Louisville Magazine

JUL 2017

Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.

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kdc.org mortons.com LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 7.17 19 SPACES Seeking the tropics in the vast, landlocked terrain of east Louisville seems foolish. But right behind the Northeast YMCA in Lyndon, downslope from a scorching asphalt parking lot, an aqua oasis pumping Disney satellite radio appears. Calypso Cove calls to the overheated, under-middle-school-aged crowd, parents hauling gobs of sunscreen, towels, snacks and flotation devices. Two fake palm trees greet guests at the check-in desk. A giant parrot statue perches atop a play area called Cast Away Island, a lighthearted take on abandonment at sea, with nets for climbing, three gentle water slides and an almost refrigerator-sized bucket that fills and dumps water onto unsuspecting heads every few minutes, guaranteeing giddy shrieks. When it comes to bodies of water, parental paradise involves shallow depth and many watchful eyes. Calypso Cove has both. The deepest part of the pool is just over three feet. Tanned teenage lifeguards appear alert, quick with a whistle when mischief is made. Two advanced waterslides stand in their own section, where one dedicated lifeguard absorbs wave after wave each time a body plunges from the tall, twisty slides. A large adult male shooting through can create a tsunami that knocks the lifeguard off balance. On a hot summer weekend day, Calypso Cove hits peak chaos — delightful chaos, but still: chaos. Sunscreen thickens the blue water to a skim milk. Older kids throw footballs and dive underwater, tangling with legs of adults nervously tracking little ones who so want to run free but can't manage a float. Every hour or so, lifeguards clear the pool and take a break. Kids send parents to the snack shack and chase friends through a small spray area, drenched and happy, soaking in the joy of summer. (Depending on your family membership to the Y, a one-time fee of either $140 or $200 gets you into Calypso Cove for life.) — Anne Marshall

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