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^If you're referring to "Jack's Nightmare Express," I'm afraid not. The train went back to being a transportation system last year, only with Halloween music and family-friendly Halloween light displays along the tracks.

You can expect one from Williamsburg. Chuck

It's not about the virginity. It's all about the mayo.

^Yet another lame-brained stunt for publicity from PETA--ho hum . . .

I think buying them online is your best bet.

^How many trips to the men's room does all that beer represent, Bob? Lotte World looks awesome. Guess I gotta put Korea on my list of places to visit.

Thanks to Erik for the map and John for the pictures--I'm really looking forward to Halloween Horror Night this year.

Here's another problem. I mentioned to one of my coworkers this morning that HRP had filed for bankruptcy: HER: There's a Hard Rock Park? ME: Yeah--in Myrtle Beach. HER: There's a park in Myrtle Beach? Hmm--yes, not having any name recognition in your own region (the South) might be a bit of a problem. Then again, to be fair, most people in my area of Virginia take their beach vacations on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, not Myrtle Beach.

Even Larry's purchase of an "Elvis" shirt and mine of a "Nights in White Satin: The Trip" shirt weren't enough to save them. ^At least they don't have Fuji-Queue's line-management issues, eh? Dave you should take over the place. Hell, they already have a heavy-metal bear act. Looks like this bear needs a new gig.

This is a shame, but not too surprising. Larry and I were there on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, and even with two coasters down, we never had to wait more than 10 to 15 minutes for anything. The longest wait we endured was for food, and that wasn't because of a long line--just very slow service.

On one hand, I believe that there is other intelligent life in the universe. On the other hand, I reckon they have better things to do than hang around some galactic backwater like Earth.

Personally, I think Nemesis is the best of the B&M inverts, but different strokes for different folks. Ultimate is the Jeckyll and Hyde of coasters. While I agree that all coaster enthusiasts need to experience it at least once, I wouldn't pick Lightwater Valley over Alton Towers.

I would start looking here: TPR's 2007 Spain Trip. You can also explore TPR's Park Index pages on the Spanish parks.

^I'm going to be out of town that weekend, but I hope you and your daughter have a great time. Drop me a PM is you want any BGE advice, but you shouldn't have much of a problem with crowds on Friday. The place will be very busy on Saturday.

^That works, too. In fact, that's what I had for dinner tonight. ^^Your time will come. Heh, heh, heh . . .

Sorry, Tyler--but where would turkey sandwiches be without mayonaise? Oh, I guess in your house.

^I had a great time with you guys, too, Heath. Howl-o-Scream usually gets better as the season grinds on, so I was pretty happy with what I saw on Saturday night. One of neighbors was chatting with a park security guard, who said that they pulled in about 7,000 people on Friday, but 28,000 on Saturday (take that for what it's worth).

One more set of Howl-o-Scream pics. To look at them is to invite madness. Thought you might like to know that. Jack may be back, but we're outta here! Thanks for reading. Are you afraid of werewolves, little girl? Anybody up for a little "3-Point Challenge" game? Er, Mr. Cast Member? You might want to look behind you. Even the Rapids' usually buck-naked statues got into the act. This line actually wound through a restaurant, then a bunch of switchbacks next to the Roman Rapids. Still, it moved pretty quickly. Time for a "Masquerage." Derek checks out a tall, sweaty bottle of Bud Lime. Verdict: He'd like a little beer with his lime juice, please. What's this--a Civil War-era mummy? Well, half a mummy. Silly rabbit! Trix are for kids! Hmm--maybe Angus can protect us from this "vicious dog." Nice Angus McNasty! Nice kitty! Don't show any fear, guys . . . Here's a look at the Beaten Path. Seasoned Howl-o-Screamers may recognize a few of these props from the old Jack's Nightmare Express train ride. Once upon a time, the Big Bad Wolf ate a little girl and a wicked witch scarfed down a little girl and turned her brother against her. Enjoy.

Brace yourself for more Howl-o-Scream. Remember--you have been warned. The Beaten Path in broad daylight--it's better after dark. One more set of photos to come. Last year, this path was just a trail of LEDs on the ground--the cornfield is a nice touch. "You! If you don't buy a cookie, a soft pretzel, and some cotton candy, they'll be serving you on a stick!" "You know, I was going to be an orthodontist, but look at these teeth! I'm a natural as a soul-sucking, body-rending ghoul!" Uh oh! Choke slam comin' up! My God! It's Barry's undead, smaller, almost-as-evil twin! Welcome to Ghost Hunters! Here we have some blurry documentary evidence that confirms what Elissa has always believed--Pepsi is the soda of Satan! "Hi there! I'm Satan! I hope you're havin' a great time, 'cause I'm so gonna suck out your soul later!" See that screaming kid? Busch should hire him. He's louder, scarier, and more annoying than anything! "Aw-wo-o-o-o-o! Make way! Werewolf comin' though, and he's gonna be marking some territory!" Scareactors harrassed guests waiting for the mazes to open.

Busch Gardens Europe kicked off Howl-o-Scream this weekend. Yes, it seems a bit early, but ever since Euroburg discovered gold in Halloween ten years ago, they've been starting the event earlier (and making it a little bigger). Unlike its Florida cousin, HOS at Euroburg isn't an upcharge event. It's part of your one-day admission (or season pass), so it's not as elaborate a show as you get in Tampa. That being said, the Williamsburg event is very popular (especially on Saturday nights) and a lot of fun. HOS yesterday was particularly cool for two reasons: 1. Derek, Nicole, and Heath were in town. 2. We were able to fit in all the coasters easily, because most people were drwan to the Halloween stuff after 6:00 p.m. The park had a large crowd and pretty long lines for the haunted houses last night, but give Eruoburg credit--those lines moved pretty quickly, and there was three-train operation on all the coasters (Griffon had the longest wait at about 15 minutes for the back row). Here's how the haunted houses and mazes stack up (starting with the best): Wicked Woods: Ripper Row--The best and biggest of the HOS's mazes takes you through a nightmare world of British history and folklore, inlcuding Jack the Ripper and the Black Death, with a touch of Sweeney Todd for good measure. The single coolest effect of HOS is here (but I'm not going to spoil it). Located in Festa Italia, this maze had to be moved due to construction of the park's new Sesame Street kids' area. It's all outdoors, so wait for dark before you go in. Tormented Tales--They've improved this twisted take on fairy tales quite a bit since last year, by adding more scareactors and effects. You wander through a sick mirror world where the Big Bad Wolf, the kid-hungry witch of "Hansel and Gretel," and other denzens of storybook evil rule. Located in what used to be Drachen Fire's barn. Curse of Pompeii--This is Euroburg's oldest HOS maze (nine years now, I think), but this tour of a haunted archaelogical dig, with mummies, bubbling lava, and assorted ghouls, holds up pretty well. They run a "friendly" version from 12:00-3:30 p.m., and then the "scary" version from 3:30 to closing. Located in the lower level of Escape from Pompeii. Masquerage--This maze is new for '08, and although it starts out a bit slow, it builds to a good finish (a big improvement over the evil-clown stuff that used to be here). There's a party of the damned at a ruined Italian castle, and you're invited--but as a guest or as part of the menu? Located in the Roman Rapids queue house. The atmosphere is marred a bit by the location (you can see the queue's video monitors hanging from the ceiling, and there isn't a lot of space). But they cram a lot of scareactors in there and a few other surprises. Grimm Hollows: Deadtime Stories--This maze is supposed to be inspired by the legends behind the tales of the Bros. Grimm, but I'm not a folklore historian, so I can't vouch for that. It seemed more like a generic haunted house to me, but a pretty good one--the "story" just isn't very clear. Located in the Drachen Fire station. The Beaten Path scarezone is pretty good, being as it's loaded with props and scareactors (one of whom looks like he should be part of World Wrestling Entertainment). The zones involving scarecrows and werewolves need a little work, but usually improve as the season moves along. We did catch the family-friendly Starfright Orchestra show while were were eating dinner in Italy--kinda corny, but the band is pretty good. You can buy a "Quick Queue" pass for the park's big rides, plus the haunted houses at most of the park's gift shops. We didn't bother with it and did just fine. All in all, it was a great evening. One quibble: The park was open until 10:00, but it doesn't start getting dark until 7:00. Here's a look BGE's Howl-o-Scream 2008. If you clear your mind, you can hear the ghost of Drachen Fire roaring by--along with the sounds of much cursing as ghostly riders have their brains beaten in. More to come. Next stop--The Never After, a place where you can mourn for Drachen Fire and check out two mazes and a scarezone. Even Nicole thinks riding the Big Bad Wolf is better than hearing me sing. You don't want to hear me singing. Really, you don't. Curse of Pompeii? OK. Where to now, guys? "If it were dark, you'd so be peeing your pants because I'm so damn scary!" W-o-o-o-o-o . . . even the trees are haunted! Hmm--you know, this looks like a skeleton-pirate version of the Village People. Rather disturbing, actually. I was nearly trampled by a stampede of teenagers when this stilt-pirate dude lurched forward. Halloween has taken over the stores, too. "Aghh! Thar be no privacy aboard this ship!" Yes, England has become "Piratical Purgatory." Just in case you missed the Grim Reaper out front . . . it's HOWL-O-SCREAM! That is one relaxed, casual skeleton there. One imagines him picking up a bony lass in a local bar with such a nonchalant attitude. "Yeah, I'm a skeleton now, but I'm working to become a full-fledged zombie by 25, then retire at 40. Your crypt or mine, babe?" "It's a Mr. Grimm . . . something about the 'reaping.'"

Very cool, Mark. I used to have a mini-Haunted Mansion "portrait" card that switched from some antebellum gent to a glow-in-the-dark monster when you turned out the lights.

^The "houses" are basically elaborate sets built in either the park's soundstages or in large tents. There are ample opportunities to bug out if you become too freaked (not to mention plenty of security personnel).

I haven't been to a fair since high school--the Stanislaus County Fair in swingin' Turlock, Calif. As I recall, the Toboggan coaster reeked of cigarettes, urine, and carny sweat. Great corn dogs, though.

What? You mean they were talking about Florida? Damn! ^^But seriously. folks, to answer your question, I was just representing TPR on of a conference call with a few other theme-park-related Web sites. Sure beat the hell out of the boring conference calls I have to take at the office.

^^The Busch "fast pass" is called "Quick Queue."