DerekRx

My original plan for the day was to go to Dorney Park for a few hours then hit Bethlehem Brew Works for a late lunch. Well, as the fates would have it, Dorney was closed for a buyout. Why they'd do this in the middle of the month I have no idea (and they were closed Labor Day Saturday too!?). So instead of not doing anything, I decided to head up to Hershey for a few hours, as I hadn't ridden the new dark ride, or Lightning Racer yet this year. As it turns out, it was a really nice day to go. A little overcast at times, but the weather was pleasant and the crowds were manageable. Even though there were lots of people, I never waited more than 20 minutes for anything all day. As far as the new Reese's Extreme Cup Challenge darkride, I was very confused. I didn't get the whole theme, the ride seemed fairly short, and it was completely random. I think the theme should have been something like gremlins in a chocolate factory or something like that, for riding thru and shooting random dudes on skateboards really made no sense to me. The ride system was pretty cool though, kinda like Journey into the Imagination at Epcot. The nicest thing was the guns were easy to use and the mark your gun made was fairly large and visible. Its cool that they added a new darkride, but I think I like Gobbler Getaway better (and I honestly don't care for that ride either!) Onto the pictures: Vertical loop shot of my very first vertical loop No one will escape dry. Its very not Dan Friendly What used to be a fairly dry rapids, they added a whole slew of waterfalls, now its very wet! But I'll pass this time and just amuse myself by watching this guy bomb them Roller Soaker was still using the water effects, and had little line And now, the super exclusive never before done, no one else but TPR has this photo...Lightning Racer thru a knothole in the fence! Next year this will look a lot different when its "the Boardwalk" Notice the random candy things on the top More photos of the water play area Its cool how they attempt to race them every time, unlike every other racing coaster out there Less of a twister for a GCI, its still really smooth and fun Lightning Racer was a capacity machine, leaving a 1 train wait for either side. and OMG, footers for the funnel slide! Exclusive photos of the new water play area The ride broke down for like 5 minutes, everyone got out of line. Thanks! I think this ride qualifies as a twister Exclusive shot The ride has lots of little pops of GCI air First coaster of the day was GCIs first, Wildcat. I can't understand what that shed is there for though Didn't feel like getting wet today. Maybe next year with the waterpark and all, I will Since its opening, I've yet to ride the Claw. Maybe over Christmas Woohoo, ok maybe THIS is the best part of the ride. Free chocolate at the end The station for the ride is a locker room. And then there's some commentary dudes and you shoot something at ESPN X Games contestants or something I used this line because the "girlfriend is several hundred miles away" line was closed Rock on! This is the best part of the ride! The new ride is pretty popular with the families Hey Joey, hows it going? Inside the park we find some good food, like fresh kettle corn Since I know I'll be back more this year and next (especially if Dorney has more buyouts) so I picked up a season pass. Take that Cedar Fair! Here we are on a lovely late summer afternoon at Hersheypark, a place Elissa hates

More pics And finally, I leave you with a creepy jester! May he haunt your soul tonight! They sell cool Amber stuff here. Its like fossilized tree sap and stuff But Heath just wanted to pound him. Dude Kim won the heart of one of the Three Musketeers Even a Viking Warlord needs to fill up before heading off into battle The bartender was really in character as a Scottish bartender We weren't too concerned about who won the Queen's heart. I needed more IPA Finally Frenchy fights Dudley! The knights go at it. The bullgod is on our side this time! Two chicks fighting over a pole, giggidy giggidy! Finally, two chicks get ready to go at it! This English dude whelps out of the battle and decides to sit next to me. Is is me, or does he look like Tom with more hair?? and all Hell breaks loose! Everyone gets in battle position... The French side of the human chess match, much like Battle Chess They only did this because the bridge demanded it (as for how a bridge talked, I guess Heath had a little too much to drink!) This sign was funny so I took a picture of it. If you don't enjoy it, report your sense of humor as MIA Blindfolded swordfights, all this place needs is a coaster and its my version of Heaven! Don Juan had a booboo and needed a kiss Esmeralda knew how to work it A funny show about whipping Spanish people, what could be better!? Oooh, walkthru! All the stuff on tap this weekend Drink up! This time Swashbuckler's Gold for me, Plank Walker IPA for Heath Hey baby, how's it going? Black Plague gotcha down? Woohoo another Pour House! Hmmm, someone's birthday's coming up.... This is where Robb can get Turkey Legs Followed at 8:30 with "Derek, Heath, and other random sharp objects" (this show we don't expect to last much past November) 'Derek and a Broad Sword', coming soon to NBC Is this the Renaissance Fair, or a Star Trek Convention?? And Peppermint Patty loses to the Bullgod The final joust begins... More Spearing stuff Flaming Spears are cool. Mr. Britney Spears, not so cool Up against the Bullgod was Sir Somethingorother of York Peppermint Patty The Queen and company meet up for a joust

With no other real plans for the weekend, no other places to go, and no other credits to acheive for now, we decided to take it easy and hit something "local". Since it had been a good 8 years since my last visit, we figured a trip to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Fair was in order. In brief, it was a nice step back in time! Shooting stuff in mid air is fun, even for the Grateful Dead! What do they got against the demon dude? Thats what I wanna know! Next up, archery! Sorry Heath, that dude needs some beer from his San Diego bretheren Dude, I could totally get a job here! This mud chick was making a mud chick in the mud (wow, that made my head hurt!) And for the Grande Finale, 3 swords at once His volunteer from the audience does the pull out Down the hatch! Preparing the longest sword, 24" But this time let's juggle! A little bit longer... This could make any girlfriend jealous Damien Blade then proceeded to thrust various swords down his throat Stop! Hammer Time! Can't touch this! He was about to follow with a nail Right up above the pour house was a dude shoving a screwdriver up his nose! Awesome! Heath enjoys the Red Beard's Irish Ale, also quite tasty Finally Heath and I decide to invest in the mugs. I start out with the Red Sea Amber Ale, very good And more beer, just like at DCA! Soup in a bread bowl, just like at Disneyland! The Men's Privy was fun "We are Men!" Wuh! "Um, its not that deep!" Off the ropes! Our first show was the Mud Pit, which has lots of mud and stuff The opening ceremony commenses, and the theme is "the Queen needs a man!" The Fair even has credits for the Harry Potter fans, as well as Jeff Johnson (4 if he is a Harry Potter fan!) I decide to have me a Plank Walker's IPA Heath starts off the day with a Capt'n Rude's Stout Everything served in the grounds comes from here. and each week they come out with some special new ale for the theme of the weekend. This weekend was an Irish Red for Irish Festival Brewery?! That explains why we're here! That's correct, PA has the only Renaissance Fair with a microbrewery inside Costumed actors run amuck inside the fairgrounds Heath is entranced by the wench at the entrance while Kim purchases the day's tickets Pa has one of the more elaborate Renaissance Fairs in the country

Tonight is just some randomness, no theme, no reasons. For once I'm actually at home on a Friday night. But don't worry, I think its the only one this month And I was so uneasy about it that I planned a few trips that weren't in the original itinerary for the year! Not as good as some I had last week, but better than a few! Next up, a Hops Infusion. As close as West Coast as I can get in my fridge right now Definitely my favorite pumpkin beer right now, but bring on the others soon! Straight home and its time to continue enjoying the warm weather but autumn's approach with a Pumpkinhead

I changed my plans around and am missing MPG on my trip in a few weeks. Hopefully CCC stays around for a few more seasons, as I'd really like to get on it, it looks like a pretty interesting ride (moreso when its actually running both sides). If the coaster remains closed for the remainder of the season, well then I guess I lucked out with choosing 2 days at Phantasialand instead of one day at each park!

^We waited almost 4 years to ride it since it was closed on our last visit. I was figuring it would be a cha-ching and move on, but it was actually pretty enjoyable. I've been on worse, and I actually rode this thing like 4 times, only getting my head smacked in the same spot, the sidewinder. Other than that, it was really cool!

Happy birthday, dude! Have some kosher alcoholic beverages (like a Matzahtini) and this time actually go skinny dipping with the random drunk girls!

Caseyfish is awesome. Now I know why he's so concerned about the size of hotel showers! Love these updates and the way they combine cartoon and real life parks!

Wow, another place I visited this year without even knowing what its fate would be at the end of the year. Not that its much of a loss though, the coasters (and all the other rides) will be sold, and the place had no real charm, except for Power Station 69. I certainly hope the Zamperla Top Star Tour stays in the States.

Continuing to make room for the new season of stuff, I enjoyed a nicely alcohol aging Victory 10th. The extra life has made it extra alcoholy. Yum! Served in a new glass from O'Briens. I love that slogan!

When the ride first opened I was really excited. In fact, it was the ONLY reason I wanted to go to Universal that year. Sadly, over time it got boring, rough, and dated. We knew the day would come, and the inner child in me is sad to see it go. As others have said, I just hope whatever replaces it isn't just another simulator. They had their time in the light, that was in the 1990s. Still it would have been nice if Universal had given a more official announcement more than a month before closing.

I think a 45 minute layover is cutting it a wee bit close, especially considering flights begin boarding 30 minutes before the flight "leaves". Add in immigration, possible baggage pickup and redeposit, and I'd say you should give yourself at least 1 hour 30 minutes or even 2 hours between landing in Chicago and departing for Cincinnati. Maybe you'll want to look into flying from somewhere else into Cincinnati, like Paris, or London.

I know when I lived in Orlando I was pretty angry. Of course, that's probably because of all the tourists who didn't know their way around, even though there are signs to everywhere like every 100 feet! Add in the obnoxious heat and the daily 4pm thunderstorm and that's enough to make even the Pope a little uneasy.

The lift hill launch will be done in the same way that California Screamin' is done most likely. It'll be "launched" in that its not taken up the hill by a traditional lift, but it will be done very slowly. I can't imagine the launch will be too fast, otherwise that drop will have EXTREME air. The drop may only be 100 feet tall, but these are only 3 car trains, not the usual length we're used to. The Euro-fighters only have a 2 row train, but that drop is beyond awesome!

Dude, I'm all about running with the bulls. Sounds like a great injury to get caught on tape. Now all I have to do is find one of my clones to be the stunt double. Maybe I need to look into that Bel Air Steakhouse place Derek, see if he's free.

Perhaps its just random theming, or something the train uses? Looks like this will be a pretty fun ride, maybe even the best ride at the park, IMO. Depends on the amount of airtime the hills will produce. Nice to see CP not going for the tallest or the fastest for a change. I'm looking forward to a visit or two. The LSM lift worries me a bit, but if DCA can do it, I'm sure CP may be able to also. How this thing will utilize 6 trains is beyond me though!

Tonight's beer was fruity, VERY fruity! A nice beer to have for breakfast or after waking up from a nap Sea Dog's Wild Blueberry Wheat, really flavorful with blueberries

Final update, feel free to comment. Our final stop for the whirlwind San Diego tour was Coronado. Originally we were just going to go to experience the Coronado Brewing Company, but the town had such a cool vibe that we decided to just stay and hang out a bit more. Definitely more mellow and enjoyable than the hecticness of Mission Beach. The hotel was nice (except for the kids who played soccer 24 hours a day), but the shower is not Casey approved. The shower head is nice though The AleSmith IPA was also very good, nice and hoppy with lots of citrus As soon as liquids are allowed in carry-ons, I know where I'm flying to again! Even the extra pale ale rocked Back at the hotel, its time to finish the beers we felt obligated to buy even though we can't take them on the plane And then we attempt to scare Kraken away with another attempt at the Sham Slam The couple enjoys the sunset To me the water is cold. Heath either has thicker skin or more beer in his system Cool, the Kraken is hanging out tonight apparently Probably the most famous thing on Coronado is the Hotel del Coronado. Its haunted! Up by the ocean they slap the lights right onto the palm trees The sun starts to set once again, so we migrate towards the ocean Heath and Kim really liked the feeling here The town has Segway tours, just like Epcot Here's the view of downtown San Diego from Coronado Funny sign in the bathroom The appetizer was flautas, excelente! I went with the 4 Brother's Pale Ale, nice and citrusy with a little hops finish Heath enjoyed the Mermaid's Red Ale Coronado Brewing was easy to find and very nice. More like the Bethlehem Brew Works of California Here's the bridge taking us to Coronado

After briefly stopping off to ride the Giant Dipper, it was on to the "#1 place to get a beer", the Liar's Club located just down the road. This place was like the bar equivalent of Schlitterbahn, lots of hype, but pretty craptacular upon visit. Took us about 20 minutes to find a place to park and when we get there, its pretty much what you expect a local beach bar to look like. This place belonged in Ocean City, Maryland. Sure, they had some really good Californian beers, but other than that, it was a dive. Oh, and 2 pints and a soda costs us $15.75!! Give me O'Briens any day over this place! Hey Dan, hows it going? They claimed to have Fat Tire, but I saw none. Probably the best part of the place was the urinal themed to donate your fizzy yellow beer back where it belongs Heath tried a Green Flash West Coast IPA, much better than mine. I tried a Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA, didn't taste vey IPA-like More like a biker bar or a beach bar than a place I'd prefer to have a drink Yeah, here's the Liars Club, supposedly a great place to enjoy a beer

Next up on the agenda, Mission Beach, home of Belmont Park. It was way crowded and difficult to find a parking space, and we didn't really stay too long. Here's the beach, it was pretty booming Maybe someday I'll go back for more rides, but we're on a mission at Mission Beach And we even got the front seat! A fun coaster, though I hate the clunky Morgan trains The coaster didn't have much of a line, so a quick ride was all it took We lucked out and got a spot right next to the coaster Finally, I made it to this coaster!

Another Pizza Port was next on the agenda, this time in Carlsbad. It was a lot bigger than Solana Beach, and a lot less crowded (though that could be because it was only lunchtime). More great beers though! Even more beers on tap than Solana, and Dante behind the bar instead of Jimbo. "I'm not even supposed to be here today!" he said Kim brings us some heaven in the form of chicken, pesto, artichoke, and sundried tomato pizza And Heath has the Great Scott I decide to drink the Carlsbad Chronic, a red ale. Awesome stuff! Heath wants to move here! Located not too far from the beach, but more in the downtown

After Legoland, it was off for more beer. Starting at a Karl Strauss's right outside of Legoland. And a Pin Tail Pale Ale, we were outta there! So after a Stargazer IPA... A well known chain that isn't really friendly to the local breweries, we didn't want to support them too much

More from Legoland: Finally, old McDonald's farm. EIEIO Complete with Crookedest Street (though the cars can really only go down the hill) And San Francisco And some final shots of Miniland, like mini Hollywood Some random funny scenary Even the Lego Volvo works better than Nicole's car Driving school looks awesome for the kids. No track, just drive! Jeff takes a stand against line jumpers Grrr, I'm a polar bear. Gimme some Coca-cola And the amount of detail they put into the park You gotta love the Lego people's sense of humor See, there's one You gotta look for keys in different adventurous areas Adventurer's Club is a cool walkthru These boats looked like fun, but the line was over an hour long The flume wasn't done yet, and I can't figure out why. Its like 1/20th the size of Idlewilds And a tipping bucket play area The new Pirate Shores complete with Splash Battle Mount Rushmore, complete with giant Q tip Hehe, the President is a blockhead Oooh, look, here come's the President! Washington Monument Our nation's capitol

Sunday would start the day off north of San Diego at Legoland. Though quite expensive to get into, the park is a lot of fun, especially for the younger kids. Why couldn't one of these places be around when I was a kid! Another shot of NYC, with the Freedom Tower under construction And Rockefeller Center sans skating for now Time Square, a Coke sponsored spot Some shots of New York City Here's New Orleans after the floods (ok, its really a cool underwater search scene) And here is the Rich scene in NO (notice the Robb guy filming it!) And of course, New Orleans wouldn't be complete without a Jazz Funeral and above land cemetary More Marti Gras parade action. There's probably some dude throwing beads at a chick flashing somewhere in there. O&A Party Rock! This is New Orleans before Katrina (the Hurricane, not Ted's girlfriend) The bayou was pretty cool, complete with popping up aligator action and Florida's Space Coast And now, for some miniland. Here's the new Daytona area The park replaced the singing rocks with cool lego woodland creature minigolf But close enough with these water bombs! Too bad we're not at the Dells Jeff is happy, he must be up to no good Knight's Tournament is the new robocoaster that took the spot of the Batflyers Jousting for the little ones The final credit is not your average Vekoma Roller Skater. The darkride section was really neat And the cars were cool (too bad there was no beer demanding idols) The sound effects and minimal breaking made this version better than Canada's or PKDs And I still had credits to get 5 minutes after park opening and this thing already had a line! Shout out to all our peeps Lego buffalo, just for you, Nicole And is also quite popular with the little kids! Though really short, Coastersaurus is fun and smooth The park is loaded with Lego everything, like this Iguanadon When Jeff found out I was in town, he was thinking about coming. When he realized he had 4 more credits thanks to Coastersaurus, he knew he'd be there! My second Legoland credit of 2006, this time California

The final stop of the night was a return to O'Briens Pub. Hopefully they're still opened this time! And the Nelson Rye IPA for me (both from Alpine) Final brews of the night, Pure Hoppiness for Heath We even got to chat it up with the owner's parents who were chilling out right next to us. Sorry you weren't there, Tom! Even Kim is relaxed enough to enjoy some hops without the face Heath enjoys it here with its laid back quiet feeling I decide to start with an Alaskan Summer Ale. Very refreshing as I'm all hopped out at the moment They don't brew their own, but they sell all local stuff. And what a laid back atmosphere it is! Yup, and this time its opened! Is there really an American Pub here?? From the looks of this sign, its like we're in Korea Town or something