My husband and I recently accompanied our daughter and her family on an excursion to Legoland. It was déjà vu of sorts. Legoland California opened in Carlsbad, thirty-five miles north of downtown San Diego, when our youngest child was in preschool. It was the first Legoland theme park to open outside of Europe. We purchased annual passes and regularly visited the entertainment park while his older siblings were in school. A big fan of dueling knights, fire-breathing dragons, and hidden treasure chests, he usually made a beeline for Castle Hill. His favorite ride was the dragon roller coaster which, incidentally, is still operational twenty-five years later.
I hadn’t gone to Legoland in years. It was interesting to see how the park had expanded over time. The theme park currently boasts more than sixty rides, shows, and attractions. In addition, a sister site features a Water Park with more than seven slides, a wave pool, sandy beaches, and ten acres of water activities. Another adjoining site houses the Sea Life Aquarium, home to over five thousand sea creatures – sharks, rays, jellyfish, octopi, seahorses, and more. The resort also contains two hotels with themed rooms depicting knights, dragons, princesses, pirates, etc. Legoland is a veritable paradise for young children, where their imaginations and tiny feet can run wild.
When the park opened, I never imagined I’d be back decades later with the next generation of visitors. As I watched my grandkids drive the race cars and ride the roller coasters, it brought back fond memories of the days of yore. We built and raced Lego cars, shot the bad guys on the rides, and strolled through Miniland USA with its’ iconic landmarks and structures built out of Lego bricks. My grandkids’ eyes blazed with excitement and happiness oozed from their pores. Watching their antics and “joie de vivre” was more entertaining than the rides. We felt fortunate to share the moment.
