I have two children, 4 and 7. My 7-year-old son Alex tells people how tall he is by listing the rides he can ride at Busch Gardens. Alex is always reaching for the next milestone. I remember the first day he measured 42 inches at the front gate. He didn’t understand why he got a different color band that day. The next day my husband drove him up to the park where he rode Big Bad Wolf for the first time.

Many of us associate memories with smells. A favorite aroma reminds of us of a loved one and the smell of cookies baking may remind us of home.

What is planted in your garden that will enhance your winter decor? Many of the elements that are present all year can have a true opportunity to shine at the end of the growing season.

Before I came to the park, I was lucky enough to train and care for a colony of African Black-footed penguins at another zoo. It was there that I caught the penguin bug and have loved them ever since.

Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration is one of my favorite times at our park because not only does it mean peppermint fudge hot chocolate, but it means the penguins come to visit. I am really excited for our visitors to see the penguin exhibit this year because we will be featuring two different species.

During this time of year Water Country USA is closed and buttoned up for the season. The Water Country USA team gets the opportunity to come support our sister park, Busch Gardens. The past two months we have helped operate the “13 Your Numbers Up” and “Bitten” haunted houses for Howl-O-Scream. I spent 17 years working at Busch Gardens, so I especially enjoy seeing old friends and working back in my home park.

We offer numerous promotions and ticket offers throughout the year, but perhaps no deal has stirred as much excitement – and spawned as much misinformation – as our recent $5 Christmas Town ticket sale. Here’s the inside scoop on what we did: