printersdevil78

Still some wind here, but no damage, no flooding where I live (some in the surrounding areas), and we never lost power, cable or Internet, which is simply amazing considering we normally lose all three in a regular 20-minute thunderstorm. Unfortunately, I managed to get myself a nasty ear and throat infection that required an emergency clinic visit yesterday, so I actually had to go out in the rain and wind for awhile. Fortunately, it was just as we were starting to feel the storm's effects, so it wasn't too bad, and the clinic is just down the street from my apartment.

Final segment. Enjoy it while it lasts! The storm cleared up almost as quickly as it hit, and we were on our way backstage soon enough. And what's backstage that could be so important? Skyrush supports! Unscrable this code for your chance to win a support of your very own! This coaster is not suited for European outlets. Hey! Robb said not to molest the coaster parts! For the lift hill enthusiasts. Oooh... I hope we don't get caught! Forget the coaster supports; let's go get some doughnuts! Uh oh. The toe tag says this support was DOA. What's so special about this house? Its occupants get to stare at coaster supports all day! They're literally laying on the side of the street on the edge of a residential neighborhood. Roller Soaker was down for the day due to control room flooding Trailer: The Ride, however, was operating right on schedule. Want to see some backstage photos of Lightning Racer? OK then.... Backstage Ferris wheel photo? Sure, why not? That's a lot of coaster nerds! I had been saving Wildcat and Lightning Racer for that evening's ERT, but after the big storm, I decided I'd better get at least one ride in on each (two on Lightning Racer) to make sure I got the credits. After Wildcat, I made my way over to Lightning Racer only to find it in the process of closing down. I knew what that meant... another storm. Guys? What are you doing singing? Don't you know we're about to get washed away? The second storm was even worse than the first one. I was supposed to meet Kelly and Lauryn in Founder's Circle, so I walked in that direction and entered the Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge cue just as the rain started falling. I got to ride, then took shelter in the exit area once the ride shut down. Unfortunately, there aren't many "indoor" areas at Hersheypark, and Kelly and Lauryn got drenched until the park opened up the picnic shelters and herded many of the guests into them. Kelly texted me their location, and once the rain let up, I met them at Fahrenheit. From there, we made our way out of the park for a visit to Chocolate World. After a spin on the Great American Chocolate Tour ride, I walked Kelly and Lauryn back to their car so they could get home at a decent hour (Kelly had to work the next day), and I returned to Chocolate world for dinner. It rained again while I was in there. Minor rant: Parents, if you have more than four children with you and you're in line at a fast food/cafeteria-style restaurant, please, for the love of Hershey, ask them what they want before you get to the counter. Also, make sure you have enough money to pay instead of having to wait for your husband, who's in another line, to come over with the debit card. Following these two simple steps will save you and everyone in line behind you at least 20 minutes. Upon attempting to re-enter the park, I learned that there was an "enter after 7 p.m., get the next day free" promotion going on, and I had the misfortune of trying to re-enter right at 7. The crowd ("line" really wouldn't be the correct word) was backed up to Chocolate World! Fortunately, as I held my ticket stub up for re-entry, security just kept waving me along, so I really didn't have to wait until I got right to the gate. Once inside, I spent about 20 minutes walking back to Lightning Racer to make sure I got in those "just in case" rides. That was about the end of my photo taking for the evening. Following Lightning, I went over and chilled at the TPR picnic pavillion for the last half hour of the ice cream and soda social, then followed the group over to Kissing Tower. That's where we discovered... "The Room." What goes on inside? I dare not say. After another spin around the park, we met up at the picnic pavillion again, where we got some Skyrush promotional ephemera and a chance to thank our Hersheypark hosts for the day... then it was on to evening ERT on Wildcat and Lightning Racer! I got in six rides on Lightning and four on Wildcat (including two as the lone person on the ride) before calling it a night. After a stop for gas and a short car ride, I made it back to my hotel just after midnight. Thanks again, Robb, Elissa and Hersheypark for a great 15-hour day!

As promised, here are the final two portions of my East Coast Bash TR. Enjoy! Snacky snack snack snack snack... snack! Look "who's" here to greet us! Get it? ZooAmerica actually sent over several animals to greet us, including a skunk and this baby alligator. Afterward, we got to flush it! (No, not really.) Buf-fay!!! Aw, who are we kidding? Beer-fay! Chug! Chug! Chug! Lauryn says: "Reese's Cup Man is better than a skunk any day!" After our guest character, we had a Q&A with the team behind the Skyrush viral marketing campaign. Total cost: $3,000. Amount of that spent on doughnuts: $2,500. Then we had a second Q&A with staff from the rides department. Then, of course, it was time for TPR Quest! Winners of this insane game, featuring tasks such as "Bring me a pair of shoelaces not attached to any shoes" and "Sing 'Bohemian Rhapsody'" (as well as winners of that morning's scavenger hunt) received tickets to a backstage tour of the Fahrenheit hydraulics room or their choice of other prizes including coaster parts and concept art. I mentioned at the beginning of this TR that my camera broke in the middle of the day. This is the photo that did it. Who would have thought that out of all the subjects I photographed throughout the years, Piers would be the camera's downfall? After lunch, it was time for more rides... but first, how about a show? Lauryn and I rode Trailblazer, the Comet (in a light rain) and the Wild Mouse before I had to leave for the next backstage tour. Wait, what's this? Water park! This is where Kelly and Lauryn attempted to hang out while I was on the tour. This is where I drive to go to the movies. See? There's no need to go all the way to Coney Island for an authentic Nathan's hot dog. Hey, I wonder what that sign says. !!! This was our meeting spot for the next backstage tour. Remember when I said Kelly and Lauryn "attempted" to enjoy the water park, however? Well, about 20 minutes after they got in, they announced it was shutting down. Though the skies were still clear, I knew from that morning's tour that meant there was an extreme storm on the way. The storm hit just before we were supposed to embark on the tour. Hersheypark was nice enough to open the tent so we could hide out from the pouring rain. And miracle of all miracles, it was even air conditioned! The weather that afternoon fluctuated between 90 degrees and humid, and "wrath of God" thunderstorms. It was easy to tell who ran in just before the storm hit and who got caught in it. And then there were those who put the break to good use. More photos shortly.

Thanks, Robb! I just wish I still had the time to finish them in one fell swoop instead of stringing them out over weeks at a time. Oh well. I'm hoping I can cover the last half of the day this weekend and maybe even add another entry to the food thread, as well.

Chuck, that wasn't your car we saw Sunday morning that had knocked down one of the metal parking divider columns, run off the road, crashed into a bush/tree and started smoking, was it? Whoever that was seemed a bit confused about parking, as well. I thought the five-tiered weather watch system went from phases 0 to 4; the guide with the first group even made a joke about how confusing it was because they didn't start with 1. I'm fairly sure we hit 4 briefly at one point during the second storm; I hid out in the cue for Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge, and one of the crew there referenced it right before they announced the ride was shutting down temporarily. Nice report so far. I especially enjoyed the Black Diamond tour.

ERT had been over for just an hour when our next major perk of the day began: a tour of the Hersheypark maintenance facility. Enjoy! "Gather 'round, TPR members, and I will tell you a story... a story of maintenance." The night before our visit, the Hershey area got about seven inches of rain in under eight hours, enough to flood the park. This is what it looked like that evening. Thankfully, it rendered only two attractions non-operational for the day: Tidal Force and Rollersoaker (which, we were told during the Q&A portion of the tour, is the most unreliable ride at the park). This is what it looked like just hours before our visit! They were slightly nervous that it wouldn't drain in time... but thankfully, it did. I thought it was really cool that in the middle of trying to get the park ready for operation, someone actually thought, "Hey, we have a theme park enthusiast group coming in, in a few hours. I bet they would be interested in seeing what the park looks like underwater. Let's take some photos to show them." Oooh.... What could be behind this door? If you said a 1970s-era office... you're right! This is also where they keep the weather computers. Our host explained which rides close in what order when bad storms are imminent. That knowledge was extremely helpful that afternoon, as I knew when to start seeking shelter from the oncoming heavy rains depending on what rides were being shut down. As a result, I stayed bone dry while the GP got drenched. This is the fabrication shop, where they create replacement parts for rides whose manufacturers no longer exist. And here I was thinking Arby's. Yep. Please note that the restroom is neither an exit nor for emergencies. When the coaster trains are stored for the winter, they sit on this lumber. And speaking of coaster trains.... Want to see some parts for the new Skyrush? Well, if you looked at the picture before reading this caption, you just did! "The precious!" "I spy with my little eye...." Robb! Do not eat the Skyrush parts! They are not tasty blueberry doughnuts! This whip has been whipped. Coal Cracker, anyone? Remember those trains we saw earlier? This goes on top of them. And this goes in front. This caboose billboard apparently was located in front of the park for quite some time. They're talking about refurbishing it and putting it back there. I wish I had a cabinet full of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. This isn't theming, but the actual boxes used to ship the sea lions for the Aquatheatre show to the park in the summer and back to warmer climates in the winter. We also found out what happened to the dolphins that used to be in the show: A hurricane damaged their off-season home, and the company that supplied them went out of business. They all live at other marine-themed parks and zoos now. Holy Zamboni, Batman! When the engineers need to get beneath the coaster cars, they line them up over this pit and remove the appropriate boards. The Roller Cowster lives! Originating as a parade float in connection with one of those urban art statue projects, this bit of decor greeted park guests near the front gate for awhile until the elements finally took their toll. The park plans to fix it up with the idea of possibly donating it to the Roller Coaster Museum. Next up was the sign shop. This portion of the TR is brought to you by Chevrolet. The hearbeat of America--that's today's Chevrolet. This is what we like to refer to as a "chick magnet." When's the last time anything at Hersheypark actually cost 15 cents? We see you, Great Bear sign! There's Jolly Rancher, being all bossy again. Virginia may be for lovers, but the Ferris wheel is for Twizzlers. OMG, it's like the games page of the Club TPR newsletter suddenly came to life! Noted! Statuary from the abandoned "Brokeback Mountain: The Ride." Hersheypark is really like its own self-contained city. It even has its own street sweeper and garbage truck. Exclusive backstage Fahrenheit photo! Speaking of snacks and turkey legs, it's time for lunch. What do you want to bet there will be special guests and amazing prizes? More to come....

Nice to see the Maine parks getting some TPR love. When I was there earlier this summer, Palace Playland was just installing its new Ferris wheel. It reminded me a lot of our local Jolly Roger at the Pier. It's there, and it has some rides, but if it wasn't right next to the beach, it's nothing anyone would bother going out of their way for. I really enjoyed Funtown Splashtown. Excalibur was a nice surprise, and overall the park had a really nice, clean family feel. And go-karts were included with admission! Hopefully I'll have the time to post a TR of my own on these parks eventually. I assume the North East Tour also ventured to York's Wild Kingdom for the fifth Maine credit?

So wow, it's midnight on Tuesday, and I just got back an hour ago from an extended East Coast Bash weekend. As usual, Robb and Elissa completely outdid themselves once again, and thanks to their hard work and the generosity of Hersheypark, this was a tremendous event. Now for the bad news: In the middle of the event, my trusty camera of four and a half years broke beyond all reasonable repair. While on my honeymoon earlier this summer, I noticed that the lens had a spot on it that I couldn't seem to get off, so I knew it probably would be time for a new one soon, but I never expected the shutter button to just pop off, launching a spring from its interior. I think I just plain wore it out. Counting up during my drive home tonight (following a visit to Knoebel's), I estimated I probably took over a quarter million photos with it on two continents from Christmas 2006 to last weekend. The semi-good news is that by saving the button in my wallet, I was still able to take it out and hold it in place on the camera when I wanted to take pictures, say, for backstage tours. However, because that was a pain, I didn't take too many park pictures in between. But then, you can look most of them up in the park index, anyway. So here it is: the last photo TR taken with my Sony Cybershot. RIP, old friend. As all good TPR events do, East Coast Bash started with museum ERT! OK, so maybe the museum was just where registration was taking place... but afterward, Robb had some pretty cool stuff to announce, including what more or less amounted to full backstage photo access to 95 percent of the park at various points throughout the day. And awaaaaayyyyy we go! First stop: a bonus Q&A session and quick peek inside the park's physical plant. Want to know how much electricity the park uses per day? These are the guys to ask. (Answer: 30,000 hamsters worth.) Then it was on to Fahrenheit for the start of ERT! Fun fact: The 97-degree drop at the top is only 36 degrees in Celsius. First train of East Coast Bash! It would be bad manners to ignore Storm Runner, so here's its first ERT train, as well. While the other 154 East Coast Bash participants were busy cramming themselves into coasters, six of us watched some dudes fire up the steam trains for the day. It was awesome!!!! We learned pretty much everything there was to know about these trains, including their orignial color scheme, manufacturer and even the oiling points! Turns out the "coal" on top is really a plastic shell. Who knew? These babies run entirely on propane and propane accessories. Lauryn is not impressed. Personally, I was impressed until I found out the trains didn't stop at Funky Junction. We now return to your regularly scheduled ERT, already in progress. We also had ERT on the Claw. Er... that Claw! Yay, Lauryn is tall enough! Uh oh! She looks nervous.... Her final assessment was that the Claw was "fun, then scary, then fun again." But not worth a re-ride. Noted! Yes, but how far is it to Toledo? While 99 percent of the rest of the Bashers ran to the nearest unoccupied coaster as soon as ERT was over, Lauryn waited patiently for the honor of being the first person of the day to ride the Howler. From there, we decided to test out our accuracy on Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge. For those who don't know the back story, here it is as best as I can figure from the few seconds of pre-show I saw: A pro surfer dude and football star from the '60s became announcers for ESPN. One liked chocolate and the other liked peanut butter. Somehow, this was all related to sports, and a rivalry started. Then one of them had a son who became a pro snowboarder, and the other had a daughter who became a pro skater, and the kids did some hanky panky. There may or may not have been a paternity test involved. So instead of fighting over who got whose chocolate in whose peanut butter or whatever, the dads started a Reese's Cup-themed version of the X Games. Your job is to shoot all the athletes and end this foolishness once and for all. After a couple of rides, we were pretty sure we had them all wiped out, so Kelly and Lauryn decided to take a break and ride the Pirate. Which sounds kind of dirty until you see the photo and realize it's a swinging boat ride. Which actually also sounds kind of dirty. We had time to squeeze in one more ride before the next backstage tour (seriously, we spent almost as much time behind the scenes as we did in front of them), so Lauryn and I took a quick spin on the Frontier Flyers. Our styles varied vastly. My technique was to get that sucker as high and twisted as humanly possible. Hers was to keep it as straight and low as she could manage. But she'll figure out the "right" way to ride them eventually. Up next: What the Hersheypark mantenance complex looks like and why you should care.

^^Thanks, but I'm sure she would disagree. We did something similar--but on a much larger scale--19 months ago when we took her to Disney World--without telling her. We told her we were flying out to Idaho to see the world's largest potato, and she completely believed us. In fact, we may have been a little too convincing. During the entire trip from the airport to the hotel via Disney's Magical Express, she refused to believe we were in Florida. It wasn't until we checked in at the All-Star Movies that she finally said, "You know what? I think maybe we really are at Disney World...."

^That would be my stepdaughter (age 7), too, if she had any idea. She's finishing up her summer visitation with her father on Saturday. Before she left two months ago, I told her we were going to Hershey at some point before school was back in session. I'm sure she's forgotten that by now, and even if she hasn't, she doesn't know that she's literally going to be on a coaster 16 hours after her plane lands.

Based on my past experiences, you shouldn't have any problem getting to do everything that morning, including multiple rides during ERT. For everyone whose first TPR event will be this year's ECB, let me just say that you have no idea what you're in for. I've attended three TPR trips, three Bashes and one Club TPR Day, and I always leave wondering how in the world Robb and Elissa were able to top themselves yet again. As far as the weather, right now they're calling for highs in the mid- to upper-80s.

I'm glad to see Spook-A-Rama is still there, as I thought it was a casualty of the revitalization. Hopefully I'll get up there eventually to ride it, the Cyclone and the Wonder Wheel. Coney Island has always intrigued me. In fact, I just finished reading a novel set, in part, at the old Dreamland amusement park. Maybe next summer.... I had Nathan's for lunch today in honor of this TR.

That's so cool! Melissa Joan Hart, though? Am I alone in thinking that's sort of... random? Is she married to one of the Yankees or something? I had a Cake Boss cake earlier this year, and it was good... but I probably wouldn't stand in line an hour to get another one.

<--Jealous! Even though it's 90 degrees out, I wish I was there. Makes me even more excited for East Coast Bash!

A few hours after our visit to Polly's Pancake Parlor, we officially made it to Old Orchard Beach, ME, where we spent the majority of our honeymoon. After checking into to our motel--which, unfortunately, turned out to be less than stellar (when the website said "daily maid service," we had no idea that meant "maid service one day a year")--we began the official "lobster tour" portion of the trip. Enjoy! For our first official meal in Maine, we headed out to Cape Elizabeth to check out the Lobster Shack. For a restaurant with "shack" in its name, this place was much less shack-like than a few others we visited. There was indoor seating available, but no one in their right mind would have dined in there when this was right outside. Check out the view from our table! Supposedly, there are two lighthouses visible from the restaurant, but this is the only one I could find. The Lobster Shack is a "place your order and wait for your number" kind of joint. When our number was called, this is what awaited: succulent fried whole-belly clams and Maine's best lobster roll (that's an inside joke--every lobster roll we had allegedly was voted Maine's best by some magazine, newspaper, TV show or website). As great as that food was, it didn't hold a candle to dessert: Grape-Nuts pudding and Maine blueberry pie. For the uninitiated, Grape-Nuts, for whatever reason, are tremendously popular in Maine. The pudding resembled a loose bread pudding, only made with cereal. If I had to choose which of these dishes was the best... I don't think I could. We didn't eat at any of the Amato's restaurants in the area, but we did get a good laugh from this sign. Way to go, French fries! Between our huge breakfast and more-than-sensible lunch, we weren't really hungry until much later. Good thing for us the Portland Pie Company in Portland, ME, stayed open late. One of our friends recently got Kelly interested in sampling new kinds of beer, so she opted to start with a flight of Maine brews. Her favorite was the blueberry beer. The funny thing is, she's not much of a drinker, so though she was happy to taste each one, I'm not sure she actually drank enough to constitute a single serving. The main reason we went to the Portland Pie Company was to try their Red Claws Pie. This is basically a white pizza with a three-cheese blend and lobster meat, drizzled with drawn butter. And with those ingredients, how could it have been anything less than outstanding? The next morning, we started the day at Becky's Diner in Portland. This place came highly recommended not only online, but by a couple friends of ours who visited last year. Our friends warned us that we likely would have to wait for a seat, and we did, for about half an hour. Parking also was really funky. Instead of parking spaces, they had parking lanes, which meant everyone had to double and triple park. So basically every few minutes, they would send a waitress through the restaurant asking if someone with license plate such-and-such could please move their vehicle. That person would have to abandon their breakfast, move the vehicle, wait for the other car to leave, then pull up another spot in the lane. Then by the time they were done eating, someone had blocked them in, and the process began anew. Three things we learned on this trip: 1. At some point or other, Guy Fieri has featured about 90 percent of all restaurants in Maine on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." 2. If a restaurant has been featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," you can expect at least a 30-minute wait before getting a table. 3. Guy Fieri wields way too much power. I have no idea what Guy ate here, but Kelly ate ham, eggs, homefries and an English muffin. In nearly all reviews I read, the homefries came highly recommended. I ordered mine covered with cheese (looks like Kraft Singles to me). I have no idea what people see in these things. Besides the cheese, they were bland as Styrofoam . Based on online recommendations, I ordered the peanut butter and bacon sandwich on Italian toast. Apparently it's an "after 11 a.m." item, but since bacon and toast are on the breakfast menu and peanut butter isn't too hard to scoop out of a jar, they made it for me anyway, which I appreciated. Sadly, it was almost as bland as the homefries. I think it probably would have been better had the sandwich contained more than .0005 ounces of bacon. We unexpectedly received some bad news that afternoon that kind of put a damper on the rest of the day, and we ended up back at the hotel for a little while. While Kelly took a nap, I went for a walk down to what would be considered Old Orchard's "boardwalk" area, sans an actual boardwalk. She had mentioned the day before that she wanted to try some French fries from this stand at some point, so I got some to take back in hopes of cheering her up a little. Of course, like Forrest bringing chocolates to Jenny, "I ate some." They were good covered with salt and vinegar, but they'll never beat our local Thrasher's. That evening, we headed down to Kennebunkport to check out the Clam Shack, which, surprisingly, is as well known for its lobster rolls as it is for its clams. Less surprisingly, they have Maine's best lobster rolls! This is what $17 worth of lobster looks like. Unlike the one at the Lobster Shack, which was made with a traditional mayonnaise base, this was a "hot" lobster roll, meaning it consisted only of bread, lobster meat and drawn butter. And sometimes, that's plenty! Up next: more lobster and... a meatloaf panini?

Time for another honeymoon roadfood update. Enjoy! We had park food at Canobie Lake for lunch on day three, but we returned to our hotel in Massachusetts for dinner. Remember that dine-in theater we learned about at Kane's Donuts? Turns out it was pretty easy to find--it shared a parking lot with our hotel! Chunky's may not look like much on the outside... but inside was a whole 'nother story. All the seats were refurbished from Lincoln Towncars and set on wheels. Instead of being lined up like traditional theater seats, they were stationed around long, cafeteria-style tables for patrons' dining convenience. Our waitress was so impressed that we chose Chunky's as our honeymoon destination that she asked if we wanted her to take our picture. Of course, we obliged. Now I know how Big Mike feels when he's around the papparazzi! We saw "Cars 2," but the real star of the experience was my Godzilla burger. That's an 8-ounce burger with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, pepper jack cheese, bacon, ham and turkey, served on a kaiser roll with fries and a pickle. Kelly said her chicken Parmigiana sandwich was good, too... but hello? Godzilla burger! The other thing I thought was neat about Chunky's was that the bill came on a glow-in-the-dark tray so you could read it while the movie was playing. Back at the hotel, Kelly and I ended the evening by dining on leftover almond macaroons and drinking our wedding champagne out of plastic Best Western cups. Lunch the next day consisted of more park food, this time from Clark's Trading Post in Lincoln, NH. By the time we got to our hotel in Franconia Notch around 7 p.m., most of the restaurants in the immediate area were closed. After some random driving back in the direction of Lincoln, we ended up at Truant's Taverne. It turned out to be a fortunate stop. Aside from a hot dog (for me) and lobster roll (for Kelly) at Clark's, we literally hadn't eaten anything all day. We started with the spinach and artichoke dip appetizer. Maybe it was just because we were so hungry, but this tasted wonderful. Harkening back to the TPR UK Trip, I ordered the fish and chips. These were amazing! It's hard to tell in this photo, but each of those four pieces was a whole haddock fillet. I ate two, gave Kelly half of one, finished the fries and had several slices of fresh-baked bread before surrendering. My first instinct, however, had been to not get the fish at all, but instead to try the special of the day, beef Stroganoff. Because Kelly wanted to get that, too, we agreed that she would let me try some. It was great--though I thought the fish was better. Kelly ate about half of it before she, too, threw in the towel. However, there was a method to Kelly's Stroganoff-leaving madness, and that method was to insist we visit the ice cream stand next door before leaving. Stuffed as I was, the place was having a buy one, get one free special (we found that at several ice cream shops in this area), so I ended up with a pistachio cone that ended up partially going to waste. This cone represents probably about a quart's worth of soft serve. The main reason we lingered in Franconia Notch that evening instead of driving the extra hour and a half to Maine was the town's proximity to Polly's Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill, NH. If you don't finish your pancakes, you wake up with this guy in your bed! It may not look like much on the inside... ...but this James Beard Foundation Award promised otherwise! In fact, Polly's is pretty universally listed as one of the top 10 (often even top five) roadfood destinations in the United States. Much of the restaurant's appeal comes from its variety of pancake toppings. On this tray we have pure maple syrup, raw maple brown sugar and Polly's unique maple spread, available in the gift shop for about $10 a jar. They even have maple pepper! We tried a little of this on Kelly's eggs. It delivers a quick hit of sweetness, then basically burns the crap out of your mouth for the next couple minutes. At long last, my first plate of pancakes arrived. Polly's serves them in orders of six, and the wait staff brings out only three at a time so the second half don't get cold while you're working on the first. When you order, you get to choose not only what flavor pancakes you want, but what batter style, as well. Kelly tried and really like the daily special, which was pineapple. I got the buttermilk blueberry, buckwheat walnut and cornmeal coconut. The blueberry was OK. I didn't really care that much for the walnut, but I think that was more because of the buckwheat batter than anything else. The coconut pancakes were outstanding, and I would stand in line to eat them again! On my second batch, I tried Polly's fabled "hurricane sauce." This is basically thinly sliced apples boiled in pure maple syrup. The name came about following a hurricane that struck the area, causing a massive number of apples to fall from trees on farms surrounding the restaurant. The owner basically was offered all the fallen apples he could haul, so he took them--then he had to figure out what in the world to do with them. After some experimenting, he came up with "hurricane sauce," which remains a staple at the eatery to this day. It was good--but not as good as I thought it would be. That kind of sums up Polly's for me, as well. The coconut pancakes were tremendous, but everything else was just... pancakes. I wouldn't go out of my way to dine here again, but based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews it's received elsewhere, I'm probably in the minority. Up next: Lobster madness!

Cool, man! Congratulations!

Larry, Thought you could use a photo of the new Ferris wheel at Palace Playland in Old Orchard Beach, ME. Constructed June 27-July 1, 2011

When Kelly and I first started talking about honeymoon plans way back in winter 2010, we zeroed in on a two-week Mediterranean cruise that stopped at a number of places we both have long been interested in visiting, including most of the major tourist spots in Italy. Unfortunately, she lost her job a few months later when her company downsized, and she wasn't able to build up vacation time at her new job quickly enough for us to make that a reality. We weighed a number of other options, including an Alaskan cruise (which she also didn't have enough time for), a Hawaiian vacation (too expensive), Walt Disney World (too hot in the summer, and we're thinking about taking her daughter back there again next year anyway), the California coast (I was just there with TPR two years ago) and Las Vegas (another area I've been within the past few years). Finally, in trying to come up with a place I hadn't already been and she wanted to go (a short list, to be sure), we started thinking about New England. I spent some time there a number of years ago, and we even did our own mini-trip to Connecticut and Massachusetts a couple years ago, but neither of us had been to New Hampshire or Maine. So it was settled. Next, it was up to me to go on my favorite websites and come up with an itenerary for us. I'll get to the amusement parks and other attractions in other posts. As for the food... it was magnificent, and you're invited to come along on the photo journey. Enjoy! Our dining adventures actually began the first night with cheesesteaks at Pat's and Geno's in Philadelphia. But since I've covered them before on TPR, I'm jumping right in to Day Two, which began on Wooster Street in New Haven, CT. That can only mean... Pizza! We parked in front of Sally's, but opted to take a quick walk down the street to their main competitor... Frank Pepe Pizzeria! I've come to the conclusion that all you need to do to succeed in business is to have your business featured on a reality show. Frank Pepe's has been lauded on the Travel Channel and Food Network, so it must be good, right? To be honest, we considered turning around and walking back to Sally's, as we were pushing to stay on schedule. Fortunately, the line moved quickly. For those who kept track on the Scott's Pizza Tour update, this is a coal-fired oven. That equals pizza goodness! Kelly got one of the house specialties, a spinach, garlic and gorgonzola pie. I opted for the pizza that came most recommended by Roadfood experts Jane and Michael Stern: white clam and garlic. It was amazing! Because we had several stops planned for the day before reaching our hotel, I knew the pizza wouldn't hold up in the hot car, so I forced myself to eat the last couple pieces. Kelly had them box up about half of hers, and we ultimately ended up throwing it away the next day. I almost cried. We got in and out of Frank Pepe's so quickly that we had a few minutes to stop by Libby's Italian Pastry Shop next door. We picked up a bag of anginetts (Italian Munchkins), which were just OK. These almond macaroons, however, were some of the best things I've ever tasted, period. Seriously, Nabisco should be ashamed to call anything they make a "cookie" when compared to stuff like this. Unfortunately, we got slightly lost on the way to our next desitnation, Kane's Donuts in Saugus, MA, and I was deathly afraid we were going to miss it. After taking a scenic detour along the Charles River in the heart of Boston, we made it seven minutes before closing! Unfortunately, by the time I got back outside to take a picture, they had turned off all of the cool lights on the sign. This place apparently had been featured on the Food Network, as well, though I haven't seen the show it's associated with. I read online that their doughnuts have been rated among the top 10 in the nation, though I thought they were just OK, for the most part. The creme brulee doughnut (front row, center) was unique, but I liked the apple cider doughnuts (on either side of the creme brulee) the best. The guy behind the counter (whom I suspect was the owner) was incredibly nice and chatted with us for a few minutes about where we were from and where we were headed. When we told him where we were staying for the next few days, he recommended a dine-in movie theater in that area that we resolved to check out. Up next was a stop at Salem Willows, NH. This was kind of an old-fashioned boardwalk area without an actual boardwalk. This ancient-looking stand is home to E.W. Hobbs, whose founders, it is claimed, introduced the ice cream cone to the United States. However, since that is purported to have happened in 1906, and the ice cream cone itself is said to have been invented in the United States at the 1904 World's Fair, the claim is fairly dubious. However, E.W. Hobbs does have another claim to fame: Its popcorn is consistently voted the best in New England. It was really good! They also sold popcorn bars, which was a new concept to me. Basically, they're oversized Rice Krispie treats made out of crushed popcorn instead of cereal and coated with flavored powdered sugar. We got the chocolate one, which was kind of meh, but it was worth a buck to try. We had been going full speed all day, and it started to catch up with us by the time we made it back to Saugus for a late dinner at Kowloon. Fortunately, this place has a vibe so exciting, it was impossible to stay tired for too long. This 1,200-seat Polynesian restaurant is divided into multiple sections. We had a great view in the Fountain Room. Next door, a live band was rocking out in the Volcano Room. It took hardly any time at all for our food to arrive. This was the Pu Pu platter of the gods! Seriously, this was so large, we almost made ourselves sick trying to finish it... and failed. Apparently, this is the go-to dish at Kowloon; nearly every table we saw had one. I had read that their Pu Pu platters were fairly large, so I didn't get an entree, opting instead for just a side of ham-fried rice (which I'd never heard of before). When they brought it out, it came in a tureen the size of a mixing bowl! Kelly did get an entree, and her pineapple chicken curry was the hit of a meal that had already eclipsed "amazing." If you're ever in the Boston area, I can't recommend this restaurant enough. Noted! And that about does it for Day Two. Up next: the Godzilla burger!

When last we left off with this thread, I had promised some photos from Yocco's in Foglesville, PA. Unfortunately, I realized I didn't actually take photos at Yocco's this time around, so you'll have to settle for some "retreads" from my visit there in 2009. I thought I had posted them somewhere on here in a trip report from that era, but I can't seem to find them, so maybe I didn't. So if you've already seen these, I apologize. If not, enjoy! Oh, and it doesn't stop there. I'm including all my May-through-mid-June restaurants in this post in anticipation of a giant, mega, OMFG honeymoon Roadfood post to follow... when I get the chance to go through the photos. This funny-sounding restaurant got its name in a funny-sounding way. Apparently the owner of the original Yocco's was somehow related to Lee Iacocca. He wanted to cash in on Lee's fame, so he did it in a way that made the most sense locally. Apparently a lot of the area Pennsylvania Dutch had a hard time pronouncing "Iacocca," so they just called him "Yocco." Hence "Yocco's." Any restaurant with a giant hot dog wearing a football helmet behind its counter has to be good... right? Can't make it to Yocco's? They'll ship worldwide! I've been a big fan of this place since I accidentally stumbled upon it during a roadtrip about 10 years ago. My order never changes: two chili dogs, pierogis and a birch beer. I eat at the Back Street Grill in Salisbury, MD, at least once a month--it's the "official" unofficial post-meeting spot of the Jaycees, on whose board of directors I sit. This is my standing order: The Boss. It's basically a skirt steak sandwich with horseradish sauce, served with chips and a pickle. I usually end up sharing a giant order of hand-cut fries, as well. We went to Ocean City, MD, as part of Lauryn's birthday this year and ended up at the Mug and Mallet, where Kelly's best friend's sister works (and got us a discount). Everyone here starts out with a bucket of complimentary Old Bay popcorn... not bad! This was a new one on me! This is a claw machine with a lobster tank where the stuffed animals usually would go. You insert $5, and if you catch a lobster with the claw, the restaurant will boil it for you. It's like the Santa Claw for the seafood lover in you! Instead of taking that gamble, Kelly and I both went with the Chesapeake burger. Unlike most simliarly named burgers, which feature a dollop of crab imperial on top, this one was a hamburger topped with a fried crab cake. It was pretty good. Hooray for the Mug and Mallet! The next day, I drove my mom up to Hampstead, MD, to visit with my grandmother, who recently was diagnosed with dementia. It was a bittersweet visit, capped with a trip down the street to Genova's Restaurant. We were between traditional meal times, so the place was virtually deserted. It had a nice atmosphere. These complimentary garlic knots were pretty good! My mom and I weren't quite hungry yet, so we didn't order much. My French onion soup was really good, though. In the end, we decided to split a chocolate chip cannoli. It was decadent! I've posted about the Delmarva Chicken Festival on here before. It's basically a celebration of all things chicken, held in a different town on the Delmarva Peninsula each year. This year it was in Georgetown, DE, just a few miles away from our apartment, so we couldn't not go. They boast the world's largest frying pan, seen here. Here's the result of that pan. This was Lauryn's last weekend in town before going on her annual two-month summer visitation with her father, so we made a day out of the festival and other activities. If I have time, I'll post some photos of the ghetto carnival we bought tickets for that day. It was magnificently horrible! We ended our adventure that evening with a stop at the Rehoboth Diner in Rehoboth, DE, which one of Kelly's co-workers highly recommended. I thought it was hillarious that the "Big Bird" was beef instead of poultry. And do kids today even know who Flipper is? Or Wimpy, for that matter? My dinner came with a choice of soup or salad. I got the chicken noodle soup, which wasn't bad. The prime rib was excellent! Kelly gave her chicken Parmigiana high marks. And I think this just about says all there is to say about the "Snoopy"! Up next: Honeymoon-a-rama!

Actually, I'm going to Saugus in two days... on purpose, even! If all goes as planned, it should turn out to be quite the treat for the Roadfood thread. These photos made me reminisce about our visit to USH during the West Coast Trip. Looks like an awesome time, as usual!

I want a 1080p of the height-adujusting toilet. Awesome photos. Thanks, Robb!

Just came back from my first in-theater movie in nearly a year and a half: "Super 8." It could have been a really great "Goonies"-type movie, and it could have been a really great "Alien"-type movie, but unfortunately, they tried to cram both into one, and each one took away from the other. Without giving anything away, the ending seemed like someone said, "Crap, we only have about 10 minutes to wrap up both of these complex, emotional and sometimes convoluted plots. Um... let's just do it this way and hope no one notices all the unanswered questions and plot holes." Like Tyler said, however, it did deliver more or less what it promised, and it certainly was nostalgic--my parents actually had the same coffee table during that time as the one in the main characters' living room. If they could have taken another hour or so and fully developed the ending, it could have been something special. Instead it's just another summer popcorn movie--and it's probably best if you don't think too much about it.

The classic American foodie in me thanks you for the Shakey's Pizza photo! The rest of me thanks you for the rest of the photos. Wish I could be there in person. Stupid honeymoon....

^Yes.