Ooooo, I’ve been wanting to see the Water Journey™ splash pad feature since Vortex premiered it a few years ago, but there just weren’t any installed close to us. Luckily, Elmridge Park was just renovated and is now home to a wonderfully large and interactive splash pad that includes the super-cool Water Journey™ Race. My two boys and I were enamoured with the flowing rivers and sent sticks racing down the two lanes. We also explored the other features which include a lovely trio of misters, hilarious bursts of water that “boop” up in a water dance, the large tipping bucket, the cute little “mountain” that’s great for toddlers who don’t want to get super wet, and the super fun pads to stomp on.
The nearby playground is blah. It could also use a major update.
Side note: The is currently something funky with the water pressure/sequencing. Though everything worked, it didn’t all work well with everything on. Hopefully, it’s fixed soon. Also (because I’m a nitpicky asshole), the Water Journey is ever so slightly unlevel, causing some of the water to flow over the edge to the main drain instead of going down the river.
- The splash pad is on from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Press the (three!) sensors to turn on the water sequence. The water will go off automatically.
- A wheelchair-accessible porta-potty is located near the playground.
- The play areas are on sand.
- There is no shade over the playground, but there is a large shade structure over a trio of picnic tables and one lone tree near the splash pad.
- There is no fencing.
