Electerik

^ I dunno. I kind of like "credit prude" better. Doesn't matter, though. There's no way I'm going to the Title Fairy with that.

I still say a hypercoaster makes IOA the best park ever--even something Hollywood Dream-ish.

Still waiting for my Sky Ride. /Just so long as it's not another unnecessary, ill-fitting Intamin boat ride.

I really can't think of anything. I mean, I've ridden a few kiddie coasters, but just to see what they were like. I don't even ride Boomerangs or SLCs anymore unless there's something really different about them or I'm with someone else who wants to ride them. I am the anti-whore. I'm a credit...er...well, not virgin really. What would be the opposite of whore in this instance??

No, I don't think you had. Located side by side, between Pigeon Forge traffic light numbers 4 and 5, is Adventure Raceway and Adventure Golf. Bye bye, Adventure Golf. You're above average! I'm not done yet. I'll just make my own course. Erik & Smisty sitting in a tree.... Well, really just Smisty. And, technically, she's standing. You know what? Just forget it. Not exactly ADA accessible. I got a hole-in-one on this. You should be impressed. I mean, just look at it! A hole-in-one on this thing! Happy face! Lots of water features on this side. Harder than it looks. And now for the right side course. This one is slightly harder and features this bridge that Misty is afraid of. Wrapping up the left side course by coming back to the octopus. Ug. (But I do like the way they utilize him on multiple holes.) The long trek up to the Taj Mahal. But there are lots of fiberglass figures, which is cool. However, there are no moving parts (windmill doors that go up and down, for example). The kind of place where the funkiness is a big part of its charm. Adventure Golf is the most "traditional" mini golf course in the area. Yes, Misty, I see you pretending to be scared. It's very sweet. ...and a giant man-eating octopus. (My look of terror is 100% real, by the way. There is nothing in this galaxy more horrifying than octopi.) Adventure Golf, on the other hand, feature a windmill clubhouse... ...and a ghetto arcade (complete with Intamin pre-fab woodie). ...bumper boats... Adventure Raceway features an elaborate go cart track...

More of the same: Stuff That Will Piss Me Off. /:P

If any other park chain had come up with this, I would've called it one of the most moronic things they'd ever done. But it's Six Flags, so it doesn't really even stand out.

People are always talking about how such-and-such park is out of room, and they're usually quickly proven wrong by the park itself. IOA has a small empty spot behind Cat, with mostly-empty Studio soundstages beyond; a big empty spot between Ripsaw and River, with even more land across the road from it; Triceratops sitting empty; a huge amphitheater between Marvel and Toon that they've yet to find anything useful for; some room behind Doom and Hulk; and a big lake in the middle to build stuff out over. At the rate they're expanding, they won't run out of room until 2080.

[Edit: Oops, Flying Horse Grill is now out of business. -Erik] Okay, time for something a little bit different: Not only is The Flying Horse Grill one of our favorite restaurants in town, it's themed to--and has--a carousel! Yes we did. This restaurant is officially Erik & Misty endorsed. That's a heck of a height requirement, though. The carousel is made by Bertazzon, and features a spinning tea cup and a set of rocking-style horses, among other things. The carousel is free with your meal! (Note the Smisty on the left.) Proving, once again, that I'm not afraid to post pictures of myself looking like a gluttonous pig. Monte Cristo, anyone? The main dining area. The entrance/exit gift shop. It's located in Pigeon Forge, near traffic light #2, across from the Incredible Christmas Place.

^ Dollywood's food is pretty good. I'll have to take more pictures of it. ^^ Bunny Golf apparently became Nightmare Golf after the incident. Nightmare Golf has been SBNO for a few years now. The only picture I seem to have of it.

I'm sure you've answered this before...but why stick with film? Certainly your photos are nice...but are they really anything you couldn't get (more easily) with a digital camera? /Not criticizing. Just curious. //Thanks for the photos!

I, too, had no idea that Frontier City was so nice. Great TR, so far!

This really is a great TR. I need to make Misty look at it so she'll more easily agree to a Kennywood trip. (I've been, she hasn't.)

^ Though I live in Pigeon Forge, I certainly didn't grow up in this area. In fact, I'd never ever heard of it (except for Dollywood) before about five years ago. So, for the most part, I really can't speak reliably about any of the area's older, now-gone attractions. I believe you're talking about Speed Zone--which has the distinction of being the closest go cart place to my house, and one of the few I've actually done. Done these, but have no photos. They may be revisited at some point in the future, but I have no definite plans. This is now closed and sitting empty. I never did it. I could have, but it just didn't seem like my kind of thing. "Treasure Quest." It's pretty good, but I need to take more photos of it. Definitely on my list. One of the more logistically tricky things for me, though. It's terrible. The only reason I can imagine doing it again would be to take photos for this thread. (See how I sacrifice for you people?? ) I probably will do an update about The Apple Barn at some point. I believe the restaurant on the parkway you're referring to was the Apple Tree Inn, but it's now gone. Thanks for taking the time out for such a detailed response!

That's okay. You still contributed. Some of the photos are yours, and this thread would be nothing without your mirror maze dance. Thanks for the kind words, everyone! I'll do more when I get to it.

Misty and I made our first visit to Kentucky Kingdom just about two months ago (documented somewhere). We were both surprised by how much it didn't suck. We thought Penguin's Blizzard River was the best ride there, though. I take it you didn't ride that?

Nice photos. And welcome aboard.

I like cheesy. And I enjoy laughing at things that aren't nearly as great as they think they are. But not everything works like that. Sometimes "bad" is just bad. World of Illusions What, seriously? This is the exit? Yes. Yes it is. YOU ARE INVISIBLE!!! Okay.... YOU ARE INVISIBLE!!! The big finish. Lt. Worf, I guess. And some other dude they had laying around. They disappear, as if my magic. Or transporter. Whatever. Here we see "a superman" using his x-ray vision to check out "a Lois Lane." In this illusion, a plastic ball rolls around on a table--as if by magic! Misty looked really bored in this photo, so I illusioned it up some. Floating mannequin! Neither Misty or I could sort out how this was even supposed to work despite multiple attempts. I wish I could say this illusion doesn't come across well in photographic form, but actually it does. "Complaints will be taken at the exit." Well, I guess the wall would have just been blank otherwise. No! They're on to my tricks! Yes. I am a genie. This will prove to be the highlight of your tour, sadly. Smoke tornado thing. Random is good. It sounds awesome so far. World of Illusions is located in Gatlinburg, right next to the Reagan Mall (home of Old Gatlinburg Golf & Games and Hauntings).

Some great shots here. Thanks for posting this!

Though it's been a few years since I've been on it, Top Gun/Afterburn is head-and-shoulders above the rest for me.

^ You should finish it up. Photos usually don't have as early an expiration date as we think.

I love Desperado/Buffalo Bills! Cool that your son was finally able to ride it.

Kind of. Their parking lots are across the street from one another, but it's a bit of a walk from front gate to front gate (Dollywood's parking lot is weird). They've actually just reworked it all this last year, so that you drive into both parks the same way, and then choose which one to go to after the toll booths (driving through a tunnel under the road to get to Splash Country).

Obviously, Big Bad Wolf was not the first suspended coaster. It wasn't even the first modern day one. It was just the first one that lived. So by that logic, by next year, Big Bad Wolf will never have existed and Cedar Point will have the first suspended coaster. Don't mind me. I'm just bitter. Oh well, at least I'll finally be able to decide whether Busch Gardens Williamsburg or Indiana Beach is my favorite park. It will be missed. This whole ride type will be missed once they're finally all gone.