cfc

Doswell, Virginia, April 22, 2006--It was a somewhat damp day. OK, it was wet. OK, so it was stormy. OK, so there was some guy in a robe herding a whole bunch of animals, two by two, up the queue for Volcano to a waiting gopher-wood boat on the mountain's peak. That sucker must've been 80 cubits long if it was a cubit. Yes, not a day to visit a theme park; rather, a day to stay indoors, catch up on one's correspondence, sort out the spice rack. Yet I was on the interstates between Williamsburg and Richmond, driving through the blinding rain, fighting the very elements, a massive tidal wave bearing down on me, harpies and sea hags nipping at my heels (OK, the last two parts are a lie). Why? Two reasons: 1) I'm certifiably insane and had managed to escape the nice rubber room my keepers had prepared for me, and 2) There was a chance to meet two more TPR folks: James and Julia (in from Cincinnati to check out PKI's cousin to the east). Yes, I had to uphold the honor of TPR's Mid-Atlantic Division! I ambled into the park around around 11:00, and killed some time with a ride in the front row of Shockwave (a Togo stand-up machine of death, with restraints courtesy of the Spanish Inquisition). It's rather fun in front, actually--just be wary of your "naughty bits" on the bicycle seat, gents. I checked out the progress on Italian Job, too, before meeting J&J under the Starship Enterprise under the Eiffel Tower (a brillant bit of theming by Paramount). The upshot--splish, splash, but a great day, nevertheless. Lots of fun, and the stormy weather, while it shut the coasters for a few hours that afternoon, failed to dampen our spirits, even as it drove the crowds away. After riding Shockwave again (J&J miss PKI's old stand-up, King Cobra), we managed multiple rides on Volcano, Hypersonic, Avalanche (Julia had never ridden a Mack bobsled before), and Grizzly, as well as a turn on the backwards side of Rebel Yell, Anaconda (an Arrow torture device that was running a little better than usual, but not what I would call "smooth"), and Scooby Doo's Ghoster Coaster (a fun little woodie for kids). We even survived the Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera! But I think the highlight for J&J had to be the American Flyers. Yes, PKI had removed their flying scooters, and they were feeling a bit snap deprived. And, boy, did they snap 'em good in the blinding rain last Saturday! I took some pictures, but they don't quite do J&J's mad snapping skills justice. So, I also shot a one-minute video with my little Fuji Finepix camera. (It's a shade over 9 Megs, so I really can't post it here, but I might in the video forum.) It's definitely in the "amatuer(ish)" category, but it's fun. Here are some pics. James, feel free to toss in your own thoughts and photos. I had a great time last Saturday, rain and all. EDIT: Oops! King Cobra was PKI's old stand-up; Vortex is the stand-up at PGA. DSCF0032.zip And here's my first attempt at uploading a very amateur video--their ride on Hypersonic. Hope it works. J&J prepare themselves for the sucker punch that is Hypersonic. See that tree on the right? James helped out PKD's grounds dept. by pruning it with his scooter! "Fool in the Rain" No 2.! (No. 3 is the one in the scooter behind her taking the picture.) Presenting "Fool in the Rain" No. 1 and . . . Imagine J&J shouting "Yippee! Flyers!" "Yes, I'm happy that I got to ride my first bobsled. Can we get outta the rain now?" Oh, did I mention that it got a bit damp that day? James and Julia show how much they miss King Cobra by taking a picture of Shockwave--kind of sad, actually. and the obligatory vertical loop (I understand that some fellow named Derek has a fetish about these things). Shockwave's big drop . . . Here's the so, so sexy "parking garage" theming for the ride's Helix of Death. (Actually, I'm kind of looking forward to this ride.) First, a look at the Italian Job site. James said it looks like a clone of PKI's, for which he's very, very sorry!

I don't have a huge file of coaster pictures, but I think this rather "artsy," through-the trees shot of Apollo's Chariot is about the best, mainly because it's a shot you get only on opening day. Once those trees leaf out, forget it. The trees give the ride some scale, and the pic a feeling of "discovery" somehow. Apollo's Chariot through the trees, taken on the bridge to Festa Italia in March 2006.

^^If that ever comes to pass, many of us may go blind for other reasons.

^How about "Jaws v. Jason"? "Alien v. Jaws and Freddie"?

Yep--nothin' says romance like a big, heapin' pile of pork on the bone! Yee haw! I like Sonny's, but it's definitely a "guy" joint.

Tatsu streams online. But I have sad dial-up. Stuck on face of Robb. Oh the pain, the pain . . .

^No argument from me there. Epcot's World Showcase is more of a "cultural" attraction than a theme park.

You'll never catch me on anything that resembles a spinning tea cup. Top Spins I can handle OK, depending on the program, but Tilt-a-Whirls and Scramblers never used to bother me (haven't been on either in some time, though). The Mad Hatter is an evil, evil little man!

Uh...I'm not laughing at love! I'm laughing at phallic shaped sea creatures, I'm laughing at Barry, and now I'm laughing because you used the term "geoduck chowder" hahaha If you look at that picture and see love, honey you need some help -Julie Hmm--Manhattan or New England style geoduck chowder?

^Yep--Michael Caine is in it, along with Mario Van Peebles. Be sure and watch for the scene where Caine swims in the ocean toward a sailboat, and when he climbs aboard, his clothes are perfectly dry! Let's face it--they just didn't care when they made that one.

Lake Tahoe (California) has three really cool mini-golf courses. The two Magic Carpet courses (Carnelian Bay on the North Shore and South Lake Tahoe) are truly outrageous with all sorts of castles, dinosaurs, and other cool obstacles (including one hole that starts at the bottom of a "cave"). Kings Beach Mini-Golf (also on the North Shore) is interesting in that they built the course around the trees on the property, making its layout rather eccentric (not to mention shady). One hole used to spit your ball back out! Williamsburg has three courses, too: Mini Golf America on Richmond Road, a Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf on the Rt. 60 Bypass (it features a cave complete with "bloody" pirate skeletons), and Go Karts Plus on Rt. 60 past the Williamsburg Pottery (haven't played this one).

Thank you Julie and Barry for helping us to laugh at love--and phallic-shaped ocean creatures--again. I wonder if there's a good recipe for "geoduck chowder"--or is that a euphemism for something that goes beyond the site's "PG-13" rating?

And where is Jaws 4: The Revenge? Now there's a legitimate contender for Worst Movie Ever Made.

This poll is like asking, "What makes a better meal--bacon-wrapped filet mignon with asparagus and hollandaise sauce, a burrito at Taco Bell, or a big steaming pile of crap?"

If I were the horse in front of that thing, I'd really be concerned.

^Oh, Volcano hardly "sucks" (I think it's a lot of fun)--but the line can get pretty dang long (be sure to hit it early in the day).

Yep--I think Grizzly is the best one, and Rebel Yell is fun, too.

Personally, I give the edge to BGE, but I enjoy both parks. PKD has more flat rides and coasters (including three woodies, one currently down), but BGE's coasters are better overall (as is their food). And Curse of DarKastle is a lot of fun. Water Country isn't exactly "across the street"--more like across the interstate on Rt. 199. But it's a very nice water park (not open until May, though).

I drove by BGE on Saturday--you were wise to wait for Sunday (my personal rule of thumb all summer).

Yeah, I need to do a tour of the Pennsylvania parks one of these days. After living in Virginia for over 20 years, tnere's no excuse not to.

True, BGW doesn't have a lot of big flat rides--but it does have DarKastle and some pretty good food.

Nothing to be ashamed of there. Nessie is endearingly eccentric (in other words, a true Scot).

Poor Brains--he gets no respect at all (unless he and Lady Penelope have something going on we don't know about).

Skyline chili . . . o-o-o-o-o . . . Skyline brings out my inner Homer Simpson.

This is quite a sad event, and my heart goes out to the family of this poor woman. It would be nice if Disney and other parks defined what they mean by "high" blood pressure, especially in regards to a ride with fairly strong G forces (or continuous exposure to such forces). I've been taking blood-pressure medication for a few years now. When I was truly morbidly obese after college in 1984, 280 as opposed to the slightly under 225 I am now, my BP was 200/100--well on my way to a stroke. Yesterday, it was 130/88--a little high, but hardly outrageous. (Been working on losing more weight, too.) So, is there as threshold BP for high-G-force rides? This would be essential information, I think.