Summer Vacations: A to Z

G is for G arfield

Lake Compounce-- in Bristol, CT, 18 miles from Hartford-- is America's oldest amusement park, in operation since 1846; but that doesn't mean that it's behind the times: on its 325 acres Lake Compounce has thrill rides, coasters, waterpark, flume ride, drop towers-- see Highlights, below.

The inimitable cartoon character Garfield has a kids' zone, Garfield's Circus, with rides scaled down for younger kids. Garfield also has a 40-foot "family drop tower", which one assumes means a kinder, gentler drop tower. Garfield's Circus also has live shows, and Garfield and Odie make regular personal appearances.

(For those who don't know: Garfield, the lasagna-loving lazy orange cat, is the star of a widely syndicated comic strip and numerous cartoon-books; Odie is the dog who shares Garfield's abode.)

Highlights at Lake Compounce include:

• Thunder'n'Lighting: 60 mph ride
• DownTime, a 185-foot drop tower
• Boulder Dash, a roller coaster built on a mountainside, has been voted the world's best wooden roller coaster by the National Amusement Park Historical Association
• Zoomerang steel roller coaster
• Sky Ride scenic trip to the top of Compounce Mountain
• Anchor Bay 800-ft. lazy river
• Mammoth Falls flume ride
• Splash Harbor water park
• Clipper Cove Splash'n'Play adventure zone, with squirters, water cannons, etc.
• old-fashioned amusements such as an antique carousel, giant ferris wheel, the Wildcat wooden roller coaster
• several stage shows in addition to the Garfield musical
• an interactive fairy-tale show where children from the audience get to play characters
• free Pepsi soda products throughout the park

Lake Compounce is open during summer, and also for Haunted Graveyard, billed as New England's "largest and scariest Halloween event", starting as early as late September. Check the Lake Coumpounce site for updates. Also, read more about Lake Compounce at About's Hartford site.

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*photos courtesy of Lake Compounce, (c) John Atashian

This brief profile is meant to introduce this resort to family vacationers; please note that the writer has not visited in person. Always check web site for updates.