Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion, an hour and a half drive from Washington, D.C., offers more roller coasters than any of the other amusement parks in the area, and a full water park for the hot days of summer to boot. Two of the park’s 14 coasters, the Flight of Fear and Volcano, launch you to full speed right out of the gate, without a lift hill — Flight of Fear does it indoors, and Volcano does it with riders dangling beneath the track. The Anaconda plunges you straight through the surface of a lake and into an underwater tunnel, while the Avalanche rolls you down an open pipe, free of any rails. You’ll also find three wooden coasters, a floorless coaster, a standing coaster, and dozens of other rides.

And don’t forget your bathing suit, because the water park offers its own set of thrills. Play in two separate wave pools totaling over a million gallons. Zip down one of ten different waterslides ranging from the straightforward and tame-ish to the Night Slider, a 77-foot-high twisting drop inside a dark purple tube. Or take the little kids to Surf City Splash House, a multilevel playhouse with a swinging bridge, several small waterslides, and a giant bucket that dumps hundreds of gallons of water on everyone below every few minutes.

Travel Tips

Buy your tickets online in advance (at www.kingsdominion.com) and save at least $10 off the regular adult price, possibly a good deal more.