I took a few teens to “Glow Bowl” at Vacationland Bowling in Saco. Bowling is not something I have done much with my kids but, as they reminded me, they certainly have had some experience bowling – on a friend’s Wii and our XBox Kinect.
However, video gaming and real life bowling are not quite the same experience. That became clear within minutes of starting our first game at the alley. But after our night of glow bowling, the kids were certain real life bowling was a whole lot more fun.
I called ahead to find out about the glow bowl waiting list before we left the house. The bowling alley does not take reservations but they will add you to a waiting list if you’re less than an hour away from your arrival time.
On the Friday night we visited, the glow bowling section of the alley was nearly full and I was glad I had the forethought to have called ahead. There were a couple of families with younger children but most of the bowlers were teens and young adults.
My crew immediately liked the black lights that reflected the white portions of our shirts and socks. The music, an eclectic mix of dance music from the ‘70s to today, set the dance club atmosphere while we were getting our rented bowling shoes on. I have to say that there is just something about the Kool and the Gang dance song “Celebration” that bridges the generations and sets the tone for a good time. There were also plenty of contemporary hits to keep my group of iPod listening teens happy about the music selection.
Vacationland Bowling is a fully automated candlepin alley. There is a TV-like scoreboard that displays each bowler’s name and keeps score for each player.
The pins in the lane also automatically reset themselves. You don’t need to do anything but throw the ball (and hope for the best).
Bowling has come a ways since my own teen days of pressing the reset button and keeping score with a hardcopy bowling chart and pencil. I’m not sure my grandfather, who watched candlepin bowling every Saturday morning on television when I was a kid (why is still a mystery to me), would have been keen on the automation. I was happy to be able to skip explaining to the girls how to score a strike or spare. It took me several visits to the bowling alley when I was younger to get that all figured out.
One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about bowling is watching bowlers just after they release the ball down the alley. The unconscious head and/or body tilt to encourage the rolling ball to hit precisely the pins you want is always amusing. I don’t think the technique works but I’ve always felt it never hurts to add a hopeful tilt just in case.
There were a lot of goofy hoorays when spares were hit. I may have even done a little dance when I knocked out a strike. I’m not sure the kids watched my dance, however, because they were busy watching the scoreboard, which offered some silly fun. My 12-year-old friend was a fan of the scoreboard.
“I liked the little videos when you got a strike. It had a little tank that pops up and shoots a little cannon that says ‘strike.’”
There were several different cartoons and “explosions” on the scoreboard and the girls kept watching to see what would appear next.
All the girls gave our bowling night an enthusiastic thumbs up, and all agreed the music and lights really made the atmosphere extra fun.
On our way out my 13-year-old noticed the “regular” bowling alley with its traditional lighting.
“Who wants to do that kind of bowling now? The glow bowl was way more fun.”
The affirming nods from the kids, and adults, in our group ensured a plan for another Friday night visit.
KIDS REVIEW
14-year-old: “I liked all the laser lights things and I liked how it’s dark with all lights going on.”
14-year-old friend: “I liked, definitely, the loud music and lights. Oh and where they say the scores when you got a spare or a strike. It would come up with a little picture. That’s what I liked.”
13-year-old: “I liked the lights and the little pictures that came up on the TV screen. And I liked the bowling itself.”
12-year-old friend: “I liked the little videos when you got a strike. It had a little tank that pops up and shoots a little cannon that says strike.”
IF YOU GO
Vacationland Glow Bowling
Where: U.S. Route 1 (812 Portland Road), Saco
Hours: 4 to 11 p.m. Friday; 1 to 11 p.m. Saturday; 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday
Cost: It is $3.50 per game/per person with a $2 per pair shoe rental.
More info: 284-7386, www.vacationlandbowling.com
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, April 2011
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