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Looks like somebody gave Ms. Morrisette a dictionary, and she finally looked up the definition of "Ironic."

The Flying Dutchman looks great--I particularly like how you can't tell if the boat is on a track or in some sort of trough as it heads back toward the station.

Lemme know whe you're going to be in town, James. Griffon is looking pretty good.

^Anacaonda with a longer line than Volcano? It's the end times, I tells ya! Hypersonic did seem a little shakier in the second half on Saturday, too. Maybe they can con Cypress Gardens into buying it because it's a "classic." Glad the pollen didn't keep you down, Jeff.

I like how it swoops up into that banked curve right after it hits the water--that's gonna be a cool spot to stop and eat lunch.

A lot of people put down Italian Job, but I think it's a fun family coaster--especially the bit through the tunnel at the end. We should have great weather the weekend you're here, Eric--spring at KD is much better than the brutal summer. Hey, you can even ride the Togo death machine in relative comfort. As for the calendar, I believe in exercising my body as well as my mind--well, mostly my mind. Sort of.

What's great about Blackpool is that you don't have to be coaster fan to have fun--the dark rides and Valhalla definitely make it worth a visit, as well. Glad that you had a good time. I missed Space Invader during the TPR UK tour because it broke down. Oh well--just another reason to visit again.

^Nice summary (and being as this is only your second post on TPR, welcome)--this jibes with my experience that day, too (but I guess I should've had the ribs). The main entrance did look pretty nice and fresh, but the Rebel Yell needs paint desperately. Were all the Italian Job effects working when you rode it? All I got was fire and sound effects, no chopper or water. (The chopper's skinny little blades were twirling later that day, though.)

My Dad was a farmer in California's San Joaquin Valley, but we didn't raise livestock (although I did show a market lamb at the Satnislaus County Fair one year). Actually, fairs came about because of farms, not midways. They were basically big social events to bring the counties' rural residents together. And, yes, they tend to be aromatic. I propose a solution--just don't go to the fair. Or just expect that you're going to have to accept a certain amount of crap when you credit whore.

^I had that same thought after reviewing the "surveillance" pic last night, Jeff. I hope you're feeling better today. You can buy a whole pizza for $21.99 at KD, Rich--still ridiculously expensive, but a better deal if you split it with someone. And it actually tastes pretty good. There's a Bubba Gump's there, too, which is OK, but food at KD pretty much sucks.

^You may have a strange desire to rent Star Trek: First Contact at Blockbuster tonight. Really, that music was the weirdest highlight of my visit yesterday.

^^&^^^I don't know. Anaconda was closed early in the day but ran for a while. But the coaster was broken by the time I headed back to ride it. Let's just say that Anaconda isn't very high on my "priority-ride" list.

I rode BTTF in California back in late 1990s--thought it was fun, but had little desire to ride it again (not a big fan of the movies, either).

It'll be interesting to watch the "de-Paramounting" progress. I knew they were stuck with the big sign out by I-95 for a while.

Part two of the pics. And we finish with the vertical loop of another coaster that wants to kill you--Shockwave Togo Machine of Atomic Mega-Death. Thanks for reading. Oops! Looks like someone broke Anaconda (which is just as well). Eye-to-eye with Drop Zone. Here's yet another new slide for the water park. And now we'll conclude with some shots from the Eiffel Tower. Here's the Congo, with awesome Volcano and the fun (but strangely out-of-place) Avalanche. The Log Nazi proclaimed "No flume for you today!" But there were some hardy souls on the rapids ride. Ten dollars down, and you can take this little beauty right now! Whaddaya say, mac? And here's the part that makes people say "Oof," "Ow," and "$%*$%!!!" Then it knocks over a bunch of trash cans. Here's the part that goes wobble-wobble-wobble-wobble! Allow me to point out some of the features of Hypersonic. Here's the part that makes people say "Whee!" Hello there! You may have heard that we have a little item for sale. Take a gander! Isn't she a beaut? "Think we should paint over that?" "Nah--it'll just flake off on its own, anyway." Grr! Grizzly want to kill you too! But you have more fun when I do it than stupid Hurler! I'm Ricochet. I want to kill you, too, but I lack the power. Oh, well . . . Seriously--I want all you people dead! Hi--I'm the Hurler! And I want to kill you! Yeah, only one train on each side of Rebel Yell--but at least they were racing them. Ever read any of the Earl of Rochester's erotic poetry? I wonder what he'd have to say about Drop Zone? Here's one of the new slides opening in the water park later this spring (as seen from the pizza joint in the Grove).

Well, it's time for the first full season under Kings Dominion's new regime--Paramount is dead! Long live Cedar Fair! Paramount may be dead, but its ghost still lingers. It doesn't appear that CF took a lot of care in "de-Paramountizing" the park, aside from the maps, a sign here and there, and the CMs' name badges. You'll still find the Paramount name and logo on shirts in all the shops (gotta sell that back inventory) and on many of the trash cans, and those Paramount movie props are still ringing the Eiffel Tower. And there is one interesting, somewhat more irritating holdover from the old boss. Remember how they used to play music from different movies and TV shows, such as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Leave It to Beaver, all over the place? Today, except for the music in the Nick section and the jungle drums in the Congo, the only music being played in the park, from the main gate to the Grove to Old Virginia, was . . . the theme from Star Trek: First Contact! Yes, I heard that music pretty much constantly for the the six hours or so I spent at KD. Would love to know what the story is behind this. Is this the only music CF could get the rights to use? Well, theme music aside, the weather was great, the crowds were pretty light, and I had a good time. And, yes, there was but one-train operation on all the park's rough and wild woodies. But Volcano was its usual awesome self, as was Flight of freakin' Fear. And now here's a bunch of those things that are supposed to say a thousand words. Enjoy. PS--if you have one of those temporary KD or CF Maxx Passes, just go to any open ticket window, and the cashier will trade it for a "permanent" plastic card (no muss, no fuss). PPS--I have a suspicion that CF may be using a new vendor for KD's soft-serve ice cream. It used to be pretty good--now it really sucks. Yes, this pallid, stale-tasting twirl of gelatinous goo would probably better serve as a low-grade stamp adhesive than as a snack treat. Here's what $7.39 buys you at KD. Well, at least the pizza is decent and the napkins are free, right? Part two of photos to come. But "Canaba" is starting to close the gap! And now we turn to Curt Gowdy over at the bobsled run. Looks like Team USA has taken the early lead. Remember kids--clean poo is happy poo! (Note to CF: you might want to fix this sign.) Might as well catch the Tomb Raider show while waiting for Avalanche to open. I think this kid likes band. Just a hunch. Time to help Scooby and the gang get to the bottom of another groovy mystery (before the line gets too long). . . . by aliens! Remember--you will be under constant surveillance . . . We're now entering Flight of Fear! This is a restricted area! . . . it's (kersploosh!) Italian Job! (I must admit that I think this little coaster is fun.) And, for all of you who like rides based on mediocre remakes of old movies . . . Yep--sure beats the crap outta the Smurf train ride that used to be there. Launch good! Fire good! The early bird gets two rides (one in the front seat) in 15 minutes on Volcano. An eye full of the Eiffel . . . slap! Ow! Sorry--it won't happen again. A lousy picture of a good change--the entrance is no longer blocked by ticket booths. So, you actually get "lines" when you enter, as opposed to an unruly mob. (Tickets are sold in the bldg. in the left foreground.) At least this trash can got the memo. Here I am at Knott Paramount's Kings Dominion. Doesn't look like much has really changed.

^^It's all good, Casey. Bring on the vittles!

Yep--time to go back to Dollywood. That themed Eurofighter looks pretty cool.

Your pictures have a kind of Mario Bava/Dario Argento vibe to them--they look like Italian horror movies from the 1960s and 1970s (and I mean that in a good way),

Hmm--not too intrigued with this one. It's probably an improvement over G Force at Drayton, but I'd rather ride their Buffalo Coaster than that thing again.

Kind of the like the whole protest "Let's boycot buying gas on day XY. If we get enough people the gas companies will notice and lower prices". Yeah, but you all filled up on the day before, doubling their business for that day?? I actually got in trouble with someone at work about this "gas protest" thing, when I said, "Protest what? Having the lowest cost per gallon of any nation in the free world? You want to send a message? Sell your SUV and buy a car that gets decent mileage."

The Discover and Travel Channel Web sites should have some sort of listings--you could try scanning them for Memorial Day Weekend to see if any theme-park specials are scheduled. They might even have a page or two devoted to them.

^^You're supposed to serve your best dog only to honored guests.

^I think this might be due to the rather mild winter we had this year--not a lot of rain to slow up the work, so Griffon went up pretty quickly. Just a thought.

This is yet another cool Lego display, but the Luxor sphinx looks like it really needs to break wind.