Amusement Park

Having foster kids has many rewards, most of them are not monetary, but today Canobie Lake Park offered free tickets to all foster and adopted children.  Those accompanying them would be charged only $10.  A very good deal and very nice of the park to offer.

Now the question is should I go barefoot.  I decided to enter the park with by Xeroshoes.  The park was paved and I was concerned about it getting too hot, but after a while my shoes started to bother me and I started walking around barefoot.  It did not seem to be an issue.

When we stood in line to purchase some refreshments the pavement did start to get hot, so I put my shoes on for a little while, but took them off once we got moving again.  We eventually arrived at a ride called the Boston Tea Party and it was a log ride where you got wet.  A sign stated shoes were required for the ride.  Considering that you can get really soaked on this ride, I thought it a very silly rule.  Since it was the rule, I took my sandals out to wear for the ride and after a short waiting line we were finally ready to board our own log and I was asked to put my shoes on.  

Leaving the area of wet rides we came to another sign that said shoes and shirts required beyond this point.  So the shoes went back on until we came to the next wet ride. To be fair some rides required shoes and shirts and they required a child in front of us to put his shirt on to ride, so at least they are consistent in enforcing the rules.

Overall I found the park barefoot friendly, except for being required to wear shoes while on most of the amusements.  They actually let you wander most of the park barefoot.  There are a few rides they allow you to go barefoot, and a couple rides even have spots to place  your shoes while you are on the ride.  Not all of those rides were water related either.

Having to put your shoes on for a water ride where you are sitting inside a log boat, with feet safely inside, has to be one of the silliest rules I have seen in a long time.  Considering the the shoe rule was enforced, consistently, politely, and only required on some rides,  I would say it had to be more insurance or some other engineering requirement than it is a simple dislike of barefeet.  I even ate at one of the sit down food places barefoot and didn't have any problems.