First 2011 Knott's Berry Farm Trip

This year I decided that this year we would definitely be getting another annual pass (in addition to our pass to the LA Zoo).  The question, though, was whether or not we would be going all out and getting Disneyland passes or if we'd save money and get passes to Knott's Berry Farm.  As much as I would have loved a Disneyland pass, I just couldn't see spending that much money a over-crowded park when for a much smaller cost, we could get passes with no blackout dates to a park that was 20 minutes closer and that usually had little to no waiting-in-line time for rides.  And after our first day at Knott's, we were completely certain that we had made the right choice!  Not only did the we have a blast, but there were hardly any people there and the boys got to go on rides over and over and over, most of the time not even having to get off in between! We may eventually get Disney passes again, but for now at least, Knott's Berry Farm is perfect for us!

You'll have to excuse the fact that I took a gazillion photos (not that you're surprised, though), but I promise none of my future Knott's posts will be this long! 

Traditional in-the-parking-lot-and-ready-to-go pose

Even though it was nearly a week into January, they still were set up for Knott's Merry Farm.  And, as my mom and I are always in the Christmas spirit and the boys didn't know and different, we took a photo op!

Unfortunately the guy taking the photo wasn't so much for composition and Sam barely made it in the photo in favor of getting a photo of the Happy Holidays sign.  Or rather, the Happy Holid  sign.  Oh well, I guess beggars can't be choosy.


We immediately headed over to Camp Snoopy and Jack was so excited when he saw the first ride.  I was excited when it turned out that he loved it just as much as he loved it the first time he rode it, a year ago!

While he was on that ride, Jack spotted the train!  So we headed to that ride next, and Jack was in heaven!  Sam and Luke enjoyed it as well, but neither of them were as enthralled as Jack of course was.

My mom got all three boys together with her camera, as I didn't have my wide angle lens


And after that we headed to the Hot Air Balloon ride, which meant that we had to go up and over the train we were just on!  Jack was thrilled when the train ran right under us as we stood on the bridge!

And then, the Hot Air Balloons!  Sam and I stayed off this time, but the next time we went he and I joined in on the balloon riding run!

This ride was soooo funny!  First we let Jack go on it by himself, and we laughed so hard when we saw his face after the car swung him around the corner!  He wasn't expecting that, but he loved it!  After he went, then my mom took Luke on the ride, too.





Here is a video my mom got from the car in front of Jack


Next they went on the schoolbus ride (another ride that Sam and I didn't go on, but have gone on since then... Sam likes it!)


Then we went on the mine ride... which is a train, and Jack loved it.  This is the only photo I got in it, though.  It's a weird ride.  It's fun though!  Well, it's usually fun.  The girl that was driving the train that day was kind of wimpy and didn't go very fast so it was almost boring.  There is one part in there where we pause to look at stalagmites and stalactites and one formation in particular tiers down... Jack announced that it looked like a giant cupcake!  I wish I had a picture of that, because it was pretty funny (and accurate!), but you'll just have to be content with a picture of Jack sitting in the mining car making a fake but cute cheese face.


Then grandma and Jack and Luke went on the trucking ride!  Jack has a blast driving that one.  He always has the cab to himself and there are two steering wheels, so he turns the right one when the truck turns right and the left one when it turns left




Next the boys went on the "helicopter" ride



Sam fell asleep, and he let me lay him in the stroller for a good nap!  I couldn't believe how long he slept!


Jack and Luke had a lot of fun on the Huff and Puff ride.  This ride is really cute, even if it looks like a lot of work!  Luke sort of got the hang of it, though he had more fun smiling and waving at my mom and I as he went around the track!  Lucky he had Jack behind him to push him around!


And then the boys rode the airplanes!  Unlike last year, this time Jack figured out how to make the plane go up and down, and he and Luke went soaring!  Jack, of course, had to look back every now and again to ask "Are you having fun, Luke?" and afterwards he informed me that he gave Luke a fun ride!

Finally we were ready to leave.  On our way out, I looked for the cart that had the wheel that I took a picture of Jack next to when he was a baby with the intention of taking a pic of him by that wheel every time we were at the park.  If you remember from last year, I should have chosen a different landmark, as we can't find that original wheel anymore!  And not only that, we couldn't even find the wheel that we used as a substitute!  This wheel is similar, but it's much bigger than the other one.  I think I'm going to have to give up on my wheel pictures.  Oh well.

Since this first trip to Knott's, we've had many more adventures there!  Jack adores the park, Luke enjoys it a lot, and Sam has fun, too!  I won't do another massive Knott's post, probably, but I do have some videos to share later, and possibly some new photos every now and again!  We heart Knott's!!!