Further Waldameer Improvements: X-Scream Tower New Lighting Package

Waldameer added a spectacular new lighting package in addition to the great improvements they have made so far that you can see in this post: http://coastertalknobszone.blogspot.com/2013/11/waldameer-offseason-updates-newly.html

Watch this video shared by the park. It is truly great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDlQ3tUNFp4

Must See Non-Coaster Things: Ithaca, NY

Ithaca, NY is one of those most see places. It is incredible all around. The region has dozens of gorges, which are awesome waterfalls. This shot below is from Taughannock Falls in the winter. Any season it is awesome. In the winter you can see scenes like this, or in the summer, in a few of the waterfall areas you can swim, climb up the waterfalls and dive into giant pools under the waterfalls. It is really something else. 

 It is in the midst of the finger lakes, with hundreds of wineries with great views of the lakes and tons of vineyards. This one is Wagner's in Lodi, NY on Seneca Lake

Below is Lower Buttermilk Falls, really a pretty cool place. 

Brit is from Ithaca and we will be heading up there for Thanksgiving and that made me think of how awesome Ithaca is. It is a place you really should take a road trip and check out. The place is really like no other.

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Arrow Megalooper Poll!

4 More days to vote for your favorite Arrow Megalooper! Do so on the right sidebar of the page!

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Food for thought: Knoebels Twister turns 15 next year!

Next year will be the 15th anniversary of the building of the Twister. As you may or may not know, this was a rebuilt from scratch remake of the original Mister Twister at the original Elitch Gardens in Denver. This coaster is a joy to ride and add in the fact that next season will be the first full season of Flying Turns, I highly recommend taking a trip to the park, whether you have been to it, or if you have not visited, what are you waiting for?

I don't know about you, but I can just hear the Twister looking at this shot, hear it echoing off of the small valley in the back. I can also just hear a train that will be going through those helix elements in just moments. That thunderous sound is one of my favorite sounds in any park. 

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Geauga Lake Raging Wolf Bobs Demolition

On today, November 20th, 2013, the demolition of the Raging Wolf Bobs is either close to being finished, or finished completely, with crews on site dismantling the ride. While the ride was not my favorite, it is difficult to watch any ride come down like that. Being from Allentown originally, Dorney's Hercules hit me pretty hard, even though many people did not care for the ride, I loved it. I can relate to the pain of someone whose homepark was GL in seeing this happen to Raging Wolf Bobs.

Photo credit tot he Geauga Lake Facebook Page

Here is a shot from better times of the Raging Wolf Bobs, I can almost smell the new lumber just looking at this shot!

Photo credit to Geauga Lake Today

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Diamondback Before and After

I can't wait to see the full difference once Banshee is set, but in the mean time, we can look at the dramatic skyline change that Diamondback made upon the Kings Island skyline.

Not a perfect comparison, but pretty close. Beautiful!

Waldameer Offseason Updates Newly Painted Waterslides and Ravine Flyer II Retrack Loving! Plus fun along Lake Erie

We went up to Fredonia, NY to visit family and on the way back today, we stopped by a few places in the interesting weather and took in the sights. Among these sights are Barcelona, NY and the wonders of Waldameer in Erie, PA.

We love going through this area. It was weird seeing the grapevines all devoid of growth. Last week they were wrapping up harvesting for the season.  The weather was strange as we were heading back, right on the cusp of a storm line. The skies were truly spectacular. You can see a stray raindrop or two on the window I shot this photo through. 

All along the lake, in every small docking town, they have nice little lighthouses. This one in Barcelona, New York. We stopped for a little while just taking in the beauty of the small docking area. 

The entire area is vineyards, as far as the eye can see. Welch's grape comes from this region. There are also numerous wineries all scattered about. It makes for a really beautiful area along the lake. 

They have a re creation of a War of 1812 boat that they are trying to restore once again. Yeah I know that sounds confusing, but they are doing a funding drive to restore it. As you may or may not know, naval battles actually occurred right on the lake. 

This guy is pretty chill, even in the face of that impending storm. Also quite a bit more chill than it was just about 200 years ago in the midst of the war. Pretty crazy to think about it happening in such a relaxing place.

These three guys were pretty relaxed as well. The winds picked up enough though that they were actually blown off of the posts. 

Not before Brit could snap some shots though! The strangest thing about this storm was that the winds were blowing in from inland. 

Pulling up to Waldameer now, we could not believe how greatly the new colors on the slides made the park stand out! You could see them from almost a mile back!

To quote Rod Stewart "You wear it well" but nothing looks a little old fashioned with these slides!

The park focused even more upon retracking Ravine Flyer II, after this season was arguably as great, or even better than opening season! You can see the extensive retracking they did during the last offseason in the galleries on the Facebook page www.facebook.com/coastertalknobszone You can see it during the season, and a visit we made like this last spring. I cannot even imagine how much greater it will run next season! Nothing quite like PTC trains running on a well maintained track!

The ride, and Waldameer itself, were looking really lonely.

The bridge never ceases to amaze me, along with the wooded setting and views of the lake. 

This is a shot you cannot get once the trees are filled in! Also with the fact that the swings actually have no swings, making it look like a  giant spinning top.

The new slide colors look absolutely spectacular!

Front view! Expended enough energy on crutches getting out for the rest of the views, but all I have to say is wow on those colors. I love the multi-colors on the one slide. 

The twisted nature and brilliant engineering on this ride never cease to amaze me! I never took in this view because I was never in the passenger seat going under this before. Simply wow. 

What a drop! You can also see some solid retracking at the bottom!

So this is what Erie folks do? I laughed pretty hard at the strangeness of this billboard. 

Conneaut some other time! Boy I wish it were summer!

It is always fun driving on the Lake Erie Scenic Byway. It is something else with so many interesting things to see. I highly recommend taking the trip through there!

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