rcdude

Both parks have a B&M floorless and a Maurer Sohne wild mouse. Disneyland and Knoebels.

Helix: This ride looks like a very good ride, but not a travel-worthy ride like some have been making it out to be. The coaster does look like it has some good moments, but at the same time it seems like there is filler in there. I was also surprised how long the ride is (2:10 is pretty long for a launched coaster). Bla Taget: Why can't we have nice things like this in the US? I have a hard time imagining there is an old-school spook house anywhere that is better than this ride. Wicked Cyclone: When the ride was announced, I thought this looked like the more intense of 2015's Rocky Mountain coasters but that Twisted Colossus was the overall better ride. After seeing a POV, however, Wicked Cyclone may be the better coaster, and I could see it becoming a contender for best RMC. Montezooma's Revenge: Even though the ride is 36 years old, this is still one of California's best coasters and the second best at Knott's (only Xcelerator is better IMO). I still think the Schwarzkopf shuttle loop was the best shuttle coaster design ever built and it's too bad that so few remain. I really hope Knott's keeps Montezooma's Revenge alive as long as possible.

Is this your first NoLimits recreation? It's pretty good, better than I can do at this point. There are definitely some things I can see that need changes, but it's a great start. I think whether or not a second train returns to service next year will be pretty telling. If the train comes back, I'd say the ride is safe for some time. If not, I doubt it's got more than a couple years left. I could see the ride removed, but without also removing Jetstream there wouldn't be much space for a replacement and if Ninja left there would be nothing worthwhile outside the kids area for children under 48". However, I'm thinking SFMM will keep Ninja for some time, and I could see it becoming the last suspended coaster in North America years down the road. As that is after Memorial Day, some schools will be out by then but a lot of So Cal schools don't get out until June. It should definitely be possible to get on all the coasters and Lex Luthor without a Flash Pass, but you will probably not have time for many re-rides. It is possible that Twisted Colossus will be open by then, but given SFMM's recent history I'm guessing a late June opening is more likely.

California Screamin' at Disney California Adventure Park is the first Intamin I really remember, but I know I rode Lightning Bolt at the former MGM Grand Adventures in Las Vegas. Since that ride closed before California Screamin' opened, I guess Lightning Bolt was my first Intamin.

The next half-dozen updates are all about the TPR Mini New Hotness tour. This particular update is somewhat short, as the first day of the trip was a bonus day for anyone arriving early, but it did include two parks I didn't think I would ever visit. Trip 2, Part 2: Coney Island & More-July 24th, 2014 July 24th was the official start date for the TPR Mini New Hotness trip. The tour didn't start until 4:30 P.M., but many participants (including our group of five) chose to arrive early and spend the day at Coney Island. This meant we had to be at Cincinnati airport by noon, roughly four hours away. We left Sandusky around 7 A.M., and even with a few GPS issues we made it to the airport a little after 11 A.M. There was already a small group of TPR members gathered in baggage claim, and slowly the group grew to somewhere around 20 people. Robb arrived early to help with getting everyone organized, and at noon the bus pulled up with the 20-something that had spent Wednesday night in Cincinnati. Elissa came inside, took roll to make sure everyone was there (I think everyone made it, though it's possible one didn't), then we all got on the bus and headed to Coney Island. Coney Island Coney Island is not a park I ever expected I would visit. I know the park has a lot of history behind it, but the current park is only a shadow of what it once was. Walking around the park, you can definitely tell that the place has been there for a long time, and the park does still have some historical attractions, but most of the rides now are of the carnival variety. The park itself is a pretty good size, as there are more things to do here than just ride the rides. As part of the bonus day, we were given about 3 hours to explore the park, which was more than enough time to hit the few noteworthy rides. We also had a group lunch at the park, the first of a seemingly endless series of hot dogs and fried chicken. This one wasn't bad, but they did get better later on. For those not familiar with a TPR trip, this was a nice little introduction. As far as the ride department at Coney Island is concerned, the park has three notable attractions. First off is the Python, Coney Island's only roller coaster. Python is a D.P.V. Rides Family Coaster or, in other terms, a knock-off Zyklon. It was not good. I heard this ride broke someone's rib on the 2007 Midwest Tour (TPR's previous visit to the park), and I can definitely see why. The ride gets a D- from me, and was the worst non-kiddie coaster I rode on the trip. Coney Island's second notable ride is the Rock-o-Plane. To a casual observer, the Rock-o-Plane looks just like a Ferris Wheel, but the ride is much more intense. Using a locking mechanism inside the cages and some muscle as necessary, skilled riders can get the car to do a 360 degree flip. Without a doubt, this was my favorite ride at the park. The only other notable attraction at Coney Island is Tempest, an old-school carnival ride. This attraction is a little difficult to describe: it has cars that spin like a teacup ride, moves like a scrambler, and is on an incline. It wasn't the greatest ride ever, and due to the operator having some difficulty the loading/unloading cycle took some time, but I'm still glad I rode the ride. In addition to these, I also did the Ferris Wheel and a kiddie drop tower. The most interesting of the remaining rides was Wipeout, a ride with the goal of inverting riders as much as possible (not my thing). Overall, Coney Island wasn't a bad park, but I have serious doubts that I'll ever go back. There just isn't a compelling reason to return to the park. Of course, if I was traveling with someone else who wanted to visit, I wouldn't mind stopping by again (though I'd pass on Python), I just have no reason to return myself. After leaving Coney Island, we headed back to the airport to pick up the small number of participants who opted out of Coney Island, then headed off to dinner at Carrabba's. Well, we thought we were going to Carrabba's, but instead we ended up at... Stricker's Grove I've known about Stricker's Grove for as long as I've cared about theme parks, and although I've wanted to check the place out for some time I'd somewhat written the park off as it is only open a couple days per year (used to be two but they've now expanded to four). The rest of the time, Stricker's Grove is used as a private picnic park for company and group picnics. On this particular day, there was a picnic by a church group going on, but thanks to a generous donation by Robb and Elissa (aka the most religious thing TPR has ever done) we were granted admittance to the park during the event. We arrived about 45 minutes before the event was scheduled to start, so everyone hung out in the picnic area and/or took pictures of the place. Once the gates opened, we were given an hour to get the two credits, ride anything else we wanted to ride, and get back to the bus. This was pretty easy as Stricker's is a tiny park and almost all the rides are typical flat rides. I rode both of the coasters and then just spent the rest of my time getting a couple more rides on Tornado. Stricker's Grove's two coasters are both wooden coasters built by the park's former owner, Ralph Stricker (his daughter now runs the park). The first coaster, Tornado, was built over the course of four years (1990-1993) and based on blueprints from the Rocky Glen Park Comet. This was actually a decent ride with a few fun drops and one or two airtime moments. It's not that intense of a ride, making it an excellent first "big coaster" for kids. C+ The park's second coaster, Teddy Bear, used the blueprints of the Coney Island Teddy Bear and opened in 1996. This was a fun junior woodie, and even though it is my least favorite wooden coaster I'd still pick this over about 20% of the steel coasters I've ridden (and it was much better than Python). D Stricker's Grove was a nice park that would be fun to spend a couple hours at, but it's nothing more than the picnic park it's designed to be. The whole place does seem like it was built in the middle of someone's farm, and I can't imagine it can handle more than 300-400 people at a time very well. If you happen to be in Cincinnati on one of the park's public days, I definitely recommend stopping by, but I wouldn't alter my trip just to visit the park. I will say I enjoyed this park more than Coney Island, however, even though there are fewer rides. Once we left Stricker's Grove (almost leaving someone behind to be converted...and I don't mean RMC), we headed off to our promised dinner at Carrabba's. I don't know what it was, but I didn't enjoy this particular Carrabba's experience as much as usual. It was still a nice dinner and a good time to get to know everyone, as this trip had a lot of new faces for me. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel, Robb distributed TPR trip bags, shirts, and itineraries, Elissa gave out the room keys, I met my roommate (Evan), and then we went up to the room. The next day at Kings Island promised not only a very full day, but an early morning and very late night, so everyone wanted to be well rested for the real start of the trip. En route to Cincinnati, we went right by Columbus. After this trip, the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium is the only park in the area I have left to visit. The Flying Bobs is a fun ride, but I'm not a huge fan of backward flats and it had a bit of a line. The picture doesn't show it, but the brakes at the end take you from about 20 MPH to stopped in 10 feet or so. I'm guessing this is where the rib crack occurred. Time for the Python. After spending two days at Cedar Point, I'm sure this will be exciting. I managed to completely flip my cage a couple times on the ride. I don't think most people were able to do it. Not sure who's in that cage, but our group was split between two cycles so this ride had several TPR members on it. Coney Island's floral clock. This is not really a clock, but it still looks neat. Scream Machine is the park's kiddie drop tower. It was okay. I've never actually been on a legitimate Zyklon, but this knock-off Zyklon was not good at all. Worst non-kiddie coaster of the trip. This, however, is a must ride. It's the rides like these that make smaller parks for me. Coney Island is a reasonably nice park. From what I heard, the park was somewhat ghetto in 2007 so this was much better than I was expecting. I can't remember the last time I've been on a Ferris Wheel like this, but it was a fun ride. Probably my second favorite ride after the Rock-o-Plane. Those look like the boats from Skipper School at LEGOLAND California. I'm surprised they work on an actual lake. There's Tempest, the bizarre teacup/scrambler hybrid. It was alright. Even though scramblers are one of my favorite flats, I didn't ride this one. You don't need to ride every scrambler, as they're everywhere (in fact, I think I only did one the entire trip). The midway leading back to the park center. I believe those buildings have been there since the golden age of the park. If you're not into rides, Coney Island has plenty of places where you can relax by the lake. They also have paddle boats for those who don't mind the work. Since we had time to kill and our wristbands included unlimited soda, we relaxed in the center of the park until it was time for the bus to arrive. I believe the Moonlite Garden used to be a ballroom of some sort back when Coney Island was Cincinnati's main park. Now the building looks mostly unused. In 1997, Coney Island was under water. I'm not sure exactly how much damage that did to the park, but I believe most of their rides are from after that flood. First park of the trip: Coney Island. The bus dropped us off on the far side of the park, so we had a bit of a walk to get to the coaster. Surprise! Stricker's Grove is included as a bonus park for everyone. Most of the park's kiddie rides are housed under the shed. Some of these date back to the 1950s. Outside is a mini turtle. There's also a kiddie whip. Stricker's Grove definitely has plenty for kids. Missed Scrambler #2 of the trip. If there is one flat I should have rode at Stricker's, it is the Tip Top. I thought it was just a normal teacup ride, but it turns out the ride tilts up during the cycle. Who cares about Scramblers? We're here to ride coasters. One last look at Tornado on the way out. Of the three coasters I rode on this day, Tornado was easily my favorite. Tornado isn't that big (probably around 50 feet tall), but it is still a fun family ride with a couple moments of air. Fun Fact: Six Flags Magic Mountain once called their round-up Electric Rainbow. The name lives on here (though I have a feeling there is no relation). Didn't ride these flyers, but they looked fairly weak. Elissa and KidTums looked like they were having a good time. I'm thinking most trip participants only rode this once, as the train was full of TPR people for 20 minutes and then I hardly saw anyone from the trip here. However, I'm happy to have gotten three rides on this elusive woodie. Teddy Bear is a junior woodie. It looked very similar to the PTC junior woodies. In addition to rides, Stricker's Grove also has a mini-golf course. I'm guessing this is an upcharge on public days.

In California: -Knott's is usually the least busy of the major parks. I have seen them get some pretty significant crowds during holiday periods and on Saturdays, but even during the summer if you visit on a weekday you typically don't see lines over 30 minutes except for reduced capacity attractions. -Castle Amusement Park has been dead every time I've visited. Even on a Saturday during winter break nothing was more than a 10 minute wait. -Gilroy Gardens was empty on both my visits (both summer weekends). Both times I planned about 4 hours for the park and rode everything I wanted to ride within 2. -In my experience California's Great America has never been crowded outside of the waterpark. I've heard it can get busy on Saturdays, but on all three of my visits most rides have been walk-ons and even when I visited last year the brand new Gold Striker only had a 15 minute wait. There isn't any park outside of California that I've been to enough to say it doesn't get crowded, but I will say that Dollywood, Kings Dominion, Six Flags St. Louis, Indiana Beach, and Dorney Park were all significantly less crowded than I expected them to be when I visited.

Both parks have exactly 2 B&Ms: an invert and a hyper. Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Holiday World

Anyway, now that SFMM is gone... Great Escape - 9 Six Flags America - 8 Six Flags Discovery Kingdom - 13 Six Flags Fiesta Texas -14 Six Flags Great Adventure - 15 Six Flags Great America - 17 Six Flags Mexico - 9 Six Flags New England - 10 Six Flags Over Georgia-12 Six Flags Over Texas - 12 Six Flags St. Louis - 10 Once again, I have never visited: America, Fiesta Texas, Mexico, Over Georgia, or Over Texas.

Perhaps it's because the awards were announced the same weekend as WCB this year, but I completely forgot about them until just now. Looking through the results, pretty much the same as in previous years. Since I started travelling out of state to visit parks, I've looked at the awards this way: if a ride or park places in a category, it's one of the best for that particular item, but just because it wins doesn't mean it is the best. Are Millennium Force, Bizarro, Expedition GeForce, Diamondback, and Nitro great coasters? Absolutely. Are they the top five in the world? Not necessarily. Golden Ticket Awards are fun to look at just to see what changes (if any) happen from year to year. If I want an accurate poll, I'll use the Mitch Hawker poll.

Hmm...I think it was Top Gun (now Flight Deck) at Paramount's Great America (now California's Great America) back in 2003. I was somewhat afraid of big coasters up until the early 2000s (around when I was 10), and I only remember riding a handful of bigger coasters before that trip to CGA.

^If Batman can do backwards trains then almost any of the B&M coasters could do backwards trains. Not saying that they should (I personally didn't care for Batman backwards), or that B&M is willing to develop a train capable of running backwards for other coaster types, just that intensity alone wouldn't prevent it. I find it really amusing to read all the speculation in this thread, as I have a feeling there are only three realistic possibilities for Mantis (most to least likely): 1. New theme, new paint, new trains, and possible minor layout changes, 2. Relocation to another park in the Cedar Fair chain, or 3. The ride is dismantled and put into storage until someone is willing to buy it. The ride is not going to get scrapped; if Cedar Fair doesn't want it someone will, and the ride is not going to receive a major redesign adding several inversions, more elements, and/or launches. Now, I could be 100% wrong, but I wouldn't bet on anything other than options 1, 2, or 3.

I didn't really start keeping track until 2010, so I'm not 100% confident on those below 100. 1: Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland 5: Freeway Coaster at Adventure City 10: GhostRider at Knott's Berry Farm 20: Hi-Miler (traveling coaster owned by Ray Cammack Shows) 50: Batman The Ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain 100: Mean Streak at Cedar Point 150: Screamin' Eagle at Six Flags St. Louis 200: Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure 250: Dragon Mountain at Marineland Theme Park 300: Flying ACE Aerial Chase at Kings Island 350: Cyclone at Luna Park

Just a thought...perhaps we need a one vote per person per day rule. That seems to typically be the policy at other sites where I've played this type of game. Anyway... Great Escape - 8 Six Flags America - 8 Six Flags Discovery Kingdom - 12 Six Flags Fiesta Texas -14 Six Flags Great Adventure - 13 Six Flags Great America - 16 Six Flags Magic Mountain - 4 Six Flags Mexico - 9 Six Flags New England - 10 Six Flags Over Georgia-12 Six Flags Over Texas - 14 Six Flags St.Louis - 10 In case anyone is curious, my Six Flags rankings are: Six Flags Magic Mountain > Six Flags Great Adventure = Six Flags Great America > Six Flags Discovery Kingdom = Six Flags New England >> Six Flags St. Louis > Great Escape >> La Ronde

Full Throttle at Six Flags Magic Mountain on Sunday. I was just there as a regular guest, hence no ERT for me.

It always perplexes me that not a single US park has purchased a Gerstlauer Bobsled coaster. They seem to be similar to wild mouse coasters in terms of capacity and price, yet look like they give much better rides. I mean, something like Cobra would probably have been a much better ride for Knott's Berry Farm than Coast Rider last year, a much better ride for Six Flags Magic Mountain than Speedy Gonzales Hot Rod Racers this year, a much better ride for Busch Gardens Williamsburg than next year's Superman clone, etc. Hopefully we see some of these built in the US as I can think of at least a dozen parks where it would be a great fit.

^Yeah, that's the part donor train on the storage track. It hasn't moved from that spot in years. Since they had to remove the damaged train I'm guessing they took the whole thing backstage and won't put any of it back on track until it's ready to return to service.

^ & ^^Glad you've been enjoying it. When I plan trips on my own, I definitely like to include some non-park stuff if there is anything worth seeing, and while my dad doesn't mind stopping at amusement parks along the way he won't go for an all-park trip. If I just want an amusement park trip, I'll opt for a TPR trip. Speaking of that... Now it is time to begin the second trip of the summer: a three week trip including a visit to Cedar Point, two TPR trips (Mini New Hotness and Mini East Coast), and a family trip to New York and Boston. Trip 2, Part 1: Cedar Point-July 22nd & 23rd, 2014 The first day of the TPR Mini New Hotness trip was Thursday, July 24th. However, since January I had been talking with some other trip participants about adding on a couple days at Cedar Point beforehand. I had been to Cedar Point before, but that visit was some time ago (2008) and I only had one day then, not enough time to fully explore the park. We talked for a couple months about potential ideas, then in April the trip finally started to come together as details were finalized. A group of five of us (myself, Rob, Caroline, Judd, and Hans) decided to share a car rental to get from Sandusky to Cincinnati on Thursday, and we'd all spend Tuesday and Wednesday at the park. To do Cedar Point without breaking my budget, I ended up taking an overnight flight to Cleveland. Unfortunately, there was a 4 hour separation between my arrival and Rob's arrival (who was renting the car), plus my flight was early and his was delayed. In short, I spent 5 hours killing my phone battery and wandering around CLE. At about 10:30 A.M., I headed out to baggage claim and met Caroline. Rob's flight arrived shortly afterward, then we picked up the rental car (took some time) and headed for Cedar Point. Cedar Point The original plan was to arrive at Cedar Point around noon on Tuesday and have that day plus all of Wednesday. Of course, we ended up arriving about 2 P.M. due to various delays. With the aid of reasonable crowds and Fast Lane Plus on Wednesday, this was plenty of time for the park and we even ended up leaving a bit early. Upon arriving at the park, we immediately proceeded to ride GateKeeper, and then met up with Judd (who had been there since opening). As I was the only one of the four of us to have visited previously, I somewhat acted as a tour guide and took everyone around the park. We decided to knock out as many coasters as possible on the first day, and by closing we managed to ride all of them except Millennium Force. The second day was spent re-riding our favorites, riding some non-coaster rides, and checking out a few of the diversions in the park. We also met up with some other TPR members and had to deal with a rain delay that shut down all but two of the park's coasters for a few hours. By the end of the second day, I felt that I had finally truly experienced Cedar Point, a feeling I didn't quite have on my previous visit. Note: The following is the review format I'll be using for all but the smallest parks in the remainder of the trip report. It is similar to what I did for Elitch Gardens previously. Coaster Reviews: Cedar Point's coaster collection is somewhat interesting. On one hand, it contains three top ten coasters, a feat no other park has done. However, while it is a good collection overall I can think of a number of parks with a superior collection, as half of Cedar Point's coasters are average at best. In addition, the park is seriously lacking a notable wood coaster...hopefully their next coaster is a GCI or similar. GateKeeper: I was excited to ride GateKeeper, as it was my first experience with a wing coaster. After riding, however, I can see why enthusiasts don't care for them. The ride wasn't bad, it just wasn't nearly as good as it looked like it would be. I do like the fact that GateKeeper is a long ride, but hate that the second half is almost worthless. It was somewhat like the Silver Bullet of Cedar Point; there's nothing wrong with the ride, and it is definitely worth riding, but it's not something worth going out of the way for. B+ Wicked Twister: I really like the impulse coasters, and to me Wicked Twister is the best of the bunch. The ride isn't the most impressive coaster out there, but it provides a quick thrill and is more intense than it looks due to the tightness of the twists. Capacity is relatively low on this ride and it isn't always on Fast Lane, so I'd definitely recommend doing this one early in the day. B+ Raptor: To me, Raptor is the worst of the best as far as inverted coasters go. It's a top tier ride, but not as good as rides like Afterburn or Alpengeist. The ride is a good length, is really smooth (with the exception of one or two transitions), and has great pacing. I do think it gets a little less exciting toward the end of the ride, but I still consider this the best non-Intamin at Cedar Point. A- Blue Streak: Here's a ride that's significantly better than it looks. Blue Streak may be just a simple out and back, but it has a good amount of airtime if you're in the right seat and is really smooth for a 50 year old woodie. The ride is a little on the short side, but not enough to complain about. Plus, Blue Streak typically has a 10 minute wait or less as long as both trains are running. Overall, the ride isn't anything mind-blowing, but is worthy of a ride or two during a visit. C+ Iron Dragon: As of now, I have been on all the suspended coasters in North America. I can definitively say that Iron Dragon is the least impressive of the bunch. The ride is worth doing because it is a dying breed, but it's just a fairly short and relatively dull ride. C Mantis: A lot of people hate Mantis. I don't love the ride, but I don't have a problem with it either. To me, it's pretty average for a stand-up. Although it's not the smoothest ride out there, it is a fun coaster with a good sequence of elements and is actually one of Cedar Point's most forceful coasters. I hope this ride isn't being permanently retired and is rather being transformed for next year, even though it isn't one I'd particularly miss. C+ Mean Streak: On my previous visit, Mean Streak was very rough. The coaster must have received some track work recently, because on this visit it was smooth. While this was a slight improvement, I still find the ride to be very dull and uneventful. There are a couple decent drops at the beginning of the ride, but pretty much everything after the mid-course brakes just drags out the coaster without adding anything. C- Cedar Creek Mine Ride: While not the worst mine train out there, Cedar Creek Mine Ride isn't that great. To me, the ride just feels like an oversized kiddie coaster with uncomfortable trains. This one is smoother than some of the other Arrow mine trains, but I've got a feeling that is partially due to a relatively low-speed layout. This is one to ride just for the credit. D+ Maverick: To me, Maverick is almost the ideal coaster. The ride has a variety of elements, giving it moments with good airtime, strong forces, high speeds, and inversions. The ride is long, but there isn't a dull bit of track in the coaster. The first part of the ride is thrilling, but it isn't until the second half that you realize how intense this deceptively small coaster actually is. And even though the ride is intense, it isn't so intense that it can't be ridden again and again. If there is a fault of this ride, it is that you can receive some pretty painful neck chops if you aren't paying attention or don't know what to expect, but after one ride it shouldn't be too difficult to prevent this. I absolutely consider Maverick a top five coaster, and it is my favorite ride at Cedar Point. A Gemini: Before this visit, I had only ridden one track of Gemini. For this trip, the ride was racing on Tuesday (one track was closed on Wednesday due to mechanical issues). When the coaster is racing, I consider this a must ride. Even if the coaster isn't racing, it is still a fun ride with a good amount of airtime and one of the best first drops at Cedar Point. Gemini isn't the smoothest coaster, however, so it might be a good idea to hold on. B Woodstock Express: In addition to GateKeeper, this was my other new credit at Cedar Point. This is the larger version of Vekoma's junior coaster model, and while not as good as custom versions it is significantly better than the standard version. Even though it may just be a family coaster, I personally thought this was better than some of Cedar Point's bigger coasters. One word of warning, however...this is the most restrictive coaster in the park. Members of my group who fit on Top Thrill Dragster, Wicked Twister, and even Millennium Force couldn't fit on this, and I had to try several seats before finding a seatbelt I could buckle. C Magnum XL-200: The original hyper coaster is still a pretty good ride, though I didn't enjoy it as much this time as I did last time. This ride is still the airtime king of Cedar Point, but I do not remember it being as rough as it was this time. Perhaps I made the mistake of sitting in a wheel seat on one of my rides, as two out of three weren't bad. Still a better coaster than Desperado and one I'd recommend, just not one to ride over and over. B+ Corkscrew: And the award for worst Arrow looper goes to...Corkscrew. Yeah, there's almost nothing redeeming about this ride. I doubt it will ever go anywhere, as the ride doesn't take up much space and is somewhat of a defining feature of the Gemini Midway, but I don't have any desire to ride this one again. D+ Top Thrill Dragster: Even though I've been on over 350 coasters, there is still one type of ride that gives me a rush every time I ride: the accelerator coaster. Top Thrill Dragster is my favorite of the type, as while the coaster is short it has a great launch, a very tall hill, and an interesting spiraling drop that isn't rough in the slightest. While not the best coaster at Cedar Point, it is a bit of a waste to visit and not ride once, even though Top Thrill Dragster can have huge lines due to capacity issues. A Millennium Force: Millennium Force has been called the best roller coaster in the world (or at least in North America) and appears to be the favorite of most Cedar Point visitors. While I really like the ride, I do not feel it is the best coaster at the park. The ride is just too drawn out and focused on speed for my tastes. I will give it credit for the first drop, as Millennium Force may have the best first drop of any coaster, but after that there are two hills with floater airtime and a bunch of giant curves and straight sections. Absolutely worth riding, and still a top ten coaster, but just not the best ride ever built as some make it out to be. Despite this, I personally think this is the best giga coaster (sorry I305 fans). A Cedar Point Coaster Ranking: Must Ride: 1. Maverick 2. Top Thrill Dragster 3. Millennium Force 4. Raptor * Gemini (racing) Good Coasters: 5. Magnum XL-200 6. Wicked Twister 7. GateKeeper 8. Gemini (not racing) Average Coasters: 9. Blue Streak 10. Mantis 11. Woodstock Express 12. Iron Dragon 13. Mean Streak Credit Coasters: 14. Corkscrew 15. Cedar Creek Mine Ride Non-Coaster Summary: While Cedar Point is known for their coasters, they do have one of the best non-coaster ride collections of any major park as well. Due to limited time and a desire to get multiple re-rides, I only rode a handful of non-coaster rides at the park (most of which were on Wednesday when rain shut down all but a couple coasters). Of the flat rides I rode, the best was probably Cedar Downs, an old derby racer that is better than almost all other carousels. The ride has no seatbelts, moves about twice the speed of your average merry-go-round, is three times the size, and features horses that move forward and backward to simulate a horse race. Other non-coasters I liked were Witches Wheel, Skyhawk, and Power Tower (Turbo Drop only...the Space Shot side was weak). I did ride the new Pipe Scream, which I liked but probably wouldn't bother to ride again. In addition to flat rides, I rode the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad, which is probably my favorite non-coaster in the park due to a series of scenes depicting a western town with animatronic skeletons (this is the closest Cedar Point has to a dark ride). I also rode Shoot the Rapids, which was thoroughly underwhelming and will give you wet shoes for the rest of the day. Overall Thoughts: Cedar Point is often considered the greatest park in North America. There is certainly plenty to like about the park: several outstanding coasters, an excellent flat ride collection, plenty for the family to do, the most efficient operations you'll see outside of a Disney park, and an unbeatable location out on a peninsula, just to name a few. However, there is room for improvement at the park too: food quality and service is poor even compared to other Cedar Fair properties, the park needs a good wood coaster and some type of dark ride, some employees are a little too business-y and come off as less friendly, etc. Did I have a good time? Yes. Would I go back? Absolutely, especially if there was a major new ride. It is one of my favorite parks, but I'm going to amend the greatest park statement: Cedar Point is the greatest thrill park in North America. While I'd absolutely pick a trip to any Disney park over a trip to Cedar Point, I would definitely pick a Cedar Point trip over a trip to any other Cedar Fair or Six Flags park, all other things held equal. Lastly, my opinion of Fast Lane, Cedar Point's skip the line system. If you are visiting Cedar Point and have only one or two days, I absolutely recommend buying Fast Lane for one day of your visit. It is expensive, but it will save you a ton of time and make your visit much less stressful. Unlike other parks, Fast Lane will not grant you instant access, but it should cut your wait to about 10-15 minutes per ride. Even though we got lucky and found waits of 30 minutes or less for all but the big three (with a fair number of walk-ons), there is no way we would have gotten several rides each on Maverick, Millennium Force, and Top Thrill Dragster without it. If you will be visiting for three days (the most I'd recommend for one Cedar Point trip), Fast Lane is optional, and I would advise against buying it for multiple days unless you've got plenty of money to spend. Ride Totals: Blue Streak: 2 Cedar Creek Mine Ride: 1 Corkscrew: 1 GateKeeper: 3 Gemini: 2 Iron Dragon: 2 Magnum XL-200: 3 Mantis: 2 Maverick: 5 Mean Streak: 2 Millennium Force: 4 Raptor: 2 Top Thrill Dragster: 4 Wicked Twister: 2 Woodstock Express: 1 Cedar Downs: 1 Cedar Point and Lake Erie Railroad: 1 Pipe Scream: 1 Power Tower: 2 Shoot the Rapids: 1 Skyhawk: 1 Witches Wheel: 1 Total: 44 rides over two days (~20 hours in park; 2.2 rides per hour) On to the pictures. I didn't take all that many Cedar Point pictures simply because the weather was uncooperative and I wanted to ride as much as possible. Fortunately, Cedar Point is one of the most photographed parks out there. Also, all pictures were taken on Wednesday. As you can tell from the sky, we were in for a rainy day at Cedar Point. It wasn't long before we started to see sights like this. When it rains at Cedar Point, all coasters close. With all the coasters closed, lines for flat rides grew, as most of those remained open. Hey, look! Mantis is running in the rain. Millennium Force is open too. Since it was the only headliner open, Millennium had a 90 minute wait (45 with Fast Lane). This hill is one of the few airtime moments on the ride. We decided to go through the America tunnel to see if Maverick happened to be running, as the rain was now little more than a drizzle. Maverick is running. Just as we arrived, they were transferring the last two trains back on the track, so I assume it had recently resumed operation. Say what you want about the restraints, Maverick is still the best coaster at Cedar Point. Eventually the rain stopped altogether and even Top Thrill Dragster reopened. GateKeeper. Such a beautiful looking ride, but such an underwhelming experience. Late in the afternoon, all the clouds cleared and the sun came out. This was the first time I really dried after riding Shoot the Rapids just before lunch. I love the fact that Cedar Point can be accessed by water. It would be awesome to sail to the park just to say you've traveled to a park by car, train, boat, and plane. A sunset shot of the Main Midway. By this point, the park was pretty empty by Cedar Point standards. Iron Dragon's finale over the lake. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the next retired coaster. One last shot of Top Thrill Dragster before leaving the Point. I hope it doesn't take six years before I get a chance to visit again.

Falcon's Fury looks like it could be the best drop tower ever built. That's probably the closest thing I'll ever experience to actual skydiving. Now I just need to find a way to finally get to Florida... Catching up with a few of the other videos: Ultra Twister: This ride looks insane. It's one of the few coasters in Japan that looks travel-worthy to me. Canyon Blaster: Even though the ride is now over 20 years old, it is still one of the better Arrow loopers. I rode it twice on my visit to Vegas this past summer, something I don't typically do for Arrow loopers. Spook-A-Rama: Rode this at Coney Island. It was surprisingly good. I don't think I'd pay $7 to ride again, but I'm glad I rode it once.

Great Escape - 6 La Ronde - 5 (even by Six Flags standards, this place is terrible) Six Flags America - 9 Six Flags Discovery Kingdom - 10 Six Flags Fiesta Texas - 12 Six Flags Great Adventure - 11 Six Flags Great America - 15 Six Flags Magic Mountain - 8 (not the best, but not as bad as it's made out to be) Six Flags Mexico - 9 Six Flags New England - 10 Six Flags Over Georgia - 11 Six Flags Over Texas - 14 Six Flags St. Louis - 10 I have been to all Six Flags parks except: America, Fiesta Texas, Mexico, Over Georgia, and Over Texas.

I rode Kentucky Rumbler 15 times during an ERT session and El Toro 13 times in a day this past summer. I don't recall ever doing more than that on a coaster, and if I did it was probably when I was really young and used to ride Jaguar at Knott's & Freeway Coaster at Adventure City over and over. In general, I'm not a huge fan of marathon riding, and outside of ERT sessions it's rare that I'll ride a coaster more than twice in a day unless it is a top tier coaster with a 10 minute wait or less.

That's a pretty ambitious trip. It is possible to do all those parks in one week, but you'll probably end up turning most of them into a credit run and will be worn out by the end of the trip. Personally, I'd recommend scaling your trip back a bit so that you enjoy the parks more and aren't in a mad rush to stay on schedule. I've been to most of these parks (never been to Six Flags America or Kennywood so I won't comment on those), and based on my experience I'd recommend the following time allowances (assuming you want to ride all coasters and major non-coaster rides, then re-ride your favorites): Kings Dominion: I visited before Fast Lane and it was definitely a full day park. Even with Fast Lane, I'd still recommend a full day here. Carowinds: I visited before Fast Lane and 6 hours was plenty here. You could definitely do this and drive to Dollywood in the same day. Dollywood: If you're really in a rush, you could do the park in 4 hours with a Q-bot, but I highly, highly recommend a full day visit for your first time. If you need to drive somewhere after, then stay early evening and leave then. Don't try to do another park on the same day as Dollywood. Kentucky Kingdom: I don't know how much they'll add next year, but based on what they had this year 2 hours is sufficient if you get there at opening and skip the waterpark (add 3 hours if you want to do Hurricane Bay). Other than the coasters it's all standard flats here. Holiday World: If you want to visit Splashin' Safari, you absolutely need a full day here. If you're only doing rides, you'll be done in 4-6 hours. Kings Island: I really recommend a full day here even with Fast Lane, but if you need to drive somewhere else you'd probably be able to do everything by early evening. Cedar Point: If time allows, two days is highly recommended. If you can only spend one day at the park, definitely purchase Fast Lane and be prepared that you will likely miss stuff if bad weather strikes. If you have the ability to extend the trip, I would recommend splitting Dollywood and Kentucky Kingdom into two separate days and adding a second day at Cedar Point. If you cannot extend it, I would probably opt for one of these two routes instead: Option A: Day One: Drive to Six Flags America, morning/afternoon at Six Flags America Day Two: Kings Dominion, drive half-way to Carowinds Day Three: Finish drive to Carowinds, morning and afternoon at Carowinds, drive to Dollywood Day Four: Dollywood until early evening, drive to Kings Island Day Five: Kings Island until early evening, drive to Cedar Point Day Six: Cedar Point Day Seven: Cedar Point until early evening, drive to Kennywood Day Eight: Kennywood, Drive Home Option B: Day One: Drive to Six Flags America, morning/afternoon at Six Flags America Day Two: Kings Dominion Day Three: Drive to Holiday World Day Four: Holiday World Day Five: Kentucky Kingdom Day Six: Kings Island until early evening, drive to Cedar Point Day Seven: Cedar Point, drive half-way to Kennywood Day Eight: Finish drive to Kennywood, Kennywood, Drive Home Both of these options cut two parks from the original route but still have a good selection. Option A cuts Kentucky Kingdom and Holiday World to allow for more time at Dollywood and two days at Cedar Point. Option B cuts Carowinds and Dollywood in exchange for a less hectic trip overall. Both trips still require a bit of driving, but it's about 10% less than the original route. One other question: Is there a reason for omitting Busch Gardens Williamsburg from the trip? If you have not been there, I would cut any other park to add a day at BGW, as it is one of the best parks I've been to.

Over the past summer, I've been doing two main things related to theme parks: 1. Traveling to visit new theme parks, and 2. Learning how to use NoLimits 2. After finishing my traveling, I decided that one good way to learn NoLimits 2 might be to recreate some of my favorite coasters from the summer. This thread will simply be a place to showcase whatever I make and for people to leave comments on it (if desired). My first project was recreating Beast and Diamondback at Kings Island. Both those coasters have relatively simple layouts, so it was a good way to learn the new coaster design system in NoLimits 2. For this recreation, I focused exclusively on the track, so the park is entirely level and devoid of scenery, plus all the supports are pre-built. Both coasters are entirely hand-built, resemble the operation of the real ride (at least as far as I can tell), and never require full manual mode. I'll probably refine the rides over time whenever I feel like working on them, but I think what I've got so far is a decent attempt that is reasonably close to the real rides. Enjoy! Game Exchange Link: http://www.themeparkreview.com/game_exchange/track.php?id=3183

Tornado looks like a really good ride. I'm guessing it's probably the best of the Intamin inverts (all types included). I kind of wonder why more weren't built...perhaps it was just too late entering the market. Wolverine Wildcat looks like an okay woodie. The layout is definitely similar to Phoenix, but from the video it looks like the ride travels through it faster and the hills are more shallow, resulting in less airtime. I'd ride it if I went to Michigan's Adventure, but it's probably not worth multiple rides.

Perhaps two updates per week was a little ambitions, but I can definitely do one every week. Trip 1, Part 4: Las Vegas-June 26th-30th, 2014 When planning this road trip, there were always two constraints. The first was that I could not leave Lincoln, Nebraska, before Sunday, June 22nd. The second was that I had to be in Las Vegas, Nevada, by the evening of June 26th, as we were having a large family reunion with my mother's side of the family that weekend. Had it not been for that constraint, the trip would have probably turned out differently. Upon arriving in Las Vegas, I did not go directly to our hotel (Bally's), but instead met up with my cousins at the Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix. This place is mostly about go-karts, with four different go-kart tracks. They did have a few rides, including a kiddie coaster, but I didn't ride any of them (plus the kiddie coaster was closed). Of the four go-kart tracks, we did three: the Turbo Track, a basic go-kart track that seemed a little better than average; the Sprint Track, a semi-slick track that was somewhat underwhelming; and the Gran Prix Track, where you raced against the clock in larger cars capable of speeds over 30 MPH (driver's license required for this one). The place was fun and wasn't too expensive, as $20 got you an hour of unlimited rides and nothing had much of a wait. We did each track twice (except the Sprint Track) and got dinner here before leaving. After the Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix, I said goodbye to my dad (who would be headed home the next day) and went with my cousins to Bally's, where I met the rest of the family. Some of them had just arrived on this day as well, plus it was getting very late for those who came from the east coast, so we didn't do much that evening. Vegas Day 1: Wet 'n' Wild-Friday, June 27th I had originally planned to check out the new Cowabunga Bay Waterpark while in Vegas, but as the opening was delayed until July we were forced to visit Wet'n'Wild instead. I was visiting with my aunt and one of my cousins from Northern California, so at 9 A.M. we met in the lobby and headed to the park. Wet'n'Wild has gotten a lot of complaints from the locals, especially regarding its size and its lack of attractions compared to the original. In addition, I had heard the park was typically really crowded. To my surprise, we didn't find it to be too bad, and were able to do every attraction (some of them twice) in about 4 hours. I don't remember the old Wet'n'Wild too well, but it felt like there was more to do at this one than the old park. I will say the new Wet'n'Wild does lose points for blandness, however. Slide Reviews: Hoover Half Pipe: This was our first ride of the day, as the no single riders rule makes it difficult for groups of three. The ride begins with a short enclosed section before dropping through a wall feature. It wasn't a bad ride, but I did find it a little underwhelming and is probably my least favorite wall slide. Two rides. Royal Flush Extreme: An innertube bowl slide, this was one of my favorites at the park. Although the ride is practically the same, it did feel faster than the ProSlide version, though both times I rode my tube got stuck and I had to push to the exit of the bowl. Tornado: I love Tornado slides, and despite being smaller this one was just as good as any of them. One of my favorites at the park. We rode this twice despite it having the longest wait in the park. Constrictor: I don't know what to think of this slide. On one hand, it felt just like any innertube slide, but at the same time the large tube sections were something different. I guess the fact that I only did this one once says something about the ride. Rattler: This is a WhiteWater Mega Tube slide, the first in the US I believe. Basically it is a family raft slide, but there are two points where you enter a giant tube and oscillate back and forth like in a funnel slide. In my opinion, this is the best ride at the park, as not only is it the longest, it also has some extreme moments in the second Mega Tube (I thought I was going to fall out at one point). I just wish you didn't have to carry the raft to the top, as those are a lot heavier than innertubes (even the CloverLeafs). Rode this one twice. I definitely recommend doing this slide early, as it quickly got a 30 minute wait that never got any shorter. Desert Racers: Fairly standard mat racing slide, though this one felt a little steeper and faster than most. Rode twice. Canyon Cliffs: Six story freefall slide, not the best I've been on but still fun. This one was really smooth and didn't have any of the back scratching these rides are known for. Rode twice. Zipp, Zapp, Zoom: This attraction is a trio of standard tube slides. One of the slides is open the whole way down, one is fully enclosed, and the third starts out enclosed and then opens up for the second half. None of them were that great (in fact, this may be my least favorite serpentine tube slide complex), but of the three the half enclosed/half open slide was the best. We rode each slide once. Overall, Wet'n'Wild Las Vegas was a pretty average waterpark. It was a fun thing to do in Las Vegas, and I'm glad I got to check it out, but it's not somewhere I would go out of my way for. The park isn't big enough for a full day yet (I'd say it's about a 5-6 hour waterpark), though I am sure it will continue to grow over time. That being said, I don't get all the negativity surrounding this place. It isn't any more expensive than a typical waterpark, has enough to do for at least a half day, decent employees, decent food, reasonable crowds, long hours (they're open until 10 P.M. some days)...if I was a local I would be here all the time. The only complaints I have about the park are the lack of shade, the bland atmosphere, and the fact that every slide ends in a shutdown lane instead of a pool, but those wouldn't affect my ability to have a good time. We left Wet'n'Wild at around 3 P.M. to head back to the hotel, as tonight was the big reunion dinner. One of my uncles had made reservations at Todd English's Olives restaurant in Bellagio, so we had our big dinner there. It was really nice to see everyone, but I'm going to be 100% honest about the restaurant: it isn't that great overall and is horrible for large parties. Service was slow (the entire dinner was about 4 hours), the food was pretty average (certainly not of the caliber I'd expect from an upscale restaurant), and we were split up at separate tables, making it difficult to talk to each other. After dinner, I joined a few others in the casino, but the party didn't last long as some of the group had an early morning flight the next day. Vegas Day 2: Adventuredome-Saturday, June 28th Sometimes the best made plans go to waste. That was the case with this day, as while the Adventuredome wasn't the only thing planned it was the only thing we did (until evening). Due to reluctance by some to get out of bed, we ended up waiting until after lunch to head to the Adventuredome. By the time we got there, it was packed, though fortunately we didn't encounter any lines over 20 minutes. I'm not a huge fan of the Adventuredome, but I don't dislike it either. I wasn't necessarily planning to visit on this trip, but El Loco made the park a must visit. The ride had about a 15 minute wait with four cars running, which I hear is pretty typical for a weekend. It was my first experience with an El Loco, so I had no idea what to expect. How was the ride? Well, I liked the ride, but I didn't think it was worth going out of your way for and probably wouldn't pay $10 to ride it on a future visit. The first drop is great, and the rest of the ride is interesting, but to me the coaster felt somewhat repetitive by the end, as it more or less did the same sequence of elements twice. It was also a very short ride and I got nothing from the audio. Fun ride, definitely the best at the Adventuredome, but possibly a bit overhyped by the locals (I'd give it a B-). The Adventuredome's other coaster, Canyon Blaster, was running just as good as ever. This is one of the better Arrow loopers that I've been on, and despite the short length it does quite a bit. Not worth the $10 they charge for it, but definitely worth a couple rides if you buy the wristband. This one gets a C+ by my rating scale. After doing two rides on each coaster (we bought wristbands), we played a game of Laser Tag, then we did a few flat rides before leaving (I only did Sling Shot, but other members of the group did the Carousel and/or Ferris Wheel). We were originally planning to try out the Voodoo Zipline over at the Rio, but nobody was that interested and it was almost 5 P.M. so we skipped it. That night, I went with most of the remaining family to hang out in Downtown Las Vegas for the night. I'd never been to this part of town before, but after going I will say that everyone should check out Fremont Street at least once. It is just a totally different atmosphere down there, and feels more like a street party than anything. We also found casinos here with coin-play slot machines, a novelty that has disappeared from most of the Vegas casinos. It was a fun evening, probably the best of the ones in Vegas. Vegas Day 3: Miscellaneous Random Stuff-June 29th, 2014 The third day in Vegas began with breakfast at Serendipity over at Caesar's Palace. I'd never heard of this place before, so I was interested to try it out. It wasn't the greatest breakfast place ever, but the portions were huge (you do pay for it, however) and the frozen hot chocolate was a great treat. After breakfast, we headed to the south end of the strip to visit Coke World and check out the new Hershey Store. Some of the group drove, while others (including me) decided to give the Las Vegas Monorail a try. The Monorail is a good concept, but poor execution, as it is located way behind all the hotels and is very expensive ($5 per ride). Upon arrival at MGM Grand, we walked over to New York and checked out the Hershey Store, which I found a bit disappointing. I was expecting it to be a combination exhibit and gift shop, but it was just a two story store selling everything Hershey. Since I wasn't interested in browsing, I decided to go play slots with my grandmother instead. I ended up winning $10, so what did I do with the money? Ride the Roller Coaster. Yes, I have the credit. Yes, I've been on it a number of times. No, I was never planning to ride it. The only reason I decided to ride was because I last rode the coaster when my credit count was under 100, and wanted to see my opinion now that I've been on over 300 (actually, I was a little under 300 at that point). The ride...yeah, it's not good. No, it's not the worst ride ever (now that SkyRider is gone, it's probably my favorite Togo), but it's about on par with the average SLC for roughness and although it's a long ride, everything after the dive loop is completely pointless. If you've only been on a handful of coasters, it's probably a good ride, but otherwise it's just an epic rip-off at $14 and easily Nevada's worst coaster (I give it a D). After the ride on the Roller Coaster, I met up with everyone at Coke World and got a float, then we all headed back to the hotel. Everyone not headed back to Southern California was departing this afternoon, so we said goodbye to them and then I (and a few others) headed out to the Pinball Hall of Fame. For those that haven't been there, this place doesn't look like much, but it is probably the biggest hidden gem in Vegas. It is little more than a warehouse full of pinball machines and arcade games, but they've got everything from old 1930s wooden machines to modern pinball games, and most of them are still in working order. I think I probably spent about $40 here playing a variety of games, and other than perhaps Wet'n'Wild this was probably the best thing I did in Vegas. For dinner that night, we decided to venture away from the strip to a Carrabba's, as they don't exist in California and the food is really good. As expected, the food was really good. After dinner, my grandfather and I went and did the High Roller, Las Vegas's new giant observation wheel. You get a great view from the top of this thing, but unfortunately while on the lower half of the wheel you really can't see much. I'm glad I did it, but I would never pay the price they charge ($30+) to do it again. The rest of the evening was spent packing, as we were headed home the next day. Vegas Day 4: Departure Day-Monday, June 30th, 2014 This was the final day of the trip. I wasn't sad that it was ending, as while I did have a good time I was ready to go back home. Just before 11 A.M., we headed down to the valet, retrieved our car, and headed out. I was traveling home with my Grandparents, as they needed someone to drive them (my uncle had done it on the way out, but he was extending his trip). On the way, we decided to make one final stop at Buffalo Bill's, as I wanted to see how Desperado was running. Now, last time I had been to Buffalo Bill's, the place was at least acceptable, but in the five years since it has become a total dump and ghost town. The casino was deserted; I saw maybe ten people gambling in there, and in the food court only three tables were occupied. We grabbed lunch while we waited for the rides to open, and once they did I purchased tickets for Adventure Canyon (the log flume) and Desperado, then headed off while my Grandparents went to wait in the casino. First off, Adventure Canyon. At one point, this was a somewhat fun log flume, but in its current state it is just scary. No, it's not the one small drop, it's the fact that nothing works anymore but all the figures are still present. During the ride, you'll pass all the old animatronics, but most of them are missing fingers, limbs, or in some cases heads, and since they are all static most give you a creepy stare as you float past. With the dark atmosphere of the trench, It seemed almost like a haunt maze gone wrong. From talking to the operators, it sounds like after the guns were permanently retired all maintenance on the show elements was discontinued and the ride is only kept running because it still turns a profit. As for Desperado, the coaster is in a pretty sorry state as well. I did not see if they have a second operational train for the ride, but they were only using one train with four or five rows blocked off. Since it was deserted and they will not send the train with less than ten people, I had to wait a bit for more riders to show up. To my surprise, Desperado is still running fairly well. Yes, it is rough, but it's definitely ride-able in a middle seat and the ride still gives some pretty good airtime, plus it is really long (though the second half is dull). Even with El Loco, I still think Desperado is probably Nevada's best coaster (though still only a B- from me) and is the only one I think is worth the ticket price ($10). As for the rest of the rides at Buffalo Bill's, all they've got left is the Frog Hopper and MaxFlight Simulator. The former motion theater attraction has been boarded up, and the guy at the ticket counter said Turbo Drop is no longer in an operational condition. It's sad to see the place this way, but with the lack of business I'm not surprised they have to make cuts to save money (or did the cuts come first and cause the lack of business, I wonder). There is one good thing that came out of our Buffalo Bill's stop. Before leaving, I decided to use the rest of my $50 gambling budget for the trip. While playing a machine, I ended up spinning a jackpot and winning over $100. Yes, I came out ahead in gambling, one of only two in our group of around twenty to do so. The rest of the drive home was uneventful, so there is little else to report. What I will say about this trip as a whole is this: It had its high points and its low points, but overall I'm glad I was able to do a road trip across the Western US. It didn't end up like I originally hoped it would, but I still had a good time and I'd definitely go back to some of the places I visited again. However, the fun of this trip was forgotten shortly after my return home as just three weeks later I left for my second summer trip: a two week TPR US trip (Mini New Hotness and Mini East Coast combo) and an add-on week with my family in New York and Boston. Note: This particular update is a little lighter on photos because my phone was almost full by this point in the trip. The Gran Prix Track. Unlike most go-kart tracks, this one is a time trial. They do have a few rides here as well. The Super Fun Slide was somewhat fun. I only rode once, but a couple members of my group did it over and over. For the credit whores, there is a credit here as well. Unfortunately, the Dragon Coaster was closed. Credit denied. Tornado, Royal Flush Extreme, and Hoover Half Pipe on the far side of Red Rock Bay. Wet'n'Wild Las Vegas. Since my phone is not waterproof, I just took a couple pictures from our cabana. However, this was the reason for our visit today. They call it El Loco (The Crazy in English), and after riding, that name perfectly describes this coaster. The ride is pretty basic, but I believe this is still the largest indoor coaster in the US. Canyon Blaster doing what it's known for. A few members of my group on the carousel. I wouldn't fit on the ride if I tried. I've always liked the look of the Adventuredome's Ferris Wheel. I've done it before, but skipped it this time. The Adventuredome has the strangest drop tower I've ever seen. It starts with a launch about 3/4 of the way up (spine adjustments included), creeps to the top, then drops to the bottom and stops (2 for 1 deal on those spine adjustments). Unique, but not particularly great. It's now Saturday, which means time for the Adventuredome. Roughly 70% of the ride is visible in this picture. It is a very short coaster, but still a pretty fun ride. Adventuredome's other coaster is Canyon Blaster, an old-school Arrow looper. They also have an Inverter here, possibly the last permanent installation in the US (at least I haven't seen another one). Not a huge fan of these. A view from my hotel room at Bally's. Probably the best part of the hotel, to be honest. First stop in Las Vegas: The Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix. This is the Turbo Track. The next day, I rode this. If you've got the credit, you know it's not worth it. On my last evening in Vegas, I decided to do the High Roller. The following shots were taken from the High Roller. First up is a view of Flamingo. Harrah's is also nearby. Looking north from near the top of the wheel. The view south from near the same point. There's the Linq right below the wheel. This seemed like a great place to hang out at night. One more shot from my hotel room, this time at night. I highly doubt Turbo Drop will ever run again. Desperado has always perplexed me, as it is a giant coaster in the middle of nowhere. Regardless, it's still a decent ride and a fun way to end the trip. On the way back to Southern California, we had to stop at Buffalo Bill's to ride Desperado. Once you get above 200 ft. it becomes possible to see the strip. If you look away from the strip, you'll see a sea of lights extending all the way across the valley.

Yeah, that looks like one of the most insane rides ever built. I would like to ride it once just to experience the ride, but I doubt I would want a re-ride after that.