From the moment the sun came up over Lake Erie, through lining up for early entry at 8:30, all the way until 10:10 PM when the last ride stopped and our grandchildren reluctantly left the park and hiked down the boardwalk back to the hotel, exhausted and happy, Rebekah and I were on constant full-speed-ahead go.

It took me just the one rollercoaster ride to confirm what I already knew, that motion sickness doesn’t just disappear from wanting it to. So I spent the balance of the day walking around the park with Rebekah, David and Beks, taking photographs and crisscrossing Cedar Point from one ride to another. We covered a lot of ground.

David got to just about every rollercoaster he wanted to, and Beks even tried a few she had been nervous about (the Fast-pass-plus was a big help). Rebekah is amazingly brave and joined the children on a lot of rides.

This really is a cool park; especially so during that first hour when it was almost empty, before the gates were opened to general admission.

And the day was a complete success; everything David has been dreaming about and planning for over more than two years. “Steel Vengeance” is now his favorite roller coaster, he says. Beks has a long list, including “Gatekeeper” and the huge, sprawling “Gemini.”

My favorite for the day – and Rebekah’s too – is the double feature of outrageously happy grandchildren.

And that, my friends, is worth the stiff back, the sunburn, the weary legs (24,000 steps), the bad pizza and the avalanche of charges on my American Express card.

Outrageously Happy Grandchildren! We are so very blessed – DEREK