UPDATED with Video: An afternoon at Lake Compounce.

Mercer and the gang headed northeast for an afternoon at Lake Compounce, apparently the oldest continuously-run amusement park in the country. It was about an hour and a half trip to Bristol, CT, which is also the home of ESPN, a cable television channel that used to show sporting events.

We were hoping Mercer would take a nap on the drive up, but it didn't happen. We knew it was a only matter of time before he cranked himself out, so we had to hit the children's rides as soon as possible. Luckily, the park was empty and rides were virtually wait-free.

We weren't sure how Mercer would do with the rides. We went to Rye Playland (a theme park near us in NY that also, I think, claims to be the oldest amusement park in the country) last year and Mercer was so-so with the rides. He didn't really care either way. Yesterday, Mercer was a bit nervous, hanging on as tightly as possible, trying to figure the whole deal out. Mercer refused to go on some rides (mini-roller coaster, a rotating drum thing), but loved others. We tried to get him to go on a train ride, but he was more interested in the giant bug and apple props all around the tracks.

He did manage to go on a bike ride....
a balloon ride that went way up high (you can see Mom and Mercer in the orange car in the bottom-center of the photo)...

the kiddie swings...


a swinging pirate ship...
and lastly, a 50's-themed car ride, which he screamed and screamed about while waiting on line because it was his first experience with waiting on line for a ride. It was brutal. He was in bad shape at this point and sorely needed a nap. He loved it once he was in the ride, though.

After a hot dog and Doritos, you could tell by the look on Mercer's face that he was done. He promptly fell asleep in his stroller, something he never does.
Daddy went on one last roller coaster (Lake Compounce has 2 great wooden coasters, one of which - Boulder Dash - is highly rated by coaster enthusiasts and built into the side of a mountain!) and we headed for home. We'll be back, though. The water rides for kids look amazing and it will surely be an all-day activity to beat the heat.

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