BOBBY SAID:
THE biggest rush of the weekend was taking the Leap of Faith, a 60-foot, nearly vertical drop that plunged me into an acryllic tunnel in a shark-infested lagoon, and then shot me back out into a pool.
My heart had stopped ticking for a second, and then I turned around and went again. Iwent so many times, I lost count. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get my mother to try it.
I was spending the weekend at the Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas with my mom, who finally agreed to take me somewhere I’d always wanted to go. Atlantis has things to do all day and on into the night. I figured my stay there would be phenomenal. Was it ever.
For starters, the Leap of Faith was just one of many water slides. I also loved the Challenger, two tubes that run side by side so you can ride along with someone else.
Then there were the aquariums – the Ruins Lagoon, the Predator Lagoon and the Sea Grapes Lagoon. Each were creepy and cool at the same time.
One exhibit actually allowed me to touch some sea animals, including conch and starfish – the conch is one ugly creature.
There are four beaches on the resort. We hung out on the Atlantic Ocean side, where the water was so clear I could see the ocean floor, even in parts where I couldn’t reach the bottom.
This place also had seven pools. The best had a fake Mayan Temple built at one end. It was great to just relax and check out the scene. I’d get there super early each morning, and I didn’t need an alarm clock, or my mom yelling at me, to get up.
Every night after dinner, I’d head to Club Rush, a place just for teens. It had Internet access, video games, movies and dancing, and there were lots of kids my age hanging out. Unfortunately, the only thing it didn’t have was gambling.
MOM SAID:
The only thing great about Atlantis was that Bobby never grumbled those dreaded three words he’s so fond of: “I am bored.”
Instead, my difficult-to-please adolescent spent most of the time begging for us to live there.
From the moment we arrived to the minute we left, he was busy – in the aquariums, on the slides, in the pools and, yes, hanging out with chicks his age. I only saw him when it was time to eat, shortly before he headed out to the teen nightclub, Rush.
The resort delivered all its promises to Bobby. It didn’t deliver all of them to me.
It’s a fine resort, a brilliant combination of shopping mall and amusement park. In short, it’s a spectacle and an experience – but an experience I didn’t really need.
As a stressed out, working New York mother, I wanted to unwind, not wind up. Atlantis offers so much to do, I felt guilty just wanting to do nothing (how I got away with not going down the Leap of Faith I’ll never know).
Before going, I did book myself a package called the Journey of Joy. For $249 you get an exfoliating scrub, body massage, facial, manicure and pedicure. After that kind of pampering, I figured I’d be ready for anything.
The Mandara Spa, located in one of the new towers, was busy. (I guess all the stressed-out moms had the same idea.) Decorated with Eastern accents, it’s quaint, and the staff is courteous and friendly, Bahamian-style.
However, I soon found myself in sheer agony, as the technician took to me with a hard bristle brush.
Gratefully, the deep-tissue massage that followed felt like heaven, and the pedicure and manicure were top of the line. But everything fell apart when I walked to the beach, where sand, water and sun quickly mangled the stunning polish job.
Clearly, it wasn’t working out between me and Atlantis. And then I reminded myself that I didn’t have a bored teen on my hands. Suddenly, I felt better.
The lowdown
From $265 midweek per night, $285 weekends; for more info, visit atlantis.com.
