Island Waterpark ‘a tropical paradise’ in Atlantic City
It’s the sweltering summertime in the Sunshine State and many resident Floridians are turning their vacations northward in search of cooler temperatures.
But throughout Florida, there are
This $100 million game changer for Atlantic City was ready for a closeup.
But first, developer Bart Blatstein had to cut a ribbon made of two long hair braids tied together from the heads of two live mermaid characters, then let a crowd of locals, politicians, and other VIPs into his Island park for a splashy party and preview look around.
Day passes for the 120,000-square-foot attraction attached to the Showboat Hotel are priced at $89. The attraction is now open.
It’s a brightly colored, tropical and surfer themed, whimsically designed crystal palace located just off the Boardwalk at New Jersey Avenue, and it made a handsome first impression. In addition to the showy water slides that protrude from both ends of the glass building in a maze of tubes (the Barracuda Blaster, Electric Eel and Sonic Serpent rides), the water park boasts a FlowRider wave pool that approximates some (apparently challenging) combination of surfing and snowboarding, a Lazy River-type ride, a giant bucket of a waterfall, a Kids Cove, a Tiki Hut Tree House Bar and a Paradise Adult Island pristine beaches to behold, shimmering springs to swim and quirky attractions to explore. Some destinations have history abound, while others have modern local eats and amenities for a comfortable stay.
Here are ideas for summer getaways.
RAINBOW SPRINGS/DUNNELLON
Nothing helps beat the summer heat quite like taking a dip in crystal-clear 72-degree waters. Visit Rainbow Springs State Park to take a plunge into sapphire-blue springs, which together pump out
area with cabanas for rent.
There are four restaurants and three bars and a Boardwalk-themed area.
“It’s beautiful,” said Tameka Kelly, of Florence. “Everything is lovely.”
Kelly was at the preview party watching her niece perform with a dance group. She said she comes to Atlantic City once or twice a month but never with family.
“Yes, I will be back and bring the whole family,” she said. “It’s so wellworth it. This is a whole family experience.”
In typical Blatstein style, the party featured an abundance of food and drink; mermaids; bodypainted, scantily clad blue Avatar-like water people milling around; flapper-type ladies in bubbles; dance troupes, and a bunch of local surfer dudes on hand more than 400 million gallons of water per day. Tubing, snorkeling and paddling are popular activities in the park, which features man-made waterfalls left over from Rainbow Springs’ private attraction days. Be sure to arrive early during the summer to demonstrate the wave pool.
The Island Waterpark holds the promise of a family entertainment and adult destination in one, said Brandon Dixon, head of Blatstein’s Tower Investments, Blatstein’s development company. He