There's something magical about splashing water on a hot summer day in New England.  Maybe it's because we don't have a long summer season, or it's a sign that school is over for a few months, or perhaps it's just the joy of sunshine that lightens our load in the warm summer season.

No matter the reason, New Hampshire's favorite water park is hands down Water Country in Portsmouth, NH.  Water Country is a right of passage as a child, middle schooler, or older.  Families enjoy many of the hazy days of summer lounging in the lazy river, draped over a floating tube without a care in the world.

The Bucket Overflows When You Least Expect It

When my children were in elementary school, we had a summer camp outing at Water Country.  I quickly volunteered for that field trip because hey, we are all kids at heart.  Cooling off in water that's been baked by the sun all day still seems refreshing, but the best was the bucket.  The bucket is part of a myriad of mazes doused with water hoses and spray spigots sure to get you wet and silly.  The trick is timing it right, so the humungous bucket starts to pour out from the top of the spray structure just as you run under it.  It's like a waterfall with all the water dropping at once.

The Wave Pool Gets Jiggy

There's an enormous pool that simulates a beach.  The water gets deeper the further in you go.  You'll want to be on a tube to get the full effect, but slowly the waves start small and get bigger as they're pumped out like the ocean.  It's so cool when you are on a big tube and the waves are coming at you like you're at Hampton Beach at high tide.  Of course, like the beach, there are lifeguards everywhere.

New England's largest water park opens on May 28, and this is a sure sign that summer is right around the bend.

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