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The drop isn't that tall or steep, but it'll give the trains a nice boost of speed. I'm glad that Terminator will be about speed and airtime---even little pops of air. SFMM has needed something like this, and here it is. Having no gut-wrenching drops means it will be more family friendly, which as all of us knows is the direction the park is heading. Eric

^ The Boardwalk itself is in a not-so-nice neighborhood, actually---at least it wasn't when I was last there. But the atmosphere of the place itself is like a traditional beach boardwalk. The sights, sounds, smells, etc. make for a fun time. Eric

^ How long did it take you to write all that stuff on the wall? Eric

People who listen to LOUD music at the library---even with headphones. Turn it down, please. Some of us go to the library for the peace and quiet that it's supposed to have. Eric

^ Even though you won't get the benefits of the Bash, come to SFMM anyway and try to meet up with any of us during the day. You'll still have fun. Eric

^ Agreed about SR (State Route) 17, the road that connects San Jose and Santa Cruz. A beautiful road indeed. Another idea, if you're into trains at all, is to visit Roaring Camp in Felton. It's off SR 17 and one of its trains actually goes down right to the Boardwalk. I have not ridden that train personally (shame on this railfan), but I have ridden the one from Roaring Camp into the redwoods. But the Giant Dipper at Santa Cruz is a must ride in my opinion. The Morgan trains (the very first Morgans, too, BTW) aren't the greatest, but you still get good pops of air, and the ride's beginning is classic. Eric

^ Y'know, I've always wanted to ride that Ice Mountain Bobsled. I know it's not the GRATEST RIDE ON TEH PLANIT!!1!, but it's always intrigued me. I didn't realize it was so close to there. If such a trip works out, I'll let you know. Believe it or not, I've never set foot in Oregon, so this is almost a must-do for me. Eric

^ Very interesting because on Monday I spoke to a friend whose family relocated to Eugene/Springfield from Ventura a few years ago. She invited me up anytime, and I've already started researching Amtrak fares. (I'd fly, but Amtrak is less and I like traveling by rail and I'd like to see the scenery anyway). Eric

^ If they are indeed like the Giovanola ones, there are slots molded into the back side of the bar. Eric

I'm a quarter Irish, so about a quarter of my day was happy! But two Amtrak trains just passed behind my house, and in honor of St. Paddy's day, their horns were "O-blarin'!" Eric

"...they are pretty much the Giovanola hyper restraints." (atem122) Funny...I thought they looked familiar. Goliath at SFMM has very similar ones. I'm not crazy about the color, but the trains do look nice otherwise. Eric

Diana and I are in that first picture. I have on my floppy hat right in line with the "I" in Goliath, and Diana is in pink to my right. That was a fun day as I recall. Eric

I don't know nor have ever met Diablo, but my own take on this is that she's probably just laughing about the whole thing. There's nothing wrong with poking a bit of fun at yourself once in awhile. Eric

"Any entertainment that is added that doesn't involve standing in line for a ride only adds to the chance that the guest will find the trip memorable." (ajinaz) Very true, and that's what's killing Knott's. They used to have little things all over the place for guests to do. Some of those things were free, and some were low cost, but it provided something that all parks need for their guests: a variety of activities. SFMM got a new coaster this year and another one will arrive next year (and maybe in 2011, given the golden anniversary of Six Flags), but I believe that Jay and Co. will look into other types of entertainment for guests and continue to turn SFMM into a well rounded park as it once was. Eric

If by "SR" you mean "single rider," only one ride (Deja Vu) had a specific line designated for it. But I've gone into Riddler, Goliath, and Batman (through the FlashPass entrance) and told the attendant that I'm a single rider and they let me in. Eric

^ Interesting because I've been out to SFMM five times this year already and not once was the place even close to crowded. In fact, the last time I was there (March 1), I got solo rides on Viper and Revolution, and all but walked up to Tatsu. Hopefully between the economy starting to improve (I've seen some reports to that effect) and Terminator's opening, the crowds will return. Eric

^ Another thing to consider: someone may be picking up their mom or someone with a physical limitation, so while the driver may not be impaired in some way, their passenger might be. I agree that some people are clods and take handicapped spaces, but I don't let it keep me up at night. Those who are dishonest will get theirs... Eric

I hope they do the same thing for evening ERT that they did last year. I won't say, but those of you who were there know... Eric

^ BTW, Disneyland's Matterhorn (Arrow's first coaster) opened six weeks before I was born. Eric

As for recording equipment numbers, some people just like to do that. I don't care so much personally, but in a way I guess that's like racking up coaster credits. Eric

Does anyone know if the trains are onsite yet? I know it's pretty early, but with just over two months to go, I just thought... Maybe we'll catch a glimpse during the tour on Sunday? Eric

^ I came to Camarillo back in the '80s when there was even less to do than there is now, and it was white as far as the eye could see. And you could see far because there weren't as many homes! But as I said, I'm far enough away from L.A. to not have to deal with it, but close enough to get there easily enough if I need to. Eric

^ Not to dampen your spirits, but I got an e-mail from our ACE rep saying that Xcelerator will not be up for Solace, and that ERT on Sierra Sidewinder will take its place. Of course things could change, but I'm just saying not to be too hopeful. Eric

^ Not necessarily. Johnny Rocket's is your friend! I'm glad to see that the steel strips are starting to appear. That just means the ride is even closer to being finished. And remember that there'll need to be some time for testing before Terminator opens, so it'll actually be done sometime next month, I'm estimating. Eric

^ Since my last post, someone removed el carcass de possum from the street, but it was never flat at any point---just dead, but that's good enough. Now I have to figure out what I'm eating for dinner, since Del Taco took care of lunch. Eric