Column: Just add water

In life, there are many ups and downs.

There are the days an extra soda or bag of chips might fall from a vending machine. Then, one day you'll have a flat tire in the rain.

A couple weeks ago, my family and I traveled to an amusement park, where we experienced enough ups and downs to last a lifetime.

My kids wanted to go to an amusement park so I went online to do some vacation planning. I checked out our destination, the directions we would need to get us there and overnight accommodations.

Then, I saw it.

It was a video from the front seat of the park's newest roller coaster, one of the tallest in the Mid-Atlantic. As I sat in my comfy padded, swivel chair, I watched as the coaster rose 305 feet into the air and then dropped straight down. The ride included a few more ups, downs and turns. I wasn't very impressed.

An hour later, I had watched video for nearly a dozen roller coasters, water rides and even a ride that rose straight up in the air and then dropped. I yawned and made a short list of the rides I wanted to check out.

A week later, my kids, husband and I were walking through the entrance gate of the amusement park. Grabbing a map, we began making plans for our first ride.

My son pointed to a roller coaster near the front of the park called "The Dominator." I remembered seeing it on video. It hadn't been very impressive, but it was close and we had to start somewhere.

A few minutes later, I stood in front of a blue and orange metal monstrosity. A coaster sped past us and the riders were screaming and their faces showed both fear and joy. I couldn't believe how fast this ride was. My jaw dropped.

We walked right onto the ride; there was no line. Nervous, I climbed aboard an empty seat toward the back of the ride next to my son. I pulled the brace down over my head and shoulders and buckled up. After a quick check from the ride attendant, the floor dropped. I gulped. This hadn't been on the video.

Suddenly, I questioned the nuts and bolts of the ride. Where they all tight -- every last one? I wondered how strong the metal and plastic seats were. Would they hold my son and me?

The coaster began slowly ascending the big hill in front of us. I looked around the park and appreciated the view. Off in the distance I could see the newest coaster -- the one with the 305-foot drop. I could see the wooden roller coasters. Everything looked so tall and fast. I questioned the construction of those rides, too.

Then, just as I was beginning to feel pretty good about this roller coaster, I remembered that basic law of physics: What goes up, must come down.

And down we went.