Nrthwnd

That's what I do, only with all the capsule (usually) cell phone things from my past Japan tours. So it's a mix of actual park logo and related stuff, and these non-theme park related...things. They look pretty good on it. And I will post when our tree is ready for it's close-up, ho ho ho.

^ I have always loved the views of Portland, and from Portland itself. Haven't been there in a long, long time. Thank you for sharing some (still) wonderful views of this great PNW city!

^ Chris, there's a pretty good comemrcial (IMhO)film about Frida Kahlo, called simply "Frida". released in 2002, with Salma Hayek in the title role. And she was good! Also a passionate producer of it, she was. Here's a link to more info about the movie... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120679/ This was the original poster for the film, I believe.

^ Oops. Totally agree with Valhalla. Waterfalls, fire, ice.... it's got it all!

^ Well, from time to time, I can be quiet about something. Robb and Elissa were told ahead of the tour, what had happened, so they knew. And both of my room mates were filled in, without getting too ucky clinical about it. And my Florence Nightengale on the tour turned out to be the one and only..... Ginny! She helped me change bandage pads on my back, with the taping and all. A real angel she was/is. We did it twice - once at our Alton Towers Hotel, the other at the Gardaland Hotel. But I was still pretty hesitant with a lot of the coasters we toured. And that Sequoia Adventure (Flying Squirrel) at Gardaland, was looming ahead, I was really nervous what to do. But I took a chance, rode it, and thanks to the coaster gawds, it was one of The Most Boring Coasters I had ever ridden, lol! But I nearly lost my Angel, when the restraints and/or belt wasn't totally locked on Ginny, and it wasn't really fixed, until she was literally at the lift hill! All in constant motion too. Whew! And you looked good in that tour, Jon. Actually, you look good in any tour.

This was taken in our back yard, halfway through November. (Using my little Canon PowerShot.) And then, all the leaves fell, and now it just looks like a big pot of dirt. I always love it when the leaves turn this colour, just before they all drop away.

Playland in Vancouver, has just posted it's prices for all season passes, etc. http://www.pne.ca/playland/index.html The special price is good until Christmas Eve, but after the holidays, some times they have offered the same prices for at least one month more. And - New Bumper Cars next year!!! And I do hope in a newly built building for them to go crazy in. And if it's the same tired old broken down thing. Whatever. Former (I hope) Bumper Cars Bldg. And the sad little traffic jams inside.

Looks like a definite challenge for the old guy.

Plplplplplpleeeeease?

After the news came out about Mr.Mandela's passing yesterday (RIP), I got a bit of a 'huh?' when I heard that his final home was in a suburb of Soweto...... Houghton. My last name. "Things that make you go..."

QFT (Substitue Vancouver for Los Angeles) And I want to go back, too. Guadalajara, especially. And Jose' Cuervo!

Splash Mountain, in Tokyo Disneyland. "The laughing Place" is more fun in Japanese!

Ha ha. I think it's the other way around. Messiness, I mean.

Darn, I wished I'd found one of those amusement park ornaments. Very cool looking.

People who smoke in the queues.

A TPR bag (so many to choose from !) with... Camera; comb for the hair; small towel; sunglasses; space for capsule toys; sunscreen if it's bright and hot out; not much else. I keep my money on me, safe and sound.

^ I am so looking forward to visiting this park.

In the UK, the ride ops jump on and really turn the cars into spinning hell holes. From experience.

^ I know, I was just kidding.

And on we went.... Alton Towers - this was a great re-visit to a fave park of mine. I actually toured around some of the garden area, that was in the sunken 'valley' of the park. Mucho walking, whew! And HEX of course, always a great attraction. I still enjoyed AIR, being my very first flyer in coasters. I always get a kick out of our swooping around the parking lot! This visit, I was to ride my 400th Credit, and it was 13, the much over hyped coaster recently opened at AT. I enjoyed it, even though I knew "medical assistance" would not be necessary. It was a kick, and I only wished they had marketed it better than they originally did. And we had (again) a nice lunch buffet, with the windows of where we were eating, looking out to the Towered castle itself. Then it was on to Drayton Manor, home of an infamous stand-up coaster (it hurts just writing this), and one of the better, smaller mad houses, The Haunting. A new coaster was in Thomas Land, so that was a new credit to grab. And I declined riding G-Force. Painful memories of 2006's riding it was a very easy excuse not to, again. Also, one of the cheesiest "Pirates of The..." knockoffs, I have ever seen. All good TPR stuff. After DM we went to Camelotm one of the smaller and more family friendly parks on the tour. Home to a relocated coaster from Japan (KnightMare), although without all the "mountain" scenery around it. I wished they'd rebuilt something like what was in Japan. And there was a gasoline-driven coaster to ride there, too! A bit wierd, but a credit IS a credit, right? It was also a rather oddly laid out park, with a heavily banked walkway to get through other parts of the park. And a sword in a stone. Not many kings among us, unfortunately. Then there was Gullivers, which had the distinction of our tour of having the most wierd walk-through Haunt House in a theme park. (Apart from Japan parks.) And this was in the middle of childrens' rides and play areas. Very odd. And there was Antelope, a truly intense little coaster with a pull-you-outta-your-seat ending to it. I did one cycle, then decided to wait out the rest, going on and on and on it, again. Some times it's fun to watch others react in pain. And this was also one of the parks that had art sculptures around it's grounds. I liked that. We also did a little trip to the (sort of former) Southport Park, which still had it's small steel coaster. And it was operating for us! It was down when we were here in 2006, so this was a credit to get, finally. The guys running the rides also opened up the bumper cars and a flat ride for our enjoyment. A great side trip. My #400 at Alton Towers! And I enjoyed 13 a lot. On board one of the former EXPO 86 (in Vancouver) monorail trains, heading back to our hotel. Great driver, and he gave us some Alton Towers Trivia, which I have totally forgotten by now. Lunch buffet above the Towers Family Restaurant. Josh looks ready for it. The bunch, seriously noshing and nom nom nom-ing on a great buffet. Thanks AT! I did the ERT on Nemesis once, then took photos the rest of the time. G-Force at Drayton Manor. And the cursive lift "hill". At this point I thought I was really falling out of the seat. Seriously! An TPR-takeover of bumper cars! In Camelot. Ledgy trying to prove he is The King. Nope. Didn't work. At Camelot. Back to Southport, for the one coaster credit that was missed in 2006! As well, they ran the bumper cars, and this un-named (to me) flat ride to get crazy on. Thanks guys! Gullivers: Antelope coaster.... with art.

^

You mean, the day after you bought it?

^ I feel your pain. Of all the musicals in the friggin world, this one....live. That said, we are still taping it because I want to see and hear the Broadway vets who are in it - Laura Benanti (TONY for Gypsy), Christian Borle (TONY for Peter & The Starcatcher), Audra MacDonald (Five TONYs!). And see how they handle a live television thing.

"So....what do ya think?" No contest. Burgers. Are better. Burritos may be (most times) easier to hold, but burgers are more fun to be messy, with.