Many families are looking for one last hurrah, and the thrills and screams of amusement parks can be a fun option.
Several are close enough for a one-tank getaway. All this week on Eyewitness News Sunrise, we're checking out different parks around the area.
Kentucky Kingdom is just on the other side of the Indiana-Kentucky state line, two hours down I-65.
The park features more than 60 rides, including five roller coasters.
“I like the roller coasters,” said Renae Andrew from Brownsburg.
She’s getting that rush one last time this summer. She'll start sixth grade in two weeks.
Her family tries to fit in a trip like this every summer, and they picked Kentucky Kingdom this year.
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“The out-of-state special,” said Betty Hardwick, Renae's grandmother.
The aggressive ad campaign saves Hoosiers $20 and offers a second day for free. The amusement park reopened in 2014 after a four-year closure.
“It was a lot of work and a lot of energy that we took on as a labor of love,” said spokesperson Lesly Birkner.
That includes adding more rides and doubling the water park, a popular area to cool down from the summer sizzle.
A few times in the afternoon, powerful Big Kahuna waves roll through the large pool in Hurricane Bay, which draws a large crowd.
For roller coasters, T3 is popular, with its car-less design that lets your feet loose to dangle through every twist and turn.
Seconds can feel like an eternity as you're slowly pulled to the top and experience that sheer panic of almost-stillness before your high speed adventure begins.
Storm Chaser is a brand new roller coaster at Kentucky Kingdom and is up for awards.
“I thought that I was going to die,” Renae said.
She’s just fine, perhaps only rattled about returning to school in two weeks, making her recent trip to Kentucky Kingdom with her mom, grandmother, and older sister a perfect memory-filled getaway.
“I was screaming because I felt my bottom come up out of the seat a little bit,” Hardwick said.
That's the biggest feeling you get when you ride Storm Chaser. Seconds after take off, the first big turn gives you a distinct rush – and fear – that everyone seems to notice.
“Going down the hills were pretty thrilling," said Amy Andrew, Renae's mom. "It felt like you were coming out of your seat."
Looks are deceiving. Thunder Run may look small, perhaps even tame, but once you're on board, you realize its punch.
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“It has a lot of great features to it including inversions and a barrel roll drop, which is a 100-foot barrel roll drop," Birkner said. "It is the only one of its kind in the country."
It's one of several rides the Brownsburg family is taking into consideration as they plan next summer's amusement park trip.
“Animal kingdom, Disney, Kings Island, and this one,” Amy said about where they have been in the past. When asked how Kentucky Kingdom compares, she said, “I like that the lines aren't long. It makes it a lot nicer and a hot day!”
“I wouldn't mind coming back here," Hardwick said. "I like it a lot."
Normal admission for Kentucky Kingdom is $49.95 for adults, but a special promotion for Indiana residents, excluding southern Indiana, offers a $29.95 ticket that’s good for two consecutive days. That promotion ends Aug. 8.
Both parks have unlimited soft drinks and free sunscreen.
