Nrthwnd

"It's The End of The World, As we Know It" R.E.M. "...and I feel fine." (Raft ride in LegoLand, Billund, Denmark; 2014)

Amusement Park - Flat, up and down control, circular (i.e. helicopters, birds.....elephants?) Theme Park - Dumbo. (and even adults want to ride the thing!) Dumbo > Flat Up and Down Circular ride.

^ But wait! There's more! Wait till I get those colour lights ice cubes and two ounce shot glasses, going rainbow nuts in a video!!!

^ I had a grrrreat time in Scandi, thanks for asking, Mark! It all ended last Sunday and I came home with some real goodies as far as mugs and containers go. And here's a preview of what's I gots! Bottles, and cups and some chi-chi, Oh My!

I do hope many and all of you get the chance to actually ride >HELIX< as I and others did during the recently-finished TPR Scandi Tour. Any photos AND videos do NOT give this choice coaster justice. IMhO. You have to ride it, to believe it. The best part for myself, is all that dipping and diving up and over the trees on the mountain. Awesome! And into the rock quarry they had to cut through to mount this thing up! A-ma-zing! Must live long enough (I AM 61, mind), to get back there and ride ride ride again.

^ and ^^ Double Post! But definitely worth repeating, Chris. The trip was GI-normously Amazing, and Robb and Elissa AND Kristen were all there for us, making sure we got the most of this tour, from the extraordinary amount of ERT we had, to the amazing number of surprises (Pizza Buffet!) and delights (Beer!) we all got to enjoy. Hugs to Elissa, Kristen and Robb! And I hope to see all and any of you all, on a future TPR Tour.

After just returning home from the TPR Scandi Tour, I decided what better way to get back to my fave home coaster, than with a visit on our country's national holiday, Canada Day! I visited Playland for a few hours on July 1, and found the park not to be as crowded as I thought it might be. Just like Mother's Day! So getting rides on Coaster was basically a walk-on, and I got three rides on it before exploring the park, to see how the rest of the park was Celebrating The Red (& White) of our flag's colour(s).... Good start. Entrance lettering in my fave colour, and the flag's colour, red. (o: And immediately upon entering, I see that the park's got a good block (there are more around the park, too) of solid red...giggles...lockers. Crazy Beach Party has a flash of red here and there on it's support columns. Hellevator is like a single striped piece of candy - still no gift shop there, though. Red lights' section of the SkyWheel. The new bumper cars cover has some red "flames" on it, but more yellow on it, still. Yay - CorkScrew is red and white all over. No red seen here, from the SkyWheel car. Just glorious scenery to enjoy. "Arrrrrr. I's more of a BLACK 'n RED kinda guy, y'see matey?" Actually, I would comment, it's more of a Black and Blue thing with The Pirate ride. Nope. Not even close. Cover of the Music Express ride. Awwwww. Interesting location and how it's displayed. And allll that landscaping there! One red side - one blue side. And one lonely red panel on Music Express. Red and white umbrellas always look nice and festive to me. My "Revelation" was that this could be easily be replaced by a slightly smaller, no-up charge booster ride, like in Power park in Finland. Playland take note! Woo hoo! Not much business on this guy's arcade game, but he flies our flag in a great spot. Go Canada! Bye Bye Baywatch - and Crazy Beach Party after this year. Something new to debut next season in this spot. Stay tuned... My 'usual' snack at the park - a large White Spot fries, with a nice basic vanilla milkshake. And Red Ketchup!!! And our flag flies proudly (out of a cluster of GIANT Mini-Donuts!), in the landscaped entry area of Coaster. And while heading back to my car, I spotted this couple with the right idea, watching a baseball game unfold.

Tuesday morning; July 1 (Happy Canada Day!) 2014; 0500. Sunrise and Trees One Sunrise and Trees Two Sunrise and Trees Three Sunrise and Trees Four

Here I am, on the last day (June 28,2014) of the TPR Scandi Tour. In Linnanmaki Park, Helsinki, Finland. In front of....uh....Santa's Home? (Photo was free, and no cost to email to me. Woot!) And all done by touch screen, same size as me! And eep, I look frumpy there.

It was a wonderful tour! And with less rain, too! Thank you Robb and Elissa. It was a re-visit worth taking, for myself.

Casey Kasem and Ruby Dee. RIP

For those who live here, and those who don't.... Happy Canada Day, Everybody!

Cirque de Soleil's ZED was The One for Tokyo Disneyland, yet a huge theatre to fill, massive electrical set-ups, which is no stranger to a Cirque show... but the locals couldn't keep up the support with really expensive seats...and then an earthquake in 2011 helped supposedly put it out of it's (glorious) misery that fall. I got to see it, thanks TDL!, in 2011 before it was closed up, leaving only the shell of a HUGE theatre to deal with. Bon Chance to this one. Hope it works out for everybody especially the gp and Disney. All that's left of ZED. )o: (Taken on the TPR Japan tour, 2013)

I am finally starting this tour overseas, tomorrow. Am I excited for another TPR Tour?

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^ The funny thing was, the first sandwich I ordered from there, (GCBLT) was one of the specialties, and I had the feeling that it had been a very very long time, one of those GCs had been ordered, lol. And "one cook" was I guess, totally bored with making the same old, plain old GCs. Until my order came in.... So I got a wonderful sandwich STUFFED with beef and everything! This "plain" grilled cheese was just as good, but not as stuffed, heh. But I want to try the other specialty GCs they're offering up. And who knows, Chuck? A Monte Cristo may not be too far behind.

So - back to the park for one more visit, before I took off on the TPR Scandi Tour, starting (for me) Wednesday. I went back to CHEESE PLEASE, had their basic grilled cheese sandwich, only with multi-grain bread, and BC Cheddar, instead of the processed cheese. I also ordered an Add On (side) of the Flash Fried Pickles... The sandwich was great; the pickles were a let down. There was hardly any flavour of the actual pickles, and even the coating they were fried in, was nothing special to rave about. So - the sandwiches so far, are great from this stall. And the pickles are better left IN the sandwich itself, LOL! The OTHER THING I found out, mainly from ride operators and staff at the park was No More Playland Gift Shop! I was shocked, surprised and sad that their Gift Shop was no more. And then realized I had several(now) :"collectibles" in t-shirts and 'stuff' from the two spots the shop used to be. So if any of you guys out there own a souvenir from Playland, it might be worth something...in a few hundred years or so LOLOL! Everybody have a great summer! And this is what the poor little space looks like, now. RIP Playland Gift Shop. Not-so-basic GC with multi grain bread, and good tasty BC Cheddar Cheese instead of processed. And the pickles... Not much to see inside, except cheese, heh. And the pickles. I won't be ordering them as an Add On any time soon. But IN a sandwich, definitely! Now - it's the Guest Services stop. Same stuff on top of it, though The Gifts Shop's first location, facing you as you entered the park gates. It was a great place to showcase all the Playland swag. The second spot, as part of the Hellevator ride. A very small tiny walk in. They basically tried to use it like a very base "gift shop after the attraction" kind of thing? Those exiting Hellevator had to go through the shop. Didn't last long. People kept hopping an exit fence, etc. Some of what was inside, all crammed into half the space it used to occupy.

^ Understood, thank you for letting me know. The last time I was there I did take the train over the bridge, through Malmo to a country side town where my friend lived/s.

^ Uh, train strike? I had planned to get from the airport on Thursday, to our tour hotel by way of the train to the main station, right by Tivoli.... Is there a strike on, to prevent this from happening?

Herring roll mops.

Double Post. HEDWIG did it!!! Four TONYs, including Best Revival, Lead Actor and Supp.Actress. Awesome, and I can't wait to hear the CD when it comes out in July! Hedwig - you da man! Would love to see NPH in action, LIVE with this show.

I wish The TPR Scandi Tour had more time to check the water park out, but I don't think we will have the extra time that day, sadly. It all looks awesome, though! Great additions to a growing water park.

Flash fried pickles? What is this 'flash' thing?

I cannot recall. I am old. And that's my excuse. But I am so looking forward to next spring's visit and ride. And I hope you're along for the re-visit, Chris.

NO. Not My Medusaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Glad to read it was only in the games area.