Just before the end of the year, I went to SeaWorld because I had a complimentary ticket that would expire come January first. I got the ticket at IZEAFest, a bloggers conference that was held at SeaWorld. Let’s face it, going to a theme park during the holiday rush isn’t really my idea of a good time, but I could not miss the sketching opportunity. When I got close to the park, traffic backed up for maybe a mile leading into the parking lot. I got sick of waiting and decided to turn off and go down a side street. I found an office complex and parked in its garage. I then hiked the mile or so to the park entrance.
The crowds just kept coming, and I decided to sketch the entrance just in case the park filled up like the Holy Land Experience did several months ago. I was surprised when a Amish Mennonite family walked by. The blue roller coaster in the sketch is new and called the Manta. The turnstile line I decided to stand in ended up breaking down, so I had to force my way into the next line over. My sketch bag was searched and I sighed relief when my ticket actually worked.
I always like seeing the flamingos when I enter the park, but they had been moved to make room for the Manta roller coaster. The flamingos no longer had a nice scenic lagoon to stand in, but were now in a tiny fenced in enclosure. The park was insanely crowded. I stood in a line for a bathroom break once I finished this sketch and then I went to see some dolphins.
