J.R.

Sure you will. But you'll probably have to make your own.

Ooh! I like how it automatically changes the s-word to "poo-poo", although it sounds a little weird. Sorry, TPR, for swearing.

Adam wrote a page back: "From the looks of it, Janna is not enjoying her beer, or is she just tired?" Nah, that was the last part of my "hop face" after trying Dave's Green Flash. That shit was nasty. I had a Bell's Amber Ale, which was good. The Capital Ale House is well worth adding to our annual BGW/PKD itinerary.

Hey, we went to D's SixPax & Dogz today too, except it was for weiners and beer and not to visit the overpriced beer cave. While it's nice to be able to get mixed six-packs in this state, there's no way I'd pay that much. The nice thing about D's is that you can try any of the beers they sell along with your food. They've got a large cooler to pick from as well as 14 choices on tap. Tonight I tried a draft Anderson Valley Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale. Pretty tasty. Dave had the Hop Devil and a Bass Ale. If you find something you like at D's, you can usually head half a block south to the McBroom Beer Store and get a case of it. They have a very impressive (for PA) selection of cases. Janna

Favorite sashimi: -toro (fatty tuna)---my absolute favorite and unfortunately often the most expensive -hamachi (yellowtail) -maguro (tuna) -salmon -mackerel -octopus Favorite nigiri sushi (mound of sushi rice with topping, often fish): -any of the above plus -shrimp -eel Favorite maki sushi (rolls): -any of the above plus combinations that sound interesting -they're harder to eat but I like the inside-out rolls best I don't like: -uni (sea urchin roe) -tamago (egg) Favorite things to get at a sushi restaurant: -ankimo, when you can find it. It's monkfish liver that has been rubbed with salt, rinsed with sake and then rolled into a cylinder and steamed. It's sliced and served with grated daikon, sliced green onions and ponzu sauce and is fantastic. -seaweed salad, if done right -edamame (soybeans in the pod, steamed and salted; I make this at home for a snack sometimes) -tuna tataki (tuna lightly seared and served with ponzu) -an "omakase" menu, if it's offered--a multi-course meal of items selected by the chef. It's expensive but usually excellent and a better value than if you ordered the same items separately. Janna

This was a post-wedding highlight for me:

Good eye. That's the group picture that Derek bought from the cute Fräulein at Oktoberfest. Janna

Huh? That's where the fun comes in! I'm not Christian either. I also cannot wait for the Creation Museum to open up here next year. http://www.answersingenesis.org/museum/ Florida might have IoA and WDW. But, do they have a museum featuring dinosaurs living alongside humans? As a matter of fact, they do (or did?)--Dinosaur Adventure Land ("Where Dinosaurs and the Bible Meet!") in Pensacola. I had a visit planned a couple of years ago, along with a trip to Miracle Strip and Gulf Shores, but had to leave Florida because a hurricane was headed that way. Just made it out before they closed the airport. The "theme park" as they call it, has been greatly downsized due to the Kent Hovind's (the owner/creator of the park) problems with the law. I believe they made him shut down several of the "attractions" because he didn't get permits to build them. He's also accused of all different kinds of tax evasion. More on Kent Hovind and his park here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Hovind. The official park website appears to be down. Here's a "Trip Report" with a couple of pictures from Skeptical Inquirer Magazine: http://www.csicop.org/si/2004-11/hovind.html Janna

Be aware that Coastermania is being held on June 15 (third weekend in June) in 2007. Also, Geauga is having an event ("CoasterExt") the following day. If you're planning your trip around Coastermania, you'll want to move your trip to mid-June. Janna

Part 4, continued: Movie Park Germany Best ride in the park, by far. German Elvis. ... Mad Manor, a Mack Wild Mouse. Rocket Rider, a Vekoma junior. I was disappointed I didn't get to ride this (but now that I know it won't operate here again, I'm glad I won't have to go back). Which came first--this logo or Villian's? MP Xpress They may have been American wieners, but the buns were definately not. Not bad though. Best thing I've seen so far--kokosnuss! Formerly Warner Brothers Movie World. This way to Movie Park Germany.

Part 4: Schloß Beck Freizeitpark and Movie Park Germany After checking out of our ultra-modern Sprockets-like hotel in Essen (Welcome Hotel Essen), we stashed our luggage at the train station and took the train to Bottrop Feldhausen. Schloß Beck Freizeitpark is a pleasant 5 minute walk from the train station and Movie Park Germany is about a 10 minute walk. We arrived at Schloß Beck around the scheduled opening time but had to wait a few minutes while staff finished opening preparations. Schloß Beck (Castle Beck) is a former Baroque castle built in 1766 that functioned as a schnapps distillery in the 18th century and then fell into disrepair until the late 1960's when it was purchased, restored and opened to the public. While not huge on thrills, Schloß Beck was still very charming and fun. The castle features a haunted basement and the upper rooms are full of dioramas with moving figures and music that is activated by the push of a button. In addition to Familienachterbahn, a medium-sized Tivoli coaster, there are several of the Heege Freizeittechnik self-activated rides, including double Nautic Jets, a Luna Loop, Tower, and Sky Dive (zip-line-type ride), fun slides and all sorts of interesting playground equipment for Derek to hurt himself on. After an hour or two at Schloß Beck, we walked over to Movie Park Germany. Don't know what to say about this place other than I didn't really care for it---it was just OK. It was my least favorite park on the entire trip. On the positive side, Ice Age was pretty cool and they did have kokosnuss. Janna (next: Phantasialand) We left just as the crowds started to appear. I guess donkeys are OK. You can decide which way you want to go--forward or backward--by pushing a button. Luna Loop. Also self-operated. ...but this one was the best! Very intimidating from the top, where it looked like a vertical drop. These slides were awesome... Another Heege self-operated ride, Tower. You operate them yourself, following these instructions. You do need another person to close the gate and push the button but you pull the string youself to operate the "lift". Nautic Jets! These things are loads of fun. Familienachterbahn. Familienachterbahn Familienachterbahn. Scenery. There's water in several places in the park. Maximal Träsmak! (obscure Balder t-shirt reference) Hey, it's just like Venice! Hey, it's Blue Man Group! From one of the animatronic displays inside the castle. From the one of the animatronic displays outside the castle. You push a button and it comes to life, accompanied by music. Hey, it's N'at Man! Entrance to the "haunted basement" which was very dark and consisted of coin-operated aminatronic displays. I also wanted to try these. I think they were coin operated. These too. There was an age limit. Wish I was small enough for these. The Schloß. Cool car. Park map. "Becki" is the park mascot. Waiting for the park to open. Tower for the water slides. Slug on the pathway. Just like Bakken! This way to Schloß Beck! The view from the station platform. The train station near Schloß Beck and Movie Park.

Hochschaubahn is in the rear of the park. If you take the train (Liliputbahn) back you'll see it, although the first train stop passes it and you'll have to walk back a bit. You can see it on this map: http://www.wien-event.at/prater/plan.html Click on the map to enlarge it. For some reason, the numbers don't match the printed guide; Hochschaubahn is at number 195/196, facing Hauptallee. I agree--the fun houses and dark rides (well, the ones we did anyway) were great. Janna

I tried to pee for free wherever I could but I also kept .50 euro coins on hand for when I really had to go and a pay WC was the only thing around. There's also toiletten that are technically free but there's someone sitting there next to a tip plate... Janna

Part 3: Salzburg, Austria to Essen, Germany (warning--no coaster content!) After our day at Prater, we validated our Eurail passes and took the train across Austria from Vienna to Salzburg. Our ultimate destination was Essen, just north of Düsseldorf, in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany, where we'd meet up with Greg, who had been sightseeing in Berlin. Our plan was to spend a night in Salzburg, do a little sightseeing the next day, and then continue on to Essen. Our hotel was the Best Western Hotel Zum Hirschen. Nothing "Best Western" about it; it was a really nice place with plenty of outlets for Tim and Dave to recharge all of their gadgets. There were Mozart balls on our pillows which were delicious. The Mozartkugel, as it is called, originates from Salzburg (as did Mozart) and has a core of pistachio, marzipan, and nougat coated with dark chocolate--yummy! Equally exciting was my discovery that the TV channel line-up included a 24-hour "The Sound of Music" channel! I am a big fan and Tim obliged by letting me watch a bit before we turned in. The next day, after an excellent breakfast that included some of the best bacon I've ever had (I often wonder what Europeans think of the generally crappy and pathetic "Continental" breakfasts that American hotels tend to offer; theirs are far superior...), we set of to do some sightseeing before we had to catch our train. We walked a few blocks from our hotel to the Salzach river, walking along the river until we reached Mirabell Gardens and Schloss (castle) Mirabell. There was some sort of bike race going on in town that day so there were parts that were blocked off and helicopters buzzing overhead but we did get to see the gardens (featured in the Do-Re-Mi sequence of "The Sound of Music"), including bits of the Salzburg Dwarf Garden, before heading back to the hotel to check out and walking to the train station. Salzburg is a town I wouldn't mind visiting again. Maybe next time I'll make it to Erlebnispark Strasswalchen. (And if Derek ever goes, there's "Brauwelt," Europe's largest exhibition of beers. Check out http://www.brauwelt.at/e_home.htm and take the bierquiz while you're there) (Next: Schloss Beck and Movie Park) Janna Here's one for the beer thread, from Cafe and Bar Celona (get it?) at Kennedy Platz in Essen. Danke für lesen. Hey, there's a WalMart in Essen! ... .... The scene at the train station in Munich, where we had to switch trains. Lots of people coming for Oktoberfest, dressed in lederhosen (so hot!) and dirndls, and a really party-type atmosphere. We couldn't wait to come back! Hot stuff. !!! From the Dwarf Garden (and also seen in The Sound of Music). ...Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do.." ...Tea, a drink with jam and bread That will bring us back to Do.... ...Sew, a needle pulling thread La, a note to follow Sew... ...Me, a name I call myself Far, a long, long way to run... "Doe, a deer, a female deer Ray, a drop of golden sun... Mirabell Gardens. Maria and the children pranced through here while singing "Do-Re-Mi". "The hills are alive with the sound of music With songs they have sung for a thousand years..."

Thanks! I'm not used to taking pictures when I visit amusement parks so some of them, particularly the coaster ones, aren't the greatest and sometimes I forgot to take them at all. Here's some pictures of the Glocke ride being constructed and in action. I don't recall if it was open or not when we visited. We didn't see it in action when we were there but it was an uncrowded day. We just didn't feel like paying 4 euro for it. http://wpayer.wild-side.net/RC_Glocke.htm As far as I can tell, it's made (or maybe just distributed?) by Funtime http://www.funtime.com.au/. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Janna

More Prater photos.... Auf Wiedersehen! After a few beers we were ready for the Star Flyer. Kind of scary at first but ultimately very thrilling. We got a pretty long cycle, going up to the top several times. Budweiser Budvar. Definately not Wally's Budweiser. This stuff is tasty *and* potent. Here's one for the beer thread. Fresh horses. The Ponykarussell. PETA would not approve. Hey, it's El Toro and there's no line! We missed you, Buddy! The Boomerang was closed for painting. Darn. Megablitz, a Vekoma custom. Not bad. Auto BergBahn. Could be counted as a credit. I just wanted to ride it because it was so adorable. It had a conveyor belt to get you closer to the top quickly, similar to one we saw at Oktoberfest. Toboggan. I really wanted to ride this but when we got a closer look, it looked like it had been closed for a while and could fall apart at any time. The ride as seen from back, on another midway. This cat appeared to live at Hochschaubahn. It jumped out of the train when we arrived to ride. That's a bar/restaurant to the right. ... ... ... Hochschaubahn. There's the Prater guy again. Hochschaubahn Hochschaubahn Hochschaubahn Hochschaubahn--a 1950 scenic railway. It had very charming theming, including mountains, waterfalls, plants, and water-shooting elves. Another carousel. This part of the park also had the best bathrooms (not free, though). ... ... "Kid's World". This seemed like a newer or recently redone part of the park. ... Liliputbahn--train ride. This thing went way far out. We got out maybe half way (but weren't sure) and still had to walk back a ways to the attractions. Walk-through attraction. Glocke. Didn't ride it. Maurer Sohne Wilde Maus. Loved this ride--nothing at all like the one at Blackpool. This one went at varying speeds and also bounced up and down. The operator seemed to be challenging riders to stand. Another dark ride. This one had real old-school "sensors"--the car would hit a board that would trigger the stunt. I made a note of a "collapsing bridge" effect on this ride but don't remember it now.... This was my favorite. One area of the park had a lot of these interesting sculptures.

Part Two: Weiner Prater, Vienna, Austria We arrived in Vienna via train late in the evening. The next morning after breakfast, we dropped our luggage off at the train station and took public transportation to Prater Park. We didn't do any sightseeing in Vienna, but Dave and I had both been before and I was kind of unimpressed then, so I don't feel like I missed anything. For more details, see N'at Man's Ok-Coaster-Fest Trip Reports. On to the photos... Janna Tim can't wait for it to open. This one's for you, Mark! Free of charge! ...home being the Geister Schloss (Ghost Castle). This was an very good dark ride, with a simple but effective surprise at the end. For some reason, this one had a Spiderman in it too, like the ones at Vidam. This dog is on his way home... Amadeus, Amadeus, Rock Me Amadeus! (I like how they've removed The "-per" from both signs...) A Zamperla Mr. Muscle. These were all over the place. The operator's booth. A lot of the operators here get into providing a complete experience, choreographing music to go along with the ride and providing commentary during the ride. Extasy detail. Soriani and Moser Extasy. I was hoping this would be similar to my favorite flat ride, the Moser Extreme. Unfortunately, it wasn't--the cars didn't flip and you spent a lot of time upside-down. Not too bad though. Tim and Dave with the Prater guy, in front of Extasy. One of several carousels, with one of several bumper car rides in the background. Here's one for the beer thread! Super 8er Bahn, a Pinfari FC80 that was actually quite pleasant due to the lap bars. Close up of the tunnel. We probably would have had to spring for another ride to get a photo of a train in the tunnel; there were very few customers when we arrived and we had to wait for several of the rides to open. Dizzy Mouse, a Reverchon spinning mouse. and another. and another... and another... View from the Riesenrad. Graffitti inside one of the cabins. The pristine cabins are reserved for dining and special events. More Riesenrad. The cabins of the Riesenrad Ferris Wheel. ("When the hungries hit, hit the Red Barn...") Prater mascot guy. Hey, a French Fry Dudelike the one at Mount Olympus! Biergarten. Prater reminded me a bit of Bakken but with way more rides. It's within a larger park and there are many independently operated rides, restaurants and attractions. Unfortunately, there's no POP option. Entrance with the famous Riesenrad in the background. Park entrance.

I had Prater halfway done tonight and then it all went "Poof!" and disappeared when I went to make a sandwich. I'll try again tomorrow, possibly posting in smaller installments to prevent losing everything again. Janna

We saw a couple of carousels elsewhere on the trip with the rocking horses but none as large as those. Yeah, Hullámvasút (Hungarian for "Riding the Waves") is a scenic railway. You can see the brakeman in the middle if you look carefully. This was probably the slowest and least interesting of all the scenic railways I've ridden (Rutschebanen, Bakken and Tivoli; Scenic Railway, Dreamland; Hochschaubahn, Prater and Vuoristorata, Linnanmäki). Janna

Tim, Dave and I visited Hungary, Austria and Germany, meeting up with Greg (Gluten Frei) and Derek (TPR Superstar) in Germany, where we became "fünf". The cities and parks we visited included: Budapest--Vidam Park Vienna--Wiener Prater Salzburg--a bit of sightseeing and The Sound of Music Bottrop--Schloß Beck and Movie Park Brühl--Phantasialand Munich--Oktoberfest with CoasterFriends.de! Rammingen---Skyline Park (and back to Munich for more Oktoberfest) Stuttgart--Cannstatter Volksfest Rust--Europa Park Haßloch--Holiday Park Despite a few technical snafus, mostly flight related, we had an excellent time. I'll let the pictures tell the story. Tim's writing a lengthier report with all the details, so keep an eye out for that! (I see he's already posted it--sorry if some of these photos turn out to be duplicates.) Janna Free of charge! Directional signs at the park. We still had to consult our map and ride list for translations for some of the names. Children enjoying the ride. A chariot. There were also rocking boats. The horses faced outward and rocked back and forth on these giant springs. Inside the building. The building that houses Korhinta, a stunningly beautiful Merry-Go-Round. Szellemvasut (Ghost Ride). One of two dark rides with a homemade Spiderman in it! Panoramakerek. Check out the tubs, with London theming. This was a bizarre Whip. Did not look like a Mangels at all. Both the tubs and mechanism seemed different. Kukomotiv, with a tunnel! By Daniel Pinfari, Italy! Looping Star, the Schwarzkopf formerly at Dreamland in the UK. An unfortunate haircut. ... More Hullamvasut. Hey, there's Tim up front! This is the view from the top of Hullamvasut. If you want the front, you may need to hop on before the train stops, like Rutschebanen at Tivoli. Closer look at the trains. ... ... Hullamvasut. Mesecsonak; a Fairy Tale Old Mill-type boat ride. Slowest ever but still light years better than Garfield's Nightmare. You can see Hullamvasut in the background. This is the facade for Tukorutveszto, a better than usual mirror labyrinth. This one too. This one's for you, Mark. Entrance to Vidam Park. Cannons and stuff. Hey, this looks like Pittsburgh, too! More from Fisherman's Bastion. This shows Parliament, where the riots that broke out just before we left were supposed to be going on. Hey, it looks just like Pittsburgh! More of the same. Fisherman's Bastion, on the Buda side of Budapest. Great views from here. Detail of church, under scaffolding. We might've gone in, if it didn't cost us. Church in the Castle District. These ladies were setting up shop near the station. They had a small, interesting array of things for sale. The trains were quite old but ran fine. The system was easy to figure out, once we decided what type of ticket to buy. Yay-new subway credit! I'm glad we're not driving! Tim's happy to be in Hungary. Hey Tim, the Sex Shop is the other way! Close-up. Hungarian dude in our hotel lobby

Greetings from Europa Park! More drunken Derek photos to come when we return, detailing the walk (more like drag) home. A huge thanks to Andy and Coaster Friends.de for their wonderful hospitality (but that last beer kicked our asses). We returned to Oktoberfest the following day after walking through some cornfields to get to Skyline Park. Also we went to the Stuttgart fair where we rode Alpina Bahn and now we're enjoying Europa. It's amazing how much we didn't get to see on the ECO trip. Tomorrow, it's Expedition Ge Force! Auf Wiedersehen! Janna, Dave, Tim, and Greg

I will see you at Oktoberfest 2006! Thanks for the pictures (and for reserving our spot). Janna (one of Derek's friends)

But it was there two weeks ago! I just rode it on Sept. 2nd, Labor Day weekend.

I think you've got your Canadian children's books and their authors confused. Robert Munsch (I assume this is who you're referring to--note the "s" in the spelling) did write a book called "Pigs". He also wrote a book with a character named Jillian ("Ribbon Rescue"), but nothing called "Jillian Jiggs and the Wonderful Pigs." How do I know this? I've got almost all of Robert Munsch's titles. Children love them. There is a book called "The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs," by Phoebe Gilman.

The 40 Year Old Virgin. "This aggression will not stand, man." Janna