Hilltopper39

Well, I've got a truck if you wanna try to move that thing to the zoo across town .

^Yeah, true, a water park in south Florida is a pretty good idea. I've heard that Rapids Water Park in Riviera beach is insanely popular.

Yeah I agree, but I still don't know if it would have made it in that location. I've never lived in South Florida like you have but the I-Drive section of Orlando will likely see a LOT more tourists and is overall much nicer than the Boomers site ever would have. Your opinion is more qualified than mine but I don't know if the locals in that neighborhood and that region could have kept the place alive or not.

This picture that I had seen a few months ago looks like the lattice arch version that's been mentioned. Pretty cool how it's right smack in the middle of the park, probably will be some cool head (face) choppers on that thing. I'm really excited about this park by the way.

This, musicals, Ke$ha, and Bourbon, lots and lots of Bourbon.

Winja's is one of the coasters high on my "Top 10 To Ride Someday list" because I've never been on anything like it, and basically know nothing about it. I've looked at pictures, read trip reports and watched youtube POV's of Winjas and still feel like I know nothing about the ride which is kind of unique in the coaster world.

Water Challenge on Ninja ?

I kinda get what your saying, and your entitled to your opinion but..... How is adding an barrel roll to not mind blowing? It's a freaking Barrel Roll on a Wooden Coaster, that's more exciting and innovative to me than just cresting the 200ft mark. Innovation these days isn't bigger and taller it's more technological and better, and this project at SDC could potentially be one of the best coasters ever built, that's pretty mind blowing to me. Not trying to be rude here, and I miss the "good ole days" at some of my favorite parks where I have child hood memories, but if you want the good times back go to Knoebles.

last year's event was AMAZING !!!!! I had so much fun, everything about it was awesome. I don't know if I can make it this year but I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Honestly is these a new "hybrid" coasters are successful and similar in cost to a traditional full wooden coaster why would a park ever build a traditional wooden coaster again? These will have minimal maintenance, a smooth consistent ride experience, and probably a longer life span than a traditional woodie. Why build wood again? If I were a park owner that currently had a major wooden coaster (Beast, Mean Streak, Ghost Rider, Rattler etc) in need of some re-tracking work done there would be no question in my mind to replace it with iron horse or topper track. Don't be surprised if this starts happening all over the place. And they should probably add a barrel roll while they are at it, the Beast could really use a wicked cork screw on that long boring stretch between the two lifts .

The butcher shop I got that tri tip from is kind of a high end butcher shop at the beach that sells all choice and prime cuts, so that may be why that cut was so lean. I don't shop there very often since it's a little pricey but they do always have tri-tip. Even if it were a lot fattier I still think the flavor and texture would be consistent and similar to the leaner cut I had (and still probably be a favorite of mine). I like that technique, I'm sure it yields excellent results and would probably save me some time for the setup change on the Egg. When I put the plate setter in and keep the lid closed there are no flare ups since it is indirect heat and there isn't a lot of moisture lost because the ceramic design and minimal air flow but it does take a little time time to pull the meat off, tent it with foil, insert the plate setter, drop the dome temp, then put the meat back on. Next time I do a tri tip I'll try your method and just sear it wrap it in foil then throw it back on until it's done, much easier and much quicker. The fewer the steps between me and meat the better!

I'd be good with Florida only winning 3 games this year

I had the flash on in those pictures so it really wasn't as pink as it looked. My thermometer is kinda broken and I pulled it at what read around 145 but was probably closer to 150 or 155. I've burnt the heck out of a few tri-tips before so they were very well done in the middle and the flavor and texture was still fantastic (just a little dry). When I was younger I never used to eat beef that wasn't well done. My mom is a vegetarian and when my dad (rarely) ordered steaks at a restaurant he always ordered a well done sirloin, so I just assumed that was what a good steak was. Because of that I now prefer most types of beef to be medium well to well done, but I have grown to appreciate some higher quality cuts at a medium rare to medium temp (there is a reason people eat it that way, it's REALLY good if prepared properly), but I still understand why some people don't like the pink and prefer well done.

Yeah I wish I would have discovered the Tri-tip a LONG time ago, I love it! I'm not usually a big fan of marinades for beef unless it's a really cheap sirloin or something, but this one was really good, you should try it sometime!

^I've always liked Sheikra too, more the long slow turn give you a good chance to check everything out and that lift just feels scary as hell every time I ride it. I would give Magnum the edge over Millennium Force just because Millennium Force's lift is so steep and fast that it doesn't give you a chance to take in the scenery as much as Magnum's slow more gradual incline does. I'd like to throw in a darkhorse vote for the Beast, the view of that mess of wood and the valley is always pretty impressive no matter how many times I ride that thing.

Do you have any rats that are professional chefs? If not I hear that there are a few in Paris..... All jokes aside, this is very interesting, thanks for sharing.

Don't you mean Oklahoma? If anyone likes to bet (and I can't fathom anyone here would take part in such uncouth activities) and wants a preseason lock, take Western Kentucky to cover the spread against Kentucky in week 3. I'll guarantee that game opens with UK at about a 17 point favorite and I like Western to win it outright (as long as we don't get too beat up by Alabama in week 2 ).

^First the Bronies, and now rat shows, not that there is anything wrong with showing rats I just didn't realize that rat shows existed (and I'm from Kentucky where they show cows, pigs, goats, everything but no rats).

That's kind of my problem with all of the water parks in Orlando except Wet n Wild, I feel like when it's not crowded I can do everything I want several times in just a few hours. Wet n Wild is probably the "worse" water park in Orlando all around but i think they have by far the best slide selection and better pricing so I end up there more often than any of the others. Comparing Aquatica, Blizzard Beach, and Typhoon Lagoon my favorite tends to be whichever I visited most recently, they're all really good.

I am a recruiting expert. If you give me $2,500 dollars I will make your son a highlight tape, then post it on a web site, and send it to college coaches across the country, and have your son's combine numbers posted in several different databases that college coaches use to evaluate talent. You also may want to spend another couple thousand dollars this summer taking your son to various camps so he can showcase his talent for college coaches in person. So just write me a check and I'll get to work on that video... ^That is what is wrong with recruiting, someone figured out how to make money off of high school kids and the "rating" they are given skew people's perspectives and inflate a fans base's expectations. I've seen 3 and 4 star rated players that after a year in college couldn't compete with kids who weren't even rated coming out of high school. It's a screwed up process these days.

They haven't been to a BCS bowl in 3 years because they've been on probation for the past two (I think). I like USC this year because they have an elite QB in Matt Barkley, and elite receiver in Robert Woods, and NFL talent all over the field at every position. The Pac 12 will be down a little bit with Stanford losing Luck and Oregon losing James (and everyone starting to figure out their "gimmick") and USC has their two toughest games in Oregon and Notre Dame both at home. That's why I like USC, Matt Barkley will keep them in every game they play, even against LSU or Bama in the BCS championship.

The People Mover is in a class all it's own .

Can we just fast forward to 15 years from now when there are dozens of these hybrids in existence and we don't have to argue about it's classification on every new installation?

^Yeah, that doesn't look anything like the Pandora's Box ride system that I've seen, and this looks like a much better system all together. That is a steep budget, but Efteling hasn't been afraid of investing some major dough on new attractions here lately.

Great pictures Adam, Aquatica is a great water park. I have always loved the entrance to that park the multiple levels between the entrance path, Dolphin Plunge, the commerson's tank, and the lazy river make that are so dynamic. Omaka Rocka always looked like a weird slide, I haven't been back since it opened but I have a feeling when I do I'm going to think it is kinda lame.