TheSchwitek

The Brookhaven Exchange Club!! Well this week I decided to switch things up and do an actual trip report. I decided to travel to Brookhaven, Mississippi to visit a very small park that is only open one week each year. It is home to a small coaster called the All American Roller Coaster, and also has a few other extremely old, and even homemade rides and attractions that you won't find anywhere else. Yes HOMEMADE. I introduced myself to the guy in charge and was immediately given a tour of the park, as well as all of the history of how the place started. Everyone I met at this park was extremely nice and had been working this "fair" every year since they were young. Basically, the whole thing started nearly 60 years ago, and has been a town tradition ever since. I had a great evening, met some great people, ate some great food, and got a new coaster credit. Not to mention, I felt like I went back in time about 30-40 years (which was awesome). On to the photos: Here it is! The Exchange Club Park! I got here early, so I went and got a tattoo while I waited for the park to open at 6pm. This is the entrance sign. They've been goin since 1947. Here are the ticket booths at the front gate. Every ride is one ticket, and every ticket is one dollar. Now that's a bargain! They also had a kids play area that was free of charge. Here are the men's and women's restrooms. The Exchange Station Express takes guests around the perimeter of the park. Here is the classic train engine. Did I mention there was free parking? Just watch out for that train! Here is part of the games section. Everyone of these games were handmade and offered prizes like stickers, pencils, and sticky hands. The owner told me that they used to build all the games out of cardboard boxes and set them up down this walkway. (Not kidding at all) Here's a familiar game, only the different sections appeared to be colored with crayons shortly before I arrived. Here is the Long-Range Basketball game. And yes, it is suppose to be crooked so the balls roll down to the right. Now onto the rides. Here you see a homemade airplane ride powered by a lawn mower engine. Here is the queue area for the Ferris Wheel. And here is the Ferris Wheel. The operator accedently released the break when he was in front of the cars and knocked himself on the ground about 5 minutes after this picture. Fortunately, the old man was ok, and hopped right up. Oh, and there was a kiddie ferris wheel as well! Yet another homemade ride. I'm not 100% sure if these are boats or cars. I know what this is! The Tilt O Whirl! And this homemade contraption featured parts of all of the members' personal swing sets, and another lawnmower engine. This had a line almost the whole night. (100% serious) This ride was repainted for the 2011 season. This Carousel used to have all hand carved horses, however, they were replaced by plastic ones as time went by. The original horses were sold for thousands of dollars and allowed the park to purchase a few new attractions. Speaking of new attractions, the Scrambler is New in 2011! And now for the park's biggest homemade ride; The Swings! This aint your everyday Waveswinger. Parents were even allowed to set up their lawn chair right in front of the ride (inside the fence) and high five their kids as they flew by. Yup, the seats were just a piece of splintered wood. Put these on Windseeker, and that, my friends, would be a thrill ride. And now for the park's star attraction, The All American Roller Coaster. Check out that train. It's kind of a mix between Millennium Flyers and PTC trains. Should I sit on the outside or the inside? This is gonna be just as hard as Skyrush! Hope you have lotion and tissues handy. I see you airtime hills. They went 10 times without stopping. (That's what she said) Now its my turn. I get sloppy seconds. BTW, that's a pretty sweet t-shirt. POV shot. Similar to the money shot, but not quite. Coaster credit 581 gets two big thumbs up. Speaking of "two big thumbs up" - that is also what she said. Sorry, it just comes out; that's what...I'm done - th... New for 2012? In all seriousness, I had a great time at this historic little park. If you're ever in Brookhaven, Mississippi during the first week of August I suggest you Check It Out!

That video definitely made me miss the spoilers and tires on the back of the TTD trains. Too bad they caused so many issues...

This is definitely the riddle it is refering to. After playing with the web address, you will see there are 3 others that all confirm this riddle. So the answer is WIND.

Here is the next clue.

The repo-man came and took half of Alabama Adventure's (then Visionland) StratosFear Screamer ride because the park didn't pay for it all.

Well, summer has been flying by, and its almost time for the end of a lot of park's daily operations. Here's a quick look at a few more of the places I visited during this busy summer. Here we see the Indianapolis Zoo. Home to a family coaster called Kombo (#578 for me) and another location where you can actually race cheetahs. Overall, a very nice zoo. Right down the street was a little FEC called That Fun Place. It was full of arcade games, food, and kiddie rides. That Fun Place's star attraction was the Sea Serpent. (#579) We were the first riders of the day, and they did't do any testing at all. The manager walked out, flipped a breaker box, and we were off. Ohhh, its Kings Island! I came to ride Windseeker, and it was actually pretty fun. (Nothing amazing of course, but a good addition) And I still love the Beast, but only because of the memories of how great it was in the early 90's. Ok, so I know a lot of people don't like Skyline Chili, but I absolutely love it, and stop here every time I'm in the Cincinnati area. Not so great an hour later, but still worth it. I just had to take the opportunity to get a picture in front of a Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom sign that was still up. I used to drive here every season to get my season pass since it was alway cheaper here. It's systematic. It's hydromatic. Why it's Greezed Lightnin/Viper/Tidal Wave. I really hope this park opens back up someday soon. That giant cock has a hat on! Just another lovely roadside attraction near the Alabama/Tennessee border. And at the same exit you can find...drumroll please...Big Jim's Boobie Bungalow!! This place has great dinner specials. My best friend got married in St. Louis a few weeks ago, so I just had to stop by my old home park. Sky Screamer was decent, and the rest of my favorites still make this one of my favorite Six Flags parks. Not to mention it was home to my first 3 roller coasters! #1 - Acme Gravity Powered Roller Ride, #2 - River King Mine Train, and #3 Screamin' Eagle. On the way home from Missouri, we stopped by Worlds of Fun to ride some favorites, then it was off to a tiny park in Joplin, MO. Route 66 Carousel Park gave me #580, Tiger Terror. It was a no go on the smaller kiddie coaster; maybe next time. Oh well, back to work to save money for a 10 day trip in August.

^ The Sir Gooney's credit is extremely hard to get. I have been to the place probably 7 times (As it is on my way to many parks to the Northeast of me), and have only seen it running once. I would recommend going on a weekend, and calling in advance. I normally just stop and play some ghetto miniature golf, and stretch my legs. ^ I would like to believe the cars would ride on the actual tracks. They may need some additional upgrades/harnesses to ride the flyers and inverts however.

Volume 4: What better way to start the 2011 season than with media day for Dare Devil Dive at Six Flags Over Georgia. Since I do work at a park myself, I only get one day off a week to travel elsewhere. The following will document some of the places I made it to during these one day adventures. Check out that "princess parking" for Dare Devil Dive Media Day! Hey look, its Six Flags Over Georgia. My new "home" Six Flags park. All that twisty-ness behind the MINI belongs to Goliath. Could I have some Goliath with a side of Scorcher please? The next trip was to Dollywood to check out the huge new construction area for the 2012 coaster. Forgot to grab a car picture, but decided to head over the mountains and explore the rest of the day. Its a car in two states at once! My dad always used to say "Half in, half out" and honk the horn. These days, I would reply "That's what she said." Let's see if the ole car can do some rock climbing. Sir Gooney's! I ended this night with some Mini Golf, a Mini coaster, and a long drive home, in a Mini. Look, its Lake Winnie and a Mini! Another trip to North Carolina took me to a nice little place called Santa's Land. And coaster #577, Rudicoaster! I actually really enjoyed this little place. Check it out, its Ghost Town in the Sky! Too bad its closed down, so just passing by this time. That park is seriously way the "beep" up there. Pictures do not do it justice. Oh Carowinds, you are still a fun place to visit. I needed my 2011 Platinum pass, so this was the closest place to go! And here's the star attraction, Intimidator! Still one of my favorite B & M's. After another long trip home, it was time to rest for some even longer MINI trips in the weeks to come.

My Whore on the Shore day will be taking place in mid August. I feel like an exited schoolgirl. Speaking of Jersey, yet completely unrelated: "Lloyd: That's a lovely accent you have. New Jersey? Lady at bus stop: Austria. Lloyd: Austria! Well, then. G'day mate! Let's put another shrimp on the barbie! Lady at bus stop: Let's not." -And totally unrelated yet again, the Jersey South Park episode is amazing.

HA! I totally forgot about the "Weak" part!! I know I have it on video somewhere, I'll just have to look around for it. Also, when I was there last weekend, there was a female operator that was giving a similar spiel. It was funny as well. Overall, the operators were all good last week. And when I rode Timber Wolf, I was pleasantly surprised by misters that were installed all over the ride. Ok, they were not misters, they were more like hoses that sprayed in your face around every turn, and you end up soaking wet at the end. I don't think I have laughed that hard on a coaster in years. It actually made for a very memorable experience. (It was 104 degrees with a heat index of 112, in Kansas City last weekend).

Volume 3: Over Christmas vacation in 2010, I decided to make the trek up North to some indoor parks and also spend some time traveling to a few states I had never been to. The following will document a few places where I was brave enough to get out of the car in the cold and snap a quick photo. The first day of this wintery trip was spent visiting a few small FEC's. This was Safari Land near Chicago. I also visited Enchanted Castle, and Go Bananas this same evening. The next day was spent in Wisconsin Dells. I visited Kalahari, Knuckleheads, and a couple of other cool indoor attractions. The above shows pretty much what all of the parking lots looked like. I also spent a day in the twin cites, where I visited Mall of America. I decided to drive by and see what Valleyfair looked like in the winter since I was already right next door. I was pretty far North and I had never been to North Dakota, so I figured I'd see what the great city of Fargo had to offer. Not to mention, I was a big fan of the movie. I turned South from there, and drove through a blizzard in South Dakota (also a new state). I ended up spending the night in Omaha, Nebraska that night where I had one of the greatest hotdogs of my life (weird, I know). On my way back South I found another winterized park near Kansas City. Worlds of Fun holds a lot of good memories with me, and the operator of Prowler in 2009 holds the cake. "The big black cat is about to attack...chomp, chomp, RAAAAWR." If it wasn't such a dreary day, this picture of Mamba would have been my favorite. "Hello Mamba, you look so much like your sisters in this picture." After this, I drove to Zonker's in Kansas, to get a second chance on a kiddie coaster that was closed during my last visit. And I ended this long trek with another new whorish credit at Miner Mike's Adventure Town, in Osage Beach, Missouri. This was my last new coaster of 2010, and I ended at a lovely 575. Getting to 600 in 2011, and the MINI will be right along side!

^ Just make up a theme park, and print a few business cards LOL. Thomson always liked "Christopher's Island."

Steve- Funny story there. I told the lady at the desk I was visiting all the parks in the area since I was there for IAAPA, and she immediately went and got her boss. When her boss came out and I gave her my business card, she immediately began discussing how she wanted to sell some of the rides she had there. She asked if I would be interested in buying them for the kiddie area at my park, and I immediately showed some interest. I took a lot of pictures of all the tiny rides in the building, and since there was no one else in the place at the time, I asked to ride the tiny coaster, and she was all about it. I left with pricing information and details about every ride in the place. Apparently, she had two of many of the rides, (the others were in storage) because she originally had planned to open two locations but never did.

VOLUME 2: Thanks for the comments! And, Jen, I will be sure to let you know next time I am in Florida. (It will be for IAAPA during the week of the 14th in November 2011). Now on to some more pictures. I will continue with my 2 week trip to Florida, in November of 2010. On my way to Orlando, I stopped by Dinosaur World to check out what Kings Island's new attraction would look like. (And maybe even what Cedar Point and Dorney Park's new attractions would look like HAHA). That night, after checking in at IAAPA, I stopped by Fun Spot on I-Drive. The next day I made a return visit to Old Town. Right next door, I decided to visit Fun Spot USA. While I was here, I decided to get my 3rd ride on the 300 foot Skycoaster (Still the tallest in the world). And by the way, the new LED lighting on this thing is AMAZING at night. I spent the next couple days at Universal Studios checking out Harry Potter World, and some pretty unique behind the scenes tours with IAAPA. I also saw the new Harry Potter movie opening night at midnight, in City Walk. The next day I spent at Wet N Wild and Aquatica. We walked to Aquatica from the hotel, so no picture. Aquatica aesthetically, is better, but Wet N Wild's slide package wins out. After going to all 4 Disney Parks (where I took Disney busses, so no pictures there either) I only had one more Orlando coaster to ride. I found it at Birthday World. After all of these adventures, there was only one coaster in the whole state of Florida I hadn't ridden, so of course I had to go there. This is Adventure Landing in Jacksonville, FL. Thanks to a Power Trip, some Legos, and a Cheetah; I'll be back again this year.

As most of us do, I travel A LOT of miles riding roller coasters and seeing the world. So, last October (2010) I decided to invest in my dream car, which also happens to get awesome gas mileage for all of my travels. My MINI Cooper now accompanies me to the majority of the theme parks and other tourist destinations along the way. Because of this, I thought it would be kind of unique to document some of my trips by getting a signature MINI shot of my car parked in front of these cool places. In addition to the car shots, I will include some of the parks I make it to during the 2011 season. I hope some of you will enjoy the ride! PS: I have some picture uploading to catch up on, but as the year progresses, there will be MINI more photos to come. So here it is, fresh off the car lot. My 2007 MINI Cooper. And here's a quick look inside at the seats that my butt will be spending hundreds of close hours with in the near future. A little yellow trim to match the outside, and a giant speedometer to make sure I don't get any tickets. I decided to add some black stripes and checkered mirrors to spice it up even more. Now its time to hit the road. November 2010. First stop: Sam's Fun City. This was the closest coaster credit I needed to my current residence in Birmingham, AL. Greetings from Florida! Why am I here? For IAAPA and much more! So since I had never been to Key West, I decided to drive all of the way to the bottom of the state. I even found the house from The Real World Key West! (Yes, I actually watched that season; don't judge). I also found a giant dolphin in the Keys. And an awesome looking Mammal Park, Slash, Zoo, Slash, Aquarium, Slash, Cool looking sign. And I couldn't pass an opportunity to see this giant roadside fish. On my way back North, I had to make a quick stop at the SWAP Shop, (Uncle Bernie's Theme Park), to get a credit I missed last time. Then I continued credit whoring at King Richard's Theme Park in Naples, FL. And more whoring at Kidstar Park near Punta Gorda. Next Stop, Busch Gardens Tampa. I had to take a look at the new Cheetah being built. And get some awesome rides on some awesome coasters like Montu. Adventure Island wasn't open this time, but I got a picture anyways. Lowry Park Zoo. BT Dub, I also love zoos; and this zoo had a coaster, and it was right next to Busch Gardens. Celebration Station in Clearwater also had a tiny little coaster I had to talk my way into riding. And guess what else was in Clearwater. The very first Hooters!! After eating here I determined that old Hooters taste pretty much the same as new ones.

Camden honestly makes you feel like you just walked through a time warp. I actually loved that feeling about the place, as it is hard to find a lot of parks that haven't quite made it to this century yet. I also love that they used to charge guests to take a pee (or poop for that matter); as they still have the old locks on the stall doors. I also find it weird that their brochure is as professionally made as a Busch Park brochure. I guess I just expected it to be printed on a piece of copy paper as similar style parks do. Kudos to their marketing department in that regard. Wyandot (or whatever the new name is) looks a lot different these days. Maybe I'll make a trip out to check out the new look sometime in the next few years. Glad you had fun, and you need to let me know of your plans in advance so we can meet up during our yearly travels. Oh, and I thought of the perfect Christmas gift for you: University of Florida Knee Pads to assist you with credit whoring. Off to ebay...See ya.

Wabash Cannonball at Opryland was mine. That ride took place in 1992, and my life hasn't been the same since. Ha.

This is awesome. Especially since I know all sides of this story. I'm right with Jen on the popcorn...although I don't like popcorn, so let's make it a Blue Raspberry Slush Puppie.

Now for a stupid, small suggestion. I like a period at the end of the tagline instead of an exclamation point. It makes it feel more sarcastic to me. Other than my dumb ramblings, #3 looks great!

Tornado at Stricker's Grove. (I'm not 100% about the height, but it seems to fit the category).

I have also been following all the heat they have been getting on their facebook page. It's just part of this whole new "age of facebook" and other social media. Every new attraction that has been announced this year in the US has been done on facebook and has also suffered from tons of negative comments from amusement park enthusiasts and the general public alike. Its all part of this whole learning curve that goes with the new ways of social media. Parks are using facebook, and other sites to spread information and buzz about their new products (as every business is), and in the process, putting themselves in open territory for criticism. When an unknowing fan of a park goes to one of these facebook pages and sees nothing but tons of negative comments about a product, we can all bet that this will rub off on a good percent of viewers, and we will see many people jump on the same bandwagon. Whether your announcing a seeker of the wind, a coaster that dives like a dare devil, a hunt of the cheetahs, or making a giant even bigger in Texas, people are gonna have things to complain about. Now, because of social media, we have a much bigger arena to publicly see this occur. Parks will learn how to use these means of publicity to their greatest advantage in the upcoming years, but for now, facebook is still "new" for many established marketing teams at parks, and it will take a few years for them to figure things out. Patience my young padawans. Michael (I remember when Batman the Ride was announced and no one complained about a thing) Schwitek

My question is, where is the actual Ride Logo? I can't find it on anything yet. It does lead me to believe the name was a last minute decision. I suppose we will never know...

I like everything about this new ride. It is very unique, and definitely will give me a reason to visit in 2011. With the new coaster planned for Williamsburg in 2012, I have even decided to get my first Platinum Pass to the Worlds of Discovery parks. (Which, by the way, the best deal is to buy this pass at Sea World San Antonio, where it is $199 for the same Platinum Pass that is offered in Orlando for $429) Yeah, the name is not the best, but it might grow on me. It is also crazy to me that this ride is actually shorter than Maverick; it is just much more spread out. This is a great addition for Central Florida!!

Fahrenheit, Hersheypark, PA. Friday the 13th of August, 2010. It was coaster number 549 for me. Random guest in line was quoted saying "It's a lot better in the back than it is in the front." I followed with "That's what he said."

Hello everyone. This is my first attempt at posting some pictures from some of the various parks I have visited this year. My name is Mikey Schwitek and I currently am the manager of an amusement park and water park in the South East, which leaves me little time to travel to parks during the summer. When I do find time however, I try to see as many different parks as possible in a limited amount of time. The following will include a handful of the hundreds of pictures taken from a 4000 mile trip I recently returned from which started with Zuma Fun Center in Knoxville, Kings Island, Coney Island - Cincinnati, Stricker's Grove, and Camden Park. Oh, and as I listen to the public talk about coasters, I enjoy keeping track of the things they say that fit into the "That's what she said" category. I know its completely overdone, but deal with it. First stop was Zuma Fun Center, in Knoxville, TN. I had been here before, so this was basically an excuse to get out and stretch my feet. Random Guest #1 : "It's so dark I can't see what I'm doing" (That's what she said.) Later that night I came upon the very first Kentucky Fried Chicken. First stop of the morning, Kings Island. Decided to run in for a couple rides on some of my favorites before the crowds got there. Here is the lovely Diamondback. Here is more of Diamondback. Not quite as good as Intimidator at Carowinds (In my own unimportant opinion) Random Guest #2 : "I hope that doesn't get all over my clothes" - (That's what she said) And lookie, its the first drop of Diamondback. Ohhh, Ahhh. Random Guest #3 : "That was a lot rougher than it used to be" (That's what she said) Flying Ace Aerial Chase. - The name is far to long. Great Pumpkin Coaster - another kiddie coaster I had the pleasure of riding years ago, and therefore will never have to ride again. Backlot Stunt Coaster. And would you take a look at how Diamondback decided to jump in and be a part of this picture as well. Cocky coaster. The famous Vortex shot. This used to be one of my favorite coasters as a child. I didn't ride it on this day, but it was only because I had other places to be. This is Firehawk. It stole my necklace when it lived at Geauga Lake and never gave it back. Flight Of Fear. The best thing that ever happened to this ride was getting rid of the over the shoulder restraints. The world famous Racer. Unfortunately, it was not racing again today. Adventure Express. "You will Pay" - as you end your ride with a lift hill. Son of a beast...its closed. Delirium. Good ride, although, I wish my first stand up coaster was still here. Top Gun...Flight Deck. I remember riding this opening year thinking that this was the future of roller coasters. Now they are slowly disappearing. And finally Invertigo/Face-Off. No description needed. Next stop, Coney Island - Cincinnati. And here is Python. The only coaster left at Coney Island. They had quite a few flat rides to choose from as well. Super Classy. Now I haven't seen this before. Oh, and they have a water park which was surprisingly busy. Random Guest #4 : "I really don't want to wait that long for a 10 second ride" (That's what she said) And here is one last parting shot of Python. And guess what is open to the public today? Stricker's Grove. This place is like a really rare Pokemon. Ok, so not many people will get/appreciate that. Stricker's Grove had amazing food, for Cheap! AND free soft drinks. My favorite part was that they had Cream Soda!!! They had tons of great classic rides everywhere. Kiddy Whip, with spray paint on the back. This ride was super cool looking. Random Guest #5 : "If I'm standing up the whole time, how am I gonna stay in?" (That's what she said) Gotta love these classics. And now for the coasters. We'll start with the small one. Aww, how cute, its called Teddy Bear. Here is how you get to the top of the Teddy Bear. And here is the rest of the Teddy Bear's Lair. And now its time for the Tornado. Seriously though, its a very good ride. Lots of airtime, and the backseat has an amazing "ejector" moment towards the end. Here is one last look at Tornado. Nothing like a park in the middle of corn fields, but now I'm hungry. Now this was one of the hardest decisions of the trip. I know a lot of people who hate both of these places, but they are my two favorite places for Chili. I went with Skyline this time, and the rest area 45 miles down the road got some free souvenirs. And the final park of this busy day...Camden Park!! Hooray! A lovely old carousel. Lots of old rides that you don't see many places any more. They make you work for a good time. The skyride to no where and back. This Pony Express is almost better than Knott's. I would like to point out that they used to charge to use the bathroom stalls. So roller coaster tycoon had it right. But I woulda been pretty upset if I was running in there with an emergency and no quarter. They had a very nice Log Flume. And here is the Little Dipper. I love these old trains. The only thing that made me realize I was not in the 1960's was the Flo-Rida, and Katy Perry playing over the park speakers. Here is another look at the Little Dipper. "Rock N Tug" - (That's what she said) Not quite as good as Tatsu. Bumper Cars, next to The Whip. Spread your wings and fly. The Haunted House that many could call a roller coaster. Paratrooper always reminds me of the word Pooperscooper. Round up. A very old music express type ride. And finally, the bigger version of the Little Dipper. More old train awesomeness. I really have became fond of these older coasters as of late. They really do deliver some awesome rides. One last picture of the Big Dipper. That's it for the first 24 hours of my trip. Stay tuned for day 2.