15. King Richard's Faire

We still at it! There were three carousels that could only be ridden at fall events, so we had a short break, but we're in the thick of it again. We recently visited King Richard's Faire which had a "Flying Carrousel" from medieval times. 

While we might not typically be found at a Renaissance fair, we really enjoyed ourselves. Rory wore a princess dress (Cinderella) for the occasion, and we turned Will's ninja costume from last year into an executioner's outfit. Both were well received by the more appropriately dressed patrons.

This carousel was a highlight for us because it brought us back to the origin of the ride. Images from as early as 500 AD depict riders hanging from hammocks around a central pole. Later, as jousting became popular, carousels started looking like practice jousting circuits, with riders attempting to spear a brass ring as they rode in a circle.

The ride here at the fair was a man-powered swinging hammock carousel. We loved it - well, those of us that rode it loved it. Rory decided it was too fast. Since she was just barely tall enough to ride, we all agreed it was better not to push her to get on. Ryan and I took turns riding with Will and later we took Rory on a giant gliding goose to make up for the lost carousel ride. A very tentative smile:

Riding the goose:

Before we left, Will chose to ride a jousting ride which looked suspiciously like a carousel horse! It was pretty cool, the horse was suspended on a zip line and as it was released the rider had to try and get their sword through the ring. Luckily, Will succeeded on his first try - saving us both from frustration and the poor house: