bert425

Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell are right next to each other. . but you need timed tickets (they are free). . but either try to reserve online WELL ahead of your trip - you're going on a holiday weekend!!! or you can try lining up when the visitor center opens (also right next to those two). Betsy Ross house and Ben Franklin's grave are near there too, BR house is basically a tourist trap (we loved it, but we like crap like that). I'd also HIGHLY recommend the museum, behind the Rocky Steps. It's a fantastic museum that many don't go into - they just go for the steps and the Rocky Statue. . but the museum has some excellent works in it (including one of Van Goh's "Sunflowers") and will be dead. When we went, the museum admission also included admission to the Rodin museum up the street (with free transportation between them). .that's worth a look, as it has casts of both "the Thinker" and "Gates of Hell" on display. . rare to see them outside of Europe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodin_Museum

totally agree with: 1) more time at Knoebel's (Dorney is completely skippable, even tho we had a decent time there) 2) preview night at HersheyPark - you can knock out the high wait coasters the evening before your trip, and spend a way more relaxed day the next day. but. . . . I think it would be a real shame to skip Kennywood. . . they not only have some really great and classic wooden coasters (Jackrabbit/Racer/Thunderbolt), but also Phantom & Steel Curtain (and Skyrocket, if yer into that). . but really, Kennywood's collection of classic (and rare) flats, is seriously not to be missed. hell. . even without the coasters, i'd still go to Kennywood for Kangaroo, the Bayurn Kurve, Noah's Arc, and great cycles on paratrooper & whip. (and the smell in Garfield's Nightmare )

great start, and Happy Belated Birthday Chuck! wow. .that Sushi donut looks so good. . now I really wanna try one out.

Robb has a PM link and Email link next to his profile. . you should reach out to him. click on his name - he's Mod for most every board.

am I reading this correctly, that you haven't even been back a week, and you've already got your TR going? how in the world are you able to do that. . LOL. . . anyways, quite fun thus far. I've never been to MM, it's on my bucket-list too. . . did you ride any flats? were there any worth riding?

Yes. but you won't need it until later in the day. but be aware, sometimes the wait line to buy Flash Pass is huge too . . . so I'd just plan on it, and buy it early even tho the park will be dead. Sunday Mornings. . . Texas Parks tend to be dead on Sunday mornings, until ~2pm.

ok. . . booked! we are going to be at Carowinds mid June. we're going to be staying onsite, as with the Marriott Bonvoy perks I get, + the discount for booking with a pass? the room was only ~$135 / night, so not bad at all. And it has the added benefit of being literally across the parking lot from the park, so the Spouse can either go back to the room - or hang on the patio which faces the park, if he gets worn out and needs to rest. We also get the benefit of free onsite parking, so won't have to worry about parking in the lot, as we'll be walking to the park from the hotel. I'm waiting for feedback from the park on a question I sent them before purchasing actual admission, but as it stands now, likely I'll be purchasing a Silver Season Pass (good thru Labor Day), and we'll get Nick a 2day admission thru Club TPR benefits That way when we arrive on Weekend, we can check into hotel and I can go to park for a few hours to process my pass (while he rests from the full travel day). The next day we'll head to NASCAR Museum and then out to the racetrack. . . hitting anything else interesting while were out and about in Charlotte area. . and then when we get back in the evening he'll likely nap and I'll head to the park for a few evening rides via my pass, since it's open till 10pm. then we have a full day in the park with both of us - as it's a weekday, hoping won't need Fastlane, but willing to buy it if it looks even slightly crowded, so he wont' have to wait for me much. final day, we'll head back to the park from 10am until ~2pm. . and then it's time to head to the airport to return the rental car for our flight back home. so just a fairly quick trip, but we're cramming a lot in. the reason I'm looking at getting him 2 day admission is because he WON'T want to go all 4 days (which I'll want to do), and this way he can choose what day he wants to go with me besides the full day. But again, might just make more sense to buy him a pass too. but yay. . I get to go back to Carowinds, and fingers crossed, get some good rides on Copperhead Strike, and many rides on Fury 325. if anyone is gonna be around and wants to meet up in Early/Mid June. . reach out. Could always use a riding buddy, since Nick will ride *very* few of the coasters with me. (likely he's only game for Caroline Goldrusher, Hurler, the Wild Mouse, and Woodstock).

per the twitter feed, yes. and they said they got some great footage - I suspect it's being edited and will be up soon.

^ Exterminator 1st. trust me.

great update, Zach. . with some really great pics!

beautiful pic. . .

Oh. . I'll bet you're right! must have stopped there on the way to Peter Pan. now that you mention it, I DO see a "B" "T" & "M" in that logo.

I'm working on updating my trip report (finally getting to TDL complex - I've got about 1700 pics each day, that I'm winnowing down to ~400 from each day for my TR here). but I came across this one from the 1st day I spent in TDL that has me stumped. based on the pics around it? It's somewhere in the park between ToonTown & Fantasyland (the pic before it is Minnie's Mailbox, and the one after it is Peter Pan's Flight). but no idea why I took the pic, or what it is. . LOL any guesses?

did they say anything about how the two Texas year round parks are performing?

I'm super sad to see how wasted the potential is at this place. so many *almost there* things, that would avoid this being a shit-show. that extra $10 charge, because the price changed after you pre-bought? that's some bullshit right there, and I would have let Mgmt have it right there and demanded they honor the prepaid ticket price. I get that you wanted to go in, but I likely would have told them to go screw themselves and walked if they didn't honor it. that just burns my ass. yes, even with that Reptar carousel that I TOTALLY want to ride - but not for $70. I was following along with your pics on your page, but seeing them all together here just makes it a bit depressing. You pointed out the non-glass windows that ruin the view (WHY??). .but pics like this just make me. . . . SAD really? they couldn't paint the concrete so it doesn't look so awful under the footers? lay down some astro-turf? this is just pathetic. really appreciate the report tho, Zach, and glad you & Alex got to visit, as I'm sure this place will be closed within the year.

thanks, really appreciate it. there were a few broken things in the room, hence my comment that it's a little dated (loose light, fan didn't work in bathroom). . minor stuff, but I really did enjoy the "mood lighting" in the room. and that settee was super comfortable, and large enough to dump a lot of stuff purchased on it Tell me about it! try posting that update while trying to stick to a diet! But I'm determined to stick to it and get back to weight before our Carowinds trip in June. yeah.. but not if one is trying to avoid even glancing at a Test Seat! (tho the moment I'm back below 200. . hopefully before the end of March. . I'm treating myself to Sushi buffet that has fantastic Gyoza)

I'm not terribly scared of heights. . but nope, nope, nope on all the attractions at the top of the Stratosphere tower. the high cost, was a nice deterrent anyways, but ... nope.

the surge barrier, and the unique architecture are so interesting! (I looked thru your report tonight instead of paying attention to my conference call!. . LOL. .. better use of my time, I thought). thanks for sharing Andy. Loving following along.

thanks, but those are not just mine. Alex, Zach, and Allison's Gyoza forming skills are on display there too. . and Alex is who cooked most of em (can't recall if Zach took a turn on the pan, but i know I didn't). I dunno about frowned upon, but I think I recall Elissa telling us that they make big batches and freeze them. so best input will be from her if she comments. but I believe the answer was yes, you can do that.

Free day Nagoya-Tokyo Disney part 3 (and that amazing cooking class, many of those pics are courtesy Robb and/or Miyuki, who took lots of pics of us during the class) upon exiting the train onto the platform at Shimbashi Station, here was the view. Every pic I took just blows me away again when I see it. . so much neon and signage - EVERYWHERE. I absolutely love Japan. Not sure what, exactly, the attraction was at: "Top*s Exciting Hall!" Tho it caught my eye enough to snap a pic if it. . maybe a casino of some sort (more likely a Pachinko parlor) Exiting from the platform down into the station, this is yet another Japanese Rail station with some stunning stained glass installations in it. The Peacock motif is seemingly very popular (saw it in a few stations), but this one seems to have steam trains in it too. and once we got out into the main square at the "front" of the station, I kinda got why. . . on display, a full sized steam engine. Didn't get close enough to read any plaque that may have been there - and it would have been in Japanese anyways - but I suspect this is a decommissioned classic locomotive that has some history behind it. (based on that sign there with some times, I'd think there's a lecture about the train a few times a day) lovely display to just stumble across tho, and glad I got to see it. Jon and I only got slightly lost (turned around the wrong way), but once we oriented ourselves towards the correct intersection, the directions Elissa had provided us to where the "Simply Oishii Japanese Cooking Class" was going to be held, were excellent and we found our way to it very quickly. once we had found where we needed to be? we had about 40 minutes to roam the area "tourist-ing" and giving Jon a chance to deal with his bank to resolve the issue he was seeing with his ATM card. this was a parking garage turntable in an alleyway we passed. For those living in metropolitan cities, this might be a familiar site, but having lived in Austin suburbs for decades, it was unique and interesting to me. the area was a little "sleepy" at this time (around 5:20 pm), but I really liked the laid back vibe in this neighborhood. and lots of narrow streets. among my favorite things about Japan is how the old architecture co-exists with the modern. tho this could be a home, I suspect it is a restaurant, but the way it sits side by side with the tall buildings is beautiful. OMG. . I found a "cat lady" store. literally everything in this woman's "pop up store" - a bit wider and deeper than a flea market booth we'd see here in the States - was cat themed, or cat lady themed. it was all kinds of awesome, but no, I didn't by anything. I'm a dog person. tho I certainly WAS tempted by the "vomiting kitty" tissue box holder. LOL.. hairballs? NOTED ! I wanted to go in, but it was starting to get a little chilly, and it was almost time to meet up for the class. so I snapped a picture to let some of the others in the group - who are big Sake fans - know that it was right around the corner. and then we met up in front of the kitchen space for the Cooking class, and headed up. we were going to learn to make Gyoza & Yakisoba, from a wonderful lady named Miyuki (and her two assistants). I did take pictures of the recipe handout/booklet (and saved a copy of the booklet, that I've used for the Yakisoba but not for the Gyoza yet). . but not gonna post those pics. if you wanna learn, take a class. It was so enjoyable and fun, and the food came out fantastic. but you can follow Simply Oishi cooking class (and Miyuki) on Instagram at: Simply_oishii after dividing into small groups, and we each had our "prep" plate. you can see in this pic, we all have our instruction booklets too. this is the prep plate that will allow us to prepare tonight during our class: -- Pounded Cucumber Pickles (Tataki Kyuri) -- Fried Gyoza Dumplings (Yaki Gyoza) & -- Yakisoba (Fried noodles) here was my cooking group - and we would all participate in most steps, taking turns to all have fun cooking and learning. but eventually, I got it on, with some help from my teammates! First challenge was to get the aprons on. yes, I had the dumb -- and as was pointed out, "one would think bert would be better at figuring out things with straps/bondage". . . LOL so lovely that someone caught this moment on camera tho! here we all are, ready to begin, and that's Miss Miyuki on the front left ready to teach us! with her assistants in the background getting the kitchen ready, here's Miyuki demonstrating the correct way to pound the cucumber for the "Pounded Cucumber Pickles" dish and once our group had each finished, here is what the dish looks like. (it would then sit and marinate until it would be eaten with the whole meal) looks good, doesn't it? (it tasted FANTASTIC!) then it was time to move on to making the filling for the Gyoza - taking turns cutting/slicing veggies and spices to mix into the meat. Here's Allison using her strength to break down the fiber in the pork, and get all the goodies mixed in. and the dumpling wrappers we were going to be using to make the Gyoza . . I took the pic so I could find them in the local Asian market here. once the Yakisoba was cooked thru, the heat turned down to low, and we all gathered in the kitchen with our plates of uncooked Gyoza, and Miyuki showed us all how to lay the Gyoza in the frying pan, and the technique of covering & flipping the pan to make perfect fried Gyoza. Each team pretty much picked one person to do the cooking/flipping. . . the rest of us mainly just watched, and got ready to eat Pounded Cucumber Pickles made. . . Miyuki was ready to move on and teach us how to make the Fried Gyoza Dumplings. and here's Joey pounding his cucumber in the other group at our table. (as you notice, Miyuki's helpers were circling the room, offering helpful advice and assistance as we worked) watch out! We've all got knives! (to chop, cube, and peel the ingredients that make the Gyoza stuffing taste so dang good) -- insert Psycho music sting here -- Proud parents of a tray of Gyoza! this may look like a lot, but some other teams absolutely smoked us - I think Robb's team made almost twice as many! although ours certainly didn't come out too badly, and do look like the ones Miyuki made Gyoza prepped, those got set aside, and then it was time to make the Yakisoba! Hot Plates came out for each group, along with Raw Pork/Bacon, and a bunch of noodles, and we proceeded to saute/cook the meat and noodles. Taking turns stirring, to keep things from burning during this process. based on this pic, the "cookers" on the teams were: Alex, Elissa, Trent, and David. but here's the TPR group gathered in the kitchen! (minus Robb, who took the picture, thanks Robb!) we cleared off the hotplates with Yakisoba to the sides of the tables, and then we all sat down to dig in. as noted. . everything was so, so good. even the pounded cucumber pickles were amazing. I know I'm a decent cook, but I had no idea I could cook Japanese food like this, that was so easy to make, and would come out so great tasting. I didn't remember to take a pic *before* I started eating, but I did remember before I made too much of a dent in the plate. I'm not a big beer drinker, but it was available, and I wanted to at least try Japanese beer. So I gave it a shot during the meal (tho mainly stuck with Ginger Ale). I would say it tasted like a bit more robust Coors Lite (not as watered down tasting as some American beers). we visited and chatted, and enjoyed the meal, and the company of the wonderful ladies who taught us during the class (if you ever make it to Tokyo? *highly* recommended, and I'm so thrilled that Robb & Elissa included this cooking class as part of the trip. It absolutely was a highlight, and so very enjoyable. but eventually, we had to say our goodbyes, and head to the train station, as we were headed to Tokyo Disney complex to check into our final hotel for the trip! want a closer look? here ya go. yum and/or drooooool. they were SO freaking good. and when perfectly flipped? here's Miyuki demonstrating what the Gyoza *should* look like when they come out of the pans. more stained glass in a Station, as we transferred from the line we were on, to the the line that connects to Tokyo Disney. what was so nuts during the walk to the TDL/TDS station to get on that train, was the *steady* stream of people passing us in the other direction - coming back from Disney - and almost every one of them was wearing Mickey Ears (or Duffy Ears) and was carrying a TDL shopping bag. seriously, like almost every single person. and then. after a fairly short train ride. we were there. at the station. of course I stopped to get this pic. I mean, I never, ever, thought I would set foot in this bucket list place. (and we had several days there - I had 4 full days, as was using a Tokyo free day to stay at TDL on Wed, and was staying an extra day after). and no, it STILL wasn't enough we were arriving fairly late in the evening, so the Monorail station wasn't too crowded. *(per the clock in the next pic, it was ~10pm when we arrived) made it easy to get this pic. and here it comes. the TDL monorail, with it's famous Mickey Mouse Windows. we were getting on the Monoral at the Ikspiari station (the Downtown Disney area, if you will). . so we were going to be riding it to our hotel, the Hilton Tokyo Bay, that was at the Resort Stop on the Monorail. meaning we were going to be passing DisneyLand, the stop between Ikspiari and our Hotel stop. i was so giddy. . Mickey window from inside the monorail i know he's supposed to be whistling, but I'm a child with a dirty mind. . so Mickey is doing something else here, methinks. especially since in the next window is drunk Mickey (so his inhibitions have been lowered) LOL as noted, it was late, so the monorail was pretty empty when we got on. . . and was able to go to the very front. that's the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel - that's just across the Monorail station from the TDL front gates. slightly blurry, as we were moving, but theres Space Mountain. closer pic of the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. at the Monorail stop at Tokyo Disneyland. . . thru the station (and thru the monorail windows), here's Tokyo Disneyland's front gates, and covered Main Street. snapping a few more pics as we pulled out to get to our stop. (remember, it's my first time seeing it, so took a lot of pics, tho not sharing *all* of them). the park had just closed, so that's why the blurry folks are all leaving the park, not going in. a little blurry, but Space Mountain being all red. after a minute or so more, we pulled into our station, and a short walk later? we were standing in the lobby of Hilton Tokyo Bay - our home for the next few days. our luggage transfer had arrived, and was waiting for us in the lobby. So Elissa got us all checked in while Robb handed out park tickets, and advised us all what we should expect the next day (I believe the park opened at 9, but it's advised to get there much earlier, so I planned to be out there by 7:30 at the latest queuing up). the way the park hoppers work in Tokyo Disney complex, is that you have to pick one park only for the 1st day, and then the 2nd day you must go to the OTHER park. if you are staying more than 2 days, then on the 3rd day, you can hop back and forth between the parks. Wednesday was technically a Tokyo free day for anyone that didn't want to do the Disney parks, but Robb & Elissa asked that everyone at least swing by Disneyland and go in, so that way on Thursday, everyone would be at Tokyo DisneySea. although there was a TON more stuff that I would have loved to do in Tokyo? Disney was the entire reason I wanted to go on this trip. Bucketlist stuff. . . so I was gonna spend the entire day, Open-Close at Disneyland. sounded like quite a few others were going to do that as well, and a group of us decided to hang out together in the park, and made plans to meet up in the morning to eat breakfast at the hotel buffet, and head out to the park together. and with that, we said our goodnights, after a very long day, and everyone headed up to our rooms. this time I remembered to take a pic of the room on the 1st night, before there were clothes/purchases everywhere! so if you ever wondered what a room at Hilton Tokyo Bay (in the Tokyo Disney Complex) looks like? here ya go. at the door, looking down hallway. Stepping into the main room. . love the lights in the headboards. this was, I think, the biggest room during the trip. while perhaps a little dated, it was very comfortable, and made for a really enjoyable stay (I have pics of the view in the morning, I think .. so those will be in the next update). looking back towards the door, from the settee. ooo.. some mood lighting options? yep! even gayer with the bathroom light off. . . LOL and thus, after a quick call home to tell the spouse about my fantastic day, and how I was actually at Tokyo Disney. . . then a shower. . and I crashed hard, ready to get up early and cross TDL off my bucket list. hope you enjoyed reading thus far, as there are gonna be a TON of pictures of TDL & TDS over the next couple of weeks.

^ when we were at SWO a few years back, they were forcing folks to use the bunnies for Kracken & Escape from Pompeii. on the TPR FB page, someone who was at BGT yesterday responded to me and said that things that fit in pockets (I specifically asked about zippered pockets), were being allowed on ride, and not having to be stored. if that holds? I recommend cargo shorts with zippered pockets - they served me well on the USA trip, and in Japan last year.

^ I've gone back on "outlawing" soda, and no fast food. if it's got a drive thru? it's a "no" for me, at least until I get back under 200. I also am not going to eat after 8pm (I go to bed at midnight or later usually). i was super hungry last night, but drank water, and actually looked at a picture of me from the other day, to shock myself into just drinking water to fill the hunger pangs. I haven't yet gotten back on exercise program (it's been too nasty outside to walk). . but if I can get my cravings under control this week - shrinking my stomach a little - then it's a great start. and I'm proud of myself that at the grocery store on Saturday, I was tempted, but did not buy ANY of the 1/2 off Valentine's candy. it IS a struggle. . and I think that I stopped regular posting in this thread certainly helped in me not taking responsibility and eating so crappy. So hoping that posting here at least once a week will help keep me on track. maybe it will work for you too?

ok.. ramping back up, and starting back on plan. as I got way off track and put back on ~30lbs. when your weight is the date? (218), time to get accountable. so starting back on plan as of today, with goal of 190 by the time Vacation trips roll around (Carowinds in June is likely too close to hit, but 4 months SHOULD be enough time to at least drop 20 lbs, and be back under 200 for Copperhead strike!).

it's like a domino effect has started, with park after park announcing closure in Japan

where there are still a few Disney park complexes I have not been to. . . on the TPR Japan trip I was introduced to TDL (with Pooh's Hunny Hunt) an TDS (with Sindbad, 20,000 Leagues, Aquatopia, Nemo, and that amazing Tower of Terror - unfortunately, Journey was down for refurb, so have to go back in the future to ride that). . but even with Journey closed? Tokyo Disney Sea is my favorite, hands down, and think it will be hard to beat for a long while.