The Great Zo

I'm trying to think of how many direct tie-ins to local sports teams there have been at theme parks in the past, not counting one-off bets. I can't think of any other rides, and the Reds Hall of Fame Grill at Kings Island (a restaurant) is the only other thing that comes to mind.

Local sports. Cool theme. Super anxious for the splash battle opening up next door called "Sidney's Tears."

No, I don't have any news on Lakemont. I do, however, have some pictures from the fireworks show after the Altoona Curve baseball game on June 5th. Let's just say you might find yourself asking some questions about the wisdom of shooting off fireworks from directly adjacent to a half-century-old wooden roller coaster...

The most interesting pictures in the entire thread! Prowler needs some help. It was so good when I rode it in 2011. Not so much last year. Same! Hopefully in 2019! Thanks for the comments everyone!

I've enjoyed reading about your travels together. It's awesome the two of you were able to do and see so much. Very sorry for your loss.

An epilogue -- some bonus pictures from my six days traveling after the TPR trip had ended. Day one post-TPR (August 5) and I had an extra day to spend in Kansas City. So, I rented a car and ... drove north to Iowa. Yep, picking up a new state credit. I was in Iowa for less than 15 minutes. And they don't even have a big "welcome to Iowa" sign on I-29! So this welcome center sign is the best I could do. Then, just minutes later, another new state credit! Welcome to Nebraska! I wound my way back south and went to downtown Kansas City, but the top half of downtown was missing. This is as close as I was gonna get to a night-time picture of downtown... ...because right as I was taking this picture, I realized the rest of my night was gonna be completely shot due to storms and flash flooding. THANKS ANDY. Day two post-TPR (August 6) and a giant plane attacks! I left Kansas City and hopped a flight back to Charlotte, where I had dumped my car at the start of the trip. Here, a thunderstorm looms behind the airport. There's Charlotte's skyscrapers, with a plane coming in! Oh, and can you see it? Way in the distance on the right side, behind the runway? A little peek at Fury and Windseeker at Carowinds! Day three post-TPR (August 7) and I find myself winding my way through South Carolina. This is the Poinsett Bridge, the oldest bridge in the state. Some long-exposure fun on the stream that runs under the bridge. I hopped on over to Greenville SC, one of my favorite mid-size cities, with a really cool downtown park system. As the moon looks on, I make my way through Falls Park. Oh, and here's why they call it Falls Park. There's a waterfall right downtown! It was peaceful to listen to the water crashing over the rocks... ...but a storm was coming up behind the Liberty Bridge, and I had just minutes to return to my car. Day four post-TPR (August 8) and I'm thinking about spiders for some reason as I watch the fog roll off the mountains in Brevard, North Carolina. Not the best weather day, but a trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway was waiting for me. At the top of Richland Balsam, a county high point and one of the highest peaks on the Blue Ridge! The summit of Richland Balsam is covered in trees. So here's a view from a nearby overlook on the parkway. Now, the fog is rolling /up/ the mountain. Ended the day in Asheville NC, another cool city with lots of people hanging around at night! Another night scene from Asheville. Day five post-TPR (August 9) and I'm at the highest point in the state of Kentucky, Black Mountain. Boring stuff about Black Mountain no one's going to be interested in, but yeah, it was in my folder with the other photos so here you go. Also on Black Mountain: a big FAA radar site. This is one of the juicier warning signs I've ever read. In nearby Norton, Virginia, I met the woodbooger. Yep, that's what they call their local version of bigfoot in Norton, Virginia! I also met the back side of the woodbooger. Norton is also famous for Flag Rock, which is a rock with a flag in it. So, I guess you take what you can get for tourist attractions in Appalachia. In other "remote peaks in the middle of nowhere" adventures, this stairway leads to Birch Knob on the KY/VA border. You can climb the platform at the top... ...or go underneath to actually get to the highest rocks. This was actually a really exciting peak for me. As I crossed the line into Pike County, Kentucky, I was standing on its highest point. It was both the 1000th county I'd visited and the 100th county high point I'd visited. The views from the top! Quite nice. The sun was doing it's thing. A night-time overlook in Pikeville, Kentucky. Day six post-TPR (August 10) and here's the daytime view of the same place. This is called the Pikeville Cut-Through, and it was a huge engineering project that actually diverted a river (and a road) through what used to be a mountain. There's the river down below. So, a fitting end to this post -- a passing view of Kings Island as I returned to my home in Ohio. That does it for 2017! Thanks to everyone on the trip who made it a lot of fun. Hope to see you again some time soon!

Well, this is it! The final segment of the 2017 trip report. After leaving Branson, we headed north to Kansas City for our last park of the trip. Worlds of Fun was a cool place to spend maybe half a day. It was a little chilly in the morning, and the ride operations weren't great, but we got our credits and had some cinnamon rolls and didn't ride the boomerang -- well, at least the smart people didn't. The less said about how Prowler was running, the better. After we left Worlds of Fun, we went to the Zona Rosa shopping area for our group farewell dinner and some fun at an arcade. And then, just like that, it was over! So, I don't have very many pictures from Worlds of Fun -- just wasn't doing a bunch of photography that day for whatever reason. I'll post what I've got, and follow it up with some of my post-TPR-trip travels. Hope you've enjoyed this report! Maybe we can do it again some day... Hey kids: this is not the school bus you're looking for. The new entry plaza looked nice! Once we figured out how to get to it! A compass pointing north. Toward, well, Iowa or something. So, what was the best part of the day? I'll go with "getting step-ladder evac'd off Patriot during morning filming because the floor wouldn't come up." It's such a big step down! Behold! The magnificent rolling step-ladder that saved TPR! I visited Worlds of Fun on my own in 2011, and Timber Wolf was not running that day. So, it's the one credit I had to make sure I picked up this time around. The Timber Wolf station was an absolute cluster, and it was probably about a 45 minute wait for the front row, but I wasn't risking this thing in the back. Truth be told, it wasn't awful in the front row. It had some rough spots, and the ending was bad, but there was decent airtime in the first half. ...and hairtime, too. Two thumbs up on a Dinn Corp woodie from the 80s? I'll take it! A slightly less-enthused response... ...but this one is acceptable. Oh, and behind Timber Wolf, there's Steel Mamba Force or whatever. I had some really good rides on it in 2011. It was running like a mega-sized mine train in 2017. Mean Streak lives on in Kansas City! So, some of our group chose the boomerang. Those poor saps. The rest of us enjoyed the bench adjacent to the ride station. I was all Vekoma-inversion'd out by this point of the trip. Hey, ever wanted to see inside a Coke Freestyle machine? We passed one that was open! Lots of little cartridge slots for your favorite (and least favorite) flavors. Lime, vanilla, lemon, orange, and so on. I don't know why this was so amusing to me, but it was. Conquering some classic video games at the end of the trip! Holy crap, is that Galaga '88? Skee-Ball is fun. But it's sure hard to find the long-lanes like I used to play in the 90s.

That's a really good point! I guess you can always grab the person next to you, but only if you like them.

Continuing this year-old trip report, the next segment cleans up the rest of the fun stuff we did in Branson, Missouri, on August 1-3 of 2017. I'd been in Branson in 2013 and 2014, and I couldn't believe how different everything looked just a few years later. It's rapidly changing from a country-bumpkin'-show based tourist area to something more well-rounded and akin to Pigeon Forge. We sampled just a few of the newer items to hit town, but I think we enjoyed them all, and there are more being built! At this point, I can say that if you're just stopping in Branson for a day to visit Silver Dollar City, you're missing out on some fun attractions. So, let's start just up US-65 a bit in Ozark, Missouri, at... Lambert's I don't have any pictures from inside, so enjoy this video of the throwed rolls from the TPR Twitter account. This Lambert's shirt is not suggestive at all. Hey, it's a pin-your-location-on-the-map thing! But what's that in the bottom right corner? Oh, the roll thrower's had his eyes pinned out. THERE IS NO THROWED ROLL. ----------------------------------- First Night in Branson We checked into the hotel, and experienced a little bit of the gospel. Every hotel's got a bible in the room, but in Branson you'll get one opened up to a specific verse! Meanwhile, in the gift shop... After we got settled in, we went and played mini golf at Professor Hacker's. No pictures. We had fun, but I can't recmomend the course. It was well-themed but the holes were pretty boring. Oh, and they've got the most pointless train ride in the history of train rides. Also, here's the old Navy Pier Ferris Wheel, which I wanted to ride but couldn't find anyone to go with. The lighting package on this wheel was seriously one of the most impressive I've seen anywhere. They did a great job sprucing it up! A beautiful sunset scene. ----------------------------------- Second Night in Branson After a day at Silver Dollar City, headed out to two attractions about a mile from the hotel. First up was the Xtreme Racing Center, a super-fast Go-Kart course with karts that go up to 40 MPH. That might not sound like much compared to your average road, but it's a lot on a Go-Kart track! I thought the fast karts were a lot of fun, but were somewhat uncomfortable as they ran a bit rough. The Xtreme Racing Center, complete with xtreme spelling! Yep, you have to wear a helmet to ride these karts. It's serious business. The course is a lot of fun, and at full speed the corners are pretty difficult! After some karting, dropped in next door to Bigfoot on the Strip for a much better round of mini golf than the night before! Not as heavily-themed, but the holes were more fun and better designed. There will be more from Bigfoot coming later in this post. I think we've found Bigfoot. Who said mini golf holes had to be green? Inukshuk! I won't even say this was the /best/ designed mini golf course I'd played, but it was definitely better than Professor Hacker's. A blue blur. Oh, and we'll come back to this tower... ----------------------------------- Third Day in Branson We made three stops in Branson on our last day in town, starting at a new alpine coaster -- simply named The Branson Coaster. What makes this coaster different than most is that it goes down the hill twice, with sort of a "dueling" layout. It's not the most intense alpine coaster I've been on, but the fun is in blazing past your friends on the other track down. We had a good visit and did some filming. Arrival at the Branson Coaster! It had pretty much just opened! Some stats on the Branson Coaster. This car does not have enough cameras attached to it! Here's the run out of the station, which is at the /top/ of the hill. The downhill ride starts immediately. Heading down. Speeding up. There are some fast parts... ...and there are some helices. Helixes? Helices? I rode twice, and then did some photography while most people took a third ride. Starting off! There's a nice little viewing area right at the start of the course, out of the station. The downhill segment begins. Coming back uphill after the first half. Reaching the top for a second go! We can't see you. Picking up speed... ...down around the corner. At the other end, this lift hill takes the cars back to the top. So relax and enjoy the ride at the end of the ride. Heading back to the station... ...after another enjoyable run on the Branson Coaster. Our second stop on the third day was a full-group visit to Bigfoot on the Strip, checking out several of their attractions. I don't have pictures from the 8D shooting theater game thing, nor do I know what all of the eight Ds represent. I also don't have any pictures from the free jump, which was kind of scary but fun. I do have pictures from the Super Sling tower, one of those insane Stan Checketts creations. If you were watching TPR's socials last August, you're probably familiar with the ride. Well, I've got some pictures! But first, how was the ride experience? I didn't think it was as intense as I'd feared, but then again, I only flipped three times -- others were breaking double digits. You definitely do feel pretty exposed, basically sitting in a chair that's attached to the tower by only a couple wires. We had a pretty thrill-hardy group in attendance, but only about half of the trip participants rode this one! Back over to Bigfoot again, and your picture or video may be taken... ...by me. Strapping in on the Super Sling. The lift begins! And yeah, it goes way, way, way up there. And then you drop back down at a pretty good clip. While flipping over and over again -- if you're good at it! This ride requires participation. Another group heads up! It gets kind of crazy at the top. No, those seatbelts aren't flying off the ride. I hope. I'm not even gonna hazard a guess as to how high these guys are right now, but it's a lot. Flipping. Flipping some more. Flipping again. And as I mentioned, with a pretty meager restraint system. This ride isn't for the faint of heart, but it was quite a thrill! We also rode the Gravity Bomb drop tower. In my opinion, the thing that makes this one scary is the lack of major restraints -- you're strapped in with just a seatbelt! Like any good drop tower, it offers some air, and quick braking at the bottom. Also, they play that gutteral "ooh ah ah ah ah" thing from Disturbed's "Down With the Sickness" just before the drop, so if you're into David Draiman sounding like he's about to hock up a hairball, this ride is for you! Looking up at the drop ride on the other side of the Bigfoot tower. Going up... ...going up... ...and coming down! Another group heads up. They might be a little bit scared, since there's not much holding them back. At the top of the tower -- cue the Disturbed. Falling back to earth. Reactions, part 1. Reactions, part 2. Reactions, part 3. Our third and final stop in Branson was Fritz's Adventure. I have just one picture from this place, as I was too busy having fun to take any more! This place is like some sort of bizarre mashup of a climbing gym, a ropes course, and City Museum -- and I loved it. So I'm just gonna link to their website here and say you should go there! Fritz's is so awesome that one picture just doesn't do it justice. But yes, you can see slides, nets, climbing things, ropes-course stuff, and there's also tunnels, sloped jumping walls, a crazy outdoor climbing wall that I scaled in no time flat, and all kinds of other physical activities. This was a really fun stop in Branson. Hope to be back soon!

Thanks! We did a lot but there's always more to do at SDC...

No good trip report goes unfinished, and I've got about four weeks to get three more segments up to complete this one from 2017. So, late as this may be, we're gonna do it. And what a pleasure that Silver Dollar City is up next! We spent an evening and a full day in the park. We saw the Time Traveler construction site. We had our own private cave tour. We met with the park's leadership over lunch. We got cinnamon bread. We rode some stuff, we filmed on some stuff, we took a backstage tour, we almost got robbed on the train, and altogether had a great time that reminded me why this is one of my favorite theme parks on the planet. In keeping with the theme of this report, just gonna keep it quick -- no lengthy review, but a few more details in the photo captions. This is from August 1-2, 2017. Note: we actually spent parts of three days in Branson, but this segment covers only Silver Dollar City. A catch-all post with the other stuff will be up next. A sign goes up: it's time for the big reveal! Well looking back, it's kind of obvious... But at the time of our visit this was still the new hotness! Finding himself on the lam in Missouri, Jackson "Blackjack" Chamberlain made his way north to Ohio shortly after this picture was taken... ...'cause see, the problem here is that the good guys always win. Meanwhile, what do you think -- do we qualify as authorized personnel? I'd say we do, so let's head back behind the Outlaw Run station. Just a quick walk past the train tracks... ...and into the maintenance building for the ride! We learned about Outlaw Run's history, maintenance, and its trains. One of the trains was in the shack for review. A rare angle of an Outlaw Run train. Hide your excitement. Let's dig a little deeper. That is one impressive wheel. This feels inappropriate. For safety! NERD. And yes, I am both the pot and the kettle. Making sure the bolts are tightened. Another boring train nerd shot that I for some reason thought would be interesting to post. A topographic map of the Outlaw Run layout! This is more my style! Look at those contour lines. Hot dang. Notes for the maintenance crew on a white board! Spare wheels in storage. Back into the park ... what's happening by Echo Hollow? Well, something pretty big, apparently. So we headed to the back porch of the culinary school... ...for a view over the Time Traveler construction site! Which we didn't know was Time Traveler at the time of our visit! So let's travel back in time... ...and enjoy some totally irrelevant and anachronistic construction photos from Time Traveler! I probably should have posted these the day of the visit. But nonetheless we were a little busy. So, have some footers and coaster track through the trees. Yeah, some mad camera focusing skills going on here. Actually, we did get to see one pretty cool thing happen. Here's a crew getting ready to install one of the supports. The support is strapped to the crane. It's lifted vertically. It's guided to its spot by hand. Kind of neat. I didn't stick around to watch them actually wrench the thing in, though. Oh, did the skillets look good. Too bad the park fed us /too/ well (like that's actually a problem) and I never had room for one! This, however, well... You can stop in Sullivan's Mill for cookie cutters. Or you can get the cinnamon bread and then eat it so quickly that there's no time for a picture. After our group lunch, we did a tour of Marvel Cave! Marvel Cave is awesome. Like, really awesome. Don't skip it. If you look around Silver Dollar City, you'll see tons of in-jokes and references to actual SDC workers. You can also have some fun in Grandfather's Mansion. For those of you who like spiky-looking spiders... ...or for more rustic theming, moss on the roof of the jerky hut! This right here is proof that I'm the sharpest of all sharpshooters on the Flooded Mine. Or, that there's a way to run the score up without actually shooting anything... ...oh how I legitimately love this attraction, but man, it's the one thing in the park that could use some work. Didn't ride the water rides this time, but got some pictures, because it's fun. A big splash on the Lost River of the Ozarks. Another splash! This whole raft looks like it's going under. Meanwhile, on American Plunge... ...some people are plunging. Fire in the Hole is awesome. And if you sit in the far back, you might get a little wetter than you were expecting! But isn't that part of the fun of it? I've barely mentioned Outlaw Run, but yeah, it's still fantastic. I will say this -- since we'd been on Lightning Rod not long before, and were able to compare the two pretty directly, I do think most of the group preferred LR to OR. But it was /very/ close. A perfectly-placed cloud. Powder Keg is fun. I didn't get to ride it enough this time around. Also, we are a bunch of nerds. CAPTION THIS!!! What is going through Russ's head??? Some cool art of Wildfire! More thematic elements in the wildfire shop. This whole park is full of attention to detail. A conversion for our Canadian friends... Wildfire is still pretty good! I love the first drop in the back row. Cobra rolling. A high-speed turn. Back into the station after a fun ride! Oh, and the view from Wildfire? Simply stunning. I think a lot of people have looked down at these condos or whatever, and figured they must have a nice view back to the park. SO. I'm going to go even further back in time and share some photos I took three years prior, which I'm pretty sure have never seen the light of day until now. After visiting Silver Dollar City in August 2014, I actually went down to the road you see in the picture above, and got the reverse angle looking back up at the park. (photo from August 23, 2014) There's Outlaw Run, just barely peeking above the trees. (photo from August 23, 2014) Powder Keg rises a little higher. (photo from August 23, 2014) Meanwhile, there's Wildfire, and you can see the deck where the "reverse angle" pictures are usually taken. (photo from August 23, 2014) A cool view of the lift, and it's obvious why that lift hill has the best views in the park. (photo from August 23, 2014) The cobra roll and Wildfire station. Was kind of cool to see that view from the other side. No trains in these shots because the park was closed -- as if I'd have left while the park was still open! (photo from August 23, 2014) So, back to 2017 -- and the end of our time at Silver Dollar City! Can't wait to get back to ride Time Traveler in the next couple years!

OK, potentially stupid question, maybe it's a known thing, but... ...what's up with the house in the middle of the parking lot?

Nope, I just do this for fun! Very interesting about Eagle Park, which I knew nothing about! To be honest, though, abandoned stuff isn't really my style of photography. (and I'd rather not chill with the livestock, either )

I definitely wanted to get there on this trip but that had to be cut, so it'll be a high priority next time I'm out there. Yep, I can tell that you do! And thanks!

Thanks everyone! That's part of the reason I haven't gone before, despite this being my fourth trip to Oklahoma in 10 years -- their operating schedule on the fringes of the summer is a little funky. Thankfully, I had a free Saturday while they were open! Alright, so, I can never just leave a trip report thread to theme parks only, so ... what else is there to do in Oklahoma? Bonus pictures! So, you're flying into Oklahoma City, where they love their native son Will Rogers -- their airport (the location of this statue) is even named after him. It's Oklahoma, so you might even catch a thunderstorm in the distance on your way in! This was my office for the week... ...so what's there to do in and near OKC while you're not at work? Most people know of Bricktown, their tourist district downtown, though to me it seems like a pale impression of the San Antonio Riverwalk. Still, you can play a game of mini-golf... ...or head to the park for some AAA baseball. OKC's team is the top affiliate of the LA Dodgers. If you are into baseball, it's a good place to catch a game. Even if the home team is getting thrown out at second. Fireworks on Friday nights are a bonus! At Tinker Air Force Base, there's a collection of old military airplanes on display, including an Air Force One. Or, maybe you'd like to tour the state capitol! Perhaps try your hand at doing a better job than the governor? Any political concerns aside, state capitol buildings are always really awesome to explore. And it's got a cool, vertigo-inducing dome... ...with the state seal in the middle. Perhaps you'd like to venture over to Lake Hefner, and take a walk out by the lighthouse. Or for the adventurous, maybe try some windsurfing! Alternatively, just hang out on shore and look at the birds. But if you've got a day to spare, as I did, head an hour and a half southwest of Oklahoma City to the Wichita Mountains. Believe it or not, the generally-flat-ish state of Oklahoma has some pretty cool scenery! I first stopped to see a formation known as Heart Rock, named as such for obvious reasons. However, I climbed a little further, and saw this imposing figure in the distance. So, I decided to climb it. And yes, there's a person in this photo for scale -- if you look really, really hard. Yep, I'm sure most people wouldn't look at this mass of monolithic rock and attempt a climb -- much less with no trail, no safety equipment, and no real plan for how to do it. I am not most people. So, I made my ascent to the top of Bat Cave Peak, which -- as should be obvious -- is a remarkably exposed piece of rock. It is /not/ easy to get to. The summit area actually requires some climbing moves to get up! First, there's a lot of tricky route-finding and big steps -- nothing too hard. Once you reach the ridge, though, it's all rock from there on out. Yep, you've gotta climb this slope. It's basically 10-15 feet in the vertical, at greater than a 45 degree angle, with less to grip than it appears in the picture. And then to finish it off, you have to jump the gap from the rock on the right to the rock on the left (picture taken from below later). And then you make it to the top! (and realize someone else has beaten you there...) But it's worth it for views such as this. Oh, and don't kick a cactus on the way up, or you'll be picking needles from your foot for the next three days. True story. If rock climbing isn't your thing, maybe just enjoy the wildlife, like these guys... ...or this guy... ...or the prairie dogs. Yep, prairie dogs. There are tons of them! And they are cute! Just look at this little guy! There are whole families of them! Anyway, back to the scenery... For some easy views, take a drive up Mount Scott. Yep, Oklahoma is actually kind of pretty in spots. No need to climb these rocks -- just drive to the top and take a short walk to enjoy the view. If you /wanted/ to do some bouldering, though, have at it. Or just look down into the abyss... ...or out over the plains. The sunsets in Oklahoma are pretty great! But, sunsets anywhere are pretty great. There's a Ferris wheel just south of downtown! I didn't ride -- I just stopped for pictures. It sure looks nice with the city in the background. The tall building is the Devon Tower. It's pretty neat. For some quirky urban architecture, check out the Skydance pedestrian bridge over Interstate 40. Yep, Oklahoma City -- and Oklahoma in general -- is probably better than you might think! Farewell from OKC!

It does kind of look like that, as it does drop into a trough. I have no idea how you'd do that on a wooden coaster, though! The funny thing is that the train goes through that part fairly slowly, as the brake run is just before it. From what I could tell, I think you're correct! I did not, actually. Sadly it looked to me like it was pretty typical low-end meal service stuff, nothing unique that I could find. I waited until I left the park and then went to a place called Cafe 7 about 10 miles away en route to my next destination. Thank you Matt, always great to hear from you! I can see how that would scare a kid! Honestly it's just such a weird queue/station setup, and even if the ride's not that great, it's cool for a park of this size to keep one around.

Pictures, continued... Unfortunately, Renegade Rapids was not open. Here's one picture of the course on the rapids ride. I do think they were working on getting it open later in the day. Another ride with a classic western theme is the Gunslinger. Gunslinger is a Zamperla Power Surge. It's just behind the back section of the log flume. I've never been on a Power Surge, and judging from what I saw, I'm not sure I'd want to. It appears to be quite a disorienting ride. Riders seem to have a fun time. Legs get kicked in every direction. Hair also. Frankly, it looks a little uncomfortable to me. But everyone was smiling, so perhaps it's fun! OK, maybe screaming. I took a quick walk into the kids area, Paul Bunyan's Tiny Timber Town. The star attraction is a kiddie credit called Wild Kitty. The name is a funny take-off of Wildcat. It's a small Allan Herschell coaster, originally built at Elitch Gardens as Cactus Coaster. There's also a cute little kiddie train, navigating through a forest of giant carrots. No pictures from inside the shooting dark ride, but here's Quick Draw's ride sign above the entrance. Like any good park, there's a classic carousel. Also, a scrambler called Sidewinder. And as this park is located in Oklahoma, it's only natural to have a ride called Tornado! Tornado is a Tilt-a-Whirl! Makes sense to me! Tilt-a-Whirls are kind of like a multi-vortex tornado if you think about it... ...ok, I'm probably the only person thinking about it. Coming later in 2018 is a Soaring Eagle zip line. Not the most exciting addition, but good to see them putting in something new. Let's take a walk through the park and check out some more of the theming. Not really any mountains to see from this part of Oklahoma, but it's the thought that counts! A fun fact: if you want to see the grave of "Buffalo Bill" Cody, you have to head to Lookout Mountain near Golden, Colorado. I have a feeling that Dr. I. Yankum is unlikely to be a painless dentist. Some rock work and faux-scaffolding near the park entrance. A classic fort, which I believe houses some restaurant and entertainment space for the park. For bigger concerts, they have the Starlight Amphitheater. Oh, I guess there's one more thing to ride -- the Old 89'er Express train. Here's the engine at the front. Taking a loop around the park! Hey, I even caught Diamondback in action. The train goes right past the Diamondback platform, so if you time it right, you might get some views of the coaster in action. Warning: restricted area. A "rare" view from beside the Diamondback loop. The train went on past the still-closed Silver Bullet, and what did I see? People in the queue! Quick, let's hop off and hope it opens! The essential ride sign shot for Silver Bullet. Thankfully, it opened, and I was able to get on this awesome Schwarzkopf coaster. Silver Bullet, like all the other coasters at Frontier City except for Steel Lasso, was a relocation. It originally opened as Looping Star at the State Fair of Texas in 1980. It moved to the east coast in the mid 80s, setting up for two years at Jolly Roger in Ocean City, Maryland. Silver Bullet has been at Frontier City since 1986. Here's the loop that gives the ride model its name. Hold on tight. Or just let it all out. It's a Schwarzkopf, so it pulls some decent forces. Flying into the sun. The rest of the course has some fun laterals, and a few quick pops of air. A small drop. Into the brake run. Smiles and stuff. Silver Bullet was a great ride to end my short visit to Frontier City. Glad to stop in here, and I'll be happy to return on my next trip to the state -- especially if there's something new! You're doin' fine, Oklahoma...

I wasn't initially expecting my first park visit of the year would be at Frontier City! While I was in Oklahoma last month on a trip for work, I made my first ever visit to the park. I'd thought about going during previous work trips to Norman, but never found the time. I didn't want to pass up the opportunity again, so I headed on in during the morning of Saturday, May 19th. I had a busy travel schedule so I only had about three hours in the park, but I was able to get in some rides on the coasters and a couple other things. Plus, I had some time for photography, and ended up with enough pictures to do a full Photo TR. The first thing I did when entering the park was head to Diamondback -- or is it Diamond Back? Either way, it's a rare Arrow shuttle loop, though good for one ride and one ride only. As the park had just opened, I just had to wait one train to get on. From there I started my clockwise lap around the park, stopping next for a ride on Steel Lasso, a Vekoma junior invert. I waited two cycles for that. The next coaster on the loop was Silver Bullet, a classic Schwarzkopf looping star. Sadly, as I had seen when driving into the park, there was work being done on the ride -- and workers on a lift were doing something at the top of the lift hill. The question became -- would they get the ride open before I had to leave? Continuing to the south end of the park, I found Wildcat, the park's wooden coaster. Resurrected (with modifications) from a park in Kansas City, Missouri, Wildcat was a pretty good ride! I waited 3 or 4 trains and made sure I got the middle row on the front car, just to avoid any possible issues. I took it pretty easy after riding Wildcat, making another loop or two through the park for photography. As much as I wanted to get on the log flume -- as I love picking up log flume credits -- the line was simply too long. I also couldn't ride the Ferris Wheel, as they have a strict no-single-rider policy. I did ride the shooting dark ride (Quick Draw) and the train (Old 89'er Express), and while on the train, I saw that Silver Bullet's queue had been opened! That was the good news I'd been waiting for, so I hopped off the train (at the station, of course) and headed to Silver Bullet. It was still another 10-15 minutes before the ride opened, but I got on the second train of the day, and very much enjoyed my ride. It seemed to operate pretty consistently after that. I did a little more photography after riding Silver Bullet, and then headed out of the park to continue my day. Reviews of the rides... Wildcat: I actually liked this quite a bit! I'd have a hard time calling this a full-size wooden coaster, as it seemed a little short in stature and length, but I thought it was a great family woodie. It's a simple layout, but the hills did have some air, so that's good. I rode in the best possible seat -- the middle row of the front car -- and thought it was a very smooth ride. If I were braver (or more patient with the building queue) I might have tried the back, just to see how different it might have been. Overall, I thought this was a lot of fun. Silver Bullet: I'm actually disappointed I only got to ride this once, as I loved it. I'm not the crazed Schwarzkopf fan that some enthusiasts are, but I do appreciate their compact intensity, and Silver Bullet delivered. It wasn't just the positive Gs from the loop, but an array of different forces as the train continued throught he circuit. Silver Bullet wasn't glass smooth, but it wasn't rough either. This is a really cool ride, and if RCDB is to be believed, I think it's the last operating Schwarzkopf Looping Star in North America. Obviously there are some bigger Schwarzkopf models -- Mindbender in Edmonton, the-coaster-with-a-thousand-names at La Feria in Mexico City -- but this one's unique to the continent! Diamondback: There aren't many of these Arrow shuttle loop coasters left either, though sorta-sister-park Elitch Gardens has one in Denver. This was my first run on one of these, and I mean, I guess it's cool because it's historic and unique. I'm kind of over Arrow loopers, though, regardless of the layout. I'm also not a fan of backwards segments on roller coasters, so naturally, this one won't end up in the top half of my coaster rankings. Steel Lasso: The Vekoma junior inverts (or family suspended coasters or whatever) are decent little rides as long as they're smooth, and this one was. Not much to review, as I'm guessing most everyone's been on one of these. Definitely a good ride for a family park like Frontier City. Quick Draw: I was excited for a Sally dark ride, but this one just didn't do it for me. It's hard for me to get too into shooting dark rides with guns that have no indicator light at all, and my aim was certainly not particularly strong. The theme was a perfect match for the park -- of course you're a wild west sheriff looking for the bad guys! Some of the effects were pretty fun, but some of the set pieces were a little sparse. Still fun, though! Among other attractions, they've got several staples that any mid-size park should have -- a Ferris wheel, a carousel, a log flume, a rapids ride, antique cars, and a few thrilling flats. What would I like to see added? Being realistic -- no 300-foot gigacoasters -- how about a drop tower, a frisbee, and one of those small Mack launch coasters like the thing at Slagharen? Heck, you could take that ride's theme (Gold Rush) and drop it right into Frontier City and it'd fit right in. So, maybe the current ride selection was about what I'd expected, but the overall atmosphere of the park was actually a step above what I'd anticipated. It seems like just about every park I've been to has a western themed section, but could Frontier City pull off an entire park with that cohesive theme and keep it from becoming stale? The answer is yes! The theme and decorations around the park clearly had a lot of effort put into them -- there was detail to be found, and probably some in-jokes that flew over my head. There are some similarities to nearby Silver Dollar City, but the themes are different -- Frontier City is more "wild west town" where Silver Dollar City is more "wilderness mountain village" if that makes sense. Obviously Silver Dollar City operates on a much different scale, but based on the pretty good attendance I witnessed on a random Saturday in May by the time I was leaving, I'd say Frontier City has room to grow as well. Two minor issues I ran into during the day: 1) The coasters are all pretty short, so it would be hard to complain about the single-train ops. Maybe a second train might have helped on Wildcat, if they even have one. However, the lack of operating vehicles was more of an issue on the log flume (running only three boats as best as I could tell) and the Quick Draw dark ride (maybe running 4 or 5 single-row cars). I waited it out for the dark ride (about 20 minutes, no huge deal) but the line for the flume was probably a solid hour, and I just didn't have the time for that. 2) Upon purchasing my park ticket, I learned at the gate that I wasn't actually given a park ticket by the ticket agent -- their mistake. In order to get one printed, I had to wait about 20 minutes at a single window at the back of the ticket building. In that time, the park opened and lines began to build. Wasn't a huge issue, but certainly an inconvenience. Overall, I came away with a pretty positive impression of the park, and I enjoyed my three hours there! Now, I do think it's funny that there seems to be unbridled optimism about Six Flags taking over operations -- methinks some enthusiasts have short memories or weren't around 10-15 years ago -- but I'm as curious as anyone to see where this goes. I'll likely be back in Oklahoma every few years for work, and a new coaster would certainly get me back to the park again! And no, I didn't ride the kiddie coaster. On to the pictures... First stop -- the ticket booths! I could have bought in advance, but I wasn't 100% sure I was going until the morning of. Taking a walk into the park and enjoying the western theme. We've all seen this kind of wild west town theme at other parks, but they do it really well here. We could pick up some supplies... ...or enjoy some art of a stagecoach! But before we move on, let's head back to the gift shop at the park entrance, which is (oddly enough) where the entry for the Diamondback roller coaster is located. Here's Diamondback in full, as seen from the parking lot. It's a rare Arrow shuttle loop. One of Diamondback's most notable features is that the train starts at the highest point of the ride, where the ride station is located. From there, it's a steep drop... ...into a single vertical loop... ...and up to another platform at the far end of the ride. The train locks in place momentarily on the second platform, and then prepares to do the whole thing again backwards. Another look at the station platform, which is raised up pretty high. Diamondback was originally built at Six Flags Great Adventure, where it was called Lightnin' Loops. There were actually two of them, and the other was shipped to Six Flags America (and has long since closed). It's an old Arrow loop, and it feels like it too. At the far platform and about to run through the coat hanger backwards. From over a wooden fence inside the park! Here's the queue walkway up to the Diamondback station. Another view of the ride. Going backwards on the return leg. Through the loop! It's, well, not very comfortable. Last shot from the ride platform. If I had thought about it, I should have used this spot as an observation deck to get pictures of the rest of the park! As I started a loop around the park, I came across Brain Drain. If this is what your doctor prescribed you, you need a new doctor. I just don't think these things are for me, so I skipped it and moved on. My second ride of the day was on Steel Lasso. And yes, I tried to get good-quality pictures of the major ride signs around the park! Steel Lasso is a fun family coaster, and it felt smoother than -- say -- its Peanuts-themed counterpart at Kings Island. The mix of orange and green is interesting. I'm getting a Rougarou vibe... Of the park's five coasters, Steel Lasso is the only one that was originally constructed at Frontier City. Here are a few top-of-the-lift shots from the Silver Bullet exit platform. Not a whole lot of excitement on this train. Seriously, why does everyone look so scared? Well, hopefully the Grand Centennial Ferris Wheel is a little less scary. It's got a great perch on a hill at the southern end of the park. Sadly, I was unable to ride, as the park does not allow single riders. The centerpiece of the wheel, with a slightly-peeling park logo. Below the wheel is the station for the Tin Lizzys, the park's antique car ride. Just down the path from there -- in front of the water park -- is Frontier City's only wooden coaster. It climbs the lift... ...it hits the drop... ...it's Wildcat! A little bit about the history of Wildcat, which was relocated from Kansas City. So, the Wildcat station doubles as a bit of a wooden coaster history lesson, with tons of signs describing coasters all over the world. Here's one that talks about the development of the first coasters. Another sign on the same theme. Perhaps the two most classic wooden coasters in the US, the Coney Island Cyclone and Leap the Dips. Sadly, "has been operating since 1902" isn't valid at the moment. Two coasters famous for their trips through the woods. Two international TPR favorites! Two of the more extreme woodies in the US. Some RMC love. Want some real obscure local coaster history? Two long-defunct Oklahoma coasters. Finally ... I mean, what? Of all the coasters in the world, you pair up these two? I don't think you could pick more polar opposites if you had to. So anyway, on to Wildcat! A train leaves the station... ...and heads up the lift. Brave riders in the back. Taking the first drop. Heading up the next hill. Hairtime! After the brake run... ...a straight bit alongside some water. A return to the station. "Wanna go again?" Exhilarating! Exciting! Hilarious! So, next up, the Mystery River Log Flume -- which sadly, I wasn't able to ride. It's a pretty standard flume, but always good to see parks keeping these around. Top of the lift... ...and on the way down. It's a splash! It's a bigger splash! You might get a little bit wet. Or, just duck below the front of the boat and hope you don't get wet at all. Down the drop (which is completely dry). Into the water (which is not). Another angle of the splash. Cresting the top... ...and heading over. Barely visible through the water. Always helpful to wear appropriate eye protection on a log flume. Just a classic family picture. Over on the back side of the log flume, this is actually where it starts -- a short drop into a ground-level flume segment. A view from behind the flume's lift hill. Does this count as a two-train shot with the skycoaster? A decent splash. Can't hide from the water. One more splash... ...and then it all dries out. Sort of.

Thanks! And yep, that's it. Really lousy photographs, I know. But here's the answer key, so to speak. As long as we're having fun, it's easy to make a good report out of it. Thanks! Thank you! Glad to see work has commenced! Yeah, cute little coaster, but SF Mexico is better.

Who wouldn't ride the cheese wheel? Great theme and great views despite the weather!

Day 7 -- End of the Mexico Trip Saturday, March 28, 2015 Hey, there was one more ride on the trip -- the airport train from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1, where most of the international departures were scheduled to leave from. Funny story on my flight out of Mexico City. I selected a window seat as is normal for me, as I like to do some photography while flying. Imagine my surprise when, as I'm getting my camera out for takeoff, the lady in the middle seat next to me pulls out a camera twice the size of mine, with a lens three times the size of mine. And she was very clearly intending on taking pictures out the window that I was fully planning on occupying. Needless to say, I got more pictures than she did. Like, are you serious? You want to take pictures out the window with a $4000 camera and you pick a middle seat? Thankfully, she went to sleep shortly after takeoff. Got into Chicago, went through a lengthy wait for customs, then had to go back through security again in order to barely make it to my flight to Cincinnati in time. Arrived in Cincinnati very late, and that was the end of that. The End What a cool trip this was! This really was a great introduction to traveling in Mexico, and I can guarantee it won't be my last time in the mainland of the country. Yeah, I had a quick stop in Cozumel in 2017 on a cruise to the edge but that hardly counts. I feel, after doing this trip, like I would be far more comfortable with going back to Mexico on a trip on my own (i.e. not part of an organized group). It's definitely not as easy as, say, booking a flight to Orlando. But it's worth the effort, worth learning a bit of Spanish, and worth the flight well to the south! I loved visiting the parks we visited, but as I'd expected, the cultural experience was probably even more important. And that's the best advice I can give to anyone heading to Mexico. Go to a beach resort if you must, but try to make time to visit the real part of the country. See the cities, see the museums, and yes, see the theme parks. But more than anything, just walk around and explore, as long as you're doing so safely. It's such a great experience to be somewhere different. That's what travel is all about. But, let's be honest -- Medusa was still perhaps the biggest single highlight of the trip. I'm not surprised that it ranked so highly in the recent TPR coaster poll, but #1 steel is an amazing accomplishment! I can certainly suspect that our 2015 trip had something to do with it. Thanks to Robb and Elissa for making my third trip with the group an awesome one. I'm up to five now and still going so obviously they're doing something right. And thanks to the rest of the group for being cool to hang with. This might have been the smallest group trip in a while but we all got along great. Some really fun shared experiences, for sure. So, will I move right on to the 2016 Europe trip report? Not likely soon, as my travel schedule is pretty nuts from now through September. I will, however, try to wrap up that mini-report I was doing on the 2017 US trip before I head out again! Now, go eat worms... From a gift shop at the Mexico City airport, I am very amused by this Mexican knock-off Lego version of Air Force One. Waiting to board. Please tell me my luggage is in there. MexPost! Leaving the terminal. Rode on this train before getting on my plane! It was fun! Cool bridge thing for the terminal-to-terminal trains. A final view of the Benito Juarez airport. Lifting off over the city. Smaller cities on the edge of the metro area... ...fading into mountains further away. Clouds in the sky. A coastal area south of Tampico, Mexico. Looking down at the Pánuco River near Tampico. Wide view over Houston, Texas. Downtown Houston! Rows upon rows of clouds. Hey, if you know where to look, Six Flags St. Louis is in this shot! Chicago off in the distance. Fermilab! Yay science! Coming down into O'Hare. Another view of Chicago from the airport. It's dark and I'm headed out on my last flight of the trip. A terrible airborne picture of downtown Chicago at night. The gridded lights are seriously awesome. Oh, and there's Midway, an airport I've yet to visit -- though that should change in a couple weeks. As usual, Cincinnati's airport is deserted late at night. And that does it for the trip (and for the short self-indulgent travel photo set at the end). Thanks to everyone who read the stories along the way!

Day 6 -- Pictures (part 2) So, let's take a look at the sights along the way. We'll start with a pretty typical grocery store. So sad we didn't stop at the Mexican Pizza Hut! Hooters also brings its classy (klassy?) presence to Mexico City. Clamato? More like Clamat-NO. Ah, the horrifying Mexico City traffic. Even the ambulances are stuck. Meanwhile, as mentioned, people were walking and selling things between lanes. I took this screen capture of Google Maps traffic while we were driving through the city. This is just LOL. Ooh, the Olympic committee! And suddenly, we're in Nebraska. Porcupine Tree / Ste-ven Wilson fans will recognize: la Avenida de los Insurgentes, the longest avenue in Mexico City. Oncoming traffic and an articulating bus. Various products for sale on a street corner. And now, we've arrived at Parque Francisco Villa. It's also called Parque de los Venados (Deer Park) for obvious reasons relating to this statue. Some interesting wall art at Parque Francisco Villa. I see rides in the distance! And is that... ...my second-ever wacky worm? Yes, yes it is. I went from 0 wacky worm credits to 2 wacky worm credits in the matter of a few hours. Oh, but this one isn't a wacky worm, it's a crazy worm. A look up to the ride station. They are not responsible for all kinds of stuff. One ride -- 20 pesos. More warnings for this wild ride. Oh hey, this worm looks a little happier! Look at that grin! So, let's compare the faces of the two worms. The first one is missing an antenna, has cracked paint, and strung-out LSD eyes. The second one is happily smiling and in far better shape! What a difference! Time to climb in. This used to be a manufacturer's sign. Getting ready to ride. Oh, are we excited? You bet we are. Another epic lift hill shot! Yep, we're really doing this. Nozzy leans into the curve like a pro. Careful with that phone, Joe! An overview of the Crazy Worm layout. Big drop incoming! Heading for the curve. Riders in awe. Pretty flowers! A look over the park and the nearby street scene. So, let's see what we can find in the rest of the park. We've got some kiddie bumper cars here. The Astro Liner, which makes that rocket simulator at La Feria look good. Small vehicles on a small track. Anyone want an M&M? Oh, wait, there's something going on here I'm not entirely comfortable with. Is that Eeyore? Tigger? Oh, oh no. This isn't right. I presume this use of a glossy-eyed Winnie the Pooh and friends is fully licensed. Because why wouldn't it be? Oh, and we've got Ursula and King Triton... We've got Flounder and Ariel... We've got Mrs. Potts and Belle, the latter casting some serious side-eye... ...and this is truly one of the saddest things I have ever seen. Hello, Buzz Lightyear on the Spanish setting. I can't wait for this to be installed at Toy Story Land in Orlando!!! Every single one of these drawings and figures is uncanny-valley Toy Story-esque. It's just ... off. I would not go inside this little shack for any reason whatsoever. Oh, here's another classic -- one of Mexico City's many VW beetles. I think KT was trying to find all of them. Next on the agenda -- well, last on the agenda -- was our final group dinner of the trip. This is Don Asado, a Uruguayan restaurant. See, it says so right there. They cook lots and lots of meat. As we ate, we watched music videos from the 80s. I'm not joking, they literally just played a bunch of 80s pop/rock music videos through the entire restaurant the whole time we were there. Sorry to all the meat lovers, but that green oily stuff was easily the best part of the meal! But, there you go, an entire plate full of meat, way too much for me! Have at it, TPR! That was a fun dinner and a nice "official" end to the trip.

Day 6 -- Pictures (part 1) We'll start with a view from the airport concourse in Guadalajara! This guy, on an escalator in the Guadalajara airport, might not be 100% sure where he's headed... Now for some scenes from the AeroMexico flight to Mexico City! Video safety instructions in Spanish! Video safety instructions in ... almost English! Check-in at the NH Hotel at the Mexico City airport. The inner courtyard at the NH Hotel. A large statue of some guy on a hillside. A common scene -- water tanks on the roof of a residence in Mexico City. Made a wrong turn on the way to the first park, but got a great view of a nearby outlet mall! Oops, don't think we'll be going through here... A look out over suburban Cuautitlán Izcalli. Parking at the mall, and no, we didn't try out the Mexican McDonald's. This here is a classic! Some sort of 1950-ish Chevy? Inside the main atrium of the Galerías Perinorte mall. Looking down to the lower level, where the Perimagico park resides. This wheel is, obviously, the park's tallest attraction. Didn't really think the views would be worth a ride, though. Heading downstairs -- or down-escalator -- to what was then called Divertido Family Adventure Park. The old park entrance sign! Looking back up through the entrance. Our main attraction here was El Huracan -- another weather-themed ride, much to my liking. Don't be sick, pregnant, or a too-short anthropomorphic balloon riding in a bumper car. Yay for custom Tivoli layouts! From the dark station... ...through one of the twists around the perimeter of the park... ...into a western scene... ...past the park entrance... ...beyond the base of the wheel... ...over the ticket booths... ...and into a helix through a tunnel! Divertido / Perimagico also has bumper cars. The Swing Dance (a Trabant or something similar) was the brightest attraction in the park. Oh, and there's some kind of haunt, but I don't think it was open during our visit. The fun continues outside! Sadly, outside was ... not all that fun. Unless you like a few kiddie flats like this. One of Mexico's national symbols makes its home inside the loop of a brightly-colored kiddie train ride. That's an odd contrast in moods. Alright, let's get this over with. Here's Oruga Feliz (Happy Caterpillar). Would you believe that this was my 225th coaster credit and my /first/ wacky worm? Well, it's true! A face only a mother could love. If even. The locals are having a good time, so maybe we should join in. This is a very pleasant flower. This is very pleasant wacky worm track. This is not the most pleasant of wacky worm track attachments. This is a paint job in need of some work. Time to fill this train full of TPR members. Hmm, yeah, this looks good. We're ready to ride. Get those cameras up. Pure awe on the Mexican FEC wacky worm lift hill. A look at the intense, twisted layout. Caught in a canyon between the mall (left) and some high-rise residential buildings (right). The target audience is probably having less fun than us. Oh, we're having a great time. Yeah, check out that view! Wave to the crowds! Shell of a building nearby. Yep, this is about the extent of the outdoor area. So, let's head back inside. A look up at the atrium and the wheel! We had lunch at the mall... ...and the mall tacos were still better than like, most tacos you can get in the US. I was seriously not disappointed with this. Now, time to hit the road to our next destination!

Day 6 -- Small Parks of Mexico City Friday, March 27, 2015 The Report: Alright, just being honest here -- none of us signed up to go to Mexico with the intent to take a few spins on a Wacky Worm. In fact, our itinerary was originally laid out to do a long day-trip to a distant park that was building some new attractions. Once it became clear that those attractions wouldn't be done in time for our visit, we had to re-assess the plans, and opted to fly out of Guadalajara to head back to Mexico City instead. Why not take a quick run through two small parks in the area, and perhaps check off a credit or three for the coaster enthused among us? Day 6, Park #1 -- Perimagico: After flying back into Mexico City, our first adventure was to head out to the city of Cuautitlán Izcalli, one of Mexico City's northern suburbs. In fact, it's a suburb so large that it ranks in Mexico's top ten most populous cities! When we arrived, we found an environment that was honestly pretty similar to suburban life back home. The park? A small family entertainment center in the Galerías Perinorte shopping mall. In the parking lot? McDonald's. Next door? Home Depot. Originally known as Divertido, the Perimagico park (more of an FEC) is found on the lower floor of the mall, with a mix of indoor and outdoor attractions. I know that explaining our presence to the manager -- and what we were there to do -- was an interesting event! Nonetheless, we were successful in getting on both of Perimagico's coasters. The first coaster, El Huracan, is a custom indoor Zierer Tivoli. It's not a bad ride, actually. It's fun to zoom around past the other rides, through a tunnel, and even around a helix! Yep, Robb has footage, and . After that, we headed to the outdoor segment of the park, which was perhaps not in the state we were hoping for. The park's website, which hadn't been updated in a while, showed an array of human-powered bizarre attractions -- almost the kind of stuff you'd expect to find at an obscure European family park. None of that existed -- all that was left were a few kiddie flats and our next target, a wacky worm called Oruga Feliz. If RCDB is to be believed, Oruga Feliz no longer exists. It did not appear to be in great shape during our visit, so I guess that's no huge surprise. Overall, I had a pretty positive impression of the indoor sections of Perimagico (or Divertido, as the signage still indicated during our 2015 visit). It would probably be a fun place for its target audience, which is assuredly not us. The mall looked kind of nice, too. Had some tacos I was not at all disappointed with. Day 6, Park #2 -- Parque Francisco Villa: I shouldn't skip over the adventure that was the drive from Park #1 to Park #2. It was massive congestion through the heart of Mexico City, punctuated by the occasional street vendor selling things in between the lanes on a freeway. Want some fresh fruit? They've got you covered. Need some flowers? They're on it. Dying for a selfie stick while you're driving? They were selling those too. After a two-hour 20-mile commute, we arrived at our last park of the trip -- Parque Francisco Villa. Who was Francisco Villa? Perhaps better known as "Pancho" Villa, he was one of the most famous figures of the Mexican Revolution. The park is also known as Parque de los Venados (Deer Park) apparently for the random statue of a deer found in the center of a fountain. I'm not sure how to describe this place other than calling it a sketchy assortment of random questionably-licensed kiddie attractions plopped down without forethought in the middle of a public park. So, we did what we had to. We got in, we took some pictures that will make Disney's lawyers squirm, and we grabbed our last credit of the trip -- another wacky worm, this one named Crazy Worm. To be fair, it was in better shape than the (now departed) Perimagico worm. We made the most of it and had a good time! Robb even did a mounted POV! And then we got ourselves out of there, because dinner was waiting at the nearby Don Asado, a Uruguayan restaurant that can apparently make just about any kind of meat you could possibly want (and a few kinds you might not). We returned to our hotel at the Mexico City airport, though a few of us ventured back into the airport for dessert. Sadly, though a few of us would see each other in the airport the next day, it was time for most of the group to say farewell. But before we get into all that sad stuff, let's get to the pictures!

Here's another stat idea, and sorry if I've missed this one -- but how about list of the top coasters in terms of total riders?