Because it only costs five bucks. Yeah, you could go to Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags, but you'd pay $30 to get in. Then there are the lines, the overpriced concession stands, the fear that you'll lose your kid in this maze of slides and water and chubby people in swim trunks. And after all, the kids just want to get wet. So why not take them to Hurst? There are convoluted, multi-story slides there, diving boards, swimming lanes, a separate kiddie pool and a sand volleyball court, which we didn't see at Hurricane Harbor. And all of this is at the Aquatics Center, again, for five bucks per person, and one lonely dollar if you live in Hurst. A season pass--from late May to early September--costs $75 a person. Sure, the drive is hell, but by the time you get home, the kids will be asleep. It was a busy day, after all.

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J. Pepe's 3619 Greenville Ave. 214-821-6431