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^As usual, Larry speaks the truth.

That final roll scared the crap out of me the first few times I rode Wildfire. Well, every time, actually. Not that it stopped me from riding.

I miss those hummus fries.

^Dude sounds like Homer Simpson after one too many Duffs.

I got a good laugh out of that too. Like, what were you expecting? I also love the huge gas can sitting right next to the flames. Robb, how many people took you up on your free T-shirt offer? I love your responses. He nearly burned his face off when the fumes ignited.

I'll have a pork slider with a side of pretty much everything!

One last look at Kolmarden. If you look closely at my first Wildfire picture, you might notice the roof of a cabin. It’s a very nice place to have lunch and just hang out. It offers a great view, as well. It was pouring rain after lunch, so we took in the indoor dolphin show. Here, using a pink ball, the dolphins try to warn humanity about the upcoming Tiger Apocalypse. “They’re not listening to us, Fred.” “Then let the tigers eat ‘em, Frank,” Unlike Grona Lund, there were no tacos here. Welcome to Bamse's World, where if you step out of line, Bamse will eat his magic honey, gain super powers, and tear you head off. (Well, he probably won’t kill you. But this land is based on a bear in a Swedish kid show that does eat magic honey, which gives him powers but makes people sick to their stomachs for three days.) It’s a very nice looking kids area, . . . . . . with a credit. Behold the power of Zierer! Whoa! Someone dumped a big log here! I suspect the troll. They had a nice learning center for kids, too. “So I said, ‘Oh yeah? Well, fricasee this!’ And I’ll be damned--they did!” KT does not like it when people step on snails and slugs. “Don’t mind me--I’m just a bear tossin’ a bowling ball. Oh, and have you heard about the coming Tiger Apocalypse? “Come closer. Closer. NOW YOU DIE!” A further sign of the Tiger Apocalypse--a Satanic raccoon! (Also known as a red panda.) As it is often said, at least when it comes to Disney movies from the 1960s, everything is better with monkeys. “Either buy a drink, or get the hell outta my bar! This ain't no waitin' room." There’s another coaster here. Of course, it is a bit dwarfed by the coaster next door. But it is themed to dolphins, so I guess there’s that. We had more ERT on Wild . . . holy crap, look at that first drop! I think Kolmarden has a hit on their hands. Unless I miss my guess, these riders seem to agree with me. I'm reasonably sure they're having fun. Just a hunch. This is single craziest element. There’s much to love about this ride. Am I right, folks? The intensity of the experience caused some people to contemplate the meaning of existence. For Jake, it’s all about having a good time. Uh oh! Dan’s seen me! Better run! I’ll leave you with these words of wisdom. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 10 You Know, There’s More Here than Wildfire--Kolmarden Kolmarden is one big zoo. We’re talking huge here. Or as a certain presidential candidate might say, “y-u-u-u-u-u-ge.” Then promptly claim that he has something even bigger. It’s also the home of some new ride some of you may have heard about, Wildfire, which, like the zoo, is also huge. Kolmarden’s map says it’s a 40-minute walk from the coaster to the park entrance. Believe the map! The park wraps around a large wildlife habitat filled with lion, tigers, and bears (oh my) and lots of other animals from all over the world. At one time, it was a drive-through habitat like the old Lion Country Safari, but now the main wildlife habitat is spanned by a gondola ride that lasts nearly half an hour. But what about Wildfire? Did it live up to this rather bold claim we saw at Grona Lund? Hmm . . . is it “the greatest wooden roller coaster in the world”? I can’t speak for others, but for me, it’s definitely in the top five somewhere. RMC has done it again! The first drop is truly terrifying, there’s lots of air, and the inversions are incredible--particularly the corkscrews (or are they zero g rolls?) toward the end. The only minor problem is the finish. Once you whip through those out-of-your-seat corkscrews, the train takes a right, barely clears one last hill, and just seems to meander to the final brake run. That being said, it would be pretty tough to top that last inversion, as it’s the single best moment of the ride. Overall, this is a great coaster and a huge win for Kolmarden, especially after all the hurdles they had to clear to get it built. Wildfire also benefits from a beautiful setting and breathtaking views. I love how the train speeds past huge boulders and rock outcrops. We were even the first group to ride one of Wildfire’s trains after the RMC crew had finished testing it. Our day at Kolmarden was every bit as great as our time at Grona Lund. We enjoyed some up-close encounters with lions and tigers and were treated to a excellent lunch in “The Lodge,” a cabin tucked away under Wildfire. Here’s a look at what Kolmarden has to offer in addition to another amazing RMC coaster. Rule #1 at Kolmarden: Do not annoy the gorilla. What? They have coasters here? Who knew? Coasters and theming, it would seem. “There’s been a hoot owl by my window now . . .” Beware as they have been known to crap in the woods. “She ran calling Wild . . .” holy crap, look at that first drop! Oh, the humanity! Wait! What happened to all the people . . . oh, they’re just testing. Whew! Now that is one stylish train. Lots of sawmill theming in the station. Very well done. This is called a “Dutch angle.” It’s used to heighten tension and create a sinister atmosphere. Did it work? This is the main angle I’m interested in. More on Wildfire later, as Sarah contemplates a new hairstyle. Tigers are new to Sweden. They came here a little over 100 years ago just for the meatballs. True story. Everything changed after the Tiger Apocalypse. Based on the extension of the tongue, I think the tiger is ready for lunch. That tongue is as rough as sandpaper, and the the tiger uses it to scrape the meat off of fallen prey. Isn’t that adorable? “Hmm . . . I think a little garlic and pepper, and you folks will be delicious.” The last survivors of humanity huddle together for safety as Nature reclaims the world. It’s interesting being part of the exhibit. Rule #2 at Kolmarden: Do not annoy the tigers. Leave the feeding to the professionals. “What? Canned food again? I am so going to pee on you for this.” Whaddaya mean the tiger’s got the keys? Dammit! After surviving the Tiger Apocalypse, we stopped to feed these little guys. Our next stop was the viewing bunker in the lion habitat, which took us under the Safari skyway. More on this later. “Cooked just the way I like it; that is, not cooked at all.” “I’m thinking a nice teriyaki marinade, then smoke them for a few hours over mesquite. How about you?” “Works for me.” “I think I’ll stick to this horse carcass. I like suckin’ the marrow outta the bones.” Now, this is the way to go on safari. Hey, there’s Wild . . . holy crap, look at that first drop! They have animals from all over the world here. As part of the tour, you can feed them salad from the gondola. “Don’t look now, but I think someone just dropped a mess of green stuff over there.” “Maybe the other gondola has a bucket of balsamic vinegarette dressing.” "Meh. We prefer bleu cheese." More to come.

Chance looks like an adorable little imp.

4-across It's Fuji-Q, they will reduce capacity turning it into one seat per row. Exactly what I was thinking Larry!!! Can they somehow make it the first single person launched coaster!?!? I agree. Larry wins!

Movie World is my favorite park in Australia, and even though the new Doomsday ride doesn't appeal to me (or my stomach), it looks great--as does their Villains Unleashed zone.

Excellent photos, Andy. I agree with your description of Gale Force.

Then we had some ridiculously annoying persons at West Coast Bash this year!

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest Pretty good, but not quite as good as last year's version.

We have Five Guys and Carl's Jr. here (though we call the latter Hardee's), and they're both really good. I've not had the privilege of eating at Shake Shack, but I hear very good things. Maybe it's different if you grow up in SoCal, but as a visitor, I was pleased. Go ahead and call me an ignorant tourist, because that's very much what I was. My biggest objection to In 'n' Out (and I grew up in California) is their use of 1,000 Island Dressing. This foul glop belongs nowhere near my burger! That being said, I get my In 'n' Out burger with mustard, and I admit to liking the fries. I've since become more of a Five Guys fan. Your report is off to a great start, nonetheless.

I've never been to a Six Flags Halloween event (closet one to me would be SFA), but it looks like Magic Mountain does a decent job. I agree that Aftermath looks promising.

I like Cesari's pizza, but for my money it's all about hot pepper cheese on a stick. I think they need two different categories for food: 1) park food (Knoebels would deserve this one) and 2) sit-down dining (where Epcot would rule).

Deep Purple is more my style--or at least from my "era."

I haven't paid much attention to the Golden Tickets for a few years now, but I was amused that they finally chose a great theme park, Europa, as number one over Cedar Point. While I like Cedar Point, it simply isn't in the same league as parks like Europa and DisneySea.

One last look at Grona Lund. Derek dreamed of eating tacos in Europe, but had to leave before we went to Grona Lund, thus leaving his dream unfulfilled. “Aw, that is too bad, Senor Derek. Maybe next time, eh?” Is this the “bestest ride” in Grona Lund? Could be. I think Kvasten is the best Vekoma Family Suspended Coaster anywhere. Why? How about fire? I think we’ve worked up our courage enough to brave House of Nightmares. Dr. Morpheus would like to give you a piece of his mind. It seems that he has a bad case of zombies . . . . . . and chain link on the brain. “Har, har! Don’t worry, folks! I’ll save ya! Chortle, guffaw!” “I think we’ll try our luck with the zombies, thank you.” Nothing beats getting a little head. Ride Insane too many times, and this could happen to you. Understand? Shaken by House of Nightmares, Hanno underwent a peculiar form of shock treatment to restore his sanity. Perhaps a soothing ride on the park’s “Tunnel of Love” will calm our jangled nerves. “Love . . . exciting and new.” “Come on board . . . . . . and pleasure yourself, too.” Here’s the crew that caught that night’s concert. The VIP section is a good place to get photos of the Tilt, or “nut buster,” side of the drop tower. Yep. They’re totally Wang Chungin’ down there. Bloc Party put on a pretty good concert. They're a British group, and this was the first I'd ever heard of them. You can see the drummer’s set list in this shot. Two days later, Dan and I walked all the away around the waterfront and ended up at this castle. That’s where I took this photo. See you later, Grona Lund! Kolmarden is next.