When the mercury rises to the mid-90s, there are two ways to cool off — stay inside and crank up the air-conditioner, or dive into some cool water.If you can’t make it to the coastal beaches, finding a safe local watering hole doesn’t require gallons of gasoline or overnight lodging. Two water parks and several pools and lakes can be found within 30 minutes of Lumberton.
Last Tuesday, a group of teenagers and adults from Robeson County found relief from the heat at the largest water attraction in the area, Fantasy Lake Water Park in Hope Mills. The 16-acre park features a 6-acre man-made lake and numerous water and recreational activities.
“It’s like being in a jungle,” Cannon said. “It’s really fun and my favorite thing to do there. I’ve been six or seven times. You swing out real far and can swing back to the platform to pick up another person on the rope before you hit the water.”
Pembroke’s Thomas McCoy found adventure and relief from the 20-foot-high Jump Tower.
“It’s scary but awesome,” McCoy said. “It feels really high standing on the top. It was the best thing at the park. As soon as you hit the water you swim to the side and do it again.”
The lake has been open for more than 50 years, but has been transformed into a water park during the past five years. Marjorie and James Turner bought it in 2005 and have made several upgrades.
She said “the longest and quickest three seconds” of your life can be experienced during a ride inside the Master Blaster. Water circulates through the tube as riders twist from a 30-foot-high platform into the water.
“People always ask us how it goes so quickly and I think it’s because we wax it once or twice a year,” Marjorie Tuner said. “That gives you a good quick slide.”
Speed, change of direction and water power provide the action on the park’s many slides that dunk its riders into the lake.
A separate fenced-in section for younger children features similar but smaller scale slides and rides, wadding activities and other attractions.
The park, which has space to play volleyball and basketball and picnic areas with charcoal grills, added 25 paddle boats this year. The park is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $10 for children ages 3 to 10 and $14 for anyone age 11 and older. Coolers are allowed in the park, but alcohol is not.
“It’s family-friendly,” Turner said. “We have 23 groups booked this weekend, and because of our no-alcohol policy we get a lot of church groups. There’s something for everybody, ages 3 to the elderly, who can relax in the porch swing, in the water, or paddle a boat. And I think we cover the safety factor since we always have between 25 and 45 lifeguards on duty at all times.”
Kickin’ back cool
If you have children ages 13 and younger, a trip to White Lake Water Park will provide action and cooling relaxation.
The park, located on six acres of land just beyond the split of N.C. 41 and N.C. 53, has a 600-foot lazy river, a wading pool that features water fountains, buckets, logs, mushroom umbrellas and flower teapots,, a pirate’s ship and more.
“It’s very easy to keep an eye on your children here,” said Wallace resident Ashley Creech, whose group included children ages 13, 9, 6 and 2. “It’s cheaper, closer and not as crowded as a place like Jungle Rapids in Wilmington.”
Lawn chairs, tables and Tiki-looking umbrellas provide shade for sedentary parents and exhausted children. Flower, shrubbery and bold colors accent the property.
“It’s a great place that we just love,” said Tiffany Stewart, whose children are ages 7 and 14. “The water and activity is great for early teens.”
Stewart’s 14-year-old son Brent was impressed by all the scenery.
“It’s fantastic fun and a great place to see lots of girls,” he said.
An arcade room is another popular attraction. Motorized bumper boats allow riders to navigate through a series of teapots.
“The bumper boats are always busy,” said Cody Darlington, who has worked at the park for three seasons.
The facility has a winding 700-foot track on which NASCAR and Indy-style go-carts can be driven.
The Turbo Twister water slide sends riders on a 200-foot downward spiral. Three sets of stairs lead to the Turbo’s launching pad, which is 50 feet high. Riders have two tube options.
“Side B is a smoother ride, Side A is faster and most people like it better,” said Donna Clark, whose job is to watch as riders emerge from the tube into a small pool. “I’ve seen little kids go down it 30 times. Some say they won’t do it. But then I see them get up their nerve and go. So they continue to go back.”
White Lake Water Park gets a lot of out-of-state visitors.
“It’s fast and has a couple of drops where it feels like you fall 20 feet,” said Ray Sutton of Calgala, Ga., who brought his family to the park. “Even as hard as you try it’s difficult to be prepared for drops.”
Dan Ford, a 10-year-old student at Tanglewood Elementary, gave the Turbo Twister a five-star rating.
“It’s the best, a ride you don’t forget,” Ford said before climbing the steps for his 10th ride of the day. “I do this for about an hour and then have to rest. It’s such a rush, like you’re on a Japanese game show.”
White Lake Water Park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is operated by Huck Pools of Myrtle Beach, S.C.
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