Movieguy

You know, years ago, my late father came up with a musical version of the story of Dracula...using Gilbert and Sullivan songs. I know, I was scratching my head at the concept too, but there are songs by the duo that REALLY work in the context of Dracula's story, and he made them work, in all his unusual talents. Take this song for instance, which was in the show...

Jumping for big time geek joy here! I recently got a copy of the Anime "Record of Lodoss War" from Amazon. They charged an ungodly amount of money for a new copy, but I saw a guy in Texas was selling a used copy (Very good condition, by the way) for only 25 bucks!

Of the parks I've visited: 1. Kennywood. I love small parks, and this is the all-time best. 2. WDW. Best big park of all time. Lots of good memories come from this place. 3. Knoebels. Great little park with a rare, homespun charm. 4. Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Terrific major league park with great coasters, and incredible park food. 5. Hersheypark. Wonderful atmosphere for a corporate park, and great coasters to match. 6. Cedar Point. Haven't been back in years, but I always had memorable visits in the past. 7. Waldameer Park. The presence of a truly great woodie puts this park on my list. 8. Idlewild Park. It may mostly be for kids, but even adults can enjoy the ambiance and the classic rides. 9. Marineland. I chose this for the combo of the surprisingly entertaining shows, and the wonderful Arcade I saw there when I was a kid. 10. The NY State Fair. I think this deserves an honorable mention. Lots of flats, combined with great food, shows, and exhibits, all in one large space. It's the perfect capper to the summer up here.

It's nice to see another fan of Vault, looking at this trip report. Too bad it's being phased out, though. Oh well, at least Mello Yello's making a comeback.

You know, I've never really been let down by a major coaster, or thought a coaster was overrated. Maybe I'm just too nice, and I'm grateful to be on any coasters at all when the summer comes along, but that's just how I am. I'm not gonna go after anyone for dumping on MF or Raptor, which I love both of. I haven't been back to CP since 2002, so maybe time hasn't been too kind to those coasters. I don't know. I do have a pick for most underrated coaster. Gemini! Nobody ever talks about this coaster today. It helped put CP on the map back in 78, and it still gives a great ride, as of my last visit years ago. I've heard Robb likes this one, though, which I hope is true. In a sea of Intamins, this is the little coaster that could.

yay! More drunk Piers! I missed that sooooo much. Boulder Dash looks awesome. Now I know that I need to plan a trip to the parks of Connecticut in the future.

Holy crap! I've gotta get up to Quassy one of these days. Simply awesome looking coaster. Loved that photo of you and Kristin on the flat ride, Robb. It's easy to tell that the apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree.

Oh yes. Words cannot describe just how awesome Phantom's Revenge is, until you actually ride it. And that's another great thing about Kennywood, in regard to the woodies. They like to keep you in as much suspense as possible by showing you very little of what goes on before you board the train. Racer in particular, you can hardly see at all. Speaking of Racer, when I rode it, I did the "Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!" technique around the curves, just for giggles. My train won, and another passenger joked, "Your rowing made all the difference!"

Awesome! Anything involving Piers and Alcohol, though, makes a TR even better than usual in my book.

last night, I ordered a case of DelGrossos tomato sauce, tomato and basil to be exact. I loved the sauce at the park, and I wanted my mom and sister to experience it too. Plus, the price was very reasonable, especially since Ithaca's very close to Tipton, which probably helped with shipping costs.

Well, if we're including the Disney hotels now, I'd wholeheartedly agree.

Thanks, RD! Means a lot to hear that about my TR. Also, I agree about the pic of the fries...soooooo dirty.

Hmmm, interesting that you've heard mixed reviews about the place, because I saw very little, if anything, to take issue with about Splash Lagoon. I guess the food may not be the best, but I didn't eat any, so I'm not sure.

I posted this on another thread, but, my sister recently adopted a kitten, to go with our 2 other cats in the house. Her name's Michelle, and she's a sweetheart.

Never been to a Marriot, but I say Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express are my top two picks.

Great day at the SPCA here. We had 3 cat adoptions, including 2 sister cats going home with one family.

Before Halloween, I want to go see my sister in NYC, so we can see the Rocky Horror show in Chelsea. She's already gone dressed as Frankenfurter in the past, and I suggested we go to this one as Riff Raff and Magenta.

You should definitely head to Waldameer. It's a nice little park, with a world-class woodie. You should also check out Splash Lagoon too,if you're into waterparks.

My last coaster was Steel Dragon at Waldameer last Thursday.

Now we move on to the third and final installment. These pics are from the last 2 days of the trip I spent, in Erie, PA. I not only hit Waldameer on both of those days, but I also got to check out Splash Lagoon, an awesome indoor waterpark, and the Mill Creek Mall, which turned out to be WAY nicer than I was expecting. Anyway, onto the TR! Let's start with the obvious, yes? And, of course, my main reason for coming to this park. A little piece of Gravity Group excellence. Even though it was only running one train, the ride ops were very well organized, and I didn't have to wait too long on any of the rides I took. All aboard, to take the tunnel, and go 90 DEGREES! Folks, this coaster is just as good as people say it is. It's fast, chock full of airtime, and it's also aggressive without being overly rough. Truly a memorable experience! They still have the coaster's promo sign up, for some odd reason. Ooh! I love these guys! Spooky! Yo ho, yo ho, a....Ah, you know the rest. Next stop, a little spinny goodness. It was HOT, both days I was in this park, and 90 percent of this coaster's queue is uncovered. Not good! The coaster itself, though, very nice. This was also the first spinning coaster of this type that I'd ever been on. My sister wants to take me to Seabreeze for my birthday next month, so I hope theirs is just as good. For those of you who can't get enough pics of trains on the track... 90 DEGREES! I never get tired of saying that. This was the only pic I got of the Comet, but it was still a pleasant little woodie. Plus, I hardly had to wait at all for it. Hello again, Ravine Flyer II...I love you... Oh my god, I remember spotting a show here from Ravine Flyer's queue, that had these two guys dressed in bear costumes, entertaining the kiddies...it totally made me think about Aphex Twin's "Donkey Rhubarb" (Look it up on Youtube sometime.) Waldameer has a nice little Arcade as well, with lots of skeeball action. They even have a row of "fascination" type games. Yay! More Disk-O action! Guess what? I've got a fever...and the only cure for that fever, is more disk-O! Gotta love borderline copyright infringement... These neat little statues were all over the park. Hey! It's the Waldameer clown! I remember seeing him briefly at the start of one of the expedition DVDs! Waldameer has a pretty good Tilt-A-Whirl too. The Bumper Cars weren't too bad, either. Far out, man! I loved the flying swings here. The seats were even comfortable on this one. Wheeeee! A little shot of the carousel It's not just ordinary TV...it's JET TV! The log flume here is one of the best of all the small parks I've been to. You can't tell from here, but it's definitely not Dan friendly. I decided to forgo Waldameer's waterpark, because I found something even better... And here it is! One of Erie's best kept secrets. This place is amazing. Almost everything you'd want in a waterpark is here...they're even building a wave pool for the future. Best of all, it's all indoors. Great for getting away from the summer heat. One of many, many slides they have in this place. Hello, I'm Mr. Giant Bucket-Head...gimmie some candy! And here's what happens when you don't give him candy...SPLOOOOOOOOSSHHH! A great way to end a week long odyssey. It doesn't end here, though, cause when I got home, my sister had a little surprise waiting... She adopted this little girl during the time I was away on this trip. Her name's Michelle, and she's now the third cat we have in this house. Michelle and I both thank you for taking the time to look and read through all my photos and ramblings. TPR rules, and Adios!

Kennywood and Knoebels. You'd not only have a ton of great woodies put together with Sky Rocket and Phantom's Revenge, but you'd also have awesome pizza combined with awesome fries.

Ooh! Ooh! Cracker Barrel breakfast! I had one while I was in Erie. I had steak, grits, three eggs over easy, apples, sausages, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, and coffee, of course. Awesome stuff Great Photos of the park too. You made me feel like I was there.

Well, I really don't like any ride that sticks you upside down for more than a few seconds. I'm a little claustrophobic, and the idea of that scares me. I tried one of those "skymaster" rides as well, and I hated it. Also, this is gonna make you scratch your heads but...I don't like most darkrides. I don't know what it is, but when I'm on a darkride that's meant to scare you, I close my eyes. I close my eyes every time I go into a dark tunnel on any ride, because I don't know what may be inside. I just don't like being startled like that, for some reason. I think it has something to do with my Aspergers syndrome, but I'm very sensitive to loud noises and sudden moves.

On to the second part of this TR. On my second day, I went to Kennywood, and on my Third day, I went to Idlewild, then back to Kennywood, where I discovered it was Italian Day, which I know from the documentary "Kennywood Memories." I also went to Sandcastle waterpark on the third day, but my camera was in a locker most of the time, so no pictures. Very nice little place though, and a great way to combat the summer heat. Anyway, on to the photos! I hadn't been to this place since 2005. I was psyched! Oh yes, I'll be riding you soon, Phantom, but first... Premier Goodness! I waited in line for this coaster to open, but really, I didn't have to wait long to ride it. Kennywood's Ride ops are among the most efficient of the parks I've visited. Great job, guys! This is an awesome ride. Pops of airtime throughout, wonderful launch and hill, and the thrill of inversions without OTSRs. Oh yes! Avenge yourself, Phantom! Still one of my all-time favorite MegaCoasters. Airtime, airtime, and more airtime throughout. Big time props to Morgan for rebuilding this coaster into the experience it is today. Ohhhhhh yes, the Potato Patch! I made it a point to hit this stand early... Because this is what it looks like later in the day. Some people love them, some don't get them...I'm with the former! Mmmmmm, decadent Pittsburgh goodness... After my fries, it was on to the Thunderbolt...the squishy machine, as I like to call it. This is a classic woodie in every sense of the word. Aggressive without being too rough, and some really nice drops to match. My mother still has fond memories of bruising her ribs on this coaster, thanks in part to my squishing! Another classic! My sister's first coaster as well. Racer actually broke down the first day I was here, but I got to ride it the next day. More arcade action for me! Holy crap! I'm loving this place already. Skee-ball galore. Retro machines make me happy! Culture credit! Raging Rapids. I got SOAKED on this ride. You know the small waterfall on this one? I went right under it! After the rapids...why not? I have never gotten so wet at a park before. I'm serious. I loved it! Dan, where are you? Everyone give him a hug! I like Lost Kennywood. Very nice little section of this park. You don't see too many themed enterprise rides. I rode my first ever Disk-O at this park. Great little ride experience. Sweets! Glorious sweets! Took home a nice piece of fudge from here. My room at the Holiday Inn Express, in West Middlesex. Very nice place. The TV had the most channels of any roadside hotel I've been to. Now, onto Idlewild! This is a very nice little park, out in the middle of the woods. I felt a little out of place, not having any children to bring, since this is more of a kids park. Still, I had a good time. It's very pretty and well kept. And it has an old little coaster, which gives a surprisingly energetic ride. A shot of the nice looking carousel. For you flyer enthusiasts out there. Here we go! Wait a minute... Awwwww man! Caterpillar was open, luckily. Wonderful spinning ride, and the covering makes it all the more unique. I'm on my way to the neighborhood. Over the neat bridge over the creek. Very picturesque place. A tribute to the man behind the ride. I grew up watching this man on TV, along with a lot of others. The ride itself was a very pleasant, interactive experience. Thanks Robb, for introducing me to it. I can at least get a shot of the broken wild mouse... It got very hot here, so I'm glad this was around. Gotta love historical carousels. Idlewild also had a great Tilt-A-Whirl. A pretty one, too. Damn good round-up too. Ohhhhh yeah. More fried, bacon topped, Pittsburgh goodness! I considered going to confusion hill, but by then, I was hot, and eager to check out Sandcastle. Like I said, I returned to Kennywood on Italian Day! Little shot of what I think is the only surviving Noah's Ark. Here's a little bonus. New Castle, the old hometown of my parents, is also home to this wonderful place. In here lie the best chili dogs, and chili cheese fries, that I have ever experienced. I came here with my grandparents all the time in my younger days. As I let you see for yourself, I want to thank you all again for reading this. Stay in touch for Part III: Waldameer and Splash Lagoon!

Hey guys! I just got back today from my big week-long trip through some parks in central and Western PA. And now that I have access to the cable I forgot to bring on my trip, I can finally upload some photos, which I will do in probably about 3 parts. Here is the first part, my first day of the trip, going to Lakemont and DelGrosso's Amusement park. Enjoy! 1st Stop, Lakemont Park. I wasn't sure if any rides were open...turned out, there was NOBODY at this park when I came. Anyway, here's the main reason I came to this little park. A little piece of coaster geek history! I wanted to fart on this, but I didn't have any gas. This is a deceptively quick little coaster. I even got airtime on some of those little hills, especially sitting in the back. Here's the other big reason I came. It's a rough little ride, but I've ridden worse, and I definitely enjoyed it. I rode it 3 times in a row during the day, since the park was so dead. Not the best woodie in the world, but still a fun one to ride, especially since it's right across from a ballpark. Lakemont has a pretty damn good Tilt-A-Whirl too. Go Karts! I love these things! I walked into Lakemont's Arcade not expecting much...boy, was I surprised. Holy crap! Pinball! Even a working Hercules table! Boooooo! Thanks, but I've never been into credit whoring. After Lakemont, it was on to DelGrossos! THIS, is the main attraction of this little park. My mouth watered at the sight... This...this had to be the most heavenly slice of amusement park Pizza I've ever had. Definitely up there with Knoebels. This was the other attraction. My first ever spinning mouse. Another Eager rider leaves the station. This was a very cool ride. I need to go on more of these types of coasters. This came in pretty handy on what was a very hot day. This ride was pretty damn cool as well. Loud, but fast and colorful as well. Gotta love rides that have a different popular song on them every time. Damn Right! The Waterpark looked nice, but I wasn't in the mood for it at that point. The place was pretty busy, due to a Native American Pow-Wow taking place, but I still had a nice visit. Ooooh, more Go Karts! I won the race on this one! Ahhhhh, Dairy Queen. We have none of these in my corner of NY. I went there and got myself a dipped cone, after my dinner at the nearby Hoss' Steakhouse. After dinner, I went back to Lakemont for some night riding. This park looks to be in a very nice little section of Altoona. ERT on Skyliner! (Well, because nobody else was there.) I rode this spine adjuster 3 more times in a row. Great way to end the day! Oops, almost forgot...this is for you, Kidtums! As I show you the famed DelGrosso's Carousel, I want to thank you for reading Part I. Stay tuned for Part II: Kennywood and Idlewild!