redmenace8

Ah, the photo of the yellow and black jagged shapes: As the building from before was the 'Gateway to Abu Dhabi' (their words), the logical next possibility is Ferrari World. A quick search of all sorts of different terms finally ended with a search for what the entrance of Ferrari World might look like. Lo and behold, and image comes up from Kemps Architectural Lighting highlighting their work on lighting on the facade walls to the entrance of Ferrari world. Your photo highlights a small section of the facade.

The office building in the 3rd to last photo above the black and yellow jagged thing is HQ, the "world's first spherical office building" located in Abu Dhabi. I've seen that building before on some special about Abu Dhabi helping out Dubai financially. I just went up to the good ole Google and looked for Distinctive buildings in Abu Dhabi. Found an image, which linked to the owner's (Aldar Properties) website. So the next two pics might be in Abu Dhabi somewhere. My internet keeps dropping so I wish people luck. Edit: I get it now, Aldar as in Aldar's Ferrari World. Came across that later on.

Tangled: 8/10 I thought I would like this better than I did. Maybe it was because I was tired, but for the most part I didn't find much of the humor or songs that interesting. I can see what they did in the advertising, trying to make it seem more of an adventure story than a 'princess' story. The 'princess' side fought back and felt like *that* was the real movie. I did like the villain, Mother Gothel, she did her villainy thing, very smartly. Perhaps it was too smart for the movie, the ending almost had to be so sudden and out of nowhere because MG did her job right. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: I think this is my favorite of the Harry Potter movies. Funny enough, it is about as far away from a Harry Potter movie as you can get. The style, the look, and the feel shift this movie out of the simple, fantasy world of the other movies. There is a realism about the movie, and that helps emphasize the heaviness and darkness permeating the film. The acting is probably the best of all the movies, most improved I think is Emma Watson. Despite being the best of them, I am sure that anyone who hasn't followed Harry Potter would be utterly lost. Even though everything that you need to know is explained-the Hallows themselves in a very nicely graphic way. Despite the added length of two parts, it did feel a little choppy, only because there is so much material to include. Still the ending hit the mark with plenty of emotion from a sad event that comes from the middle of the book. I can't wait for the second part.

Let's see, I'll play a little, some of the pics I do not know what they mean, except for indicating airport locations... The first picture has a Ford F150 in the center. F1 comes off very highlighted when you say it. The Italian flag suggests something related to Italy. Ferrari comes to mind. Paris/Hilton: Paris Hilton had a reality show in Dubai, via Wikipedia. There maybe fewer food choices at the location, therefore the need to get some McDonald's. The adapter, I will take on faith that those who answered do know that it is the right kind for Dubai. Elissa is pointing to "International," so I assume it is an international destination. Roller Derby has United.com in the corner. There are many United Flights that will go to or via connection in Germany get you to Dubai. The exit sign has a 5 on it, which indicates the terminal(D5) at Dulles(Via Flight Tracker). Several international flights go out of there. The 3 photos you didn't take: Singapore Airlines used Dubai Airport as a refueling point midway between Asia and Europe.(Wiki) Denver airport? Have suspicions but so unlikely wouldn't want to guess on that one. But maybe... The lovely ladies photo has Pan Am in the name. Perhaps an old destination of the defunct airline? The flight path: reminds me very much of the flight path to/from Munich. Nearly Identical. Is that a row of 3 seats? If so who is in the middle and who is on the left covered up? So what this leaves me with is this. Robb and Elissa are going to Dubai to go to Ferrari World to ride the F1 coaster. They left LAX going to Dulles, they will have to go to Terminal D5. From Dulles they are going to make another connecting stop in Germany , possibly Frankfurt, an old Pan Am Hub, but D5 in Dulles suggests Munich, then to Dubai. Of course you could be really messing with us all and innocent me fell into your devious traps. Nah, you wouldn't do that would you? Would you? Please tell me....hmm, obvious answers, too obvious, must think more... No matter what this was fun.

Thanks for all the great coverage. You've given everyone a chance to see from the inside, the business of what goes on behind the closed doors. I was really glad to see the picture of the model of Mission Space. The scale of the ride is almost shocking. Only in Europe would they be that ambitious these days. I'd ride it in a minute if I ever got the chance. A big thank you to everyone else who also had information about that ride.

Height, Width does it really matter? To be honest, though, I like the idea of a 625' tall wall. They could win over the neighbors with the ultimate soundwall/hurricane barrier. What Florida retiree would say no to that? Until it blows over... It sounds about as reasonable as the extremely ambitious plan, (to say the least) they put forward. Let's see the money and organization. I would think something so expensive would want to be presented in the best light possible from the beginning. What's a few thousand up front, when you are talking about hundreds of millions down the road.

Being honest is the best place to start. As you get out into the world, you will care less and less what other people think. Of course that might depend on where you are; some places are filled with people who, well, you know, aren't so nice. You cannot control what people think of you, ultimately. After you take that in, then, you will be more free to open yourself to people. Then, you will see how much more fun and fulfilling your life will be. In time.

I was really curious to see what information is made available from KMG about their new ride Mission Space. I've seen many rumors online, as well as a supposedly leaked report, but I would like to know what's real from the source. The ride mechanics are a still a bit of a mystery. Thanks.

Thanks for that, I just try to write from the heart. Kevin

You are absolutely right about that Robb. The new ride appears to be a new design out of Technical Park, called "Loop Fighter" based directly on their Pegasus model in the picture. I read somewhere they have a gentlemen's agreement to use that base design from KMG, That base design is identical to KMG's Freakout and Inversion. I am really surprised and pleased that this little park took a leap with such a new design. I just came across it a few days ago while looking for info about that new monster ride from KMG- Mission Space. I thought this ride looked so awesome and fun. It seems to have come out this year. The fact that the U.S. gets one so quick, ahead of the usual suspects in Europe is so cool, too. Finally. A search of Youtube seems to show only one other version traveling one in Spain.

I used to be like that, cringe away whenever someone was too flamboyant and open near me. Until I realized it wasn't the behavior that was getting to me, it was the attention that I felt was being drawn towards me being around someone like that. I figured that if people thought I, in any way, tolerated that kind of person then people would think I might be like that. Of course, I just wasn't comfortable being open or really accepting about myself. I might be terminally shy, but I do accept who I am now, and I would treat any fellow gay as family. I have seen enough to realize that the most open and over the top ones are the bravest of us. They either cannot hide who they are or choose not to. That, especially when younger, is to live in a world of hurt. They get hit with all the homophobia they can take, plus rejected by many who do not want to be identified with them, even if they are gay too. If they are saying that they are straight, it is possible, there are many shades of personalities. A straight person doesn't have to like sports, talk about cars or hate anything that makes them look soft, and vice versa goes for gays. I am into some watching sports, target shooting, and have been hunting. I also like Project Runway, making desserts, and dancing , a real mixed bag. Everyone is different. If they are gay but are saying they are straight, then they may be protecting themselves or simply haven't reached the point of really understanding who they are. It can take time. I had a friend in high school who wasn't the most masculine guy around. He always tried to minimize how he acted but he couldn't hold everything back all the time: mannerisms and what he like to talk about. Ironically, one day in German class, the class tried to out him, not to be mean, but just to address the elephant in the room. Everyone said they would accept him, even the football players. He wouldn't admit too it, at all. He kept saying no, but turned very, very red. (There is always something about the students in a German class, they are just a different kinda group of people.) In other classes, like P.E. or on campus a lot of students avoided him or made comments. If he had admitted to being gay, even if it was already pretty obvious, I think his life would have been a living hell, rather than the mixed bag it was. He even took a girlfriend for a time. He was either covering up, trying to not be gay, or just didn't understand, yet. Eventually, I did hear he came out later. So, long story short, in time, you may learn to feel different about things, try not to judge others too harshly\. It is a very rough world, and seemingly getting harsher all the time. We cannot afford to divide ourselves from each other just because of how open someone is, when so many want to, literally, hurt us.

Nice pictures, It is almost hard to look at them. I remember this as the first roller coaster I went on at SFMM, it was a school field trip, way back when. I remember my friend hyperventilating, trying to keep it together. I loved it. Ironically, I just found this yesterday, at the bottom of an old box.

On a seasonal note, Me and my friend hit up Knott's Scary Farm last Wednesday for the first time in a couple of years and we had a great time. I wasn't sure if my friend was going to be able to handle the trip, as she had been very sick the day before. Luckily, it turned out to be our best trip ever. Crowds were non existent. At rope drop, there might have been 75 people waiting. We headed towards the back and Dollhouse and Terror of London then looped around clockwise, ending with Club Blood/Asylum. The first two mazes we had to ourselves, so all the talent came after us. Labyrinth, Slaughterhouse, and Club Blood/Asylum were to only ones where there was any semblance of a crowd. Actually, the only real areas of crowding were near the Hanging and near Ghostrider. About halfway through, we took a Funnel Cake break with a side of Boysenberry Punch, then a quick ride on Jaguar, the only ride my friend was up for. For us the only weak mazes were Black Widow's Cavern (Mine Ride), no surprise there as they only have so much space to work with, and Labyrinth, which backed up a bit and the talent really didn't seem to be doing much. All of the other mazes had great energy and scares. In the past we would go throught some mazes and wonder where everyone was, not this year. Even Dia De Los Muertos, which I've read was big on looks but not on talent, was very good for us. My friend stretched out the back of my shirt as she clutched onto me with all her strength as she didn't really look up. Well, that was the the whole night, actually, I'm surprised my shirt held together. The best mazes for us were Tower of London and Virus Z. Tower was just a well done maze, long and high quality, lots of talent, really into their roles. Virus Z was also high quality, lots of energetic talent that knew their maze. I had the two of the biggest scares I've ever had in this maze. I jumped like a madman and screamed like a woman. The music really added to the atmosphere. Fallout Shelter and Slaughterhouse were...disturbing...full of things I just do not like to see and which always creep me out. Still, very good. Two of the three scare zones were good. Ghost Town never disappoints. The atmosphere, the talent, the fog, always combine to be a really outstanding scare filled area. The big surprise was Carnevil. This always seemed to be an afterthought area, too bright, too little talent. Maybe it is because my friend is terrified of clowns but the area actually worked really well this year. Lots of clowns, spread over a larger area, working hard to get people, sliding, even one riding a tricycle. Necropolis (Camp Snoopy) just did not work, though. There weren't too many people working the area, even the fog seemed light. No theme really seemed to present itself. The area will need work in the future. Other than the minor disappointments, the trip was fantastic. My friend was just able to hang on through all the mazes. Then it was grabbing our traditional ginormous self service pixie sticks (the rootbeer powder is so good) and off home. 2 1/2 hours and we didn't feel like we were rushing at all.

I hit up Knott's Scary Farm this year rather than HHN. That was a great decision, on a Wednesday night, we hit every maze and even rode a ride in about 2 hours. My friend was kinda sick so it worked great. The energy and quality of most of the mazes was a huge improvement over a couple of years ago. I had a couple of scares that made me jump like never before, silly fun. I was surprised at how small the crowd was, even for a weekday. I also hit up the Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Festival. I picked up, like, 7 pumpkins for carving on top of the 5 I already had. They also had a corn maze and some good, bad for you food choices. We might try to hit Dark Harbor at Queen Mary, that is still up in the air.

I've wanted to ride a ride like Green Lantern since I first saw one. It reminds me of a Zipper. I guess this is SFMM's way of getting another roller coaster notch on the bedpost and a flat ride. I know it works for me. I am easy to please, so, I know I will like it. I just don't know how long I will wait for it. I will certainly make the effort. As for Superman, I am glad they are renewing the ride. That tall tower looks good wrapped up in those bright colors.

Thanks for the report. I am very interested in this event, now. Even my best trips to Halloween events around here usually have problems with haunted lines. Nothing breaks atmosphere like being bumped and rushed from behind, too. I am curious as to how crowded this event can get and whether line control will still be maintained. Still, based on this report, this event sounds like a great opportunity get the crap scared out of you. Fresh blood, shall we say?

And I didn't want to leave.... The Park!, The Park!, I meant the Park! Hmmm. Truly a fun park experience, made even more special by such an outgoing owner. He went out of the way to serve us free soda, coffe and hot chocolate. How awesome is that? The park even had its own theme song, you could hear "Erlebnispark Strasswalchen" sung over and over to some tune, almost enough to get it stuck in your head. (Unlike say, Belantis, which piped in "It's a Small World," -quite a stretch there to try to conjure up a feeling of Disneyland.) When I saw some of the guys go ahead of me on the slide, I could not believe what I had gotten myself into. It looked unreal. Crazy airtime on the kind of kid's slide you see at the local ghetto fair, unexpected to say the least. Seriously, So Fun! The Slide of Death and Crazy Train rule. Erlebnispark definitely has the imprint of the owner, thankfully.

So far the only two 'rides' that have made me feel nauseous. The first is this maypole 'ride' at a Ren Faire where you sit on this large ring hanging from the pole while facing outward. They wind it up the pole, then release it. The world turns into a blur. The guys running it were actually trying to get people to get sick, encouraging riders to lean forward and giving long, oh so long, rides. I barely saved face in front of my little cousin. The other 'ride', I am embarrassed to say, is the long series of escalators at Universal Studios. I think it is the angle, plus the lengths, and seeing all those other people leaning in just such a wrong way combine to make the experience, um, difficult. I have to close my eyes. I don't mind taking the stairs down, but up, that is another story. I think for everyone, what causes a problem is different. You just have to figure what motion rides do that will set you off and learn to watch and avoid. You will not always be successful, but, that is part of the learning process. Trying can also help you push your limits, when carefully done.

For the past couple of years me and my friend only went to HHN, after some disappointments with Knott's. While HHN is a fantastic high quality event, we've been missing KSF. You really do get that total atmosphere as soon as you enter the park and it doesn't really break as you walk around, like, say traveling down a long series of escalators will do. I've seen reports over the last couple of years of Knott's really pushing themselves. What's been written here, pretty much cinches it and we will be going. Looks like you guys had a total blast. Plus, the funnel cakes are awesome.

Thanks! I’d take that “job” anytime. LOL Salliemae might have an issue with that, though.

Thanks for the responses, This has been quite the experience. I’d write more, LOL, but I am doing this with my ps3 controller . My computer just died. Next trip? China or Europe. No matter where you cant lose. Again, thanks for reading and the compliments, I do enjoy writing. Update: Um, yeah, a good cleaning really helps the battery actually connect and, um, work.

A different kind of Trip Report: A wall of sticky heat hit my face as I left the terminal at Ontario Airport. While standing there, on the crowded curb, a couple of people, seeking relief for their nicotine addiction, sent clouds of smoke my way. I looked down and realized I had three badly broken nails stinging my right hand. I must have had them for several days, yet, never noticed. Despite my weariness born of a long, long journey, I smiled broadly, tears of joy started in my eyes. I had never felt so satisfied. Yet, just over a week before, my feelings were very much different from where they were at that moment, nearly home. For several years, I had dreamed of going to Europe, especially Germany and Oktoberfest. Just a few months prior to the announcement, me and my friend started making plans for such a trip. Unfortunately my friend was just not able to go. With that, I figured another chance had slipped away, like so many others. TPR has been a site that brought fun to my life. I would always read the trip reports and see the world. I have only visited parks in the L.A. area, not too bad with Disneyland and Magic Mountain, but there was so much more out there. Suddenly a surprise trip announcement appeared: Oktoberfest 2010. My heart beat faster; could this be the chance? The timing, the size of the group, these fit together. After a bit of hemming and hawing, I finally made the plunge and asked to join. Once that happened, the time passed quickly filled with excitement and a bit of trepidation. This would be my very first TPR trip and International Trip. I wanted to go big. Elissa provided valuable assistance when needed. Before going on the trip, I realized many familiar faces of TPR Trips past would be going as well. Naturally, you begin to wonder if you will fit in, as everyone else has been on trips together and they seemed to be a tight knit group. To the beginning(of the trip), I wondered if I was doing the right thing, but I was determined to go with whatever may come, buoyed by all the wonderful trip reports of the past. The very moment I left the terminal at the Munich Airport and entered the large, spectacular looking main plaza on the way to the S Bahn, I knew, I was exactly where I needed to be. (and embarrassed by how bad LAX looks in comparison.) The trip to the hotel went exactly as Elissa had noted in the information packet she prepared. All the details you needed were right in your hands. Plus, I was able to start using the German I had learned in long forgotten classes at UCLA. Once, check in was finished up, slowly I began to meet all of the TPR members on the trip. The very first TPR person I met was my roommate. I have to say Leo was probably the most wonderful, thoughtful and cool roommate anyone could ask for. Once I met Leo, I knew things would be alright, we laughed the whole trip long. Plus he had no problem being my human alarm clock, otherwise I would never have woken up on time. Thanks Leo and Thank you Elissa for putting us together. While I had been a bit intimidated meeting all these familiar from TPR faces, all of that melted away rapidly. To the person, everyone was completely approachable and easy to start a conversation with. I have never been around such an amazing group of people. Fun and caring, knowledgeable and so open, full of heart, and never too serious. This is the first group of people I felt like I really belonged with. (Gosh, normally, I'm not so sappy, but I cannot help it here.) I can only hope for the best for all of them and hope to meet them again on future trips. I have to give a special shout out to Shane for all his extra efforts towards making me feel a part of everything, truly a great new friend anyone would be proud to have. Hotel: Holiday Inn City Centre, Haidhausen area. Very Comfortable, Clean, located right on top of an S Bahn station, that took you wherever you needed to go. Restaurants, a supermarket and Internet Cafes were located so very close. Plus the area was very nice and easily within walking distance of some of the city's best known landmarks. Munich: A beautiful city, full of history and modernity. The transportation system puts all other cities to shame, comprehensive and precise. Every corner of the city seemed to hold something interesting to see or a restaurant to try. From the top of the Frauenkirche, a broad vista played out in front of you. The crowded with tourists Marienplatz, the masses heading towards Oktoberfest, the Theresienwiese, the large Hauptbahnhof, center of transportation, the wonder of architecture that is the Olympic Park. The whole thing was a marvelous example of a vibrant cityscape, full of life. Full of "interesting" nightlife as well... Germany: Every bus ride showed us a beautiful green country. It was like driving through a postcard everyday, even through blurry, tired eyes. Sunday: The first day was a quick walk to Marienplatz, watching the Glockenspiel and hearing the many voices in the crowds. Later was meeting everyone and traveling to Oktoberfest. All that fun could be seen in Robb's Epic Report. What I can add is that several songs will have new meanings: Country Road, Sweet Caroline, Proud Mary, Seven Nation Army. Sung standing on the tables at the top of your lungs, amazing. Monday: Culture, Castles and Slides. A short bus trip and we were along the foothills of the Alps, with picturesque towns, farms and hills with castles on them. A very cool bridge, and an amazing building filled with the insane wonders of an "insane" King. An intricately carved bed, a room filled with swans, an actual Disney-esque cave and the most perfectly royal blue curtains were highlights. Some of the backstory was filled in by our assistant tour guide, a cool dude named Riley (good luck in Kenya.) The tour was followed by a lovely hike down a gravel and grate path along a river filled gorge. Then it was a short walk past some ringing cows to the slide complex. While one of us took to the sky, the rest took to the slides. This was my first time on an alpine slide and certainly will not be my last. Like so many things on this trip, I got to be spoiled by the coolness, my first time sliding was long and fast. While not the fastest slider, I still managed to not be rear ended by Elissa and Kidtums, but just barely. Tuesday: A Day of Getting Lost. This day had two small parks, plus a great deal of freedom to see the city. An easy S Bahn ride out through the city and past farms to a small "suburb," then a short walk and we were there. A very cute little park, built among houses. Marchenwald had my first intro to do it yourself rides and the Squirrel coaster with trees thatclose to the track. Seriously, everyone leaned in to avoid getting a face full of bark. Awesomeness. There there was the do it yourself swing that sounded and felt like it could fly apart. And who could forget the mini kid train filled with TPR members barely making it around the track. After this park, the day was free, until a meet up later on. I do not know how to handle this part, to praise something, that represents so much that was wrong with the world, and sometimes feels like it could happen again. Several of us had to see Dachau. I wanted to go, not only as a student of history, but also as a member of group targeted for elimination. While this place was more a pow camp, all the hallmarks of these kinds of places were present. The set up directs the visitor along the process that an actual inmate would have gone through. A very ingenious presentation, the deeper you go into the camp, the deeper you go into the experience, in your mind, stripped away of more and more of who you were. Then you feel the full impact of this place. Standing in the courtyard, in the sun, looking out through the barb wire, up at the guard towers, across the spaces once filled with barracks. You really feel the echoes of all the souls who passed. Of course the most intense moment was off in the corner, where the darkest activities occurred. The crunching of the gravel paths marked the way. As it happened we entered the crematoria building backwards, so we went from room to room without really seeing the signs. Nonetheless, the actual crematoria was absolutely eerie and so quiet. The next room we wandered into was a surprise. Despite a large window, the room was low slung, cramped and dark. It took just a moment to realize that this room was where so many voices were silenced, the showers. Unless you go there and experience that singular moment, you will not understand how hard it is to stand in those footsteps. The world spun around in the silence; even now, I feel a bit breathless. I cannot lie, I did have different tears in my eyes for some time. I had to focus on the sound of a church bell ringing to hold it together. I was quite thankful that we had a long walk to try to make some sense of what we had seen. After this important experience, I was glad to move on. Our intention was to find food and meet up with the rest of TPR at Lollihop. Unfortunately, the district of Aubing seemed to be in a food desert. We searched and searched, I asked some German women, one nice, one snooty, but no restaurants were to be found. Instead we came upon one of the most delicious bakeries run by the nicest ladies to found anywhere. Good sweets and good prices. This is one of those discoveries you make when you allow yourself to wander. The lady behind the counter gladly took back our trash and we made it to Lollihop. While certainly, a very much for kids place, the staff treated us right. They were amused by all these adults coming for the one coaster. Even better, we put so much weight on the coaster, it couldn't stop at the right place. I really felt like a whore at that moment, a true member of TPR. Wednesday The Long Day. This day was the long bus ride to eastern Germany to visit two parks. Interestingly, you could still tell when you crossed over into the east, buildings were just a bit more run down, and towns a little bare bones and less charming. Plohn was a very pleasant surprise. I felt like we were treated very well. El Toro was a blast, the best woody I've been on, small but powerful, in the front you could feel all that weight pushing into you, smoothly. The park was just cute with some ride ops stepping over themselves to get you on. A fair trip later and we were at Belantis. *sigh* Robb described the park just about right. Layout was inconvenient,( the closer you were, the farther it seemed), rides for the most part not much to write home about. Most of my experiences with employees were alright, especially the young lady who asked us for a favor on the raft flume, she was appreciative. That ride was funny, everyone got a butt massage. Of course, most of the time here was probably affected by the beating I took on Huracan. I'm short, and my head was right in between those restraints. Going up was fine, going down was exciting and then it hurt, over and over and over. I desperately tried to protect myself to no avail. The restraint slammed into my neck or my head. We all came off of it, holding ourselves in pain. The other coaster was fun though, nice pops of air. After this was the trip back. We stopped and I finally ate fast food-Burger King. It actually tasted pretty much the same as here, didn't know what I was expecting. Bought a ton of chocolate at our stop that I'm just now starting to munch on. I'm just sad I missed the chance to get a McRib at Mcdonalds. Thursday Surprises and a Character This was a very fun day. Erlebnispark Strasswalchen was such a hoot, a true reflection of the owner. That crazy coaster is one for the record books. It looked smallish, almost kiddie sized, but was seriously awesome, intense and out of control. Momentum just built up through the whole ride. The second airtime hill was more of an airtime segment, from the bottom, blasting over the top until the next bottom, I never touched the seat. The front was a challenge though, you needed to be secure to avoid being really thrown around. Following this was the Slide of Death. What did they do to this? A simple slide you would find at any small carnival, turned into a death defying experience. Good Times, again I don't know if I touched the slide again after the last bump. Then there was the slamming bumper cars and the oddly mythologically mixed up dark ride. Something absolutely amazing happened then, we got a personal tour of the Dracula Haunted Castle by the owner. The castle was well done, easy to follow, just a great experience. Add an owner, who, played the whole thing up to level 11 and you have got a something really special. From his tearful goodbyes, to hearty welcome back from danger cheers, he was just an awesome showman. I really appreciate what he did for us. After this surprise was a trip to Bayern Park for some slides and do it yourself rides. Butterflys are way cool. I think it had what you would call a roller skater type coaster with a long train, very pleasant. The slides were fun, finally I didn't use the brakes, but they really didn't need them. They also had a tube slide which was far more thrilling than expected. I loved the mix of rides and forest setting. Just lovely. Friday No Longer a Virgin. This day we went to Skyline Park and Legoland Deutschland. I had many first this day. My first X Coaster, despite fears it might be closed, this was running when it was scheduled to be. As I am very easy to please, I actually did like this, having nothing else to compare it to. I did feel the pressure from the restraint for awhile, admittedly. This day we had Morgan along. We got along great and both wanted to try the slingshot/ejection seat. Here it was included in the price, and I always wanted to do it. Man! Way more intense than expected, being shot up so high, I did not really feel the height as much as the forces of gravity going up and the free fall. Flipping and bouncing was a scream filled experience. I was very glad I did it, but it did leave me shaking for 10 minutes after. That was pretty cool. I followed this up with my very first Nautic Jet. It looks even crazier in person. This was just fun. Do it yourself airtime. If only you didn't have to travel so far to ride one. We also rode a raft ride, which was quite a surprise. It spun as fast as a tilt a whirl at the top, then I got nailed by a wave of water. My first Legoland came up next, despite living less than a 100 miles away from Carlsbad. I can see why these are so popular, especially if you have kids. The workmanship and the quality of experience really impressed me. They have unique attractions, and this one had a great and surprising flume ride. I could have spent many more hours just looking at the details in the mini land. The saddest part was when the smaller of the three coasters was loaded up all full with us adults and no kids could ride, they could only watch. Actually that makes me laugh. I really felt like a whore again. Another fun time was on the pedal powered ride above the grounds. While I was Steve's chauffeur we had quite the debate on whether or not the pedal actually did anything. After we were yelled at by the operator, that question was solved as I pedaled like a madman and we zoomed off. Course that didn't matter to Leo and Fran, who created a big traffic jam behind them. I also had the best meal of the trip here. A roast pork dish with potatoes that was out of this world, the pork was so tender, you did not need a knife. I'm spoiled for pork now. This was the last day of perfect weather, after this it would rain off and on. Didn't make a difference, though, we still had fun. Saturday A Day to Ourselves This was our last full day in Munich. Except for a farewell lunch and a great Indian Restaurant, the day was ours to do with as we pleased. I took another walk out to Marienplatz and enjoyed the Glockenspiel, especially when the crowd cheered as the Bavarian figure on a horse knocked down another one. Despite the rain, the streets were still crowded with people from all over. Women in Dirndln and Men in Lederhose were still going by. After lunch, seriously, try Indian food, it is great, three of us went off to walk around the city center or Zentrum. This is when we really checked out some of the detail in the buildings. I personally love stained glass windows, and both the Neues Rathaus and the Frauenkirche were filled with them. Tall and stunning. It was also fascinating to see all the old altars to various historical figures. Several of which were being used. At the Frauenkirche we took the opportunity to go to the top of one of the towers. A narrow spiral staircase and a short elevator ride took us up to the best view of central Munich. (Sorry about any confusion as to which tower we went up.) After this we took a quick trip to the Hauptbahnhof, full of chaos and order. People running to and fro, snippets of very happy people singing and an up close moment with the cool high speed trains. The main reason for coming was Lederhosen. A fellow TPR member decided to take the plunge. To be perfectly honest, while the initial idea of Lederhosen might seem a bit funny, when you are there, and so many are wearing them and looking good while wearing them, you really will want them. While they ended up out of my budget, a couple of members did get them and they will own anyone else outside of Munich. I was very happy for those guys. After all this was the last trip to Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest: The best fair in the world. During the whole time in Munich, I remember every time I went there. Every visit was memorable in its own way. The first night was a near overwhelming mix of crowds lights and excitement. Such a crowd and such positive energy. If someone didn't fit in with that, the polizei took care of them pretty much instantly. Every time we met new people from all over the world-Ethiopians, Canadians, New Zealanders, Italians, Aussies, of course, Germans. Everyone was there to have a good time. The women groping their men, letting everything hang out and it seemed some of the str8 Germans were really letting themselves, um, enjoy in new ways, perhaps, judging by how graphically one of our neighbor Germans propositioned his male friend, and that was the first night. There was so much singing and dancing and joy, everyone on the benches. I already mentioned the 2 German friends we met on a Thursday in Robb's report. So Hilarious and fun. Luckily no matter how wasted the blond one was, he had his hometown embroidered on his Lederhosen, so they would know where to take him when he passed out. I do wonder about them. Best friends, and apparently eager to announce they slept with each other's mother. Always toasting. On the other hand, they were very interested in challenging guys to "whip it out" to see who measured up. They, of course, had no problem showing how the flap works on the Lederhosen and showing underwear with a picture of a chicken right on their business. The rest is a blur and that is all I will say about them. Another night, a couple of our fellow TPR members got on the Teufel Rad. The famous experience, where a crowd gathers around a wheel as an MC calls for certain people to hop on and try to stay on as it spins. After a while, they lower a large cushy ball and swing it, while 2 guys throw ropes to try to tangle people. Kris got on and Big Mike was invited on. They acquitted themselves well and were cheered by the crowd. The last night was rainy a cold and seemed like it might not go well, but turned out to be fun as well. With a warm dessert, things picked up. Crowds were still bustling. We watched the drunks on the Toboggan and ate some good food. Not much is deep fried here, it's 1/2 meter wursts on crunchy rolls, curry wursts, steak sandwiches. So very good, and sometimes funny to watch others eat. With Shane and Miles popping up, it turned into a blast. We rode Olympia Looping in the rain, that was a seriously forceful ride on something I kept saying was a work of art. The rides were pretty awesome, plus the cycles were insane. 10 minutes on a Breakdance, best flat ride ride ever. The new Rocket ride was a bit dizzifying, but interesting. Alpina Bahn was a fun coaster. The second best, though, was Hollenblitz, a fun, spinny, indoor coaster that puts many theme park coasters to shame. A wacky lighted interior completed the package. Speaking of wacky interiors, how can we not have a Psychedelic walk through in this country. The most fun and awesome concept ever. Could not stop laughing. Final Thoughts: There are so many other moments, but I am sure I have gone on for far too long and there are just too many to list. While I know, no one trip will ever be the same as any other, and the time on a trip is not real life, I know this trip, already, is having an influence beyond merely a fun experience. Being around such a positive group of people, and seeing how they grab at life, has really woken me up. We all have issues to deal with, sometimes very personal or very heartbreaking and stressful issues, knowing there is such a good group of people, knowing there are such joyful places to experience, does take away some of the sting. By no means a solution, just something that lightens the heart. My only regret is that let some hangs ups hold me back from talking to everyone right away. Given the time, I made myself get over that, which has kind of stuck to my benefit. You have to be open to new friendships. I have a new found appreciation for everything and thanks to the people on this trip, the touch more of confidence I needed. There is always hope. Thanks to All I extend a personal thanks and appreciation to Robb and Elissa. The hard work, and organization you guys do, made the trip effortless for me. Even my little mishap, I had faith and was convinced would turn out fine, because of what you do and how you do it. I feel privileged to have been able to take part in such an intimately sized group. It was a real treat and fit me very well, loose yet tight. I just hope, I can be seen as equal to the kind of person who helps makes a good TPR trip. I really would like to go on another. Should you do a Trip? As long as you appreciate the experience as much as the chance to do credits, Absolutely. You will be repaid in ways you cannot imagine. As long as TPR exists, you will have family. Just, Wow... I am still on the High... Thanks for Reading. My Camera started dying on the trip, then actually did die, cursed apparently, and my phone is not letting me get the pics I took on it, so check out Robb's Epic Report to get a good example of everything.

I actually have a funny story about that. A small group of us became attached to a couple of Germans on Thursday night. They were both incredibly friendly and very very funny. The second best night there, I think after the amazing first night. Anyway, the blond one absolutely did not want us to speak German to him, at all. He said was a German who didn't like Germany. Course he had been there since 10 in the morning and this was around 9 at night. He kept saying he was "so effing wasted". I said I liked his accent and he said he had paid 20 Euro to learn it. Pretty much every 2 minutes he would say "Put your hands UP!" and start another round of toasts. There is a lot more to say about everything, but this really reminded of that night. I learned where the phrase "choking the chicken" came from this night as well but I will leave it at that for now.