Use It or Lose It Vacation: Day 6 - Tyler State Park

Today, we decided to finish off our vacation week by going to Tyler State Park again. This time we invited CC, his wife, and Declan to join us. Unfortunately, the day didn't start off on the right foot, and it only went downhill from there. We were super late getting on the road, so it was already lunchtime by the time we got to the park. This wouldn't normally have been an issue, except that we were trying to get there in the morning to enjoy some activities while it was still a bit cooler. Instead, we set up to enjoy a nice lunch together at the pavilion near the gift shop.

And that's when we found out that CC and his wife had only brought food for Declan, nothing for themselves. I'm not sure what they were planning on eating, maybe they thought they could buy something. I guess it's a good thing that I overpacked our ice chest with food, so we had plenty to feed all of us. 

After a pleasant lunch, my wife decided that she wanted to take Troy swimming. And that's when we found out that neither CC nor his wife had apparently brought a bathing suit. I'm not really sure why you go to a lake with predominantly water activities and don't think to bring swim attire. And yes, I had fully prepared them on what there was to do at the park, so they were aware ahead of time. So, my now irritated wife took Troy swimming by herself. Which didn't last but a few minutes, because Troy suddenly had an aversion to swimming in the lake water.

So, I suggested that we go rent a pedal boat instead, so we could all do something together. And that's when CC had a conniption fit about the price of the rental, which was only $20 for an hour. Which irritated me, since we had paid for their park entrance fee and fed them lunch. A measly $20 seemed like a small price to pay for an entire day's worth of entertainment.

The boat ride itself went downhill quickly. At first, Declan was crying and screaming because he wanted to touch the water, not ride on a stupid boat. They finally managed to calm him down, only to have Troy suddenly throw an uncontrollable fit because I was trying to help him steer the boat, so we didn't crash into the boat dock. After the meltdown started, there was no stopping it. To be honest, I think it was a combination of the sweltering heat and the missed nap. And that's when my wife decided to stop helping me peddle the boat. So, I'm stuck in the middle of the lake with an out-of-control toddler, burning to a crisp in the relentless Texas sun, trying to peddle the boat by myself, and losing my patience more with every passing second. I finally had had enough and started yelling at everyone.

I got my wife to help me start peddling again, and we chugged back to the boat dock as quickly as we could. I jumped off the boat before it had even touched the dock. I reattached the chain, forcibly drug my son off, and was manhandling my wife off the boat before the boat attendant could even make it over to us. 

Except for a few moments, the whole day was basically a disaster of epic proportions. I don't think we'll ever invite CC and his wife along on a trip like this again. They had been begging us for over a year to let them tag along, but they were not great traveling companions. I know it wasn't all their fault, but their unpreparedness and behavior definitely didn't help the situation. Luckily, Troy finally calmed down in the car ride home and fell asleep. He napped for the entire ride, which he desperately needed. My wife and I are disappointed with how the week ended considering that we'd been having a good time together.