MODESTO  – Boomers! may not rhyme with fun. But this recreation attraction in the 209 is a boomtown of fun for families, excitement seekers, and those who just want to get away from the boredom of daily doldrums.

Feel the adrenaline rise at the Flame Thrower which is one of the newest attractions. Take your family and friends and indulge in a leisurely challenge at the Miniature Golf. Hone your reflexes and rev up the excitement in one of the five-acre park’s Go Karts. The Bumper Boats in the water will give you the feeling of being in a Demolition Derby with a watery twist – as though you’re doing it on the high seas.

All these fun and games and bundles of excitement should not be the monopoly of just a few people, so Boomers made the move to have such offerings as Lil’ Thunder Road and a Kid’s Playland for the little ones, said Boomers! Modesto general manager Misty Romero.

“Go Karts are a huge draw. Our Miniature Golf brings the families. Our Flame Thrower, a two-person throw, is one of the great things about our park. It’s a huge hit,” said Romero of some of the recreation area’s biggest crowd-pleasers.

The Flame Thrower is described as an “over-the-top, upside down, tandem experience” which is not just a great ride but “a thrill lover’s scream come true.”

To make the field trip fun for the entire family, Boomers! provides not just  Go Karts for the adults but “a Lil Thunder Go Kart track for kids that can’t drive the big ones,” Romero said.

For thrill seekers who are not altitude- or height-challenged, Boomers! also offers a 32-foot rock-climbing wall with four difficulty levels. For added thrill, those with a desire to unleash their inner warriors and a desire to fight for supremacy can test their reflex and targeting acumens in the Laser Tags games, also available at Boomers! which, until 10 years ago, was known as Camelot Park.

The name change for the fantasy-land attraction that’s easily visible to motorists along the Highway 99 corridor in Salida, as one approaches Modesto going southbound, “in part, had to do with rebranding. We had multiple locations throughout California and Florida, New York, Georgia and Texas,” explained Romero.

A contest was held to select a new name that would replace Camelot Park, “and Boomers! was the one that won out,” Romero said.

One of the best things about Boomers! is that “there is no entrance fee, and parking is free. It’s pay as you play,” added Romero.

“But we do have unlimited-use packages,” she said. For example, you can purchase a four-hour mini-pass for just $25.99 that allows you to enjoy the miniature golf, the rock-climbing wall, the Bumper Boars in the water, Laser tags, Flame Thrower, Go Karts for the Lil Thunder and Big Thunder, and the 32-foot climbing wall, among other things.

In addition to the daily entrances, Boomers! is open for “overnight events, grad-night events, team-building events, plus junior high school and elementary school events. We have all kinds of different offers, including company picnics,” explained Romero.

Boomers! also has weekday specials, but people need to call about them or check their web site at boomersparks.com. The fantasy-land facility is also open for fund-raising efforts.

Should you get hungry while enjoying the high-octane activities and thrills at the park, Boomers! has a snack bar where you can have pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks. “We have specialty items like cotton candy and Dippin’ Dots (ice cream),” Romero said.

The park does not allow outside food or drinks. However, for birthday celebrations held at Boomers!, they allow birthday cakes to be brought in for the celebration.

Boomers! is open Monday to Thursday from noon to 8 p.m.; Fridays from noon to 11 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Summer hours are usually expanded.

Boomers! Modesto is located at 4215 Bangs Avenue in Modesto. For more information, call (209) 545-5248.

To get to Boomers! Modesto, northbound on Highway 99: take Pelandale exit and go east, turn left on Sisk Road, turn right on Bangs Ave., and Boomers! will be on your left hand side. Going south on Highway 99, take the Salida exit, turn left on the overpass, make a right on Sisk Road, and you will see Boomers! on the corner of Sisk Road and Bangs Avenue.



— ROSE ALBANO RISSO
209 staff reporter