The San Diego Traveler

First it was Bullwinkle’s, then Family Fun Center, and now it’s Boomer’s.  By whatever name, Boomer’s is the place your kids will beg to visit, and cry about leaving.

There are three Boomer’s in San Diego county – El Cajon, San Diego and Vista, and several more throughout California, two in Florida, and one in New York. 

Today, I took my little one to a birthday party at Boomer’s, Vista - for the second time in three months.  Believe me, she’s not complaining.  If you don’t have kids, you’ve probably never been to Boomer’s.  The pizza and birthday cake are certainly not enough to get you there.  (Let’s just say the kids like them.)  The salad’s not bad, but the food is not the reason that anyone goes to Boomer’s.  They go there to play, and for that, Boomer’s can’t be beat.

Kidopolis

Children can play for hours, climbing, sliding and crawling through Kidopolis’ rooms of outdoor tubes and play structures.  They must be under 50″ to use this area, but I’ve seen older kids run right through the little ones, so keep an eye on yours, or send an older sibling in to watch out for your toddlers.

The Gameroom

Next, there’s a large two-story gameroom, filled with arcade games, video games, and air hockey tables.  To use any of these, you’ll need to buy tokens, and most of the games require one or two.  Some of the arcade games do little but take the tokens and give back tickets.  This does not seem to disturb anyone but me, least of all the children.

On weekend nights, you’re sure to find a crowd gathered to watch the DDR competitions.  DDR stands for Dance Dance Revolution, and the players spend hours perfecting their moves to the arrows on the screen, while trying to look like it all comes natural.  It’s fun to watch, especially when two dancers compete, and it’s a great workout for the players.

When the game playing’s done, prize tickets can be fed into ticket machines where they’re automatically counted and exchanged for receipts.  Your kids will probably beg to feed the tickets in themselves, as it’s more fun than many of the games.  These receipts can then be exchanged for goodies at the Prizes counter.  It may take 3000 tickets to buy a $10 toy, but again, this does not seem to bother anyone but me. 

For 80 tickets, my daughter picked a whoopie cushion, and for another 20, she got a lollipop.  She’s never been patient (or rich) enough to save up for the really big prizes - lava lamps and television sets.  I really wonder who does that, and how much they’ve had to spend to “win” those awards!

One tip: don’t convert your tickets to receipts until you’ve looked over the prizes.  They don’t give change at the Prizes counter, so if your receipt is for 53 tickets, and you only want to spend 40, the rest will be thrown away.   It’s better to just exchange the number of tickets you need, and save the rest for another visit.  (Oh yes, you’ll be back.)

Miniature Golf

Heading outside, the whole family can enjoy miniature golf together.  It’s the same game that you and your parents may have played when you were a child.  It’s nice to see that some things can be carried from generation to generation, largely unchanged since the 1930’s.  There aren’t a lot of inventive or creative holes on this course, but it’s charming in its simplicity.

Bumper Boats

The bumper boats are refreshing on a warm day like today.  Kids and adults chase each other around shooting water cannons, and getting very wet.  Spectators are also popular targets, so remember to duck when the boats get near.

Lazer Tag

From about the age of eight, kids (and especially boys) seem to like lazer tag the best, chasing and shooting friends and strangers through soft mazes.  I’m not sure when the boys outgrow this, but I’m sure it’s after thirty.

Batting Cages

The batting cages attract hitters from every age group.  You’ll see whole teams there working out before and after games, right alongside couples on a date.

Go Karts

For the older (or at least taller) crowd, the go karts remain a big hit.  Drivers must be at least 58″ tall, and passengers at least 40″.  These aren’t formula one racers, but they do get around the track fast enough to thrill a teenager.  There are announcements that hair longer than shoulder length must be tied back and drivers on drugs or alcohol will not be allowed to drive.  That’s a sobering thought.

Bargains 

Birthday parties and group packages are a good deal at Boomer’s.  When you take into account how much it costs to throw a party at home, and how many hours your guests will remain happily playing at Boomer’s, you’ll see that this really is a great bargain.  And of course, there’s no clean up afterward, and nothing in your house is broken.

Twelve Buck Tuesdays and Thursdays include unlimited miniature golf and Kidopolis, but most people really go there for the gameroom.  This doesn’t include the arcade games that give tickets, so you won’t be winning those big prizes in this deal, but for video game fanatics, $12 for several hours of play is excellent.  For $7 more, you can upgrade, adding Go Karts, Lazer Tag and Bumper Boats.  If you check the website, they are currently running free upgrade coupons there, making this the best deal of all.

(Note: These attractions are not identical to all other Boomer’s, but they are similar; check the website for the attractions at the Boomer’s nearest you.)

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