 Editor's
View
Pirate
Adventures Offer Unique Excitement
Hyannis
A fantastic adventure awaits your children on
the Sea Gypsy, a "pirate" boat which docks and
disembarks from Ocean Street Docks in Hyannis. It
is a fast-paced, hilarious, and sometimes scary harbor
excursion, where children become pirates for an hour;
real treasure, water canons, oaths of loyalty and
playing dead (because "It's illegal to be a pirate
in Massachusetts and you don't wanna go to jail in
Hyannis -- the food is TERRIBLE!") are all part of
the exciting adventure.
Adults in our group were at least equally, if
not more, entertained by the straight-faced pirate crew,
who really know how to put on a show and thrill the
little ones! Only two of our elementary school
children were frightened, but a comforting whisper that
it was just pretend relieved their fears and EVERY child
left thoroughly entertained and with a pocket full of
"treasure." One child was brave enough
to test the potentially poisoned orange soda, while the
others stepped back in case she exploded! FUN and
highly recommended!
From June through Labor day only. Reservations
required. Call (508) 430-0202.
RYAN
FAMILY AMUSEMENTS -- Not always so amusing
Yarmouth
Aside
from its central location, there are very few thrills to
be had at Ryan Family Amusements, located on Route 28 in
South Yarmouth. The dark little bowling alley with tired
decor offers nothing a kid couldn't get anywhere else.
As a matter of fact, kids visiting from other areas
might just laugh.
Ryan
Family amusements offers ten-pin bowling, candlepin
bowling and a cramped little game room with accompanying
prize booth. Call ahead for bowling or you may not get a
lane. Crowds and tournaments might put a damper on your
plans. The game room is fun for smaller children, but
older children will most likely be bored with the
selection and beg to go home where they can play with
their Sony Playstation or Nintendo games. The games spit
out tickets which can be exchanged for prizes at the
booth. That's where the real "amusement" came
in for our group of about 20 children this summer.
A
child in the group is being treated for diagnosed
behavior problems, including mood swings and impulsivity.
When he traded in some of his tickets for a toy gun
which shoots little plastic balls, his mother quickly
traded it back. Unfortunately, this mother had to
deal with a stressed booth attendant who had just
expressed dismay to a day care teacher about parents who
don't let their children play with toy guns. She
informed the concerned mother that she was busy.
An argument ensued and the mother was threatened by
another booth attendant -- "One more word and she's
out of here!" Not exactly a family-oriented
exhange.
Our
humble opinion: don't spend your money there. Their
staff would much prefer NOT to deal with your family.
Real family places offer REAL fun, or if not, at least
some REAL family attitudes. You won't find that here.
Our recommendations for alternatives include, Seaview
Playland in Dennisport (508-398-9084), Pirate's Cove
Adventure Golf and Games in South Yarmouth
(508-394-6200), Adventure Aisle in Bourne
(800-53-KARTS), Funtastic on Main Street in Hyannis,
T-Time Family Sports Center in Eastham (508-255-5697),
Grand Slam Entertainment in Harwichport (508-430-1155)
and Bass River Sports World in South Yarmouth
(508-398-6070.)
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