Electerik

I loved Drievliet. Was it objectively the best park on the trip? No, of course not. But it was a lot of fun, and I would be very happy to spend more time there. Small? Sure, but that didn't bother me because there was lots to do. A few other random thoughts from the Esty and Smirik camp: We're all over that first section of your trip report, which is weird because we tend to be where everyone else isn't. Speaking of which, we're also in that overview photo of the tractor ride at the beginning of the second section! I might very well have been the biggest fan of Kopermijn in our group. Which just serves to to once again demonstrate how unpredictable my tastes can be. But I don't mind getting LoCoSuMo-ed, as long as I'm not overly restrained (and remember that a lot of restraints fit me oddly) and I'm not being hit in the head. That was a good theory on why Twistrix is themed to owls, and one could do worse than repeatedly listening to Fly By Night, but I was thinking of an even simpler explanation: Owls swivel their heads, and the cars are meant to look like owl heads. I kept the Andrews straight by calling one Goldballs and then just being confused the rest of the time.

Well, that caption would not stand up in court, as your alleged statement came to me second-hand via Gearhart.

Sitting at home listening to my 2-disc Efteling Soundtrack. Just reread my own trip report and don't remember writing half of these captions. But very happy that we went to Europe before the world fell apart. Here's a random, never-before-seen photo from each of the three countries we spent the most time in. The Netherlands This is what we look like outside without masks on. This was considered normal at the time. Poland In no way could this ever be considered normal. Sweden How did this photo not make it into the original report?

Perhaps you are referring here to Men at Work's chart-topping hit song, "Who Can It Be Now?" Or maybe you mean their SECOND number-one hit, "Down Under"? Well, Chuck, which is it? How about their one hit album? Seems you beat me, Mr. Bond.

Perhaps you are referring here to Men at Work's chart-topping hit song, "Who Can It Be Now?" Or maybe you mean their SECOND number-one hit, "Down Under"? Well, Chuck, which is it?

Will everything work out? Who knows? But this certainly isn't bad news! And it sounds like the city knows the value of having the park--most cities usually only figure that out once it's too late. So a slightly cautious "HOORAY" from me. I love Indiana Beach (when it's running properly).

Woo! My gambit worked! Hopefully, the Disney parks will take the opportunity this downtime affords to add Shia LaBeouf into their Indiana Jones rides!

Riverfront Park If Seattle is the straight-A prom king quarterback of the Foosball team at Washington State High, then Spokane is the little brother who resents the comparison. It's also the smallest city to ever hold a World's Fair, and not because it had something to prove or anything. But if you're thinking about marrying Seattle, just know that he'll never be faithful to you the way that Spokane would be. Much like the first post of this thread explored the 1962 World's Fair via Seattle Center, this post will explore Expo '74 through Spokane's Riverfront Park. Riverfront Spokane is located along the Spokane River near downtown Spokane, a city famous for creatively naming things, such as Bing Crosby. What drew us here in particular is this SkyRide. While I'm sure it originally loaded and unloaded in a continuous fashion, it now has its cars grouped relatively tightly into "trains" of three, which stop to load and unload. This results in a rather strange skyride experience as you alternate between moving a couple of hundred feet and stopping for a minute or two, throughout the entire length of the ride. On the other hand, it offers lots of steady photo opportunities and a fairly lengthy ride, so that's...fine? Heading away from the station. Note the roller skating rink/course on the right that becomes an ice skating rink/course during the winter. But where are we going? Not up a hill, but down one and across a river, then under a bridge to a turnaround, and back up. Just one station on this skyride, but a lovely view. I was promised a skyride that went in front of a waterfall, and while that's not technically inaccurate, it's not quite as grand as the picture I had in my mind. Still, it's weird and awesome and unique, and that's my jam, so put me down as satisfied all the same. Of course, you can also explore the park and the river on foot. There are also a number of pedestrian bridges--which, again, I am for. Proof that we actually went here. This is what normal people do, right? They take their own photos in front of impressive scenery? "Hey, down in front, you two. I wanna see what those rocks look like!" Don't be a pussy. Maybe there's free candy down there. Ever seen a clocktower before? Oh yeah, well, have you ever been inside one? I sure hope so, because you can't go in this one. Inside the Pavilion. During the World's Fair, this was used for stuff. Inside this building is the Looff carousel that used to be at Natatorium Park, Spokane's lost amusement park. Reach for the brass ring! Well, these are actually plastic, of course. But still! And instead of a clown's mouth, you have to throw it into a bucket that's being held by a goat. Wait, does that say, "Garbage Goat"? Life's a never ending wheel. No one's gonna get that. If you get that, let me know in some subtle way. Like, with a photo of a dragon or something. The gift shop. Wait, what's the deal with the goat? Ah. Here you go, Spokane's unofficial mascot, the Garbage Goat. From RoadsideAmerica.com: "It was part of the anti-pollution message," said Karen Mobley, former director of the organization Spokane Arts. "Teach our children not to throw trash on the ground. Put it in a garbage can or give it to a goat." (Psst. No one tell Spokane about Efteling.) "I'm an artist. But I work with metal primarily for the boobs." It's a slide. And it's cooler than anything in your hometown. Look, I'm not above making provocative statements just to get replies. The fourth Indiana Jones movie is better than the third one. Hey, it's night now! Weird. Is heaven missing an angel? Because I found their harp. There may be a follow up to this report about the parking garage in the background. I'm not kidding. During the World's Fair, this mesh did not have lights on it. I exist to educate. Remember, kids, if you find a piece of trash on the ground, feed it to a goat.

Re: The Six Swans So it's a children's flat ride with a dark ride "section"? I love it! Really enjoyed my first visit to Efteling this last year. It's like Disney without all the icky Disneyness.* *This one's going to get me in trouble.

Break On the corner of 4th and Blanchard, in Downtown Seattle, there is a 17-foot tall statue of a Popsicle. And this is a photo of it.

I last visited in 2009, and thought it was one of the best parks I'd ever been to. I was in no hurry to go back with how much I'd hear about it going downhill. Definitely a shame if this is indeed the end.

None too fresh, but here are two of Thunderhead from back when I visited Dollywood weekly.

I really like the Liseberg hillside photo. Somehow I never walked down that pathway...? Wish I had, now!

Luna Park Cafe Designed by Charles Looff, Seattle's Luna Park operated from 1907 to 1913 on the site of what is now Anchor Park in West Seattle. About two miles away, in 1989, an existing West Seattle neighborhood tavern closed, rebranded, and reopened as a tribute to that bygone era. Having become a bit of a West Seattle institution, the Luna Park Cafe can attract quite a crowd. Luckily, there are photo opportunities. We couldn't quite figure this one out, though. Our best guess is that you're supposed to stand next to it...? Okay, so it's less "specifically Luna Park memorabilia" and more "kitschy crap on the wall," but still. I took this photo* of Luna Park. *(of a photo on the wall) Allegedly the world's largest guitar. But even without Googling it, I have some doubt. The menu gives you some history of Luna Park, "the Coney Island of the West." I don't think even Elvis would've had a milkshake with his peanut butter, bacon, and banana waffle. Elvis was a little bitch. It does like the authentic Batmobile...but I don't remember ever seeing Batman wear a red top hat.... Down the road a bit stands Anchor Park. Luna Park was quite a bit larger and went out over the water more. They say that when the tide is low enough, you can see the old pilings--but, frankly, I'm just not that patient. I mean, I'll wait a cycle to get a train in my shot, but that's some Gwazi-level shite right there. Was this update stupid? Yeah, probably. But, until a few months ago, I didn't even know that there had been a Luna Park in Seattle. So now you know, too! Unless you already knew. Crap, everyone knew that except me, didn't they? The waffle was good.

I think a My Little Pony Merry-Go-Round sounds kind of awesome. And they do have a carousel.... I've never been to this park, but was strongly considering a trip in early 2020. Now I'm not too sure, though. Weird changeover theming and possible extra closures might scare me off. Still, that's just my particular circumstance.

Contemplation Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee are buried alongside each other in the Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, Washington, and the site has become a sort of mini tourist attraction in and of itself.

Um...I honestly don't know. Sort of a standard amount of time for a normal Ferris Wheel? Like, 5 minutes, maybe? Nothing crazy. I wish I had a better answer. But thank you for all your support!

A wonderful park. It's also been about 10 years since I was there. Should probably rectify that. Thanks for reminding me!

Oh, the VIPpiest of VIPs. Of course, there were three of us, and there's only four seats in it anyway. But I believe that even on your own, you get the private cabin, free/included photo, t-shirt, and adult beverage, and are escorted passed the line. Of course, it's $50 per person, but you can't put a price on experience, right? Or, rather, you can, and it's $50.

I prefer the term, "Oddventure Opportunity." Miners Landing is a bit odd, but I really like Wings Over Washington.

"Lody" means ice cream. That's how much Polish I learned. (Actually, I learned Entrance and Exit, too. But have now forgotten them, because they are comically similar to one another.)

Seattle itself no longer has a proper amusement park, but there is a pier with a couple of rides on it, and that's kind of like an amusement park, right? Miners Landing at Pier 57 (With special guest star, Goldballs!) Whatever you may have heard about Seattle's weather, this report will do nothing to refute. Represent. See, because it's a donkey. And this website is about theme parks, roller coasters, and donkeys. So we took a photo with the donkey. Which represents us representing. Miners Landing has convenient parking. Actually, it doesn't. Those cars are special. Like the owners or someone else who doesn't care about show. Parking in Seattle is terrible. Not for us, because we don't own a car. But for non-pier owning car owners, it's real bad. Represent. Tickets for the Seattle Great Wheel are $15. At least, that's the price for a regular ticket. Regular as in normal, average, plain, uninteresting, common, dull. And we here at Erik & Smisty, Inc. are anything but regular. Evergreen Oddventures™ is a top shelf, VIP experience. And it just so happens, there's a VIP ticket. And you hold that ticket in your metaphorical hands simply by reading this thread! Whereas we had to actually pay for it. Are you ready? ARE YOU READY??? Because it's time for...VIP FERRIS WHEELING. Also, there's a drink stand shaped like a lemon. The line that the plebs stand in. Poor non-VIP bastards. Do you see that car? The special one? The VIP gondola? That's where we're gonna be, as we skip the line, but then wait for that car to come back around. Because there's only one VIP gondola. That's what makes it special. Also because it's painted black and has a window in the floor. VIPs get free alcohol. Or rather, a drink is included. Which is the same thing as free. I don't like alcohol. And I am good with money. I ordered a Bellini. Because if I'm going to drink, it's going to be a girl drink. I had one sip. Either myself or the Seattle Great Wheel has no idea what a Bellini is. You know what the little people get? A bench on either side. And a regular floor. And no speakers. God, I pity them. Okay, I'll stop. We certainly picked a lovely day for it! Note that the pier in the foreground is the Seattle Aquarium. The cool rich people get their own sound system. But only if they still own old iPhones. Glass bottom gondola! We get to look right down into the structure! Alright! Gross. This was interesting. If the upstairs food court is open, they make you exit up to it. But if that's closed, then they make you exit into the main part of the building. Okay, time for lunch! What shall it be? Shucky Muckers? No...? How about The Crab Pot? Nah, with my luck, I'd be the guy who ends up looking at the bowl butt during the food pour. We settled on The Fisherman's Restaurant. Which was perfect thematically because they serve fish, and fishermen eat a lot of fish. Andrew got tacos because he has no idea what fishermen eat, but Fisherman's fooled him because they put fish in his tacos! Red velvet cake with red velvet ice cream and a vanilla-braised pineapple spear, plus Misty's ice cream because she just wanted the brownie and is weird. Just outside the Fisherman's Restaurant is this statue of a fish. But also there's room here for a wave swinger or swinging ship or something. Outside seating for the Crab Pot, which I'm sure brings in tons of money during the summer, but I could totally put in like an out and back Gerstlauer Bobsled coaster here. There are actually two ice cream parlors, but I'm just going to show you this one because I like the DEEP FRIED sign. Pirate's Plunder Gift Shop, where they apparently sell Big Foot poop and forget to paint pants on their pirates. I like that you can buy plush for one of their restaurants. Most of the inside of the main building is a long winding hallway that looks like this, with stores, restaurants, and attractions on either side. Pinball always wins you points with me. The Sourdough Bakery offers giant disappointing chocolate chip cookies. Dollywood this is not. This is a bench...maybe? Designed by Native Americans...? Who were really into Prince...? Half of the shooting gallery guns were broken, but the bear farts, so it all evens out. One of the carousel's rules is, "no horseplay." Let that sink in. The Sad and Desperate Fisherman Gift Shop I squatch my family. Peak Miners Landing Mark's Arks was closed, possibly due to the weather, but seems to be a Native American wood carving shop, which would make sense based on much of the decorations around Miners Landing. Sure, the Ferris Wheel is cool and all, but this is the star attraction as far as Smisty and I are concerned. We've been on a few different "flying rides" now--both US Soarin' installations, FlyOver Canada in Vancouver, FlyOver America in Minnesota, This is Holland in Amsterdam--but Wings Over Washington is our favorite. It certainly has the best preshow, featuring a clueless park ranger on his (natch) "first day on the job," and Tiki Room/Country Bear style animal masks on the walls. Mechanically, Wings Over Washington is a bit different, as the floor tilts to vertical to raise the rows up to the screen. The films itself uses wipes and fades rather than smash cuts and features a mystical eagle that helps tie the various locations together a bit. The exit isn't as good as the cool "here's where you've been" gift shops of This is Holland or FlyOver America, but I guess you can't have everything. So, should you visit Miners Landing if you're near Seattle? Yes. Wings Over Washington is awesome. Should you spring for the VIP experience on the Seattle Great Wheel? No, of course not. That's what you have us for.

Well, it could've been two photos shorter, but otherwise great stuff!

Interlude Perhaps my favorite street sign ever once sat at First Avenue and Denny Way in Seattle. Sadly, it has now been replaced with a much less interesting version. But I'll always have my memories--and also this photo, of course.

I loved Legendia. We also skipped the Depression Tour, and were happy to have the extra two hours in the park. Indeed, I would've liked to have had a full day, in retrospect. Didn't make it on the Ferris wheel, and never did figure out what was up with the slow one-car sky ride that was (possibly?) outside of the park. We did ride Diamond River, though, so it definitely took guests. It was...interesting, but I wouldn't kick yourself too much for missing it.