printersdevil78

^I despise single-rider rules. And I despise them even more when they aren't advertised at the entrance to the line, but seem to suddenly "materialize" when you reach the ride vehicle because the ride op says they do. Ninety-nine percent of these rules seem to be more along the lines of "We don't feel like operating the ride for just one person" or "The line will move slower if we place just one person per car" rather than anything having to do with safety. Personally, I think any park with these types of nonsensical rules should offer a discounted admission ticket for single riders since they aren't able to have the same ride opportunities as those coming to the park in groups of two or more. It's a personal pet peeve. At any rate, I really enjoyed this TR. The best day of my life thus far culminated at Waldameer a couple years ago, and RFII is my favorite coaster of all time. I've never been to Lake Conneaut, but it looks like exactly the kind of park I would enjoy. Hopefully I'll get the chance to see it one day, melted lamp globes and all.

I would be 100 percent on board with this idea. Regarding the profit thing, It can't cost more to print a little plastic card than it does to make an entire plastic cup, so the initial $12 profit would stay the same, and Six Flags could even personalize it like they do with season passes so multiple people can't use the same card, forcing more people to buy cards (I know we've loaned our cup out to family and friends more than once). The only extra thing they would have to account for is the cost of paper cups, and I personally would happily pay an extra 25 cents per drink ($1.25 refills) if it meant not having to worry about the inconvenience of carrying that cup around all day and worrying about putting it in a locker (or behind the lockers and hoping for the best) every time we get to a ride. Of course, I wonder if that would automatically decrease locker profits. Hmmm....

The next park on the schedule... wasn't really on the schedule! On our way to the hotel for the evening, we took a detour to the wonderful, enchanting land of Coney Beach. While it wasn't the most... savory area, it was a fun little detour with a couple kiddie credits, bathrooms and dinner. Enjoy! On the way to Coney Beach, we experienced the return of the "Snack Song!" Seriously, this thing deserves both an Emmy and a Grammy! Here we are! To the park's credit, the entrance from the beach looked a little better than the street entrance. Of course, there was also this.... First credit at Coney: Nessi! Josh is incredibly excited about riding the butt! The second half of Coney's still-existing credits: Go-Gator! Some of us were too proud to ride the Go-Gator. Others couldn't wait to be first in line.... The guy who owned the rides at Coney was very modest. He only put his name in lights on about 2/3 of them. Also, this park absolutely does NOT use sexual images to draw potential guests. Not at all! Who knew that the latest in simulation rides (from 1982) could be found right smack dab in the middle of Coney Beach? Apparently the doors fell off this train at one point. But that's not a problem.... OMG, nudity on the rides! No, seriously... nudity on the rides! The Waltzer must be the official theme park ride of the UK--you're not allowed to operate a park without one. Pretty neat to see this old Chair-O-Planes ride revamped (Pat Evans' name was on the other side of the canopy). The guy running the Orbiter saw my name tag as I was taking this picture and asked me to make sure to tell everyone on here that Coney Beach is better than Botton's. And since I don't want to be knifed (which would *never* happen at Botton's)... Coney Beach is better than Botton's! This ride contains over 80 years' worth of Disney copyright infringement! I've mentioned in past TRs that my soon-to-be stepdaughter Lauryn's favorite Disney princess is Ariel. On an unrelated note, I also took a picture of this random painting, whoever it's supposed to be. I've been to dozens of theme parks in the U.S. and beyond, and I've never before (or since) seen one rip off "Star Trek" in an attempt to bring in customers. I've also never seen one rip off "Family Guy." Including this. I'd also never heard of Coconut Shy before this trip, but saw it at a number of UK parks. For the uninitiated, it's kind of like those games where you have to knock over a stack of milk bottles with a softball, only instead of milk bottles, the objective is to knock over a coconut. Not content with merely infringing on the copyrights of cartoon, movies and TV shows, Coney breaks new ground in being possibly the first amusement park to infringe on a chain store copyright. Only in England! I decided not to waste my money on this particulary dark ride, but Mike did. He said it was pretty good... for not having any sound. "Grr... how dare you make fun Coney Beach!" Neither of us bothered with the second dark ride next door. Photos... now in colour! We also skipped the head-bouncing ride. We did not try the faggot and peas for dinner. Nor did we stop at the seaside seafood shack with no visible means of refrigeration... ...though they did have jellied eels. Instead, we elected to stop at Wimpy, and I was excited to try a fast food chain not available (to my knowledge) in America. This was arguably the worst meal I had on the entire trip. I think I would have been better off eating the wrappers. Guy at the American Donuts stand: "Do they have donuts in America?" Strolling down the boardwalk in search of a non-pay toilet (which I did eventually find), I stumbled into an arcade with several antique coin-op games. I thoroughly enjoyed playing these! The gambling laws in the UK, at least when it comes to slot machines, seem to be more lenient than in the U.S. Once at the hotel that evening, it was time for one of my favorite TPR trip traditions: the snack exchange! Fran gave freely of himself! My favorite "new to me" food at the exchange this year was the Idaho Spuds. Basically, each one is a dollop of marshmallow, enrobed in dark chocolate and covered in coconut. They were awesome! Up next: Oakwood and the dear, departed Crystal Maze!

Since, for all intents and purposes, becoming a pseudo (soon to be legitimate) stepfather this year, I've experienced a lot of that competitive momminess first-hand. The most "WTF?" moment so far came when we were at a local restaurant, and one of Kelly's mom's co-workers saw us and made a point of coming over to tell us that she had heard we were trying to get Lauryn in full-day kindergarten to help with some heredetery writing and vocabulary issues--but we were out of luck since she was friends with the principal and had gotten her daughter the last seat in the all-day class so she wouldn't have to pay as much for after-school care. So tough luck (which is pretty much what the school eventually told us, too)! As for the "too young to remember" bit, we did delay our trip to Walt Disney World until earlier this year, when Lauryn was 5, in hopes that she would remember it a little more. However, I absolutely hate sitting at home doing nothing, so on the weekends I'm not working or volunteering, we're always going someplace fun. One Monday last spring, after we had spent the weekend in the Shenendoah Valley, Lauryn came home from school almost in tears. Kelly asked her what was wrong, and she said, "We were talking about what we did over the weekend, and I said I went to see dinosaurs, and went to an underground cave and saw fish, and ate stuff at a picnic table that a man cooked in his big outdoor stove (pit barbecue), and saw a hot air balloon, and went to flea markets, and got a bunch of (trading) cards at the card show, and ate a giant hamburger and then came home and watched Nickelodeon... and they said I was lying! And they said I always lie because I don't really go ride roller coasters, and see movies outside, and go to water parks, and visit the 'seum (museums), and go to the zoo, and eat at restaurants where you have to sit in your car, and play claw machines, and go to carnivals, and get ice cream from cows (at dairy farms)... but I do!" We live in a fairly economically depressed area. Kelly did her best to explain that most of her classmates don't have the opportunity to do most of those things, so maybe it was better if, when asked what she did over the weekend, she just went with the generic "Had fun and played."

OK, I know I'm a little late on this... but things got a lot busier for me this summer than I anticipated. I'm hoping to take some time while I'm off the next two days and update some neglected TRs (including this one), then do some sort of year in review with the TRs I haven't even started yet the next time I have a long stretch of time off, in December. I have lots of photos from this summer to share (SFGAd, Knoebels, Dollywood, Lagoon, some random ghetto fairs and a whole lot of offbeat roadside attractions for the Random, Random, Random board)! At any rate, Day 1 of the UK Tour took us to Chessington World of Adventures. It was a pretty nice park, and the TPR perks (backstage tours, etc) were great! I don't think I would have navigated it quite as well without the help of my roomie, Mike Moody, however, so props to Mike! On to the photos! Welcome to Britain's wildest adventure! Bubble Works ERT? Well... why not? Mystery! Suspense! Bubbles! Foam party! It's like World of Color... the Ride! What's that, duckies? You want us to go on a backstage tour of Bubble Works? OK! Three men in a tub... or Turkish bathhouse? I'll bet the Cadbury Bunny was born in a similar facility.... "Do you expect me to talk, Mr. Bubblehead?" "No, Mr. Duck... I expect you to die!" OMG! Theme park references on the Bubble Works ride! OMG! OMG! Duckie-go-round! OK... so not *quite* as original.... Jeff Johnson credit... ...for duckies! Say hello to our backstage tour guide. Go on, say it! Say it now! I spy TPR colors! "Oh, so *that's* what water looks like!" It's just like the last scene of the Hershey's Great American Chocolate Tour... only with soap! We sure will! Thanks, Bubble Works! Who's up for some Vampire ERT? Why are monsters always so fascinated with pipe organs? I'm a fan of Arrow suspended coasters, and Vampire did not disappoint, especially with its new cars. Neither did the backstage tour/photo walkback! They did a really good job with the themeing in the park's Transylvania section. Even the bathrooms were themed! To put this photo in perspective, we visited Chessington the morning after the England soccer team experienced their first loss in the 2010 World Cup. The sign was gone by the time the park opened. What, *more* ERT? You're kidding, right? OK, so what exactly does a dragon need with treasure, anyway? It's not like he can just stroll into Walmart and spend it. "Foolish mortal! I shop on Amazon!" Spinnnnnnnn! The Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain was at Chessington that day, too! Soon enough it was time for the park to actually open (after we had already been there about two and a half hours). Since we were right there, we wandered straight into Chessington's newest land, Wild Asia. Tuk-tuk... goose! Unfortunately, the Temple of Mayhem, one of those foam ball play places I've come to really enjoy at parks, was closed We were originally slated to have ERT on Kobra later that afternoon, but technical difficulties kept it closed all day. Looks like an ordinary chair swing ride, right? Well, beyond being a traditional swing ride, the Monkey Swinger had a water spout that splashed unsuspecting riders! This was the only costumed character we saw all day, but it was a cool one! Um... does Busch Gardens know about this? Being fans of "scenic" and dark rides--the older and cheesier the better--Mike and I thoroughly enjoyed this! Unfortunately, unlike the Disney version, this ride didn't take us straight to hell "Roger dodger! A-vroom-a-zoom-zoom!" This weather thingamabob was pretty cool to look at. Too bad it didn't work. It was actually bright and sunny that day and every day for the rest of the trip! Oooh... scary! Tomb Blaster was pretty awesome! So... Egypt is known for its fried chicken? I had no idea! And apparently it's fresh! There's something very RCT-ish about this.... Onward to Rattlesnake, quite possibly the most comfortable and non-PC wild mouse ever! Drunk Mexican sitting on a barrel of rum = themeing, and no one is threatening to sue? We're definitely not in America anymore! More non-PCery! So what made Rattlesnake so comfortable? They let us sit in the middle of the seat and straddle the lapbar instead of squeezing two people onto each bench. Not sure if any U.S. parks do that, but I'd be willing to bet not. The lawyers are watching, people! We had front-of-the-line passes for most of the rides, but between ERT and light morning crowds, Runaway Mine Train was the only one I actually needed to use it for. Next up: Safari Skyway! Sea lions... ...and the regular variety! Chessington had a great carousel, with pictures of its attractions represented on the upper panels. Vampire with Arrow trains! No TR would be complete without Mike showing off his giant hairy balls! "I say, guv'ner, how 'bout some lunch, oy?" Buf-fay! A little from column A, a little from column B. There is something very "Bryan and Adam Show" about this table.... OK, is everybody ready to see the most bizarre Burger King ever? "Velkom, Velkom... to my death-themed Burger King!" Enter the Servery... of death! Nothing like eating your Whopper in a coffin-themed chair beneath a giant vampire bat! Coffins, tombstones, a creepy anthtropomorphic tree... and onion rings! Vampire bat sucking on the neck of a skeleton... appetizing! "Yep, I definintely should have stayed away from the Chicken Fries!" Be sure to save room for dessert at the crypt-themed ice cream stand outside! Noted! Nearly every park in the UK seemed to welcome picnickers--bringing in their own food, no less--in unregulated open green spaces. Try doing that at 99 percent of U.S. parks! In the background is Hocus Pocus hall, a real home on park property that, after the interior burned, was transformed into park offices and a 3-D funhouse. Let's have a closer look, shall we? Basically, the premise was that this was an institute for wizards, only these little gremlins had gotten inside and were wreaking havoc on the place--and its visitors. "Ze goggles... zey do nozhing!" Having ridden everything in the park that I was interested in at least once, I decided to check out the Chessington Zoo. Also... penguins! This little guy was just hanging around. Fun fact: The capybara is the world's largest rodent. So many gorillas... not enough kitties to go around. "If only my wife had never checked my Blackberry...." Looks to me like he was pushed. Witness the first of many park-based Sea Life Aquaria we saw on the trip. "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...." I always enjoy finding arcade game types I've never seen before, and this one was new to me. Basically, it was a sort of combination of air hockey and pinball that, depending on which targets you hit, moved the pigs on top like of of those roll-a-ball derby games. To make up for the lack of Kobra ERT, the park gave us soft drink and animal ERT (no, really)! Zebras! (Pronounced "zeb-bras"). Up close and personal! "I'm a ferocious animal... and so is the Guinea pig!" This is the park's new Holiday Inn, set on a pretend African savannah, complete with roaming wild animals. It's sort of like Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Lite. And we end our visit to Chessington with... meerkats! Coming up... super surprise bonus park No. 1!

I've been on three TPR trips in the past three years, but had never attended a one-day TPR bash outside those trips until this year's East Coast Bash at Kings Dominion. I mean, when TPR comes within three hours of my home and offers a full day of fun at a theme park for less than the cost of a one-day ticket to that park, you don't say "no," right? Well... a little background: Kings Dominion was the first theme park my parents ever took me to, when I was about 5, and it was amazing! Then we went back when I was 11, and it was... OK. Back again in high school, and it wasn't that great. Two visits in college--one pretty good, one really bad. Then I went back one more time with a group in 2008, the first full year of Cedar Fair, and everything from the food to the operations to the employees were so horrible, I vowed never to go back. So, yeah, I hesitated a bit. But I figured if anything could change my mind about Kings Dominion, it was TPR. And I'm totally glad I went! For the most part, the park was a complete 180 from my 2008 visit. The rain held off for the most part, and I had an amazing time. And one more thing before we get to the photos: An extra, extra special thanks to Robb, Elissa and everyone at Kings Dominion for putting on this event. I heard a lot of "oohs" and "ahhs" from the group throughout the day, and every one of them was well deserved. Now we know how Robb is *really* able to afford all these trips--he moolights for Cedar Fair! One means I can ride; the other means I can eat. Both are very good to have. Just in case you get to the entry plaza and still haven't decided whether you want to pay to enter, they have a display set up to entice you with the new coaster. No bumper car takeovers today It's just how I envision Paris. You can't have one without the other! First ERT of the day: Dominator! I don't care for Dominator, so I spent most of the ERT catching up with TPR friends I hadn't seen in awhile. It's funny how fast you can rack up friends--or at least like-minded acquaintances--on TPR trips. TPR members and Dominator... it's like chocolate and peanut butter! A photo of the photographer... artsy! OK, story time. When I was 15, my parents, grandparents, sister and I went to Kings Dominion as part of our summer vacation. My grandparents (in their 70s), as always, paid for everyone's way in, then made a beeline to the nearest bench and told us they'd meet us there at the end of the day. Around 1 p.m., they got restless and noticed that the park map (at the time) showed a train. It sounded relaxing enough, so they made their way to the train station and found it closed for lunch. My grandfather saw someone inside, knocked on the window and asked where the line for the train was. The park employee pointed him generally in the right direction, and my grandparents went to line up. About halfway through the line, my grandmother asked my grandfather if he was *sure* they were in the right line. He asked if that wasn't the line the park employee had pointed toward, and she agreed it was. A few minutes later, my grandmother asked the same question, and my grandfather assured her they were in the right line, even pointing to the tracks in front of them as they approached the station. As they sat down in the car, my grandmother made one last inquiry, and as the wheels began turning, my grandfather assured her that yes, they were on the train, and the uphill motion they were experiencing just meant they were going over a trestle. Except when they reached the top of the hill, they looked down, and that's the moment they realized they weren't on the train... they were on the Grizzly! When my dad found out about it later that evening, he went to the Grizzly photo booth and made the poor girl working there go through all the photos from the day to find theirs. My grandmother kept it in her purse for years after that to show people as proof when she told the story! She thought it was funny later on, but she wasn't in such high spirits that day. She was always mad at my grandfather for something, so accidentally making her ride the roller coaster just gave her another reason. However, she was even madder at the guy who checked their restraints that day. Although she didn't know it was a roller coaster, and my grandfather didn't know it was a roller coaster, the ride op knew darned well it was a roller coaster... and he didn't once offer to hold her purse! Oh, how times have changed! Grizzly ride op over the speaker as we flooded into the station for ERT: "Oh my! We haven't seen this many people in this station at once in a looooong time!" I'm going to be honest: I really liked the Grizzly and rode it six times during ERT. I guess there's not accounting for taste. Saucy! Oh, now we know why the bumper cars are closed! Where's Snoopy? Still a few Hanna-Barbera-era flourishes to be found. Same. When I was a kid, this was one of my favorite things in the park. Yogi Bear used to stand here, talking and fishing. Well... this looks kind of familiar, I guess. And I have *vivid* memories of this! However, I don't remember any skeletons in Yogi's Cave.... Boo Boo is no longer conducting the woodland band, Cindy's not home, and the random bear is sleeping elsewhere. Apparently Ranger Smith struck it rich and left Jellystone in a cloud of dust. Random fact: I won a Weird Al Yankovic CD on the radio once because I knew Ranger Smith's first name: John. No sign of Snoopy yet. Another perk of TPR trips: kids readily available for credit whoring (and they didn't even charge us)! Ah, *there's* Snoopy! Something will go here soon. This was my very first roller coaster, when I was 5 (it was called "Scooby Doo" then). It scared me so badly that I didn't ride another one for 10 years. To tell the truth... it scared me this time, too! I didn't expect a woodie to run that smootly. Speaking of Scooby Doo.... Looks like they finally got the Mystery Machine unstuck. Scooby Doo, where are you? No Mystery Machine here, either. The Congo: Home to such African-themed rides as Backlot Stunt Coaster and I305! We tried to ride Avalanche a couple times. The first time they announced there would be a delay to add a new train (which wouldn't allow us enough time to ride before lunch); the second time they closed as a storm approached. Good to know! Remember when the effects used to work on this ride? Yeah, neither do I. Domoverload! Lunchy lunch lunch lunch lunch... lunch! Pants much be worn at all times in the picnic pavillion. BUF-FAY! The spread was pretty good: barbecue, chicken sandwiches, chili dogs, salad, beans, ice cream... and three kegs of beer! This is what Robb looks like through the eyes of someone who has just drunk three kegs of beer. The Q&A with park management was really fun... except for the boo's that came with the I305 trim question. Uncalled for, people. And then came the TPR Quest game! Apparently this was modeled after something done on cruise ships, though I don't remember it on either of the two cruises I've been on. This is the perfect next step up from Elissa Bingo! For those who missed it, it worked like this: Ten contestants lined up in front of the pavillion, and Robb called out something (or someone) for them to find in the audience ("Find a TPR pen!" "Find a bra... not attached to a human body!") to run out and bring back up to the front as fast as they could. The person who was fastest won the most points for that round, and the overall points winner received first pick from the prize table--including Paramount's Kings Dominion park-used maps, I305 media kits and more! Run, fatties, run! Next up: photo walkback. Witness Anaconda... through the trees! I spy retracking! Coaster cleavage! Smurfs aren't here, man! (Neither is the Land of Dooze, Haunted River or Time Shaft.) Did I mention that in addition to East Coast Bash, this was the penultimate day for the IntimidaTour? It was great to spend the day with my UK roomie, Mike Moody, who was on that trip. Ah, but wait... there's more backstage photo time? What could this footer belong to...? "Gentlemen, start your engines!" Fact: Intimidator 305 is the only coaster at Kings Dominion named after a dead man. So many hills! So many coaster geeks! The second rain shower of the day came just in time for the water park takeover. I want some Snoopy gas! Is it just me, or does Snoopy seem a little... deflated? Ah, that's better! What happened to Stan Mikita? Happy Days Diner hold-over! After the rain, Mike and I did a credit run to finish up the park before night ERT, starting with Rebel Yell. This is the coaster responsible for ACE. And it was another surprisingly smooth woodie. Next up: Ricochet. And finally... Hurler! My mom always said if you don't have anything good to say about something, you shouldn't say anything at all. This is where Cedar Fair trash cans are bred! Leftover Paramount "theming"! A few random ride shots: El Dorado Drive-In... ...Drop Tower... ...Flying Ace... ...and we finally got our ride in on Avalanche! I wanted to stay for night ERT on Flight of Fear, but I had a three-hour drive ahead of me (which turned into a four-and-a-half-hour drive thanks to a who-knows-why backup on I-95), and I had work the next day, so I needed to get out of there around closing time. I did stop long enough to catch a song from this troupe near the front gate on my way out. "The world is a carousel of color...." Oooh! Joan Rivers is coming to Haunt this year! Yes. Yes, it is. Last time I was here, Dominator was in this spot. Some facts. I305 is taller than Godzilla! And a *real* space shuttle! Good bye, Kings Dominion! Hope you have a good Haunt!

^I'm not that stupid!

Thanks again, Robb and Elissa! East Coast Bash was awesome, and I can't believe it actually cost less than a normal one-day admission ticket to Kings Dominion! I've got to say that the TPR Quest game was a great addition, and the prizes were really cool. I thought once to ask during Q&A if they have a "boneyard where they keep stuff like those 1990s maps lying around (and if the old animatronic Yogi Bear and other Hanna-Barbera-related park items live there in some form). The only thing that made me cringe (besides riding Hurler) were the handful of boos when park management answered the question about the trims on Intimidator 305. It kind of seemed... non-TPR, if that makes any sense. Best line of the day, from the Grizzly operator at the mic during morning ERT: "We haven't seen this many people in the station at once in a loooooong time!"

I just read the final schedule for ECB. Driving up tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait!

Here are my top three pics for you, in order: 1. Knoebels 2. Knoebels 3. Knoebels And then hit Waldameer for RFII, Comet and Pirate's Cove if you have time.

Probably not... but on the plus side, we have all the Wacky Worms you could ever want!

I had dinner with some friends in Ocean City on Thursday night and stopped by the boardwalk on my way home. It was kind of odd to see everything lit up at Trimper's while the Tidal Wave loomed over it all in darkness. Also, this is my new favorite news blog quote on the issue: "we were there this weekend and some of these rides are ancient...they need newer ones" We have a saying around here: "Tourists "

LOL, I used to have that word processor-turned-planter. Also, yes, the world's largest creampuff looks heavenly!

QFT. When I was state director for the Jaycees, I used to have to arrange hotel rooms for 10-12 people, and not once during the four trips I was in charge of did a single hotel manage to get our group reservation right--and that was just five to six rooms at a time. I can't imagine how badly they would have screwed things up with a group of 50. Still enjoying this thread!

Well, I guess they had to do something with all those Nickelodeon figures they took out of the Cedar Fair parks.... I'm with Ledgy on this one: It makes perfect sense from a financial standpoint, but at the same time it will take away some of the "uniqueness" of the park. Then again, I guess a Nick-themed area is pretty unique in the UK, as I didn't notice it at any other park we visited, so I'm probably just jaded. And yes, anything that brings Rollercoaster back from the grave probably isn't a bad thing. Shame Magic Mountain has to go, though. I enjoyed that ride.

Benny, that's awesome! Congratulations on having such a unique opportunity, and thanks for sharing it with us!

^If you think of an "L," with the Tidal Wave at the top end, the order of attractions between the two is: Tidal Wave Water gun game Raiders funhouse (this is where the angle of the "L" would be formed) Rockin' Tug Former Toboggan space Frog Hopper With the exception of the coaster, most of the outdoor rides are cleared from the lot and placed into storage each winter (it's really creepy going by and not seeing the place practically vacant), so rearranging them to better fit a new attraction in future years wouldn't be a stretch.

^Nice! Last time I was there, about six weeks ago, all that was in that spot was a carney game. Maybe I really am wrong and we'll get something awesome to replace the Tidal Wave after all. Jason "I really need to get back to Ocean City again this summer" R.

^I wouldn't doubt it. I heard from a friend at one of the local papers before the park even opened last year that 2009 would be the final year for the Matterhorn, allegedly due to a change in regulations that would have required the cars to be retrofitted with locking lap bars like its counterpart across the park, Himalaya. Of course, the story wasn't big enough to actually see publication, so I don't know if the cause was accurate, but the end result sure was. I can't see the Trimper family rushing to flood a lot of money into the park to replace the coaster considering they've reportedly been toying with selling the park for the past few years. Supposedly that was originally a (successful) ploy to try to push the Maryland historic amusement tax credit legislation into law, but I'm not 100 percent convinced the idea is off the table, especially now that the park's biggest champion, Granville Trimper, is deceased. Hope I'm wrong about that, though. I love Trimper's! EDIT: Just checked the local news website to see if there were any updates. This is my favorite comment on there so far: Yes, the coaster was going through a loop when the laws of gravity ceased to exist, and it stopped dead in the middle. Just like in the cartoons! No one who was injured was wearing a seatbelt or restraints of any kind--because, you know, you don't have to do those things if you don't want to, and no one really checks to see if you do--and they fell out. Head first. Congratulations on blowing this coverup wide open!

It's not often for reports like this to come in from my neck of the woods (especially considering there are only three "real" coasters in my neck of the woods), but I saw this in today's Baltimore Sun and thought it might be of some interest: I heard at one point that the Tidal Wave was supposedly the first Vekoma Boomerang on U.S. soil, but I don't know that for a fact (and tend to doubt it). The story mentions that the "area around the ride" was evacuated--Trimper's is only about three blocks large, so that must have been a pretty small area unless they evacuated the entire park, which is highly unlikely. Trimper's has gotten a lot of press over the years on how well it takes care of its rides, many of which are antiques dating back to the 1900s-1940s. I've lived near the park for over 30 years, and this is the first time I can remember a malfunction there that's been large enough to draw media attention. EDIT: Oops, sorry about the duplicate subject post. I did a search (honest), and didn't see it in the results. Thanks for the merge!

I can't vouch for that, but I have re-told the headless baby story from the UK trip about half a dozen times to various audience since my return to the U.S.

Don't forget about the potato salad at Murf's Kitchen at Delgrosso's! It's really good! Also, in my opinion, the Space Oddyssey there is a must-do. It's one of the few working caterpillars left in operation, and the ride itself is... well, you just have to experience it for yourself. Blacklight ninja kitty rules! Jason "'Tainted Love' Will Forever Be Linked With the Behemoth-Flyer Trip" R.

Glad I wasn't the only one literally losing sleep over the @!#$!@#%#$ volcano. (That's not a swear; I think that's actually how you spell the volcano's name.) That is just plain awesome! If we ever have a global nuclear holocaust, I hope it's while I'm on a TPR trip because I can envision the scenario now: "It's OK! I thought this might happen, so I booked a rocketship in advance and put a down payment on space suits based on your T-shirt sizes. There's plenty of freeze-dried ice cream in the Earth evacuation snack bag, and we'll be passing out the Tang shortly. Your Q*bots will still be good on Mars, where we'll be staying until this all blows over. Mars is opening early, so please remember to thank them. Breakfast is included! Remember, there's no saving seats on the rocket. The seat you choose will be your seat for the rest of the day, even after we hit zero gravity...."

Oh yeah, Wagamama was good (I'm glad I took Mike Moody's recommendation on the squid and TPDave's suggestion on the chicken dish), but eating there literally in the shadow of Windsor Castle was amazing! When Elissa said we would be "a block away," I thought she meant like a city block, not a Lego block! I still can't imagine living in an honest-to-God castle and having to look out my window at retail stores and restaurants, but there it was, like a palace in the Wal-Mart parking lot! Something a little odd I noticed at Thorpe: I spent a lot of time around the stone planters in the Tidal Wave area since it a) was one of the few shady places to sit in the entire park, b) was conveniently located between two drink refill stands, and c) featured a full two-hour loop of amazing music interspersed with fake newscasts that, if you listened to the entire thing, made the theme come together with Disney-like intricacy. During this time I saw more than one female, from teenagers to adults, take off her shirt, stash it in a locker, ride the Tidal Wave in her bra (and yes, I know the difference between a bra and a bikini top--I saw plenty of the latter, as well) and then walk around the park that way for awhile, presumably to dry off, before finally coming back to retrieve the shirt. Is this considered "normal" or does hot weather just make women in the UK spontaneously strip off their shirts and walk around in public places? No one else seemed to raise an eyebrow.

Best. News. Ever! Welcome back, Big Mike!