There are fireworks on the fourth of July, a large track great for jogging around or walking your pet. The play area is HUGE, and I rarely see garbage or graffiti. If we do, by the next visit it is gone. The upkeep is amazing. There are large grassy areas where we love to picnic, places for volleyball and lots of open spaces for throwing a frisbee. The bathrooms are well kept, snack and drink machines are located next to them. There are lots of places to eat for a reasonable price nearby, ice cream sellers and more. There is also a carnival that comes by in the Summer, and the price is a bit steep but worth it, especially at night.

I live about twenty minutes away from this beach. Do NOT bring your children. There is trash everywhere, and the water is a dirty grey. My six year old found a chip bag floating in the water, so we quickly canned them swimming and started to play in the sand. My two year old dug up broken glass in the sand, that was the last straw. We packed up after just ten minutes. There were no lifeguards, not floaties sectioning off the water. The bathroom was disgusting with graffiti and feces. Until this area gets cleaned up we will NOT be coming back.

I did not bring my oldest with me, since I like to go and see what the parks are like before bringing along my kids. Kings Dominion is expensive, food and ticket wise. I loved the newer rides, but be aware of the wooden ones. I'm 25 years old, and the jerking and vibrations of them had my neck and body in pain. It is not a smooth ride, and I do not, DO NOT recommend for children. I hit my head several times against the seat ( I know, it's a roller coaster but still ) if I'm walking away with headaches and pain I can only imagine what it's like for the kids. While I won't recommend wooden roller coasters, the water park is AMAZING and very kid friendly. Dress appropriately, and I suggest going down with kids 7 and under on the bigger slides and rides, just because some can be hard on the turns. The water was great, there are lifeguards on duty and a wade pool for smaller kids. Bathrooms abound throughout the park. Lockers are $5, and I didn't see many through the park, just up at the front. It's $12 for the lockers, and you get $7 back when returning the key.

I went without my kids, but did see several there. They loan out these nifty little rope/cords that you can hold onto your child with ( while wearing your ski's ) and pull them behind you on theirs. I also noticed there was just one restroom on the bottom floor of the building, and none along the route. I went, it was my first time snowboarding. Timberline hosts the larges beginner run on the East Coast ( or so I was told ) at 2 miles. I went straight to the top, and three hours and a sore bum later, made it to the bottom. Near the end of the run it gets VERY steep and twisty. This was the hardest part for me as a beginner. I went with a group of friends of different skill levels, and nobody had a single bad thing to say about the run. Only thing I didn't like is that I never once saw any medical/emergency stations along the route, or anyone skiing it. I took a bad spill and swore I had broken my spine ( I have a nasty bruise, and a cut ) and could have used assistance. I can see this being a problem for parents, if their child or them get hurt along the run. Other than that it was great. Easy to rent equipment. Eating upstairs was expensive for hot dogs, hamburgers and instant potatoes. There is a restaurant one floor up from the buffet, but we opted not to use it since it was pricey.

I loved taking field trips here as a child, and now as an adult and parent it is just as great. My two children enjoyed making candles, and the Dymaxion house which was a little tour of a "house of the future". I cannot stress how great the Made in America exhibit is for home schooling families. The guide was knowledgeable, kind and able to relate to my son on his level. The only frustrating thing is that there isn't a lot of hands on activities ( at least not when we went ), and it isn't really geared toward toddlers. Although all the walking did wear him out.