tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18411878077666220122024-03-16T12:59:46.953-04:00Coaster Talk No BS ZoneDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.comBlogger221125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-60839819313415575712023-10-09T17:09:00.002-04:002023-12-10T12:42:20.499-05:00Our 2024 Roller Coaster Calendar is Available Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This year's edition is sold out! Thank you for your support again! Our book on Pennsylvania Amusement Parks is still available though!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4gJfEq4a9L7zbecwEVX6PctpwJHfpIqz4RnxOfMjSpFOeDd1WCwde_GTsYjFSB7J5PDhdz2oLmF4ImfrAVUrNYHZLoVxSJLvfFEZfRPxejIEC__e6gFXBjPeROcPlCWqaH-cQfBDnla0BjgJaE8YEJdoDWyWz5_Smy6pZRH-tvo0Dau9T9mhSRI0Txg/s3300/00%20mosaic%20Cover%20coaster%2007%20July%20Coaster%20Morey's%20Piers%20IMG_8129%202%20copy%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4gJfEq4a9L7zbecwEVX6PctpwJHfpIqz4RnxOfMjSpFOeDd1WCwde_GTsYjFSB7J5PDhdz2oLmF4ImfrAVUrNYHZLoVxSJLvfFEZfRPxejIEC__e6gFXBjPeROcPlCWqaH-cQfBDnla0BjgJaE8YEJdoDWyWz5_Smy6pZRH-tvo0Dau9T9mhSRI0Txg/w640-h494/00%20mosaic%20Cover%20coaster%2007%20July%20Coaster%20Morey's%20Piers%20IMG_8129%202%20copy%202.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Our spiral bound 2024 Roller Coaster Wall Calendar is available now! It is our 11th annual Roller Coaster Calendar and it features roller coasters from many amusement parks, including: </p><div>-Knoebels in Pennsylvania </div><div>-Belmont Park in San Diego </div><div>-Busch Gardens Williamsburg</div><div>-Knott's Berry Farm </div><div>-Six Flags Magic Mountain </div><div>-Morey's Piers in New Jersey </div><div>-Indiana Beach </div><div>-Six Flags Great America </div><div>-Casino Pier in NJ</div><div>-Six Flags Great Adventure</div><div>-Playland's Castaway Cove in Ocean City, NJ</div><div>-Niagara Amusement Park</div><div><br /></div><div>These calendars are custom made by us with photos taken by us. The calendars open up to be 17 inches tall by 11 inches wide (8.5 by 11 per page)<br /></div><div><p>Also available is our book on Pennsylvania's historic amusement parks, Great Pennsylvania Amusement Parks Road Trip. It features Knoebels, Kennywood Park, Hersheypark, Dorney Park, Waldameer, DelGrosso's, Lakemont, Dutch Wonderland, Idlewild, and the gone, but not forgotten, Conneaut Lake Park.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixo9RQUmLtODpVeYH6i76Z5gPTSvYiH5hFpqY9Jy4yInMNd7sHFKY7eegczyYYyg0f4lXw-vou5rouDxMC5YHNDPThjI2Ul8XEt9zf78RDWQFxgJg05ZHE7x7hRb2HIkeUpofh4i0GDo/s640/book+cover.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="480" /></p><p>Purchases of both items can be made through the PayPal menu at the bottom of this page, and at the top of this page. Thank you for all of your support over the years!</p></div>
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</form>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-65034216849686211672023-07-02T14:14:00.001-04:002023-07-02T14:14:54.845-04:00Waldameer Trip Report: New Water Coaster Update & Continued Epic Ravine Flyer Trackwork <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjUZI5lBXy5lqHIEGWuL4kaleIsKty8tJeHnbpwdIXBGY6FY5Wc1P6U8wNnlivwyfw3JwjqxeGzZmDsFjs0_ka0oFMUaWktsVmHUqypBrJknD_vYbXaMZ3kHhqXCNJs2TpZn_0BvbvB7GiefAJMHgkzMEkil7vgYHNWrfCQlA0CPN6vqc-ow7g64fa8w/s2736/IMG_8638.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjUZI5lBXy5lqHIEGWuL4kaleIsKty8tJeHnbpwdIXBGY6FY5Wc1P6U8wNnlivwyfw3JwjqxeGzZmDsFjs0_ka0oFMUaWktsVmHUqypBrJknD_vYbXaMZ3kHhqXCNJs2TpZn_0BvbvB7GiefAJMHgkzMEkil7vgYHNWrfCQlA0CPN6vqc-ow7g64fa8w/w640-h426/IMG_8638.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hGoxXMkfOO2DiKkLR7OGMA_XFf-oiMFhhgruaSzd8scE_HVoS6vE9bTCIHF1AtfGwfiA1Jlc38ZxjaAGjJcbYG3JXVARY-CF2mbY1e_z2_jg40VGW8zGv4kY3HXfKISU2G9thB1DPw2qAzIMElnqDdv7G2dB1X0CLDZSRzdUdPGr5AKreScCnBmV884/s2736/IMG_8648.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hGoxXMkfOO2DiKkLR7OGMA_XFf-oiMFhhgruaSzd8scE_HVoS6vE9bTCIHF1AtfGwfiA1Jlc38ZxjaAGjJcbYG3JXVARY-CF2mbY1e_z2_jg40VGW8zGv4kY3HXfKISU2G9thB1DPw2qAzIMElnqDdv7G2dB1X0CLDZSRzdUdPGr5AKreScCnBmV884/s320/IMG_8648.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>I will start things off by saying that Waldameer is a perfect amusement park. The park is continually adding and improving with every chance that they get, which is rare within the industry, let alone within the tough economic headwinds that this region of the Rust Belt has faced for more than 40 years. They get some kind of addition annually, no matter what. Whether it be a flat ride, park improvement, or a new slide or attraction in their booming waterpark, they are constantly improving and perfecting the park. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YNic0KoNqJcqgkC66AcFSCZoJkn5gC8jOjXTJACute9QHjwtrkiq7Rnhh71jdqQBzOvSQbSaj6NkeKouRGDs4cApkNQI-ZdBj9r9vi_GIbBvgsv7uJ0nK2tKgce1coXN_2wx3rODZ5Y_1-UsEDyJnJzEU9_Hg1yF17BO3so7m1kWp26oX6ZIWSJ_cYY/s2736/IMG_8639.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YNic0KoNqJcqgkC66AcFSCZoJkn5gC8jOjXTJACute9QHjwtrkiq7Rnhh71jdqQBzOvSQbSaj6NkeKouRGDs4cApkNQI-ZdBj9r9vi_GIbBvgsv7uJ0nK2tKgce1coXN_2wx3rODZ5Y_1-UsEDyJnJzEU9_Hg1yF17BO3so7m1kWp26oX6ZIWSJ_cYY/s320/IMG_8639.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Brand new track through the back portion of the coaster.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Lx9rz6vKdBLT2V7mbio0T6y-1W7rbkjc70UyGGELwvNz3maRQhTUvM6a5QGyEfYxvanfBGOmDLFGcG5Xf6CujIYPGlUtKAtY8aTDjqC7IKySfKSmPjCiWciQMHy6rfxLB9W6IzNYOWGWNMTRLUdtNCYt0uiBMRuKmUGXl7NJ67WmAlDwHqOGFWKWNe8/s2736/IMG_8647.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Lx9rz6vKdBLT2V7mbio0T6y-1W7rbkjc70UyGGELwvNz3maRQhTUvM6a5QGyEfYxvanfBGOmDLFGcG5Xf6CujIYPGlUtKAtY8aTDjqC7IKySfKSmPjCiWciQMHy6rfxLB9W6IzNYOWGWNMTRLUdtNCYt0uiBMRuKmUGXl7NJ67WmAlDwHqOGFWKWNe8/s320/IMG_8647.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p>They have one of the best wooden roller coasters in the world with Ravine Flyer II, and have maintained it perfectly since it debuted. This Gravity Group creation with PTC trains is pure perfection. Somehow topping itself each year in excellence. They have track work down to a science, utilizing ride timing and data in direct conjunction with the Gravity Group to target areas of the ride to build new track for each offseason. The end result is a perfectly maintained wooden roller coaster that breaks in and shines in perfection every single season. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjUZI5lBXy5lqHIEGWuL4kaleIsKty8tJeHnbpwdIXBGY6FY5Wc1P6U8wNnlivwyfw3JwjqxeGzZmDsFjs0_ka0oFMUaWktsVmHUqypBrJknD_vYbXaMZ3kHhqXCNJs2TpZn_0BvbvB7GiefAJMHgkzMEkil7vgYHNWrfCQlA0CPN6vqc-ow7g64fa8w/s2736/IMG_8638.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjUZI5lBXy5lqHIEGWuL4kaleIsKty8tJeHnbpwdIXBGY6FY5Wc1P6U8wNnlivwyfw3JwjqxeGzZmDsFjs0_ka0oFMUaWktsVmHUqypBrJknD_vYbXaMZ3kHhqXCNJs2TpZn_0BvbvB7GiefAJMHgkzMEkil7vgYHNWrfCQlA0CPN6vqc-ow7g64fa8w/w640-h426/IMG_8638.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>There is nothing quite like a wooden roller coaster with PTC trains for a feeling of absolute perfection. I've ridden this almost every season since it was new, and can say that this year the coaster was so twisted and out of control that I did not even know what was coming. Extremely fast, full of airtime and laterals, perfectly placed tunnels, and views of Lake Erie and Presque Isle State Park that are unmatched. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbFlWoFR1TQ5T3CIq0VlKA_gZcSgPxKTXQEkCqV5LmTJpSl3V4U7uZKn8qTt4fIpKhk9edvRLpbjulu4RyJ2r5op2hHKtuyfEZmN6PTULhg-b8QUmzvTUVNjGEsKvAGFkRb5imQmH72MaC7QR6KLjvN575bVIHstlTOXnIKf4NTOwLClCf9FSajnFtG8/s2736/IMG_8650.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbFlWoFR1TQ5T3CIq0VlKA_gZcSgPxKTXQEkCqV5LmTJpSl3V4U7uZKn8qTt4fIpKhk9edvRLpbjulu4RyJ2r5op2hHKtuyfEZmN6PTULhg-b8QUmzvTUVNjGEsKvAGFkRb5imQmH72MaC7QR6KLjvN575bVIHstlTOXnIKf4NTOwLClCf9FSajnFtG8/w640-h426/IMG_8650.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>The other thing that really impresses me as well is that they have retained the classic feel of the park along the main midways. It feels like a step back in time when you walk through the main midway of the park as you head to Ravine Flyer. It is perfectly shaded, there is a sky ride that extends for the length of the midway, and there are old midway games, arcades, and snack stands that remind me of parks that have either completely closed, or other parks that have been gutted to the point of no longer being recognized on older midways, like Dorney Park has. None of that sanitized feel along these midways, and I am glad the park has retained that character. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYzF-UCRMVkF3ZcMBdTf9vVdqmA6lOscPbr-n_sTBzeCsfX0rrpt2xw22DDTLG8QlHtwOM-95mQy66H46ZG3rb6sWGIFGumOPiXLNphp8a9aW6rzpRaZRTHYh602swWAqg2J3pMiXP7THxjiDKsU6Kvz8l_MCDu2S_hTbFJf4Z940mboT_nvwG6DVW98/s2736/IMG_8628.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYzF-UCRMVkF3ZcMBdTf9vVdqmA6lOscPbr-n_sTBzeCsfX0rrpt2xw22DDTLG8QlHtwOM-95mQy66H46ZG3rb6sWGIFGumOPiXLNphp8a9aW6rzpRaZRTHYh602swWAqg2J3pMiXP7THxjiDKsU6Kvz8l_MCDu2S_hTbFJf4Z940mboT_nvwG6DVW98/w640-h426/IMG_8628.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>The expansion of the waterpark has transformed it from being a really fun regional waterpark into a world class player. No waterslide exists within 5 hours of this park that is remotely like this new waterslide. The growth of this waterpark has also been pretty incredible. Rocket Blast is the yellow slide within this view. The other thing the park has done to maximize space is through utilizing pads on the older slide towers to pack as many slides into the space as possible.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB8YSnlt0_YgpnoQkEs11Zk8dGTdu5V2lnd_9n_ynGAQBAA3bNLWr6q4lkcK3Pmh8EngNK-IxQHJPdkBnIB4_B1PoEByG4h2-9mermnnXUzzGjx9rMT0s2gCID-iyUozRuqoFIolB2CK2nVte9hIZ2dkynASFtL2sKdRsJ77KCPVjiq02gXmuRD_fqgY/s2736/IMG_8629.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB8YSnlt0_YgpnoQkEs11Zk8dGTdu5V2lnd_9n_ynGAQBAA3bNLWr6q4lkcK3Pmh8EngNK-IxQHJPdkBnIB4_B1PoEByG4h2-9mermnnXUzzGjx9rMT0s2gCID-iyUozRuqoFIolB2CK2nVte9hIZ2dkynASFtL2sKdRsJ77KCPVjiq02gXmuRD_fqgY/w640-h426/IMG_8629.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">It is hard to believe that most of the things in view here were parking lot about ten years ago. </p><p>The waterpark has about tripled in size, with 32 waterslides, with the bulk of these added in the last ten years, in addition to a wave pool, water play areas, and more. Water World is a bonafide world class waterpark contender now. The clip at which they have expanded is spectacular. </p><p><br /></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-42350383568689395972023-06-25T22:16:00.001-04:002023-06-25T22:16:13.051-04:00Playland's Castaway Cove in Ocean City, NJ: The Most Thrills Per Acre Anywhere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutjhP4-LKvqH92kEEu6AzZSu7niaJXiqbv7Nnctiy8_fs61NnIozkLdvG2O5MdKp0N5XALJNKeWk4tfV7OI9_gBmIkZ_TVuQFk5DoRuG0DViDsYVdPhbKYPTjjzG6-eWR9L0vbFMM9nb0WJlC9kEmsBS4RQ27wInLCl3fc54i3GMcsVC5KbHqImNStsQ/s2736/IMG_8280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutjhP4-LKvqH92kEEu6AzZSu7niaJXiqbv7Nnctiy8_fs61NnIozkLdvG2O5MdKp0N5XALJNKeWk4tfV7OI9_gBmIkZ_TVuQFk5DoRuG0DViDsYVdPhbKYPTjjzG6-eWR9L0vbFMM9nb0WJlC9kEmsBS4RQ27wInLCl3fc54i3GMcsVC5KbHqImNStsQ/w640-h426/IMG_8280.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The building under construction out front will be the platform for yet another coaster in the next few years!</div><p>I have no idea how they pack this much awesome in such a small spot. They had more operating full size coasters than Lake Compounce did earlier in our trip, in a space that could be contained within the front entranceway and midway to that park. To top all of that off, they have two signature coasters that cannot be found anywhere else or even remotely close in style. Strange and awesome coasters, and a flat ride collection that most parks should be envious of. All while managing to have wide open midways that do not feel overcrowded and spectacular lighting packages on all of their rides, making it really pop in a beautiful boardwalk setting. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdMslK2XSix17C_v-B1xSReW6ib8qlTeOWt9IXEKszZkOHXskbs3SHv-fNSmMYA00L94jimF1E1Exg0aPDmRwojgas1jlzPnRdFYaSzai3PTSRVGwu2ZoAqHjNAyLk5B3-0xlrpTufK78bEHekmcddxNNhXUKStWDlCj4wTAFzSO8ls0ya2XpikrH7r8/s2736/IMG_8279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdMslK2XSix17C_v-B1xSReW6ib8qlTeOWt9IXEKszZkOHXskbs3SHv-fNSmMYA00L94jimF1E1Exg0aPDmRwojgas1jlzPnRdFYaSzai3PTSRVGwu2ZoAqHjNAyLk5B3-0xlrpTufK78bEHekmcddxNNhXUKStWDlCj4wTAFzSO8ls0ya2XpikrH7r8/s320/IMG_8279.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I got a major case of "dirty lens" on this evening, and I left my equipment behind and did not have an extra battery, but you get the gist of it. Their custom Miler coaster is unique and wild at the same time. with a ride, airtime, and lats that are reminiscent of a wooden roller coaster. The photos in the second half are phone shots, though there is minimal difference in quality, to be honest. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NKm8fk6P12zp3XWTpvVeal7tcizVakUBx7MYrBAKy9hcD10mFZCyRaPIiPvbRYD3WTsNZgEuOW0xbPPaK6w1GrV0kzLHAphIASCqi5ZK0zDhRVybq0AHKGQcHd8qo6DutWZkEtdC8gOpVIrExzG0wzYpyUX638S_7pWMluf5qbyDZjR6HsBVWFdxiqc/s2736/IMG_8303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NKm8fk6P12zp3XWTpvVeal7tcizVakUBx7MYrBAKy9hcD10mFZCyRaPIiPvbRYD3WTsNZgEuOW0xbPPaK6w1GrV0kzLHAphIASCqi5ZK0zDhRVybq0AHKGQcHd8qo6DutWZkEtdC8gOpVIrExzG0wzYpyUX638S_7pWMluf5qbyDZjR6HsBVWFdxiqc/s320/IMG_8303.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUafm0qlwuiezfF-0X7hBwe3vR3jGGhup-vSCrlPRvVgOrVypFGoI_d1LPOjA1MwQXi0bBAPZt_nonlzDoFgl1lrnWH382lGgvadlcPivdXFpaEE2vViweGGLxCRl9-vLVS5nfkjhU9-72kVVgXo-fI2PCd82A_OBgd47CPG2oQ7HleiaiOrMRylOqsE/s4032/IMG_9949.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUafm0qlwuiezfF-0X7hBwe3vR3jGGhup-vSCrlPRvVgOrVypFGoI_d1LPOjA1MwQXi0bBAPZt_nonlzDoFgl1lrnWH382lGgvadlcPivdXFpaEE2vViweGGLxCRl9-vLVS5nfkjhU9-72kVVgXo-fI2PCd82A_OBgd47CPG2oQ7HleiaiOrMRylOqsE/s320/IMG_9949.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDZKb96-DqpmbcxckJg10gyh48_9XytmOLr6Tfjf4C-quB-4ZjAp5pc5VmpGh_E_zDojiEQSj_Xew_5BxtNDFqTkx_07flqkLt4C0MLr_kaKTBDl-UeU2tAtR_cIXdkZSj7e0-MqBWn0dhowkbElaN4GYWJiLq180DRWxLm5GCrWozsolfFzbF9I7Bsc/s10062/IMG_9955.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3674" data-original-width="10062" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDZKb96-DqpmbcxckJg10gyh48_9XytmOLr6Tfjf4C-quB-4ZjAp5pc5VmpGh_E_zDojiEQSj_Xew_5BxtNDFqTkx_07flqkLt4C0MLr_kaKTBDl-UeU2tAtR_cIXdkZSj7e0-MqBWn0dhowkbElaN4GYWJiLq180DRWxLm5GCrWozsolfFzbF9I7Bsc/w640-h234/IMG_9955.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pano mode on the phone was pretty weak, but it is what it is. How they manage to fit a log flume in this space is just amazing. This park and Indiana Beach are just masters at packing in the thrills per acre, this park especially though. You could easily fit it within the entry plaza of most 70s era suburban amusement parks. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyK9712F6lkqLjJi0UeQd7_QncV9qf25m8QK94M6H0-kGdIRumbcjyx8NP1PQCwUTDgUCyq1sm3aB37z944QC-B7xtd4vGpSBPJ2jiffcXSw28w4emQm55temvS94aNKNQh2qdIcHaY8xvEhRWhuzRnihZnsb9zey5uPwTzTTTAJnWHESccNwrZWRiREQ/s4032/IMG_9959.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyK9712F6lkqLjJi0UeQd7_QncV9qf25m8QK94M6H0-kGdIRumbcjyx8NP1PQCwUTDgUCyq1sm3aB37z944QC-B7xtd4vGpSBPJ2jiffcXSw28w4emQm55temvS94aNKNQh2qdIcHaY8xvEhRWhuzRnihZnsb9zey5uPwTzTTTAJnWHESccNwrZWRiREQ/s320/IMG_9959.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQy-xlYbW-0ld6vW8j--ZKRrGwnXMhrkiasGClUQXeRAv6ooVWKm3DdocfTyQ-iY4QHKizHQ5t05N19hS_FdQwD1hGzjmwkAbCOMtKcFSf9k_RZW-lF3dTyxI-LMU6PE4ea5YYZiVrqKsSlnRo6sJex0PGK1nmqd7s0SwabZ0hfkJyNTuasuvmR2o58A/s4032/IMG_9960.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQy-xlYbW-0ld6vW8j--ZKRrGwnXMhrkiasGClUQXeRAv6ooVWKm3DdocfTyQ-iY4QHKizHQ5t05N19hS_FdQwD1hGzjmwkAbCOMtKcFSf9k_RZW-lF3dTyxI-LMU6PE4ea5YYZiVrqKsSlnRo6sJex0PGK1nmqd7s0SwabZ0hfkJyNTuasuvmR2o58A/s320/IMG_9960.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Riding the Ferris Wheel and seeing what they have accomplished is really amazing.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTVjqe2npGPeH_depopH210Kk3OBdLCDMdUYWw4XKUSFJs43J4J-Us19gAKJOtcT1H-LSF0cdH8QcUd1bS3esYW3e-Hl38SYGithan-T-g0YocYCMUoRy87TtynUOn_ooRwj42TUriEgSRSHxulhzI4apUojJoA_Cqm4FXlYHAveiqV8NTkUpR4LfO90/s4032/IMG_9961.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTVjqe2npGPeH_depopH210Kk3OBdLCDMdUYWw4XKUSFJs43J4J-Us19gAKJOtcT1H-LSF0cdH8QcUd1bS3esYW3e-Hl38SYGithan-T-g0YocYCMUoRy87TtynUOn_ooRwj42TUriEgSRSHxulhzI4apUojJoA_Cqm4FXlYHAveiqV8NTkUpR4LfO90/s320/IMG_9961.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They even manage to fit a small train ride within the park.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigt7Tum6Vv5u1G8JaSPAW7gQfYJjiREmfjxSc7AnUH4ctc5ZsXR9v9upTD985G9IuQKjRt7a45Kt50rcVYtcdp328I7eTwn6oZpI10U1nxhhqVFtK_L4KVdbPFHkk8j6tIYqMftypXLGxqOYWk8DlopuCB7mi37SqCPAcTEsbcZNZSkwCL8MPf-XIvnU/s4032/IMG_9953.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigt7Tum6Vv5u1G8JaSPAW7gQfYJjiREmfjxSc7AnUH4ctc5ZsXR9v9upTD985G9IuQKjRt7a45Kt50rcVYtcdp328I7eTwn6oZpI10U1nxhhqVFtK_L4KVdbPFHkk8j6tIYqMftypXLGxqOYWk8DlopuCB7mi37SqCPAcTEsbcZNZSkwCL8MPf-XIvnU/s320/IMG_9953.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>I get a smile just thinking about this park. It is such a treat to visit this joyful park. GaleForce is just phenomenal. Between the extreme airtime and inversions, this ride has it all. On this trip I had ridden Premier, Intamin, and S&S compact vertical launcher coaster creations, all in the matter of a few days. S&S and the epic design of Joe Draves hit out out of the park. This ride is absolutely bonkers and there is really nothing else quite like it. Then they run it 2-3 times through the cycle and the thing is just wicked. Wild airtime and hang time that leaves you wondering what happened at the end. This ride alone is worth a visit to Jersey, all the other boardwalk parks and Great Adventure are just icing after this. Highly recommend checking out this park and relaxing down at the Jersey Shore. For more info on the park, <a href="https://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/06/playlands-castaway-cove-ocean-city-nj.html">check out our last trip report</a> from there. </p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-9783862203559018572023-06-22T18:27:00.000-04:002023-06-22T18:27:01.641-04:00Morey's Piers Trip Report, June 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja904L0fSjnz9pl-5oO1WCR9Lj5DMWTWj32rX3QHGMr8JR7vVd7e2M1SnDbIyLOSCXM1eOmLKB_t7lA1nrvCc2XVGEIWCUFVpLz0Bub17KE_j8KEvfoSJNkHK9jr1BOddzGWJez0Po9Qcvqx1UCbO87Oe8s7ww2MazgWZ3riKxjIvNAzaz0sgncxxatHM/s2736/IMG_8129.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja904L0fSjnz9pl-5oO1WCR9Lj5DMWTWj32rX3QHGMr8JR7vVd7e2M1SnDbIyLOSCXM1eOmLKB_t7lA1nrvCc2XVGEIWCUFVpLz0Bub17KE_j8KEvfoSJNkHK9jr1BOddzGWJez0Po9Qcvqx1UCbO87Oe8s7ww2MazgWZ3riKxjIvNAzaz0sgncxxatHM/w640-h426/IMG_8129.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Now we head to the main part of our trip, in Wildwood and the Jersey Shore. Morey's Piers is a pretty awesome place to check out if all of the piers are open, which sadly was not the case when we decided to go visit this year. Great White is a world class ride, especially since it got so much retracking love from GCI. There is nothing quite like a wooden coaster running in peak condition with PTC trains. We arrived in Wildwood on a Sunday night, which was the only night all three piers were open during our visit, so we rushed to get a couple rides in on Great White on Sunday night, then got in a ride on the Ferris Wheel on Mariner's Pier on one of the nights during the week. We took a much more holistic approach to visiting the Wildwood boardwalk and spending our entertainment money in the different arcades and food joints along the boardwalk instead of centrally spending our money at Morey's Piers, since two of the three were not open on June weekdays until the third week of June. The website says the piers will be open daily through Labor Day now, so the rest of you will probably not face that problem this season. </p><p>Mariner's Pier has a Boomerang, an SBF Spinner, and a janky Zyklon, along with some flats and a giant Ferris Wheel. This was the only pier that was open during the week. We only ended up riding the Ferris Wheel on this trip, for the views up there are so spectacular.</p><p>Seaside Pier has a Vekoma SLC, and a quirky and fun Zierer family coaster called The Runaway Tram, themed to the venerable Wildwood Tramcar. We did not get over there on this trip.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhvXYcoiIWAzLklH1WMC0z4xqEO2_X6v04FkVHL-MUR4R8qwetQ4l44qWOZskJ91MLQQiluHONNb6YNtihf1hHBskepXR86HGEt4wwYb7K8pFkX-i1UbEAEOoeFnHzYcSzsFwL5rpJgqBvx7XZVU0Vn-CiJ1_m_FZdzTSSK5RDvOnSQB8VW74bpj7HFo/s2736/IMG_8020.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhvXYcoiIWAzLklH1WMC0z4xqEO2_X6v04FkVHL-MUR4R8qwetQ4l44qWOZskJ91MLQQiluHONNb6YNtihf1hHBskepXR86HGEt4wwYb7K8pFkX-i1UbEAEOoeFnHzYcSzsFwL5rpJgqBvx7XZVU0Vn-CiJ1_m_FZdzTSSK5RDvOnSQB8VW74bpj7HFo/w640-h426/IMG_8020.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">I am the guy with the hands up in the back seat.</p><p>Adventure Pier is where it is at for coaster lovers with the spectacular Great White, a CCI built woodie that has been restored by GCI and runs with PTC trains. The views are great and it has a really out-of-control ride experience. For returning visitors, this is the reason to go to the park once you do sweeps of he other coasters. The Vekomas around the piers are solid and run smooth, but still are not intriguing designs to me. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1gVLrXxtaFHTYxN5McxOwkNlp-QZRfNJ7D5xs8pYWE7e5iWCa0WmyRL0hccC9XH9wsGa-Cy7gkiUFaqGmECQOJgR0iILpJeiMY0SHDm8lYfsMu6g5DVqabiGCe81pMeYg3SfsCLpgqebER7f_gyqP6YuODgLsVAopvECiFiAHyt7rcG-6lZ_AfkLo1o/s2736/IMG_8260.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1gVLrXxtaFHTYxN5McxOwkNlp-QZRfNJ7D5xs8pYWE7e5iWCa0WmyRL0hccC9XH9wsGa-Cy7gkiUFaqGmECQOJgR0iILpJeiMY0SHDm8lYfsMu6g5DVqabiGCe81pMeYg3SfsCLpgqebER7f_gyqP6YuODgLsVAopvECiFiAHyt7rcG-6lZ_AfkLo1o/w640-h426/IMG_8260.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A view of the three piers from a Whale Watching Sunset Cruise in Cape May.</div><p>Great White is a spectacular coaster that is up there with the best of them since it has gotten track work from GCI. I am glad I was able to snag a few rides on it on Sunday night when we arrived to Wildwood. I would have probably ridden this nightly had the pier been open throughout our trip. For a more thorough trip report from this park, specifically at a time when all of the piers were open <a href="https://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/06/moreys-piers-great-white-coaster-revamp.html">check out our last visit</a>.</p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-66813650173467372332023-06-21T20:50:00.001-04:002023-06-21T23:25:51.452-04:00Nickelodeon Universe at the American Dream Mall Trip Report, June 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOi-ZzVzewudJ2wFvcyKnSNDXC70JulLQ1XE_VStVaBSS9MP7S_1o3HMB9mJTylv9PNq6BVdzFZaLsUk5123z4sqbzzWgfI8_9Y_7S5Xxe58m2bW0HElj7ug2cxFlKnbJ64LlFESGCAHwkifkXu-cRZPdx3ctzcwKj4j326E1_3H93_na9K1CBX35OVQ/s2736/IMG_7917.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOi-ZzVzewudJ2wFvcyKnSNDXC70JulLQ1XE_VStVaBSS9MP7S_1o3HMB9mJTylv9PNq6BVdzFZaLsUk5123z4sqbzzWgfI8_9Y_7S5Xxe58m2bW0HElj7ug2cxFlKnbJ64LlFESGCAHwkifkXu-cRZPdx3ctzcwKj4j326E1_3H93_na9K1CBX35OVQ/w640-h360/IMG_7917.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>We stopped by the American Dream mall as the next stop on our road trip and got some redemption from the lousy experience we had at Lake Compounce with some quick laps on their new coasters.</p><p>As for the park overall, my first thought is expensive, but not bad. Individual ride options are now available. Last time we went through the area we opted to skip the park since the day pass was for somewhere in the ballpark of a hundred bucks. The individual ride tickets are not cheap by any means, but less expensive than that if you are looking to just go and ride the rides. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TcPEfP54ZvbXV0Hy1zmo5wUpQsrkdpF8q-0DYiQYio3sAAvfO9Aj-vhnP94aIrVB9H3Y1zoEh_EjFRFSHrEjzOu46GsYabT71Aiem3CWle1tpH6XKi7k7VhaxSPpKQB85to-melp2LcqVm_HlCpGcqu6gwPkcRhScgvIlG0LqlLfThQtYVgzLsa9R7k/s2736/IMG_7919.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TcPEfP54ZvbXV0Hy1zmo5wUpQsrkdpF8q-0DYiQYio3sAAvfO9Aj-vhnP94aIrVB9H3Y1zoEh_EjFRFSHrEjzOu46GsYabT71Aiem3CWle1tpH6XKi7k7VhaxSPpKQB85to-melp2LcqVm_HlCpGcqu6gwPkcRhScgvIlG0LqlLfThQtYVgzLsa9R7k/w640-h360/IMG_7919.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>The collection of coasters is fun, but there was some random and unexpected rattling and roughness on both TMNT Shellraiser (Gerstlauer Eurofighter) and Sandy's Blasting Bronco (Intamin LSM Shuttle Launcher with turntable). I have to say that they are pretty loosely themed, with probably even less theming than Six Flags does, since they at least have some plastic board cut outs of superhero figures. Either theme the rides fully or just give them random names. The weak theming does not detract from the ride experiences, but it would probably be way cheaper to not have to buy rights to use IP. The "Green Coaster" or the "Purple Coaster" are how I referred to the rides anyways. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaPNE_tf2h7ktstJvgYAyVB_QrwTxWP2Lc3ixnnUOhERVdi_aoE1z0p_G7KnLoM97YdFGCV_YRqVpHZIKsG3j95MWXdbsuLBKUxP2EA8lbvHrb3LmAYRX0C76xM02nN-y-ZIG_PWp9ReW6XI4apIn9GgsKUrPRefmUss9AFF_yXYb2KCjM9ywr-37EPM/s2736/IMG_7927.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaPNE_tf2h7ktstJvgYAyVB_QrwTxWP2Lc3ixnnUOhERVdi_aoE1z0p_G7KnLoM97YdFGCV_YRqVpHZIKsG3j95MWXdbsuLBKUxP2EA8lbvHrb3LmAYRX0C76xM02nN-y-ZIG_PWp9ReW6XI4apIn9GgsKUrPRefmUss9AFF_yXYb2KCjM9ywr-37EPM/w640-h360/IMG_7927.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>The Purple Coaster (Shredder? Is that a themed name?) was the first thing I rode. I loved it. More parks should have these modern Gerstlauer spinning coasters. They offer enough thrill to satisfy a thrill seeker, but are light enough that they are a real crowd pleaser. Might have been my favorite ride at the park. Had no rough spots at all unlike the two other European coasters in the park. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHGKQghEfCF1-CBd3t1MuU34NLQ9NvYx8aJz_B6-E1X6iKGGYnbVLACdMU7nYJ0xETjpYBIh1F5Px5hXB9NgtkvtXuWSm8SVjpmne-yjTEL44elv96H5L9pm74kOryCgGyZ7MgHlsJWMB1lI3L3_6RM0s2SGE25YQl4A7tkL25ak8kw5cKR0BVCKBbtw/s2736/IMG_7933.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHGKQghEfCF1-CBd3t1MuU34NLQ9NvYx8aJz_B6-E1X6iKGGYnbVLACdMU7nYJ0xETjpYBIh1F5Px5hXB9NgtkvtXuWSm8SVjpmne-yjTEL44elv96H5L9pm74kOryCgGyZ7MgHlsJWMB1lI3L3_6RM0s2SGE25YQl4A7tkL25ak8kw5cKR0BVCKBbtw/w640-h360/IMG_7933.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>The orange coaster, Nickelodeon Slime Streak, was great. I am glad to see they picked Chance to make another ride. This is definitely a sleeper ride with some light and fun airtime. If it were any bigger and more intense, it would easily be the best coaster at the park. They probably could have fit a Chance Hyper-GXT along the lines of Lightning Run in at the park. They probably still could. We really need to see more Chance creations like this. I love the coasters that Draves has done. I have ridden five of his seven completed coasters, and aside from Steel Curtain, I think they are all brilliant. Steel Curtain would be a fine ride if they could get it to run reliably and quickly in regards to operations. All of the other rides of his are absolutely brilliance.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKX-H4d6DYbP1A6u5TtLmnhvWevrYpR6Anov8QTM9BWBQDmiiOxAMzN1pkIZU-2YcGBeb8se7R3uRjYWsTyQNNaen_XL3AVYEhn09-rtsX3wsqweHPwVTOr4nJ1iMBuYhScmR0H3luZ_XoqkeONXJkzmhY2jN7fQ14ReIGFQTAUuyYhYs8Shjz75gUTE/s2736/IMG_7929.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKX-H4d6DYbP1A6u5TtLmnhvWevrYpR6Anov8QTM9BWBQDmiiOxAMzN1pkIZU-2YcGBeb8se7R3uRjYWsTyQNNaen_XL3AVYEhn09-rtsX3wsqweHPwVTOr4nJ1iMBuYhScmR0H3luZ_XoqkeONXJkzmhY2jN7fQ14ReIGFQTAUuyYhYs8Shjz75gUTE/w640-h360/IMG_7929.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Sandy's Blasting Bronco and TMNT Shellraiser are strange rides that would be much better if they did not rattle so much or have some random and unpredictable rough spots. Shellraiser specifically would be one of my overall favorite rides for how strange it is, but the rough spots are not good. It has just about every kind of awesome gimmick they could add, from an inversion right out of the station, to a hidden launch into a giant inversion and twisted layout, plus a vertical lift with a holding brake that gives views out the windows onto the NYC skyline, and the world's steepest drop on a coaster. Even with all of that, the ride's rough spots discourage you from going for a second ride. I do not know if it is a maintenance problem with the park, installation issues, or manufacturing imperfections, but the park should work with Gerstlauer to smooth out these problem spots and get the ride running well, because they have a real winner on their hands otherwise. If the problem spots are due to track issues, Gerstlauer should refabricate some track. S&S has done similar refabrication of track for GaleForce to rectify early issues. This is a new ride, it shouldn't have this kind of roughness. </p><p>Samdy’s Blasting Bronco had some strange deep rattling on the edges where it goes vertical that were way beyond normal roughness. Get it together, Intamin. The ride program was disappointing too. I feel like it would be better if it went through the course twice in each direction. GaleForce by S&S at Playland in Ocean City, NJ is far superior with a program that goes through the intense course a few times. Even the Premier Sky Rocket 2 coasters are superior to this. I expected more. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4wrrUvcNqOTeLYvz6HzJbrC1El2g11jn9VhZfVc1jgiWkHHMJa6FVDiTucVLOKQ9IOJp3EkkrZxy-AWwrBnp5k_UxADgrtGl7O4rgqiu5TsCOuwUbFHVyhODICuKLKTGhOH9sf4ha9Jdr1E0vlvFy3MlDb0NrIv1vfSV22LE6nHw_arhMopdOVo06xI/s2736/IMG_7934.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4wrrUvcNqOTeLYvz6HzJbrC1El2g11jn9VhZfVc1jgiWkHHMJa6FVDiTucVLOKQ9IOJp3EkkrZxy-AWwrBnp5k_UxADgrtGl7O4rgqiu5TsCOuwUbFHVyhODICuKLKTGhOH9sf4ha9Jdr1E0vlvFy3MlDb0NrIv1vfSV22LE6nHw_arhMopdOVo06xI/w640-h360/IMG_7934.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJ4EyS542GTjO2Qm6zJI-8PDJWlMTlwqD4NY-Io-8c_twZm7sWlYi-wnUnItXI7MruCWSOT-_aFW7Pe7FOeKeTABknMfonLlbPtak5yEs0MDNoPVXW4PCzDlZy-Zmi5ETqGOi4p9ya6hyR-aokk2SWwY7ybdXtDu_3rNcDyD2zmMeoO8KCANmKrlHLpk/s2736/IMG_7935.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJ4EyS542GTjO2Qm6zJI-8PDJWlMTlwqD4NY-Io-8c_twZm7sWlYi-wnUnItXI7MruCWSOT-_aFW7Pe7FOeKeTABknMfonLlbPtak5yEs0MDNoPVXW4PCzDlZy-Zmi5ETqGOi4p9ya6hyR-aokk2SWwY7ybdXtDu_3rNcDyD2zmMeoO8KCANmKrlHLpk/w400-h225/IMG_7935.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Actual quote from the store "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning for the sweet life, and I will give you IT'S SUGAR." This is absolutely dystopian. Reminds me of something out of Glass Onion. </div><p>The atmosphere of this park is odd too. The whole mall feels like an approximation of what American culture is, if the only thing you did was go on Instagram and look at influencer posts. Almost like a less fancy version of the house in Glass Onion. Do not take that as a negative, it is definitely an experience. It would have been a letdown if it were at the old "all day rate" of a hundred bucks, but for individual ride tickets, which were still pretty steep, it was definitely worth checking out. I feel like if they lowered their price point more, the park would be hopping. Another strange thing about the park was that this was a prime Sunday with huge crowds, yet many stores in the mall were closed, and the ones that were open had no one purchasing anything. Not a good thing for the long term viability of such a giant facility. I feel like the future of this facility as a whole might be more as a daily destination place for activities, and with some restructuring, this could be a booming place. </p><p>Add some craft breweries and beer gardens, epic playgrounds, and more, and you have an excellent place. They had these e-bikes fashioned as animals to ride, and they were swarming all over the place. People were waiting in line to ride them and super excited about them. One of the central points in the mall had this karaoke thing that feels like it is specifically tailored to a North Jersey/New York crowd. I feel that with some fine tuning, this place could be flourishing. The days of shopping malls flourishing are long over in this country, which makes this entire development a head scratcher, since malls have opened and already closed in the span that this mall was announced, built, and completed. I think in the 21st century retail environment, you need to be leaner and meaner with store offerings, specifically with store offerings that offer a unique experience that is worth leaving your home. They will need to lean into that if they want to be viable as a retail destination, but I really think the true future of this place is in expanding the entertainment offerings. With some tweaking, restructuring, additions, and rethinking, this could easily be the premier entertainment facility of the Northeast. With its prime location in the center of North Jersey and the NYC metro area and year round entertainment capabilities, I feel like they could really grow this place into a premier entertainment center for the region, but I also see it being a potential white elephant as well. Only time will tell. </p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-14365030047734358672023-06-20T22:06:00.005-04:002023-06-21T19:29:22.349-04:00Lake Compounce Trip Report June 2023: A Disappointing Visit + Floating Concert Stage Update With Everclear Concert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxq2NkF9rl-1uHMSxRmM7dyZ53K5l7fyN4QNwNRb2X0-wYzFLKMzkb5Yq0Y-UyZM3J1j6Ysm66Vz0tm2A9CDEeblxYpcAZkHt1qtnxhisJDlrMX0_f3e7shKlC8UnA0qswf0bPPiav-52uVUMPLvShGH1KbHUgpDc_XpOU9WJxAWG9rfUvYm7dStUL-E/s3264/IMG_9877%202.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="1982" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxq2NkF9rl-1uHMSxRmM7dyZ53K5l7fyN4QNwNRb2X0-wYzFLKMzkb5Yq0Y-UyZM3J1j6Ysm66Vz0tm2A9CDEeblxYpcAZkHt1qtnxhisJDlrMX0_f3e7shKlC8UnA0qswf0bPPiav-52uVUMPLvShGH1KbHUgpDc_XpOU9WJxAWG9rfUvYm7dStUL-E/w194-h320/IMG_9877%202.HEIC" width="194" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A photo of what heartbreak looks like. Please excuse a bunch of the photos on here, I expected to be doing a lot more riding so I mainly did phone shots in this report. I also pledge honesty on here, which is tough when that honesty has to be pretty negative. </div><p>I am conflicted with this trip report because while the park was operated in a completely lousy way, the bones of the park are good. They put in place some good things, namely in the creation of the floating stage, and what looks to be recent sprucing up of the midways and changes with the campground. They have some good concepts going, but appear to have really dropped the ball with the fundamental structural running of an amusement park. I don't know if budget crunching has decimated the maintenance and ride operations at the park or what not, but I have never been as outwardly angry and agitated about a park before in all of my years of visiting amusement parks. I have wanted to ride Boulder Dash for decades and the ride was down. I get it, a ride being down once in a while is an inevitability. I have worked in park operations before and I get it. The operations at the park were downright unacceptable. Only one of the park's four coasters operated all day, and one other (Phobia Phear Coaster) ran for about an hour, intermittently. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCD0HIJUF7ifd7snhChr8osahlEhgFdPOIqLZKjNJSZTsktgEwR5OgKLDolEb7UoCkbEVpIX6xahw5BPIRT8xH7DpGTtsvII7iIVJ8xx7jLfP53y-MUXKIQwtBDZ7SgYXI13j1h8jNqXHBIFGsWzV2R1-goJYLXSKKNSG4bz3m4U5n-wumM5Buu9eU7k/s2736/IMG_7908.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheCD0HIJUF7ifd7snhChr8osahlEhgFdPOIqLZKjNJSZTsktgEwR5OgKLDolEb7UoCkbEVpIX6xahw5BPIRT8xH7DpGTtsvII7iIVJ8xx7jLfP53y-MUXKIQwtBDZ7SgYXI13j1h8jNqXHBIFGsWzV2R1-goJYLXSKKNSG4bz3m4U5n-wumM5Buu9eU7k/s320/IMG_7908.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>I get that Wildcat is down for the season for refurbishment, but the announcement of this was strange as well, as if it were some haphazard decision to not operate the coaster, and not have a plan to get it fixed either. No work appears to be going on with that ride.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jHQRW42masmQreIfLuklx7JrcLsdCePrfzPDfjvzJeT2vnf1KK53NVtajW74Kb8QeTMNdtammzOiv1YxdRIUFCar-wHk5btkZD5EnGV4Ny4zuSDpKvnPGx11bJZpUUhDpoI_V0ifRsPoBf1WJlpDUMCTv_EQv4yo6jtIVs0Vw35LsRco8tDJD--0Cqs/s2736/IMG_7881.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jHQRW42masmQreIfLuklx7JrcLsdCePrfzPDfjvzJeT2vnf1KK53NVtajW74Kb8QeTMNdtammzOiv1YxdRIUFCar-wHk5btkZD5EnGV4Ny4zuSDpKvnPGx11bJZpUUhDpoI_V0ifRsPoBf1WJlpDUMCTv_EQv4yo6jtIVs0Vw35LsRco8tDJD--0Cqs/s320/IMG_7881.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Almost the entire upper half of the amusement park rides were closed, aside from the Carousel, Bumper Cars, and Ferris Wheel. For a park that is light on rides to begin with, this made the visit pretty miserable. If any of this was about staffing, maybe they could go down to one or maybe two "skip the line" pass cashiers and move the remaining three or four extra workers to rides, or move an extra worker or two from the fully staffed games, or move a few people from the overly staffed and mediocre food stands to get enough ride operators and attendants. On the topic of food, they should try to convince Costco to have them open up a few of their snack bars around the park. A Costco hot dog would be 100 times better than the park's food offerings.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQGKFJolc3O18PmVfHNFRUVl4BTPMPra1tJUBlwYyvf8g1iEYU6Dc7DSvwf2KU80RG33ZGUb6ETRedaraLBpIsZN7ZY2XxgApTmXBq8ccxyboBDr7fTnDQGJEv7OmD-ZbJnpTNBn7PuUlRn8y48Y2K2fPLSKX6v-0M5PHzJrtHmXHtL4uboKYzOv1yYQ/s2736/IMG_7889.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQGKFJolc3O18PmVfHNFRUVl4BTPMPra1tJUBlwYyvf8g1iEYU6Dc7DSvwf2KU80RG33ZGUb6ETRedaraLBpIsZN7ZY2XxgApTmXBq8ccxyboBDr7fTnDQGJEv7OmD-ZbJnpTNBn7PuUlRn8y48Y2K2fPLSKX6v-0M5PHzJrtHmXHtL4uboKYzOv1yYQ/s320/IMG_7889.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Another fundamental thing that I do not understand with this park is why they have so few coasters and even adult thrill rides in general. If the park had another signature ride aside from Boulder Dash, the day would have been okay, though I would still be disappointed. For example, even though this has never happened to me at Knoebels, if Twister were down, I could go ride Phoenix, or vice versa, and I would have a just fine day. Even at Lake Compounce's sister park, Kennywood, Steel Curtain is an unreliable machine that is often down, but the ride collection is just fine that it is not a big deal if the ride is closed, since there are four other perfect coasters at the park. It is baffling how they have not taken the care to have an additional signature ride at Lake Compounce. If I were in charge at that park, I would have a plan to get another basic off-the-shelf design coaster like their Premier Sky Rocket II (Phobia) and their Boomerang. A Wild Mouse would be a fine addition to the park. Then get plans in place to add something big, like maybe a Chance Hyper GT-X coaster like they have at Kentucky Kingdom, or even another modern wood coaster from GCI or Gravity Group to have as a second blockbuster coaster for the park. The park has no lifeline if their main ride is down.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JHh_ekC5bDK-0ko5bIglY0Pn6gzBiWC5wSK8AwaNELiJcr8swqe7vmivYl74NtEOT5U8ISl8b77gBJEKubn0LTbB78qjKms_FAXxCYZkpRh0O9BzM6phYxqfgSLSLAAFrW3WKuzqw0mXyq96_-ei0qnIaydCveofIFDdTDaSFpui0xcYT8LyMsoW2Hk/s2736/IMG_7903.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JHh_ekC5bDK-0ko5bIglY0Pn6gzBiWC5wSK8AwaNELiJcr8swqe7vmivYl74NtEOT5U8ISl8b77gBJEKubn0LTbB78qjKms_FAXxCYZkpRh0O9BzM6phYxqfgSLSLAAFrW3WKuzqw0mXyq96_-ei0qnIaydCveofIFDdTDaSFpui0xcYT8LyMsoW2Hk/w640-h426/IMG_7903.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>The new Titan Track on the epic looking Boulder Dash, which sat there as eye candy all day. We went to ride the Ferris Wheel, but no purses or bags were allowed and we were not going to leave them out. You could not leave them on the platform either, the ride ops were insistent on them being placed in the mulch patch at the bottom of the stairs. Not worth walking down to a locker to go ride the Ferris Wheel or to have a purse swiped by leaving it in the mulch on the midway. Since the park seems to love to have money spent at it, it would be a nice thing if they opened up a set of lockers at the top of the hill in the park as well. <div><p>The new Titan Track looked pretty neat on Boulder Dash. I was very much looking forward to riding on it for the first time but it was just not meant to be. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICbo7xiD0mWzGD2w-TsbHKisYLCWEQBWRcDeQzBnWaLGZjrrf5T-konrFL7e5BpTvz5hQps-_-9rOHR9Y0uysuaz4TFNkmQe-HmUhlA0-bRrSbIa0kZOuYfouo561YU_E1NSCRPfEACb5W33XQLjuCPg5izXC8rJ67hBYCse2L7EluWolu5BOA-gX7Pg/s4032/IMG_9878%202.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICbo7xiD0mWzGD2w-TsbHKisYLCWEQBWRcDeQzBnWaLGZjrrf5T-konrFL7e5BpTvz5hQps-_-9rOHR9Y0uysuaz4TFNkmQe-HmUhlA0-bRrSbIa0kZOuYfouo561YU_E1NSCRPfEACb5W33XQLjuCPg5izXC8rJ67hBYCse2L7EluWolu5BOA-gX7Pg/w480-h640/IMG_9878%202.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p>What I do not comprehend about Lake Compounce's approach with adding the track is that they did not appear to give any major attention to the historically problematic final airtime hills, which appeared to be the problem that maintenance was working on throughout the day. There did not appear to be a single new board within that track layering. I can't imagine that maintenance did not anticipate there being any issues in that section this year. I think maintenance needs to go on a field trip to Knoebels and Holiday World, or even Kennywood, to see how wooden coaster maintenance is done. I am sure the Titan Track will make a big difference with the ride. Upkeep the rest and I am sure that you would not have the star attraction of the park down in the prime time of the season. </p><p>Now for the positives at the park:</p><p>The setting at the lake is beautiful and the wooded property at the bottom of a mountain is terrific. This is a special park that is just not being managed well at the moment. The potential for this park is sky-high, with it being in the midst of one of the largest markets in the country, within two hours of Boston and New York, and in the middle of a bunch of cities in Connecticut, there is no reason that if they did not do some expansion and effective advertising, this park would be booming.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAxAf9QFhRi4kINB1h3BeoVSfvly0hsOkKKPKPg2M68P6iODD3pBLQTdaasjTCw2-LW7JoU4tvatsIqENldHez8UVNAUnlJnJZpuMWFG9PwBA6RJoIsUO6zcrXyvEnp73UTWm7jAwAk1-qyAl4YZng52Oa6obtapSP6iiY0t6Qp_NxtFTJ3dudn5gncE/s4032/IMG_9870%202.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAxAf9QFhRi4kINB1h3BeoVSfvly0hsOkKKPKPg2M68P6iODD3pBLQTdaasjTCw2-LW7JoU4tvatsIqENldHez8UVNAUnlJnJZpuMWFG9PwBA6RJoIsUO6zcrXyvEnp73UTWm7jAwAk1-qyAl4YZng52Oa6obtapSP6iiY0t6Qp_NxtFTJ3dudn5gncE/w480-h640/IMG_9870%202.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p>The carousel is breathtaking. It had no particular visible style to it that tipped me off to who the manufacturer was. It is relatively plainly adorned but still beautiful and unique. The horses had great details that would look great if it were refurbished. It lacked the flamboyance of the Coney Island style that Looff put into his later machines. This Looff machine was relocated to the park in 1911 after opening at Savin Rock Park in CT back in 1890. It also has a Wurlitzer organ. Sadly, the paint is sadly in disrepair on the horses. <a href="https://www.thecarouselmuseum.org/restoration-department">WRF Designs and the Carousel Museum </a>are located within 15 minutes of the park in Plainville and they do world class carousel restorations. I feel like the park should give them a call. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEy0kuQk2UlNCLTAU-zsL7MUov1gkecphwWlESR66gh50A0jSjs9XxqWMrmREY8YB-flA_80hEK14qiQnxxbTreP8P-fg2fhc4yCpVdfSsvYiRkDbfsaeHsW1WiQqb2b6_ihCybUtpTwEv3uAn074Va6KZ9RHuxGKT8DkpSmQk_1anWGZGIpGzjJcaaSU/s2736/IMG_7882.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEy0kuQk2UlNCLTAU-zsL7MUov1gkecphwWlESR66gh50A0jSjs9XxqWMrmREY8YB-flA_80hEK14qiQnxxbTreP8P-fg2fhc4yCpVdfSsvYiRkDbfsaeHsW1WiQqb2b6_ihCybUtpTwEv3uAn074Va6KZ9RHuxGKT8DkpSmQk_1anWGZGIpGzjJcaaSU/w640-h426/IMG_7882.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>The historic trolley ride is awesome. To have a historic machine like this running in the park, along the water and Boulder Dash, is truly something special. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsw48omygth9GtoTt0eV9T9JvDQlRyXIozvY9Un6oO7XYpQwo3XW4FXC-9PzIOO8nZmdrKjlA1UdEvPissXS2y2X9id8Vis62nZALQVb2ZpKgRbE5_MvfRY26bhZ9i9YSlP7hsbnUl8TZFEMAdCEAQkvgWaB2OV6OcFHaDHATlz9i9FAy9rg7_Y8LrwU/s2736/IMG_7891.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsw48omygth9GtoTt0eV9T9JvDQlRyXIozvY9Un6oO7XYpQwo3XW4FXC-9PzIOO8nZmdrKjlA1UdEvPissXS2y2X9id8Vis62nZALQVb2ZpKgRbE5_MvfRY26bhZ9i9YSlP7hsbnUl8TZFEMAdCEAQkvgWaB2OV6OcFHaDHATlz9i9FAy9rg7_Y8LrwU/w640-h426/IMG_7891.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>The newer Chance produced train with a long course around the lake is nice. These were probably my favorite rides in the park.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOEIRbddgFk0ZIpmm0F73oKg136oCw0SzjMVuX28LjNSjv4ynRXI-ODtsVaPZlPUuU-G5hrptbIAGJoG3ib5mzJ8qXhejLCO4xcD4-xxDw_Ht_RvA12CcmsERLzw0yl3SJRzrAr-mCNX6vRT0ubYVAhxk3oW1p-qa_EXjTkrcDizMPyIAt_SyX0SVPIM/s2736/IMG_7871.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOEIRbddgFk0ZIpmm0F73oKg136oCw0SzjMVuX28LjNSjv4ynRXI-ODtsVaPZlPUuU-G5hrptbIAGJoG3ib5mzJ8qXhejLCO4xcD4-xxDw_Ht_RvA12CcmsERLzw0yl3SJRzrAr-mCNX6vRT0ubYVAhxk3oW1p-qa_EXjTkrcDizMPyIAt_SyX0SVPIM/w640-h426/IMG_7871.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Some good attention has clearly been given to refreshing and beautifying the midways. I like when attention is given to these kinds of fundamentals. Let's put that same focus into ride maintenance and operations. As I look at the photo above though, I am reminded that it was a few minutes after opening time that they actually opened the gates. Not that there were many open rides to run to anyways. Of the three rides in view in this photo, only Phobia ran, and that was intermittently for about an hour.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LG7NV_xMBqIo6mqaGDdxjnRiiBOk2Vo37Yr5t7Fz3vpHsed8udymznGTRE9E4AFArnPLGKBHc4AF9QPnjHUPuY75-Sua4qQWg6KLd5FghXqeBTaA3AovSkaE7h1h5SWf_TABq6bx_X5xT8tgE-VKkGsquzQF-e9EbPjiUYQMyxmV8N-h3z_39DXL9Us/s2736/IMG_7909.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LG7NV_xMBqIo6mqaGDdxjnRiiBOk2Vo37Yr5t7Fz3vpHsed8udymznGTRE9E4AFArnPLGKBHc4AF9QPnjHUPuY75-Sua4qQWg6KLd5FghXqeBTaA3AovSkaE7h1h5SWf_TABq6bx_X5xT8tgE-VKkGsquzQF-e9EbPjiUYQMyxmV8N-h3z_39DXL9Us/w640-h426/IMG_7909.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>We did snag a ride on Phobia Phear Coaster, which is the park's Premier Sky Rocket II coaster. I was fortunate to catch it in the hour or so that it ran on this day. It is a fun ride, but by no means a signature ride. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZzcjeSyTo6kZm1_8oiGsqMalvTcU0VhYIdgd95Uu_tvYgt-xGlbdfRbM2Wv_FejjT8W0syhSe-vbGTWMbP0mSztF7EGp5z6IrdMMjuKQls0iVwLZPmKsDkRT5DkPk_KPd1ARohELvtqI2VTUnSUX3oGX3ML9GrYosJiZWI9wtriaqoRIQaSIUP0B3GQ/s4032/IMG_9867%202.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZzcjeSyTo6kZm1_8oiGsqMalvTcU0VhYIdgd95Uu_tvYgt-xGlbdfRbM2Wv_FejjT8W0syhSe-vbGTWMbP0mSztF7EGp5z6IrdMMjuKQls0iVwLZPmKsDkRT5DkPk_KPd1ARohELvtqI2VTUnSUX3oGX3ML9GrYosJiZWI9wtriaqoRIQaSIUP0B3GQ/w640-h480/IMG_9867%202.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p>We also caught a ride on their Boomerang coaster, which was just fine and ran relatively smooth for this model of coaster that can be notoriously rough, though there was a little bit of head banging in the cobra roll. I didn't ride 8 hours to ride these coasters that can be ridden anywhere though. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs0uDZNNCTcISI_hsmXeGuvXBZI3NcVHV3xAhIWd5UMsZtDUBTfH1kEIKnQUG13df8C9rh3hSjOBEgBFU32mHDwT4o78SMuOX54v3dwYAtFaXVOGSdd465zLTwBZ2c5dWvsU-raRgRbEjTxjH_tZg2nxtpWThnjweKkiP8oHR21yG6q_pBNMIcgKHfls/s4032/IMG_9866%202.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs0uDZNNCTcISI_hsmXeGuvXBZI3NcVHV3xAhIWd5UMsZtDUBTfH1kEIKnQUG13df8C9rh3hSjOBEgBFU32mHDwT4o78SMuOX54v3dwYAtFaXVOGSdd465zLTwBZ2c5dWvsU-raRgRbEjTxjH_tZg2nxtpWThnjweKkiP8oHR21yG6q_pBNMIcgKHfls/w300-h400/IMG_9866%202.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><p>The campground was cute. The cabins were a tad expensive, but not terrible, but I figured the premium that they charged would be more than worth it for the opportunity to ride Boulder Dash, though my hopes were dashed on that and I was thoroughly heartbroken. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcU8DG19s_AjFiCFi4DTBxENsfGIL0c8tO0IWVi12yIgE44MpRhm9aZSFuidCSeC_NEhUEfJ598Ogr-sN1tbdDzBKz-imnaywp2EdJMMGu_TxUazfWTOd9S6EDiQUpweEVdpbUgssZDHX889OdRl8CYX3hdpYDBxS46D1m1oqNwLFxCjvGgzihR0PXEdk/s2736/IMG_7913.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcU8DG19s_AjFiCFi4DTBxENsfGIL0c8tO0IWVi12yIgE44MpRhm9aZSFuidCSeC_NEhUEfJ598Ogr-sN1tbdDzBKz-imnaywp2EdJMMGu_TxUazfWTOd9S6EDiQUpweEVdpbUgssZDHX889OdRl8CYX3hdpYDBxS46D1m1oqNwLFxCjvGgzihR0PXEdk/w640-h426/IMG_7913.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Seeing Everclear play on the new floating stage was the clear highlight of the day. The idea is decent and will definitely help to bring in more people, though the chorus of angry people I heard exclaim "I am never going here again" is probably going to balance that out. Hearing Everclear play "Santa Monica" helped salvage the day at the end. I can just imagine if one or two more things went right on our visit, that it would have been an excellent and memorable day, maybe even one of my best. </p><p>The park needs to get their maintenance and operations in order. Palace should send management on trips to well run independent parks like Knoebels or Holiday World, and to other chains to get an idea of how to run a park. I would hate to see this park nearly slip away again like it did in the past. I would really like to take another trip to this park, but to blow hundreds of dollars on lodging and day passes again to have it be wasted without a ride on Boulder Dash gives me huge hesitation, though that coaster has been on my bucket list for a very long time. I hope I get back someday and the coaster actually runs for it looks like one of the best in the world. </p><p>I always pledge honesty on here, and the downside of that is when you have to be negative. Seldom has a park visit let me down as hard as this one has, scratch that, no park has ever let me down as hard as this, but that's life. One of the other things that got on my nerves is that the park did not say "hey, I realize a bunch of our rides are closed, here is a pass to get a free meal or something." If three of your four main coasters are down for the day, you should give a 75 percent refund for a day pass. I passed by a guy who was walking into he park entrance with his two little kids. The dad asked the kids what they wanted to do first and they excitedly yelled "Wildcat!" I did not have the heart to break the bad news to them, or about the other disappointment they were set to see with the bulk of the other rides being closed. Lots of people were upset around the midways all day. I spent a good chunk of change for us to have a good day at the park, and that is nothing compared to what a large family paid for a day out. They did not even have an attendant out at the end of the queue of Boulder Dash all day to give updates. Lake Compounce knows what it has to do to be adequate. If this keeps up, they will be losing a good chunk of their repeat attendance for years and they will need to be earned back. </p></div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-68518395772525704112023-06-19T21:50:00.002-04:002023-06-19T21:51:40.760-04:00Twister Track Work Update and Knoebels Trip Report, June 2023<p> We started off our summer road trip at Knoebels as a quick stop on our way up to Lake Compounce then down to the Jersey Shore and the Eastern Shore for a relaxing vacation. Knoebels was a last minute add, but you just can't pass up getting a rest stop halfway at Knoebels. I am glad that we stopped too, because Lake Compounce ended up having just about nothing open on the day we visited, which was very disappointing since we have never ridden Boulder Dash. Thankfully, Knoebels took care and priority in having their rides running.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoYnBHBmjEjBdfXQOHg2XcwpTb9kJ4aqQEwTZoH2nTQkVAP5H4naHGXlN-mX9uRQLWVxP7kVFM9wJslp0LFxm5T0LJBVaoFMdnfJb0qWSrbn5fVIRaNeHBLgxXZCmjx6_r33Bqf7oF0epItJ-46nhs7Nwp9zK6AudOutMPLbaNsb61vb2Zp5uz8UYy-hi/s2736/IMG_7823.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoYnBHBmjEjBdfXQOHg2XcwpTb9kJ4aqQEwTZoH2nTQkVAP5H4naHGXlN-mX9uRQLWVxP7kVFM9wJslp0LFxm5T0LJBVaoFMdnfJb0qWSrbn5fVIRaNeHBLgxXZCmjx6_r33Bqf7oF0epItJ-46nhs7Nwp9zK6AudOutMPLbaNsb61vb2Zp5uz8UYy-hi/w640-h426/IMG_7823.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Knoebels is the same old awesome park as always. They completely rebuilt the track on both helix sections in the spaghetti bowl of Twister, after doing some major structural work and bolstering around it in the last few years. It is always pleasant to see how much care the park puts into the coasters. The train itself though seems to lose some momentum in this section now though, which is particularly noticeable at the end as it coasts into the final break run. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpeNovZGJxDkFK4kEyJQVCjD-ICkd6E8Sh1I_n0_gb7HoK1v6l1Awpnzk11Fk6WtVIwMqkXMVF3xoV5dPI4LWPH9evMpf8dyqRFTWz7v-oTaIkz2N9C1u9_nR_EE2jrYI1DOezZX3OxoRmGDENmCpX6BlEOFOLsQ4AhEfcYQllcMyR_53E3VQRi1XyfDB/s2736/IMG_7822.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpeNovZGJxDkFK4kEyJQVCjD-ICkd6E8Sh1I_n0_gb7HoK1v6l1Awpnzk11Fk6WtVIwMqkXMVF3xoV5dPI4LWPH9evMpf8dyqRFTWz7v-oTaIkz2N9C1u9_nR_EE2jrYI1DOezZX3OxoRmGDENmCpX6BlEOFOLsQ4AhEfcYQllcMyR_53E3VQRi1XyfDB/w640-h426/IMG_7822.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I will be curious to see how the coaster rides as it breaks in over the coming year. Instead of being the out of control and super intense ride it has been over the last few years, it is a more leisurely and fun ride. I love it either way, just would love to see it gain back its intensity as the season wears on. I did not snap a picture, but the new Bayern Kurve ride is still in the midst of being assembled.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpj-cy0NO_juaqFHhLCOdfPSZG7UMBOg8ByICKKp-Hbf5KXN1sQ3JHwRlPKypn3f5zP5wqOA4gEocD7qnwBCtUQ1dWRxa7-Hg5FIdBNMvOJLY_hfS7tE8keTNo2BsH-MhR3hTwJFKxBXOyNF02RTjMkMraf4WAM08JNl0K-kPYECFiBJxu1zUJ6us4p0C/s2736/IMG_7825.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpj-cy0NO_juaqFHhLCOdfPSZG7UMBOg8ByICKKp-Hbf5KXN1sQ3JHwRlPKypn3f5zP5wqOA4gEocD7qnwBCtUQ1dWRxa7-Hg5FIdBNMvOJLY_hfS7tE8keTNo2BsH-MhR3hTwJFKxBXOyNF02RTjMkMraf4WAM08JNl0K-kPYECFiBJxu1zUJ6us4p0C/s320/IMG_7825.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After riding Twister, we went and played Fascination. We went on the half hour a few times and Brit won Coverall two times in a row! What a great way to kick off the road trip vacation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70IOEm8yKPCISlS3JlqODXj7dkUL8WQO22fiZvPEf0cz1vgsK6EtPD9pskLyJqt4qFBRVvEG9Z1c8CLyikdSen3vkKUo2P2S9OWGF3O_pjeQ3ijjYKOF5KJ9FqKeeaTo20T6eXiAakOv5kPMQAnhbeWdNlIUJfmyJUy8cxPucW7lgxV-8xQvDdFCjEx-y/s2736/IMG_7828.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70IOEm8yKPCISlS3JlqODXj7dkUL8WQO22fiZvPEf0cz1vgsK6EtPD9pskLyJqt4qFBRVvEG9Z1c8CLyikdSen3vkKUo2P2S9OWGF3O_pjeQ3ijjYKOF5KJ9FqKeeaTo20T6eXiAakOv5kPMQAnhbeWdNlIUJfmyJUy8cxPucW7lgxV-8xQvDdFCjEx-y/w640-h426/IMG_7828.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>On the flip side, for the first time in many years, Phoenix took back my heart from Twister. For a while I went back and forth on which one I loved more, but for the last 5 years or so, I preferred Twister. This year Phoenix won me back. They did not do a ton of trackwork on it this year like they have in other years, and the track has worn in pretty nicely. Some great surprise pops of ejector early on in the layout that have not been there in a while, and the final run is as strong as ever. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzf2ozxuXM0ywyUQ_tbAEsRhLCpIMHJv9j4pDxsCaH7era95wDMMTzn5xCHzQpJw1Tr2i0QIFDrNSTe2yoiOVZ1TFiKG8fP9Px7FVH4SZ3bxXOJgoRpsHSUpNzPBG7CSmj4O5kCoRshBTj4-zA2z78i6_htIiUAtBx1YTJ5gHV3n9MNOkBHccyE15W274/s2736/IMG_7831.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzf2ozxuXM0ywyUQ_tbAEsRhLCpIMHJv9j4pDxsCaH7era95wDMMTzn5xCHzQpJw1Tr2i0QIFDrNSTe2yoiOVZ1TFiKG8fP9Px7FVH4SZ3bxXOJgoRpsHSUpNzPBG7CSmj4O5kCoRshBTj4-zA2z78i6_htIiUAtBx1YTJ5gHV3n9MNOkBHccyE15W274/w640-h426/IMG_7831.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Always love seeing these majestic PTC trains. There is nothing quite like a wooden coaster running in top form with PTC trains.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vkxCJrhNqqr7fu-X_DnrV20xwMn0inobJk33UAHKrp9txArGDhwyffysQIhWnR8rXAGWlGGB54gIT_7k__nGHvO_SL0Nq5Qx8BYMEgimOR9rJWIlcnPnTxU4pr5Y3auXswtW9UtkG0ExBVRts9IlbklZt9Pev2ETvNeYArcZc6Amlj0nQa0xd-5yvQRW/s2736/IMG_7849.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vkxCJrhNqqr7fu-X_DnrV20xwMn0inobJk33UAHKrp9txArGDhwyffysQIhWnR8rXAGWlGGB54gIT_7k__nGHvO_SL0Nq5Qx8BYMEgimOR9rJWIlcnPnTxU4pr5Y3auXswtW9UtkG0ExBVRts9IlbklZt9Pev2ETvNeYArcZc6Amlj0nQa0xd-5yvQRW/s320/IMG_7849.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We wrapped up with a ride on the carousel and a late yummy lunch at the Alamo Diner before we headed off to Lake Compounce to be pretty disappointed. </div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-11808062006429103822022-10-16T14:34:00.005-04:002022-12-11T22:10:05.557-05:00Knoebels Hallo Fun Weekends Trip Report 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We spent a recent autumn weekend at Knoebels for the Hallo-Fun Weekends and the Phoenix Phall Phunfest enthusiast event and had a great time as always. Not a whole lot new to report at the park, aside from some cosmetic stuff and the pad for the new Bayern Kurve getting built, but today's article will primarily be photos. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBS80TM8XYzuhyIpRMH_H4rnFf0RiUlZ23lkHOAZeR48-Y5Pu3Mj_b4aUt_EBzik-YPMoL9pUBpURfr3Rg-eskSCS4Eu05wcB4BpjUDMoFIgpGS75P3tF0_ewDlML6-CNrP7bg2DRh9RcHm6mtVXcJ_NOvq3DmREpk9SIZ7-YB0wvlbdJBC9NsxWGT/s2736/IMG_2398.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBS80TM8XYzuhyIpRMH_H4rnFf0RiUlZ23lkHOAZeR48-Y5Pu3Mj_b4aUt_EBzik-YPMoL9pUBpURfr3Rg-eskSCS4Eu05wcB4BpjUDMoFIgpGS75P3tF0_ewDlML6-CNrP7bg2DRh9RcHm6mtVXcJ_NOvq3DmREpk9SIZ7-YB0wvlbdJBC9NsxWGT/s320/IMG_2398.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Perhaps the most noticeable work that I saw for this year was adding rebuilt and additional bracing to the first turnaround on Twister. The photo below shows the turnaround before this work was done, and the photo after that shows the latest work. It is pretty impressive. They have basically redesigned the support system in this</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnoLD_iKYaeMKnsof_otlayF8dPzpABA8-aDjYFq2al2n1xkmfndUwd_D3v8m0va9ZulZycX8NXsCTFNQyF_myReBEJnBcl5NAY-YsSUHmz7BjkmSwHsNoSrOngL9DLOxoZcjHyYpcLrhl05z44iTNEe1BLiuv-TTUnbLQEeI38jTx3U1FYZa5yxO/s1600/IMG_6782-3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnoLD_iKYaeMKnsof_otlayF8dPzpABA8-aDjYFq2al2n1xkmfndUwd_D3v8m0va9ZulZycX8NXsCTFNQyF_myReBEJnBcl5NAY-YsSUHmz7BjkmSwHsNoSrOngL9DLOxoZcjHyYpcLrhl05z44iTNEe1BLiuv-TTUnbLQEeI38jTx3U1FYZa5yxO/s320/IMG_6782-3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgJjCinnAyQUd_et6jaoeP5Lk938AQ07n5Sj305Tp4B24cFNBDzSVfdIuU4xILCd_XDVesHWUdFZL6uU2_1z7vdjZyh6X7FVEMfG_tuokTdfpkGrSpyEJTyX3X1QoLWJE7UWpOhFUU6Dlp12uH3AMRnsvMuiJBWRUjW8L7xdr8t7qXrYmb0OJN97Y/s2736/IMG_2406.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgJjCinnAyQUd_et6jaoeP5Lk938AQ07n5Sj305Tp4B24cFNBDzSVfdIuU4xILCd_XDVesHWUdFZL6uU2_1z7vdjZyh6X7FVEMfG_tuokTdfpkGrSpyEJTyX3X1QoLWJE7UWpOhFUU6Dlp12uH3AMRnsvMuiJBWRUjW8L7xdr8t7qXrYmb0OJN97Y/s320/IMG_2406.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WzALrVOPShWhG1SumlqkEM56bexcxQIx2L8NludTaancXlD-QFbHqL1n8fQQ0Jr9t6qL2jlv_KW_GDFkgo9leujhEhzLCrfmOcUu5WkZNl-DeJIbd9DVxRrR-8pxKe5OOAcndw0l4RlvcZrvKyqj_X_PIUc5S8lQntz_U9NziuohTCAK-Vnru6MG/s2736/IMG_2407.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WzALrVOPShWhG1SumlqkEM56bexcxQIx2L8NludTaancXlD-QFbHqL1n8fQQ0Jr9t6qL2jlv_KW_GDFkgo9leujhEhzLCrfmOcUu5WkZNl-DeJIbd9DVxRrR-8pxKe5OOAcndw0l4RlvcZrvKyqj_X_PIUc5S8lQntz_U9NziuohTCAK-Vnru6MG/s320/IMG_2407.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A picture of the coolest spot in temperature of any coaster anywhere. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZA_1RPIPtUuvkezvoitHRFRj_MmiCHCU1xRK88B4FzpDcVTuJzwv-XXxkvR9jcKy-IjEJwCqlA44mzUZYFWuYnV-rhiwtA_33I9eknm4hh9o60beXzponzuqgeuvUQw9nnAJjYPsRYnNh2cniFb2uxJ5bPGTjbvmAzSZxlb0SkGuX9JAMRj5aqt5/s2736/IMG_2413.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZA_1RPIPtUuvkezvoitHRFRj_MmiCHCU1xRK88B4FzpDcVTuJzwv-XXxkvR9jcKy-IjEJwCqlA44mzUZYFWuYnV-rhiwtA_33I9eknm4hh9o60beXzponzuqgeuvUQw9nnAJjYPsRYnNh2cniFb2uxJ5bPGTjbvmAzSZxlb0SkGuX9JAMRj5aqt5/s320/IMG_2413.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">CeCe, and our other new rescue pup, Buddy the Beagle, dressed up as Dinos for the Halloween festivities. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYGMNqd3gCeHQXm7xfgZPpLdVFkChax5QVw1F_pNFUuC6YSZjnVY2vWYA59jres4-6Hj6Pt1xH5r3tFkiDr4Vuz7eFo54rfcbJ9uryOzsL2Rp5oe9Ql97sxOmpM9lBmKhjG7K-2k1AnyuS5IZYTqvweCigdhjKDdeRtb1oFh94CjtPdey_81A5C-I/s2736/IMG_2438.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYGMNqd3gCeHQXm7xfgZPpLdVFkChax5QVw1F_pNFUuC6YSZjnVY2vWYA59jres4-6Hj6Pt1xH5r3tFkiDr4Vuz7eFo54rfcbJ9uryOzsL2Rp5oe9Ql97sxOmpM9lBmKhjG7K-2k1AnyuS5IZYTqvweCigdhjKDdeRtb1oFh94CjtPdey_81A5C-I/s320/IMG_2438.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So many beautiful autumn scenes at the park.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeJml4IsMbUZAlDqOuLwuVfDyeO3upSHhxr183D42a8iHLEMLDDvJANcxUAKCMbi6o5VjM9jbEvPWGOr590vaffzgacPBWFAGx9OwXx5k6w2i_AaX1p3eR5oweJPH-MfzCy6zgn_GypEmpy79woJ9xhWg1Iv1MtOf4ItOJdi-YODkq17XAZUvTVN-/s2736/IMG_2441.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeJml4IsMbUZAlDqOuLwuVfDyeO3upSHhxr183D42a8iHLEMLDDvJANcxUAKCMbi6o5VjM9jbEvPWGOr590vaffzgacPBWFAGx9OwXx5k6w2i_AaX1p3eR5oweJPH-MfzCy6zgn_GypEmpy79woJ9xhWg1Iv1MtOf4ItOJdi-YODkq17XAZUvTVN-/s320/IMG_2441.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The Haunted Mansion, all done up for the holiday.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMB0PQXlCAExRxBjtWwNjNPM8ZnzXiilBmreIJy2WFd4cFqZcZuhXeQWcFm1eeeaAiTqk79_yGBR0tYe465pVTMKCfIJ6Bv6bIcuVa2DMQMwJT6kf1nNXOawIfknNKZSW1_14lBkMoAn-ITBgeOTuPjRfTQTDoR6qaBkRt76xamY-Q52sgLE5eSY-E/s2736/IMG_2454.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMB0PQXlCAExRxBjtWwNjNPM8ZnzXiilBmreIJy2WFd4cFqZcZuhXeQWcFm1eeeaAiTqk79_yGBR0tYe465pVTMKCfIJ6Bv6bIcuVa2DMQMwJT6kf1nNXOawIfknNKZSW1_14lBkMoAn-ITBgeOTuPjRfTQTDoR6qaBkRt76xamY-Q52sgLE5eSY-E/s320/IMG_2454.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Impulse is so cool looking, but its paint job is definitely ready to be redone. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPB1qz52PqanGcjA0g5MoneXClx4oZW0vKgJVBx2aultD3-RhirbLR7idlfQp1Z8VEIO4k4jX7eG912HLbkDWeS80hOz0cfKzW0x7HZcTEA0wjVjwtgOt-CQC3nL4cac3GJtSuu8AlYGC3QTVXUGrtRB79N1R2W36cdKxJf66FrY65-j9Wl88U7a8v/s2736/IMG_2462.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPB1qz52PqanGcjA0g5MoneXClx4oZW0vKgJVBx2aultD3-RhirbLR7idlfQp1Z8VEIO4k4jX7eG912HLbkDWeS80hOz0cfKzW0x7HZcTEA0wjVjwtgOt-CQC3nL4cac3GJtSuu8AlYGC3QTVXUGrtRB79N1R2W36cdKxJf66FrY65-j9Wl88U7a8v/s320/IMG_2462.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQLrftkL3IcA7Q_Jcaj0y3tZx3I9Z1g5kjgYiWIBqxpo46NqBNAUgQjR7N0ZZdg1XbbKAEI_iOm_z_na9DugYoUKOoO9c15IbNAmT2iDuvRRCTXzWMkGrVcMTwIPSdtzGbegLW1tLHCrl3h6S9iwR4EWPfEUwh7p1dpoLu_4GpQwUYPALtsJxC0E9/s2736/IMG_2502.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQLrftkL3IcA7Q_Jcaj0y3tZx3I9Z1g5kjgYiWIBqxpo46NqBNAUgQjR7N0ZZdg1XbbKAEI_iOm_z_na9DugYoUKOoO9c15IbNAmT2iDuvRRCTXzWMkGrVcMTwIPSdtzGbegLW1tLHCrl3h6S9iwR4EWPfEUwh7p1dpoLu_4GpQwUYPALtsJxC0E9/s320/IMG_2502.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMKLrSdDGAx6Q22mEKeR250D1Qq4VphLl4YqxxVV70vn1VM5bZ4hHgvUlNFqah2SLeWnwYZdBsgk1HLIq9CYJwkW6O_KyxTXml5WWkJT4q4MjGMqkJZGaZ6JGs0F91LAJ6YXVzh34W7Y7Wb3ax427mpKTPnvzGBjUw04b-R2wHTJjVvIQjOmr6XOw/s2736/IMG_2435.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMKLrSdDGAx6Q22mEKeR250D1Qq4VphLl4YqxxVV70vn1VM5bZ4hHgvUlNFqah2SLeWnwYZdBsgk1HLIq9CYJwkW6O_KyxTXml5WWkJT4q4MjGMqkJZGaZ6JGs0F91LAJ6YXVzh34W7Y7Wb3ax427mpKTPnvzGBjUw04b-R2wHTJjVvIQjOmr6XOw/s320/IMG_2435.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Buddy and CeCe riding the Grand Carousel</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6v49wbQVNShwyPotweNYjDV3Lyke021FQGA3D68ACC4_sHaMp2T_HGQTk07Z3go9G0N0arr5IN8FbqUDiMxX40AN8wT5Um3ZgIx9_WYo5HeuChzj9xllUokoSRelw0czbK_750ZLtwi8XKg-Z3SftRS0l08TKr7YtOewv9TltpSE_dijJnvLYWZOi/s2736/IMG_2434.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6v49wbQVNShwyPotweNYjDV3Lyke021FQGA3D68ACC4_sHaMp2T_HGQTk07Z3go9G0N0arr5IN8FbqUDiMxX40AN8wT5Um3ZgIx9_WYo5HeuChzj9xllUokoSRelw0czbK_750ZLtwi8XKg-Z3SftRS0l08TKr7YtOewv9TltpSE_dijJnvLYWZOi/s320/IMG_2434.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Twister is riding terrific as always. Somehow this ride seems to get better and better each year. Backseat is absolutely wild, especially with that pop of airtime heading into the 2nd and largest drop. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxRCDw8bZ-KO34VC-KmnQZ7Nh6I_HOGk70WgwiWmwKNehmphFwQVSDOje76zCFKoBnrhnCeIEl8-JAro8cf4aTK8yY-yNdhHZI7zh7x7iyhHdWXUsj47Qe79jGNAIB6rF1te86oZMOwF4_by0FH8zBn9mjemdVns_wJVOsCVXCHYGAxBHSEE9k3n9/s2736/IMG_2433.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxRCDw8bZ-KO34VC-KmnQZ7Nh6I_HOGk70WgwiWmwKNehmphFwQVSDOje76zCFKoBnrhnCeIEl8-JAro8cf4aTK8yY-yNdhHZI7zh7x7iyhHdWXUsj47Qe79jGNAIB6rF1te86oZMOwF4_by0FH8zBn9mjemdVns_wJVOsCVXCHYGAxBHSEE9k3n9/s320/IMG_2433.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Autumn at Knoebels is such a relaxing vibe. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm10kCZSmY_8oiSmQ5n-9f7DV9DwKNO1Hlf7_J8E8m0OQf4FbGTdBbynN4x1Zw_r5XGHQGTDrvsggYRpdDyDtV9XPZhEi0MFBEyR1G1SgYGgnmKaiPdk8CQYzTRn-vSnTO2D3n3sNvcZscSfz-A9Gio0M9ifX9ev-t71Bc7nfHjpKVNketwK7cq2_l/s2736/IMG_2432.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm10kCZSmY_8oiSmQ5n-9f7DV9DwKNO1Hlf7_J8E8m0OQf4FbGTdBbynN4x1Zw_r5XGHQGTDrvsggYRpdDyDtV9XPZhEi0MFBEyR1G1SgYGgnmKaiPdk8CQYzTRn-vSnTO2D3n3sNvcZscSfz-A9Gio0M9ifX9ev-t71Bc7nfHjpKVNketwK7cq2_l/s320/IMG_2432.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZTCgv7Ft8iuq-YRBywEDASGEBbMJXOCibVxJavyDUGemD0fbhYclIjJq0m0yGcOGVvUHEhwBgNIIudP5V2dYSbYsXzkVO_X8z_YmsgoWRyKo58tGzsPjdIVB0sxMouN7xj4PXbBGyq_oW1Dkz5mXAaU6nVhtpGoM9GoN5P6jebDYgSindi2HdRJZ/s2736/IMG_2422.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZTCgv7Ft8iuq-YRBywEDASGEBbMJXOCibVxJavyDUGemD0fbhYclIjJq0m0yGcOGVvUHEhwBgNIIudP5V2dYSbYsXzkVO_X8z_YmsgoWRyKo58tGzsPjdIVB0sxMouN7xj4PXbBGyq_oW1Dkz5mXAaU6nVhtpGoM9GoN5P6jebDYgSindi2HdRJZ/s320/IMG_2422.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our two pups loved the rides. This was Buddy's first time riding and he was in awe. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHREsTo5AKJWMJkH0U10YPm1So8hCfQ3fTSECRbtFZjk_A3Q5jbxXcoznrdNpPi3wm--TnzCLM3isLvJf99cqLvOdvsuyh1rkCztyNX6czRaqiaJCPnxGrUeum2nmIhwy4Wwyn3YCiZr-cjnZHHNKy2UbFGVN-70oYXBIUApn4dp1kWX-KWKvdC-Yg/s2736/IMG_2559.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHREsTo5AKJWMJkH0U10YPm1So8hCfQ3fTSECRbtFZjk_A3Q5jbxXcoznrdNpPi3wm--TnzCLM3isLvJf99cqLvOdvsuyh1rkCztyNX6czRaqiaJCPnxGrUeum2nmIhwy4Wwyn3YCiZr-cjnZHHNKy2UbFGVN-70oYXBIUApn4dp1kWX-KWKvdC-Yg/s320/IMG_2559.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYdZ-NF8GJ9o2e4UCTsswoAPoSfxV1YZLMpFSnD3HnPag24O6r6_8HTpLySZ8EfH7sQYmVlmYNQsDy0zvChAg-bqsKHaQ9_wo7xP1O41cw9SiR3FiRyWq1-BAXOjzKlTGDTvR3fWZugK50m1DDqWQ5787QZTf1Z3qNofTadis_Vkafjjx038-6Rij/s2736/IMG_2572.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYdZ-NF8GJ9o2e4UCTsswoAPoSfxV1YZLMpFSnD3HnPag24O6r6_8HTpLySZ8EfH7sQYmVlmYNQsDy0zvChAg-bqsKHaQ9_wo7xP1O41cw9SiR3FiRyWq1-BAXOjzKlTGDTvR3fWZugK50m1DDqWQ5787QZTf1Z3qNofTadis_Vkafjjx038-6Rij/s320/IMG_2572.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Phoenix was terrific as always, especially on those final airtime hills. On some rides I felt airtime on pretty much every hill, though each ride was noticeably different. Especially during the enthusiast ERT in the evening, with temps down into the 30s. It was pretty wild. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltwL8JI93kCKgo55za6vn18a1wl0iFb2f6HZfxFq3Hnbn0KaF-es3C4ZB9HykizwsxT0MQQBCdNSjefKGmUtV-2vN-q6b2wT9WmPt4OQyjNwuOR3i6YM-RhPDfuUa7yXTbnFaaaHMFp1EWK2WuxpUz0vQkNqpSmlFQQ6Z5qlVPPIpzOAe2EUZNIPx/s2736/IMG_2556.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltwL8JI93kCKgo55za6vn18a1wl0iFb2f6HZfxFq3Hnbn0KaF-es3C4ZB9HykizwsxT0MQQBCdNSjefKGmUtV-2vN-q6b2wT9WmPt4OQyjNwuOR3i6YM-RhPDfuUa7yXTbnFaaaHMFp1EWK2WuxpUz0vQkNqpSmlFQQ6Z5qlVPPIpzOAe2EUZNIPx/s320/IMG_2556.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is the pad for the Bayern Kurve. It is in place of 1001 Nacht, and you can't see within this photo, but it is within 30 feet of the splash zone of their splash down ride, Skloosh. I suspect that the electrical demons they faced with 1001 Nacht may have had something to do with the water splashing from Skloosh and I wonder if the Bayern Kurve will face these same issues too. If I were running the park, I would look at either moving or removing Skloosh if they want Bayern Kurve's electrical stuff to stay intact. It would be great to see this Midway have an anchor coaster attraction in place of Skloosh and have some of the groves moved around. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jWvPvbYYZ0s_fx_txXVFmJ-5CGMEEEIvhthjBD4xRNEbB-HIlMv3xv7sbDVRTzcfbSKMmMaunboZJxV1b9nb6gibCP4-pQoh0fi5LeTj-qSa4pm3flKiM5UYYan6i812an9PQHzk0sIcdspS_6thc--kTqBkoguOixtjb4n5WS9KiW0CpukEgkzY/s2736/IMG_2555.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jWvPvbYYZ0s_fx_txXVFmJ-5CGMEEEIvhthjBD4xRNEbB-HIlMv3xv7sbDVRTzcfbSKMmMaunboZJxV1b9nb6gibCP4-pQoh0fi5LeTj-qSa4pm3flKiM5UYYan6i812an9PQHzk0sIcdspS_6thc--kTqBkoguOixtjb4n5WS9KiW0CpukEgkzY/s320/IMG_2555.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn3lJ9_NJTehcsnNX4HozMk_G4yKwj5d_a0xUhU-deisZJsUzpQ3GM0K_0UcAtzC75_ZiM-NZHIcxuLUB59UegYN8HKq9h8NfYQeC5cd46cgHxXSaSzswmkb_NpfY2ZI73B_gvO7LFVuEGj9Ct3-J67N3CEyif9OFDjT1mJ3ZyelgANYDfymys8Fr/s2736/IMG_2553.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn3lJ9_NJTehcsnNX4HozMk_G4yKwj5d_a0xUhU-deisZJsUzpQ3GM0K_0UcAtzC75_ZiM-NZHIcxuLUB59UegYN8HKq9h8NfYQeC5cd46cgHxXSaSzswmkb_NpfY2ZI73B_gvO7LFVuEGj9Ct3-J67N3CEyif9OFDjT1mJ3ZyelgANYDfymys8Fr/s320/IMG_2553.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We leave with a view of the fun Flying Turns. As always, visiting the park was great. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thanks for the support this year with our 2023 Roller Coaster Calendar. They are sold out for the year. You all are the best! Our Pennsylvania Amusement Parks books are still available though. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBKFIciQtS01Ea3B9_nyazLl0SVa6m_-fsxT0Ddqg-Ii-gVnIrJdaRawgcnIVVeqGJa7U9JO1MRePx5fBWaGXPxw2rbAhIilO5LBR6Hs9z60flYJUJIvpn2DC5IxcwwJ2IQpGYiQZS8Hc1vmOwQtR1hjmHaBQcXiuEvow9M4VvhjPMuZW5312okLF/s3300/00%20Mosaic%20Cover%20Coaster%20Calendar%20Belmont%20IMG_1459%20copy%203.JPG" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBKFIciQtS01Ea3B9_nyazLl0SVa6m_-fsxT0Ddqg-Ii-gVnIrJdaRawgcnIVVeqGJa7U9JO1MRePx5fBWaGXPxw2rbAhIilO5LBR6Hs9z60flYJUJIvpn2DC5IxcwwJ2IQpGYiQZS8Hc1vmOwQtR1hjmHaBQcXiuEvow9M4VvhjPMuZW5312okLF/w640-h494/00%20Mosaic%20Cover%20Coaster%20Calendar%20Belmont%20IMG_1459%20copy%203.JPG" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">Our spiral bound 2023 Roller Coaster Wall Calendar is our tenth annual Roller Coaster Calendar and it features roller coasters from many amusement parks, including: </span><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">-Knoebels in Pennsylvania </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">-Belmont Park in San Diego </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">-Waldameer Park in Pennsylvania </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">-Busch Gardens Williamsburg</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">-Knott's Berry Farm </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">-Six Flags Magic Mountain </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">-Kennywood Park in Pennsylvania</div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">-Cedar Point </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">-Morey's Piers in New Jersey </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">-Indiana Beach </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">-Six Flags Great America </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">-Lakemont Park in Altoona, PA </div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;">These calendars are custom made by us with photos taken by us. The calendars open up to be 17 inches tall by 11 inches wide (8.5 by 11 per page)<br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: start;"><p>Also available is our book on Pennsylvania's historic amusement parks, Great Pennsylvania Amusement Parks Road Trip. It features Knoebels, Kennywood Park, Hersheypark, Dorney Park, Waldameer, DelGrosso's, Lakemont, Dutch Wonderland, Idlewild, and the gone, but not forgotten, Conneaut Lake Park.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixo9RQUmLtODpVeYH6i76Z5gPTSvYiH5hFpqY9Jy4yInMNd7sHFKY7eegczyYYyg0f4lXw-vou5rouDxMC5YHNDPThjI2Ul8XEt9zf78RDWQFxgJg05ZHE7x7hRb2HIkeUpofh4i0GDo/s640/book+cover.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; text-align: start;" width="480" /></p><p>Purchases of the book can be made through the PayPal menu at the bottom of this page, and at the top of this page. Thank you for all of your support over the years! The 2023 Calendar is sold out for the year. </p><p><br /></p></div></div>
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Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-82500002852083057432022-08-23T18:01:00.002-04:002022-12-11T22:16:47.647-05:00Our 2023 Roller Coaster Calendar Is Available Now! Thanks for your support!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thanks for all of your support this year! We have sold out of our 2023 Roller Coaster Calendars, but our book on Pennsylvania Amusement Parks is still available. Thank you very much!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBKFIciQtS01Ea3B9_nyazLl0SVa6m_-fsxT0Ddqg-Ii-gVnIrJdaRawgcnIVVeqGJa7U9JO1MRePx5fBWaGXPxw2rbAhIilO5LBR6Hs9z60flYJUJIvpn2DC5IxcwwJ2IQpGYiQZS8Hc1vmOwQtR1hjmHaBQcXiuEvow9M4VvhjPMuZW5312okLF/s3300/00%20Mosaic%20Cover%20Coaster%20Calendar%20Belmont%20IMG_1459%20copy%203.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3300" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBKFIciQtS01Ea3B9_nyazLl0SVa6m_-fsxT0Ddqg-Ii-gVnIrJdaRawgcnIVVeqGJa7U9JO1MRePx5fBWaGXPxw2rbAhIilO5LBR6Hs9z60flYJUJIvpn2DC5IxcwwJ2IQpGYiQZS8Hc1vmOwQtR1hjmHaBQcXiuEvow9M4VvhjPMuZW5312okLF/w640-h494/00%20Mosaic%20Cover%20Coaster%20Calendar%20Belmont%20IMG_1459%20copy%203.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Our spiral bound 2023 Roller Coaster Wall Calendar is our tenth annual Roller Coaster Calendar and it features roller coasters from many amusement parks, including: <div>-Knoebels in Pennsylvania </div><div>-Belmont Park in San Diego </div><div>-Waldameer Park in Pennsylvania </div><div>-Busch Gardens Williamsburg</div><div>-Knott's Berry Farm </div><div>-Six Flags Magic Mountain </div><div>-Kennywood Park in Pennsylvania</div><div>-Cedar Point </div><div>-Morey's Piers in New Jersey </div><div>-Indiana Beach </div><div>-Six Flags Great America </div><div>-Lakemont Park in Altoona, PA </div><div><br /></div><div>These calendars are custom made by us with photos taken by us. The calendars open up to be 17 inches tall by 11 inches wide (8.5 by 11 per page)<br /></div><div><p>Also available is our book on Pennsylvania's historic amusement parks, Great Pennsylvania Amusement Parks Road Trip. It features Knoebels, Kennywood Park, Hersheypark, Dorney Park, Waldameer, DelGrosso's, Lakemont, Dutch Wonderland, Idlewild, and the gone, but not forgotten, Conneaut Lake Park.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixo9RQUmLtODpVeYH6i76Z5gPTSvYiH5hFpqY9Jy4yInMNd7sHFKY7eegczyYYyg0f4lXw-vou5rouDxMC5YHNDPThjI2Ul8XEt9zf78RDWQFxgJg05ZHE7x7hRb2HIkeUpofh4i0GDo/s640/book+cover.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="480" /></p><p>Purchases of both items can be made through the PayPal menu at the bottom of this page, and at the top of this page. Thank you for all of your support over the years!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>
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Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-45137011619377438372022-07-07T07:58:00.005-04:002022-07-07T07:58:58.143-04:00Belmont Park: Classic Giant Dipper Coaster and Seaside Fun in San Diego <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuR8R-7NK0mhpam8EcJC1sQ9_sBB-ha3FjdbewLRnCPHD8ToZkvIsoBhvAxGNs60Fu_WOS1d3Q8ZcpDWLpGY95IT5FGySox3t6yvUNX7sifo0VPqSntTN2CRdqt6oSzppAE-bytk4SjzM8Hs8GZ8q2Ct4Rkne7ONDot_Q5AcQrph2Jl7d1Nnj3qh0/s2736/IMG_1459.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuR8R-7NK0mhpam8EcJC1sQ9_sBB-ha3FjdbewLRnCPHD8ToZkvIsoBhvAxGNs60Fu_WOS1d3Q8ZcpDWLpGY95IT5FGySox3t6yvUNX7sifo0VPqSntTN2CRdqt6oSzppAE-bytk4SjzM8Hs8GZ8q2Ct4Rkne7ONDot_Q5AcQrph2Jl7d1Nnj3qh0/w640-h426/IMG_1459.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My favorite kinds of park days are those where the park is a part of the experience of an overall fantastic day. Carefree days where maybe you go out and swim on the beach for a while, walk along the shores, and go ride some rides and have some good food. Seaside parks generally fit the bill for this kind of fun, and Belmont Park in San Diego is a wonderful place to do this. Pacific Beach and Mission Beach are a delight for surfers, swimmers, sunbathers, skaters, bicyclists, and more. Mission Beach is home to Belmont Park and their classic Giant Dipper coaster, one of the most picturesque classic roller coasters out there. San Diego has something to offer for pretty much everyone, and the weather is almost always perfectly in the 70s. All of the stress just melts away when you are in San Diego. As someone who is into bodyboarding, riding the wild Pacific waves is as much of a thrill to me as riding any roller coaster as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhub3v4LotNnijIouT9-PFUkHKe1SQP5Uos641vGDuKcFrun2xM4zND_IwQGYyvr3a6zStSHBhb2OzoUX3JYb6nxFpExVV2sSjSianUGktKIuv9jVAdVxns7x-tgucAvUXzybMd8f12ybJQ-E4RLhdkT004dCbfikzT_2Q8UU4M-4xOmdjrRSGBHWt_/s2736/IMG_1407.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhub3v4LotNnijIouT9-PFUkHKe1SQP5Uos641vGDuKcFrun2xM4zND_IwQGYyvr3a6zStSHBhb2OzoUX3JYb6nxFpExVV2sSjSianUGktKIuv9jVAdVxns7x-tgucAvUXzybMd8f12ybJQ-E4RLhdkT004dCbfikzT_2Q8UU4M-4xOmdjrRSGBHWt_/s320/IMG_1407.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Anyways, back to the topic at hand, Belmont Park and their Giant Dipper Roller Coaster. This is a lovely little boardwalk amusement park with one of the last three remaining coasters with the touch of Prior and Church. The other two being the other Giant Dipper up at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and the Dragon Coaster at Rye Playland Park in New York. This is a great little coaster with some awesome and flowy curves. As much as I respect Morgan for getting this coaster running again after a long SBNO period, I would love if the park got some GCI Millennium Flyers for this ride, both to provide riding stock that is more like the old Prior and Church trains, but also to better accommodate riders. Every time we rode, the ride ops had to work hard to get the two row single position lapbars to fit average sized riders. I had to slide my feet to the side of the car to make the lapbar fit, and I am only 6 feet tall. Since the trains are so light, when they would get caught by the brakes at the end, the train would often stop in the brake run and the ride operators had to go out and push it into the station. The lightness of the trains caused cars to fishtail in the higher speed portions of the curves. All of these issues would be solved with a new set of Millennium Flyers from GCI.<div><div><br /></div><div>With all of that being said though I will say that the ride is still fantastic, especially with the lateral forces in the turnarounds. The station and coaster are also built to be a spectacle for the midway. It looks fantastic, especially as it gets dark and the lights come on. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKc6MtN8SQKhyaUKkAiE-HX-CvWNyKUuXXId-bn6DiNlKuQo0gF8F5iO4QcsGT_y9VzMmD5FADUcDReSIPjMejouQvJj3shUf2IguKPCBP9yh8YX7LzWrYL_Ax9UMgb5xvvCJoY57888AEYI0s4l9exIaSRXBh9Qbau87E1EPzmHm9d8NhXFG6PEe/s2736/IMG_1411.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKc6MtN8SQKhyaUKkAiE-HX-CvWNyKUuXXId-bn6DiNlKuQo0gF8F5iO4QcsGT_y9VzMmD5FADUcDReSIPjMejouQvJj3shUf2IguKPCBP9yh8YX7LzWrYL_Ax9UMgb5xvvCJoY57888AEYI0s4l9exIaSRXBh9Qbau87E1EPzmHm9d8NhXFG6PEe/s320/IMG_1411.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45aBW89to1Q1QphA0r7IfeZEgPIyzH5jh_hQY4djJ2YEJ-Bo9A433Qndl7jkNmZEiUh3N35e78FLafy0fMGuhtlY5Aczviscos34UivBlIcNsSDVRNqpbsL9t0fmu9y6ry6JAlxYUxQx_AtRoz6fSuwd1bDUG9gS2O93uCBjYKzXCpb2ocnnz5kCf/s2736/IMG_1413.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45aBW89to1Q1QphA0r7IfeZEgPIyzH5jh_hQY4djJ2YEJ-Bo9A433Qndl7jkNmZEiUh3N35e78FLafy0fMGuhtlY5Aczviscos34UivBlIcNsSDVRNqpbsL9t0fmu9y6ry6JAlxYUxQx_AtRoz6fSuwd1bDUG9gS2O93uCBjYKzXCpb2ocnnz5kCf/s320/IMG_1413.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Q9AxnB5Tzlnny7jupFjfJQR1p5rtLsS7nXxg99U3XlAVXXFmpAV6exK4sIRXuS7Rkg3b5y3xyfr0SIYtL-xT_sOWho3K-KN2KCzYy9t1LLLWN-Ws2x0O8y11yan6yu-FiS1fSFWZB2SN0pURVq9JwS06dSWe6BTFM30YsS8h4G-DNU7eUC9fGF_U/s2736/IMG_1418.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Q9AxnB5Tzlnny7jupFjfJQR1p5rtLsS7nXxg99U3XlAVXXFmpAV6exK4sIRXuS7Rkg3b5y3xyfr0SIYtL-xT_sOWho3K-KN2KCzYy9t1LLLWN-Ws2x0O8y11yan6yu-FiS1fSFWZB2SN0pURVq9JwS06dSWe6BTFM30YsS8h4G-DNU7eUC9fGF_U/s320/IMG_1418.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9l0eYmY8809QhnqWlbpYWts20sZdBbcBRvdZL8sedAuqaN1G48my1_dDHIgrZUodt7WFAwtNNk3Ls4ldfc8IJD_nk2bZJCKg9DOW7zRcKSROtWKTDMLs-Useyxc3pd7Wl3yrIS4qMKg-yiBGGL0MB6P2sbejbtax9r0Jw5dz7z1F2V5zpttoiYXT/s2736/IMG_1427.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9l0eYmY8809QhnqWlbpYWts20sZdBbcBRvdZL8sedAuqaN1G48my1_dDHIgrZUodt7WFAwtNNk3Ls4ldfc8IJD_nk2bZJCKg9DOW7zRcKSROtWKTDMLs-Useyxc3pd7Wl3yrIS4qMKg-yiBGGL0MB6P2sbejbtax9r0Jw5dz7z1F2V5zpttoiYXT/s320/IMG_1427.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The station is so cool looking and ornate.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1lOd3jGaykq0n5_Mn_gnEkgy4Xl84jRC2NZLwXgYtQdclkJugvAU55mK94929lBIEQvWrttiiIWjIN_pcZpvEbtTgxfBN2mEdUd36fkVY9NrcYE0UrqVwScc-9Vod6vDpuIQL2_h_YvW4TITYDFkHJad3lLxwMv7Ak4OVtsj-W6T1I6GNTfqJpJw/s2736/IMG_1431.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1lOd3jGaykq0n5_Mn_gnEkgy4Xl84jRC2NZLwXgYtQdclkJugvAU55mK94929lBIEQvWrttiiIWjIN_pcZpvEbtTgxfBN2mEdUd36fkVY9NrcYE0UrqVwScc-9Vod6vDpuIQL2_h_YvW4TITYDFkHJad3lLxwMv7Ak4OVtsj-W6T1I6GNTfqJpJw/s320/IMG_1431.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With the other rides, including an ice cream sundae themed tilt-a-whirl, and Control Freak, which is a Gyro Loop from Moser. I never saw one of these little rides before, and it is a ridiculously neat and super intense little ride. It can't be more than 30 feet tall, yet it was such a great center of attention on the midway. The park also has a series of great little family rides and a nice arcade.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpimnkj_S1p2xTz2vby8woea_J77pPdUjiEXFgsZlWEzOqVkBLWgfB4F3QOYI9qMqCfIrQwLRb9T-kC3dUfqtJotvFYyJnht9tTNfGAc7KIy3oK1WctvFA1rs46iK-HyljMQhgR33tP-cYECUk7u3ZMQvZYTXRn2F4_K7jVG3xLjuHDCWqkHFLUJj/s2736/IMG_1457.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpimnkj_S1p2xTz2vby8woea_J77pPdUjiEXFgsZlWEzOqVkBLWgfB4F3QOYI9qMqCfIrQwLRb9T-kC3dUfqtJotvFYyJnht9tTNfGAc7KIy3oK1WctvFA1rs46iK-HyljMQhgR33tP-cYECUk7u3ZMQvZYTXRn2F4_K7jVG3xLjuHDCWqkHFLUJj/w640-h426/IMG_1457.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuR8R-7NK0mhpam8EcJC1sQ9_sBB-ha3FjdbewLRnCPHD8ToZkvIsoBhvAxGNs60Fu_WOS1d3Q8ZcpDWLpGY95IT5FGySox3t6yvUNX7sifo0VPqSntTN2CRdqt6oSzppAE-bytk4SjzM8Hs8GZ8q2Ct4Rkne7ONDot_Q5AcQrph2Jl7d1Nnj3qh0/s2736/IMG_1459.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuR8R-7NK0mhpam8EcJC1sQ9_sBB-ha3FjdbewLRnCPHD8ToZkvIsoBhvAxGNs60Fu_WOS1d3Q8ZcpDWLpGY95IT5FGySox3t6yvUNX7sifo0VPqSntTN2CRdqt6oSzppAE-bytk4SjzM8Hs8GZ8q2Ct4Rkne7ONDot_Q5AcQrph2Jl7d1Nnj3qh0/w640-h426/IMG_1459.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Overall, I would rate Belmont Park with its surrounding beach, boardwalk, and overall fun atmosphere, as one of my favorite parks. While it does not have much of a collection of rides due to it small size, it is perfect as a part of an overall great time at the beach. Seaside amusement parks are usually my favorite in general. Couple that with the year-round perfect weather in San Diego and you have one of the most pleasant places to be. I highly recommend checking this out along with just slowing down and taking in the environs. While fixating on just coasters and parks is what we tend to do in this hobby, it is important to slow down and check out what a region has to offer as much as you can. If you don't slow down and check out San Diego, you are really missing out on some of the best scenery and overall environment that this country has to offer. <p></p></div></div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-63252242317449284902022-07-04T11:41:00.002-04:002022-07-04T11:41:42.812-04:00Knott's Berry Farm Trip Report<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh556ujSc7_SaY4iJkdDpgHjKH6EArim4HmzwJBAFSbJG3KBA4twN4FqV_hDdlW3Cieiqi0LtwjP84fvMBWm_Z1eDI4f4yzMpmWZcSGQOVXjER24M1wy15YGhX8WzQNugVmAvPpwPY1wz-RumHDOW5b4ZesDGyfCX7d0mGpl_X6tLXAhx4Nl3-wO8Re/s2736/IMG_1370.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh556ujSc7_SaY4iJkdDpgHjKH6EArim4HmzwJBAFSbJG3KBA4twN4FqV_hDdlW3Cieiqi0LtwjP84fvMBWm_Z1eDI4f4yzMpmWZcSGQOVXjER24M1wy15YGhX8WzQNugVmAvPpwPY1wz-RumHDOW5b4ZesDGyfCX7d0mGpl_X6tLXAhx4Nl3-wO8Re/w640-h426/IMG_1370.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Visiting Knotts was such a pleasant experience for the most part. The park was very crowded, likely near capacity, yet walking around it was still so pleasant. We got most of our rides in on the early side and then headed out in the afternoon when every ride had a full queue. Normally that would not be a very good time at any amusement park, but the theming, landscaping, and planning of this park make it such a pleasant place to be. Today's report is a split of photos with camera and with my phone. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqKVCNvjEiRj6zBgS5euMMNygjGfeMwbL0Lswi-DegYJvFTSeRKnoChgbEwPwKucZJrB8TsgU7FpY2S1CX3M0v1TrpmxtmnIvBgHs22sSRgwvDD3KFBlOQUKpNPf2N0UCINtXw976cuwH3YPlEl3Q-0EfZb7QRUJhHyg3-W1SOIDUFFeha7RO8C-3/s4032/IMG_2311.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqKVCNvjEiRj6zBgS5euMMNygjGfeMwbL0Lswi-DegYJvFTSeRKnoChgbEwPwKucZJrB8TsgU7FpY2S1CX3M0v1TrpmxtmnIvBgHs22sSRgwvDD3KFBlOQUKpNPf2N0UCINtXw976cuwH3YPlEl3Q-0EfZb7QRUJhHyg3-W1SOIDUFFeha7RO8C-3/s320/IMG_2311.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even with two of the main attractions out of the running, with Montezooma's Revenge down for a planned restoration and Xcelerator doing its typical Intamin extended downtime schtick, we still had a great time at the park. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOecKu9e_4fmTpQ17liwTNK578l1XeWy0OgqKx1XUD5h2SDWx6fOJVrsxRNeenmdY0Ah8kIOo4yqy42fT9TPjPcVHgDXKyhwEPpH7WTjxEXv27yXPKXnEt2UFAUgr2SBI7rsAgOavtclgTx3X6X9FGUkYNcPOtHB6WX02UG38Ou4UVPcL31xk2bTF/s2736/IMG_1371.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOecKu9e_4fmTpQ17liwTNK578l1XeWy0OgqKx1XUD5h2SDWx6fOJVrsxRNeenmdY0Ah8kIOo4yqy42fT9TPjPcVHgDXKyhwEPpH7WTjxEXv27yXPKXnEt2UFAUgr2SBI7rsAgOavtclgTx3X6X9FGUkYNcPOtHB6WX02UG38Ou4UVPcL31xk2bTF/w640-h426/IMG_1371.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ghost Rider was a fun ride, especially in the second half. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMcEsfKOvrwG1JlaOImpBsz3y1sJrC3nj8sAdwdXXWip1E7RsVS0OkfCjR3bCAFcUa7gRXGnbZzFKvJ1LfQGpg3_idNl2MXHfpDX5fcp0hrrQQ46ryQ_8Fa3Luk4_SluZoOOZAoRc4GhB-0e1w5ght9huBz9lVWpJKYbhRgRlQGw5sgyztvUMeGgs/s2736/IMG_1363.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMcEsfKOvrwG1JlaOImpBsz3y1sJrC3nj8sAdwdXXWip1E7RsVS0OkfCjR3bCAFcUa7gRXGnbZzFKvJ1LfQGpg3_idNl2MXHfpDX5fcp0hrrQQ46ryQ_8Fa3Luk4_SluZoOOZAoRc4GhB-0e1w5ght9huBz9lVWpJKYbhRgRlQGw5sgyztvUMeGgs/s320/IMG_1363.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first half was alright, but I was expecting the wicked laterals of Great White at Morey's Piers on this CCI creation, but it seems like the GCI renovation likely tamed this down, and the Millennium Flyers absorb the lateral forces more than the PTC trains. They seem to have left the second half more intact since it is at a lower speed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv77uijVmdcmZ_FcA21tUAi-sT4x4y9y9XMjngWDMQI3iJxsT54gSe3yxRG-tL1IxmfShvdeESq7x3LJYW9FFOhQrJ2rTARROs9wKq-638gPSOgb3dD4PB1HoonBsmmaGvU1CHYSFLH5PAlhKcgYxTxVDO5YbKJkQxufNW9YIZaDmPrxDewd72OMll/s2736/IMG_1372.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2736" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv77uijVmdcmZ_FcA21tUAi-sT4x4y9y9XMjngWDMQI3iJxsT54gSe3yxRG-tL1IxmfShvdeESq7x3LJYW9FFOhQrJ2rTARROs9wKq-638gPSOgb3dD4PB1HoonBsmmaGvU1CHYSFLH5PAlhKcgYxTxVDO5YbKJkQxufNW9YIZaDmPrxDewd72OMll/w640-h360/IMG_1372.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I would imagine that when Ghost Rider first opened, it had way more in common with the wicked laterals of Great White. Still a fine ride though, and it is likely the most popular in the park. Seemed to have a full queue from the start of the day and you could hear everyone raving about the ride all over the park. It is probably the most popular wooden roller coaster out there thanks to its placement right in the front of the park as your entrance greeting. It is great to see a wooden roller coaster be the center of the party like this. It seriously is a fun ride.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghb6fb-_zeBOSXWVCzLR86xmRR1HbIhsycfeSTG-srJ_zOSfitEnfdqqTo7qaU346U6T4KKLH58icsuDeo7qEH6IwQ4q8Dgp7xmYk1etuA3Ale0-VkZLxwkVTt22CWXPhaUQ15qpyzYvunlzHJ567Rm0UqFw0PC9Daz9AYeHZlfMFkZ8pk6MYo8JZi/s4032/IMG_2459.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghb6fb-_zeBOSXWVCzLR86xmRR1HbIhsycfeSTG-srJ_zOSfitEnfdqqTo7qaU346U6T4KKLH58icsuDeo7qEH6IwQ4q8Dgp7xmYk1etuA3Ale0-VkZLxwkVTt22CWXPhaUQ15qpyzYvunlzHJ567Rm0UqFw0PC9Daz9AYeHZlfMFkZ8pk6MYo8JZi/w640-h480/IMG_2459.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next we rode Hang Time. This Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster is terrific. Fantastic airtime, hang time, elements, and inversions. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamf-9hGja5ZVCHORAcp0454DVj1Vn7Eg_ugBSdAbZcy7CgeBNSc5nzjmPZL1YlJEnvFBaVkrT-mZGofzCZbhdcVkvrWLNgsvjUvbc19ZJTdfmJ074CJj4OZ-UkxZJAzWAoS1oOT89MUb8uK3bJ22yGj9zUlsX3YWLRG1UACEhT--Zkz-bz1-s5QYF/s4032/IMG_2340.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamf-9hGja5ZVCHORAcp0454DVj1Vn7Eg_ugBSdAbZcy7CgeBNSc5nzjmPZL1YlJEnvFBaVkrT-mZGofzCZbhdcVkvrWLNgsvjUvbc19ZJTdfmJ074CJj4OZ-UkxZJAzWAoS1oOT89MUb8uK3bJ22yGj9zUlsX3YWLRG1UACEhT--Zkz-bz1-s5QYF/s320/IMG_2340.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I would love to see Gerstlauer attempt a hyper and see what they could pull off with that much space, height, and speed. Hang Time feels completely out of control, and the dive gimmick on the first drop is so thrilling. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Kz3jKm1Zrfwkq5EZcgjlirzjn8l-vEdOYPI1bb2Pl6MZMaQrKkwgvny4iJ6th-HrdCsFWyKceey6A7R2T_ahMoRFZtyYPhGg0bznaVMF1uWwPj2jjPnYwVSwDxmfeSlT22jtRCDQ2l3TofiadkIWGt2UpxSXYBsEMeuF9Ao9wgSdpvyJlAM4EUBI/s4032/IMG_2314.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Kz3jKm1Zrfwkq5EZcgjlirzjn8l-vEdOYPI1bb2Pl6MZMaQrKkwgvny4iJ6th-HrdCsFWyKceey6A7R2T_ahMoRFZtyYPhGg0bznaVMF1uWwPj2jjPnYwVSwDxmfeSlT22jtRCDQ2l3TofiadkIWGt2UpxSXYBsEMeuF9Ao9wgSdpvyJlAM4EUBI/s320/IMG_2314.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next we attempted to ride Pony Express, but it ended up breaking down for a little bit, and when we came back later the line queue was full so we opted to skip it. Looks like it is a great ride though. We did the same maneuver with Sierra Sidewinder. I opted to ride Silver Bullet a few extra times with a 15 minute wait than waste a ton of time getting those two credits. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLXB8F9QZR5RVBCqUxDzKZxeHmXhE06tss01cXoRXZGnwhc9cGCIbWPIkEd7dWUHemkN80dod5rwUOWF1CwyxzFpt-_z4BPIch0Z9c1wkq2UNui5pfpXQE-Ey61tYLPiCwVtHWqj0fUhyTmHzsDfD3CDITR3J2xVLtm72D8sDQZVnR7bCSwTgpr-5/s4032/IMG_2323.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLXB8F9QZR5RVBCqUxDzKZxeHmXhE06tss01cXoRXZGnwhc9cGCIbWPIkEd7dWUHemkN80dod5rwUOWF1CwyxzFpt-_z4BPIch0Z9c1wkq2UNui5pfpXQE-Ey61tYLPiCwVtHWqj0fUhyTmHzsDfD3CDITR3J2xVLtm72D8sDQZVnR7bCSwTgpr-5/s320/IMG_2323.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The park's log flume, dark ride, and railroad are just terrific. With the Ghost Town and Calico Railroad, I was especially impressed with the authentic narrow gauge railroad equipment, and antique locomotive, and rail cars. It is authentic Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and Rio Grande Southern Railroad equipment and the fact that the park had the foresight to preserve this priceless equipment, and have the means to do so, is really rare. Walter Knott is one of the few people who had the foresight to preserve this equipment for the joy of future generations, and one of an even smaller amount of people who had the means to successfully pull off the feat in a location that makes the operation sustainable. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLa_ZXBwNIPUlYxH1IyFgGLz2xrq-RVBAIPCuPaOeBs4scjpGK7K54FfEFkOo5plAkD7p2az3C0rKXNSS78nNsveD5uqtaJXDN1ccXvVG25z2Vp-pzHFxnJrmLJ0FxDzizrmRodRAGy3QBUjCoDDMhsfZ3xijYMVChrBF7dyPMRrUpwenpZuqN3oDk/s4032/IMG_2362.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLa_ZXBwNIPUlYxH1IyFgGLz2xrq-RVBAIPCuPaOeBs4scjpGK7K54FfEFkOo5plAkD7p2az3C0rKXNSS78nNsveD5uqtaJXDN1ccXvVG25z2Vp-pzHFxnJrmLJ0FxDzizrmRodRAGy3QBUjCoDDMhsfZ3xijYMVChrBF7dyPMRrUpwenpZuqN3oDk/s320/IMG_2362.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They also have horse drawn carriage rides through the park. It is the little touches where the park really went above and beyond that make this not just a pleasant amusement park, but also just a pleasant place to be in general. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRl6XtpOqHEXDasAbBUdJyPyMHqA1W0Ya1EzIzNKcSsgyXqiFFrS8lEKK34b9KnpRBwnPBI6892W05XyRTZbSm5ojLkgnolc6PqqLsQikqw_se-C0o3-9XzVAk8D8b-KHeFU_wllXefn_kXx9Cxh5CPtt3hIX58JRUti-6O1jlJWU_PE7OA-TvsYf/s2736/IMG_1400.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRl6XtpOqHEXDasAbBUdJyPyMHqA1W0Ya1EzIzNKcSsgyXqiFFrS8lEKK34b9KnpRBwnPBI6892W05XyRTZbSm5ojLkgnolc6PqqLsQikqw_se-C0o3-9XzVAk8D8b-KHeFU_wllXefn_kXx9Cxh5CPtt3hIX58JRUti-6O1jlJWU_PE7OA-TvsYf/w640-h426/IMG_1400.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Silver Bullet is an absolutely terrific custom B&M invert. I love the genre and have enjoyed pretty much every one of them I have ever ridden.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NH2jZIlPONaLHUySGS8Jr6XfGwvbM9CTfdsK-M4o0DyxNHto-yDUfR4hn5MSabwSNpvnjEmbWlzI7kIoAwyeJcmyLyW_qjlLpkXrunP1IZL72BJkCQ8aRUeLmYRP7vUZ4AUpJ4Q4lrKD14iuMpF6wIomuV5clpJu9fi7wyC2UDtJBD98Umd2yfm2/s2736/IMG_1378.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NH2jZIlPONaLHUySGS8Jr6XfGwvbM9CTfdsK-M4o0DyxNHto-yDUfR4hn5MSabwSNpvnjEmbWlzI7kIoAwyeJcmyLyW_qjlLpkXrunP1IZL72BJkCQ8aRUeLmYRP7vUZ4AUpJ4Q4lrKD14iuMpF6wIomuV5clpJu9fi7wyC2UDtJBD98Umd2yfm2/w400-h266/IMG_1378.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The location of the coaster makes it appear absolutely giant, as it winds over a lagoon and the midway at the park. The interaction with the surroundings of this coaster with the features of the park, and the cobra roll right at the entrance to the park, makes it look so awesome. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GKtU8hJQyZQ3EQdIBHLK-6PUpWE_LRB3bkDm6wWeY2x8e5Cb1iD8SEP45QE30--rFjVdFy_1VhEOA7bHSJ3eUC6aNwfB_xydvY8S_hoQWFkow4oFmQPlBV4lR_mqPdicutHe9nYHO-hVJRpLnrRMCM1SeUJ3t3T80jbibAEbhT2NEadqh38TgzPQ/s2736/IMG_1391.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GKtU8hJQyZQ3EQdIBHLK-6PUpWE_LRB3bkDm6wWeY2x8e5Cb1iD8SEP45QE30--rFjVdFy_1VhEOA7bHSJ3eUC6aNwfB_xydvY8S_hoQWFkow4oFmQPlBV4lR_mqPdicutHe9nYHO-hVJRpLnrRMCM1SeUJ3t3T80jbibAEbhT2NEadqh38TgzPQ/s320/IMG_1391.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The only other invert that I have ridden and can think of that really interacts with the midway and surroundings like this is Great Bear. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg464cLK8EmUZm-QyDqqZHUPxGArp_qKRuon9aym3k0RvnAgYr2oyDQFtGyy_7LJfaIrPpO-GzwsiWMUuNkrCq7NBCWxEwyvMCqjebRfqWHWoO86VHGMrd3nCwZgQBqdya2K5_-TGadM5OdxQOROr7tlht64dc86_xa3JQ6SBp_6pEwQxPl2TYr5AiM/s2736/IMG_1379.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg464cLK8EmUZm-QyDqqZHUPxGArp_qKRuon9aym3k0RvnAgYr2oyDQFtGyy_7LJfaIrPpO-GzwsiWMUuNkrCq7NBCWxEwyvMCqjebRfqWHWoO86VHGMrd3nCwZgQBqdya2K5_-TGadM5OdxQOROr7tlht64dc86_xa3JQ6SBp_6pEwQxPl2TYr5AiM/s320/IMG_1379.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEun-X4V7Jpc5Q1juIosq5WIkgw_dG_aMclG7br1-wz7TFaTAZ9xN14XQVobLBVF3k4vdADOGUhA-yaH3P8i0PMEWmj_nP1t9mMpdei8Kuz9LPrq738y2oX1k7aj9c3qEohtj41rI7lm73r7-BkqF_eHrjjz5wEpLoCPScaD9K9A8szjzF0g20Tg5C/s2736/IMG_1386.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEun-X4V7Jpc5Q1juIosq5WIkgw_dG_aMclG7br1-wz7TFaTAZ9xN14XQVobLBVF3k4vdADOGUhA-yaH3P8i0PMEWmj_nP1t9mMpdei8Kuz9LPrq738y2oX1k7aj9c3qEohtj41rI7lm73r7-BkqF_eHrjjz5wEpLoCPScaD9K9A8szjzF0g20Tg5C/s320/IMG_1386.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaKJ4c5ap4aAighq6bNMGRN6nUDHfTn38IS6eIk3tKwDy1PNibdkx87nud3MFxq6dUTUNm_3kxz_XbRay5uQyW6C3z-uHOOLxeO09GGA-H3V7UWZd73VDc3Z26FlvLVyUYbprwI_4XB8yAjhjiUxEKdiZ_at7djlwZC9ONsX-ijechXUgDQfjl23M/s2736/IMG_1387.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaKJ4c5ap4aAighq6bNMGRN6nUDHfTn38IS6eIk3tKwDy1PNibdkx87nud3MFxq6dUTUNm_3kxz_XbRay5uQyW6C3z-uHOOLxeO09GGA-H3V7UWZd73VDc3Z26FlvLVyUYbprwI_4XB8yAjhjiUxEKdiZ_at7djlwZC9ONsX-ijechXUgDQfjl23M/s320/IMG_1387.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69AAEN-uwkJfi9fHPERtEs9_EOTIKmrTSqWfhFxeP9LoBQDSM6BOvDjStE7VP-usYbr7rlY-MzMV6ifRCTCJlm_TnqAHOAY11dxxCEMlZzWdHotSpOna1e-B9rQsNEQDBolXsZSm9SWMdsBf_XvkNXopbiuIObIuMO_GgoU1xwgPYDx-EtDZYf2yg/s2736/IMG_1390.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69AAEN-uwkJfi9fHPERtEs9_EOTIKmrTSqWfhFxeP9LoBQDSM6BOvDjStE7VP-usYbr7rlY-MzMV6ifRCTCJlm_TnqAHOAY11dxxCEMlZzWdHotSpOna1e-B9rQsNEQDBolXsZSm9SWMdsBf_XvkNXopbiuIObIuMO_GgoU1xwgPYDx-EtDZYf2yg/s320/IMG_1390.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love when a ride makes itself a visual center and marker for a midway. As far as the ride itself, the turning drop, loop, overbank, cobra roll, zero g, final two corkscrews, with terrific laterals on turns interspersed. The final helix is just awesome and very forceful. I absolutely loved this ride. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before our first ride, for some reason they were cycling empty trains and had the queue line closed off, but they did not give us any updates on what was going on. It only ended up being a 15 minute hold up, and because of the line being closed for that long, we had a window where you could get right on for 3 more rides before the queue filled up again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At this point we attempted to find lunch, and that took a while. The offerings were not terrific, and they were sparse. The stands had lines that were 20-30 minutes long. At least the food quality was alright though, but not really any different than the standard Cedar Fair chicken fingers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQXHdcujO4ju0wk_0ZiTi3LFQzqpphQi3YNw_t1oOfj7LsKLRT9_HABU8dgXmbuAsZppGjPFaMszumNPOQaccVbXGhcK_Q2I_bpNl7W547xB__WW0HIWNc2fM5Dth2JBXQmSCzgm6CXT9gyuZWvdQV7ZRk1YaMjRVkbjzo2JFYOvnC9IfgYm7c-Ay/s2736/IMG_1373.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQXHdcujO4ju0wk_0ZiTi3LFQzqpphQi3YNw_t1oOfj7LsKLRT9_HABU8dgXmbuAsZppGjPFaMszumNPOQaccVbXGhcK_Q2I_bpNl7W547xB__WW0HIWNc2fM5Dth2JBXQmSCzgm6CXT9gyuZWvdQV7ZRk1YaMjRVkbjzo2JFYOvnC9IfgYm7c-Ay/s320/IMG_1373.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirC8BSinaEEs1At-TxN7esWQteqi5wC-jsOZx8Fbbv1XPI_h4LEqAU2hWjbBDcI5ndeXEZ86KFmFMUOmNh1i1dXhynFJRBXb7-ZgORmq0XhVrBqlVRiyGAXMzGTRJ7jeUNqzDCe5xVks3dEyuNc5gAPSOQ8EGQTINaZ2rggIPBm-uzGTD3OhInlCrp/s2736/IMG_1374.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirC8BSinaEEs1At-TxN7esWQteqi5wC-jsOZx8Fbbv1XPI_h4LEqAU2hWjbBDcI5ndeXEZ86KFmFMUOmNh1i1dXhynFJRBXb7-ZgORmq0XhVrBqlVRiyGAXMzGTRJ7jeUNqzDCe5xVks3dEyuNc5gAPSOQ8EGQTINaZ2rggIPBm-uzGTD3OhInlCrp/s320/IMG_1374.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had the best food later when we got an afternoon snack at the bakery with some of their famous boysenberry pie. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNElb6hR2EcNB6GsGYWQgvDtrevA9PDlMUAaiLdUKiUAkpXpTdioUpRqtkwYpF75TTa_F3L-Vub9ciJx7KXVVRjSIZ3T7vqZZrPCrbd5qO8ArjnHJevb1Zv6OEPW2OTkcCAx6wYLPFnqEmx_y7JbsnTUrz4ckWF_TwT2D9sMizLle2uhnbrbT2420L/s4032/IMG_2390.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNElb6hR2EcNB6GsGYWQgvDtrevA9PDlMUAaiLdUKiUAkpXpTdioUpRqtkwYpF75TTa_F3L-Vub9ciJx7KXVVRjSIZ3T7vqZZrPCrbd5qO8ArjnHJevb1Zv6OEPW2OTkcCAx6wYLPFnqEmx_y7JbsnTUrz4ckWF_TwT2D9sMizLle2uhnbrbT2420L/s320/IMG_2390.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeHfN9LJzbCTfnom5Hv2N9bJIgmCeTDyUufgTjooCLT5CDCaROeFzQXVyxIFCfZGAuXWGj9DyilZ1xBQSuedrhr5N9avxJdQ8i-1J8_bcUzTky1VaWfGdJ4sr46JniRZYbWtBiagHfBXBcmR4x4ltOeGKP0lNjUr05CZv7feJRY5Orh9vcy1BeKLA/s4032/IMG_2422.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDeHfN9LJzbCTfnom5Hv2N9bJIgmCeTDyUufgTjooCLT5CDCaROeFzQXVyxIFCfZGAuXWGj9DyilZ1xBQSuedrhr5N9avxJdQ8i-1J8_bcUzTky1VaWfGdJ4sr46JniRZYbWtBiagHfBXBcmR4x4ltOeGKP0lNjUr05CZv7feJRY5Orh9vcy1BeKLA/s320/IMG_2422.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-Uotxzo-TcLuseLWDXGGSyagQDnrLEKdej9aaxnVSDe97Ho52qL3sxiYEl0EraTaMNxfPHc_k_VBi22_UlT7_YsR-3QB5JhOlGyFIDgm7fJt20FcJ4KFBjIHFSYPmfrLHpxYljBHPsS2jjoNN5Q2Xe0bM-8f53gmHaMNXsVNiIg1BrsK5tQJpwLC/s4032/IMG_2435.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-Uotxzo-TcLuseLWDXGGSyagQDnrLEKdej9aaxnVSDe97Ho52qL3sxiYEl0EraTaMNxfPHc_k_VBi22_UlT7_YsR-3QB5JhOlGyFIDgm7fJt20FcJ4KFBjIHFSYPmfrLHpxYljBHPsS2jjoNN5Q2Xe0bM-8f53gmHaMNXsVNiIg1BrsK5tQJpwLC/s320/IMG_2435.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Aw5tXFiOXbkXrrkkYcyWoIKn-wlWC5bLQcbdQWcyctVSZgOnJW98uBUvCjZYMLDPFE8uMtblBQz8Rhpl3fuVJ68BQNMI5esR8J3gRYtA1QU9iP42oQvQNnQrvDodxIr-gtdMBTMDxvHWKdff4M7rcwSXl9tyRtZeVIsgRNafYFoOrtLm9i2hp7mi/s4032/IMG_2439.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Aw5tXFiOXbkXrrkkYcyWoIKn-wlWC5bLQcbdQWcyctVSZgOnJW98uBUvCjZYMLDPFE8uMtblBQz8Rhpl3fuVJ68BQNMI5esR8J3gRYtA1QU9iP42oQvQNnQrvDodxIr-gtdMBTMDxvHWKdff4M7rcwSXl9tyRtZeVIsgRNafYFoOrtLm9i2hp7mi/s320/IMG_2439.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We got in a ride on the observation tower, which was awesome. Riding on these is always a treat and seeing the views from the top was terrific. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD26R7738z_yi8rpHdYahLH_QlvQnjd8m-Yhp2tqTTNMs5zLsX0dABlPjJF3g9g2sosMKhscOgjxWkTvDSahcOC4ZQ3PheQ1QHUuiNAbwIf7LnSJIx0e0Y0IEUFImAq651IqQl3zEmMyR790-1UD23fToOyeaZYgbyoSvsmoU8Y94Zj_FgnWxh0mb1/s4032/IMG_2376.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD26R7738z_yi8rpHdYahLH_QlvQnjd8m-Yhp2tqTTNMs5zLsX0dABlPjJF3g9g2sosMKhscOgjxWkTvDSahcOC4ZQ3PheQ1QHUuiNAbwIf7LnSJIx0e0Y0IEUFImAq651IqQl3zEmMyR790-1UD23fToOyeaZYgbyoSvsmoU8Y94Zj_FgnWxh0mb1/s320/IMG_2376.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzvbCchb3TIkflNcxjdzCo1vX9NGkem0dWdpbnIKr6JgQW8cPjtoICNlSj8KXgSEMLPl11AjpOH3jtUqGr0um6GmQdGKlmquyuai0A98X_tQ1NBr9n0XcQ-gV0TkaqvylY7nL3WV8nmezsQTn0l_7E_TeXt6QC8AfMHxzZ02UcEcjxX2zRDoqHZsh/s4032/IMG_2377.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzvbCchb3TIkflNcxjdzCo1vX9NGkem0dWdpbnIKr6JgQW8cPjtoICNlSj8KXgSEMLPl11AjpOH3jtUqGr0um6GmQdGKlmquyuai0A98X_tQ1NBr9n0XcQ-gV0TkaqvylY7nL3WV8nmezsQTn0l_7E_TeXt6QC8AfMHxzZ02UcEcjxX2zRDoqHZsh/s320/IMG_2377.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcbjiXzlRZQJoZbVkM9S9-bmjBRbCdeq7WPLpVKhnE6pb_mhvge5P9ukA3B2-RXBlzgvgvWuuuPl6IhVGBHBLM8Tcq1RPzjMUAxTF66K_qzsJyE1kgXrJVseBEf0ZAxcA6r43AcR9fF2X5enbs-e59hwDfgHCsn_kIqhwQWOBDVDKHwQHGOd2qvgN/s4032/IMG_2378.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcbjiXzlRZQJoZbVkM9S9-bmjBRbCdeq7WPLpVKhnE6pb_mhvge5P9ukA3B2-RXBlzgvgvWuuuPl6IhVGBHBLM8Tcq1RPzjMUAxTF66K_qzsJyE1kgXrJVseBEf0ZAxcA6r43AcR9fF2X5enbs-e59hwDfgHCsn_kIqhwQWOBDVDKHwQHGOd2qvgN/s320/IMG_2378.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We closed out our day with a ride on Jaguar, which was pretty nice, except for the really slow moving line. There is no reason that the ride line needs to move that slow, but between line skip pass and filling out and checking accommodations sheets, they somehow managed to have 5 minutes between dispatches and stacking, which is ridiculous. There is no reason the entire ride crew needs to stop and not do anything while these things are sorted out. Overall though, that is a really fun family ride. It has such an enjoyable and meandering layout. The station area is also a nice shelter from the heat and it is really nicely themed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjGswXkEWYuTQ4xgSg41I3Pof2Y-nctx9MZ_fY1k-mmD7dekDjtmNuUFnuQd9W3w3vBDMGijxWGMpDWjMZvvgBee8q9mIqH0MN6ukY-8pz8wqCoigD2E65Y-9BIoy1Hg7Dfmuy2M693KRSTgfxA5FF3L5GSpOMhUBafjjbkQEHzbkb5akZKpCt4u9/s4032/IMG_2467.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjGswXkEWYuTQ4xgSg41I3Pof2Y-nctx9MZ_fY1k-mmD7dekDjtmNuUFnuQd9W3w3vBDMGijxWGMpDWjMZvvgBee8q9mIqH0MN6ukY-8pz8wqCoigD2E65Y-9BIoy1Hg7Dfmuy2M693KRSTgfxA5FF3L5GSpOMhUBafjjbkQEHzbkb5akZKpCt4u9/s320/IMG_2467.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">An animatronic bear fishing in the river at the river rapids ride.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What Knotts doesn't have in quantity and size, it has the charm and quality with the rides and overall park experience. This overall experience is so greatly lacking across the industry. The intangible charm of this place makes it a place I want to regularly visit, not just on a conquest to ride as many rides as possible but to just go and relax at. There are only a handful of parks that I really want to revisit for being the whole package. So many times, large amusement parks are just a jumble of coasters put together with barely any touches on the quality of the visit experience. The little things are what make a day at a park great, and not just feel like a different venue for the typical experience of doing work. Knotts is a just about perfect amusement park and we highly recommend checking it out. </div><p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-18446225130459363492022-06-29T17:55:00.002-04:002022-06-29T17:55:45.301-04:00Universal Studios Hollywood Trip Report, June 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1VVW0qoGBoGktr8_1jki7-EnNlhkrGGYeCeYzvo_u-OyP9CVMc__6l28GzfXJHQMw4jEY54PBqMI-ogTkMqNa6QNbpdr77zwOlsueNcjQGtfnltWvX_tXkSOvE2rdW3YlWkWmCpEWf2YtTM7Z92qNTpxNjC7ACCuNvB6WnaIa6nZKvqFMsckp4yB/s2736/IMG_1342.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1VVW0qoGBoGktr8_1jki7-EnNlhkrGGYeCeYzvo_u-OyP9CVMc__6l28GzfXJHQMw4jEY54PBqMI-ogTkMqNa6QNbpdr77zwOlsueNcjQGtfnltWvX_tXkSOvE2rdW3YlWkWmCpEWf2YtTM7Z92qNTpxNjC7ACCuNvB6WnaIa6nZKvqFMsckp4yB/w640-h426/IMG_1342.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second park we hit on our trip was Universal Hollywood. To be fully straightforward about this, we were primarily going to go on the backlot tour, which is the entire reason the park was built in the first place. All of the other attractions are secondary, and frankly I am glad that we were not really into the different IPs because each ride had a 45 minute wait. We basically went and rode the backlot tour first, saw lines that were 45 minutes to 90 minutes for each ride, and decided to just head out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLf6nHPOb-0tWiRpWvPMjMVbK3fBv9sZ2mp2kZ1V0uenGnVZn6onHjQGtxnU5AfXhcxuCHdzdro8aZ6HdESHHQ8nVzFXuep0DRtt5Li8F2QNQVQazApEATPudov7Agkaw9S8Ub19z3Csev-vqMckmY37QfGapAldw5VXzFDuz2YAbbkLKquvDcZ2t/s2736/IMG_1362.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLf6nHPOb-0tWiRpWvPMjMVbK3fBv9sZ2mp2kZ1V0uenGnVZn6onHjQGtxnU5AfXhcxuCHdzdro8aZ6HdESHHQ8nVzFXuep0DRtt5Li8F2QNQVQazApEATPudov7Agkaw9S8Ub19z3Csev-vqMckmY37QfGapAldw5VXzFDuz2YAbbkLKquvDcZ2t/s320/IMG_1362.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The park is landlocked and has a small footprint, that is understandable, but I think it is unacceptable to charge about 30 bucks to park and over a hundred bucks to get in to the park, just to basically have a walking around pass and no guarantee on getting on pretty much any of the rides unless you go and blow another hundred bucks on the line skip pass. I would prefer if the park came up with a way to have set reservation times in a logical manner so that everyone can get to ride. Maybe make a nominal gate pass price to walk around that is much lower than the current ticket rate, and then maybe 10 dollars additional per ride reservation on a sliding scale with a guaranteed ride time, similar to what you would get with a reservation for a session time at a ski area or something. I am sure the park has no motivation to change as long as the money keeps flowing. After a while though, I think enough people will have a bad experience that their attendance will begin to drop. Especially with families who want to make their recreation dollars count when they realize that their admission ticket is basically just a gate pass to walk around and not really ride anything. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyways, on to the real star of the show, the legendary Studio Tour. The neat attraction that almost makes the exorbitant admission prices worth it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Uc8N7tC_2cLWL1j7TwFX8lv__FCbB_I-zppuXgoOWFVTEmCA96UfLC9jlDibZapb0lS7jDFgm-40yjlP3XLCcHtmReqrkQ8xhqec-H9Lrl1YVtfE2V9qhJIA3-bO2AR7EsKhogLb6vA-s40rQPEV8ygzMgS5saaRsAmoGgBCPZU2Cd7-lt0HzspU/s2736/IMG_1344.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Uc8N7tC_2cLWL1j7TwFX8lv__FCbB_I-zppuXgoOWFVTEmCA96UfLC9jlDibZapb0lS7jDFgm-40yjlP3XLCcHtmReqrkQ8xhqec-H9Lrl1YVtfE2V9qhJIA3-bO2AR7EsKhogLb6vA-s40rQPEV8ygzMgS5saaRsAmoGgBCPZU2Cd7-lt0HzspU/s320/IMG_1344.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHniCDgIdCSETtgxYOFpQgevjmTqaSnZQYiMkZY6x2DKxeuED7uIbJOYtnXo4ERDUXrJMZfaNv3KoFTQ3KoGl-yjLegg-JROHIq_SiNYpBwG2LsDXG7yEZuixKpodN8kpozrPVYJOMSl33u3cZP6akhQnAR_7eV3WWiWCLHPW0ykOsrF_A7XvyWdJ/s2736/IMG_1345.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHniCDgIdCSETtgxYOFpQgevjmTqaSnZQYiMkZY6x2DKxeuED7uIbJOYtnXo4ERDUXrJMZfaNv3KoFTQ3KoGl-yjLegg-JROHIq_SiNYpBwG2LsDXG7yEZuixKpodN8kpozrPVYJOMSl33u3cZP6akhQnAR_7eV3WWiWCLHPW0ykOsrF_A7XvyWdJ/s320/IMG_1345.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1QWSV-cz0WEtFJokP-gh6v73iU4wm2pEscGq32-FdRHS4Ovzkd0F2yhv5qKGdPh-NipPrlUsp3hZP96uNrAzjA9j6LCYL1GZGhk09FuwDRr_X2gUSEH84ELjnkkDtOTHBYbnPqic3wXQoZLd1B7QcrvOIK-_W43kHf-eUXHfNqrDb2kQrOzCMQXe/s2736/IMG_1347.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1QWSV-cz0WEtFJokP-gh6v73iU4wm2pEscGq32-FdRHS4Ovzkd0F2yhv5qKGdPh-NipPrlUsp3hZP96uNrAzjA9j6LCYL1GZGhk09FuwDRr_X2gUSEH84ELjnkkDtOTHBYbnPqic3wXQoZLd1B7QcrvOIK-_W43kHf-eUXHfNqrDb2kQrOzCMQXe/s320/IMG_1347.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFokAKGDds1EcP7OyGhVpasZ2UArRcCJOLcNiWnf3RT8uMSqPg9OPYhgIw8jRTE8NoOtlVbGF-g4tfsg2uAGQF9KuHyMsrwqOmCRttvbQ8Dh_Mv1MGgswjiNNqUOrK3MhF6b_cC4DiBJhd_lnnUiX636iBYI_XdADZbAWm9o0_MsAd_VU_8eIDq7Ha/s2736/IMG_1350.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFokAKGDds1EcP7OyGhVpasZ2UArRcCJOLcNiWnf3RT8uMSqPg9OPYhgIw8jRTE8NoOtlVbGF-g4tfsg2uAGQF9KuHyMsrwqOmCRttvbQ8Dh_Mv1MGgswjiNNqUOrK3MhF6b_cC4DiBJhd_lnnUiX636iBYI_XdADZbAWm9o0_MsAd_VU_8eIDq7Ha/s320/IMG_1350.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Courthouse Square has been showcased countless flicks, including, most notably, Back to the Future. It is done up a little differently for something they are filming there at the moment.</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4dxxAHNDrrbigLHoyMrBwdeq-0WPDfBiKNXZxdiRa3yY0YYDKj-ssL034zwrNUFknYwsXLv8O73o72CvYtSD4NT_q8p_k9HyCuStmS2Hni1F038jGctj29iYjOgfagkDfJdR1LvmflHA3PVEMWjnsEKCLdM5rqweDsCLngpiTDsKfTyfb_H3WqPV/s2736/IMG_1351.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4dxxAHNDrrbigLHoyMrBwdeq-0WPDfBiKNXZxdiRa3yY0YYDKj-ssL034zwrNUFknYwsXLv8O73o72CvYtSD4NT_q8p_k9HyCuStmS2Hni1F038jGctj29iYjOgfagkDfJdR1LvmflHA3PVEMWjnsEKCLdM5rqweDsCLngpiTDsKfTyfb_H3WqPV/s320/IMG_1351.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Magnum PI's Lambo<br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybOEC_vAt0w073yoVhkc-CUFjX3nXzfm9MBjTcmKme7N6dOdgvyB5_cFaA1t3e5VITehOMcRCf5MqVnl4GYCXIxUhI-wgyYLrzuDqg62go9uEkcgeeycat3e_ejJk7geByXlQ-aU-SZDdKUXMptMJqFj7okQYs7RHQ3n12nXekXCpS8V9TQtKpKkA/s2736/IMG_1352.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybOEC_vAt0w073yoVhkc-CUFjX3nXzfm9MBjTcmKme7N6dOdgvyB5_cFaA1t3e5VITehOMcRCf5MqVnl4GYCXIxUhI-wgyYLrzuDqg62go9uEkcgeeycat3e_ejJk7geByXlQ-aU-SZDdKUXMptMJqFj7okQYs7RHQ3n12nXekXCpS8V9TQtKpKkA/s320/IMG_1352.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Back to the Future cars, Biff's car in the 1950s and the future flying car from Back to the Future II<br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgUfaUVf22yFb0yCGU_pPepqqyNmYJo_93kl1r0kIfZ10HHGE1Ih2LBcZ6JqRQ3La12ES5FK35gaMpbw0CCJWxwL9bAuzOmEPhtg2ONxfQuXCjyrfi5cGwGsToCe3ONkidxI4rjXoX1vmw0zoUTszJWKCoAqjr_egX_JZR_ZfTFTfQh-c-zhFfk9i/s2736/IMG_1353.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgUfaUVf22yFb0yCGU_pPepqqyNmYJo_93kl1r0kIfZ10HHGE1Ih2LBcZ6JqRQ3La12ES5FK35gaMpbw0CCJWxwL9bAuzOmEPhtg2ONxfQuXCjyrfi5cGwGsToCe3ONkidxI4rjXoX1vmw0zoUTszJWKCoAqjr_egX_JZR_ZfTFTfQh-c-zhFfk9i/s320/IMG_1353.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Flintstones movie vehicles<br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCCD8SgTUGTrWxwJtcw5ydi-IKO3xlKqV6A83Jt0lDlJAoZ8xd_ofo2-YSbqMw53e0uvm_nXTSHvbJnUZirnfRxOVMLtRqL8DdWdcaBVPbMCrkMEzVygrIUamym3uNs8-GbP_-j8JUFOnYoT9v5t5BCkoForMYgTZ6udpltdll1mL5xDvdc6TaC5i/s2736/IMG_1354.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCCD8SgTUGTrWxwJtcw5ydi-IKO3xlKqV6A83Jt0lDlJAoZ8xd_ofo2-YSbqMw53e0uvm_nXTSHvbJnUZirnfRxOVMLtRqL8DdWdcaBVPbMCrkMEzVygrIUamym3uNs8-GbP_-j8JUFOnYoT9v5t5BCkoForMYgTZ6udpltdll1mL5xDvdc6TaC5i/s320/IMG_1354.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Jurassic Park vehicles</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ACJOtTCZirIXObtDvolKBN4tOyWdIOEv2_jAOc5v1sqI2tciaJv06GXah8R29aiZ7mr_rylzLJHvz11a6JEaaETGlWWo7FDP9P2A4Gw9oEQ9r0UrzYp3sJDyQQEXssgWPA9vK6DbAX6P9iwJIBQgjqtuZJGyXQ2qkdHCCh2DeA2zOhhL1n3jowCv/s2736/IMG_1355.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ACJOtTCZirIXObtDvolKBN4tOyWdIOEv2_jAOc5v1sqI2tciaJv06GXah8R29aiZ7mr_rylzLJHvz11a6JEaaETGlWWo7FDP9P2A4Gw9oEQ9r0UrzYp3sJDyQQEXssgWPA9vK6DbAX6P9iwJIBQgjqtuZJGyXQ2qkdHCCh2DeA2zOhhL1n3jowCv/s320/IMG_1355.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Jurassic Park lab vehicle<br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8J8sM6T-lZTiGxGzvLv1ZavSmS3NrPV14BAIWoKm5aATDP8AJR5BguYkTSl2ERfbGNJzV4Hw8y2LNiDoP6zFCleJYLaw19qfuTPoyGGHL46vPo8itu5Y83MoB5l_bJ8fIsofjL-mmWwU5z5DGwYzwhKfgXryvFUzKq-YXcSAgmU4Pdsg77dtQYn-O/s2736/IMG_1356.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8J8sM6T-lZTiGxGzvLv1ZavSmS3NrPV14BAIWoKm5aATDP8AJR5BguYkTSl2ERfbGNJzV4Hw8y2LNiDoP6zFCleJYLaw19qfuTPoyGGHL46vPo8itu5Y83MoB5l_bJ8fIsofjL-mmWwU5z5DGwYzwhKfgXryvFUzKq-YXcSAgmU4Pdsg77dtQYn-O/s320/IMG_1356.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Jurassic Park vehicle<br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CRC2D9I0lwuCn17xJ3KR4TMKrDPBwhu0qx58GexFwwJ5w07Woe2FCAVAQEevSoCkQDO-l29a9wH5BQCZVIdzxONuMXI7XlbA6Ei5n9xERrVToAQFPwgZQYLI_mLkmRaZzsKDattAjnKEO6XuT2LAjKhXa4xX9MF3m3rBRyuhMb85C0jJ2A5nz9e3/s2736/IMG_1357.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CRC2D9I0lwuCn17xJ3KR4TMKrDPBwhu0qx58GexFwwJ5w07Woe2FCAVAQEevSoCkQDO-l29a9wH5BQCZVIdzxONuMXI7XlbA6Ei5n9xERrVToAQFPwgZQYLI_mLkmRaZzsKDattAjnKEO6XuT2LAjKhXa4xX9MF3m3rBRyuhMb85C0jJ2A5nz9e3/s320/IMG_1357.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Part of the western set. This area has been used for countless flicks too, including a ton of westerns with John Wayne, Tom Mix, and Jimmy Stewart.</div></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is cool walking around the themed areas, but I think it is ridiculous that you have almost no guarantee to ride more than one or two rides after you plop down all of that money. I will say that the studio tour is *almost* worth the amount of money you spend, and I am sure the kiddos love random stuff like Minions and whatever, but I am glad that the only themed area that one of us had any interest in was Harry Potter land, because it would be brutal having to obligatory wait for one of the rides, let alone all of them. I feel bad for parents of little kids that blow a ton of money to get in, only to have their kids probably have one long wait for a ride in them. I have a little bit of interest in the Simpsons, but not enough to wait an hour for. I also rode the Simpsons in Orlando and thought it was kinda boring. I miss the old days with the Star Trek Adventure in Hollywood, ET, Back to the Future, Battlestar Galactica on the Studio Tour, Terminator II, and the old King Kong experience, which was destroyed in the fire that also destroyed countless priceless tapes and films of American cultural significance. I have to say though that the King Kong and Fast and Furious sections in 4D are pretty neat. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_BIHK5B5Cby_VCcEj42lbAJpBrdQwbOEPKD73eiosXU8paXiXdISj2d7-dTRV292I8xCXTopMDO0cQu6rGVSMwOFDZHcxKnG6rhA34P9ZbFLvTnsfhpg0uKOpRoZgIt5OJNPXCEnBXTP2yt7srCRMM2zHrPNQ4XTT3mq0isJrQSuSisN_3hKcP5_/s2736/IMG_1358.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_BIHK5B5Cby_VCcEj42lbAJpBrdQwbOEPKD73eiosXU8paXiXdISj2d7-dTRV292I8xCXTopMDO0cQu6rGVSMwOFDZHcxKnG6rhA34P9ZbFLvTnsfhpg0uKOpRoZgIt5OJNPXCEnBXTP2yt7srCRMM2zHrPNQ4XTT3mq0isJrQSuSisN_3hKcP5_/s320/IMG_1358.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeC4COlE1JLwChZD9F8vhOL0DDhzWErgL-_qSNnomgyCwQp5G_MbmE-SdPs1vvT4FDtvDzohP80WHAmzhDN02sanT95zt4ioh39-8bmzkl6X6ZtQiNg_rLyVJtxkukACnLyA1omE0Qr_qjRqEP8rodaIMyWonkEn9klvKd_NEQ7qCJlTxw_Z0mzdo/s2736/IMG_1359.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeC4COlE1JLwChZD9F8vhOL0DDhzWErgL-_qSNnomgyCwQp5G_MbmE-SdPs1vvT4FDtvDzohP80WHAmzhDN02sanT95zt4ioh39-8bmzkl6X6ZtQiNg_rLyVJtxkukACnLyA1omE0Qr_qjRqEP8rodaIMyWonkEn9klvKd_NEQ7qCJlTxw_Z0mzdo/s320/IMG_1359.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The theming in the Harry Potter Land is pretty incredible. People were packed in like this all across the park. It was lively but absolutely jammed. <br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kjPRKHJphvNL6Hp9gP8DljNiE6C2WLXdF_CXmEJKf4WV9MUp4VocPgC6SEvlypVe6VBBnSQBVQn210BbbYFhb20CXuj8jR-EdAGmG4WtOlrWy7aGgzTQSnmuI23dz5F8CPzmvkOZIKgs0OMy8zeRqjvGiszOdpHki_JwMvqkzlxCCzcpTzwkwXP9/s2736/IMG_1360.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kjPRKHJphvNL6Hp9gP8DljNiE6C2WLXdF_CXmEJKf4WV9MUp4VocPgC6SEvlypVe6VBBnSQBVQn210BbbYFhb20CXuj8jR-EdAGmG4WtOlrWy7aGgzTQSnmuI23dz5F8CPzmvkOZIKgs0OMy8zeRqjvGiszOdpHki_JwMvqkzlxCCzcpTzwkwXP9/s320/IMG_1360.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkp_m_mXfNJgYWHNKRrgqumC_cxaXHUeAkd1hJ-8g00Wy3d_dx2PCS_QcfHvOCLFXfBomc-dfRG-cqu-aX5WRkqk2RjxoTp-hdBbLoJE9lYxLAXA3jBJYHNfID6oAMn0q44E1bqOnbEJj7fsjVlRTS-0BFc2huJbSSUCInDFi0OJb4Rdu_eWPDjw2S/s2736/IMG_1361.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkp_m_mXfNJgYWHNKRrgqumC_cxaXHUeAkd1hJ-8g00Wy3d_dx2PCS_QcfHvOCLFXfBomc-dfRG-cqu-aX5WRkqk2RjxoTp-hdBbLoJE9lYxLAXA3jBJYHNfID6oAMn0q44E1bqOnbEJj7fsjVlRTS-0BFc2huJbSSUCInDFi0OJb4Rdu_eWPDjw2S/s320/IMG_1361.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Star Trek Adventure was one of my fondest memories of the park from when I was little, and the slightly later Star Trek Experience in Vegas. Walking though the Harry Potter land and seeing all of the intricate details, and seeing the die hard Harry Potter fans getting to walk around in their fantasy land made me a little envious of them It made me wish that I could still have that same kind of experience of wonder with an IP that matters to me, like Star Trek. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Did I mention that the walkways were absolutely jam packed with people? The food options were few and far between and of low quality and exorbitant price, basically only burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, pizza, and tacos. People were waiting 30 minutes for a standard hamburger. Themed food options seemed like a swing and a miss. By no means is this problem isolated to just Universal, because Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knotts had similarly long waits for overpriced food, but at least with a place like Knotts, the stuff is of decent quality and they have some signature entrees. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gMnykfX8Bm0UiAK_HF_D3KDr0-9cgxbIOObizZVMOh-mDI2Ms7D-F8DTfhPd23T_qbrrl2fLCZp2Lt935rxN-LdRTLvREW0T_js7TZg1J5I-qRcEwYKfzWJFT1hfsV_FoLFW-blODQAxG0fzngZ8qDoh8HzxCBVRq8EYXlStb79RYYZP6wHFl0e5/s2736/IMG_1343.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gMnykfX8Bm0UiAK_HF_D3KDr0-9cgxbIOObizZVMOh-mDI2Ms7D-F8DTfhPd23T_qbrrl2fLCZp2Lt935rxN-LdRTLvREW0T_js7TZg1J5I-qRcEwYKfzWJFT1hfsV_FoLFW-blODQAxG0fzngZ8qDoh8HzxCBVRq8EYXlStb79RYYZP6wHFl0e5/s320/IMG_1343.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Simpsons land had Duff beer brewery, but the food options were in a separate area and pretty weak and jammed up with people. Harry Potter land had the butter beer, which was cool, but minimal theme otherwise with the food? With some creativity, they could do cool things with the food, but then again, why bother if people are willing to wait 30 minutes for a 15 dollar bland hamburger? They had the Moulin Rouge themed sit down restaurant and we were like "hmmm maybe lets shell out for that" only to find out that the proletariat aren't allowed to go there without buying another separate VIP experience thing. We ended up just leaving when we were getting hungry and had no interest in waiting for the rides. We ended up eating a little better and a little more affordably out in the CityWalk area, but once we walked out there, we weren't going back in the park. Don't get me wrong, we had an alright time, but I wouldn't say that we had several hundred bucks worth of fun. Feels like a tourist trap rip off. Still a cool place and the backlot tour has so much priceless Americana on it. If it were not for the backlot tour, it would be a rip off. If you are a real movie buff, you are better off just driving and walking around for free in Hollywood. Next time we go we will probably go check out some of the other studios as well. Overall, it was neat and we recommend that everyone goes on the Studio Tour at least once, but if you are pressed for time and money, go on a tour through Hollywood instead and wrap up by heading up to Griffith Observatory and seeing the numerous scenic overlooks to experience real Hollywood magic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-38036761313652617402022-06-26T15:37:00.003-04:002022-06-26T15:37:48.044-04:00Six Flags Magic Mountain: A Trip Report from a 1st Timer Plus Wonder Woman Updates<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvh1veZ5vNoZRUSZ8eEHOfBOnz8LNkb8ffMvPlWZrSfKkfC45lKKJ3lRygBGDSlxEBVB6Zk1E0C1xEHcFgDhUS6n0-wqsPbej6pomDlsGTSwfvbXjbdUpcZO0bBzjkE45H7w4gvo5yXv4EM9RUOlQzUCllbulNweqo_YQnB49277CYo2GKQKjWNrzL/s2736/IMG_1215.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvh1veZ5vNoZRUSZ8eEHOfBOnz8LNkb8ffMvPlWZrSfKkfC45lKKJ3lRygBGDSlxEBVB6Zk1E0C1xEHcFgDhUS6n0-wqsPbej6pomDlsGTSwfvbXjbdUpcZO0bBzjkE45H7w4gvo5yXv4EM9RUOlQzUCllbulNweqo_YQnB49277CYo2GKQKjWNrzL/w640-h426/IMG_1215.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I like visiting a park for the first time with a clear mind. While many of you have been visiting the park for many years or even decades, it is good to see a little perspective sometimes from someone unbiased by nostalgia. My extent for nostalgia in the park is in some of its classic rides and the park's representation in films and TV shows. The park is probably one of the most prolific in the industry in regards to being used for filming shows, commercials, movies, etc, with examples being seen in <i>National Lampoon's Vacation, Spinal Tap, CHiPs, Wonder Woman, TJ Hooker </i>(yeah I know super random but that is what popped into my head), the intro for <i>Step by Step</i>, and more. Aside from the obvious Universal Studios Hollywood, which as a park does not generally get represented within film directly, and possibly the park's metropolitan area neighbor in Knotts, no other park has been represented in film as much. I had always looked at the rides with anticipation to ride, but having just visited for the first time now, I visit without the bias that can happen when you've visited a park a bunch of times. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I feel like this visit was one where most of my expectations for rides were blown away. Many of the rides I thought looked blah were really solid, and others I thought looked decent ended up having disappointing aspects, or were outright bad. It is clear what parts of the park were planned, with excellent shade cover and landscaping, such as the lower, upper part of the mountain, and lower area around the Looney Toons area in addition to Goliath and Twisted Colossus, versus the unshaded and brutal corner of the park that just feels like it was thrown together with West Coast Racers and Apocalypse. I think that West Coast Racers is a winner, but that corner of the park is devoid of shade, which is a terrible thing for a park that is basically within the desert on a 90 degree day. I appreciate that the station for West Coast Racers has a queue that is within an air conditioned building but that section of the park is just brutal in the heat. The blacktop asphalt road "theming" on West Coast Racers was especially rough in the heat. We sadly missed out on Apocalypse, which was closed along with Batman. Wonder Woman was not open yet either, but it looks like they are putting their finishing touches on that. That should be a good and tame family coaster in that side of the park, just like its near clone, Jersey Devil at Great Adventure. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Additionally, you can see where the initial planned areas were for the park, with smartly landscaped areas with shade, versus later addition areas like West Coast Racers where blacktop is used for pathways and minimal shade</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57foozVkEHfBca9JQiKmzW7Hxk_enWgwy9s3pyx6zHlDOYsF50zQZld2581W2NjlcOEzq1eg-RttVAAU7_YfLogmQdNovC5TJPlRmpyblqGhVlcrBCzhcicaccCxgYe66hDkft_cWCEFF4IBtN2-Cr1sTRE2UhdeN7E_2050pY0KiHiYLGIhUt-qm/s2736/IMG_1107.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57foozVkEHfBca9JQiKmzW7Hxk_enWgwy9s3pyx6zHlDOYsF50zQZld2581W2NjlcOEzq1eg-RttVAAU7_YfLogmQdNovC5TJPlRmpyblqGhVlcrBCzhcicaccCxgYe66hDkft_cWCEFF4IBtN2-Cr1sTRE2UhdeN7E_2050pY0KiHiYLGIhUt-qm/w640-h426/IMG_1107.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These three coasters (Twisted Colossus, Goliath, and Superman) were a ton of fun. Twisted Colossus and Goliath are tied for my overall favorites in the park. Both blew me away for I did not expect them to be as great as they were. I was not prepared for how great the lateral forces and initial airtime on Goliath was going to be. With Twisted Colossus, I expected a typical cut and paste element layout like you do on most other RMCs, but this was strange and the airtime was wicked. Easily my favorite of the I-Box RMCs. I do not think either of these rides, or any in the park, rise to the top when it comes to my absolute favorite coasters, but they are a ton of fun. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzu2y82XnrkhHO4WBLABKpRuDyhKpUlTWvw358ytzVMf6UkbUTlbnATTns9rcNiCPfVZn8Rjy_7GawO3Q1dRIWo0xDWquHqxKikbIxIzNwdOAxys3R6vaj3EZSAW46ZkvSfRDWA1bWzffhPlq7Cf_w8ZtOMKrx6N-ZtJs-aKor-_ZToRQ-l6SYUsr/s2736/IMG_1108.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzu2y82XnrkhHO4WBLABKpRuDyhKpUlTWvw358ytzVMf6UkbUTlbnATTns9rcNiCPfVZn8Rjy_7GawO3Q1dRIWo0xDWquHqxKikbIxIzNwdOAxys3R6vaj3EZSAW46ZkvSfRDWA1bWzffhPlq7Cf_w8ZtOMKrx6N-ZtJs-aKor-_ZToRQ-l6SYUsr/w640-h426/IMG_1108.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcImNXbussCy3zYckE4GEXVGF8LQonIrblzfWUgSRKNRFL_wRYaHk_cXo6SrUmIapnQaDzIm5l52KpxrjdEqJClcAYrpXZ-Svf_Y4aNJvPcAsO5gFel6FcT1jVLZEzS6yoALDN4nobIxNOBSGM4888MYqpN0BJM0R336CWveR4k0BGohyQyggP5QuG/s2736/IMG_1110.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcImNXbussCy3zYckE4GEXVGF8LQonIrblzfWUgSRKNRFL_wRYaHk_cXo6SrUmIapnQaDzIm5l52KpxrjdEqJClcAYrpXZ-Svf_Y4aNJvPcAsO5gFel6FcT1jVLZEzS6yoALDN4nobIxNOBSGM4888MYqpN0BJM0R336CWveR4k0BGohyQyggP5QuG/w640-h426/IMG_1110.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tatsu and Revolution are both really fun rides. Revolution is such a relaxing ride, with a silky smooth and classic ride experience. I love the way Schwarzkopf built the ride right into the terrain and utilized smooth and flowy turns and drops, emphasizing the anticipation of the ride. I really enjoyed the long drop into the loop, staring it down up ahead. I absolutely adore the way Schwarzkopf was able to build unique, fun, and relaxing enough rides for the whole family to enjoy like he did with Revolution here at SFMM, and Whizzer at Six Flags Great America. The placement of both of these rides in the front of the park is fantastic and the popularity of these rides really shows in that they seem to have long queue lines all day long. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogqmMdiVtEgAe7kN8m5wzFMmftSlWMP2GJ8tvXpHsmiShmnisJGW-1qiYzlHbX-X8CokZXAbYKUyE75OqBdvZeBPuZuZ4kSCKUiqr9w3FaqPJvxFmv3kcavz-sMp3ufq57SOPkUWCk-NlGMgx_QYJC_rmEG1FrUuLHqJknxOUQNZ29ReyQjbkfwnl/s2736/IMG_1111.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogqmMdiVtEgAe7kN8m5wzFMmftSlWMP2GJ8tvXpHsmiShmnisJGW-1qiYzlHbX-X8CokZXAbYKUyE75OqBdvZeBPuZuZ4kSCKUiqr9w3FaqPJvxFmv3kcavz-sMp3ufq57SOPkUWCk-NlGMgx_QYJC_rmEG1FrUuLHqJknxOUQNZ29ReyQjbkfwnl/w640-h426/IMG_1111.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I really enjoyed Viper. It has definitely aged pretty well and it was surprisingly smooth considering that it is an Arrow mega looper. I am not sure if it is better maintenance, better overall design, or the fact that the higher inversions likely put less strain on the train overall, but this ride has held up much better than its close sibling, Great American Scream Machine, which was demolished 12 years ago now at Great Adventure. It seems like the opposite story has happened with Scream and Medusa, but we will come back to that.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieXHNc0dutJCvl4NE3DaOvX6jnTCCVfghUTqXRwi6wbrgGiY8JH-iDRPR1B364iBUEukEtAnAg_zlLtNYCIITr1gPf58au2OByeSIxS3DPu1_D4xGVHxHe-hRDTsuQBnVQ-M_3FDQJrWGi2bmnjfLK4sNhrQ3nGrRYh0MfqN_bWTR07iKDPhDROQI/s2736/IMG_1112.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieXHNc0dutJCvl4NE3DaOvX6jnTCCVfghUTqXRwi6wbrgGiY8JH-iDRPR1B364iBUEukEtAnAg_zlLtNYCIITr1gPf58au2OByeSIxS3DPu1_D4xGVHxHe-hRDTsuQBnVQ-M_3FDQJrWGi2bmnjfLK4sNhrQ3nGrRYh0MfqN_bWTR07iKDPhDROQI/s320/IMG_1112.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first coaster we rode was X2. We got right up to the ride for its second ride, but the train system that locks the chairs back upright in the station appeared to be having trouble. We ended up waiting like 45 minutes for them to get that straightened out. The ride is incredibly intense and popular, but you have to wonder if the park will be willing to sit through more extended downtime with this coaster. You have to wonder about the sustainability of having maintenance bogged down with the coaster, plus having a new maintenance nightmare with the new RMC single rail coaster coming in. We saw last year at Great Adventure that maintenance was getting bogged down with the multitude of daily issues at Jersey Devil and a series of maintenance issues popped up on other rides around the park, including one at El Toro that caused the ride to be closed for the rest of the year, and another on the log flume. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As far as the ride itself goes, I was amazed. I knew the ride would be really intense, but I was just floored by that first drop sequence. I could do without the bobbing around on the final turns though. You have to wonder if all of that bouncing around does a number on the complicated electronics systems on the train. I can see why they opted to go with a design that does not do any turns on the newer 4D Freespins, but those rides also don't hold a candle to X2. That ride system is also not nearly as comfortable as this one either. I wish they would try to build another 4D coaster of the size and scope of X2, with its style of trains, but with the vertical footprint of the 4D Freespins. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjp14SjXrTsWTw_Pp4-h7ETCuYsaIpntuMrHYjB_q6zeUgjSUPN9u4Kqli_ukzk6GkNk6_QPhwvLZN610vEuDhSWu_HDwQyJtkSdOkPXOkrr9uApTTLOIuiZKyFOaJGNemc0okgBkAW7HXPIfZCYsLcrARoHE4Xx2FUjv5Xg7VK07qS9UeKlmYnZp7/s2736/IMG_1120.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjp14SjXrTsWTw_Pp4-h7ETCuYsaIpntuMrHYjB_q6zeUgjSUPN9u4Kqli_ukzk6GkNk6_QPhwvLZN610vEuDhSWu_HDwQyJtkSdOkPXOkrr9uApTTLOIuiZKyFOaJGNemc0okgBkAW7HXPIfZCYsLcrARoHE4Xx2FUjv5Xg7VK07qS9UeKlmYnZp7/s320/IMG_1120.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now to Revolution! Such a terrific classic. It really welcomes visitors to the park so well as an inviting ride that pretty much anyone can experience and have fun on, and its unique layout that contours with the terrain is great. It is also a pretty rare experience for a steel coaster to be surrounded by woods like this. The coaster is still a winner, just 4 years shy of its 50th birthday. The first modern looping coaster still delivers. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwU-OgcQ3S0RJIo0IDVcgb-LVwnEn5XKwt-hnGF2gE0LUsq0ttjcqH2y9n4b0ICyvFUIulWfZE4QDi9Jvst9YKigC4K3Z70nUOTJFHKhLaFCPn-MOr7K9_dNFG6aKxpNfdc7dB6BDFavivHyxvXzD-B6909h5OyQOwNErsy2zG15KczMfivOaFoqEo/s2736/IMG_1144.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwU-OgcQ3S0RJIo0IDVcgb-LVwnEn5XKwt-hnGF2gE0LUsq0ttjcqH2y9n4b0ICyvFUIulWfZE4QDi9Jvst9YKigC4K3Z70nUOTJFHKhLaFCPn-MOr7K9_dNFG6aKxpNfdc7dB6BDFavivHyxvXzD-B6909h5OyQOwNErsy2zG15KczMfivOaFoqEo/s320/IMG_1144.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtf06ircjGqPc0Xyvoq21uSWCQuYRfXAAXQ-_R5RPdWm1z8MxoBxttzaxyoJ8GoB9wisFhg3FgqR6k067HEUsXqywH5R_0UcKzx6UEJ39pMIHGZdZhll4YzfifV8p5zxJGEAWWOBl0FI7Ze1aNfcEvvrcjC3tq-4C4VI_ScXxrz5ad6BOstGe0p_o0/s2736/IMG_1161.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtf06ircjGqPc0Xyvoq21uSWCQuYRfXAAXQ-_R5RPdWm1z8MxoBxttzaxyoJ8GoB9wisFhg3FgqR6k067HEUsXqywH5R_0UcKzx6UEJ39pMIHGZdZhll4YzfifV8p5zxJGEAWWOBl0FI7Ze1aNfcEvvrcjC3tq-4C4VI_ScXxrz5ad6BOstGe0p_o0/w426-h640/IMG_1161.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOanYhLx2-mtVP-PmuXKIPuzwLr0djB02kIPuyYUSIl4ze8MIYweopocE8cJMyUenxCuDib-Lvoa6xF2IEfc8WE3_YaFpBtFsBbQIwguO3B8NGTnJWFCJflZOO8O5gRpngFdVFW8DSOaMNYIB7RIWhKYJMje-KYHf6D5Er3bCGg9TmoVPVA7y6jOfG/s2736/IMG_1176.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOanYhLx2-mtVP-PmuXKIPuzwLr0djB02kIPuyYUSIl4ze8MIYweopocE8cJMyUenxCuDib-Lvoa6xF2IEfc8WE3_YaFpBtFsBbQIwguO3B8NGTnJWFCJflZOO8O5gRpngFdVFW8DSOaMNYIB7RIWhKYJMje-KYHf6D5Er3bCGg9TmoVPVA7y6jOfG/s320/IMG_1176.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuGGgOGB6GlOsrQu02JMIqeWioDTZQeckksU63tVjXZf7jYG0zy5KoOA8I0zIXUJimc5nyHafUn5wNYShLFlTW3rAOYS0NTX1KxQ34yC7JexzA2yXAB_fx37uyGI1R7f0IhZDuln8I1Ky_qxSnpo81f_YNEZFPUy9pax6jgFWbwaRWNS9QKleXPRl/s2736/IMG_1172.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuGGgOGB6GlOsrQu02JMIqeWioDTZQeckksU63tVjXZf7jYG0zy5KoOA8I0zIXUJimc5nyHafUn5wNYShLFlTW3rAOYS0NTX1KxQ34yC7JexzA2yXAB_fx37uyGI1R7f0IhZDuln8I1Ky_qxSnpo81f_YNEZFPUy9pax6jgFWbwaRWNS9QKleXPRl/s320/IMG_1172.JPG" width="213" /></a></div></div></div></div></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5L95QyRomvDvhzGdscp86UQdKyjG9LsyukFOGqGXrtWhheb8PKU-meJOrqHPDpO4FcKJdCIuk27V2brGueBfHdDb0UkwX29exzUG-HMJDaPvx50RnXChD8SHCZyheF0qyG4yLTXiaEEuba7sYfoiC84czfyfH-tbvroPpHfsjdKCZAa6OQyphqp0/s2736/IMG_1177.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5L95QyRomvDvhzGdscp86UQdKyjG9LsyukFOGqGXrtWhheb8PKU-meJOrqHPDpO4FcKJdCIuk27V2brGueBfHdDb0UkwX29exzUG-HMJDaPvx50RnXChD8SHCZyheF0qyG4yLTXiaEEuba7sYfoiC84czfyfH-tbvroPpHfsjdKCZAa6OQyphqp0/s320/IMG_1177.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Honda Express, the park's funicular that takes guests up to the top of the mountain from the lower midway, is fantastic. Unique rides like these add so much to the overall experience of the park. If only they had similar rides in the other major directions. Walking up those hills in the desert heat is not pleasant. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzc3dn748jCRzlf1wpLGb3ZkJZvovgRx2ZJgThApfxrRGLAD02pV0Ogx8VDB3Z37S9n-VLnBIxlo6rz0eYjXcJ_YGl4RGpdabWhzYb0-5mmViZKeHroIGkQWGOpAvC1-HbMSc223VD8kKNYfpVjg77FiTVYaw2W1OmBLKxqNf88imggPRwFlC8TLHk/s2736/IMG_1180.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzc3dn748jCRzlf1wpLGb3ZkJZvovgRx2ZJgThApfxrRGLAD02pV0Ogx8VDB3Z37S9n-VLnBIxlo6rz0eYjXcJ_YGl4RGpdabWhzYb0-5mmViZKeHroIGkQWGOpAvC1-HbMSc223VD8kKNYfpVjg77FiTVYaw2W1OmBLKxqNf88imggPRwFlC8TLHk/w640-h426/IMG_1180.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We went right to Tatsu after heading up the funicular. The hype is definitely legit for Tatsu. A terrain based B&M flyer of immense size and proportions. The enormous pretzel loop is next level intense for an inversion that is already ridiculously intense. My favorite part of the ride though is the feeling of being really high up in the final helix area. I love the overall feeling of enormous height throughout the entire ride. It really makes the flying experience truly feel like flying. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_l8oqxUAEm6EhZewmQzrP7S8PB15FIB8r6jMEldo76PPeEp5WBh4CebGhclfzQSdLLBpsdKfoUiygt_rwGgcqRk7aIzckO-s3-GUKfGnvcgKtOkUKwLTpfx3U9ZclNqQEoyh78HfOiZtyzkpMAFbjXvWIogxyv3xJhlO7S44WoMWAd4p9FZJQQk6-/s2736/IMG_1181.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_l8oqxUAEm6EhZewmQzrP7S8PB15FIB8r6jMEldo76PPeEp5WBh4CebGhclfzQSdLLBpsdKfoUiygt_rwGgcqRk7aIzckO-s3-GUKfGnvcgKtOkUKwLTpfx3U9ZclNqQEoyh78HfOiZtyzkpMAFbjXvWIogxyv3xJhlO7S44WoMWAd4p9FZJQQk6-/s320/IMG_1181.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShR-uSoAfv9cQUIJhkShuz9kW5HAQgFnOGPRqYleLsB1ZihgPak27VCs3orPEPtcQ6aRJtOIpM_w8r28x_ZmdWrB5bWmXs4marRCC95cknT0nqZQ7a4AhCEMd-q_13Fiys45qIEm90vkR4DMNDn2vuJz7fqaZJDZQj7eEiP9byKtgfUyApsbSO4Ih/s2736/IMG_1231.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShR-uSoAfv9cQUIJhkShuz9kW5HAQgFnOGPRqYleLsB1ZihgPak27VCs3orPEPtcQ6aRJtOIpM_w8r28x_ZmdWrB5bWmXs4marRCC95cknT0nqZQ7a4AhCEMd-q_13Fiys45qIEm90vkR4DMNDn2vuJz7fqaZJDZQj7eEiP9byKtgfUyApsbSO4Ih/s320/IMG_1231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is Brit on Full Throttle. We adored this coaster until that awful set brakes leading into the brake run. There is no way that Premier initially proposed that concept. It had to be a budget cut that had it end that way. Why would you have the coaster from its tallest drop when the train has its highest momentum, right into the brake run? What a ridiculously awful setup. You are getting terrific typical Premier ejector air and then boom into the brakes. So painful. Up til that point, I thought the ride was perfect and a ton of fun. I wish they would go in and let Premier finish the coaster layout. There is no way that this was the first design concept for the coaster. I wouldn't be surprised if anyone has ever gotten hurt from going full speed right into the brakes. Yikes that was unpleasant, which really stinks because otherwise this ride is fantastic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKVP5IU1E-K4hsCPMzC8IrDlbjApbBa_VMx9b_KviVmSEx37R7J9ah6ja-2FcIycioh4OQBBZYweJxmQuJHtXJunpc01gy6IJYNRfb3SMkBsHy9BxAbXsRQovqwF2TLPu_xkCiH7KLsFeNLGOvdFQGabnLGt3hAT9PtiTiiOPLZ56eqiQuW6gxGQh/s2736/IMG_1239.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKVP5IU1E-K4hsCPMzC8IrDlbjApbBa_VMx9b_KviVmSEx37R7J9ah6ja-2FcIycioh4OQBBZYweJxmQuJHtXJunpc01gy6IJYNRfb3SMkBsHy9BxAbXsRQovqwF2TLPu_xkCiH7KLsFeNLGOvdFQGabnLGt3hAT9PtiTiiOPLZ56eqiQuW6gxGQh/s320/IMG_1239.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9LYzpV9MEZ0X5GRyBYWX-U60MS8PCuJwSrf2hY06lzK79kj72hZQGeGJhwVx1rHlclfuYTYXX83poZgUWGzLHaI2jSHnCT50gJKHGDrLQYAHAuPml8LnFC4e1P6J-3KcBj60MFD92H5cqiTn5fcOnAR1dav9VYsjnyqskYzYAgpopheD2Itpn6iI/s2736/IMG_1289.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9LYzpV9MEZ0X5GRyBYWX-U60MS8PCuJwSrf2hY06lzK79kj72hZQGeGJhwVx1rHlclfuYTYXX83poZgUWGzLHaI2jSHnCT50gJKHGDrLQYAHAuPml8LnFC4e1P6J-3KcBj60MFD92H5cqiTn5fcOnAR1dav9VYsjnyqskYzYAgpopheD2Itpn6iI/s320/IMG_1289.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-yUD7UZU2dKOYqso6nG_KJJABK_bZHzZ953gBN0NVBAUuayQmXhKY67k4qT0LbJgf220WgqaRGM9fvwlvDA45B_z3Qcb_n9dAcEVL7cDHb233b5MnwodqDcSRU9B8g788kuKaB87QTJqvo4dvw2DNL2zUqYBWbf8XCcGl8ZYUuhu_FP4YJUuXp5c/s2736/IMG_1296.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-yUD7UZU2dKOYqso6nG_KJJABK_bZHzZ953gBN0NVBAUuayQmXhKY67k4qT0LbJgf220WgqaRGM9fvwlvDA45B_z3Qcb_n9dAcEVL7cDHb233b5MnwodqDcSRU9B8g788kuKaB87QTJqvo4dvw2DNL2zUqYBWbf8XCcGl8ZYUuhu_FP4YJUuXp5c/s320/IMG_1296.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAPkxc2pi5xnFQ8-NEKNZS7K4m1E4TTt-auR-MXCk0SWPEL22tyu2WFEAZLV_R9VZ0uvl7_XSUtGKBpRaFxZClvaXldo2DKw-IzAgmC7vMYDplcuv8WhuJSORUHWhx4mvesTFc1Yg-N2qwNKcuLj96AxclohrnXJTQ8rHHt91oBe73kvM5r8TfygH/s2736/IMG_1297.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="1824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAPkxc2pi5xnFQ8-NEKNZS7K4m1E4TTt-auR-MXCk0SWPEL22tyu2WFEAZLV_R9VZ0uvl7_XSUtGKBpRaFxZClvaXldo2DKw-IzAgmC7vMYDplcuv8WhuJSORUHWhx4mvesTFc1Yg-N2qwNKcuLj96AxclohrnXJTQ8rHHt91oBe73kvM5r8TfygH/w426-h640/IMG_1297.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ouch time on Full Throttle</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeIcL3bTvcc-k46xb6s0zKW3xbLxMbM-qBpd3yJpFQXfd90z5FnTGKvgw3V22yxMN20KjSb_Ogx_eDGeXl5cebF2knOHYTuiUQiFvtKFImrToiubgy1gwglAHQBF07LxaCF7vw5QP7E8VSkf8OcCmURMZNfyAsZAQT_KJhYuHg1P6i83gQ-vDnaz5/s2736/IMG_1230.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeIcL3bTvcc-k46xb6s0zKW3xbLxMbM-qBpd3yJpFQXfd90z5FnTGKvgw3V22yxMN20KjSb_Ogx_eDGeXl5cebF2knOHYTuiUQiFvtKFImrToiubgy1gwglAHQBF07LxaCF7vw5QP7E8VSkf8OcCmURMZNfyAsZAQT_KJhYuHg1P6i83gQ-vDnaz5/w640-h426/IMG_1230.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I love this part of the midway.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkHe7Ixl4KzWwTkH-lBR5Usyewamf1zKDBguS-uFIV4JA6ZzoKIU3bID65AvgoUqGYrkcgfTWGiR8AzLnSSzoTgNtQF91sciawDDIKzLpgViHIiuVIoIsX8gCJ7udwiSyBKl6Xmsf8sB6ncecq3uHEujEZTnnSz-aB3uVn4uxzOinQTknim0qbdP4/s2736/IMG_1228.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkHe7Ixl4KzWwTkH-lBR5Usyewamf1zKDBguS-uFIV4JA6ZzoKIU3bID65AvgoUqGYrkcgfTWGiR8AzLnSSzoTgNtQF91sciawDDIKzLpgViHIiuVIoIsX8gCJ7udwiSyBKl6Xmsf8sB6ncecq3uHEujEZTnnSz-aB3uVn4uxzOinQTknim0qbdP4/s320/IMG_1228.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwm4ufYLPSAqFYqVC3XjgNZEIQCwk-i5K87dBcvXhUd_cDH4ImbGV1MQHql2svUEwPKbuVzEX81lFFdL8-uTacoBdCzj7Klmi9-39nG8RK6g8oS2wohgXf0jNwCgmIVZulrlLWn-aAH6dYcsmGYRusrP4CgpfCCMyY4iUNDmjWrdrpj7eo_gQmpTF1/s2736/IMG_1182.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwm4ufYLPSAqFYqVC3XjgNZEIQCwk-i5K87dBcvXhUd_cDH4ImbGV1MQHql2svUEwPKbuVzEX81lFFdL8-uTacoBdCzj7Klmi9-39nG8RK6g8oS2wohgXf0jNwCgmIVZulrlLWn-aAH6dYcsmGYRusrP4CgpfCCMyY4iUNDmjWrdrpj7eo_gQmpTF1/s320/IMG_1182.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Now on to the park's most recent completed addition, West Coast Racers, with its shadeless blacktop theming.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxMYcxdaDb_fieuiwSUjCXRIG-_8eKmnSfw8qeJDepp2UbV39x6TxGjpjlgB-gBoVTHqtQeb1aXCWI8hHwqhEQFNTnBVZM73PqD5UQcP3jWnQ2y51ngMV7EW4AOF96BcnpcpiWhWBInlYi4XUC00WQdAiqlZC2Xn3dYTB06N9eHPaGrSaRzFRZ_D3/s2736/IMG_1190.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxMYcxdaDb_fieuiwSUjCXRIG-_8eKmnSfw8qeJDepp2UbV39x6TxGjpjlgB-gBoVTHqtQeb1aXCWI8hHwqhEQFNTnBVZM73PqD5UQcP3jWnQ2y51ngMV7EW4AOF96BcnpcpiWhWBInlYi4XUC00WQdAiqlZC2Xn3dYTB06N9eHPaGrSaRzFRZ_D3/s320/IMG_1190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This Quasi Möbius racing coaster by Premier has a racing and dueling single track with four launches and lots of weaved together inversions. It is a lot of fun. Not top tier by any means, but still a decent ride, especially as something that is pretty family friendly. For how large the crowds get at the park, I always wonder why they add rides with such low capacity. You don't go to Magic Mountain to expect a decent theming experience on a coaster, and I like that they put in at least a little bit of an effort, but because of this, they probably actually saved money on what would be considered acceptable landscaping around the ride. Large swaths of black top asphalt make up the whole midway. On a 90+ degree day in the desert, this is ridiculously unacceptable. When you go back to the older midways, you see a beautifully landscaped area with strategically placed shade trees. This feels like it was straight up built in a parking lot, which is a great recipe for heat stroke. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIjIoxomu0m-TUnEg_16bbvdZGj5TLtlCcXmudWyVOzC1qKYtmFtmZK3bPpXpOHsiYcIdNPRPcPYQ0nh6VaSCRYc6mNRn35nLJBywiAVlzqufzCYNT4cnzeHL5aGzvxtQ-irnpgXvxnRZMghPalnulKKvRjRmk53KRCtDB13ls9Uo7_A7L9nWDSIr/s2736/IMG_1191.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIjIoxomu0m-TUnEg_16bbvdZGj5TLtlCcXmudWyVOzC1qKYtmFtmZK3bPpXpOHsiYcIdNPRPcPYQ0nh6VaSCRYc6mNRn35nLJBywiAVlzqufzCYNT4cnzeHL5aGzvxtQ-irnpgXvxnRZMghPalnulKKvRjRmk53KRCtDB13ls9Uo7_A7L9nWDSIr/s320/IMG_1191.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Unfortunately, we missed out on Apocalypse. I did not get any pictures of Gold Rusher, but I did enjoy this old Arrow Mine Ride. At one part of the ride, there are piles of lost hats on either side of the track. At the brake run, they had to stop the train and come out because some unaccompanied kid from a summer camp had their foot out of the side of the train! I never saw anything like this at any park. Apparently this is a common thing at the park, with the same thing having happened on Full Throttle with someone last year. The park may be seriously needing to think about how stupid some of the guests are and put higher side lips on the trains, or even like little netting cargo netting things or doors like you have on the side of a sky ride. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvh1veZ5vNoZRUSZ8eEHOfBOnz8LNkb8ffMvPlWZrSfKkfC45lKKJ3lRygBGDSlxEBVB6Zk1E0C1xEHcFgDhUS6n0-wqsPbej6pomDlsGTSwfvbXjbdUpcZO0bBzjkE45H7w4gvo5yXv4EM9RUOlQzUCllbulNweqo_YQnB49277CYo2GKQKjWNrzL/s2736/IMG_1215.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvh1veZ5vNoZRUSZ8eEHOfBOnz8LNkb8ffMvPlWZrSfKkfC45lKKJ3lRygBGDSlxEBVB6Zk1E0C1xEHcFgDhUS6n0-wqsPbej6pomDlsGTSwfvbXjbdUpcZO0bBzjkE45H7w4gvo5yXv4EM9RUOlQzUCllbulNweqo_YQnB49277CYo2GKQKjWNrzL/w640-h426/IMG_1215.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">A view of Tatsu doing its thing from Samurai Summit. This section of the park is one of the prettiest in regards to tree cover and views of the desert mountains, but it could really use some paint and carpentry work. There were sections of the wooden facades of buildings that were falling down. The paint was faded, and often flaked and gone. This is probably the most scenic section of the park, with its awesome views of the surrounding landscape. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqKvUL5flnAHcCC7F1ytZuvg-S0l7kFLaKmoTETSBafiaHKVvKQID1vbikjVAPjSrdN2D0lbCzgBK8eZMY8DfQ5z0xGs8VZV2h4xrNzA5f3xKElJcd1rs3_mLqzVFqRABHZEiJDcnq4O6yMJugLLdiyxfJQBRaaLeimWJsVAwsbdoGDMJ_BAUwqan/s2736/IMG_1217.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqKvUL5flnAHcCC7F1ytZuvg-S0l7kFLaKmoTETSBafiaHKVvKQID1vbikjVAPjSrdN2D0lbCzgBK8eZMY8DfQ5z0xGs8VZV2h4xrNzA5f3xKElJcd1rs3_mLqzVFqRABHZEiJDcnq4O6yMJugLLdiyxfJQBRaaLeimWJsVAwsbdoGDMJ_BAUwqan/w640-h426/IMG_1217.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>The woods in this area of the park are so pleasant. They feel like an oasis in the middle of the desert after walking out of the blacktop asphalt haven of West Coast Racers.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmy4syIlgxVgudROBGTg78cP3yOofUEFD1Uo4PbCGZ_UbtyIpptpwt7TbLFPPGU9EATUQi2qX5Xxc-JD1Hrtr8RppANny8USAJKNPe8M1CtwWbq6tjQnesNtJ7G6P1HtAnm8xRia9WaITOs4ZS25lxx4wNhbHROY0cbV_nw2Kv4OXa9yQo-lmpBYx/s2736/IMG_1219.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmy4syIlgxVgudROBGTg78cP3yOofUEFD1Uo4PbCGZ_UbtyIpptpwt7TbLFPPGU9EATUQi2qX5Xxc-JD1Hrtr8RppANny8USAJKNPe8M1CtwWbq6tjQnesNtJ7G6P1HtAnm8xRia9WaITOs4ZS25lxx4wNhbHROY0cbV_nw2Kv4OXa9yQo-lmpBYx/w640-h426/IMG_1219.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>The views of Tatsu and Ninja up here are awesome.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjc22Ey4z3qNup5oMHK3l0Yu4CgQT-cpTI8zjrvTaGl5_VIDghNwgu4XVWQvZj5vplDm8JPUqXfd_4Nzu6RCIbatsCWP8Dohw3U_L8qSp4pQzKvxr0xQXt5KuJGFfLHLRA462508CV1nqRs_uM7EpXDChh1g_Ru_WS3p3Dsv4WmBoljvPlW9pfUtF/s2736/IMG_1220.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjc22Ey4z3qNup5oMHK3l0Yu4CgQT-cpTI8zjrvTaGl5_VIDghNwgu4XVWQvZj5vplDm8JPUqXfd_4Nzu6RCIbatsCWP8Dohw3U_L8qSp4pQzKvxr0xQXt5KuJGFfLHLRA462508CV1nqRs_uM7EpXDChh1g_Ru_WS3p3Dsv4WmBoljvPlW9pfUtF/s320/IMG_1220.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ninja is a really fun ride. I love the way it slaloms down and how it flies over the flume pool and has great views. It is a ton of fun. Probably my favorite of the three Arrow suspended coasters that I have ridden (Ninja, Iron Dragon, and Flight Deck). It is also incredible how much this ride uses the terrain to make a huge ride that still hovers low to the ground, with thrilling visuals of the mountain, tree tops, and water pools from the log flume. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOU7999AKc-RnHG1HnswF1OthvHb7rtjxY-cX5TsoiXk6wDXFX1vPyNAoV6-zzPs3Wu5YM18i70Y9tPrsFX9Wz_u9Rn9bVJHJxngJuKCKHuz8XBVnoifDtZXLDg9aXfPdhYpRD4jlgBT4gxS5ObHY-PDF-bjcI5pGYwjlfomBCKXnsHnNXUXTBUO-j/s2736/IMG_1221.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOU7999AKc-RnHG1HnswF1OthvHb7rtjxY-cX5TsoiXk6wDXFX1vPyNAoV6-zzPs3Wu5YM18i70Y9tPrsFX9Wz_u9Rn9bVJHJxngJuKCKHuz8XBVnoifDtZXLDg9aXfPdhYpRD4jlgBT4gxS5ObHY-PDF-bjcI5pGYwjlfomBCKXnsHnNXUXTBUO-j/s320/IMG_1221.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdqSAgvypGLoJc5LDoXXRsr7kU6kNcVj4MBh8VFn1uWac859pfKknfa3Y604spBDvlSK2MCEG7bbKm1YOEFH6sw3JbuPy2QwK5k_oFkzA35jWLwO9lknIFqF8KtEVfrcs5d3nLISJfZkcQ3VjU4Ype-tj9uLOfwXXjIoX4ijUm9w0ibYX5T86VWmJ/s2736/IMG_1309.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdqSAgvypGLoJc5LDoXXRsr7kU6kNcVj4MBh8VFn1uWac859pfKknfa3Y604spBDvlSK2MCEG7bbKm1YOEFH6sw3JbuPy2QwK5k_oFkzA35jWLwO9lknIFqF8KtEVfrcs5d3nLISJfZkcQ3VjU4Ype-tj9uLOfwXXjIoX4ijUm9w0ibYX5T86VWmJ/s320/IMG_1309.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The Superman line is brutally slow, but this is definitely a fun ride.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCGTfJji1u7zj43KJBX4er6vYg5a61CGrebNdKsNAv6KXSMkz3yLA7HoPioMxMj8UUv-eiwmwOUzHRZ831FmvxFlSS7-F0n0xjzTuBsn8dAC-vAEQN9RC0zmr4FbAUuH8H139jlPANBm0dFiTlzDvQ0VQzH2EboePPGFG9cnt9SNl0NwBYTI4njsi/s2736/IMG_1311.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCGTfJji1u7zj43KJBX4er6vYg5a61CGrebNdKsNAv6KXSMkz3yLA7HoPioMxMj8UUv-eiwmwOUzHRZ831FmvxFlSS7-F0n0xjzTuBsn8dAC-vAEQN9RC0zmr4FbAUuH8H139jlPANBm0dFiTlzDvQ0VQzH2EboePPGFG9cnt9SNl0NwBYTI4njsi/w640-h426/IMG_1311.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was not expecting much out of Goliath, but I absolutely loved it. The high speeds, giant drops, great airtime on that second large hill, and the really strong lats make this ride really stand out. To be honest, this was everything expected Raging Bull to be. I love when my expectations get blown away. I adore this ride. It is strange and it is fun. Stengel and Giovanola goodness. I imagine that if Schwarzkopf ever made a hyper, this is what it would be like, with decent laterals. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqyAyjVQf5jQJwxu2PSn0ZSzrR4PVlAK-OqUaRZZ18RqAUSS-i_b736wGf_XkKlV1zFhz-E-ErA97DpZSqAZDZnrfXIzLsZ-cIWDUUzIgnb__lVR9MxEqtBpY-TWAspk1A4QhISwwAPg5jU73qglKcGjoRf4MUCoLl1OnjJpCo8v0qiBvV73TxQ7T/s2736/IMG_1314.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="1824" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqyAyjVQf5jQJwxu2PSn0ZSzrR4PVlAK-OqUaRZZ18RqAUSS-i_b736wGf_XkKlV1zFhz-E-ErA97DpZSqAZDZnrfXIzLsZ-cIWDUUzIgnb__lVR9MxEqtBpY-TWAspk1A4QhISwwAPg5jU73qglKcGjoRf4MUCoLl1OnjJpCo8v0qiBvV73TxQ7T/w266-h400/IMG_1314.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyBIrU4KMcposVYvKak1MdE6yZ7m6aPgmLBkUxwpbmVUfLN2jEeNXXx1-r5kcbP21_OwALe-QxBLIu8pQC1XXY2WXVzATeQQ3YIm86ORxvUgYSEzOEe8k9_yXY_7FfgJelobPVMq7EUWsSggyFpo5tkvYWYT92cedY2_EH0LiCptltmzWAG_UUpZU/s2736/IMG_1315.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="1824" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyBIrU4KMcposVYvKak1MdE6yZ7m6aPgmLBkUxwpbmVUfLN2jEeNXXx1-r5kcbP21_OwALe-QxBLIu8pQC1XXY2WXVzATeQQ3YIm86ORxvUgYSEzOEe8k9_yXY_7FfgJelobPVMq7EUWsSggyFpo5tkvYWYT92cedY2_EH0LiCptltmzWAG_UUpZU/s320/IMG_1315.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cqouYxzNK2QR2GYzMy7CuzRYt7gAC8pRx1YZuHz78N35yf_ykFMW8gjafCmgJgi0YaX7qwGTne10_J9zOXji8VJbp0nHeOVMCDSs7iDdUg10vFy7OIr_nmTXAzGrB42pXmTF3jRbSKxb3M5tINy0iibTKUVG78i0UaqMcXwT6GuDB1tMfpZM67CW/s2736/IMG_1316.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cqouYxzNK2QR2GYzMy7CuzRYt7gAC8pRx1YZuHz78N35yf_ykFMW8gjafCmgJgi0YaX7qwGTne10_J9zOXji8VJbp0nHeOVMCDSs7iDdUg10vFy7OIr_nmTXAzGrB42pXmTF3jRbSKxb3M5tINy0iibTKUVG78i0UaqMcXwT6GuDB1tMfpZM67CW/w640-h426/IMG_1316.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcWVifadw87A_jOppe-_jFO2GA83ixWSIA0c_GCZ3zA30D6hvieHUkgC3eYnjtCxM2Tbdptr1IGxr_jA7M-rvYNEh75l-TJwRZ3SXb93NB3UU-CaTv6yqgUavQXqUPuJU90pnbOIgq8VlnZ8QoM37QRGyJ-FpT-uu9CI6V98LzYZIh--x201qMx2X/s2736/IMG_1318.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcWVifadw87A_jOppe-_jFO2GA83ixWSIA0c_GCZ3zA30D6hvieHUkgC3eYnjtCxM2Tbdptr1IGxr_jA7M-rvYNEh75l-TJwRZ3SXb93NB3UU-CaTv6yqgUavQXqUPuJU90pnbOIgq8VlnZ8QoM37QRGyJ-FpT-uu9CI6V98LzYZIh--x201qMx2X/s320/IMG_1318.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4d7YcImytt8ejn3iRvOkxGCIbw0-yI2WZOgBD6OmF66yeWfBw3JXIxq0afatxXnAnUCNDUcyWwoOCHssmJ0pYCKwBJnO9V84zqIC_W-gRHl3h_yTRkTQK6MnGvlRjhlj8HcQ_G2UvOixVL--5_8mzh3FX0Pb4T3nTzfrlNTctNqVwjEhJvmIY2od/s2736/IMG_1319.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4d7YcImytt8ejn3iRvOkxGCIbw0-yI2WZOgBD6OmF66yeWfBw3JXIxq0afatxXnAnUCNDUcyWwoOCHssmJ0pYCKwBJnO9V84zqIC_W-gRHl3h_yTRkTQK6MnGvlRjhlj8HcQ_G2UvOixVL--5_8mzh3FX0Pb4T3nTzfrlNTctNqVwjEhJvmIY2od/s320/IMG_1319.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Frankly, I was excited to ride Scream. Medusa at Great Adventure is identical in layout and that is a solid ride. We sat in the front seat and it was terrible. Was it always that bad or has this just aged really poorly? It should have been a decent ride. I wonder if something went wrong with installation or if one piece of track is out of alignment and it has screwed up the trains or something. The side to side action was horrendous with head banging, and you know that I am a pretty big B&M fan. Something is wrong with the coaster. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKCDuTud-y245V2uRdUqQmjBW1BB9cejQaxPMyHYeIu31zaoMJGTpLqQT2O9ZlIyOqLlj0TCs27gp2bq4Eq-BYb2lw0L72gyIJnoVbM-lzP0KLuhiiUr5yqnK4CGlA3F2W083Ecw_ysyPbfETEpkU5T-xDQe-P6oe2_EZ-0anY2vg9ephRO-57qQi/s2736/IMG_1340.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKCDuTud-y245V2uRdUqQmjBW1BB9cejQaxPMyHYeIu31zaoMJGTpLqQT2O9ZlIyOqLlj0TCs27gp2bq4Eq-BYb2lw0L72gyIJnoVbM-lzP0KLuhiiUr5yqnK4CGlA3F2W083Ecw_ysyPbfETEpkU5T-xDQe-P6oe2_EZ-0anY2vg9ephRO-57qQi/s320/IMG_1340.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I did not take any pictures of Twisted Colossus from within the park, so this one will have to do. This is another coaster that blew away my expectations. I think this is my favorite RMC I-Box coaster. As of late, the RMCs have had lots of cookie cutter designs. This one has some of the earlier strangeness that I loved in Goliath. It has a relatively simple out and back design with a couple of oddball inversions, with both tracks of its Quasi Möbius design, but each hill has terrifically violent ejector airtime. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am a little disappointed though that I didn't get to ride its celebrity predecessor. I always wanted to ride Colossus whenever I would see it in film when I was little. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDg1oCJyPMlWdv6h9S9tlgqp6aK9W223KWgQFXZTnVYguR4ryhgt2EL0z0GWVCKe0lgd5Nqdt2tF7Ekz3-3nCtD0ZNW-y-wexuUIoYXZNykq774_YasE_ciHaHemWLlYDUSwf5ZxkxmCHH4oe-vV90eYwgK23HjyXwfDteoJItRW8QX2x2CTc0cblw/s2736/IMG_1320.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDg1oCJyPMlWdv6h9S9tlgqp6aK9W223KWgQFXZTnVYguR4ryhgt2EL0z0GWVCKe0lgd5Nqdt2tF7Ekz3-3nCtD0ZNW-y-wexuUIoYXZNykq774_YasE_ciHaHemWLlYDUSwf5ZxkxmCHH4oe-vV90eYwgK23HjyXwfDteoJItRW8QX2x2CTc0cblw/s320/IMG_1320.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The two giants of the park. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1V0f8a5kQMkavXecnK2DT01mrbOlbfen_peuEnrNqo1udBSXdxPD-Q4s7zgV0cOFXo6dcyt7_XVgPj87GTQSMDFZEtUzu_AtZgRStilkBY_APMur6nrVG3HGmlJ6KhxajQWacuwr04BFL8L0A1pHHGNE30xTFPrHXwjtpSMhgDAFxPkBvK89DsO9/s2736/IMG_1322.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1V0f8a5kQMkavXecnK2DT01mrbOlbfen_peuEnrNqo1udBSXdxPD-Q4s7zgV0cOFXo6dcyt7_XVgPj87GTQSMDFZEtUzu_AtZgRStilkBY_APMur6nrVG3HGmlJ6KhxajQWacuwr04BFL8L0A1pHHGNE30xTFPrHXwjtpSMhgDAFxPkBvK89DsO9/s320/IMG_1322.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This visit was on the 16th. As of today, the 20th, the trains on Wonder Woman are testing, though I heard that was shut down pretty quickly, along with an order from the manufacturer to shut down the rest of their single rail coasters. On the day of our visit, there were workers checking out the block areas of the coaster. If this clone of the Jersey Devil Coaster opens, it will be a nice and smooth family sit down looper, just like Jersey Devil. If you are looking for an intense ride, this is not it, but it should be a good family sit down looper. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the flip side the much taller Riddler's Revenge, next door, is a great ride. It definitely lives up to the "best stand up coaster" moniker. It feels like B&M finally figured out the standup design on this one. They seem to understand how to make the centerline work on this one without head banging. I was surprised at how smooth it was compared to the much younger Scream being downright lousy. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT33cKOSh_vQhFobbpwdwlCRd6vAlBoWVcnDsJJWeUDOiAsXi6RiQWYdRm0Kcg3YebNMnYlBXk0JzFNQ7y-u0HLCoS-wH_D_5UQ1ncpRcyhGcfMQzUmbOH31lrBw84Kn8WoLyN8KiJEO5e8HNoAq3LT2E0buiEPcAF_m4AqvEu4GCRaIdwuiqMk6cF/s2736/IMG_1326.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT33cKOSh_vQhFobbpwdwlCRd6vAlBoWVcnDsJJWeUDOiAsXi6RiQWYdRm0Kcg3YebNMnYlBXk0JzFNQ7y-u0HLCoS-wH_D_5UQ1ncpRcyhGcfMQzUmbOH31lrBw84Kn8WoLyN8KiJEO5e8HNoAq3LT2E0buiEPcAF_m4AqvEu4GCRaIdwuiqMk6cF/s320/IMG_1326.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The lower part of the park looks so nice with the night lighting coming on. The initial planning of the park with landscaping in the lower midway through to Twisted Colossus is great. Nicely built pathways, facilities, built in shaded areas, and more. All of these details make this one of the most pleasant sections of any 70s era suburban amusement parks. The lower midway from Revolution, all the way through to Twisted Colossus is as beautiful and pleasant as pretty much any of the 70s mega amusement parks, except for Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The combination of the rides with the natural landscape looks so great. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On another note, does the observation platform at the park still operate? It would be great to get the view from up there, not just looking out over the park, but out over the desert mountain landscape. One of my favorite aspects of many 70s era parks was their prominent use of observation tower rides and platforms. The park could really use a Star Flyer swing tower to take in those views, preferably from somewhere up on Samurai Summit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7WRYt_DtrfsbOu0EDXDhCiXW4IRLhxlFNzCmkBl610qgYnrCLBcmw1IQ2ffa5F7jCAvVzIgqkQ3G9ZJjVKFeP9biN5RQ8LsJZ6T2PJb-KYrWmsdOidBTivRdlYExjGKwafAtjT5Jl9wzhRTz0m9OI80Ty3bceOpVQOFdC0U0lm8FymPXI-9PhZ8V/s2736/IMG_1330.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7WRYt_DtrfsbOu0EDXDhCiXW4IRLhxlFNzCmkBl610qgYnrCLBcmw1IQ2ffa5F7jCAvVzIgqkQ3G9ZJjVKFeP9biN5RQ8LsJZ6T2PJb-KYrWmsdOidBTivRdlYExjGKwafAtjT5Jl9wzhRTz0m9OI80Ty3bceOpVQOFdC0U0lm8FymPXI-9PhZ8V/s320/IMG_1330.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReL_WCgKoUKMpee8VxIK1o1Y63Ei1jzj0ViiK7ZgjQINzjrxjZyxLJaWr9qX9j_XCOAWhU5zGh6RuZ5YF3kXM60ojRkh4z90wFecfvhgAO-_uK72DrlINUbqbrdahqLQc_v3mUAOyg_zjv6HoqVj-pAL7sPxQa1UY6YlBuJHlqEx6Tof7zFnaeFmb/s2736/IMG_1336.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReL_WCgKoUKMpee8VxIK1o1Y63Ei1jzj0ViiK7ZgjQINzjrxjZyxLJaWr9qX9j_XCOAWhU5zGh6RuZ5YF3kXM60ojRkh4z90wFecfvhgAO-_uK72DrlINUbqbrdahqLQc_v3mUAOyg_zjv6HoqVj-pAL7sPxQa1UY6YlBuJHlqEx6Tof7zFnaeFmb/s320/IMG_1336.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_gkrgeHcQ28DkG6JRagU-7rNEJFEuYs_iP6YnbHjLPTJ8Jakz_wy6CTTWCkHLsN9cnUUoKcdlg-TsOxzFZRHu57mNUIstlRMOoq-WFtGjpX3xw_PLKXPCLThTsNwKuVDdBnSK6vvcvQk-dBckweAlIE9JyZNlm8MEq9cJLk3mOkZUc5jyQpjGocH/s2736/IMG_1338.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_gkrgeHcQ28DkG6JRagU-7rNEJFEuYs_iP6YnbHjLPTJ8Jakz_wy6CTTWCkHLsN9cnUUoKcdlg-TsOxzFZRHu57mNUIstlRMOoq-WFtGjpX3xw_PLKXPCLThTsNwKuVDdBnSK6vvcvQk-dBckweAlIE9JyZNlm8MEq9cJLk3mOkZUc5jyQpjGocH/s320/IMG_1338.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKCDuTud-y245V2uRdUqQmjBW1BB9cejQaxPMyHYeIu31zaoMJGTpLqQT2O9ZlIyOqLlj0TCs27gp2bq4Eq-BYb2lw0L72gyIJnoVbM-lzP0KLuhiiUr5yqnK4CGlA3F2W083Ecw_ysyPbfETEpkU5T-xDQe-P6oe2_EZ-0anY2vg9ephRO-57qQi/s2736/IMG_1340.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKCDuTud-y245V2uRdUqQmjBW1BB9cejQaxPMyHYeIu31zaoMJGTpLqQT2O9ZlIyOqLlj0TCs27gp2bq4Eq-BYb2lw0L72gyIJnoVbM-lzP0KLuhiiUr5yqnK4CGlA3F2W083Ecw_ysyPbfETEpkU5T-xDQe-P6oe2_EZ-0anY2vg9ephRO-57qQi/s320/IMG_1340.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Overall, Magic Mountain has a lot of decent aspects to it, especially the originally planned areas with beautiful shade and landscaping that make this park in the desert a little more bearable to visit on a 90 degree day, but also areas in which it can improve, specifically in the newer areas that seem to lack that same attention to overall park experience. Additionally, the food offerings were pretty pathetic. The only place with edible food and a good place to sit down in the air conditioning and cool off, was the Full Throttle Sports Bar, which is close to the front of the park. The other food stands had absolutely garbage food, with 30+ minute waits for with ridiculously slow service and overpriced swill. The food service at this park is an absolute wreck. While the park is home to a lot of solid rides, none of them pop to the point of being on my shortlist of absolute favorites. This park is well worth a visit, especially on a cooler day, but we probably will not get back here unless they build something mind blowing or until their next few coasters are built. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With that being said, four of my favorite examples of their genres are located at this park, with my favorite RMC I-Box coaster being Twisted Colossus, my favorite flyer in Tatsu, my favorite suspended coaster in Ninja, and my favorite stand up in Riddler's Revenge. Across the board, the park's lineup is pretty solid. I would love to see them add a larger scale invert that utilizes the terrain of the park, and I would like to see them add a giga at some point. The park could use a few more high capacity rides and a swing tower ride to take advantage of the scenic views that the park has to offer of the surrounding landscape and another transport ride to the top of the mountain, specifically from the area of West Coast Racers to the top of Samurai Summit, and from the area of Riddler's Revenge to the top as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br />Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-22617935643299257952021-10-26T14:16:00.006-04:002021-10-26T19:32:24.431-04:00Puritas Springs Park, Cleveland: Cyclone Coaster Track Remains After Nearly 70 years<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItsDIAcOxw8gYZEOV0Wd3tBQbyqdNw2i5w3By0BIlJigqSGC5hj2h1WAbiEfa41evayuMK_ADizF6SJj-klzxIiUnosyarY5Nnt5946IQHNeljyjXoXBi7aaJfHOVvZSO5e78q2hOsK4/s2048/IMG_8902.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItsDIAcOxw8gYZEOV0Wd3tBQbyqdNw2i5w3By0BIlJigqSGC5hj2h1WAbiEfa41evayuMK_ADizF6SJj-klzxIiUnosyarY5Nnt5946IQHNeljyjXoXBi7aaJfHOVvZSO5e78q2hOsK4/w640-h426/IMG_8902.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I had heard for years that wooden coaster track survived in the woods from the legendary Puritas Springs Cyclone in Cleveland. I was naturally skeptical because the coaster has been closed since 1958, but alas, there are fully intact track rails deep in the woods, with minimal rot. There are also lots of footers. This John Miller coaster was built in 1928 and shares a similarity to his design on the Pippin (reconfigured to Thunderbolt) at Kennywood, saving its largest drop for the end in what looked like an incredibly thrilling and eccentric design. The coaster careened through the woods and down a giant ravine, at the entrance to what is now the Rocky River Reservation on the southern outskirts of Cleveland near North Olmsted. I will preface this by saying that if you are going to check out this site, it is not very large and located on naturally steep terrain, so be careful if you visit, but also do not expect exploring to take too long, since most of the amusement park's property was covered by typical suburban development in the time. Fortunately though, the whole area is filled with hiking trails, golf courses, and riverside recreation in what is one of the many jewels of the Cleveland Metroparks system, which brings public access to natural areas all across the metro area. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismiuJL-t9xnNhjEwEJ4XLn60rVlfMlLZeb6_okdrWNLYNUPP3O3GVzREDIjb7yWxdLunga4YDFZ5bA0L3mfpnJiKo4z45KrGBlYThetXVUbGJ6I99nFdhZKLje9g0RY2hIkqafkUV2Z0/s2048/IMG_8872.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismiuJL-t9xnNhjEwEJ4XLn60rVlfMlLZeb6_okdrWNLYNUPP3O3GVzREDIjb7yWxdLunga4YDFZ5bA0L3mfpnJiKo4z45KrGBlYThetXVUbGJ6I99nFdhZKLje9g0RY2hIkqafkUV2Z0/s320/IMG_8872.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I accessed it by parking at the parking lot at the bottom of Puritas Ave, near the Mastick Woods Golf Course. From there, I walked up along the giant retaining wall that makes this aggressive road cut possible, up to a decrepit looking driveway area.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxay7MIlghlMKxxMe0nCokQe7bT-VouVkEnerYoWHF1LBsrTS800FpoqFaJVvceYRr8wvmuGSp5W_SyeugF0ysrn8Vn10QRnzloyIcL2UQz-Krm5zvBqUghORul5gXpKvfdi-LIfgFyQ/s2048/IMG_8873.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxay7MIlghlMKxxMe0nCokQe7bT-VouVkEnerYoWHF1LBsrTS800FpoqFaJVvceYRr8wvmuGSp5W_SyeugF0ysrn8Vn10QRnzloyIcL2UQz-Krm5zvBqUghORul5gXpKvfdi-LIfgFyQ/s320/IMG_8873.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>From this grown in driveway area, you will see the ravine and almost immediately start to see remnants of footers, which become more intact as you go up the hill.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimUucek5jpz9TFVvc7P-p3okYa2rpE6yIwmV3KGP2QJIhM9q3QFa1-A8G2uxg2vZcTaO2ATIVJQyC6DqqWwBT46B9xIucsrxwJi9vK6x_RMzJBRhgcB8nkHiieWMb8SfYW-UVJEjWQG1w/s2048/IMG_8876.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimUucek5jpz9TFVvc7P-p3okYa2rpE6yIwmV3KGP2QJIhM9q3QFa1-A8G2uxg2vZcTaO2ATIVJQyC6DqqWwBT46B9xIucsrxwJi9vK6x_RMzJBRhgcB8nkHiieWMb8SfYW-UVJEjWQG1w/s320/IMG_8876.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The first visible remnant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NH0qrSYfnSfVm7g4hMTrBG_44p7kILewQs3BZwW7tOTz5nOvliJNTVphMRlaOd4zO26JSVKxJQ08cfNvtLvOc5b9j2MnvkC5blLiSEryVce972lSa8rdy2bJqMJlLy3MT7wD3CtlzEg/s2048/IMG_8878.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NH0qrSYfnSfVm7g4hMTrBG_44p7kILewQs3BZwW7tOTz5nOvliJNTVphMRlaOd4zO26JSVKxJQ08cfNvtLvOc5b9j2MnvkC5blLiSEryVce972lSa8rdy2bJqMJlLy3MT7wD3CtlzEg/s320/IMG_8878.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>CeCe was on the trail!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OjO6hXPM12dw43W5xW2xiZTkCK-IY8vCO-GG8LncPTneMk3Gw3ieMoIz30jjbLSjqVQU7xz4qUMpUmtW5DcGHBZkVOnYq5BZuliiYgxmZxIcCwwI2NufnbVp7XgOOXTMOF0dOFMyFvk/s2048/IMG_8879.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OjO6hXPM12dw43W5xW2xiZTkCK-IY8vCO-GG8LncPTneMk3Gw3ieMoIz30jjbLSjqVQU7xz4qUMpUmtW5DcGHBZkVOnYq5BZuliiYgxmZxIcCwwI2NufnbVp7XgOOXTMOF0dOFMyFvk/s320/IMG_8879.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Multiple footers like this remain.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaU52FuRSkn0TQqEHkU6XL5CaL4kc40z45UIonhAcrom_0cLXpKNIxTSWsEvzhc_Lcsih_FLyI9Vpnj83Q4W1Q3fDGY0NJs_SrTmN3Pu08xfS3fMqTi_dqRVRryCYy5yLi7sUH3Jqfao/s2048/IMG_8881.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJaU52FuRSkn0TQqEHkU6XL5CaL4kc40z45UIonhAcrom_0cLXpKNIxTSWsEvzhc_Lcsih_FLyI9Vpnj83Q4W1Q3fDGY0NJs_SrTmN3Pu08xfS3fMqTi_dqRVRryCYy5yLi7sUH3Jqfao/s320/IMG_8881.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajSlI36VUn3dqUnXnidk9wiWO2nUdvxgQy5Nhm-IXl4RHPYEToIHTNVHRHEDuFUBPLFvihk5lPFPVhRE0nL-85vy253jrUiCeXFI9srQcTvRfSNGE5GyP5C5eQHbHZDQ7mK-_KTner60/s2048/IMG_8882.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajSlI36VUn3dqUnXnidk9wiWO2nUdvxgQy5Nhm-IXl4RHPYEToIHTNVHRHEDuFUBPLFvihk5lPFPVhRE0nL-85vy253jrUiCeXFI9srQcTvRfSNGE5GyP5C5eQHbHZDQ7mK-_KTner60/s320/IMG_8882.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQt7K_HSlH7sZaOqoyglZxNgcWHlplPvCt8ommFrWdMctlvvXfRZdXRisXRaFTrhyphenhyphenTA8YN2gHfSp_l0Ww4Z_TKp-lzcj9e3QSHXWWabC9xt6MxWtLDIq_ojL5BGjxo-Z3FPnxGRVU2mc/s2048/IMG_8883.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQt7K_HSlH7sZaOqoyglZxNgcWHlplPvCt8ommFrWdMctlvvXfRZdXRisXRaFTrhyphenhyphenTA8YN2gHfSp_l0Ww4Z_TKp-lzcj9e3QSHXWWabC9xt6MxWtLDIq_ojL5BGjxo-Z3FPnxGRVU2mc/s320/IMG_8883.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjG1y0jAMmF_zeJehxD6K492UkqA6kaawZKaIa4bqpssdk5eeAK4OBvhRCjl0KB1SWhK9Q18aA6e2DmgVwJ0PN2iXVQs6yRLvpqig2c6NW3oxnIJUf32A_qd1r907WTrwMTiXSyYG658/s2048/IMG_8884.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjG1y0jAMmF_zeJehxD6K492UkqA6kaawZKaIa4bqpssdk5eeAK4OBvhRCjl0KB1SWhK9Q18aA6e2DmgVwJ0PN2iXVQs6yRLvpqig2c6NW3oxnIJUf32A_qd1r907WTrwMTiXSyYG658/s320/IMG_8884.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSII0jkKASTqXwV6BSRg2xD7lFc3zvoqqDFTwW-EBIVYEpcqGvTUn5Ij337M2BHNXJ1s3bVyUUoJx9s-m0bXc9dy_NkWGpbkR236jd62wKqiLlxZqoNhSlkDTpFrlvfltPGAhffVNexQ/s2048/IMG_8885.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSII0jkKASTqXwV6BSRg2xD7lFc3zvoqqDFTwW-EBIVYEpcqGvTUn5Ij337M2BHNXJ1s3bVyUUoJx9s-m0bXc9dy_NkWGpbkR236jd62wKqiLlxZqoNhSlkDTpFrlvfltPGAhffVNexQ/s320/IMG_8885.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The autumn color in this spot is pretty awesome.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4mDVbmHXVNr6SvRk7F-iYNOplCKP1IV-ZzqLsGMuru7jbLSEzH_vwATsQKv0X5N1y0v12SvU1axbGbM-7tZduemK9UP-UFKLeWWP2MSqlnjDQ0AmZ6mxRYRGH0y8xMI21fqstXHzfcs/s2048/IMG_8886.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4mDVbmHXVNr6SvRk7F-iYNOplCKP1IV-ZzqLsGMuru7jbLSEzH_vwATsQKv0X5N1y0v12SvU1axbGbM-7tZduemK9UP-UFKLeWWP2MSqlnjDQ0AmZ6mxRYRGH0y8xMI21fqstXHzfcs/s320/IMG_8886.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Pieces of wood, though it is unclear if they are related to the coaster or not.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLMn8mEQZX9EjOIvBgcZktLRo-zMLtutTFiU8qcJBR8QXwemWmsIg_vnmrF2WhDR4i5_7HNT_im2LwzknPhZT4rm7LGFpbiSEx497NHoE12ioxXldlOlKes9ppoOyZPJywO-auWgBUfE/s2048/IMG_8887.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLMn8mEQZX9EjOIvBgcZktLRo-zMLtutTFiU8qcJBR8QXwemWmsIg_vnmrF2WhDR4i5_7HNT_im2LwzknPhZT4rm7LGFpbiSEx497NHoE12ioxXldlOlKes9ppoOyZPJywO-auWgBUfE/s320/IMG_8887.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This is the first rail piece that came into view, and naturally, CeCe was very curious about it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7z2iW9_NqVkI04eZLmmID0pkBp_PEqAY4-aWryyRwUIBHuVsNFjaVT3W3HahioqLZPQ_HU3EWddovTZqoLZE8Sr0nD2FBgfdXaKfP_9UOLM3xIhLgna27xS3b-QHVm_HcZN1mHW53do/s2048/IMG_8888.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7z2iW9_NqVkI04eZLmmID0pkBp_PEqAY4-aWryyRwUIBHuVsNFjaVT3W3HahioqLZPQ_HU3EWddovTZqoLZE8Sr0nD2FBgfdXaKfP_9UOLM3xIhLgna27xS3b-QHVm_HcZN1mHW53do/s320/IMG_8888.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For an idea of what the ride course was like, check out this NoLimits creation by Youtube's RaptorAlex. I am not sure how accurate this layout is, but it appears to follow the pattern of the land and John Miller's work. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eD2PV6z5ADo" width="320" youtube-src-id="eD2PV6z5ADo"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaLAAk3qxd31s2z9JMfHwFxwNonl5mJg7FECKjEN8WSKKclnk1xKqbN4OReLkP8nTU9muab9SWipTgFP1Q-J2xDk8txrnnxVvuC1DabCZylVPauaF6yNyquQ5kwj-VqYYQDwTzvq6uLI/s2048/IMG_8889.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaLAAk3qxd31s2z9JMfHwFxwNonl5mJg7FECKjEN8WSKKclnk1xKqbN4OReLkP8nTU9muab9SWipTgFP1Q-J2xDk8txrnnxVvuC1DabCZylVPauaF6yNyquQ5kwj-VqYYQDwTzvq6uLI/s320/IMG_8889.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCbQPnf9A3PRx3Jgb24NLeyDuEEcc0a6H1nEAL75DY32pDmi3bZ3BcvO4VWqctwxiDnNXp8iIQO96rjeUhDefTiTp0pJGQbPxUeLwKTXFuHbAguuLiM02cSMICBc1rQI3yngnaAsA8v0/s2048/IMG_8891.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCbQPnf9A3PRx3Jgb24NLeyDuEEcc0a6H1nEAL75DY32pDmi3bZ3BcvO4VWqctwxiDnNXp8iIQO96rjeUhDefTiTp0pJGQbPxUeLwKTXFuHbAguuLiM02cSMICBc1rQI3yngnaAsA8v0/s320/IMG_8891.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It is just incredible to me that any wood remains intact on this track after sitting abandoned since the 1950s.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlDH0F-4IWOuyWoD42NE98yma0FMvzrVXShBMNUlTWIeQsfE9pLSF_WMGRzAut86qjxvA9I8TV8evj1ZTvDwWGV7CSTDUokSblanjARVYbqdElia77QIA58IR-JoVzdHHxghyphenhyphen6AWwIn0/s2048/IMG_8894.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlDH0F-4IWOuyWoD42NE98yma0FMvzrVXShBMNUlTWIeQsfE9pLSF_WMGRzAut86qjxvA9I8TV8evj1ZTvDwWGV7CSTDUokSblanjARVYbqdElia77QIA58IR-JoVzdHHxghyphenhyphen6AWwIn0/w640-h426/IMG_8894.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>This had to be an incredible ride with its rugged terrain hugging goodness and John Miller design. The coaster was so hidden in the woods that the only portion visible to riders prior to riding was at the station. It is easy to see, even today, how this was the case. The grounds are filled with beautiful woodlands. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQI7LYMGp1UDEfgQs9Tzc6Wr3QzeY0gocCZWNEAuh40t33-QXgDaQgJNHwy3emiiwr5eBKWmrk72eGLKvHOVWhpkiRcdnlm2P_3uOA897f63Cijzb-dLX5DyZFcHU1u1MqeLIpSlHu_8E/s2048/IMG_8897.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQI7LYMGp1UDEfgQs9Tzc6Wr3QzeY0gocCZWNEAuh40t33-QXgDaQgJNHwy3emiiwr5eBKWmrk72eGLKvHOVWhpkiRcdnlm2P_3uOA897f63Cijzb-dLX5DyZFcHU1u1MqeLIpSlHu_8E/s320/IMG_8897.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0vDn_FAUCdDQhd5LHqN7uXi2wX1R-EaS6NbhroX4f0oSdk5sjQTqT8SmU8Cxj4q_4wKlJTX98qgUwkTfTUPHtU1XzzqBlLOYuyS8g588FL7OVGFU-hClmLwTtn7oqTfC0Gh7ZeY2Msg/s2048/IMG_8898.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0vDn_FAUCdDQhd5LHqN7uXi2wX1R-EaS6NbhroX4f0oSdk5sjQTqT8SmU8Cxj4q_4wKlJTX98qgUwkTfTUPHtU1XzzqBlLOYuyS8g588FL7OVGFU-hClmLwTtn7oqTfC0Gh7ZeY2Msg/s320/IMG_8898.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozN6uEjBPW1cjIhs3KMZrAMnrK0Rr9KJRSLJ-WxSUFYISso23riEZsili8qMarOUiU7KbJcNPYawl1k_Re0TfeSESUASJWjEWiTzNwd28UH8SdkRNqF3atsdt8QlB-MC5h3_cG_ccV5A/s1590/Screen+Shot+2021-10-26+at+7.27.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="1590" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozN6uEjBPW1cjIhs3KMZrAMnrK0Rr9KJRSLJ-WxSUFYISso23riEZsili8qMarOUiU7KbJcNPYawl1k_Re0TfeSESUASJWjEWiTzNwd28UH8SdkRNqF3atsdt8QlB-MC5h3_cG_ccV5A/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-10-26+at+7.27.12+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The only part you could see from the midway. Photo Courtesy of the Western Reserve Historical Society</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAKt-qAGH0LB-G8r-vJAJHXLMk3jifTzU2SrBjdaE3wstPTug5wRK_UjQaHocRoqJQAMrXOYhsO9zMphx2oqhkc7sEzZH0bmUJx7bgTpiIAMHWHWszjZFD49-CPw4CUDiWF-V4JPh1dM/s1432/Screen+Shot+2021-10-26+at+7.27.24+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="1432" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAKt-qAGH0LB-G8r-vJAJHXLMk3jifTzU2SrBjdaE3wstPTug5wRK_UjQaHocRoqJQAMrXOYhsO9zMphx2oqhkc7sEzZH0bmUJx7bgTpiIAMHWHWszjZFD49-CPw4CUDiWF-V4JPh1dM/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-10-26+at+7.27.24+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">An aerial showing how the layout went through these same thick woods. Photo Courtesy of the Western Reserve Historical Society</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Fz6o0rhvPURbekQI0aexAh5GunncsMvoOIN19Jq3olPygz_SZT9KkcjfahruJ71cRBK3nRpujYoQpUygkrLu_wjbDchNVOh2WwwaCML89nui7qK4F3ikpIi5_4GD-R8_CsQiQdc9Sek/s2048/IMG_8899.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Fz6o0rhvPURbekQI0aexAh5GunncsMvoOIN19Jq3olPygz_SZT9KkcjfahruJ71cRBK3nRpujYoQpUygkrLu_wjbDchNVOh2WwwaCML89nui7qK4F3ikpIi5_4GD-R8_CsQiQdc9Sek/s320/IMG_8899.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWAKWYj6vtYpqVaCobalDPyhi_NH3emAmfYx-FtdZRwiaoMQeN1KzabPsJu3zm9Uzo6EFBgoQow_yhwTblJO8IctMEBmOW1ipRk9d5jIfK_nhziwgU9Zudhz_keIXtRVIR60AoQ3d2e4/s2048/IMG_8900.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWAKWYj6vtYpqVaCobalDPyhi_NH3emAmfYx-FtdZRwiaoMQeN1KzabPsJu3zm9Uzo6EFBgoQow_yhwTblJO8IctMEBmOW1ipRk9d5jIfK_nhziwgU9Zudhz_keIXtRVIR60AoQ3d2e4/s320/IMG_8900.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItsDIAcOxw8gYZEOV0Wd3tBQbyqdNw2i5w3By0BIlJigqSGC5hj2h1WAbiEfa41evayuMK_ADizF6SJj-klzxIiUnosyarY5Nnt5946IQHNeljyjXoXBi7aaJfHOVvZSO5e78q2hOsK4/s2048/IMG_8902.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItsDIAcOxw8gYZEOV0Wd3tBQbyqdNw2i5w3By0BIlJigqSGC5hj2h1WAbiEfa41evayuMK_ADizF6SJj-klzxIiUnosyarY5Nnt5946IQHNeljyjXoXBi7aaJfHOVvZSO5e78q2hOsK4/s320/IMG_8902.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I have not ventured around abandoned park sites in a while, mainly because I have pretty much exhausted the different park sites around western PA that require no planning to go check out. I tried to go to this one years ago, but did not have enough time to get up to the site. I had an opportunity recently while I was in Cleveland to finally go seek this place out, and I am glad that I did. The only other park that I can think of that has been abandoned for this long and still has recognizable ride remnants to it, is the old <a href="http://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-former-rock-point-park-in-ellwood.html">Rock Point Park in Ellwood City</a>, which has sat abandoned for more than a century, yet still has the concrete troughs from its old shoot-the-chutes ride.<div><br /></div><div>It is definitely worth checking out the remains of the Puritas Springs Cyclone if you are in the Cleveland area. <p></p></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Our 2022 Roller Coaster Calendar is available now! For more info, <a href="http://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/08/2022-roller-coaster-calendar.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">check out this link</a>. To purchase, use the dropdown menu at the top of the page. </div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuLiW5SOkagG_yCxsRAVy_wI-6bVoj2wCahV_bZGf_uH8kIUpLur_39lxPn792Aqa_mWDvkb29IyGMuNphygYucFx6QtqQpMhrxL1tur2GpFcyZlMk1OQAUAFAWND7daMa08QAiJ7cMo/s2048/Mosaic+2022+Coaster+Calendar+Cover+Knoebels+IMG_0491+copy+3.jpg" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuLiW5SOkagG_yCxsRAVy_wI-6bVoj2wCahV_bZGf_uH8kIUpLur_39lxPn792Aqa_mWDvkb29IyGMuNphygYucFx6QtqQpMhrxL1tur2GpFcyZlMk1OQAUAFAWND7daMa08QAiJ7cMo/w640-h426/Mosaic+2022+Coaster+Calendar+Cover+Knoebels+IMG_0491+copy+3.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The calendar features views from: Knoebels, Holiday World, Cedar Point, Morey's </span>Piers, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Kennywood, Hersheypark, Six Flags Great Adventure, Casino Pier, Carowinds, and Waldameer. For more info, <a href="http://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/08/2022-roller-coaster-calendar.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">check out this link</a>. The calendar and our book on Pennsylvania Amusement Parks are available through the dropdown menus at the top of the page, and the bottom of this article. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><p style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: left;"></p><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: left;" target="paypal"><table><tbody><tr><td>2022 Coaster Calendar PA Amusement Parks Book Purchase Options</td></tr><tr><td><select name="os0"> <option value="2022 Roller Coaster Calendar">2022 Roller Coaster Calendar $11.99 USD</option> <option value="PA Amusement Parks Book">PA Amusement Parks Book $21.95 USD</option> <option value="Book and Calendar Bundle">Book and Calendar Bundle $31.95 USD</option> <option value="2 Calendars">2 Calendars $22.50 USD</option> <option value="3 Calendars">3 Calendars $30.50 USD</option> </select></td></tr></tbody></table><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_cart_LG.gif" type="image" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px;" width="1" /><br /><br /></form></div></div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-44151387778249735682021-09-07T21:21:00.000-04:002021-09-07T21:21:00.596-04:00Knoebels Trip Report: September 2021: Phoenix in Top Form!<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjH-e7ciC9lHIV1oDlrGiy53amHZIy9maU3BP4GxQOAW2ddNtHFIoz9e2JpMUB1buzS6BCTo8pDNiWd-0z01O_f_WRI2_rweczUIfbpNeDl9MI1khPml87jw0rktCtdgvNPZ4wfiY78A/s2048/IMG_8480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjH-e7ciC9lHIV1oDlrGiy53amHZIy9maU3BP4GxQOAW2ddNtHFIoz9e2JpMUB1buzS6BCTo8pDNiWd-0z01O_f_WRI2_rweczUIfbpNeDl9MI1khPml87jw0rktCtdgvNPZ4wfiY78A/w640-h426/IMG_8480.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>We have been fortunate to get to Knoebels as often as we have. We often end up being able to hit it en route on a road trip, but this time we spent the entire Labor Day weekend at the park. As always, it was lovely, but I have to say that Phoenix was running significantly better on this specific visit than it has in years. The airtime was back on every hill in the third row, with some airtime reappearing in double-up and double-down, something that has been conspicuously absent since re tracking work was done a few years ago. I used to switch back and forth between which coaster I loved more, between Phoenix and Twister, but over the last few years, Twister has been my clear favorite. On this visit, I loved Phoenix as much as I loved Twister. Both were running in top form. Twister has blown me away on every single ride for a very long time, but Phoenix was back to giving those mind-blowing rides, with the final airtime hills having ridiculously strong airtime. I am not sure what the difference was on this visit, because I rode this at the start of the season and it was not running anything like this. On a tamer day, Phoenix is still a fun family ride, but on days like this, it is a legendary thrill machine. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmtUnvuCw_OqR3U00A-xtuZlinBZmc4VtjR0O5wsUB3yvtEcJE0-baxX1XDo_o6KtMCW_QAcsWPCy3qEwikialZATBcITND65Su1wmiBu1AUfke41Wz53ywBM6mkAVHXjPm6r-O2UYh0/s2048/IMG_8168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmtUnvuCw_OqR3U00A-xtuZlinBZmc4VtjR0O5wsUB3yvtEcJE0-baxX1XDo_o6KtMCW_QAcsWPCy3qEwikialZATBcITND65Su1wmiBu1AUfke41Wz53ywBM6mkAVHXjPm6r-O2UYh0/s320/IMG_8168.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Naturally, our first ride with CeCe was on the Pioneer Train.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpFzLOfQWvZToiDRqiiCVxhM-poBP9255uh9vu2oUdLDp6TyRf00z4gWTeN_M5rv5HPf_ZHEo-7SaZR9Guj44Nztz99vTIfLqs7rg0OZXgeKB3INbyE-_6vptOpye46xab_VNO5LYi1Q/s2048/IMG_8188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpFzLOfQWvZToiDRqiiCVxhM-poBP9255uh9vu2oUdLDp6TyRf00z4gWTeN_M5rv5HPf_ZHEo-7SaZR9Guj44Nztz99vTIfLqs7rg0OZXgeKB3INbyE-_6vptOpye46xab_VNO5LYi1Q/s320/IMG_8188.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Gawking at Twister before riding is always a treat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VvPYl7OiBxZwCVA0xu4KYdR15GlhdyEh5G4UvE4uQZi8KKvOFSU_Ywb2VEVfkNG98sheSiN5gTN4hGsBo_ZaEJg27cUS6uecAkvZluL-MfkMD6qHvjHl4v9nG-ZSX0fAkWZdwOqIGoY/s2048/IMG_8195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VvPYl7OiBxZwCVA0xu4KYdR15GlhdyEh5G4UvE4uQZi8KKvOFSU_Ywb2VEVfkNG98sheSiN5gTN4hGsBo_ZaEJg27cUS6uecAkvZluL-MfkMD6qHvjHl4v9nG-ZSX0fAkWZdwOqIGoY/s320/IMG_8195.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Just getting back to the station and heading over to Twister!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHt3uL23qpLf-fxX1JcHKV5LM2Ec1EFA6p1SA1oRYSzduufy7DUE0VcfKuVIYf99HlGaGpgwxgl_0RbAkZr0UNP9JJOhQF8PcvR0A9zsTuRYo_8D0jUImXC1B-1AOWG4NstCttREFnb6s/s2048/IMG_8196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHt3uL23qpLf-fxX1JcHKV5LM2Ec1EFA6p1SA1oRYSzduufy7DUE0VcfKuVIYf99HlGaGpgwxgl_0RbAkZr0UNP9JJOhQF8PcvR0A9zsTuRYo_8D0jUImXC1B-1AOWG4NstCttREFnb6s/s320/IMG_8196.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9XuyhtzeS-56DQPSL-47lV7RL7I2cTEOrXUnqIdnXsElai3skLHJOtBjX7ar1gKU6LeIIekIAtkiaXGa3HCu-0asgZAOkMLp93P30yWhyphenhyphenSqy_NH-zFNXh_0iU3o0HOAzqjFCJitgAHg/s2048/IMG_8208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9XuyhtzeS-56DQPSL-47lV7RL7I2cTEOrXUnqIdnXsElai3skLHJOtBjX7ar1gKU6LeIIekIAtkiaXGa3HCu-0asgZAOkMLp93P30yWhyphenhyphenSqy_NH-zFNXh_0iU3o0HOAzqjFCJitgAHg/w640-h426/IMG_8208.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>This machine ALWAYS delivers, and usually in a different way on each visit. It is a backseat ride all the way, with terrifically whippy lateral forces and transitions. The biggest drop has an awesome pop of ejector air in the backseat. It seems to always be running fantastically<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG81KpADge37FJOoUUTFzjkiQtLwK86_U15NK44oP5hEReoNthbyK4NkkfLFj6-_OsgFWbkiLWLxy_-RY1sBCsW39Xxq5od8-hNffuPcYoXIxjUQhSqbA2FVM7kKmqi3nbCxC2XN00sto/s2048/IMG_8243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG81KpADge37FJOoUUTFzjkiQtLwK86_U15NK44oP5hEReoNthbyK4NkkfLFj6-_OsgFWbkiLWLxy_-RY1sBCsW39Xxq5od8-hNffuPcYoXIxjUQhSqbA2FVM7kKmqi3nbCxC2XN00sto/s320/IMG_8243.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not to mention that it is CeCe's favorite coaster to watch. I would imagine that she wants to be like that dog from the 80s that rode American Eagle and other wooden roller coasters.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0X6mStoWXnNS1WOtCZO0-43gLqNlKp-yRFqVQg0VXZVjNEYAFksQI_kkP_j4sl-u2HGlQeF5_jwMKfcJtH2AbHLXL_3_7BwjPZahuGA3YbtHq5iwHM1S3sDwSKAOE47atxHxI7UR5w6s/s2048/IMG_8138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0X6mStoWXnNS1WOtCZO0-43gLqNlKp-yRFqVQg0VXZVjNEYAFksQI_kkP_j4sl-u2HGlQeF5_jwMKfcJtH2AbHLXL_3_7BwjPZahuGA3YbtHq5iwHM1S3sDwSKAOE47atxHxI7UR5w6s/s320/IMG_8138.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This was the first time that I rode Impulse in years because it was running two cars and moving lots of people through the queues. I really love it. The inversions are silky smooth and full of hangtime, the first drop has terrific ejector air, and the helix elements are reminiscent of the intensity of Schwarzkopf coasters. The seats are ridiculously comfortable too. This Zierer coaster is great and I prefer it to the Gerstlauer Eurofighters. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3oK26Af6yXL300EmsSbaBDb_9dNcPpSKDCBSmKytdtBvBLXRNXsTxSrKzyw-S2S-YdZdAafGdhs_NNMf7mgUamxewl1ewz3bDbNcJ9P-wMKskvxtkz5F0d9Gl3XF6pb15NN1UadpJ3HQ/s2048/IMG_8359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3oK26Af6yXL300EmsSbaBDb_9dNcPpSKDCBSmKytdtBvBLXRNXsTxSrKzyw-S2S-YdZdAafGdhs_NNMf7mgUamxewl1ewz3bDbNcJ9P-wMKskvxtkz5F0d9Gl3XF6pb15NN1UadpJ3HQ/s320/IMG_8359.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I just love how much there is to do at Knoebels. As with any park with Fascination parlors, such as Indiana Beach, we were in and out playing on our two days at the park. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTsxOqrltLKo-rntAT28m-ZsLeVVtuqTapTbW2pI7AF0OAg44LPLLz9YuFzOwbXfwNtN4EOCNpt0dBIe0dUtBmz8c75eE-BM5e66QSgbkBbh8YCtd9fVFUqtBcI_fv2XkObWP4ukVJmo/s2048/IMG_8469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTsxOqrltLKo-rntAT28m-ZsLeVVtuqTapTbW2pI7AF0OAg44LPLLz9YuFzOwbXfwNtN4EOCNpt0dBIe0dUtBmz8c75eE-BM5e66QSgbkBbh8YCtd9fVFUqtBcI_fv2XkObWP4ukVJmo/s320/IMG_8469.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">CeCe was a little bit confused with the clown. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5g2eRLtgqwtsP7WOJGwpLY-LE0SvIYlhNIm9X88rrRgMT_Bmyx6CM6lDNcHnsPfe4bY2BcTRGYi_h6f12yPyTxiTVzsjSFZFdENsTN8MIqtk7i3LiatNGV4FZx2n0acFV43Rmy9Mumwg/s2048/IMG_8463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5g2eRLtgqwtsP7WOJGwpLY-LE0SvIYlhNIm9X88rrRgMT_Bmyx6CM6lDNcHnsPfe4bY2BcTRGYi_h6f12yPyTxiTVzsjSFZFdENsTN8MIqtk7i3LiatNGV4FZx2n0acFV43Rmy9Mumwg/s320/IMG_8463.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We just love the park's Stein and Goldstein Carousel. We had not ridden it with CeCe before, since I forgot that it had chariots. This is such a fine little machine.</div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Hqs3Pj7lu6OjH5rl6CIyDe9hyphenhyphengJSIS1lqug3o609EDXuhCB0NyncLwv5_l6GKN-nFwf0hK_VUYfvnlIEi8aN3xji8Ij9NQE9v7mKzJiwcJb8yF48xaGuLa0HqO3ZnpkNcxsEW6K_-Hs/s2048/IMG_8358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Hqs3Pj7lu6OjH5rl6CIyDe9hyphenhyphengJSIS1lqug3o609EDXuhCB0NyncLwv5_l6GKN-nFwf0hK_VUYfvnlIEi8aN3xji8Ij9NQE9v7mKzJiwcJb8yF48xaGuLa0HqO3ZnpkNcxsEW6K_-Hs/s320/IMG_8358.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Phoenix standing in all its glory. Both of the park's traditional wooden roller coasters tie for number one for me with Voyage, Legend, Great White at Morey's Piers, and Ravine Flyer II. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQvr_ulfEkkTvuWCTo09scEskcTrZo2FgIP_CBMTbYlV0G78HqJZW4uzzOLTtRfUnPogvWLzsqOHHtYPMcs5H8UINSMpH-i-5Gbp9ggFydnUmGwv9xwQYbVYBxxOHUWfQjexHZNHov4k/s2048/IMG_8513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQvr_ulfEkkTvuWCTo09scEskcTrZo2FgIP_CBMTbYlV0G78HqJZW4uzzOLTtRfUnPogvWLzsqOHHtYPMcs5H8UINSMpH-i-5Gbp9ggFydnUmGwv9xwQYbVYBxxOHUWfQjexHZNHov4k/s320/IMG_8513.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Something really special happens at the park once the sun sets and the lights come on. The park comes alive and so much of that old charm of the park just shines so brightly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFaIVn9_IG0aE70MY3y2kTU-JbLYl3vJvh2d0NejIjEHAHaal9GOO50mQD5y-AMgs-sfo5g1ZYktYHUONz3KrW-d_tTvlezT6QNX2vcIg0Bn7K6HclsnEiPbj59T50OwzsyKYMxxMxmA/s2048/IMG_8509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFaIVn9_IG0aE70MY3y2kTU-JbLYl3vJvh2d0NejIjEHAHaal9GOO50mQD5y-AMgs-sfo5g1ZYktYHUONz3KrW-d_tTvlezT6QNX2vcIg0Bn7K6HclsnEiPbj59T50OwzsyKYMxxMxmA/s320/IMG_8509.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Phoenix, in its current top form, is especially incredible in darkness.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvDKL8wDa9j8LZ9KHcw1NH0M3SbHtD4-HSsb1OrKt49PdlfyhvIgqrmAaGhfCkhpbH_Ef6MQHOlyKMTEdnFshc_H90HqH1ooY7L1lRwUFDR0DLhn4eqJiJbo4_AoyfQcbpfQu6O52tMY/s2048/IMG_8491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvDKL8wDa9j8LZ9KHcw1NH0M3SbHtD4-HSsb1OrKt49PdlfyhvIgqrmAaGhfCkhpbH_Ef6MQHOlyKMTEdnFshc_H90HqH1ooY7L1lRwUFDR0DLhn4eqJiJbo4_AoyfQcbpfQu6O52tMY/s320/IMG_8491.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStDgbPUzKIGYifnzbbsEoEsVnlSo6jkTmBpPER3e74g5KN_kDctZkEQipWNI4E4GuWRNa3iOoe2BKnI4E6W8_lcauR-bsC83j2ZtzM6ikUM9Y_-2M6g2zqj5yVBCTqltmQezRK5iX99U/s2048/IMG_8485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStDgbPUzKIGYifnzbbsEoEsVnlSo6jkTmBpPER3e74g5KN_kDctZkEQipWNI4E4GuWRNa3iOoe2BKnI4E6W8_lcauR-bsC83j2ZtzM6ikUM9Y_-2M6g2zqj5yVBCTqltmQezRK5iX99U/s320/IMG_8485.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjH-e7ciC9lHIV1oDlrGiy53amHZIy9maU3BP4GxQOAW2ddNtHFIoz9e2JpMUB1buzS6BCTo8pDNiWd-0z01O_f_WRI2_rweczUIfbpNeDl9MI1khPml87jw0rktCtdgvNPZ4wfiY78A/s2048/IMG_8480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjH-e7ciC9lHIV1oDlrGiy53amHZIy9maU3BP4GxQOAW2ddNtHFIoz9e2JpMUB1buzS6BCTo8pDNiWd-0z01O_f_WRI2_rweczUIfbpNeDl9MI1khPml87jw0rktCtdgvNPZ4wfiY78A/w640-h426/IMG_8480.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>The park's carousel is such a beautiful machine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m6Nxgm-9GQAUjTd38Zi0Mkvg_sBvHalb_NFKYBndGRBoWGfYkzx6gd6B31HeweepLX_L0sTh1nL0Ef6oMQEiSgHO2VJSOSOzHfUaBZ_teMF6R-_rzIUOfmKOgmmTbCEtEm9Th-Erm_g/s2048/IMG_8466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m6Nxgm-9GQAUjTd38Zi0Mkvg_sBvHalb_NFKYBndGRBoWGfYkzx6gd6B31HeweepLX_L0sTh1nL0Ef6oMQEiSgHO2VJSOSOzHfUaBZ_teMF6R-_rzIUOfmKOgmmTbCEtEm9Th-Erm_g/s320/IMG_8466.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I ended up taking a picture of every win for both of us, but I just included the best. I managed to win cover all!</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6EUfqOLU-M1eG3-tFJpI98mwUeOxBaCyMGdOyqIRMV9WSCeXvXyfzXTalXi7cKOiNq2oGYfOCPL3aB_xLIGXLvrrqcZuv9LIfEfhfa5Bk2w0lnQ2b7Q69_yFKefsX6L2ICPzT0ObmaI/s2048/IMG_8471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6EUfqOLU-M1eG3-tFJpI98mwUeOxBaCyMGdOyqIRMV9WSCeXvXyfzXTalXi7cKOiNq2oGYfOCPL3aB_xLIGXLvrrqcZuv9LIfEfhfa5Bk2w0lnQ2b7Q69_yFKefsX6L2ICPzT0ObmaI/s320/IMG_8471.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then we ran for another lap on Phoenix</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTbcqkXZn6wKZBwOPc5Vb2nQsKvDNHX70cOWMHoJH64Y00HFNNXbCKlMC9jlYru7PsPQi2cSENHl9pswpP99w_vBUpMw6-CsWaBJzj2q8z8IWwnO6uKk6GI5ti0I9QZxJhwcJL7F76MM/s2048/IMG_8475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTbcqkXZn6wKZBwOPc5Vb2nQsKvDNHX70cOWMHoJH64Y00HFNNXbCKlMC9jlYru7PsPQi2cSENHl9pswpP99w_vBUpMw6-CsWaBJzj2q8z8IWwnO6uKk6GI5ti0I9QZxJhwcJL7F76MM/s320/IMG_8475.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Then Brit managed to win the next cover all game<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjFplPUdp2_oGzJvXyrTR38w8qrL9LE-eE2QeReReCE8O_9Tn5ruIzmUd9RMJsjG2m8EZzuP5UC80thVT7UoDKHZYKZSGxLVxVNXDPSsHNjsU4nJgBJBVsQg5Iey2LD3SBzebFQJybAk/s2048/IMG_8472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjFplPUdp2_oGzJvXyrTR38w8qrL9LE-eE2QeReReCE8O_9Tn5ruIzmUd9RMJsjG2m8EZzuP5UC80thVT7UoDKHZYKZSGxLVxVNXDPSsHNjsU4nJgBJBVsQg5Iey2LD3SBzebFQJybAk/s320/IMG_8472.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYMzUuDMMhylH0NwrAROM4K7KS1VGqpcOJsAnE86mKkB1wR7ruaeGz0ijJtFC99tYvaLjgFWKbOyhDEkkpdwTuvgB_k_R5xM6lAWStrKgnwf84OlybYP1RLqUX_4UPR7SG7F3yu2mtfs/s2048/IMG_8406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYMzUuDMMhylH0NwrAROM4K7KS1VGqpcOJsAnE86mKkB1wR7ruaeGz0ijJtFC99tYvaLjgFWKbOyhDEkkpdwTuvgB_k_R5xM6lAWStrKgnwf84OlybYP1RLqUX_4UPR7SG7F3yu2mtfs/s320/IMG_8406.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Impulse looks so cool at night, especially with the LED lighting package on the sides of the cars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qykPlsE5YQ201v-Nb7-JJvJC71XXUeKhHBdyFoATfFfPOhZvfOoBgFzeqyvlUd0jPXAYi3wlUzXSctvGSXb1rpmG-ZOJfhulzFDyQwkTkZaGDnIQhYo5s5eIXPdM8ckw6NXdfIsO0gQ/s2048/IMG_8393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qykPlsE5YQ201v-Nb7-JJvJC71XXUeKhHBdyFoATfFfPOhZvfOoBgFzeqyvlUd0jPXAYi3wlUzXSctvGSXb1rpmG-ZOJfhulzFDyQwkTkZaGDnIQhYo5s5eIXPdM8ckw6NXdfIsO0gQ/s320/IMG_8393.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We got so many rides in on the Grand Carousel. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhxqDXYM_uxIN32XMm6N4u-a-Yg3OCqDb9aZBbaV-IKB-cDmI2rhy6Y4mjKgqOwIB9EaFpYz_SUuX06Gh-rvE-x1CV2BD-xOWihUY4qnJM-XBy2dmo77OItxuWRStb5y4Ji7UXU7Elw0/s1232/Screen+Shot+2021-09-07+at+9.17.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhxqDXYM_uxIN32XMm6N4u-a-Yg3OCqDb9aZBbaV-IKB-cDmI2rhy6Y4mjKgqOwIB9EaFpYz_SUuX06Gh-rvE-x1CV2BD-xOWihUY4qnJM-XBy2dmo77OItxuWRStb5y4Ji7UXU7Elw0/s320/Screen+Shot+2021-09-07+at+9.17.05+PM.png" width="202" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And for the first time in my life, I caught the brass ring! Bucket list item completed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All in all, it was a fantastic time at Knoebels!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Our 2022 Roller Coaster Calendar is available now! For more info, <a href="http://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/08/2022-roller-coaster-calendar.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">check out this link</a>. To purchase, use the dropdown menu at the top of the page. </div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuLiW5SOkagG_yCxsRAVy_wI-6bVoj2wCahV_bZGf_uH8kIUpLur_39lxPn792Aqa_mWDvkb29IyGMuNphygYucFx6QtqQpMhrxL1tur2GpFcyZlMk1OQAUAFAWND7daMa08QAiJ7cMo/s2048/Mosaic+2022+Coaster+Calendar+Cover+Knoebels+IMG_0491+copy+3.jpg" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuLiW5SOkagG_yCxsRAVy_wI-6bVoj2wCahV_bZGf_uH8kIUpLur_39lxPn792Aqa_mWDvkb29IyGMuNphygYucFx6QtqQpMhrxL1tur2GpFcyZlMk1OQAUAFAWND7daMa08QAiJ7cMo/w640-h426/Mosaic+2022+Coaster+Calendar+Cover+Knoebels+IMG_0491+copy+3.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The calendar features views from: Knoebels, Holiday World, Cedar Point, Morey's </span>Piers, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Kennywood, Hersheypark, Six Flags Great Adventure, Casino Pier, Carowinds, and Waldameer. For more info, <a href="http://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/08/2022-roller-coaster-calendar.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">check out this link</a>. The calendar and our book on Pennsylvania Amusement Parks are available through the dropdown menus at the top of the page, and the bottom of this article. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><p style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: left;"></p><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: left;" target="paypal"><table><tbody><tr><td>2022 Coaster Calendar PA Amusement Parks Book Purchase Options</td></tr><tr><td><select name="os0"> <option value="2022 Roller Coaster Calendar">2022 Roller Coaster Calendar $11.99 USD</option> <option value="PA Amusement Parks Book">PA Amusement Parks Book $21.95 USD</option> <option value="Book and Calendar Bundle">Book and Calendar Bundle $31.95 USD</option> <option value="2 Calendars">2 Calendars $22.50 USD</option> <option value="3 Calendars">3 Calendars $30.50 USD</option> </select></td></tr></tbody></table><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_cart_LG.gif" type="image" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px;" width="1" /><br /><br /></form></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-62466135591364348512021-08-08T21:35:00.000-04:002021-08-08T21:35:32.263-04:00Indiana Beach: Park Visit and Dreier Looping Construction Report<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZz86_lGXg4vvssHQXtF0AVuRI45WKp7hdrK1JTcFiIbxExwMTzUmGw0EOtCC3WW6YthuvgEMmAep4AvShMmBFJx1krAKD5EgLnzuIbQOwFdcnm2vuXhj0qgEG8Qr7roXmCMR_2C5OYk/s2048/IMG_7609.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZz86_lGXg4vvssHQXtF0AVuRI45WKp7hdrK1JTcFiIbxExwMTzUmGw0EOtCC3WW6YthuvgEMmAep4AvShMmBFJx1krAKD5EgLnzuIbQOwFdcnm2vuXhj0qgEG8Qr7roXmCMR_2C5OYk/w640-h426/IMG_7609.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Indiana Beach! Where to start with this park? This is a place that I have wanted to get to for a long time, and on a little midwest trip, we finally ended up getting to it. I heard all kinds of awesome things about this park from people, and everything great that I heard was true. This is a place that I desperately wanted to get to for years, since it has three CCI creations, and lots of charm. The "back from the dead" comeback story of this park, with purchase by a Chicago based businessman, Gene Staples, after other bidders failed to emerge upon news of the park being sold, was even greater incentive behind us getting to this park. Nothing could have prepared us for how truly awesome and unique this park is. It is always great going to a laid back park like this the day after going to a large corporate park. Laid back parks like this always refresh and relax me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9I_XalQb4drgdAEfckLbcRc1EVkRpkMMo2p4j8jjTIDZ8NLUxN3jBqqhGxVCMUZMV7gaAIpG7GhCg0e2EzNMZna2wZuHgOOF0509SAekD-1Ea8WGnzNutuzkzK7Q9D1iwEfJXAKb0GDI/s2048/IMG_7547.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9I_XalQb4drgdAEfckLbcRc1EVkRpkMMo2p4j8jjTIDZ8NLUxN3jBqqhGxVCMUZMV7gaAIpG7GhCg0e2EzNMZna2wZuHgOOF0509SAekD-1Ea8WGnzNutuzkzK7Q9D1iwEfJXAKb0GDI/s320/IMG_7547.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From your first steps into the park across an old suspension bridge, to the coasters lining the entire shoreline of the park's peninsula within view of the entrance, you immediately know you are someplace that is really special.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHobW_nXjrAnWLmzjrp2QrpfwOmB-yJg6KdDJGVRe3CeBhoLiNeHFT9Nn_HSHwR7CMU0Z8MKh9z0XQ4S-2uujA9ZPfpGl2FFekCMz8eBV2nOdem9gWo2WLaSzFte4sXDTclejz5wZRUjM/s2048/IMG_7556.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHobW_nXjrAnWLmzjrp2QrpfwOmB-yJg6KdDJGVRe3CeBhoLiNeHFT9Nn_HSHwR7CMU0Z8MKh9z0XQ4S-2uujA9ZPfpGl2FFekCMz8eBV2nOdem9gWo2WLaSzFte4sXDTclejz5wZRUjM/s320/IMG_7556.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The structure of the unique and beautiful Hoosier Hurricane. A huge portion of the structure for this ride is located over water. This ride is the closest thing I can think of to a modern version of a scenic railway. This is only the third coaster installation that was opened by CCI, back in 1994, and it is a fun ride. It is mostly devoid of airtime, though we had a great ride in the second row at the end of the night where we felt a solid pop of airtime in the second to last airtime hill. There are some solid moments of lateral forces, especially in the turnaround, throughout the ride, and the turns at the top of the lift hill are an absolute blast. This ride is so much fun and the greatest thing about this ride to me, other than the sense of speed and lateral forces, is the sheer beauty of this ride within its surroundings. My first thoughts about this ride were that it is like the wooden coaster version of Steel Force or Millennium Force, with a neat and graceful layout that provides awesome views of the scenery, without having too much airtime and having some good lateral force moments. Visiting this on a Thursday, the park did not have a ton of people in it and I rode in pretty much every row on the train, many times just going back and forth between rows in the station to a row without anyone waiting for it. First car is where it is at with this coaster. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another awesome thing with this (and neighboring Cornball Express) is that its PTC train has buzz bars. These two coasters have to be the newest coasters to have been built with buzzbars, which are single position PTC lapbar restraints that have a cool buzz associated with them when the lapbars are engaged by the operator. They are the only two row cars that I am aware of having buzzbars.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil08MZBy8bjoGWNc1zBQ1iKdDvQG1TNWOIouERF_O7AU8QFZeW_vu3m8POC6SmNB04HkkFLassMhcRjCXg2kFqXRx5W-F8OxazCvq-5pjIcp_szv3WiSMlBwwlGRsas_zno-oLthFAdlI/s2048/IMG_7560.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil08MZBy8bjoGWNc1zBQ1iKdDvQG1TNWOIouERF_O7AU8QFZeW_vu3m8POC6SmNB04HkkFLassMhcRjCXg2kFqXRx5W-F8OxazCvq-5pjIcp_szv3WiSMlBwwlGRsas_zno-oLthFAdlI/s320/IMG_7560.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTsup39VAMJnW2_qR62s7oLj4joivPD0poIAZQJ_obXUw6tqGj_f_rgtUoaELGT_7VpEo4UO7_QlhYqINUmGn49UW-3SkYavgJFsDfzqqMkegO7mqCtQjmyzQJ352mT3-1osIL52Ntps/s2048/IMG_7601.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTsup39VAMJnW2_qR62s7oLj4joivPD0poIAZQJ_obXUw6tqGj_f_rgtUoaELGT_7VpEo4UO7_QlhYqINUmGn49UW-3SkYavgJFsDfzqqMkegO7mqCtQjmyzQJ352mT3-1osIL52Ntps/s320/IMG_7601.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As soon as you cross through the impressive Hoosier Hurricane, you see the amusement park really unfold. You immediately see the other side of the shore on the peninsula of the park in Lake Shafer, with a series of rides like a Chance Yo-Yo Swing Ride, a Paratrooper, a sky coaster, a waterpark, and more built on platforms right over the lake. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9a7KycbAMCuCexzyZWpm3mXoKq6tiPJ9rM74d4DSeeA8Uasy3HesWvEfViCajWS8dejcs-J2A_qu8NKfXQ0qQwTsN8zrGQJI2uMAxCKRge6TFxXlyxJ7rvTpmkAGCpuXHID6L5EF2XQg/s2048/IMG_7570.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9a7KycbAMCuCexzyZWpm3mXoKq6tiPJ9rM74d4DSeeA8Uasy3HesWvEfViCajWS8dejcs-J2A_qu8NKfXQ0qQwTsN8zrGQJI2uMAxCKRge6TFxXlyxJ7rvTpmkAGCpuXHID6L5EF2XQg/s320/IMG_7570.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They even have a carp feeding station on the edge of the lake.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZNqj1Ixjbri4divrCjNj6HwP-c6_qvEQSMWy8Yt7w-xVSgCo6i-S4Y1mcIrkt5WB0klpFtRaCDzz74rdIbIAPJ3q7XB0HIgzyqxMy1Cpox-TpSVFuv3gcDWGOq3GMJONXPbnAFhduYk/s2048/IMG_7579.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZNqj1Ixjbri4divrCjNj6HwP-c6_qvEQSMWy8Yt7w-xVSgCo6i-S4Y1mcIrkt5WB0klpFtRaCDzz74rdIbIAPJ3q7XB0HIgzyqxMy1Cpox-TpSVFuv3gcDWGOq3GMJONXPbnAFhduYk/w640-h426/IMG_7579.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>The star of the park's wooden coasters for me is Cornball Express. Built in 2001, this is one of the last coasters that CCI ever built. It is pretty heavily intertwined with the structure of Hoosier Hurricane, and the fact that CCI was able to jam three coasters into such a small plot of land is just incredible. Cornball Express is an out of your seat airtime machine. The back seat specifically has really strong airtime on every hill, and the front car has several moments of really strong airtime. The extreme airtime is accentuated by the buzzbars on the PTC trains. I also rode in every row and most seats on this ride as well, thanks to the light weekday crowds. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZz86_lGXg4vvssHQXtF0AVuRI45WKp7hdrK1JTcFiIbxExwMTzUmGw0EOtCC3WW6YthuvgEMmAep4AvShMmBFJx1krAKD5EgLnzuIbQOwFdcnm2vuXhj0qgEG8Qr7roXmCMR_2C5OYk/s2048/IMG_7609.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZz86_lGXg4vvssHQXtF0AVuRI45WKp7hdrK1JTcFiIbxExwMTzUmGw0EOtCC3WW6YthuvgEMmAep4AvShMmBFJx1krAKD5EgLnzuIbQOwFdcnm2vuXhj0qgEG8Qr7roXmCMR_2C5OYk/w640-h426/IMG_7609.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div>Our first ride on Cornball Express was in the backseat, and you feel like you are going to get launched to the moon, then the following airtime hills are just as wicked. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdFRUShmdYr533WE4G-rEokvMn5Qn4GocdmUF97f3OzEO7KZ_2175D7DKTmRxgFikhcCHZ7j3vkemXeKYDjUeVasA8_B9e5eHpzJiooEaKFQvCFgBNQdddeZJkL43DB7WUvhYDygytYg/s2048/IMG_7594.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdFRUShmdYr533WE4G-rEokvMn5Qn4GocdmUF97f3OzEO7KZ_2175D7DKTmRxgFikhcCHZ7j3vkemXeKYDjUeVasA8_B9e5eHpzJiooEaKFQvCFgBNQdddeZJkL43DB7WUvhYDygytYg/s320/IMG_7594.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwyfkIbRKRQB8STwhH-ZXFxF5siWrPTuZayFLwrwFw_iNmJTAbx4AXEMEt67ZT3QOG9UkWy6Oz3CRTXEk2u-T-kEaBKRVeRKK9XXqZ7iKy_qI962-R5Y8JdsXX3KFe1AxIMtTJfbf81Y/s2048/IMG_7807.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwyfkIbRKRQB8STwhH-ZXFxF5siWrPTuZayFLwrwFw_iNmJTAbx4AXEMEt67ZT3QOG9UkWy6Oz3CRTXEk2u-T-kEaBKRVeRKK9XXqZ7iKy_qI962-R5Y8JdsXX3KFe1AxIMtTJfbf81Y/w640-h426/IMG_7807.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Cornball is an airtime machine. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ojQ6oQ0ldLxYj2BJv7u5hxEt3z3sYMVzoQ57en13G-XlSSEKqK-UmdfO9xn1MAvCthkdYmYfd6FtitIDjgG-ElH-wCBfPIEoJA7mhyphenhyphenohen_k30j5FoJcU4pKWgQWlPJIphkQlOCuddQ/s2048/IMG_7605.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ojQ6oQ0ldLxYj2BJv7u5hxEt3z3sYMVzoQ57en13G-XlSSEKqK-UmdfO9xn1MAvCthkdYmYfd6FtitIDjgG-ElH-wCBfPIEoJA7mhyphenhyphenohen_k30j5FoJcU4pKWgQWlPJIphkQlOCuddQ/w640-h426/IMG_7605.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Steel Hawg was our first S&S El Loco, and my goodness was it fantastic. It feels like a Wild Mouse that has been transformed into the most intense and wicked contraption possible. Smooth as glass and the beyond vertical drop, which was the world's steepest at 111 degrees, is so neat. The layout manages to surprise every time. We rode it two times in a row when no one was in the station around opening at the park and we absolutely loved it. I wonder why they do not use that track style anymore? It is smoother than what they currently use. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6Ori7iHl8Y9aEqZlWYcYwnD-siMnspTCNMwM4ro6ZK1NELgNW1ph2L0uMWKUljmUkDHw9500UYD0-OgH8y2WEOhhJIlgMaLLN3IzRoaxFaqC-yep6mV-Bjuv7Nqjij0w6uN7b2EW5jY/s2048/IMG_7618.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6Ori7iHl8Y9aEqZlWYcYwnD-siMnspTCNMwM4ro6ZK1NELgNW1ph2L0uMWKUljmUkDHw9500UYD0-OgH8y2WEOhhJIlgMaLLN3IzRoaxFaqC-yep6mV-Bjuv7Nqjij0w6uN7b2EW5jY/s320/IMG_7618.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This section of the park crosses over a wetland and little inlet on the peninsula. The platform for their Arrow Antique Cars is really cool. In the background you can see the strange Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUYv1DTSbZoFaBSGMTvkoiAdGYClr0ty4U4dqUWUcHWiffCdiSfxWPqeONXEkccQWaL_kn0C8PwxDHao4BGL2wbFChxrsE_2Xcsu3pJE13jmGdnt8ImLOTRXAKivz1i97B3tvivI8fgU/s2048/IMG_7624.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUYv1DTSbZoFaBSGMTvkoiAdGYClr0ty4U4dqUWUcHWiffCdiSfxWPqeONXEkccQWaL_kn0C8PwxDHao4BGL2wbFChxrsE_2Xcsu3pJE13jmGdnt8ImLOTRXAKivz1i97B3tvivI8fgU/s320/IMG_7624.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first coaster entrance you pass by is the Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain, a bizarre dark ride and wooden roller coaster combo with three cars that look like bird cages. While the ride is fun, my back would prefer that they let Gravity Group come in to make some sort of custom creation with Timberliner trains, for backwards airtime without back supports is not a fantastic experience, though it is fun at the same time. I know that with different ride vehicles, this ride would be absolutely perfect. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIOOSi-YfiG94r7Tfi3bf8TlK4EjGc6ClpvrrgXQLlmgeZLXji36YZQTru9hn6-axvKHCO663XCdjjgAL6nBRG05r8HsfoP1gYHRTfHm_gUtKS3jCPAWbUVCkALhlV84-QmERGBkgFLo/s2048/IMG_7625.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIOOSi-YfiG94r7Tfi3bf8TlK4EjGc6ClpvrrgXQLlmgeZLXji36YZQTru9hn6-axvKHCO663XCdjjgAL6nBRG05r8HsfoP1gYHRTfHm_gUtKS3jCPAWbUVCkALhlV84-QmERGBkgFLo/s320/IMG_7625.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They have both a Sky Ride and full circuit train ride that serve as transportation from end to end in the park. I have the most familiarity with with Von Roll Skyrides, but I knew that this model was different. My guesses were that it was either a Herschell, judging by the iron baskets of the seats, or Eli Bridge, with that same iron basket aspect to the seats, and the iron lattice work of the supports. <a href="https://coasterpedia.net/wiki/Sky_Ride_(Indiana_Beach)">coasterpedia.net</a> and <a href="https://liftblog.com/skyride-indiana-beach-in/">liftblog.com</a> (which apparently is the RCDB of chair lifts) has it listed as a Hopkins. The differences in this one threw me off and it looks so cool.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_myIohyphenhyphen9OYWZKXYkgzlWBaM_s35X1TCxep1yuknweVphmhA5HNQ0sfv6nNbvpJDtJ8I__H3rm_0RRDqmgyN-XPGkUxzFJRy9ZIhL491yI70DD6vRwdtv9FY3joct6cMZdrTrT3NRnx4/s2048/IMG_7637.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_myIohyphenhyphen9OYWZKXYkgzlWBaM_s35X1TCxep1yuknweVphmhA5HNQ0sfv6nNbvpJDtJ8I__H3rm_0RRDqmgyN-XPGkUxzFJRy9ZIhL491yI70DD6vRwdtv9FY3joct6cMZdrTrT3NRnx4/w640-h426/IMG_7637.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here you can see how the lift hills of Cornball Express and Hoosier Hurricane intertwine, and with Lost Coaster out there on the left, you see just how impressive of a feat it was for CCI to fit three coasters in such a small plot of land. Make that four coasters with Schwarzkopf's Tig'rr sitting in the middle. The footprint of land under those coasters is even smaller, with much of the footprint being occupied by water. It is great that they were able to save this quirky gem of a park.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQISZ1VUXxXPNw3C2UoNgGJBgmOcHw0fFuRF0C6IQPy5FnjGfcJDNAgzo47eOwC5Jf61QemIULMMgrk6sUtVv9YpmLx8Vtit1Woa0Rhm3Lt1_x5t8Yy66kcr2sahI5WAly1BuYaC7S49k/s2048/IMG_7693.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQISZ1VUXxXPNw3C2UoNgGJBgmOcHw0fFuRF0C6IQPy5FnjGfcJDNAgzo47eOwC5Jf61QemIULMMgrk6sUtVv9YpmLx8Vtit1Woa0Rhm3Lt1_x5t8Yy66kcr2sahI5WAly1BuYaC7S49k/s320/IMG_7693.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The park's collection of flats is fantastic.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZaxAm2nIrLoeH4WQa9cFWPm2_ExWDmmp_hCDeRym_ALO2icXam1sZW9kdbFrVwFfzVM1fszmC22B1AT1Jwto5gaTi9KUR79SlEsk2sqvk83Pxi-aySNUSM4YYvM5WEV1G9N6Aq6j_gM/s2048/IMG_7968.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZaxAm2nIrLoeH4WQa9cFWPm2_ExWDmmp_hCDeRym_ALO2icXam1sZW9kdbFrVwFfzVM1fszmC22B1AT1Jwto5gaTi9KUR79SlEsk2sqvk83Pxi-aySNUSM4YYvM5WEV1G9N6Aq6j_gM/s320/IMG_7968.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Out off the edge of the park, over near Steel Hawg, the park's project of trying to rebuild Dreier Looping seems to be at a standstill. This thing is going to take a ton of work to get into operating shape. With how massive this ride is, and how much work is going to need to go into it to rehabilitate, this is an enormous undertaking. Some parts of track will likely need to be refabricated somehow. I think the closest thing to this style of track would be made by S&S, unless Gerstlauer may be able to do it, since they are the company most closely related to Schwarzkopf. Whatever happens with this project, happens. The park is great as it is and it may be prudent to try to install the Schwarzkopf shuttle loop that they bought instead and fit that into the compact park somewhere. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSLGrV6zKBLDrwp8_hj_wfISKgZiYcrWqVcDXpRi6v5CdnS-ADtNhm4_1-AwgvN5RGxUqu2htvt377agWR-f8QcQ9VRFTgkhOSrho6RNPsCHJ4pgfWzFG135e4SZrXmxMDSbpsvUs2B4/s2048/IMG_7966.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSLGrV6zKBLDrwp8_hj_wfISKgZiYcrWqVcDXpRi6v5CdnS-ADtNhm4_1-AwgvN5RGxUqu2htvt377agWR-f8QcQ9VRFTgkhOSrho6RNPsCHJ4pgfWzFG135e4SZrXmxMDSbpsvUs2B4/s320/IMG_7966.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3Wm5PztqkriBKfRmRfsyZGSq6Ft-ivVDMyEZ9Dp_iOVWvuiP_uUcQXtwo5VxTA8n9e_V1TWQ3msTzArTBsVeOVvR5ozRXBXAHJvQrW3bpiHKAtCx58Ow1v0v4-VLQLnG_0ExOjRyYRo/s2048/IMG_7862.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3Wm5PztqkriBKfRmRfsyZGSq6Ft-ivVDMyEZ9Dp_iOVWvuiP_uUcQXtwo5VxTA8n9e_V1TWQ3msTzArTBsVeOVvR5ozRXBXAHJvQrW3bpiHKAtCx58Ow1v0v4-VLQLnG_0ExOjRyYRo/s320/IMG_7862.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I inexplicably missed out on taking a full photo of Tig'rr. This Schwarzkopf Jet Star is a fantastic ride. We are huge fans of Schwarzkopf rides, especially their loopers and Wildcats. On this midwest trip, we got to ride two more Schwarzkopf production models, between this and Whizzer at Great America. As always with Anton's rides, this is a wicked little ride with wild laterals. It has the similar bobsled style cars to Whizzer, and Bayern Curve rides and it is pretty cool. It was added to the park in 1984, and was originally built in 1976 and operated at the former Holiday Park in Georgia. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTyYVqE48nRxa5SJFtRLHVClxrlOJLLuCZHTXc2lcV017f9kFd_NxWHUNeWwwVa7olQYVRjVm6Grsa2IDT6vwENBXGUkZpmKETfjJQXyTUQc8yAhGgB1tE1bq-o47AiXf0LBFaYgD6TM/s2048/IMG_4945.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTyYVqE48nRxa5SJFtRLHVClxrlOJLLuCZHTXc2lcV017f9kFd_NxWHUNeWwwVa7olQYVRjVm6Grsa2IDT6vwENBXGUkZpmKETfjJQXyTUQc8yAhGgB1tE1bq-o47AiXf0LBFaYgD6TM/s320/IMG_4945.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPI3Mrxg6oz40MQYZ9aQjeXd1-Q0H0XUM-THaz-GJHwUZgKDJokVIQakY3jgFaQpyZGOxytfYVdS9b4CE4w3wnXx0yVinKNcXqNVUTehBiWaOXFxUDpV8iKS1P_q1teYAjgrhvDal_Lzk/s2048/IMG_4946.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPI3Mrxg6oz40MQYZ9aQjeXd1-Q0H0XUM-THaz-GJHwUZgKDJokVIQakY3jgFaQpyZGOxytfYVdS9b4CE4w3wnXx0yVinKNcXqNVUTehBiWaOXFxUDpV8iKS1P_q1teYAjgrhvDal_Lzk/s320/IMG_4946.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-7J7JzOQsYwhDTGOsfWJSLKEgLfW5bUAhPZob-GdVi7EVV4KO4P8-m4U4SeqNLvQOGmMKfpe436rq9m1ILOjztX9WEFvMXBXbWPyajjv6poNC2B0FZ4_Bg7yGhC-ZKGPyrp0LeXvkO8/s2048/IMG_4947.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-7J7JzOQsYwhDTGOsfWJSLKEgLfW5bUAhPZob-GdVi7EVV4KO4P8-m4U4SeqNLvQOGmMKfpe436rq9m1ILOjztX9WEFvMXBXbWPyajjv6poNC2B0FZ4_Bg7yGhC-ZKGPyrp0LeXvkO8/s320/IMG_4947.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbZMMcE7phQ4fRcUf9EOxyqpZR7JjlgIzq9A3Zet1dajtTDKYyXAvSKeCbbrsXaxVaWW1ot09sAPtFmFBD8dgoVrelygoXYyEdGUhNiXw_bl43Wl4HauP2Gh-BPCU1bkBfz2FoYn-76Y/s2048/IMG_4948.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbZMMcE7phQ4fRcUf9EOxyqpZR7JjlgIzq9A3Zet1dajtTDKYyXAvSKeCbbrsXaxVaWW1ot09sAPtFmFBD8dgoVrelygoXYyEdGUhNiXw_bl43Wl4HauP2Gh-BPCU1bkBfz2FoYn-76Y/s320/IMG_4948.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNP3WI86I7wumTNgTb6br09CWDCNgXpDDG2SIRVfkawVEKIS-wpoQTYO6ueecVPinTLiEXO8g0192K0ry2IaCtGbaexL3LXCrQdZuPSIG5goZoFhL9WJuoIOpUKu07pu-O-4VEgMxk7k/s2048/IMG_4950.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNP3WI86I7wumTNgTb6br09CWDCNgXpDDG2SIRVfkawVEKIS-wpoQTYO6ueecVPinTLiEXO8g0192K0ry2IaCtGbaexL3LXCrQdZuPSIG5goZoFhL9WJuoIOpUKu07pu-O-4VEgMxk7k/s320/IMG_4950.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-hdzEbODeUuwBMTnfxDg-uU85QzvileoqOgxQXV03TfSLagFIGZy0T_slbGE6JmirYx7GoYolNlLV68YvIs_KpxnDr-QgjdKyxiQVxuqZIli6zy-LIcbc2HjlXdjttS3l-kHsfAxpt0/s2048/IMG_4951.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-hdzEbODeUuwBMTnfxDg-uU85QzvileoqOgxQXV03TfSLagFIGZy0T_slbGE6JmirYx7GoYolNlLV68YvIs_KpxnDr-QgjdKyxiQVxuqZIli6zy-LIcbc2HjlXdjttS3l-kHsfAxpt0/s320/IMG_4951.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfQ5yUAlMJQrYip-70kV1HvfeGYLLw9boWB93Wia4IR7AyHFeS8vrKzc-La4rZvWMFsdpEFkLKAhLdHAuQIxCO9TIHH8gItIUhS_FbxEYw5jXl_f2liZtb1iGrUo-DwFOGX_yu5aqPak/s2048/IMG_4953.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfQ5yUAlMJQrYip-70kV1HvfeGYLLw9boWB93Wia4IR7AyHFeS8vrKzc-La4rZvWMFsdpEFkLKAhLdHAuQIxCO9TIHH8gItIUhS_FbxEYw5jXl_f2liZtb1iGrUo-DwFOGX_yu5aqPak/s320/IMG_4953.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Wwet674MwfAgv4KrzNoFAbXmCUQ7l0HSdBphrYxG36OTw1ABewrJnLmUr4msZhKFAg6unjH38PHA3sE2otmtBvcgv2n-qKtWpeCqGoqPcVVaRf_E30DKLjvR3GWwEOBMOCzuzbCWRJk/s2048/IMG_4954.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Wwet674MwfAgv4KrzNoFAbXmCUQ7l0HSdBphrYxG36OTw1ABewrJnLmUr4msZhKFAg6unjH38PHA3sE2otmtBvcgv2n-qKtWpeCqGoqPcVVaRf_E30DKLjvR3GWwEOBMOCzuzbCWRJk/s320/IMG_4954.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXucSNdO-nGBW1_hKBNNbMyJ6rHA9Az0HBzmi9trJZ-Y3kY692adyZwLxmgUI3LRio9RRHc88xsd_LLqQzZq6klPhBUx6LvYjkhs9A6hyB5PtPSlSxqDuIiGvtzGSylZ-jckpNd52qLzg/s2048/IMG_4955.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXucSNdO-nGBW1_hKBNNbMyJ6rHA9Az0HBzmi9trJZ-Y3kY692adyZwLxmgUI3LRio9RRHc88xsd_LLqQzZq6klPhBUx6LvYjkhs9A6hyB5PtPSlSxqDuIiGvtzGSylZ-jckpNd52qLzg/s320/IMG_4955.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We spent a large portion of the day in the park's awesome Fascination parlor. This parlor is one of only eight remaining locations, of which we have done five. We have played the Fascination parlors at Knoebels, Geneva-On-The-Lake in Ohio, Darien Lake, the boardwalk in Wildwood, and this one in Indiana Beach. There are three other remaining locations that we have not done yet, including Sylvan Beach in New York, Looff's Lite-A-Line in Long Beach, CA, and in Seaside Oregon. This is an awesome place, along with the rest of the arcades and games at the park. We spent a good portion of the day in the arcades. I love days where you are able to ride all of the rides and take in many of the experiences that the park has to offer. This is such a well rounded park.</div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeI9SDD97nTDKro5KV9jwYI78Zni92t7DI27x3-i-_JLNzWKSxVfXA-EaqHOkbsRyNgtovVHrUmX4Drs42tH1d5vTpUmg6jtDWP-Da6QFsXSXoSEYTwm6WQMZ0z_DaQBMqGGKPaXuh00/s2048/IMG_7921.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeI9SDD97nTDKro5KV9jwYI78Zni92t7DI27x3-i-_JLNzWKSxVfXA-EaqHOkbsRyNgtovVHrUmX4Drs42tH1d5vTpUmg6jtDWP-Da6QFsXSXoSEYTwm6WQMZ0z_DaQBMqGGKPaXuh00/w640-h426/IMG_7921.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A view from the Ferris wheel. It is so easy to see how magical this park is from this angle. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUBgsr9E9KA3genaSnyeX3Q2u7CWcWUDJZXoCdyWRO79txNFWiwyvtcIESAM1lC7Qh7emkxmWJ-iMDTNHrWVgDgesbsMvmOvuvXBg4Cc7UBIfGCHH5ADNGIZ3n5lZ7TYVgA4P8UB-5_8/s2048/IMG_7917.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUBgsr9E9KA3genaSnyeX3Q2u7CWcWUDJZXoCdyWRO79txNFWiwyvtcIESAM1lC7Qh7emkxmWJ-iMDTNHrWVgDgesbsMvmOvuvXBg4Cc7UBIfGCHH5ADNGIZ3n5lZ7TYVgA4P8UB-5_8/w640-h426/IMG_7917.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-a1Kj0kGzdiE1XRJt2ijuNf-SfLDhEtDZzz8p-yAucQxJvXe2N2hCVuD2OOqkDMqvdMVJO9T-uI-IJbQSR2VpyTpsgF2fC2hyBOscOYtiX5QRXX80q6Et1zdRh_acRayYhRskg7oI6mk/s2048/IMG_7928.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-a1Kj0kGzdiE1XRJt2ijuNf-SfLDhEtDZzz8p-yAucQxJvXe2N2hCVuD2OOqkDMqvdMVJO9T-uI-IJbQSR2VpyTpsgF2fC2hyBOscOYtiX5QRXX80q6Et1zdRh_acRayYhRskg7oI6mk/w640-h426/IMG_7928.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjM13TyahtQqBKzn4FY6tgpp7HW0h6sEULZ9kzFEMxfAOkhsBd3xRCLa3g0VyX5tDat5SozN0atuRQHm-9qEakYuw0gDm1y0RGdrJizFYQqo8HH1OrIRxk0WdKZy0vU-V9QDQxmXsiz4/s2048/IMG_7927.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjM13TyahtQqBKzn4FY6tgpp7HW0h6sEULZ9kzFEMxfAOkhsBd3xRCLa3g0VyX5tDat5SozN0atuRQHm-9qEakYuw0gDm1y0RGdrJizFYQqo8HH1OrIRxk0WdKZy0vU-V9QDQxmXsiz4/w640-h426/IMG_7927.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here you can see the neat turnaround on Hoosier Hurricane, with the park's train running underneath the course of the coaster's track, along with Lake Shafer and the suspension bridge.</div><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTb9j86mGWOlRhm7jPUP7pKXSxcpZIIwxMl5vWmdvlMihku7kKdijy5ZwMRmkL_7VI2dajriFVhSVNRCMHJGccEXJ_BrZmoNX89jhmCgUTl4LilfsZv3TQVxwiXonp6q25BW99kwTZdc/s2048/IMG_7925.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTb9j86mGWOlRhm7jPUP7pKXSxcpZIIwxMl5vWmdvlMihku7kKdijy5ZwMRmkL_7VI2dajriFVhSVNRCMHJGccEXJ_BrZmoNX89jhmCgUTl4LilfsZv3TQVxwiXonp6q25BW99kwTZdc/w640-h426/IMG_7925.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUbn2-74uhhLRAdfAbcP8UIeGDau-uXIpFhQTrMwKDb-sHAVKtRGXyZr8VgvVX9VNFxhDIESesCpI4WiGqFacNjwCRoar0FPSZnlGj7W77BN5d12-hUtaBD_9Ek6eqsyaJF_GC40c3HA/s2048/IMG_7960.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUbn2-74uhhLRAdfAbcP8UIeGDau-uXIpFhQTrMwKDb-sHAVKtRGXyZr8VgvVX9VNFxhDIESesCpI4WiGqFacNjwCRoar0FPSZnlGj7W77BN5d12-hUtaBD_9Ek6eqsyaJF_GC40c3HA/s320/IMG_7960.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There is also something really magical about the park when the sun goes down and all of the night lightning and neon make the park glisten.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82d4Yi-6TH45ozbL1aWH8LskvmD3uOWldKsy1ICDCWZNXDGf2OwaPYzMxONQ3MgTTlgV7zu3TtrrEVO7eAdIV84_FVotG1XcP2niKy3RagbLCx3ev5r04l9TiFqdEqsGenJBDmiVLolA/s2048/IMG_7957.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82d4Yi-6TH45ozbL1aWH8LskvmD3uOWldKsy1ICDCWZNXDGf2OwaPYzMxONQ3MgTTlgV7zu3TtrrEVO7eAdIV84_FVotG1XcP2niKy3RagbLCx3ev5r04l9TiFqdEqsGenJBDmiVLolA/s320/IMG_7957.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Indiana Beach is a park that is well worth going out of your way to check out. As a whole, this well-rounded park is easily one of my overall favorites. This was easily one of the best overall days we have ever had at a park. It is a special and magical place that you need to go check out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: center;">Our 2022 Roller Coaster Calendar is available now! For more info, <a href="http://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/08/2022-roller-coaster-calendar.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">check out this link</a>. To purchase, use the dropdown menu at the top of the page. </div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuLiW5SOkagG_yCxsRAVy_wI-6bVoj2wCahV_bZGf_uH8kIUpLur_39lxPn792Aqa_mWDvkb29IyGMuNphygYucFx6QtqQpMhrxL1tur2GpFcyZlMk1OQAUAFAWND7daMa08QAiJ7cMo/s2048/Mosaic+2022+Coaster+Calendar+Cover+Knoebels+IMG_0491+copy+3.jpg" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuLiW5SOkagG_yCxsRAVy_wI-6bVoj2wCahV_bZGf_uH8kIUpLur_39lxPn792Aqa_mWDvkb29IyGMuNphygYucFx6QtqQpMhrxL1tur2GpFcyZlMk1OQAUAFAWND7daMa08QAiJ7cMo/w640-h426/Mosaic+2022+Coaster+Calendar+Cover+Knoebels+IMG_0491+copy+3.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The calendar features views from: Knoebels, Holiday World, Cedar Point, Morey's </span>Piers, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Kennywood, Hersheypark, Six Flags Great Adventure, Casino Pier, Carowinds, and Waldameer. For more info, <a href="http://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/08/2022-roller-coaster-calendar.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">check out this link</a>. The calendar and our book on Pennsylvania Amusement Parks are available through the dropdown menus at the top of the page, and the bottom of this article. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><p style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;"></p><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" target="paypal"><table><tbody><tr><td>2022 Coaster Calendar PA Amusement Parks Book Purchase Options</td></tr><tr><td><select name="os0"> <option value="2022 Roller Coaster Calendar">2022 Roller Coaster Calendar $11.99 USD</option> <option value="PA Amusement Parks Book">PA Amusement Parks Book $21.95 USD</option> <option value="Book and Calendar Bundle">Book and Calendar Bundle $31.95 USD</option> <option value="2 Calendars">2 Calendars $22.50 USD</option> <option value="3 Calendars">3 Calendars $30.50 USD</option> </select></td></tr></tbody></table><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_cart_LG.gif" type="image" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px;" width="1" /></form></div><br /><p></p></div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-84783986248800833532021-08-04T21:52:00.004-04:002021-08-05T20:15:14.072-04:00Six Flags Great America Visit Report and Thoughts: July 2021<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5STdNjUIbwcXuribaHJJZThLPwnA9oT8nmwq37tkUpRIQS6QSYfgxYW9-OgxaLiWn99WG7odJ0Gq98Hb4exaqethGuK6KbfNkPR2K8bN6RlOiGJcaCrlNptPhq007kgdrkaTyTs6btXw/s2048/IMG_7221.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5STdNjUIbwcXuribaHJJZThLPwnA9oT8nmwq37tkUpRIQS6QSYfgxYW9-OgxaLiWn99WG7odJ0Gq98Hb4exaqethGuK6KbfNkPR2K8bN6RlOiGJcaCrlNptPhq007kgdrkaTyTs6btXw/w640-h426/IMG_7221.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had our first chance to visit Six Flags Great America this past week. It is a pretty good park, with lots of old and decent planning and landscaping remaining from the old Marriott days, with several classics remaining from the 70s and 80s as well. It is a solid amusement park that is pretty good for a regional chain park. It has held on to the classics much better than the last Six Flags park I visited back in June, Great Adventure. Six Flags Great America is chock full of 70s and 80s holdovers in rides and scenery. The planning aspects of 70s parks just do not seem to get done these days. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ78xIpZc-eYoHpEY63vtas24I0Zf9lbqFa_ZsPk1gQCC5xiVcNeCwl6Zba5A1xJMwPkSYqmsnSzFh-0bUBD4dOXrR5Pzh4Sv5rIes-lrHJ53F5TJ6-7ahU41gJS5t5Ia6GC6wA0l_y7Y/s2048/IMG_7193.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ78xIpZc-eYoHpEY63vtas24I0Zf9lbqFa_ZsPk1gQCC5xiVcNeCwl6Zba5A1xJMwPkSYqmsnSzFh-0bUBD4dOXrR5Pzh4Sv5rIes-lrHJ53F5TJ6-7ahU41gJS5t5Ia6GC6wA0l_y7Y/w640-h426/IMG_7193.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Reflection pools and fountains add so much to the general feel of a park. The reflection pools and fountains at this park, add a good bit of charm and relaxation to the themed areas in addition to actual landscaping and some actual shade in most queues. Holdouts from the 70s and 80s actually remain at the park, and are wildly popular, as opposed to Great Adventure, which has removed most of them. These classics include the double-decker carousel, Schwarzkopf's Whizzer (one of only two remaining Schwarzkopf Speedracer models), Yankee Clipper (One of only three remaining Arrow Hydroflumes that I am aware of), a Huss Condor, Demon (an Arrow corkscrew coaster that has awesome rock work for visual effects) and more. The day that we visited had extreme heat at around 90 degrees. The Yankee Clipper Hydroflume opens later than the rest of the park, and there were hundreds of people waiting when the ride was first opening, and an hour wait all day. This is a huge testament to just how loved and great of a ride this is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unfortunately, Demon has been closed for a few weeks and I missed out on it, but the rock work looks just awesome, and they had music playing around the coaster that was clearly from advertising back when it was new. The lyrics and song definitely share a bit of resemblance to the <i>Move Closer to your World</i> song, which you hear today on WPVI Channel 6 from Philly, and back then on news stations across the country, which makes me love it all the more. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1amw1kf0I3IsTaEC4kFQLdnKTEXUzYyem8FUF9wFYAJxxd2FfY0Ju5GRWDuZWDbVimLVB0It_LAMMvUMsJCTKF5SKAvxehRGWBykM7vD4L9WoCGxceBBMXgOveToso_DWLtlK0Ih7gcM/s2048/IMG_7194.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1amw1kf0I3IsTaEC4kFQLdnKTEXUzYyem8FUF9wFYAJxxd2FfY0Ju5GRWDuZWDbVimLVB0It_LAMMvUMsJCTKF5SKAvxehRGWBykM7vD4L9WoCGxceBBMXgOveToso_DWLtlK0Ih7gcM/w640-h426/IMG_7194.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first coaster we hopped in line for was Maxx Force, knowing how this ride is an S&S and the ride frequently goes down mechanically and that it has slow guest throughput with its operations. We hopped in the line right away and waited about twenty minutes. I really had no idea what to expect with this one. Kennywood's Steel Curtain is underwhelming to me in regards to the rattling the train does as it goes through the course and with how ridiculously long it takes for one train to move into the station after the other. Seeing how this ride is scaled up with a really quick launch, I was concerned that the ride would be even rougher than Steel Curtain, but it was surprisingly really smooth. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5STdNjUIbwcXuribaHJJZThLPwnA9oT8nmwq37tkUpRIQS6QSYfgxYW9-OgxaLiWn99WG7odJ0Gq98Hb4exaqethGuK6KbfNkPR2K8bN6RlOiGJcaCrlNptPhq007kgdrkaTyTs6btXw/s2048/IMG_7221.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5STdNjUIbwcXuribaHJJZThLPwnA9oT8nmwq37tkUpRIQS6QSYfgxYW9-OgxaLiWn99WG7odJ0Gq98Hb4exaqethGuK6KbfNkPR2K8bN6RlOiGJcaCrlNptPhq007kgdrkaTyTs6btXw/w640-h426/IMG_7221.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Having worked at an S&S drop tower before, I felt so disoriented hearing that awesome sound that the air tanks fill up, release to the right level, hearing that air release stop, and knowing that it is going to launch. If you ever want to know every time an S&S tower or air launched coaster is going to go, listen for that shhhhhhhhhhh sound to stop as the air releases to the right level. The launch immediately follows. The launch on Maxx Force is easily the best I have ever experienced. With 0-78MPH acceleration in 1.8 seconds, it is the second fastest operating launch in the world, after Do-Dodonpa at Fuji Q Highland in Japan, another S&S creation, which goes from 0-111.9 MPH in 1.56 seconds. The launch on Maxx Force is so fast that it just takes your breath away. The course has four awesome inversions that are filled with hang time and airtime. My only knock on it is that it has a pretty short layout, even though it is a ton of fun. A solid mid-tier steel coaster. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The park's ride collection is very well balanced, with nothing that will absolutely blow you away, but nothing that is bad either. This park is home to lots of firsts, including the first B&M invert (Batman the Ride), the second completed B&M Hyper (Raging Bull), the second B&M Flyer (Superman), and the first B&M Wing Rider (X-Flight). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRrNjJuNnebT5gAc-t5wtpdQb8SEY90yhDAJvfQfo0b-pfSkGR9-dq9AV59EyG_MyKzvHmiVHJaKvwc8leVMQkjzHp4AFXQT9MdZ_cVgdeEPYvS0f1QIfjelFx-yxI5_aGyUnn91ZL1w/s2048/IMG_7212.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRrNjJuNnebT5gAc-t5wtpdQb8SEY90yhDAJvfQfo0b-pfSkGR9-dq9AV59EyG_MyKzvHmiVHJaKvwc8leVMQkjzHp4AFXQT9MdZ_cVgdeEPYvS0f1QIfjelFx-yxI5_aGyUnn91ZL1w/w640-h426/IMG_7212.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of RMC coasters, though I have to say that Goliath is fantastic and my favorite RMC, and the only one of their hybrid coasters (steel beam track with a few layers of wood underneath) that I have ridden. The quick and snappy layout is great and it would be higher on my overall list if it had more length. I love the fact that the elements have not been drawn out on this ride. The elements and transitions are quick, snappy, and forceful, and do not have the more drawn out and copy-paste aspects of the more recent RMC creations. I feel like recent RMC installations have cut back on intensity. Lately if you close your eyes, you cannot even feel the transitions on RMCs. Goliath was not like this at all. The snappy inversions and transitions, coupled with the extreme airtime make this coaster the exact opposite of RMC's offerings as of late and it is my favorite RMC at this point. It is a very fun, mid-tier ride, that would probably top tier if it were longer. Additionally, props to the crews on Goliath for really getting those trains out quickly. Most RMCs have dismal throughput, but the ride ops were able to just keep loading and dispatching those trains. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE17SHoiBG5GPJjFywUL6I2kW8syWxOTPvIi9jOXEnFlqb8JVluPO7RvMpHOkbRHmaPZzd1NwaSFjXSZA3koWxL4FFtaDnnGq5Xu8ljEdUQdVYes2OYakjXxHbIUPUWMN5BVmIdgjT_w8/s2048/IMG_7314.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE17SHoiBG5GPJjFywUL6I2kW8syWxOTPvIi9jOXEnFlqb8JVluPO7RvMpHOkbRHmaPZzd1NwaSFjXSZA3koWxL4FFtaDnnGq5Xu8ljEdUQdVYes2OYakjXxHbIUPUWMN5BVmIdgjT_w8/w640-h426/IMG_7314.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is easily my favorite RMC, even though it is short. If RMC built their current rides with these snappy transitions, they would not be as programmatic, drawn out, and cookie-cutter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Similar to Great Adventure though, running through the motions to do all of the rides just feels like work. The rides are great, but waiting at least 25 minutes, and up to an hour, for pretty much everything had that feeling of feeling like work instead of play. Operations were not bad, but not great either, except for a few exceptions, including Goliath as we mentioned earlier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRTjNDfnMmoZwqu6OsM-qYCgWxTwtwUPCUBe_AutEyBvXqLQEjx7jjJ5fOdUIRUZ4SrwdBvV0qqLF9lFO_r4JikyLKiXl_Djhhy6Rygm1PC3UxkvqovcdB3EM4RNRtI9_4MYdxeanR2g/s2048/IMG_7415.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRTjNDfnMmoZwqu6OsM-qYCgWxTwtwUPCUBe_AutEyBvXqLQEjx7jjJ5fOdUIRUZ4SrwdBvV0qqLF9lFO_r4JikyLKiXl_Djhhy6Rygm1PC3UxkvqovcdB3EM4RNRtI9_4MYdxeanR2g/w640-h426/IMG_7415.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Demon and Viper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even Raging Bull had a 40 minute wait, and they opted to add a third train right after we finished our ride. They would dispatch the trains and then there would be a minute wait until the next train got into the station. Those B&M hypers are meant to be running with a huge capacity. Even a full queue, the line should move pretty quickly. I have looked forward to riding this for many years and I have to say that I enjoy it. As opposed to most other B&M hypers, this one is a twister as opposed to an out-and-back. It has several moments of good airtime like you expect on a B&M Hyper, but lots of decent lateral forces. This ride is way different from other B&M Hypers and it is a solid mid tier steel coaster. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrc2ns0EsbiBReChZZDQkQ0ILzPQFihVSV_gbSNLpKTUtkbJ6PdCejMybk0nZ_GQmiDXGfehyGDkILH_4isjXKhzVSFn691E9PWonA0fTdYe05jUFmnoUb_x_WqgJH8R12lapmvenu1U0/s2048/IMG_4908.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrc2ns0EsbiBReChZZDQkQ0ILzPQFihVSV_gbSNLpKTUtkbJ6PdCejMybk0nZ_GQmiDXGfehyGDkILH_4isjXKhzVSFn691E9PWonA0fTdYe05jUFmnoUb_x_WqgJH8R12lapmvenu1U0/w320-h240/IMG_4908.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">American Eagle is a visually stunning ride that I know could be good, at least through the first two thirds of the ride, with some serious track work. The ride needs serious work though. Even in spite of this though, the ride remains popular. With one side operating, the ride had a 25 minute wait on this visit. I feel that the best thing for this ride would be to get a company like GCI in to do some serious track work and add Millennium Flyer trains, to make the main course run smoothly up through the final part of the ride and then let them change up the boring finale. I do not think that bringing RMC would be a good option for this ride, because there are enough of their zero-g roll variations out there and the first drop, airtime hills, and enormous helix and then ridiculous momentum at the bottom of it is something that should be preserved in wooden coaster form. This could be a top flight coaster with retrack work done by GCI.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtLPCITzfmE_u47HikBfZAeiKBbleSv0C-pSztM-pQyNOzZdITJJlN_LBYCUqHeijx0Zp2ayIoC5gkd3QkwJi0xQkTeogQioJMrK1y9wim3o1n-rZEH4irSY30EceWV_WaUi_BYtKyg0/s2048/IMG_7375.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtLPCITzfmE_u47HikBfZAeiKBbleSv0C-pSztM-pQyNOzZdITJJlN_LBYCUqHeijx0Zp2ayIoC5gkd3QkwJi0xQkTeogQioJMrK1y9wim3o1n-rZEH4irSY30EceWV_WaUi_BYtKyg0/w640-h426/IMG_7375.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">X-Flight is a fantastically fun ride. I prefer both Gatekeeper and Thunderbird over it, but it is still a ton of fun. This is such a cool concept and the elements are flawless and smooth, giving you the feeling of flying around the sky in a chair. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCWJ5EG1SRwbTwXzlxtdxeAU_f3vOvKCdcDcoDomQkUgI1Yj_EklEfBtoJzlk5uSiWeCbXhpfbcpFQYrf02dl8Q1Fzg_Zrr8c4KOLJpMHccUvbYrdv9tVQVlneWhMDOD9wKCv1m3vkDE/s2048/IMG_4902.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCWJ5EG1SRwbTwXzlxtdxeAU_f3vOvKCdcDcoDomQkUgI1Yj_EklEfBtoJzlk5uSiWeCbXhpfbcpFQYrf02dl8Q1Fzg_Zrr8c4KOLJpMHccUvbYrdv9tVQVlneWhMDOD9wKCv1m3vkDE/s320/IMG_4902.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My only complaint about the ride is the lack of shade in the queue area, except for under the station. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7Fs58QTL2PZ9OfjZ3LbkOYYNItIVuNrK1llnA7hWOD6bhgTG37Ij8wMShzX7dWkWKpDApNf-kCoIPv1f20az2Iv8_pwojE3GzQycEx8m92oadf9YRvGrJhrMadTSMwOn9esg5h-Ml4U/s2048/IMG_7501.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7Fs58QTL2PZ9OfjZ3LbkOYYNItIVuNrK1llnA7hWOD6bhgTG37Ij8wMShzX7dWkWKpDApNf-kCoIPv1f20az2Iv8_pwojE3GzQycEx8m92oadf9YRvGrJhrMadTSMwOn9esg5h-Ml4U/w640-h426/IMG_7501.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Vertical Velocity on the left. Didn't capture my attention enough while I watched Goliath</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Vertical Velocity is what it is, a fun Intamin Impulse Coaster. Did this one ever have the holding brake like Superman/Possessed used to have? That launch felt so weak after riding Maxx Force, but it is still a fun ride. You have to have a ton of rides and coasters for the sheer capacity needs of being a giant amusement park that is situated 45 minutes away from two major cities. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Little Dipper is a fun little ride for what it is. Saving this is one of the coolest and most savvy things that Six Flags has ever done. Saving a local family favorite coaster, and adding a family coaster in a park filled with thrill rides for pennies on the dollar in a really tiny footprint. This tiny Schmeck and PTC creation is only 700 feet long and 28 feet tall. Not only does the park save a classic ride, it gets a lot of goodwill from the region and the coaster community for saving a ride from which lots of childhood memories were made. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCtyctH_6Ks4I_QA20W-MY46ItLuCFQG6U9LnM7yNhmFyYDoEqAt4Ka5naow_s90oAGgg62mjy4yUvI00qhkPBnbcokzy3a82bRocUW_wDyqVbilhpWTKjKHS8CcKN3fiRISjKJ7031s/s2048/IMG_7274.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCtyctH_6Ks4I_QA20W-MY46ItLuCFQG6U9LnM7yNhmFyYDoEqAt4Ka5naow_s90oAGgg62mjy4yUvI00qhkPBnbcokzy3a82bRocUW_wDyqVbilhpWTKjKHS8CcKN3fiRISjKJ7031s/w640-h426/IMG_7274.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Raging Bull and Viper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Viper surprised me in how great it was. Smooth and quick layout with lots of airtime, and "near miss" elements as it weaves around the structure of the ride. Much better than I expected.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxg9iaqtwkom409DOU-4l5qFAHuEtNTjkaC8cgW2NHIYwYcMplxlhEIiJVvk9cRgF_mFuyyIDioz1RlUy042Av7c4O91pf0BM-cUMW-Zf_8uhEdCUQeXh4r6rlQzvzOxoi-5uZ9XNpLs/s2048/IMG_4921.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxg9iaqtwkom409DOU-4l5qFAHuEtNTjkaC8cgW2NHIYwYcMplxlhEIiJVvk9cRgF_mFuyyIDioz1RlUy042Av7c4O91pf0BM-cUMW-Zf_8uhEdCUQeXh4r6rlQzvzOxoi-5uZ9XNpLs/s320/IMG_4921.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the end though, my absolute favorite coaster in the park was Whizzer. As I said earlier, it is one of only two remaining Schwarzkopf Speedracer models, and it remains extremely popular. It had a queue that was halfway full, yet flew because of the high capacity of the ride, taking only about a 20 minute wait. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5DPOUtowTVRUHvWCjMVkBcLb5RhWcBjw_J1CmVBNfcRk0DdFbZfROTU5hj1GSmOon96tEIOmWhwt_WglNkNlQhDU9Qb6zh6D098hbMaQxISGE7HIHuAwaIj5NywMV9aHgWIhIc_Uvw4/s2048/IMG_4934.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5DPOUtowTVRUHvWCjMVkBcLb5RhWcBjw_J1CmVBNfcRk0DdFbZfROTU5hj1GSmOon96tEIOmWhwt_WglNkNlQhDU9Qb6zh6D098hbMaQxISGE7HIHuAwaIj5NywMV9aHgWIhIc_Uvw4/s320/IMG_4934.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The ride had decent crowds all day. The curved lift hill is a brilliant design, and then the seemingly endless turns are tons of fun. The weaving through the woods and over the water is something that is so neat. This ride is priceless and awesome. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAnysKIX6WSutG2hRFc9wEqO8XauBnHWd0gRXGSvi5IskRMbQRheD18y9YTuex49AtWAxdhNPE2RrRYtfPYP7GcnR8SZQdsK_7kd3pybanlu8fpWzu3hBXsyeMPsVmF7eA19Ahdr7HsY/s2048/IMG_7430.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAnysKIX6WSutG2hRFc9wEqO8XauBnHWd0gRXGSvi5IskRMbQRheD18y9YTuex49AtWAxdhNPE2RrRYtfPYP7GcnR8SZQdsK_7kd3pybanlu8fpWzu3hBXsyeMPsVmF7eA19Ahdr7HsY/w640-h426/IMG_7430.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Batman! Is it missing the hoods or was it always hoodless?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Because of the heat and crowds and hopping in the car for the ride to Indiana Beach that evening, and the fact that we rode all of their identical counterparts at Great Adventure a few weeks ago, we opted to skip Superman, Batman, The Dark Knight Coaster, and Joker (in addition to the fact that one ride on an S&S 4D Freespin is enough for me). Sadly, Demon was down and we missed out on that. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3n7eKYK9yDzT_RrHPa3WIsKw0Ct6tiWutd-oKFuvOAN53OESAiqGhSOgOx2DFWfPSAlVLRBPSlmB6nJyCInvQpPjrikUBxYpXybuCIFJ4vkpNIYOn2oXXhSGtZ5wzDocEBC5agXAaiNk/s2048/IMG_7530.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3n7eKYK9yDzT_RrHPa3WIsKw0Ct6tiWutd-oKFuvOAN53OESAiqGhSOgOx2DFWfPSAlVLRBPSlmB6nJyCInvQpPjrikUBxYpXybuCIFJ4vkpNIYOn2oXXhSGtZ5wzDocEBC5agXAaiNk/w640-h426/IMG_7530.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was a decent day at the park! Six Flags Great America is a place that you have to visit at least once. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our 2022 Roller Coaster Calendar is available now! For more info, <a href="http://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/08/2022-roller-coaster-calendar.html">check out this link</a>. To purchase, use the dropdown menu at the top of the page. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuLiW5SOkagG_yCxsRAVy_wI-6bVoj2wCahV_bZGf_uH8kIUpLur_39lxPn792Aqa_mWDvkb29IyGMuNphygYucFx6QtqQpMhrxL1tur2GpFcyZlMk1OQAUAFAWND7daMa08QAiJ7cMo/s2048/Mosaic+2022+Coaster+Calendar+Cover+Knoebels+IMG_0491+copy+3.jpg" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuLiW5SOkagG_yCxsRAVy_wI-6bVoj2wCahV_bZGf_uH8kIUpLur_39lxPn792Aqa_mWDvkb29IyGMuNphygYucFx6QtqQpMhrxL1tur2GpFcyZlMk1OQAUAFAWND7daMa08QAiJ7cMo/w640-h426/Mosaic+2022+Coaster+Calendar+Cover+Knoebels+IMG_0491+copy+3.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">The calendar features views from: Knoebels, Holiday World, Cedar Point, Morey's </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Piers, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Kennywood, Hersheypark, Six Flags Great Adventure, Casino Pier, Carowinds, and Waldameer. For more info, <a href="http://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/08/2022-roller-coaster-calendar.html">check out this link</a>. The calendar and our book on Pennsylvania Amusement Parks are available through the dropdown menus at the top of the page, and the bottom of this article. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><br /></span></span></span></div></div><p></p>
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Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-55087695295421418742021-08-02T16:49:00.006-04:002021-08-02T17:52:18.323-04:002022 Roller Coaster Calendar <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuLiW5SOkagG_yCxsRAVy_wI-6bVoj2wCahV_bZGf_uH8kIUpLur_39lxPn792Aqa_mWDvkb29IyGMuNphygYucFx6QtqQpMhrxL1tur2GpFcyZlMk1OQAUAFAWND7daMa08QAiJ7cMo/s2048/Mosaic+2022+Coaster+Calendar+Cover+Knoebels+IMG_0491+copy+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuLiW5SOkagG_yCxsRAVy_wI-6bVoj2wCahV_bZGf_uH8kIUpLur_39lxPn792Aqa_mWDvkb29IyGMuNphygYucFx6QtqQpMhrxL1tur2GpFcyZlMk1OQAUAFAWND7daMa08QAiJ7cMo/w640-h426/Mosaic+2022+Coaster+Calendar+Cover+Knoebels+IMG_0491+copy+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Today we release our new 2022 Roller Coaster Wall Calendar. This is our ninth annual calendar and it features roller coasters from many amusement parks, including: </p><p>-Knoebels in Pennsylvania </p><p>-Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in California </p><p>-Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey </p><p>-Holiday World in Indiana </p><p>-Playland's Castaway Cove in New Jersey </p><p>-Waldameer Park in Pennsylvania </p><p>-Carowinds in North Carolina and South Carolina </p><p>-Cedar Point in Ohio </p><p>-Kennywood Park in Pennsylvania</p><p>-Hersheypark in Pennsylvania </p><p>-Morey's Piers in New Jersey </p><p>-Casino Pier in New Jersey </p><p>These calendars are custom made with photos taken by the authors. The calendars open up to be 17 inches tall by 11 inches wide (8.5 by 11 per page)</p><p>These calendars make great gifts for other people, or for yourself.</p><p>Also available is our book on Pennsylvania's historic amusement parks, Great Pennsylvania Amusement Parks Road Trip. It features Knoebels, Kennywood Park, Hersheypark, Dorney Park, Waldameer, DelGrosso's, Lakemont, Dutch Wonderland, Idlewild, and Conneaut Lake Park.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixo9RQUmLtODpVeYH6i76Z5gPTSvYiH5hFpqY9Jy4yInMNd7sHFKY7eegczyYYyg0f4lXw-vou5rouDxMC5YHNDPThjI2Ul8XEt9zf78RDWQFxgJg05ZHE7x7hRb2HIkeUpofh4i0GDo/s640/book+cover.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="480" /></p><p>Purchases of both items can be made through the PayPal menu at the bottom of this page, and at the top of this page. Thank you for all of your support over the years!</p>
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Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-87931139913813098762021-06-23T18:16:00.000-04:002021-06-23T18:16:05.102-04:00Casino Pier: Xolo Loco Update and Visit Report June 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pMnRfv1RPOKMuXWnN0KPwlQT90bDKTcYb6Cu5UwnhVIwyUv5Zwvvjo8ubBxqCEju9XW5gPtgkkwxpdtEZ9tbIxHLNVFRxRJc_NmWB-JucMDuS0qGLFVzSYwpUWUYxvLqhqEzS2JTrc4/s2048/IMG_6498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pMnRfv1RPOKMuXWnN0KPwlQT90bDKTcYb6Cu5UwnhVIwyUv5Zwvvjo8ubBxqCEju9XW5gPtgkkwxpdtEZ9tbIxHLNVFRxRJc_NmWB-JucMDuS0qGLFVzSYwpUWUYxvLqhqEzS2JTrc4/w640-h426/IMG_6498.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>So the last time we had gone to Casino Pier was before Superstorm Sandy completely battered Seaside Heights and Seaside Park, vastly changing the landscape of these two towns, along with destroying the other park that once occupied this boardwalk, Funtown Pier, which memory serves was home to four coasters, an S&S Drop Tower, and a great go-kart track which I loved as a teenager. The Funtown/Seaside Park end of the boardwalk is now occupied by newer buildings and new real estate development that is in development. The Seaside Heights boardwalk, on the buildings side of the boardwalk, is more recognizable with longtime institutions like Lucky Leo's Arcade, the gloriously delicious Kohr's Frozen Custard (which was originally founded in Seaside Heights), and more. Casino Pier is very different, with the pier not extending beyond the water's edge and the stunning Dentzel Carousel no longer serving as the gateway portal to the park. Thankfully the carousel will be reborn at some point in the future thanks to a preservation effort by the borough of Seaside Heights. We look forward to experiencing that stunning carousel again. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcG6qBY_q2Mc9BQi5ZbfQafiwNVR5Yo_srXvMvtOB3zY2m7I4KiwYGOPva1Vsmp48n1yBod24N1j6sGoXlTAfz1sGDlQGddSnxPDdRuvBQ56OHE7562Y_qhXBZoPzVgwwmhSbTehuOuw/s2048/IMG_6361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcG6qBY_q2Mc9BQi5ZbfQafiwNVR5Yo_srXvMvtOB3zY2m7I4KiwYGOPva1Vsmp48n1yBod24N1j6sGoXlTAfz1sGDlQGddSnxPDdRuvBQ56OHE7562Y_qhXBZoPzVgwwmhSbTehuOuw/w640-h426/IMG_6361.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>The current incarnation of Casino Pier is lots of fun, with a giant Ferris Wheel beckoning riders at the entrance to the pier. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQUuy7Qf_tq-cwqblOKbzfAprr6GoI6ja13vB4lqnpeBiTQsYy-QFR3-Dj6sqkD9bjfLoTOoq75SdjQTdoQ-juCxBc1Vlt5bqS0XpDW8o4FHv8KXOrI1zVFCUDlQ4aOXplHDxXYJlDw0/s2048/IMG_6467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQUuy7Qf_tq-cwqblOKbzfAprr6GoI6ja13vB4lqnpeBiTQsYy-QFR3-Dj6sqkD9bjfLoTOoq75SdjQTdoQ-juCxBc1Vlt5bqS0XpDW8o4FHv8KXOrI1zVFCUDlQ4aOXplHDxXYJlDw0/w640-h426/IMG_6467.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>Hydrus, a beautiful Gerstlauer Eurofighter, is a silky smooth and fantastic little ride. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRycCCLR8mx8YYWIPcHOfk6YTFpQkdwmOa03oqjV3hpgLRf-X55hlTvb2FPKWeYEg6DALNRafuYrYkH2C3kJpmUERt1i8Tk5GsoXBpq2bRQG0uAwv0ovVQXNBLESUfZbb6IfMOdgxcOBI/s2048/IMG_6294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRycCCLR8mx8YYWIPcHOfk6YTFpQkdwmOa03oqjV3hpgLRf-X55hlTvb2FPKWeYEg6DALNRafuYrYkH2C3kJpmUERt1i8Tk5GsoXBpq2bRQG0uAwv0ovVQXNBLESUfZbb6IfMOdgxcOBI/s320/IMG_6294.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Pirate's Hideaway, a super strange Wisdom Coaster that is the Jersey answer to "what is in the shed?", was somehow and inexplicably spared from the destruction of Superstorm Sandy, and I have to say that we were laughing the whole time on this ride. If they added some lighting and funhouse/dark ride elements to that coaster, it would be great. The other major highlight to the park for us was the SPECTACULAR Centrifuge, which is an indoor scrambler in darkness with strobe lighting that is set to music. It is incredible just how much better a scrambler is in an indoor setting. The only other time I ever experienced an indoor scrambler was at Funtown in Maine and that is a similarly awesome ride. On our ride on Centrifuge, they played two Beastie Boys songs, which was absolutely bonkers. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgq25MpkMw8Am8pi-cUiaftpid4vO5bjdzpRSVzSZt73Y92bzTB4XRCtP7OAqYeuiN3ZuNX4YC9L0u66Va1sn9rrm3jLAokrq4LjBrzdCdEtP9XpDPCKaUypdkImmSoXrlew6fGhkGhXM/s2048/IMG_6293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgq25MpkMw8Am8pi-cUiaftpid4vO5bjdzpRSVzSZt73Y92bzTB4XRCtP7OAqYeuiN3ZuNX4YC9L0u66Va1sn9rrm3jLAokrq4LjBrzdCdEtP9XpDPCKaUypdkImmSoXrlew6fGhkGhXM/w640-h426/IMG_6293.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>We seem to have missed the opening of the new Xolo Loca, a SBF spinner with the new hamster wheel cars, by a matter of a few days to a few weeks. They were working hard on getting the coaster assembled when we were there, with the track work completed and the trains on the track. Mechanics seemed to be doing adjustment work on it. I do not know about you, but I really love the SBF spinners. When running well, they feel like a tilt-a-whirl on a roller coaster track. I can only imagine how wild the hamster wheel cars will be. Be sure to get to Casino Pier to check it out once it is set, which should be any day now. One of our old favorites, the sky ride, was down for the day. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRDrQtHxznc9uBBem9BV01cs9PwueS0iXjQmSuAtnCTHwEHP9kZEs8n_YiEUuiTSK0BPW1bdKZfltjlArRrHmlwF0H_02XzzEv1AQ2UZ0pi4LYFQbyVoB0HEpZBItk_SuvKY_WDzAXSE/s2048/IMG_6290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRDrQtHxznc9uBBem9BV01cs9PwueS0iXjQmSuAtnCTHwEHP9kZEs8n_YiEUuiTSK0BPW1bdKZfltjlArRrHmlwF0H_02XzzEv1AQ2UZ0pi4LYFQbyVoB0HEpZBItk_SuvKY_WDzAXSE/w640-h426/IMG_6290.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>Casino Pier is well worth going out of your way to visit. Hydrus is so much fun, along with Pirate's Hideaway, Centrifuge, and more. There is no excuse for not visiting this park if you are in the Great Adventure or Jersey Shore area. It is 1.5 hours from Morey's Piers, an hour from Playland's Castaway Cove, and 45 minutes from Great Adventure. </p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-43799206975077262262021-06-22T21:12:00.004-04:002021-06-22T22:54:10.225-04:00Playland's Castaway Cove, Ocean City, NJ: GaleForce Epicness & More<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CEqPqsO21Im0Eu17OxDRY4vO4oITJj087fMqZG7tlaOuUQp1p1WV4g_3NTfJC047TopCz2lOoPrI0fQ6TR10hJvwVLyq5tOWSoqyAfA1VTZEkui6P-_7PmcRHQe9VutQTqrEfWXU5tM/s2048/IMG_5722.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CEqPqsO21Im0Eu17OxDRY4vO4oITJj087fMqZG7tlaOuUQp1p1WV4g_3NTfJC047TopCz2lOoPrI0fQ6TR10hJvwVLyq5tOWSoqyAfA1VTZEkui6P-_7PmcRHQe9VutQTqrEfWXU5tM/w640-h426/IMG_5722.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I have heard nothing but praise over the years for Playland's Castaway Cove. Galeforce looked like an odd and eccentric creation. We got our first chance to visit the park this past week and were amazed at just how great the park is. I am pleased to say that Galeforce is an absolutely incredible ride that moved into my personal top tier of steel coasters in an unbreakable tie with Magnum, Phantom's Revenge, Superman at SFNE, Fury 325, Alpengeist, and Nitro. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZq0y0KX6ZFFqIt7rvEQYLbNQ-RNo7qI9R8mlhGj8NKxDWpifQicYBjvw3MDJ_Vg3IWESgVNeqfDDlJfGA6bA2A2m8_jfVppXCgYSr7KSMEmUfM9gx2CPZZB4X0DFeCiR9P5J-aUO5qZg/s2048/IMG_5680.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZq0y0KX6ZFFqIt7rvEQYLbNQ-RNo7qI9R8mlhGj8NKxDWpifQicYBjvw3MDJ_Vg3IWESgVNeqfDDlJfGA6bA2A2m8_jfVppXCgYSr7KSMEmUfM9gx2CPZZB4X0DFeCiR9P5J-aUO5qZg/w640-h426/IMG_5680.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div>Nothing about this coaster looks like it should work. It has a minimal footprint, strange and wild looking transitions, and a generally short layout. Joe Draves hit it out of the park with this eccentric creation, like he did with Lightning Run. It is about as intense of an experience I have ever had on a coaster and its footprint is so small. This is the kind of addition that is perfect for a landlocked seaside amusement park. I enjoy Sky Rocket II coasters, but this unique creation has maximum thrill factor.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnE6qogQBz8WIxoGxltapq1cIoCkP4hVrM9xjxGhJJs7a7FKqeIZGXNaMQKnrHp6XeMIwqvXAWDvtgq522yV1PRrzw7Meb-2pBY2s-wpXsarojoa6Avyz7qKEe8Pdr_nUECL23qHN9TdQ/s2048/IMG_5681.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnE6qogQBz8WIxoGxltapq1cIoCkP4hVrM9xjxGhJJs7a7FKqeIZGXNaMQKnrHp6XeMIwqvXAWDvtgq522yV1PRrzw7Meb-2pBY2s-wpXsarojoa6Avyz7qKEe8Pdr_nUECL23qHN9TdQ/w640-h426/IMG_5681.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>On that note, is incredible how many rides they have managed to add into what is probably one of the smallest overall spaces that an amusement park has to work with. The entire footprint of the park, give or take, is about the size of a midsized seaside resort. For places that are challenged for space, Playland's Castaway Cove should be the gold standard to follow when it comes to space management. GaleForce and Wild Waves were both built in the small footprint of two old off-the-shelf and non serviceable, run-of-the-mill coaster clones, a Flitzer and an old Pinfari Zyklon. In that space they were able to build two giant, unique, and ridiculously great rides, with room to spare for a little SBF spinner clone (and I love SBF spinners, especially because they feel like a coaster version of a tilt-a-whirl). Three coasters in the footprint of two small coasters. For how shockingly great GaleForce was, I was even more surprised with how awesome Wild Waves is, a custom Miler "family coaster" that packs a ton of fun and ridiculously great airtime. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcH-Jtqn7ESsGNZAFZNlnHuCoYF_WI0ZlvnXQtj5187rboPLPsZTyAj43ZKZaeorITqed9eyJqQv0_Cc4Zt6MZ3GUwKyAL_jkdAGAwolaX7Yf_avzEghd9aSh8p38qXffctJGWRgOylS8/s2048/IMG_5721.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcH-Jtqn7ESsGNZAFZNlnHuCoYF_WI0ZlvnXQtj5187rboPLPsZTyAj43ZKZaeorITqed9eyJqQv0_Cc4Zt6MZ3GUwKyAL_jkdAGAwolaX7Yf_avzEghd9aSh8p38qXffctJGWRgOylS8/w640-h426/IMG_5721.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div>It loops around GaleForce twice with seemingly endless airtime hills. It also seemed to be just as popular as its neighbor as well, to the point that we heard people playfully argue about which coaster they wanted to ride next. There is something different about the energy of this park. Not only does the park have four coasters, they have a series of excellent flat rides, including several state-of-the-art rides including a Zamperla Air Race and a Technical Park Aerobat (which looks like a high speed version of a paratrooper ride, with the size and speed of an Enterprise) in addition to a small Hopkins log flume. A Ferris Wheel stands at the entrance of the park and gives stunning views of the park, the classic architecture filled boardwalk, and the beach. The park dealt with adversity this past winter with the loss of an entry building at the front of the park that housed an arcade, offices, and more. They are right back at it, building something new in that spot already. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OKssmtF1CWs2poTO1ynz3UEKFOLQ6-aeoWvkUybEQ5T9xCC8UFS6S40HVIt_oAlu4rqAUeXw61zyntPLqDOiZf9lzdtfHwb-QwBjInQYfQDxdZta0mJll_53SrZy7xeUgQJSymKC5GY/s2048/IMG_5666.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OKssmtF1CWs2poTO1ynz3UEKFOLQ6-aeoWvkUybEQ5T9xCC8UFS6S40HVIt_oAlu4rqAUeXw61zyntPLqDOiZf9lzdtfHwb-QwBjInQYfQDxdZta0mJll_53SrZy7xeUgQJSymKC5GY/w640-h426/IMG_5666.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>We had a wonderful evening at Playland's Castaway Cove and highly recommend going out of your way to visit it. This little park has soul and is a pretty magical place. Both GaleForce and Wild Waves are ridiculously awesome and the park is just down the boardwalk from Jenkinson's Boardwalk, another boardwalk amusement park, within 30 minutes of Morey's Piers in Wildwood, 20 minutes of Steel Pier in Atlantic City, just over an hour from <a href="https://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/06/jersey-devil-thoughts-and-overall-great.html">Great Adventure (Jersey Devil review at this link)</a>, and an hour from Casino Pier. There is no reason to miss this park, <a href="http://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/06/moreys-piers-great-white-coaster-revamp.html">Morey's Piers (Newly revamped Great White coaster review at this link)</a>, and Casino Pier if you are in the Jersey Shore or anywhere in the vicinity of South Jersey and Great Adventure. Our next installment on our Jersey trip will take us to Casino Pier.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-44397889950979999162021-06-21T18:52:00.005-04:002021-06-22T21:14:30.502-04:00Morey's Piers: Great White Coaster Revamp Amazingness and June 2021 Trip Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We spent the better part of a week in Wildwood for a nice vacation, <a href="https://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/06/jersey-devil-thoughts-and-overall-great.html">starting with a visit to Great Adventure (with a review on the Jersey Devil Coaster at this link)</a> on the first day of the Jersey leg of our trip and then another visit as we headed out of Jersey. We hit Morey's Piers, <a href="https://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2021/06/playlands-castaway-cove-ocean-city-nj.html">Playland's Castaway Cove</a>, and Casino Pier while we were down at the shore. Today we will cover our time at Morey's Piers, which we did over several days on the trip. To me, it really does not get much better than the vibe of visiting a seaside amusement park and boardwalk area. I love the ability to go ride some waves for a while and do beach things, then decide to get dinner and ride a coaster and a few rides, and play some games, all in an aimless fashion. The fun feels more organic that way, as opposed to going to a single park for a day and having it feel akin to work. Morey's Piers is perfect for this chill kind of atmosphere. </div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpvk2AF91xZKehCLVUqPWsMHUGzapAgLZXFxsYPSDqQUnvBKcxAB2xAXcW3Am1Hj3cg7KhRlVAf9F-H6NDCXIKBiMbL9ppiMWKi5IvlaNifZGt0YrpChMH78o4MEYpJqWZek6BlvAJm4/s2048/IMG_5574.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpvk2AF91xZKehCLVUqPWsMHUGzapAgLZXFxsYPSDqQUnvBKcxAB2xAXcW3Am1Hj3cg7KhRlVAf9F-H6NDCXIKBiMbL9ppiMWKi5IvlaNifZGt0YrpChMH78o4MEYpJqWZek6BlvAJm4/w640-h426/IMG_5574.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>This was our first visit to the park and it was awesome. The highlight of the park's piers is CCI's Great White coaster. The heavy track rebuilding work over last offseason has this ride running absolutely incredibly. This is a balanced ride with a variety of intense lateral forces, right from the pre lift section before the station, right through the end, coupled with a great mix of floater and ejector airtime. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja9KP1FihDmgH-3GQstdnG6_fhwF14eYmJtb9jbY60oFtPJf1iFNKK0Vqmupem5ZILOAmMb0tRx4n2AYTqDP7DQx5g3oF6biNbMVs2l899H9-DD2c2Q9ht8upETtA0smk_6RXAlaSU8k/s2048/IMG_5555.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja9KP1FihDmgH-3GQstdnG6_fhwF14eYmJtb9jbY60oFtPJf1iFNKK0Vqmupem5ZILOAmMb0tRx4n2AYTqDP7DQx5g3oF6biNbMVs2l899H9-DD2c2Q9ht8upETtA0smk_6RXAlaSU8k/w640-h426/IMG_5555.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>This coaster is on point and just fantastic and it is definitely one of my absolute favorite wooden roller coasters. I do not rank my coasters, but I pick my top tier and mid tier favorites. This ride, hands down, comes into a tie within my top tier for overall favorite top tier wooden roller coasters. This list includes Voyage, Ravine Flyer II, Phoenix, Legend, Twister, Swamp Fox, Conneaut Lake Park's Blue Streak (fingers crossed it comes back), and now Great White as well. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgGWeKiRkKMoVSMv-Md7zKJuOP1telnmurBnmvj7pYqSkqLbI8UXGAn2_k_bJcXxf0Pb2848KIaE3hfn9UHJLwh1SUo1ciDhg6etFHxlWykQzh15LJvVe3XGXnMiTucsgAZtu4AIlaOw/s2048/IMG_5835.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgGWeKiRkKMoVSMv-Md7zKJuOP1telnmurBnmvj7pYqSkqLbI8UXGAn2_k_bJcXxf0Pb2848KIaE3hfn9UHJLwh1SUo1ciDhg6etFHxlWykQzh15LJvVe3XGXnMiTucsgAZtu4AIlaOw/w640-h426/IMG_5835.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Riding off into the sunset on this ride, right on the beach, is about as great as it gets. I was not expecting this ride to be as ridiculously great as it was. The heavy duty revamp project on this ride has it riding smooth and intensely. Rumors were that they were going to add Timberliner trains to the ride, but I hope that does not end up being the case. The coaster is absolutely superb and it should be on any coaster seeker's bucket list. Everything about this ride is just perfect.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikawqpW6-P6b6A4nupvqpmv_3m1WJhI9lyGsLx6k-hQKsWKXtECL3yhfnjSTX9U6gHWCs-wzkVWBoJWbvWz_o0Xd1sDP4-z6Ny8GpNeMNT87TwYGDy2cwiJHhKSL2hbQcEki54hDQPYeE/s2048/IMG_5631.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikawqpW6-P6b6A4nupvqpmv_3m1WJhI9lyGsLx6k-hQKsWKXtECL3yhfnjSTX9U6gHWCs-wzkVWBoJWbvWz_o0Xd1sDP4-z6Ny8GpNeMNT87TwYGDy2cwiJHhKSL2hbQcEki54hDQPYeE/s320/IMG_5631.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p>I had heard talk for years that the Vekoma Boomerang and Vekoma SLC at the piers actually run well and I am glad to say that those reports are correct. I had my first enjoyable Boomerang ride in more than a decade, and my first excellent SLC ride ever. Both have the advanced shoulder straps that cut away any uncomfortable head banging, and Great Nor'Easter, the park's SLC, had its track completely replaced recently. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvAq15Kx7lymrHiZs4JbzqkvNfa4GTcm69490sJIfto1CDjJ00Ven6d-U800_lM9aXY_jtCLNvlN-SGPCjEABTGfI-vHIHqt35YiMbjZXSGV57Kfo0bnZijbb1AR3FdwjcmffN8QqkQ8/s2048/IMG_5746.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvAq15Kx7lymrHiZs4JbzqkvNfa4GTcm69490sJIfto1CDjJ00Ven6d-U800_lM9aXY_jtCLNvlN-SGPCjEABTGfI-vHIHqt35YiMbjZXSGV57Kfo0bnZijbb1AR3FdwjcmffN8QqkQ8/w640-h426/IMG_5746.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>I saw the full potential of what an SLC can be with this ride and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. It was a definite rush and I loved it. While it still does not hold a candle to the compact and intense B&M Batman invert clones, I am glad to say that I had the chance to enjoy an SLC clone at the finest it can be. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt7yURJ9LL4MyQ7p_qup8fvM0H0Umv3OYaN9C91IZnwWiBT1q_XdW4HVGoUSgjpJy9kkPB92EJTph36TdtOVu75xiOC4aXH6hxPUOTJ_lfR40u9tTTkRO7W7KJhPG52O0ZBVo1Fi2Nik/s2048/IMG_5741.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt7yURJ9LL4MyQ7p_qup8fvM0H0Umv3OYaN9C91IZnwWiBT1q_XdW4HVGoUSgjpJy9kkPB92EJTph36TdtOVu75xiOC4aXH6hxPUOTJ_lfR40u9tTTkRO7W7KJhPG52O0ZBVo1Fi2Nik/s320/IMG_5741.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p>While I was unable to ride, other dummies were able to ride DooWopper. No big deal though because I really do not like standard Zamperla Wild Mouse rides, no Twitter cryfests over here for "missing out on a credit." Rollies Coaster, the park's non looping Pinfari Zyklon was painful, but it is pretty hard to bat a thousand when it comes to notorious clone rides. The park has figured out a way to keep their boomerang and SLC in fun and fantastic shape, which I have never seen pulled off before. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6lKE1N5Ty9yzXsvWBkKQ6OVt17T5ysT2oxGlkD8oLUq6-nNKd_-7oWg9a45GPejXn-3U_4iDlI4qzhamMB9ZPMUCubYWKt8Rw5b1d4Kq8wERKejpyxMrMzfT7nzXktJj8BCiEXqRz1A/s2048/IMG_5817.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6lKE1N5Ty9yzXsvWBkKQ6OVt17T5ysT2oxGlkD8oLUq6-nNKd_-7oWg9a45GPejXn-3U_4iDlI4qzhamMB9ZPMUCubYWKt8Rw5b1d4Kq8wERKejpyxMrMzfT7nzXktJj8BCiEXqRz1A/s320/IMG_5817.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Another big surprise with the park was just how awesome the Runaway Tramcar coaster is. For those of you who have never visited the Wildwood boardwalk, they have these shuttles that run up and down the large boardwalk, similar to a parking lot shuttle at a theme park, that you pay to shuttle you up and down the boardwalk. As it traverses the boardwalk and anyone gets close to being in the path, a notoriously flinty and sarcastic recording of a voice yells out "watch the tramcar please." For other Star Trek geeks, you may recognize the voice as being that of Majel Barrett doing the voice of the computer on the Enterprise D in Next Generation. Anyways, the Runaway Tramcar coaster is a Zierer and it is a dynamic and fun ride with a really compact footprint. It is a great midsized family ride that has terrific pacing.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1I6xsjmgC8nuxTo5A9NCg_IYyslD7sLi6u_AkFEUelAJD9N3nO9G3xDXKo_7UKm4O79__ETM8PVKeZ8ot9gtjT63BYYVovQcUb7OSv498lHezhDRuubjXe7JU1hvuLn544_k9Hwfv8dI/s2048/IMG_5647.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1I6xsjmgC8nuxTo5A9NCg_IYyslD7sLi6u_AkFEUelAJD9N3nO9G3xDXKo_7UKm4O79__ETM8PVKeZ8ot9gtjT63BYYVovQcUb7OSv498lHezhDRuubjXe7JU1hvuLn544_k9Hwfv8dI/w640-h426/IMG_5647.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>One of the coolest things about Morey's Piers is the lighting packages on most of the coasters and rides, and the way they have built as many rides as humanly possible within small pier footprints. The care they take to appearances makes this place a unique and stunningly beautiful place. Just thinking about this vacation time makes me want to go back immediately now that I am back to reality this week. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-39856802906234060222021-06-20T22:55:00.005-04:002021-06-21T07:41:58.173-04:00Jersey Devil Thoughts and Overall Great Adventure Trip Report, June 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazSow6uzyzQEQwynoBYyuKSAbh4BG0BBq5F_Xn4v8dmSY_Wv7FyX3qdGvU4gi7jBQdphrZkiJxh1YproTxlXH-dOfE9gInZLJGKyIf2oEC2C4sdl-dFX3RPLruLF7S8kpPTuHYfgvaEQ/s2048/IMG_5866.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazSow6uzyzQEQwynoBYyuKSAbh4BG0BBq5F_Xn4v8dmSY_Wv7FyX3qdGvU4gi7jBQdphrZkiJxh1YproTxlXH-dOfE9gInZLJGKyIf2oEC2C4sdl-dFX3RPLruLF7S8kpPTuHYfgvaEQ/w640-h426/IMG_5866.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>We were able to get a visit in to Great Adventure for the first time in many years, dating back to the Summer of 2010 to be exact, when rumors were swirling about the demise of Great American Scream Machine. It had also been about that long since we had gone to the Jersey Shore as well, so this year we changed all of that. We had a great vacation in which we split a day's worth of visits over a Sunday and a Thursday. It was a vacation of pretty great surprises with all of the parks that we visited, and lots of changes overall. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDOtCbXg0e1u2jHvdTrD3ScI828NI8eex1sjqAlvd-oD625v-pnKeDv7hBH-A-bxj1HE1BOb0vGg5t1YhlX8PPOaCTGwD4vUPweCNrGcJrJcAm6FodBVjjvpZadO8poFbTiTGHcRFHow/s2048/IMG_5939.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDOtCbXg0e1u2jHvdTrD3ScI828NI8eex1sjqAlvd-oD625v-pnKeDv7hBH-A-bxj1HE1BOb0vGg5t1YhlX8PPOaCTGwD4vUPweCNrGcJrJcAm6FodBVjjvpZadO8poFbTiTGHcRFHow/w640-h426/IMG_5939.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Nitro powered its way into being one of my absolute favorite steel coasters. I remember it being a great ride, but it really felt like it was particularly terrific on this visit, with ridiculous airtime on every hill and that midcourse helix feeling super intense. I do not really keep a top ten, but rather a running list in my head of my favorite coasters. When it comes to steel coasters, the real top tier standouts for me are Magnum, Phantom's Revenge, Superman at SFNE, Alpengeist, Steel Vengeance, Fury 325, and as of this past week, Gale Force at Playland's Castaway Cove in Ocean City, NJ, and Nitro, with all of them in an unbreakable tie because I just enjoy them so much. Nitro had always been a mid tier steel coaster for me, along the lines of Diamondback, Thunderbird, Apollo's Chariot, Raptor, the Superman twins at Darien Lake and Six Flags America, Lightning Run at Kentucky Kingdom, Sky Rocket, and more. Nitro powered its way into being one of my absolute favorite steel coasters. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvCiz2vT34Fm8G8SdYon5FkNO1xExBGwJq8LJwgNNVVqJgXY6k2gVGnZ-vCHbFCzJWW8L-1fpvyOxbxTqdnn4BPmuerTPfXMLmi8Z9Rhh1OjhBOgfD5mpBkoSchdRA910tbqpe-2S9_s/s2048/IMG_5468.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvCiz2vT34Fm8G8SdYon5FkNO1xExBGwJq8LJwgNNVVqJgXY6k2gVGnZ-vCHbFCzJWW8L-1fpvyOxbxTqdnn4BPmuerTPfXMLmi8Z9Rhh1OjhBOgfD5mpBkoSchdRA910tbqpe-2S9_s/w640-h426/IMG_5468.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Superman also looks incredible and is running terrific to boot. That coaster still runs like new and the new paint job looks fantastic. I hope they follow suit and paint Batman and Nitro. Batman was also running really well. Both of them round out my three favorite and most enjoyable coasters at Great Adventure.</p><p>Additionally, on the positive side of things, ride operations and rider throughput were excellent across the board with minimal train stacking, especially on Nitro, Kingda Ka, and El Toro. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBs_l_9MwxGMKcr1CzRtw0RvLpOHQR37khxqnI9Q8LzB6-k4ludyH7uL0B7QPa1sBpOW28Ikrdvmh7isySX-h-R95uncSQZDimJ8TeEE_Wkhyphenhyphen0MGKh2NC4c12-ZYafbaWQ6xh2YaxPsgM/s2048/IMG_6125.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBs_l_9MwxGMKcr1CzRtw0RvLpOHQR37khxqnI9Q8LzB6-k4ludyH7uL0B7QPa1sBpOW28Ikrdvmh7isySX-h-R95uncSQZDimJ8TeEE_Wkhyphenhyphen0MGKh2NC4c12-ZYafbaWQ6xh2YaxPsgM/w426-h640/IMG_6125.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><p>Equally surprising was just how poorly El Toro and Kingda Ka have aged. El Toro was still enjoyable, but those trains just do not seem to be tracking well on that track, with high speed shopping cart style shuffling, but the airtime and laterals are ridiculous enough that they overcome the roughness of the ride. The trains feel like shopping carts going over that track. I still enjoyed it, and its greatest moments, the first three hills and the turns heading back to the station feel like a junior version of Voyage, sans trains that track well and a layout that just seems to quit way too quickly. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7jhLTBT6O3N27Qcjr1T_Qz-2EysztThyphenhypheniy3zXuAbi1pct3Ca8nM8_llw7jrtg2JDGQrEzUqt4mEvncem_oOWpn9ujLbfzB9_pPARJC13ZJfh1g6-txuvs7AT3-Eu1ARIoYmssWIjjTE/s2048/IMG_6237.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7jhLTBT6O3N27Qcjr1T_Qz-2EysztThyphenhypheniy3zXuAbi1pct3Ca8nM8_llw7jrtg2JDGQrEzUqt4mEvncem_oOWpn9ujLbfzB9_pPARJC13ZJfh1g6-txuvs7AT3-Eu1ARIoYmssWIjjTE/w640-h426/IMG_6237.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Kingda Ka has aged horribly, with it being almost unrideable and rough. I do not think the coaster will be sustainable in its current condition and I would not be surprised to see the coaster get removed at some point, or have something drastic done to it, such as a track replacement by Intamin to their heavier duty track like they used on Intimidator 305, or to see a whole new concept be used utilizing the tower structure. On the flip side, this visit was also the first time that I rode Zumanjaro, which currently retains the title of "world's tallest drop tower." To me, rather than riding like an intense drop tower, it felt like going down the park's parachute ride or even an observation tower. I know the advertised speed is 90 MPH, but it really did not feel that fast. The views are cool from it and it is relaxing and seeing a Kingda Ka train launch at the same time was pretty cool. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkuI4rhuMxh5Z8c33496jWLK-l2V7dCDtKnbIZlRcvpHdwWEfMorrUNF0TIZ4npi0yyhFWZp0hVLtoW8XWmc4SYjc0USWCCDT-m4oi-UnLReLkxgaddNRXuhIKj2h9Yrhscsywk12L38/s2048/IMG_5915.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkuI4rhuMxh5Z8c33496jWLK-l2V7dCDtKnbIZlRcvpHdwWEfMorrUNF0TIZ4npi0yyhFWZp0hVLtoW8XWmc4SYjc0USWCCDT-m4oi-UnLReLkxgaddNRXuhIKj2h9Yrhscsywk12L38/w640-h426/IMG_5915.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>This visit was my first time riding a 4D Freespin coaster with a ride on Joker, but for as much of a rush it was for me, it was definitely a one-and-done ride. These coasters feel like a tracked and less fun version of a Huss Top Spin, and not really in a good way. They are a definite rush though. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBLW6cMYfX14RPsMlbqosl1sYiPLz5KJGvwSLoyHMPnj9EmzSRt6-NK19r1SB2Q6BqhRirz3XEW2oBegjFi7idRNG2lMZhUnx0hOvNDlLY3qbqz45NSn2Ru_EoD9_UGZECBevp6ar6n0/s2048/IMG_5943.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBLW6cMYfX14RPsMlbqosl1sYiPLz5KJGvwSLoyHMPnj9EmzSRt6-NK19r1SB2Q6BqhRirz3XEW2oBegjFi7idRNG2lMZhUnx0hOvNDlLY3qbqz45NSn2Ru_EoD9_UGZECBevp6ar6n0/w640-h426/IMG_5943.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>This was also my first time riding Green Lantern, and while my second generation B&M stand-up credentials are limited without having ridden Georgia Scorcher or Riddler's Revenge, I have to say that I definitively like this coaster better than Mantis (prior to conversion) in regards to mid 90s second generation stand-up coasters, and I absolutely despise the first generation B&M standup coasters. Green Lantern is absolutely huge and it could be great if it had vest restraints instead of those horse collar head banger restraints that it currently has. Several of the transitions are pretty rough and a more forgiving harness could make that coaster decent. Did it have those transition problems when it was at Kentucky Kingdom?</p><p>As always, Great Adventure was rough around the edges. The theming that came with the additions of Kingda Ka, El Toro, and Dark Knight, and the addition of theming with the repaint of Medusa/Bizarro were admirable and a nice change in at least attempting to do theming. Over the years though, that theming has not been refreshed and the additions of the Joker and the Jersey Devil Coaster are swift departures from having at least some theming or stuff that adds to the ride experience. Even close calls that add character to the ride or at least landscaping help out the ride experience so much, think of the boulder covered ground on Hydra at Dorney, the Key Hole thing over Cedar Point's entrance with Gatekeeper, or the barn thing on Thunderbird at Holiday World. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXn8HeQt4PUuIWiiYOyfSLQ_5A28XWdBu7o14h5qmL0v9o7986lccMRuSawGYHaKyYWmhvGyWYGRQD6uPaQQgnLuOX5IHPYeJyJ4DPTcOIVBFzFyAqgJ7moPL_oy3A4xCSdwit67uiqI/s2048/IMG_4983.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXn8HeQt4PUuIWiiYOyfSLQ_5A28XWdBu7o14h5qmL0v9o7986lccMRuSawGYHaKyYWmhvGyWYGRQD6uPaQQgnLuOX5IHPYeJyJ4DPTcOIVBFzFyAqgJ7moPL_oy3A4xCSdwit67uiqI/w640-h426/IMG_4983.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>The oldest sections of the park, in and around the Boardwalk, main midway, Frontier Adventures, and the Ferris Wheel area, retain the original shade trees and decor and they are the primary areas of the park that feel like they have the soul of an amusement park. The lake area adjacent to the entrance for the Skyride (a true Von Roll masterpiece) and El Toro is such a serene place to take in the park. Throughout the rest of the park though, on a hot day, you are in for sunburn when visiting the park, and waiting in line for Superman or Green Lantern feels like standing in a parking lot, devoid of shade and much of any theming. I feel like the park is missing opportunities to enhance the feeling of speed and disorientation on Superman. Some sort of "close call" theming could do so much to enhance the ride experience and the queue line experience. I also feel that the lakeside setting of the park is not used to its fullest potential. The area in between the Joker and the lake, all the way down beyond Jersey Devil, could be a terrific midway area with picnic tables, games, some flat rides, and more. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIe_wEicILJlx_5N9vlic8HzRGD84SAJIPH1aJ4v-py1LRuDaRaovewGFhqiNY9SS2qYUvvUYuHxh_6ddbfXpJW3GjzvxFPdKUOMfozBEs6EIRAgClqp4jCUNW-q2rE7qNdgD15SYngaU/s2048/IMG_5376.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIe_wEicILJlx_5N9vlic8HzRGD84SAJIPH1aJ4v-py1LRuDaRaovewGFhqiNY9SS2qYUvvUYuHxh_6ddbfXpJW3GjzvxFPdKUOMfozBEs6EIRAgClqp4jCUNW-q2rE7qNdgD15SYngaU/w640-h426/IMG_5376.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Since our last visit, the park is down to only one pre 90s coaster, and it was pretty weird to not see Rolling Thunder and Great American Scream Machine. Strange seeing how a queue line and grass replaced Rolling Thunder. Hopefully that land gets used for something big again someday. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUVnz_ZiLJxWK_FpfXCuHoSV3fJ2AjXAqDznpC2_tkZOAL-7qLbaAgxi8QhB6_QahGV34dh-MyU9eygicxXeJc2sTPCMi7ljU03vhKI727S0CTrvxSQ2p16evOfckYxDiwTzcRVX-PYQ/s2048/IMG_5844.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUVnz_ZiLJxWK_FpfXCuHoSV3fJ2AjXAqDznpC2_tkZOAL-7qLbaAgxi8QhB6_QahGV34dh-MyU9eygicxXeJc2sTPCMi7ljU03vhKI727S0CTrvxSQ2p16evOfckYxDiwTzcRVX-PYQ/w640-h426/IMG_5844.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>ANYWAYS! Back to the new ride, Jersey Devil. On the first day of this trip, the ride did not operate at all, which seems to be a trend with RMC additions. We went right at opening to see a couple of mechanics working at the top of the lift hill. We waited in an overflow line about 300 feet from the queue line entrance and decided to head out because things did not look promising. The ride did not end up opening that day, but we jetted over to the other side of the park and snagged two walk on rides on El Toro. We went right at opening on the next day that we visited, later in the week, and waited about 40 minutes, with a 20 minute breakdown when were about 50 feet from entering the station. In the times that the ride was open, the line really seemed to move. The trains slowly move through the station as it loads, and the speed on the lift hill adjusts to account for the blocks on the coaster, so if the prior train has not cleared the mid course block brake, the train on the lift hill significantly slows down until it has passed. Four trains go at once because of this system, but it seems like this adds a technical hangup that produces a ton of downtime for the ride. Until they get this timing straightened out, any theoretical efficiency gains of this new system are offset by its downtime. I would not be surprised to see them go down to three trains to cut down on these ride faults. It is nice to see RMC attempt to make efficiency a priority though, because most of their rides have dismal rider throughput.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ovDgbxVARhIV4JtMPWBHz3jhbsJ-kkeZyLfZiqd7H-18UlcHBbxqJPFglvcaNS6WTafryeLTq3hNF0Olam6Em6ksiAnUB4diAMDzokT13_3QxyLdU3rTWgoTjQC8WPsqO286yFA5Oy4/s2048/IMG_5866.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ovDgbxVARhIV4JtMPWBHz3jhbsJ-kkeZyLfZiqd7H-18UlcHBbxqJPFglvcaNS6WTafryeLTq3hNF0Olam6Em6ksiAnUB4diAMDzokT13_3QxyLdU3rTWgoTjQC8WPsqO286yFA5Oy4/w640-h426/IMG_5866.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>Aside from ride operations, my thoughts on this coaster is that it is fun and fills in a niche in the park as a gentle family ride. It joins Dark Knight, Runaway Mine Train, and Skull Mountain as an excellent family addition to the park. I do not think that this is a thrill machine akin to Nitro, Batman, or Superman, but it is a decent middle-of-the-lineup coaster for the park and an excellent family ride. The first drop and the second element have okay airtime in the back, but the rest of the ride seemed to blend together. If I had closed my eyes, I would not even be able to differentiate anything about the elements. The elements mostly felt oddly rampy and gradual with almost no snap to the transitions. Each element seemingly involves a long stare down a relatively straight piece of track and aside from the first element, the other two inversions involve a long and gradual straight track rise with the inversion visible from a distance. It was strange. The trains also have a fishtailing shimmy to them as they go on the track. Watch any video POV and you will see it illustrated. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9GpJuvBl5xT_TOl95hpJ1uJmZmWxj1NExsc5rvHAYvrml67oUBhOqhRr3ZzqWAiMjNWgSXjT3NjCDR5R2S7m0mmNgMUDW-nUrZmmiO6Sq9pH_3lJExB3jSEOpXRKPeTbYszluGB_g-A/s2048/IMG_5874.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9GpJuvBl5xT_TOl95hpJ1uJmZmWxj1NExsc5rvHAYvrml67oUBhOqhRr3ZzqWAiMjNWgSXjT3NjCDR5R2S7m0mmNgMUDW-nUrZmmiO6Sq9pH_3lJExB3jSEOpXRKPeTbYszluGB_g-A/w640-h426/IMG_5874.JPG" width="640" /></a></p><p>Additionally, the trains felt like they were crossing over door thresholds, bumpy spots on highways, or speed bumps at a high speed over some of the track transitions. A brand new coaster should not feel like that. I can only imagine how rough those track spots may feel a few years down the line. With all of this criticism though, I do not think the ride is bad, I just think that the layout is more geared towards being a family ride instead of a high thrill ride. While the ride is underwhelming as a thrill ride, it is definitely a decent family ride and a great addition for the park.</p>I was really pleased with this visit, with Nitro running much better than I remembered, to the point that I consider it a top tier ride now. As always, my favorite non coaster ride at the park is the Skyride, and Superman and Batman have aged really well and give fantastic rides. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-61014191241193539192021-05-23T23:33:00.002-04:002021-05-23T23:33:47.126-04:00Waldameer Trip Report May 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2ffVmGAh5mxp7flbZn3xAvq3dIDP3YmoYiiSXNwJBwfgES07jbyOHCDz4LFCCEhVwQP2AMtT3sV6vDml_AJnJ9Mr075ckcA80ahXP4kMujNnyZ-xZ9sq5qqD9HMlSRUDzTBrLCj4NTA/s2048/IMG_3369.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2ffVmGAh5mxp7flbZn3xAvq3dIDP3YmoYiiSXNwJBwfgES07jbyOHCDz4LFCCEhVwQP2AMtT3sV6vDml_AJnJ9Mr075ckcA80ahXP4kMujNnyZ-xZ9sq5qqD9HMlSRUDzTBrLCj4NTA/s320/IMG_3369.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>Today we take a look at a visit I made to Waldameer last weekend. As always, Waldameer and Ravine Flyer II delivered. I had the day to myself and started off with fishing (a hobby I had not done for ten years prior to this year) and then planned to spend the rest of the day at Waldameer. By the time I wrapped up fishing, it was starting to lightly sprinkle rain. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24BBRcad4HXwSG4rMi5CpriQo3G5r8MOOXRD3o21RDGbwJyFLUU4N0oFlKxA5lVxmQJxm0sAPsRLClTBisxF_FNrk0SVwCQE7arDMNWwN66rhbIm_J0THPR3CAerk-o91msSzS5NIrNQ/s2048/IMG_3305.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24BBRcad4HXwSG4rMi5CpriQo3G5r8MOOXRD3o21RDGbwJyFLUU4N0oFlKxA5lVxmQJxm0sAPsRLClTBisxF_FNrk0SVwCQE7arDMNWwN66rhbIm_J0THPR3CAerk-o91msSzS5NIrNQ/s320/IMG_3305.HEIC" width="320" /></a></p><p>This did not seem to hold back the crowds though. The park was hopping more than I had ever seen it on a May weekend. It was really great to see. Because of the sprinkling and rain, I opted to leave my camera equipment behind and just used my phone. We did not end up getting to the park last year, though we have visited every year since Ravine Flyer II opened. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIMTPMjNs5NcdTZJEpuo0r6Cqg4yGEFrQZemr6O_7jXyNERdwvjahKMNliKYkG75X8tTqNogkD0YvNDoNuMyte7v7FxAUZmjDmJpdZ3QNjCNkzyWr8mZv0Ao-QFnCzvoLQuX8n0ZZi0s/s2048/IMG_3321.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIMTPMjNs5NcdTZJEpuo0r6Cqg4yGEFrQZemr6O_7jXyNERdwvjahKMNliKYkG75X8tTqNogkD0YvNDoNuMyte7v7FxAUZmjDmJpdZ3QNjCNkzyWr8mZv0Ao-QFnCzvoLQuX8n0ZZi0s/s320/IMG_3321.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hairtime!</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br style="text-align: left;" /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaafiP7Cgmcch3EDPR6lGRq3SZhj8ppjyjxzDlshAH02CWXH4TWDZ4wBS5O07ZbdQ8uD683lYYIt9mMD0pIZ1lFM60KZRkt5SkCjLzciPCwhprPVioHONeKCqIFiYeCntKrovwqiR4164/s2048/IMG_3328.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaafiP7Cgmcch3EDPR6lGRq3SZhj8ppjyjxzDlshAH02CWXH4TWDZ4wBS5O07ZbdQ8uD683lYYIt9mMD0pIZ1lFM60KZRkt5SkCjLzciPCwhprPVioHONeKCqIFiYeCntKrovwqiR4164/s320/IMG_3328.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1_Ez8k9EsbIpvj0_2eBGGGXTU9sJy7YP_aesBUclwQJEMnfyTnSK4MhFYEJn0sAj-NzVNtYv7TZk5cMFiePTo92dWA7Basa4X26tUSbZeoE3h0BOf3L21Y6hOWNUfswKu9DJewZgYsE/s2048/IMG_3339.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1_Ez8k9EsbIpvj0_2eBGGGXTU9sJy7YP_aesBUclwQJEMnfyTnSK4MhFYEJn0sAj-NzVNtYv7TZk5cMFiePTo92dWA7Basa4X26tUSbZeoE3h0BOf3L21Y6hOWNUfswKu9DJewZgYsE/s320/IMG_3339.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>I know that I always say this, but Ravine Flyer II was running as awesome as ever. Better than ever. The entire first drop has been re tracked and the train flew through the entire intense and airtime filled course. The layout is just so brilliant with airtime on every hill and really wicked laterals. Thanks to the upkeep on this ride, it remains an airtime filled and disorienting romp in its thirteenth year. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y8k850BxXB_JI7gpjhqAGOFHO4AgBh719KsLWvPbJKNNplKJu465CMsjBJC0gKuxtKU4bGhqxnjwccwtAgp9KjNe1mZPI3VDHZ0Revkb0H6UWfbaDFTSpjdSIbuEBV3Om9RaqEIwRYA/s2048/IMG_3306+3.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y8k850BxXB_JI7gpjhqAGOFHO4AgBh719KsLWvPbJKNNplKJu465CMsjBJC0gKuxtKU4bGhqxnjwccwtAgp9KjNe1mZPI3VDHZ0Revkb0H6UWfbaDFTSpjdSIbuEBV3Om9RaqEIwRYA/s320/IMG_3306+3.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>I also got a new "credit" on this trip, as much as I hate using that term, with their new SBF Visa spinner. It feels like this one spun more than the other ones I have ridden, though that may have been because I was alone in my car and it was not balanced. It was really pretty awesome. I saw the rumor that Casino Pier will be adding and SBF Visa spinner with a hamster wheel cars. It would be cool to see these get added to the ride as well. </p><p>To me, one of the greatest things of the summer season is getting at least a few visits in at Waldameer. Ravine Flyer II seems to get better with age and riding it is always such a great thrill. </p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-17893726250098982452021-05-04T22:01:00.001-04:002021-05-05T12:07:48.710-04:00Knoebels Trip Report May 2021 and Construction Updates<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So the 2021 season is underway! Knoebels has done a solid job getting the park ready, but a few of the rides were not open yet or still in the midst of offseason rehabilitation, including Flying Turns and the Flyers, and the pad site for the park's newest upcoming ride is still being worked on. We only spent a few hours in the afternoon at the park to drop in and have a great time. There was a solid crowd at the park and most people were masked, which was good to see. Security at the gates was making sure guests were wearing their masks upon entrance, and I saw multiple times in queue lines and at business counters where individuals were told to mask up or not get served. With how tough the past year has been, this was encouraging to see. Knoebels takes safety seriously in all aspects and you can expect nothing less than greatness from this park. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I do not know how we have pulled it off, but two seasons in a row we have gone on one of the first weekends of operation with weather solidly in the 80s. I would love to see the park add misting units or small water play areas/play fountains within the park area. We dipped down to the creek by the covered bridge for a second when we were walking by. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-IzcqzsXidcjFRNvzVa72SxEvAzpJgjYddaeYhDDS5VjHQMsKFPVk0aixJuMjNCCv4MYlYbQemToO_g5mTChiW2luYOCLxbk65Ms7DKlK-l7RTzSGODf31ECL09NhaPH5HKDtmz39uY/s2048/IMG_3304.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-IzcqzsXidcjFRNvzVa72SxEvAzpJgjYddaeYhDDS5VjHQMsKFPVk0aixJuMjNCCv4MYlYbQemToO_g5mTChiW2luYOCLxbk65Ms7DKlK-l7RTzSGODf31ECL09NhaPH5HKDtmz39uY/w640-h426/IMG_3304.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Flying Turns looks close to being wrapped up after last year's major construction work, creating a lift hill into the final brakes. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtbLmg377vUbCenarH8FQAq9QL8HCJoYvKjLOV9XgwfRFZdAW92B4hDgqoIQpEs53tsGPwURg6FOJG6VSTw30Kb1Ps37Y1K9xiqeY53laLEE5yCNdF_ESDzAcQ14osNQQLiExFVNk9l0/s2048/IMG_3305.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtbLmg377vUbCenarH8FQAq9QL8HCJoYvKjLOV9XgwfRFZdAW92B4hDgqoIQpEs53tsGPwURg6FOJG6VSTw30Kb1Ps37Y1K9xiqeY53laLEE5yCNdF_ESDzAcQ14osNQQLiExFVNk9l0/w640-h426/IMG_3305.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Lots of new wood in the chutes!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYD1kt9TpOqqjdCrHZtJr1Sn7qGW3GJAelsl15nge520BCkq5U_aPAspxBJSY6tJHrmYOcApiHV3Am19YdPEtn8lQ8tehAHzF38rWxH408CCMxtJztFIeFkuKq-EbYHIz4aVF-ME3tJ8/s2048/IMG_3306.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYD1kt9TpOqqjdCrHZtJr1Sn7qGW3GJAelsl15nge520BCkq5U_aPAspxBJSY6tJHrmYOcApiHV3Am19YdPEtn8lQ8tehAHzF38rWxH408CCMxtJztFIeFkuKq-EbYHIz4aVF-ME3tJ8/s320/IMG_3306.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The park has hinted that the new ride coming for this year is a Wisdom Tornado. These are great family ride installations and it will fit in so well in this section of the park. They are lots of fun and prove popular everywhere they are installed.<p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTGAHceCflm0s9FW59ylSbx8GTR5KBWs9nasYO7BYr67iKcZ0PmK-rWGLKgSlFKi_demmjknmwMINS0WguG679_6lqy1mOGo8VzVczisvsqengMIIPyonKG7ya59svbVtC9M6dj-pu5c/s2048/IMG_3312.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTGAHceCflm0s9FW59ylSbx8GTR5KBWs9nasYO7BYr67iKcZ0PmK-rWGLKgSlFKi_demmjknmwMINS0WguG679_6lqy1mOGo8VzVczisvsqengMIIPyonKG7ya59svbVtC9M6dj-pu5c/s320/IMG_3312.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">First ride of the day was Phoenix, which is always a blast. I feel like the last few years have seen the ride become consistently less aggressive. It is still one of the best coasters out there and it is smooth as can be, but that intensity is just not there like it was before. The re profile work has smoothed out the transition moments where the strongest ejector was, making light to medium floater airtime the primary force. The ride is still a ton of fun though. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFU4RZM1Vw6BRjVuEKrvEuWZ8VrhLnL6dbCAFtwA1gmZ3u0KbZicbHzEKRALJWlv2hcihH-BvVVGi-obJ4qx-86H6fA-GLKr2IHfUqA-Ik_5y67_0JTpJzLwPPmJLp3P-CtC20aiLySps/s2048/IMG_3341.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFU4RZM1Vw6BRjVuEKrvEuWZ8VrhLnL6dbCAFtwA1gmZ3u0KbZicbHzEKRALJWlv2hcihH-BvVVGi-obJ4qx-86H6fA-GLKr2IHfUqA-Ik_5y67_0JTpJzLwPPmJLp3P-CtC20aiLySps/s320/IMG_3341.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Time for some games!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKd4G4O6MlgBmbbT4kZTJr78xYE8KHf5xCBbbgv90zFe8E0LzFOX8UT3eCstkMhRkO86NOdt06egweadTWMprFC1PV-ymGAvI4p8nTdOZFqY1d9KqdRbn2v3Nk8DJyI1r_ld4i54mPEk/s2048/IMG_3346.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKd4G4O6MlgBmbbT4kZTJr78xYE8KHf5xCBbbgv90zFe8E0LzFOX8UT3eCstkMhRkO86NOdt06egweadTWMprFC1PV-ymGAvI4p8nTdOZFqY1d9KqdRbn2v3Nk8DJyI1r_ld4i54mPEk/s320/IMG_3346.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We both managed to win a game of Fascination. Definitely a lighter haul for us than usual, but it was still a ton of fun!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88sgS45jO8Qw3jlOAIiGhsuXSAjSGM9-Ibl7l6Ulp0e_1FPHackT5Xe3MoHFxzgvYpYiJyGcO8pdlncjaIkxc5Khw5sL8708xT6beaXcXO455XnVsV_kVpx8nYFya4VMEra02uoeKbkA/s2048/IMG_3352.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88sgS45jO8Qw3jlOAIiGhsuXSAjSGM9-Ibl7l6Ulp0e_1FPHackT5Xe3MoHFxzgvYpYiJyGcO8pdlncjaIkxc5Khw5sL8708xT6beaXcXO455XnVsV_kVpx8nYFya4VMEra02uoeKbkA/s320/IMG_3352.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This is the third time we have brought CeCe along to Knoebels, and it occurred to me just how cool it was to be able to take our dog along on the carousel. It is so neat to be able to ride the two train rides, the carousel, and the antique cars with our doggo. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxRADFhLLWn5ZLUcKbrcpSxSY0Ye7k1n1c-nDgc9vZ6vl5Uv0Oy_2M7Di9CvzCqpSHbdasnkWF-uLRPdnL1WpkiaOPDqK6ZXw3TYUJvpRXfhO-dv4a17Ym00AIQQlTTcW69Oqm6jmMGQ/s2048/IMG_3371.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxRADFhLLWn5ZLUcKbrcpSxSY0Ye7k1n1c-nDgc9vZ6vl5Uv0Oy_2M7Di9CvzCqpSHbdasnkWF-uLRPdnL1WpkiaOPDqK6ZXw3TYUJvpRXfhO-dv4a17Ym00AIQQlTTcW69Oqm6jmMGQ/s320/IMG_3371.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Time for the Pioneer Train!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSw6TzWi2TUBPFUq_2aTrwXTKBlIW46H93siYBKgWMroOCTqz6gkttuFuiWc6BZ2MzjSuvbydR8gWhIZmypjyB0RwVQmMy7of9FchhOgIQQt2DEc6t-f9yWYR1IMlJ1su7gVSQ3JaXQ9c/s2048/IMG_3385.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSw6TzWi2TUBPFUq_2aTrwXTKBlIW46H93siYBKgWMroOCTqz6gkttuFuiWc6BZ2MzjSuvbydR8gWhIZmypjyB0RwVQmMy7of9FchhOgIQQt2DEc6t-f9yWYR1IMlJ1su7gVSQ3JaXQ9c/s320/IMG_3385.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6dbljDXq6M2wGgoksMoNSziCBrtGlqIsTylF7cEBIE5CDjVkAH8dxnnpFvALH0FOZA06NPVIOvk-gwelKbyu5i5DpYYPwcez0DOmz6TxiYw-Q-olZ6sOxIoS8gl2NYbXaW0QEX_Qflg/s2048/IMG_3397.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6dbljDXq6M2wGgoksMoNSziCBrtGlqIsTylF7cEBIE5CDjVkAH8dxnnpFvALH0FOZA06NPVIOvk-gwelKbyu5i5DpYYPwcez0DOmz6TxiYw-Q-olZ6sOxIoS8gl2NYbXaW0QEX_Qflg/w640-h426/IMG_3397.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />The park was pretty crowded and they even activated the second train on Twister. I miss the days when two train ops were the norm at Knoebels. It has been a while since then, but I really miss those days. Both Twister and Phoenix had full queues and Phoenix was still running one train operations. They put on the second train on Twister later in the day. It would be great to see the park recreate another classic wooden roller coaster, such as the classic Riverview Bobs. The tight turns on that could be navigated by both GCI's new Infinity Flyer trains and Gravity Group's Timberliner trains. I would also love to see them dig through Schmeck's designs and bring back another one of his greats. The park could use another capacity thrill machine like Twister and Phoenix. <p></p><p>All in all though, it was a great time as always at Knoebels. </p>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1841187807766622012.post-57511393670530653162020-08-16T19:17:00.001-04:002020-08-16T19:33:03.595-04:002020 Kennywood Trip Report during ACE's KennyKon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today we take a look at our visit to Kennywood this past weekend during ACE's annual KennyKon event. I am glad to say that it was a great time! As we all know, the logistics of holding an event like this. I am glad to say that it was flawless! The park does a great job at enforcing safe masking policies, ride sanitation, social distancing, and more. For the most part, the patrons of the park, and all of the ACE members, were following all of the safety protocols. In difficult times like these, the familiar things, like visiting an amusement park, are even more meaningful as a means of escape. I am glad to say that the park has stepped up to the challenge. This year is a milestone year for the park. The legendary Jack Rabbit wooden roller coaster is entering its hundredth year of continual operation. A century of thrills and memories have been born on this terrific roller coaster. </div>
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The day for ACE started with ERT (Extra Ride Time) on Jack Rabbit and Thunderbolt, an hour before the gates opened to the public. I managed to snag five rides on Jack Rabbit, with a ride in each of the distanced rows on the train. </div>
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The park's amazing carousel is within its 93rd season. I love how this grand machine serves as the heart of the park.</div>
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Thunderbolt's midway is so beautiful. Between seeing and hearing joyful riders as the trains traverse the wickedly twisted track of Thunderbolt as it elegantly swirls through the midway, along with seeing Phantom's train drop down its massive 228 foot drop down a cliff and subsequent rush back up, and seeing and hearing the classic Turtle ride, this spot is just so mesmerizing.</div>
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For me, just taking in everything in this spot is one of my favorite things in life.</div>
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Note how the riders all safely rode with their masks on, throughout one of the most intense sections of any coaster ever built.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0EAQ7nyYwqbeC53zhjdrs7s9PBNNKINPRQ6BgYmav-Yzltmmyy35QsmiePCMDPE9V29pQcWqGuKvpQdxm26Dk9jS5C5B2xztfvbEp6Ob4r__ibe3-7wydhCFccVj2CyFofyPVFxrL3Y/s1600/IMG_7853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0EAQ7nyYwqbeC53zhjdrs7s9PBNNKINPRQ6BgYmav-Yzltmmyy35QsmiePCMDPE9V29pQcWqGuKvpQdxm26Dk9jS5C5B2xztfvbEp6Ob4r__ibe3-7wydhCFccVj2CyFofyPVFxrL3Y/s640/IMG_7853.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmzJiRF402cLp0q1OaC2r3BTFKLJiCPNpxkMMQkE1KrpftI4Ed9E-9SqKL9QVJ-VLj3zfM2cAVFDGiVbB65ZeMerXr94fnwnh4n7fGiGYmmlQBGFFh7frhyyeecxRALzoTlS_0mj0cmk/s1600/IMG_7860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmzJiRF402cLp0q1OaC2r3BTFKLJiCPNpxkMMQkE1KrpftI4Ed9E-9SqKL9QVJ-VLj3zfM2cAVFDGiVbB65ZeMerXr94fnwnh4n7fGiGYmmlQBGFFh7frhyyeecxRALzoTlS_0mj0cmk/s640/IMG_7860.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPE-U2YYHJjFVVCECE_YbAYYKVeu8IreYEReg0MaKIfGE2k3TaPzWg11Evah0_dQ8WFDYxNzFMi_Vs7Hj3tejjHTzv7pGzZeVZmoG6gJcwQVLivEN2_j2JaSsJYNBWoRgTGKtkwxpxFUY/s1600/IMG_7884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPE-U2YYHJjFVVCECE_YbAYYKVeu8IreYEReg0MaKIfGE2k3TaPzWg11Evah0_dQ8WFDYxNzFMi_Vs7Hj3tejjHTzv7pGzZeVZmoG6gJcwQVLivEN2_j2JaSsJYNBWoRgTGKtkwxpxFUY/s640/IMG_7884.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The took out the fisheye lens for this shot. I rarely use it, but this is one of those rare situations that is perfect for it. Steel Curtain has not opened for the season, though the core of the park, its three wooden roller coasters, countless classic rides, and the epic Phantom's Revenge, more than made up for the loss. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmThfrSQXsXWIo5o19l0-GeyWyBavMvfqTXGqJ9zAkL3zf6ns4zPiLbbd6rfJKpvmIsfMsKnvLjKMC3j8XPvYph4vPUSr-CrnJGgxtMiOMY1bALOZTgYgpzk9TNJVs13cUC62D2R4EUE/s1600/IMG_7962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmThfrSQXsXWIo5o19l0-GeyWyBavMvfqTXGqJ9zAkL3zf6ns4zPiLbbd6rfJKpvmIsfMsKnvLjKMC3j8XPvYph4vPUSr-CrnJGgxtMiOMY1bALOZTgYgpzk9TNJVs13cUC62D2R4EUE/s640/IMG_7962.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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On this visit, I believe that Racer offered the best ride of the three wooden roller coasters at the park. My opinion on favorite wooden roller coaster at the park varies with each visit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuVAXFtJDNHucULYUuhu6FW3FuH4QGm8e5a9XbG40u58JEnpQezw6_iMVd7IqyLcV0p-ddrazg5gqr2xlRF3OM8vr_qZkOYHBcMKdyIx6qgFj5tT1bQF8vRp63B46CTeH9JzucuNN6HA/s1600/IMG_7982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuVAXFtJDNHucULYUuhu6FW3FuH4QGm8e5a9XbG40u58JEnpQezw6_iMVd7IqyLcV0p-ddrazg5gqr2xlRF3OM8vr_qZkOYHBcMKdyIx6qgFj5tT1bQF8vRp63B46CTeH9JzucuNN6HA/s320/IMG_7982.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Phantom remains as my overall favorite coaster in the park. </div>
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<span id="goog_1614800985"></span>After ERT ended, I did not end up taking too many shots. I was too busy riding and catching up with old friends from ACE. I was just not able to focus both physically, and with my camera. I had not gone to an ACE event in a while, and I am glad that I did. I realized my favorite parts again of being involved with that group all while having a great and safe time at the park. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WFIDJYP4LfCkIJJvwlxY-AMEDVooKfUGL_nEuxFImFBzM98zfeCfhSXlKkBTi1AxOSRHXauwRG52FKN0xgSpZcMQjEuOj4ULF40ESFsf1G6x8cZ7W-F-LvG15qLVEY8-AyTs93qbh1w/s1600/0733569240623.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WFIDJYP4LfCkIJJvwlxY-AMEDVooKfUGL_nEuxFImFBzM98zfeCfhSXlKkBTi1AxOSRHXauwRG52FKN0xgSpZcMQjEuOj4ULF40ESFsf1G6x8cZ7W-F-LvG15qLVEY8-AyTs93qbh1w/s640/0733569240623.JPEG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
It is that time of year and we have now released our annual Roller Coaster Calendar!<br />
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Our 2021 Roller Coaster Wall Calendar features roller coasters from many amusement parks, including Knoebels in Pennsylvania, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in California, Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia, Holiday World in Indiana, Belmont Park in California, Waldameer Park in Pennsylvania, Kentucky Kingdom, Carowinds, Cedar Point in Ohio, Family Kingdom in South Carolina, Conneaut Lake Park in Pennsylvania, Kennywood Park in Pennsylvania, and Kings Island. These calendars are custom made with photos taken exclusively by us. The calendars open up to be 17 inches tall by 11 inches wide (8.5 by 11 per page)<br />
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To purchase, use the PayPal drop down menu at the bottom of this article, or through the top of the page. For more information, <a href="https://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2020/08/2021-roller-coaster-calendar.html">check out this link</a>.
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Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16270272435334191397noreply@blogger.com0