I spent the first part of this week scraping ice off of my windshield.  Winter is officially here and that’s a perfect excuse to look into something that will take the mind off of snow and sub-zero temperatures.  And that brings us to Raging Waters, a collection of three California water park attraction.

If you’re in or around the Los Angeles area, Raging Waters is one of two claims to fame for San Dimas, CA.  It ranks right up there with being the home of the iconic Bill and Ted of “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” fame.  Unlike the 80s comedy, however, Raging Waters is still attracting crowds every year.

Those in the bay area can hit the Santa Clara/San Jose location and those with business in the Capitol will be glad to know that Raging Waters is open for business in Sacramento, too.

The folks who run Raging Waters know a thing or two about creating a fun summer destination.  Palace Entertainment has placed three attractions on lists of the nation’s top ten water parks.  Both The Travel Channel and “Good Morning America” have honored Palace properties.

Not surprisingly, Raging Waters gets great customer reviews.  The bay area park averages a 4-star ranking at InsiderPages.com and this comment from “Jenni E” is representative of the opinions of those who’ve visited the park:

“Raging Waters is huge! All of the slides are great and many are so tall it’s scary! We always have a great time here. It’s good for all ages because there are thrilling slides for the big kids/adults as well as calmer slides or the river for litte kids. The only thing I don’t like here is that I worry about leaving my stuff out when we all go on the slides at the same time. Also, it’s not cheap but if you go all day it’s worth it.”

Obviously, you can have a great time at Raging Waters.  The only concern is probably found in the last sentence.  ”[I]t’s not cheap…”

Well, we all know that most vacation destinations, theme parks and tourist destinations fall into the “not cheap” category.  The real issues are whether the fun justifies the price tag.  With respect to Raging Waters, that certainly seems to be the case.

Those who might be on the fence about spending their money to cool off at RW on a hot summer California afternoon might want to consider one additional factor:  Raging water coupons.

Like most theme parks, Raging Waters issues coupons that can drastically cut the cost of admission.  When you can trim your cash outlay significantly it’s that much easier to justify (and to enjoy) a day in the water.  Anyone planning to hit the water park should probably try to get their hands on Raging Water coupons before they worry about renting a tube.

It’s off-season for Raging Waters right now.  Apparently even Californians aren’t crazy enough to play on the water slides in December.  As such, I wasn’t able to dig up any current online coupons.  However, I did find one site with some great advice.

LoveToKnow offers some helpful hints about Raging Waters coupons.  They write:

“Tickets for the Raging Waters parks range from $25 to $35 per guest depending on the park. Coupons can make visiting these parks more affordable for any budget, but coupons can be challenging to come by. Sources for coupons may include:

• Local grocery stores or chain restaurants
• Local credit unions
• Local employers who offer discounted tickets to their employees
• The Anaheim Funbook and other local attraction guides
• Coupons on the official website…
• Coupons printed on park brochures

Coupon offers are usually available only for a limited time and may have a variety of restrictions. Be sure to read all offers carefully before using, and check for restrictions such as expiration date, limits on the number of discounts, blackout dates, which parks the offer is valid for, and other qualifications.”

The article also offers some information on other Raging Waters discounts and ways to trim costs while cooling off.

Strangely, the character of Rufus had this to say about San Dimas in “Bill and Ted”:

Hi. Welcome to the future. San Dimas, California, 2688. And I’m telling you, it’s great here. The air is clean. The water’s clean. Even the dirt… is clean. Bowling averages are way up. Mini-golf scores are way down. And we have more excellent waterslides than any other planet we communicate with.

Looks like Raging Waters is getting the job done well ahead of schedule.