New Braunfels, TX (USA)

One of the perks of staying at the resort is that you get to enter the park at 0900 (normal hours are 1000). So, we woke up around 0730 so we could take advantage of that! After checking out of the hotel, we had breakfast nearby - at Union Street Station (it was delicious: pancakes, bacon, eggs and toast). We arrived at Surfenburg around 0830 and got our new park-pass bracelets. It turned out that we were able to use rides on a huge tower in Blastenhoff (Wolfpack, Black Knight and Master Blaster), so we parked over there. We'd seen the lines for these rides yesterday - from the bottom of the stairs to the top (probably four stories). So, when they let us into the park (0845), we rushed to the top. If we weren't tired already (from yesterday), we were nearly exhausted by the stair-climbing. Mollie and I rode on the Wolfpack a few times and Brenna checked out the Master Blaster. Eventually, we all ended up on multiple trips down the Black Knight. By 0945, the lines were getting huge again, so I sent the kids to Blastenhoff Beach to wait for the rest of the park to open. I walked around and made movies, took pictures (in the process, learning that Surfenburg opens early too) and bought some park souvenirs. Met the kids again around 1015 and rode The Torrent with them multiple times. Around 1045, we purchased some photos from the park (taken yesterday) and made a squished penny. We then went over to Surfenburg and rode on Dragon's Revenge (probably the best ride in the park). On the way out, I spotted "Backsplash" (shoots water down a hill into the Kristal River) and we had fun doing that one! After floating around for awhile, we spent some time relaxing in Kristal Cove and Hang Ten Harbor. At about 1230, the kids started mentioning food - so we got in the car and headed out for lunch (Subway near the park was too crowded, found a second one on TX-46). Filled up the car with gas and we headed back to the original Schlitterbahn again. I made some more movies and photos while the kids rode more rides (and relaxed in the huge hot tub, Lava Lagoon). Met up with them around 1400 and we rode the Cliffhanger again and then walked up to the Lagoon. We rode the Soda Straws and Hillside tube before getting on the Raging River again. Brenna wanted to relax in the Gator Bowl pool after that, so Mollie and I went on the Congo River Expedition and played nearby in the wave-pool. She even got to ride on a carousel. We met up with Brenna later and the kids practiced holding their breaths. It was getting late (1800) and we still had to drive home (!), so we picked one more ride (Cliffhanger) to enjoy before leaving. We then changed into some street clothes and said goodbye (1845). I'd been wanting to try out a nearby German restaurant called Oma's Haus (on TX-46), so we went there for dinner. They had a special combination meal and we tried that (chicken Neirsteiner Schnitzel, rasberry porkloin, and a sausage plate - along with German potatoes, seasoned green beans with bacon and corn). The whole meal was excellent and we finished around 1900. It all turned out great: along with an additional stop to explore the San Marcos outlet mall (very swanky!), we missed all the rush-hour traffic for Austin... Drive was very nice (sun setting on our left side - first with hills and then with the prairie). We stopped for a bathroom break and playground fun at one of the tornado refuge rest-stops. Later, we picked up a dozen kolaches (in West, TX) to take home. Drive couldn't have been better - until we reached downtown Fort Worth and five lanes went down to one. We were so close to getting home - and then we were stopped completely! However, we still made it back to the house by 2300. What a trip - you can't beat Schlitterbahn!!!