printersdevil78

Amen to that! Put me down for the same answer.

Yay, my card arrived! Those rocking horses at Nut Tree look pretty unique. It's a shame more parks no longer have self-powered attractions like these or the handcars at Idlewild.

1. Train Town looks awesome! My girlfriend's 4-year-old daughter is a train fanatic and would love it there. Heck, *I* would love it there! 2. They're bringing back "The Electric Company"? OMG! 3. I'd be willing to be anything that the Sinatra tribute was 1,000X better than Harry Potter dreaming about horses. That just sounds... "weird" isn't even the word.

Wow, it's been nearly a month since I've had time to post anything on TPR, much less a whole photo TR! Between chairing one Christmas parade, starring in another (as Santa Claus), helping organize a shopping spree for nearly 200 underprivileged children, traveling just about everywhere to see Christmas lights and actually getting ready for Christmas itself, I've been spread pretty thin for the past few weeks. Fortunately, I remembered to take my camera with me through most of it, and now that I have a little breathing time, I thought some of the folks on here might get a kick out of some of the stuff that's been keeping me busy as of late. Enjoy! Finally the food arrived. I had never had a pulled pork sandwich smothered in cheese (much less two kinds of cheese), but after the New Star Cafe, just about anything would have tasted great! And thus began our snowy five-hour journey home. Jay was stylin' in his new NYPD cap. The ladies supposedly love it. Not Jay; just the cap. Most of us were just happy to sit down! Oh no, my friend, the bull actually started about 38 photos ago.... Back in Hoboken, we stopped at this restaurant, alternately called "Any State But New Jersey." And finally we made it back to our subway station. It was a miracle on... you know. Macy's was lit up for the season. Here's a shot without people for all you tree snobs (you know who you are). ...and the Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree. ...the "30 Rock" building... We also got to see Radio City Music Hall... Apparently it was NASCAR Champions Week in New York, so we got to see a good many race cars up close and personal. The plan was to stop here for dinner. However, after learning there was a 50-minute wait, the majority of the group voted to spend the next two hours fighting New York holiday crowds in an effort to see at least a couple sights and then return to Hoboken for dinner. Wonder if that company put this one up? On our way to dinner, we found out who puts all those giant Christmas lights up in New York City. Everyone is all smiles after seeing Lucy the Slut. After the show, Jay and Buddy get busy texting their reviews (and the same usherette yelled at us again for taking too long to leave the theater). Angela offers her opinion of the rude usherette who sat us. For the uninitiated, "Avenue Q" is sort of an adult-oriented version of "Sesame Street," complete with characters such as Trekkie Monster and Lucy the Slut. After having spent two hours trying to find a place to eat and getting lost three times, we finally picked up our tickets from will call just 10 minutes before curtain. And who should be waiting there to see me but Big Mike! It was the surprise event of the day, and having someone jump out of a crowd in the middle of New York, call my name and ask me to pose for a picture certainly made me look like a big shot in front of my fellow Jaycees. (Photo courtesy of the Big Mike Collection.) The theater is the John Golden, by the way, and it's located on 45th Street. Why, yes you can. But it's difficult to do when no one bothered to look up the name or address of the theater before leaving home.... For instance, here's Brian showing his petrified patty melt, which, through carbon dating, we determined was actually an early Civil War relic. It was one of those pay-by-the-pound buffet places, which I really enjoyed. Not because I'm a big fan of buffets (which I am), but because I'm also a history enthusiast. After waiting nearly an hour and being told our food would take at least another hour, we left Harrie's and opted for this place instead. Callie and Joanne just love tossed salad! Next order of business was food. We tried this place first. Must have been King Kong's day off. We finally made it. Anyone know what this is? Anyone? "No, Joanne, the pole isn't supposed to be sticky. Why do you ask?" We eventually gave up on the garage and found an open-air parking lot, where an attendant made us tip him $5 under the table to let us park since we had an "extra large" vehicle. Then we had trouble with the ticket machines for the PATH train (seen here). Gotta love New Jersey! Our plan was to park in Hoboken, NJ, and take the subway into New York. The clearance in the parking garage was so low that Jay "rode" the hood of our rental van to make sure we didn't hit a beam while navigating the structure. The next morning, after less than four hours' sleep, I got up and rode to New York City on a Jaycees field trip. As chapter president, I initiated the trip last January as an attendance incentive; only the 10 Jaycees attending the most chapter events in 2008 were invited. The excitement apparently was too much for Buddy. ...and some guy balancing on a ball. ...four plates a-spinning... On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: five ladies dancing... OK, so it was really Cornish game hen. And this is really salmon. Bring on the peacock pie! For those who haven't been to one of these types of events, they're basically a recreation of royal holiday feasts held during the Renaissance. In addition to a seven-course dinner, the feast includes two solid hours of entertainment, from madrigal singers to commedia dell'arte to jests by the royal court itself. Even the "chef" came out to serenade us! Lord and Lady Merrick were on hand to oversee the festivities. First major event of December 2008: A Renaissance madrigal feast at the local university. (Please forgive some of the colors; the room was dark.) And one more shot of the prison float to wrap up this portion of the TR: "Th-th-th-th-that's all, folks!" Still to come: Helping the less fortunate, yet another Christmas parade and lights galore! Of course, no one was nearly as interested in me as they were in this guy, bringing up the rear! As Jaycees president, even I got to ride in the parade! The float sprayed "snow" over the crowds on both sides of the parade route. Other effects: The Tasmanian Devil actually spun, as did Road Runner's feet (which also kicked up "dust" courtesy of a well-concealed smoke machine), and Bugs Bunny pulled back and forth on the reins. In all, this year's float was good... but it still doesn't compare to the years they constructed a full-scale train (that one took three full vehicles), replicated the mountain from "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" (complete with a perpetually sledding Grinch and Max), made a two-story dragon with flapping wings for their "Harry Potter" float, fabricated a 20-foot rockfish with a moving tail or built a 15-foot-tall Winnie the Pooh. Their work has been compared to that done for Mardi Gras floats. Nine years ago my dad founded a parade float construction inmate rehabilitation program at the local state prison. The only program of its kind in the nation that we're aware of, it was inducted into the National Parade Float Hall of Fame (there really is such a thing) last year. The next few shots show this year's Christmas entry from the prison. The Cub Scouts were out in full force. Mitchell's Martial Arts brought out the Grinch. As did R&B Ranch, our animal unit champion of the day. Footsteps Dance Academy put on a big show for the judges. The grand marshal was local championship boxer Fernando Guerrero. You may have seen him in his recent Showtime fight, filmed just across the street from where the parade lined up. He'll be on ESPN soon, as well. He sent me a very nice e-mail the next day, telling me how much he enjoyed the parade. Though four marching bands dropped out due to the weather, six still braved the cold and wind, including Washington High School. Seven hours after returning from New York, I was up and out again, this time setting up for the 62nd annual Salisbury Christmas Parade, which I chaired. We had a lot of problems, not the least of which was the weather, with 40 mph sustained winds, snow flurries and a temperature that didn't rise above 29 degrees all day. However, it all worked out. The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office color guard began the parade at exactly 2 p.m.

So cheese counts as a dessert (nay, three desserts) in Mexico? I never thought I could fall in love with an entire country! Also, chicken fingers with fries, mac and cheese with fries... did Joey accidentally order his three dinners off the kids' menu? Thanks for this TR. I love cruise ship food!

All duckies aside, did I see what I thought I saw in that TR? A cheese fry pizza? O... M... F... G...!

Fixed!

For the record, it won't let you enter "Fart" as a first name. Not to say that I actually tried it.... And if I did, it was only because I wanted to see if I could make Goofy say "fart."

Woo hoo! While I'm no good at counting duckies, I'm apparently very good at guessing random hot actresses! I'll wear my new Big Mike shirt with pride! Thanks for getting my sexy girlfriend Kelly and friend Kristin in the background of our photo, Mike! The holidays have been busy, but I have a full photo TR of our group's NYC experience to post as soon as I get the chance.

Well, I know you hung out with me briefly this past weekend (sorry again for being in such a rush), so my guesses are: 1. Katie Holmes 2. Tom Cruise 3. Jason Rhodes, official poet laureate of the Big Mike Road Show!

Not sure, really. I know it was part of a larger overall vacation that included parts of Kentucky, Tennessee and possibly other states. He drove down to meet up with his girlfriend, who was there as part of a church function, on New Year's Eve and proposed to her during the trip. I was in the wedding eight months later. Thanks for your help!

OK, I think this is about as random as this board will ever get: Earlier this summer, the not-for-profit organization over which I preside cooked about 2,000 barbecued chicken dinners as part of a two-day fundraiser. The original plan was to celebrate at the end of the second day by throwing a few racks of ribs on the charcoal pit, as well, but we were all so tired that we ended up forgoing that idea. One of my vice presidents had brought in a special rub for the occasion that he had bought at Rippy's BBQ while on vacation in Nashville. Unfortunately, when the rib idea was scuttled, someone accidentally threw the rub away. He tried to act like it wasn't a big deal, but we could tell he was upset. Flash forward seven months, and we're at the end of our 2008 board of directors term as of midnight December 31. I'll be continuing on next year as chairman, but this will be his last year on the board. It's tradition for the president to present all of his/her vice presidents and directors with a meaningful gift at the end of the year. I would like to find a container of Rippy's BBQ rub for this vice president's gift, but as far as I can tell, Rippy's doesn't have a website. I've tried eBay with no luck, so I'm reaching out to the message boards to which I belong. I know I have some fellow foodies on here. Does anyone on TPR happen to know any place I might be able to find Rippy's BBQ rub online? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Wow, I had forgotten about a lot of the stuff we did that day, including Marty's Playland! It sucks that I had to leave for my friend's wedding before I could hit the other Jolly Roger with you. But hey, at least the bridesmaids were cute!

^^^Yep, we did a daytrip. It was about four and a half hours each way for me since I had to meet my friend in Delaware; it would have been a little less had I gone straight up through Maryland. All told, we spent about nine hours at the park/Chocolate World/Sweet Lights. It was a long day, but where I grew up we had to drive at least an hour to get to the grocery store, movies, etc., so long stretches on the road don't bother me as much as they seem to bother others (plus I wasn't driving, so I got to take a nap on the way home). I had thought about suggesting in advance that we spend the night and try the Christmas activities at Dutch Wonderland the next day, but we both had other things going on. ^^lol, I forgot about Frenchie!

It's 2 a.m., and I just got back from Hersheypark, where I joined a friend and her daughter for a fun-filled (if tiring) day at Christmas Candylane. But enough text; go see the pictures! Mr. Twizzlers. Mr. Reese's Cup. Mr. Hershey Bar. Outside the main gate the Hershey's characters got their frames in lights, starting with Mr. Hershey's Kiss. Random illuminated ride sign. Just because I can. The rest of the park also was nicely lit after dark. It also provided a nice view of the Christmas tree atop Kissing Tower. The train gave us a grand circle tour of the Winter Village of lights. The Twilight Express at maximum throttle. Our chariot awaits. This is why the Twilight Express is important. However, we did get to ride the Twilight Express. Not to be confused with that other Express. You know, the Polar one. No Frontier Flyers for me on this trip, unfortunately. "I swear if you don't put down the freakin' camera and stop taking pictures, I'm going to bop you with this thing...." This is why the bronze elk is important. Or, rather, "important." However, I can offer photographic proof of this bronze elk. And face it: I could have told you it was made of chocolate, and you wouldn't have known the difference. I can even show you Santa's mailbox, complete with his house number (which you'll notice, not by coincidence, is 25 to correspond with that particular date in December). But I can't show you Santa. Because no personal cameras were allowed in the same room with Santa. And since we opted not to purchase the $18 photo package, we have no actual photographic proof that Santa was ever at Hersheypark. So I'm going to go ahead and propagate the rumor that he wasn't. That should send admissions tumbling. ...I can show you Santa's elves toiling away at his workshop (I like to think this one is Lebbie)... ...I can show you Mr. Reese's Cup standing beside Santa's Christmas tree... ...I can show you Mr. Hershey Bar standing in front of Santa's house (which, if you look closely, you'll see is actually made of Twizzlers)... I wish I could show you Santa at Hershey park. I really do. I can show you the building where he lives when he's at Hershey... ...because we had people to see! We stopped to watch the train garden for a few moments, but we couldn't stay long... Hi, Natalie! It's called "Christmas" Candylane, but all faiths are welcome. Even the Joeyites. Meanwhile, Santa and his elves trained for their upcoming ECW appearance. Speaking of reindeer, Santa's were at the park training for Christmas Eve. ...and even the reindeer! ...the Traffic Jam... ...the Helicopters... As was the Space Ace... Nonetheless, this carousel was Lauryn-approved. Nothing says "quality carousel" like a horse with a dead fox strapped to its back! See? I wasn't just making that up! You honestly didn't think you were going to read one of my trip reports without seeing a picture of an antique carousel, did you? This one was originally built for Liberty Heights Park (later Carlin's Park) in Baltimore. Since no coasters are operated during Christmas Candylane, Santa was finally able to fulfill his lifelong dream of using the Comet as a landing strip. The lights on the "Kissmas Tree" flashed in sync to popular (and loud) Christmas songs once an hour. FYI, poinsettias and chocolate are both poisonous to dogs. ...but He clearly doesn't sell as many sweatshirts as Santa. Jesus may be the "reason for the season"... "Funny, I don't seem as tall as the Reese's Cup...." Lauryn measured put to the Reese's Cup height. She got measured on the way out, as well, just to make sure she hadn't grown a foot or two while in the park. We were fortunate that the temperature hovered around 50 until the sun went down... then it dropped dramatically! Apparently they were celebrating Christmas or something. From there it was on to the main attraction, Hersheypark. The show itself is a typical 3-D animated film with the usual wind, water, bubble and light effects. Characters from the movie are mounted on the walls in the post-show area. I personally liked Mr. Jolly Rancher in his '80s garb... though the show wasn't introduced until the early 2000s. Photos in the pre-show area depict great moments in Hershey history. Like when Mr. Hershey Bar explored Egypt and didn't melt. Our special guest, Lauryn, models the Really Big 3-D glasses. Because I've done PTRs of the Chocolate Factory Tour before, we'll skip that this time and go straight to the Hershey's Really Big 3-D Show. We didn't do the trolley tour, but if anyone is interested, these are the holiday rates. ...and in! Chocolate World was decorated outside... Decorations welcomed us at the Hersheypark tram stop. (Don't worry; the captions get slightly better from here.) And finally, we discovered this during a stop for gas on the way home. But you'll have to come up with your own joke; I'm going to bed. "...because you didn't buy nearly enough chocolate this time!" The Big Bad Wolf really blows! This little guy was scattered in various locations throughout the display. We took to calling him the "O-Face Christmas Tree." If nothing else on this trip, I learned that Christmas light displays are very difficult to photograph from a moving vehicle with a cheap digital camera. Thus, the rest of this TR will consist of the photos that actually came out... though there were dozens more really cool displays (and some mediocre ones, too) that I wasn't able to capture adequately in pixels. Santa and Rudolph found another coaster to ride, as well. Storm Runner was well represented in the display. This is what the lights looked like through the glasses. They gave out free kaleidoscopic glasses with each paid admission (which, at $20 a pop, they darn well should have). They also tried to sell us kettle corn and Pepsi products as we drove to the admission booth, which I didn't appreciate. On a side note, am I the only one here who thinks I look kind of like that guy from Biff's '50s gang in "Back to the Future" in these glasses? After a not-so-quick dinner at Wendy's (whose entire staff seemed to be trying to figure out when exactly they built an amusement park next door), it was on to Hershey's Sweet Lights, a 600-piece outdoor Christmas light display. Back inside Chocolate World for some end-of-the-day shopping, we also saw Mr. Milk Duds. And Mr. York Peppermint Pattie.

Wow, Mike, great shots from the big Ferris wheel (and of Radio City Music Hall, too)! Guess now everyone knows where the sign in esvadj's avatar is located.

Great job, Robb and Roxanne! I lost 40 pounds between last March and July; it's not easy! It's not too difficult to gain back, either, unfortunately. I'm up 11 pounds since the Behemoth/Flyer trip (OK, so 10 of those pounds were probably because of the Behemoth/Flyer trip...). My plan is to wait until after the holidays, when we're past our busy time at work and past the party season, and I can get back to maintaining a fairly healthy diet. I've got to drop another 40 before the West Coast Trip so I can look buff for all those California girls the Beach Boys are always singing about!

Good stuff, Michael--especially the belly dancers! I have tickets for a Renaissance Christmas Madrigal Feast next Friday (sounds like it's going to be kind of like Medieval Times, only without the horses). This was a nice prelude!

Thanks for the promotion, Big Mike! And for the pictures. Your camera actually makes me look good! A limerick to celebrate: There once was a man named Big Mike, Riding coasters is all that he liked, One day he hit the road, Or so we're all told, For a hundred amusement park hike. And wow, after seeing photos of that show, "Avenue Q" is going to suck by comparison.

I had a nice picture of the Dominator sign at Dorney Park, which I cropped two ways and sent. I also submitted a photo of Thunder Creek Mountain, though it was drained for the season when I took it, so I'm not sure if it's suitable.

While we await the results, some Big Mike Haiku: Big Mike is the man Rides coasters around the globe While we count duckies The Big Mike thread grows Now at two hundred pages Better watch out, Shane! Here's the park map and prices for 2008 No bikini pics A babe is running The kiddie roller coaster Mike's odds? Pretty good. Isn't that a shame? No Hard Rock Park for Big Mike Hanna beat him there The Big Mike Hotel Welcomes guests throughout the year In scenic Montville Big Mike got to be On Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" "So what are you, twelve?" The coasters are closed For 2008, so Mike Heads down to Broadway Big Mike, AKA "TPR's Friendliest Guy" Except to Larry Jason "Unofficial Poet Laureate of the Big Mike Road Show" Rhodes

Robb, is the "first-come, first served" policy from here on out only for Scandi, or does it apply to all the trips? With only six spots left on West Coast, I'm a bit anxious... but at the same time, airfares in August are looking really good right now.

I hope this doesn't give Jay Rasulo any ideas.... It's baaa-aaack!

As I am currently doped up on Nyquil, I feel this would be a good time to offer the "alternate" answers to some popular questions from the trip chat transcript. (NOTE: The following is for entertainment purposes only--mostly mine--and should not be considered legitimate in any way.) Q: The price for the trips seem pretty steep. Is it money well spent? A: Considering the state of Wall Street, this is probably a better investment than 1,000 shares of Disney right now. Q: If I live local to some parks, can I join you guys for just one park during a TPR trip? A: Didn't we already get a restraining order against you last year? Q: If you are banned from the TPR forums, you won't be allowed on this trip right? A: Actually, quite the opposite. Our experience has taught us that people who are excessively annoying online usually have much better social skills in real life. Q: My mom wants to know if we can do half of a trip for half the price. A: Only if you bring your half brother. Q: Can a friend of mine go on a TPR trip even though he is not a member of the forum and I am not going on the trip? A: Wait, you have a friend? In real life? Like not imaginary or online or anything? Dude, please share your secret with the rest of us! Q: Will there be a “non-Disney” option for West Coast like there was for Europe? A: Disney already owns your soul. Michael Eisner won it in a poker game back in '97. Best to just accept this and move on. Q: If Hard Rock Park reopens would that be included on the deep south trip? A: No, but it will be included on the TPR Miracles of the Millennium Tour, which takes place in September. Q: What would be good times to book a flight INTO and OUT of DFW for the Texas trip? Approximately 3:47 a.m. or 2:52 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Q: Will there be porn in the back of the bus? A: No. This year all porn will be moved to the front of the bus. Q: Will there be any photo walk backs on any of the trips? A: Yes. We will be doing a photo walk back of the full-sized basketball court located in the top of the Matterhorn. Q: What happens if I'm 13 years old? A: According to the "What the hell is this board????" sticky thread on the "Ask Alvey" board, you can now officially ask if Elissa will date you.

Oh, you're gonna enjoy revisiting all those classic rides you first rode more than two decades ago! Like the Peoplemover, the Skyway, Country Bear Jamboree.... But seriously, I flew cross-country for an annual Disneyland trip each year from 2002 until this year (when I opted for TPR's Behemoth/Flyer trip instead), and I always stayed at the Park Vue Inn. It's literally RIGHT there across the street from the entrance to the Disneyland Resort, accessible via crosswalk. The rates are decent, the staff has always been beyond friendly, the rooms are nice enough (though a bit small) as long as all you're planning to do is sleep there. And just this year I hear they've added a Coldstone Creamery in the lobby! Plus they have a pool, if that makes a difference (doesn't for me). I don't know about nearby grocery stores, as I've always eaten the Park Vue's free continental breakfast (also very good--and if you don't like that, there's an IHOP in the parking lot or a McDonald's just a few doors down) and then just gotten lunch and dinner in the parks or at Downtown Disney. However, the hotel also has a small gift shop that carries snacks, sodas, etc., as well as snack and soda machines on property (I felt so cool the first time I bought Knott's cookies there--IN California!). Anyway, I've stayed at hotels throughout the country for work, pleasure and volunteer work, and for location, price and friendy staff the Park Vue is firmly planted in my top three. (And now maybe they'll put me on the payroll....)