Electerik

I always think it's my fault. Every time I go back, I give it another try, thinking that all the previous times I just got bad rides on it or something. I am a huge Millennium Force fan. But as much as I might want to say that Magnum just isn't my kind of ride, I actually really like Desperado! So figure that one out. /Also thinks CP itself is pretty over-rated. //Still, I'd rather be there than on my couch. ///New sign looks nice.

Ober Galinburg sits high in the mountains above Gatlinburg, and is accessible via very scary winding road or an aerial tram from the Parkway. It’s open all year, but has two distinct personalities: in the winter, it’s a ski resort; in the summer, an amusement park. Bye bye, Ober Gatlinburg. Welcome back to Gatlinburg proper. So is Ober Gatlinburg worth it? Well, it's got some great views, the Alpine Slide is a cool experience, and chairlifts are always fun. Due to the whole tram thing, though, it can be a bit of a commitment, time-wise. So I would say yes, it's worthwhile--if you have half a day to spend on it. Hey, we're up pretty high. And now for the ride down. Enjoy. Skeeball treasure. There's also an arcade and some crazy little bungee things. All too often 'round here, you see dudes who look like Elvis. I think this is my first ever Wolverine, though. Smisty gracefully dismounting. It's not a coaster, but it's fun. I always win. I'm sure weight is not a factor. Concrete trough, tiny little plastic sled. You have to ride the chair lift all the way back down to the bottom, then get on again and ride halfway up for the Alpine Slide. Check. Time to head back down. Not a bad view from up here. Not really much else, though. Totally cheating. Decisions, decisions. This is the top. You take a chairlift up. But at this point you have to decide whether to get off for the Alpine Slide or continue up to the top. The big attraction at Ober Gatlinburg is the Alpine Slide. (Photo by speedmetal, obviously.) They actually didn’t come off all that wet. The Blue Cyclone water slide. By implication, I guess you can smoke everywhere else. There used to be go cart track here, but now it’s some kind of winter ski school. Here y’all, use thisy here magic sunstick ta scare the bejesus outta tha critters! Do-it-yourself Pepper’s Ghost. Featuring snakes. And a “nocturnal house.” They’ve also added otters. Where the bears go when they’re bad. This bear is wisely behaving himself. It’s still a bit ghetto, but at least it’s an improvement. The bear exhibit has gotten a bit of a facelift. Oh.... Who would? The indoor section at the top is essentially a mall surrounding an ice rink. Von Roll made the aerial tram system, if you’re interested in such things. Operating hours for the various attractions at the top. The downtown entrance, shops, and aerial tram station.

^ You forgot Lovecraft. But Dave didn't. ^^ Thanks, y'all. /Madness from the sea, indeed.

Back in the day, I worked at a major theme park where "guest negatives" about employees fairly enforcing the rules were automatically treated as "guest positives" instead. Which I always thought was funny/cool. /Got hit with a "he wouldn't let me bring my drink on the ride" complaint once. //Got an attaboy out of it. ///No idea if the new management still does anything like that.

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies Goodbye, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies! You may not be the biggest aquarium around, but you’re still fun! This is the full-service restaurant, accessible from inside the aquarium or outside. ...or you can start all over. (Um, is that dude wrestling a fish?) ...you can exit through the gift shop... At this point, you have two options... One cool thing about this aquarium is that you can actually see the underwater tunnel from above. I believe this is a Cownose Ray. Not bad. Unfortunately, the full-service restaurant always seems to be closed when we’re there. Of course, we always go when it’s not busy, so I guess that’s forgivable. The aquarium has two dining options. This is the fast food place. A dive show going on in the stingray tank. It features such lovely sea creatures as this super-venomous Lionfish. Ripley’s Aquarium has an area set aside for special exhibits. Currently occupying it is the “Lethal Weapons” display. I am your Giant Japanese Spider Crab king! Attack! No alien could be more horrifying than this. All I know is that Misty could stare at them for hours. (As demonstrated in this rather noisy photo.) Brainless...or just beyond our understanding? Ph'nglui mglw'nafh C'thulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn. Weedy Sea Dragons and a (closely related) Seahorse. This is a rock, obviously. Never let it be said that I’m scared of my (photographic) blacks. I have no idea why I’m trying to feed the fake sea monsters my candy, but I like how seriously I seem to be taking it. I'm a cute fishy. Would you like to eat me? Looking back up towards the entrance. The thing that looks like a ship is the exit gift shop. Yeah, I'm not going near that guy. I have a friend that worked here as a diver at one point. He said that even though the sharks were very well fed, occasionally they’d still just tear the poo-poo out of a fish that swam by because they’re sharks. You’ll probably enjoy this photo a lot more than I do, because you don’t know that it’s of stingray poop. Oh, sorry. Hey, it’s us! Now would I do something like that? Well, that makes me feel better. Hi, I’m sawtooth shark. I enjoy laying on Plexiglas and inspiring Guillermo del Toro. The highlight of Ripley’s Aquarium is their relatively-long "undersea” tunnel. I am an ugly fish. But I still need love. I still say aquariums are one of the toughest things to photograph--though my new camera produces much better results than any of my old ones did. A man who knew a thing or two about fish. Per-rahn-ya. The aquarium is arranged as a straight-line tour, but this is an area you pass several times. A fairly clever way to tie an aquarium into Tennessee. The aquarium doubles as Gatlinburg's central "trolley" station.

^ Hey, those are really good! I love "sign and ride" pics, but seldom succeed in taking them.

Actually, this is "Geno's" not "Gino's." So I'm betting it's different folks. In any case, "Geno's Pizza" is every bit as good as their "float" would suggest.

^^ Well, I'd certainly rather you posted them this way than not at all! Maybe the problem with that last photo is on my end. Sorry. I'll check when I get home and back on Firefox. Keep up the good work!

Yes, they are. But you might find it easier to upload the photos directly to TPR, rather than using photobucket. At the very least, you'll avoid problems like the broken last photo of your first set. (And I know the admins and mods prefer it as well.) Of course, if you do start uploading directly to TPR, don't freak out when the photos preview in reverse order--that's normal, and they'll switch back when you post. Anyway, I'm liking the historical angle. I grew up in Southern California, so it's always interesting to see older photos of the Orlando parks. Keep at it! /Happy to be mentioned in the same breath as Hanno.

Welcome back! Nice TR. Walibi World looks fun.

I know what you're thinking: "Erik, these updates have been cool and all, but I'm ready for something more. I've been all over the world, and I need something that will make me put down my crack pipe and know joy and excitement again." Well, I have just the thing. The most majestic display of free entertainment and blatant advertising Sevier County can slap together: The 24th Annual Dolly Parton Homecoming Parade Well, that's it for the Dolly Parade. I hope you enjoyed sitting through it as much as I did! Genius! Llamas. But not just any llamas. No, these llamas represent the entrepreneurial spirit of the smoky mountains. (See next photo.) In a parade full of randomness, the monolithic tractor-trailer for an attraction that hasn't even been built yet really stood out for me. There, that's more like it. Even for us, this is pretty sad. Clown. "Toby's Wonderful World of Erosion." I know it's a little hard to read, but that's really what it says. Shriners driving tiny tractor-trailers. The Boy & Girls Club followed by The Wilderness Resort. Food City is a local grocery chain. And this is their giant dragster shopping cart thing. My Ripley's Aquarium update is coming soon! I...don't...know. Honestly, I've never heard of this. That's almost cool. This float forgot all its people. Or they all left once they'd seen Dolly. It's hard to say, really. It's the area's biggest radio station, in case you're wondering. Yes, it plays country. The best part of this is the really visible tattoo on the one chick's forearm. Firetruck. Really, we'll just put anything in the parade that runs under its own power. I guess Wes would have enjoyed himself. A trolley. That you can see 20 of every day here. In the parade. Misty was supposed to be in the parade, but she had to work. Santa was here, though. "International Jr. Teen Miss Virginia"? Chuck, can you explain this? Oh my gosh, it's an RV! Visiting dignitaries. Still haven't been to this attraction...but I've seen their float! "Behold, the two-headed dog--born with only one head!" "I can't believe they're making me do this. Just for that, I'm going to be a stripper when I grow up." "Pottery is for sissies. I've got a chainsaw!" Daughters of the American Revolution, for some reason. I guess parades are just what they do. Yes, it's the KOA Campground float. Dude's making pottery in the back of a truck. But we can't let that stand. Let's follow the China float with the USA! This was actually pretty cool. All the girls were drumming really fast, and there was a dragon. More parade goodness. Props to WonderWorks. Considering how basic it was, I thought this one worked really well. Country Tonight followed by Elvis. This one's not bad. Political humor...? Gay cowboy float. I guess these people have a TV show about having a lot of babies or something...? Yep, we're here too, folks. Stick around. Dolly channeling Dio. Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Dolly Parton. Lynyrd Skynyrd doesn't start with Free Bird...but we do. What's this...? It's just not a parade without a high school band. Yes, it's the City of Pigeon Forge VIPs! Oh, this is gonna be good!

I think Holiday World is really interesting as an example of a park that achieves good results largely through having strong theming concepts and sticking to them. If you look at the Halloween section, for example, it's mostly just a few small touches, some clever names, and lots of reminders that you are in "Halloween." (4th of July, on the other hand, does not achieve the same results because its name are so vaguely tied to the theme.) Still, I think the park has (objectively) probably about as much total theming "props" (for lack of a better word) as Cedar Point does! Holiday World's are just arranged in a "more than the sum of its parts" kind of way, whereas Cedar Point's are tossed around without any kind of overall plan or special arrangement. /Not disagreeing with Chucks' assessment. //Just tossing in my own insane views.

I'm old enough to remember when this was a huge debate among enthusiasts. But then came the impulse coasters and things like Top Thrill Dragster and everyone pretty much just got over it and started counting it. But this argument raged over many a RRC thread for years. /Superman The Escape is not a roller coaster. //It's two.

Hey, Robb, what's with only having one O in your name? All the Roobs I know have two O's. Is it because you're jewish?

As with all questions regarding "credits," it's entirely up to you. Personally, I would count something like Steel Phantom/Phantom's Revenge as two different rides, but I would only count Superman/Bizarro as one. I think this type of question springs from people wanting to be honest about their count--and that's cool--but there really isn't any sort of agreed upon standard. Just don't get hung up on wether or not someone else has more credits than you and it probably won't matter. <-- Counts Colossus as two, but Superman The Escape as one. <-- And doesn't even pretend that that makes sense.

^ It's really not even clear that Michael, as a character, is "dead"--since Christian speaks to him just before the explosion and tells him, "You can go now." (Which can be interpreted at least two different ways.) However, considering the bad mouthing the actor who plays that character has engaged in against the producers, I doubt he'll be back.

I think they've become interchangeable, at the very least. I've heard three different versions of the difference: Carousels vs. Merry-Go-Rounds: Horses vs. other animals White lights vs. colored lights Clockwise rotation vs. anti-clockwise But none of those are actually true, in a practical sense. (Which is to say, you can find as many rides that violate those definitions as ones that adhere to them.)

^ Yes, most of them. But some are Misty's (cheaper, older) Pentax W10. I do like my Olympus Tough 6000--very much so--but it hasn't changed my basic approach: Take 1000 picture and hope that 100 turn out. Then post 10.

It does look like they threw everything else out the window to get the ride open on time. That's pretty much what they did for the opening of Thanksgiving and The Voyage, too. And I would expect nothing less from Holiday World. They said it would be open, and it is. Having said that, I may wait to see what else they do to improve the area before I make a special trip. Anyway, thanks for the TR!

^ Nope. GSMNP Elevations

The reason that Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville are a tourist area to begin with is that the valley they occupy is the one easy, relatively flat way into the most visited National Park in the country, The Great Smoky Mountains. So now, in an effort to show you that we are well-rounded individuals who enjoy more than just amusement parks and mini golf, a genuine culture credit! Not bad, eh? Just make sure to bring a jacket, as Clingman’s Dome is generally 20-degrees colder than down here in the valley. There's a small observation tower at the top which provides 360-degree views from the park’s highest point. Let's do it! Clingman's Dome Trail...it's paved, but steep. A rare shot of me drinking soda and Misty drinking water. Yeah, the road really does that, too. I’m not sure why, but I really like this picture. Let's go for a drive. Warning: Nature Laurel Falls This is one of the best photos I've ever taken of anything. Where to now? Looks a bit like an elephant, no? I like bridges. The same river that winds through Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville, the Little Pigeon. The path to Laurel Falls is so popular that it’s actually paved. The city of Gatlinburg, as seen from the appropriately named Gatlinburg Bypass. Let’s get ourselves oriented, shall we? Today we’re going to concentrate on the Newfound Gap area and Clingman’s Dome.

The funny thing is, I sort of dislike the whole "one big thread with all my TR's in it" thing. For me, it really only makes sense if: All of the updates happened on the same trip (or otherwise share a common theme); many of the updates are too small for their own TR's; or you're Big Mike. But this just seemed like the right way to go with this stuff. Any other trips (outside my home area) will get their own TR's, though. The Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta. I highly recommend it. In fact, I think I liked it more than SFOG.

Based on one two-day visit about 4 years ago, I consider IB one of my favorite parks. I'll be heading back in about two weeks, and I'm really hoping that it's still as good as I remember it. Thanks for the TR!

Oh, I didn't read it as "choose your own track" I read it more like Rock N Roller Coaster where it could be different each time you ride. I just assumed it was like Hollywood Dream. But now that you mention it, I don't see anything in the press release to back up either concept. Guess we'll have to wait and see. /Brock Sampson is gonna be pissed when he finds out about all this.

The Flying Horse Grill has good, slightly eccentric food, and features a carousel! (But don't worry, it's in its own room, so noise from it isn't an issue.) It's in Pigeon Forge, near traffic light 2, right across from The Incredible Christmas Place and next door to MagiQuest (aka, Adventure Quest). Calhoun's is also good. It's a small, local chain--with one in Gatlinburg and one in Pigeon Forge. Great food, relatively elegant (for Sevier County), but not overly pricey. Also, The Pottery House Grill is The Old Mill's second, somewhat more contemporary restaurant, and a great place for lunch. It's not talked about much, but there is a full-service restaurant in Dollywood, as well--The Back Stage Grill, in the Rivertown section of the park. It isn't anything spectacular, but I'm betting the wife would enjoy sitting down and being served at some point during the day.