got out of bed and their morning pointer was showing. They both laughed at one another as they grabbed clean underwear and headed to the bathroom Phillip used. They chuckled at one another as they walked to the bathroom.

The other boys awoke as they usually did and they all met in the boys’ bathroom. There they brushed their teeth and then showered before getting dressed for their day. The four older Cover boys then headed down to the Kitchen Nook for their breakfast taco.

The limo drivers, Derrick and Mason, arrived early so they could load the bags. The security guards called the house to let them know that the limos had arrived, so Billy opened the Foyer Door to allow them access to the suitcases for them to load.

Miriam came down and immediately went to the Kitchen Nook for her taco and a cup of coffee. There she met Mr. Ken who was also enjoying his one and only taco and a cup of freshly made coffee. The boys had also stopped in and grabbed their breakfast taco and as they did, ‘dad’ Ken asked them to take care of Chief’s bowls before they left for the airport.

It was Robert who asked his dad who was riding in which limo. Mr. Ken asked Miriam if she minded if Mark rode with Collin, or if she preferred that he rode with her. The woman said that she would rather he stayed with her.

‘Dad’ Ken then told his teenaged son that he, Charles, Bill and Matthew could ride with Collin and Ryan, when they stop to pick him up. The teen smiled at hearing that and rushed to tell his ‘brothers’ which limo they were riding in.

By then, Dan Fischer, the Sheriff’s Lieutenant and best friend of Mr. Ken, had arrived and loaded his bags into one of the limos and so had Dennis Florkert, the Assistant Estate Master. Both men came into the house and got a cup of coffee and asked the same question Robert had asked.

Even though Mr. Ken had wanted to leave The Cove at 6:30 it was closer to 6:40 when they finally drove out the Main Gate. Wayne did show up to say goodbye and with all the talking between the adults that happened and then Chief made her appearance that caused everyone to want to scratch behind her ears, and before they all knew it, they were late on Mr. Ken’s schedule.

In the first limousine was Mr. Ken, Miriam, Dan, Dennis, Phillip and Mark. In the second limo were Collin, Billy, Robert, Charles and Matthew, and that limo would stop to pick up Ryan along the way. The air charter wasn’t scheduled to take-off before 8:30, so they had the time to stop.

Along the drive to the airport, the men told Miriam what to expect onboard the air charter as she flew to their first stop. The woman was surprised at what she heard, but she would be pleasantly amazed when she entered the plane’s cabin.

At the airport, the boys helped put the bags on the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) cart and then they went inside the General Service Terminal to be processed through TSA’s security screening, themselves.

Once everyone was inside the terminal, the boys learned who would be flying in which airplane. ‘Dad’ Ken told Bill, Matthew and Phillip that they would be flying with him, along with Miriam, Mark and Mr. Dan. He told Robert, Eric and Charles they could fly with Collin, Ryan and Mr. Dennis.

The flights took off on-time about ten minutes apart with the air charter leading the way with the estimated arrival time of 12:40 local time.

Mr. Ken, Miriam and Dan sat up front, while Billy, Matthew, Phillip and Mark sat in the rear of the plane. Once the aircraft was at altitude, the flight steward came through the cabin and asked each of the flyers what they wanted for breakfast. Miriam was surprised that she could have a full breakfast, so she ordered scrambled eggs, crisp bacon and hash browns along with hot coffee. Mr. Ken and Dan smiled at her order.

After getting everyone else’s order the steward fixed their drinks before fixing the individual meals. It took the steward a good while to fix the seven individual meals, but the flight was three hours long, so the people weren’t in a big rush to get to where they were going.

When their meals were served, Miriam was delighted that the food was hot and the eggs were done the way she liked them, and that the bacon was crisp. She also noticed that Ken and Dan’s meals looked just as good and then her coffee cup was refilled before the steward took the boys their meals. Miriam was thoroughly enjoying this manner of flying.

After the boys ate, because all of them had sat up front in the co-pilot’s seat before, none of them were offered that opportunity, so they caught up on their sleep as the plane flew on.

Ken and Dan talked with Miriam about what she should expect when they arrived at the airport, the hotel and the park. They wanted to let her know that this was going to be a fast-tracked trip with a lot of moving parts, and for her to tell them if she needed them to slow things down.

The plane landed on time and everyone walked into the terminal as they waited for Collin’s corporate plane to arrive and off-load. While they waited, the boys used the restroom and then loaded their bags into their transportation.

Once Collin’s plane landed and everyone deplaned, they joined the rest of their group in the terminal. And as soon as their bags were delivered to them, they loaded them into the vans and the entire group headed to the hotel. No limo for Collin this time around.

The hotel was ready for Ken Thomas and his large Group. They even had Collin’s room, without any problem for the underaged college man, soon to be a junior. Then, with room card-keys in hand, and room assignments made, the boys took the loaded trolleys up to the floor where they were all staying. Mr. Ken asked everyone to use the facilities in their room and to meet downstairs for the ride out to the park and they could all get something to eat out there, as they were running late.

Miriam would have liked to have stopped along the way for something to eat, but it was already after 2 p.m. She realized that if they stopped to feed twelve people it would be at least three o’clock, if not 3:30, before they arrived. She knew her host, Ken Thomas, was there for a reason and she wasn’t going to ask him to stop, so she could get something to eat.

“Joseph … I want you to meet a friend of mine, Miriam Golderson. She’s here to get a first-person view of my park, and is also visiting with her son, who was here last year with me when he was my foster son. Long story there, Joseph,” chuckled Mr. Ken.

“Welcome, Miriam. I know you’ll enjoy our park and I’m sure your son and the other boys will take you to our best rides,” offered Joseph Shartz, the park’s operations manager.

Mr. Shartz already had someone ready to take the guests over to the FFF Booth to get them their Fastest Passes, while he and the park’s owner talked. Miriam followed along with the boisterous group who couldn’t wait to ride the coasters first, knowing they didn’t have a lot of time there this time around to possibly ride everything.

The owner of the park, Ken Thomas and the park’s manager, Joseph Shartz, talked about some transgressions that Jackie told him about, while she visited some two weeks prior. Joseph had no idea that someone had called the owner about some problems at the park before mentioning them to him, so he was obviously taken aback by what his boss was telling him.

The two then took the golf cart out into the park, so the two of them could see for themselves if what Mr. Ken was made aware of was indeed happening. They immediately saw the yellow jackets flying around the trash cans at the food booths. Mr. Ken told Joseph that they needed to be changed out and washed regularly starting now. Mr. Shartz made a radio call and the two continued on.

As the two drove around, Mr. Ken pointed out trash that was caught in the weeds and against the fence and around some rides skirting. Joseph Shartz was dismayed. He had no excuse for what the park’s owner was made aware of and ultimately saw during his visit. Joseph made another radio call hoping there were extra people available to start picking up the unsightly litter. He would have the landscaping crew cut the tall grass and weeds in the morning.

The two park executives then got off the golf cart and started walking around. Mr. Ken began inspecting the facilities and pointed out to Mr. Shartz how some areas needed to be spruced up with paint and some just needed to be cleaned with soap and water. He told the ops manager that the rides looked dingy and dirty in places and they needed to be washed, as well as the queues needed some TLC (Tender Loving Care) or paint and/or power washing.

Mr. Ken then pointed out how some employees weren’t wearing their uniforms properly, that they were talking to what looked like their friends instead of doing the job they were being paid to do. Mr. Ken asked for the area supervisor to be called over.

The area supervisor was surprised when she was called to meet Park One and Owner One at the same time. When she arrived, Mr. Shartz pointed out to her the exact same things Mr. Ken just pointed out to him. Mr. Ken then asked her why she was allowing this to happen when people were waiting in line to be served. The supervisor apologized and said she would take care of it.

Mr. Ken then took the time to talk to some people in line. They were surprised that the park’s owner was out in the park talking to them, but they were happy that they could tell him what they thought of the park. Some told him how they loved that he was improving the park since he bought it.

Other guests told him that the park started out nice and clean, but had become a bit dingy along the way. Joseph Shartz cringed when he heard that comment. Some people, though, were extremely happy that they were getting a new dive coaster for next year and they couldn’t wait to see the construction started.

Back in the office, Mr. Ken told Joseph Shartz, “Joseph … I’m disappointed at what I learned and then what I found out to be true. I never saw this before on my previous visit. But then again, I never truly went out and looked very hard. But I guess from now on I will. Is your assistant here today?” asked Mr. Ken.

Learning the assistant was off, Ken Thomas told Joseph to take out a pad of paper and to take notes for him and his assistant to begin working on immediately. Mr. Ken then gave the man a long list of things that the two of them needed to work on to bring the park back up to the standards that he and Ben expected.

While Mr. Ken was doing his inspection, the rest of the group was out enjoying the rides. Miriam was not one to want to ride anything that spun, rotated, twisted, went upside-down, or otherwise went in any direction other than forward.

Every ride they came to, Mark tried to get her to ride with him. She did ride the train with him, and he was happy about that. When they came to the Faster Up ‘N’ Down, Mark asked his mom to ride that with him. He told her that all it did was go up and come right down. She said that she would watch it first.

While she watched the Faster Up ‘N’ Down go through its paces, Dan went over to her and asked her why she had such an aversion to riding the rides. Miriam was hesitant to answer, but then she told Dan that she once had a scare as a young girl on a ride and she’s been scared to ride anything that was too violent ever since.

Dan told her that she was missing the best time in her son’s life and that he wanted her to have some fun with him. He suggested that she could ride something like the Tilt-A-Whirl, or maybe the Scrambler. Dan added that maybe he could join them and give her someone to give her some confidence that the ride isn’t really that bad and can be fun.

Dan told her that the Faster Up ‘N’ Down was really just a quick kick in the pants and then a free-fall and that there were three seats across that he could join her and Mark. Miriam said that she wasn’t sure that she could do that. But maybe she could go on one of those other rides. That put a hopeful smile on Dan’s face.

When Mark asked his mom if she was going to ride the Faster Up ‘N’ Down she told him no, but that maybe she would try either the Scrambler, or the Tilt-A-Whirl. That put a smile on Mark’s face and then he hugged his mom and then quickly ran to join his ‘brothers’ on the Faster Up ‘N’ Down.

The group worked its way over towards the Tilt-A-Whirl and when they got there, Mark asked his mother if she would ride that with him. She was really hesitant, but Dan was there and quickly spoke up and said that he’d like to ride and told her to ride with him and her son.

Miriam was still a bit hesitant, as they walked up the exit to ride. She, Mark and Dan sat down and pulled the safety bar back and after the ride operator checked all of the ride cars, he started the ride. Miriam was still apprehensive about the ride, but as it began to go around and then swivel Miriam felt the gentle sway and swing of the car and she began to relax, as it wasn’t as bad as she imagined.

When the ride was over, Mark hugged his mom for riding that with him and Miriam hugged him back and she thanked him for asking her to ride with him. The woman then nodded to Dan for joining them and helping her get through her fear about the ride.

When they came up to the scrambler, Mark asked his mom to ride with him. He told her that the ride was similar to the Tilt-A-Whirl except that it was wider. Miriam looked over to Dan to see if he would ride it with them.

When the group went to ride with the Fastest Passes, Dan got in first then Miriam and lastly Mark. She wondered why they sat that way instead of like they did in the Tilt-A-Whirl. It was when the ride began and she was pressed into Dan and Mark was pressed into her that she understood. She also began to laugh at what was happening and she also began to enjoy the ride.

Again, Mark hugged his mother and thanked her for riding with him. Miriam hugged him back and told him that she enjoyed the ride. Mark then told her that she needs to ride a few more with him before they leave. Miriam told him that she would see.

Miriam watched as her son rode the Mouser, which was a steel coaster that had lots of twisty turns at the top, some steep drops and tight turns and some quick up hills that repeated towards the bottom, and had some bunny hills thrown in before the end.

The woman couldn’t believe that people could want to ride something that had that many twists and turns and changes of direction and moved so fast. She heard some people scream as they came down and went back up again, but at the end she also heard them laughing, and she couldn’t believe they could change their minds so quickly.

Miriam was standing next to Dan and Dennis when she made those verbal observations. The two men chuckled at her comments. It was Dan who asked her if she had ever ridden a Wild Mouse coaster. Miriam told him that she thought it was called the Mouser.

Dennis laughed and told her that Mouser was the name of the ride, but Wild Mouse is the type of coaster that it is. He added that she’ll see different versions of the Wild Mouse at Mr. Ken’s other amusement parks and when you ride them, they can give your heart a good workout. The man then laughed some more.

Dan told her that this one was tame, as compared to some of the others, and that she should try it. The man told her to find Mark and ask him to ride it with her. Dennis added that the car only held two people. Miriam stood there contemplating whether or not she should ride something that her body was telling her not to. But it was her mind that was telling her that she should ride it, because it would be with her son.

Miriam looked around for her son and when she saw him, she called him over and asked him if he would ride the Mouser with her. Mark’s eyes lit up and he couldn’t answer fast enough. The two went over to activate their Fastest Passes. But the ride attendant told Mark that he just rode and couldn’t ride again so quickly.

Dan Fischer heard what the ride attendant said, so he went up to him and told the young teenager that the woman hadn’t, and she wanted her son to ride with her. The teenager maintained that the boy couldn’t ride again. Dan pulled out his cell phone and called his friend, Ken Thomas.

Five minutes later Joseph Shartz and Ken Thomas, wearing his owner’s polo shirt, arrived at the Mouser. The ride attendant wondered what he was doing wrong now. Then he looked at the man who pulled out his cell phone and then he looked over at all the boys that were around him. Then he realized that they were the owner’s sons. He now knew he had made a big mistake.

Joseph Shartz and Ken Thomas called Miriam and Mark up the exit and had them get in the next car. They told the second ride attendant to dispatch the car and before Miriam knew it, she was headed up the lift hill.

The park’s operations manager and the park’s owner quietly talked to the main ride attendant about his decision not to allow the woman’s son ride with her, even though she hadn’t ever ridden. They explained the unfairness of his decision on her and that the boy riding again really didn’t matter, because the ride car would have been dispatched anyway. The ride attendant knew to agree because he screwed up. He just wished he had recognized the boys when they first rode.

While the men were talking to the ride attendant, the Covers were listening while Miriam screamed as she went down and up the hills, and as the car changed directions. Dan and Dennis wondered if they had made the right decision to convince her to ride the Mouser.

The ride didn’t take long once you were off the lift hill and the Covers couldn’t wait to hear from Miriam once she came down the exit. What they heard surprised them. Miriam Golderson was laughing and talking with Mark about when the ride did this turn or took a quick down or up the hill.

“Well, I take it, you liked the ride?” asked Dan Fischer.

“Yes, surprisingly, I did, thank you,” chuckled Miriam. “Thank you two for helping me decide to ride with my son.” Now smiled the woman, who then hugged Mark.

The day was moving on and the group only had an hour before they were to meet Mr. Ken and go out to dinner and then back to the hotel to pack. Miriam asked Mark what ride he wanted her to ride with him next. Mark picked the Galleon.

The two walked over to the ride shaped like a boat that swung up back and forth and went higher and higher on each pass. Using their Fastest Passes, Mark had his mom sit with him in the highest seats. He told her that they got more airtime than the rest and a much better ride.

Miriam wondered what she got herself into. That was until the ride was going back and forth. She loved the little bit of‘air time’ that she got at the height of the ride at each end of the swing of the boat. When the two came off the ride she was smiling and thanking her son for recommending that ride. Then she asked him where to go next.

Mark took his mom over to the Tomahawk. When Miriam saw the ride go through its paces, she looked at her son and told him that she didn’t think she was ready for that type of ride yet. She asked him to find something a little tamer. Mark took her over to the Super Flyer.

When Mark’s mother saw the Super Flyer, she told him that she thought she could do that one, so they activated their Fastest Passes and were put on the next ride. They lay down next to one another on the 2-passenger gondola and when the ride started, the two riders experienced the sensation of free flight with a wave-like oscillating motion. Miriam was heard laughing as she went around on the ride.

The group met Mr. Ken at the operations building at 7:30, which meant they had a late-night dinner. Mr. Ken made sure Miriam got a good steak dinner and while they all ate, he asked her how she liked his park.

Miriam told him that she thought the park was nice, but she thought that it needed a little attention to detail in some places. Ken Thomas told her that was what he thought, too, so he had a nice talk with Joseph about that and a few other things that were being overlooked.

The boys heard what their ‘dad’ had said and they wondered what that was all about. Charles spoke up and asked them if they didn’t notice the trash along the skirts of some of the rides, that there were yellow jackets flying around some of the trash cans at the food booths and the tall grass and weeds. The teenager told them that Mr. Jason wouldn’t stand for that at Edgewood. Hearing that made the teen’s dad smile.

Mr. Ken then asked Phillip how he did on the rides with his bummed-up shoulder. The young Cover told his ‘dad’ that he didn’t do any of the coasters because he knew that he would be thrown around too much. Then the youngster told his ‘dad’ that the few rides like the Tilt-A-Whirl and the Scrambler did make his shoulder hurt him because of the pressure, so he’ll have to be careful tomorrow at Mountain Top.

When the group arrived back at the hotel, he told everyone that the vans would be at the hotel at 7:30 and for them to be packed, downstairs and ready to go. He also reminded them that the breakfast buffet would be open from 7 to 9 a.m., and if they wanted something to hold them over then they needed to plan accordingly.

The adults met in the lounge, after they packed, for a few adult drinks before they turned in for the night. That was when Ken learned that Miriam wasn’t going to ride most of the rides until Dan and Dennis talked her into trying out a few with her son.

Miriam told her host that when she was a young girl, she had a bad experience on a ride at a local carnival and since then she had avoided any ride that didn’t go in any direction but forward.

Dan spoke up and told his friend that the only ride she rode was the train, until I talked to her. Dan then told Ken that she then went on the Tilt-A-Whirl, the Scrambler and he saw how she got on the Mouser. The lieutenant then said that she and Mark rode the Galleon and then the Super Flyer, but that she passed on the Tomahawk.

Ken smiled at the telling and asked Miriam if she felt better after riding with her son. The woman said it felt wonderful to share the experience with her son, and that she was now looking forward to riding a few more rides with him at the next parks, as well.

The adults finished up their drinks and said goodnight to one another.

The boys all complained about having to get up so early. Mr. Dan laughed at Matthew complaining about having to get up so early. He told the pre-teen to just wait until he goes out into the big world and has a job like his, where he has changing shifts and gets up at different times of the day. Matthew just moaned and got ready for the day. At least he didn’t have that same problem with Charles who was also staying in the room with him.

Phillip and Mark decided to take their shower together, so they could speed things up. Mr. Dennis just smiled that the boys were showering together at their age – eleven. He thought that was unusual for their age, but he decided that he wasn’t going to discourage it. He figured if the boys weren’t ashamed of their bodies in front of their friends, they had matured sooner than many boys do and wouldn’t have problems showering after gym class in junior and senior high school.

Billy made sure Robert and Eric were up in time that they all got their showers and were down in the lobby with their bags and had time to get something off the breakfast buffet.

The vans were on time and the boys helped load the bags and when everything was onboard and the group was ready, they all headed out to the airport where the air charter and corporate jet were sitting and waiting for them.

After arriving at the airport, the boys knew to help put the bags on the TSA cart, then head inside to use the restroom, then go through the TSA security screening before being called for their flight.

There were no changes in the passenger assignments for the two planes, so when the pilots had them ready, they called for the bags and travelers to be loaded and before long both aircraft were on their way to the group’s next stop, Mountain Top Amusement Park.

Miriam was happy that she was served some breakfast on the flight to their next stop. It wasn’t as plentiful as the previous day, but that was because the flight was shorter and the flight attendant didn’t have a lot of time to fix seven meals.

Leaving as early as they had, the group arrived at their hotel by eleven. Even though they arrived early, the hotel had their rooms ready for them. Again, they had Collin’s room for him, so with room key cards and room assignments made, the boys took the trolley’s full of bags up to their floor and dropped them off at the appropriate room.

Mr. Ken decided to have them stop along the way to the park for lunch. For that Miriam was happy, even though it was at a fast-food restaurant. Then she remembered Judy’s warning about the boys wanting to get to the parks to ride and that was what she would get many times.

It was around 12:30 when their transportation arrived at the operations building at Mountain Top Amusement Park. Clayton Williams was waiting for them to arrive. This was going to be the second time the owner was visiting after he was elevated to be the operations manager there.

“Welcome back Mr. Thomas, and I see you have a new face with you,” was how Clayton greeted the owner of the park.

“Thank you, Clay, and yes, I have a new visitor with me. This is Miriam Golderson. She is the mother of one of my former foster sons, Mark, who is also with me. I hope you have someone ready to get them their Fastest Passes. They are biting at the bit to get on the rides, as this is a one-day visit,” offered Mr. Ken.

As the group headed off to the FFF Booth, Ken Thomas sat down with Clayton Williams. The owner of the park told Clayton that he’d received some information that he wanted to confirm with him, while he was there. So, he asked him to get a golf cart and after he changed into his owner’s shirt, he wanted them to ride around.

Phillip suggested that they should all ride Ghoul World first. The older boys told him that he could, but they all wanted to ride the roller coasters and they headed to them. Miriam asked Mark what was Ghoul World. Mark told her it was like an indoor haunted house, but on wheels. He told her it was funny and scary at the same time. She asked him if they could ride it.

As the two Golderson’s walked in that direction, Phillip had wanted to ride Ghoul World, so Matthew stayed behind to ride it with him and the two caught up with them. When the four arrived at the ride, they presented their Fastest Passes and they were put on the next two cars.

Miriam laughed and screamed throughout the entire ride and she also hugged her son as the scary parts made her scream. Phillip and Matthew were in the ride car behind them and they not only laughed at the right times, but they were also laughing at hearing Miriam screaming.

When the four met up outside, they compared what they’d seen and Miriam told the boys that she enjoyed the ride and that it was funny and scary at times. Phillip told her that he knew that she was scared, as he heard her screaming at times. Miriam was shocked that they heard her, and then she laughed that she was that loud. She then asked Mark where he would take her next so that she could enjoy another ride.

The four decided to stay together and they next rode the Scrambler, The Swinging Boat, the Ferris Wheel and then they came to the Crazy Mouse. Mark told his mother that it was similar to the Mouser, except that this one would spin at times and it didn’t have as many big dips.

Miriam watched the ride a few times and then decided that she would ride it, as long as the four of them could ride together. So, they all walked up the exit and activated their Fastest Passes and waited for their turn. About five minutes later the four were seated on the ride and were soon going up the lift hill.

Miriam was still anxious about the ride, but it was too late now. Once the ride car was off the lift chain the car went back and forth as the wild mouse does and then it took a small dip and then into another deeper dip before another set of back and forth turns, which was where the spinning began.

Their ride car didn’t spin too much, but just enough for them to know what the name implied. After the car went back and forth a few times it went into a few bunny hills which made the ride car spin some more until they were in the station queue.

“Well, that was interesting,” chuckled Miriam.

“That was fun, mom. I’m glad you went on that with me, err us,” laughed her son, Mark.

Miriam asked, “Where to next?”

“Ms. Miriam, since you rode the Crazy Mouse, I think you’re ready for the Mountaineer,” offered Phillip.

“It’s a wooden roller coaster that’s only 80 feet high with hills and valleys that have a few twists and is considered an out-and-back. It’s called a family coaster. That’s so little kids can ride with their moms and dads. I bet you’ll like that, as it essentially goes straight out and back.”

“Yea, mom, I bet you’ll like that one. Let’s go over and watch it and you’ll see that it is nothing like what you just rode,” encouraged Mark.

The four walked over and Miriam watched the ride and saw lots of young boys and girls getting off the ride with their moms and dads and a few grandparents. She also saw that it wasn’t a very long ride, and figured she couldn’t go too wrong if all those parents, her age, were enjoying it with their kids.

The four walked up the exit and activated their Fastest Passes, but they didn’t have to wait. The ride operator remembered the boys from when they were there in June, and he put them on the next coaster train.

Miriam was going to sit in the first car, first seat, but Phillip told her she might want to try the middle car for her first ride, so she can get a feel for the coaster. Mark agreed with his ‘brother’ and Miriam and Mark sat in the third car, first seat, while Phillip and Matthew sat in the first car, first seat.

The coaster train went up the short 80-foot lift hill and when it raced down that first hill it only went down about 70-feet before it went up the second and then the train followed the rest of the layout. After the first hill, which sort of caught her by surprise and took her breath away, Miriam began to enjoy the ride and she was now very happy that the boys talked her into riding that family coaster.

When the ride was over, Miriam thanked Phillip for suggesting that she ride that family coaster. Mark quickly told her that there was a mine coaster that was a little higher and that the cars were designed as boxy miner cars.

As they walked in that direction, Mark told his mother that the coaster’s name was Through The Mountain and it too was considered a family friendly ride that didn’t have a very high first hill, but that it did have lots of twists and turns and it went through some tunnels and around big boulders. Phillip and Matthew told her it was a fun ride and it felt fast.

Miriam had decided that she would ride that coaster, as they walked over there. So, when they arrived, the four walked up the exit and they didn’t even have to activate their passes, as the ride operator knew who they were.

This time Miriam decided she was going to sit in the first car, first seat along with her son. Phillip and Matthew sat right behind them. During the ride Miriam laughed and giggled as the mine train went down and up the hills, through tunnels and around the boulders, all the while as it twisted and sped along the track.

When the ride was over, Miriam told the boys how much she loved that ride, as the theming went a long way to make the ride enjoyable.

While everyone was riding the rides, the owner of the park, Mr. Ken, and Clayton Williams, the park’s operations manager, were out inspecting the park. Mr. Ken pointed out where the ops manager needed to focus his efforts on painting and polishing and where some soap and water would make things look so much better on the rides.

Mr. Ken also recommended that he buy some additional trash cans that he could switch out while he washes the dirty ones to keep the yellow jackets away. And that he needed to have some people out collecting loose trash and cutting the long grasses and weeds. Mr. Ken also told the man to use those power washers more frequently to spruce up ride queues, the park entrance and food stand front areas to make the park look clean and inviting.

Ken Thomas then stopped to talk to some guests waiting in line. He asked them for their honest opinion about the park and what they liked and what he could do in the future. One guest told him that he needed to get rid of those pesky yellow jackets near the food booths. Clayton just cringed when he heard that. One person told him that they appreciated he had begun to turn the park around ever since he took over the ownership.

Some of the people in line told him how happy they were to learn that he was going to install a suspended coaster there in their park. They told him that this showed them that he was committed to making the park a destination place and they were definitely going to buy a season pass.

The Cover boys, Mr. Dan and Mr. Dennis all enjoyed riding the rides at Mountain Top. But the day wore on and it was time to meet Mr. Ken and head out for dinner. Both groups headed to the operations building and it was about 7:30 when they met up.

They all thanked Clayton Williams for the Fastest Passes and the boys told him they hope to see him over the Holidays. The group then loaded into the vans and they had the drivers go to a good restaurant, so they could all have a nice dinner.

During dinner, Mr. Ken again asked Miriam how she liked Mountain Top. Miriam told her host that she liked what she saw, but she was so busy riding rides with her son, Phillip and Matthew that she really didn’t look around too much like she did at Fantasy.

‘Dad’ Ken asked Phillip how his shoulder was holding out. The young Cover told his ‘dad’ that they didn’t ride any really intense rides and the ones he did ride made his shoulder hurt some, but he was ok with it. ‘Dad’ Ken just smiled at his ‘son’ and told him that he had a pill for him to take before he went to bed. Phillip smiled back at him.

Back at the hotel, Mr. Ken told everyone that the vans would be there at 7:30 and for everyone to be down with their bags and ready to go at that time. He again told them that the buffet is open between 7 and 9 a.m., and if they wanted something they needed to plan accordingly.

After the adults packed, they all met in the hotel’s lounge for a few drinks. During their relaxation time they talked about the trip so far and how Miriam was coping with riding the rides.

Upstairs, the boys all met in Collin’s room. There they asked him if he was going to meet up with Jasmine. His only response was, “So, what if I am?” The younger boys only laughed.

But Collin explained to his ‘brothers’ that Jasmine is the kind of woman that he would like to find to marry. He told them that Jasmine was gentle, soft spoken, funny, and she had something about her, that first time he met her, that ‘spoke’ to him.

Collin stopped for a few seconds, as he thought about what he’d said, then continued and said that she knows what she wants to do when she graduates and that she doesn’t seem to be after money, as she works hard to pay for her college. The boys let their questions about the young lady drop.

With everyone getting up early again, they were all in bed by ten-thirty. That night Eric and Phillip were in with Mr. Dan, Matthew and Mark were in with Mr. Dennis, while Billy, Robert and Charles were sharing the teens room.

The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com

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