The Great Zo

I presume the "First Riders on the Black Seats" charity fundraiser announcement is coming any minute now.

Now official: Diamondback's new seats. Photo from the park website.

Acceptable amount of wetness.

Usually not too much changes in the theme park world in 3 years, so a delayed report is still gonna be mostly relevant. Good call on Fiesta Texas! Both parks have some similar theme elements, and yes, they're among the nicest looking parks in the chain.

After Cedar Point, consider taking Ohio State Route 2 to Toledo instead of the turnpike. Saves a little cash and it's a (slightly) more interesting drive. If you go that way, you could hop over to the Marblehead lighthouse first thing in the morning if that sort of thing interests you. Mexicantown in Detroit is cool (Taqueria Lupita's and the La Gloria Bakery are great, but others swear by some of the other restaurants in the area too). Downtown is an interesting mix of redeveloped and gritty -- DirkFunk already covered the highlights there. Belle Isle is a really nice park just upstream on the Detroit River. And since you're heading up I-94 to Port Huron, if you're into that sort of thing, you'll be passing right by CJ Barrymore's -- which has a looping pinfari credit. Again, only if you're into that sort of thing, in which case -- I repeat, looping pinfari -- you might be crazy.

Oh man, I haven't updated my rankings since the last Hawker poll, and I've been on something like 200 new coasters since then. Well, guess I know how I'm spending some time my next day off work. Thanks to everyone who's worked on this and is continuing to work on it. It's pretty awesome.

LOL. I can think of a few other parks that would fit that description too. "Really great, just ignore that terrible Vekoma." Do it! And early/mid spring is a really good time to go. This is a really good point. Some people really like positive forces, but I'm not one of them. It's probably one reason why I305 doesn't rank as well for me as it does with other people. I really think the rest of the group from this trip enjoyed Superman a lot, I was just in the minority opinion on it thinking it was just OK.

LOL. Why do they even bother decorating that?

Pictures from Six Flags Mexico -- Part 2 Kilahuea is an S&S triple combo tower. This and the one at Fiesta Texas are the only S&S towers I know of that aren't painted primarily white. Ruleta (roulette) is a trabant / wipeout type of ride. Bumper cars called Le Mans, which look like pretty typical bumper cars to me. Not every park can be Knoebels. Ah, the great and elusive Batalla Pirata. An attraction I literally could find /no/ information about before the trip, so I had no idea what it was -- other than the obvious "pirate battle" theme. And I tried, I really did! Well, disappointingly, Batalla Pirata is just a kids play area and foam-ball-shooting thing. But it's got a wicked skeleton pirate, who I think has survived plenty of battles himself... The kids area is, of course, themed mostly to Looney Tunes characters. This is one entrance... ...and this is the other. This is honestly scary. I don't know why this needs to exist. Among other rides in the kids area, you've got your standard balloons... ...and apparently we're at SeaWorld now. How about some of the other theming around the park? Well, here's an ode to a popular sport. Here's "photo shark" which I swear isn't related to Jaws at all please don't sue us Universal please. Some Looney Tunes characters on a cart. Local theming! El Ángel -- the Angel of Independence! One of Mexico City's most important landmarks makes a sized-down appearance at Six Flags. And no, this probably wouldn't fly at a park in the US! El Ángel, fountains, and a couple dozen of the several thousands of schoolkids in track suits. Buildings and landscaping at this really attractive park. This area of the park (the west end) is a little more traditional. The east end of the park is a little more eclectic in its theming, and it's not quite as cohesive, but it still has some nice spots. What does the park have to eat? Let's start with Fanta and popcorn! How about some crepes from France? Or maybe some Chinese cuisine from ... Germany? Hm. Of course, the anthropomorphic churro sheriff! And his partner, the churro ... regular guy? The churros are good. Get them. Oh, and I had a burger for lunch, which wasn't all that great. Skip that. Here's one thing I was sorely disappointed about. I love the "Golfito" (little golf) name for their mini golf course, but... ...it looks like it's been run over by a pack of wild burros. If they ever get the golf course back up and operational, you'll have some great views of the world's first boomerang to distract you from that hole-in-one. We're a long, long way from Interstate 95. But hey, credit to Six Flags for putting the park name where the state name is usually supposed to go! This big stadium didn't see any action on the day we visited, but the clearing offers some views of the park's biggest coasters. Here's Superman. I had noted on Twitter after riding that it was a "floater air machine" but I think that's more in reference to the second half of the ride. Superman at the top of the lift. Superman makes the first drop! The first hill after the drop is only a half-airtime hill, before abruptly turning left and killing any airtime you might be getting. The first half of the ride is more turns than hills, and to me, it just doesn't stack up to the more straight-ahead approach of something like Steel Eel. The second half of Superman is more typical -- bunny hills on the return run, like Mamba or Steel Force. Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Coaster Justice. Well, as long as someone's enjoying it! Looking to the right, I see Batman and SkyScreamer in operation. Batman was only my second SLC, after Gauntlet at Magic Springs in Arkansas. Gauntlet wasn't awful. Batman was pretty bad. This would only be a warm-up for the three SLCs I rode (spoiler alert for a future trip report) in Europe in 2016. Two of the three were even worse than this one! Sky Screamer was still under construction during the lead-up to our trip in 2015, but they got it done in time! Cloud porn, part two. This is a mid-size Star Flyer, just over 240 feet in height -- identical to the models at SFOG and SFGAdv. Oh, and there's a splash boat. Because of course there's a splash boat. I don't ride splash boats. I take pictures of splash boats, because they're awesome to take pictures of! By the way, this splash boat is called "Splash" because of course it is. If you aren't wet enough getting off the ride, hop up on the bridge and take another wave to the face. OK, before I get back to the park talk, a little bit of geography! Six Flags Mexico sits at an elevation of about 8,000 feet above sea level -- that's pretty high! The mountain you see behind the boat is called Ajusco. It's a lava dome volcano at the southwestern edge of the Federal District and with an elevation of 12,894 feet, it's the highest point in all of Mexico City. Some day, on another visit, I hope to climb it. Now back to your regularly-scheduled splash boating! Terror and excitement! The before... ...and the after. That wall of water comes up... ...and comes back down on top of you... ...and leaves not a person dry. The mist clears... ...and everyone's laughing. Up the lift. Down the drop. The moment of impact! The splash kicks up. A wider view of the start of the splash. And yes, it's a large splash. Quite the wave, isn't it? Skloosh.* * with apologies to Knoebels The splash boat at the end of the rainbow. The rainbow, again. Now you see them... ...now you don't. Really liked the misty/rainbow effects I was getting from this angle! Yep, that's all for the splash boat! But we've got one last order of business. How about a few more rides on Medusa? With a station as empty as this, why not? This ride is awesome! Unanimously glowing reviews from our group. Here's some off-ride photographs of Medusa, starting with this one of the top of the lift. Medusa was originally built as a CCI wooden coaster, opened in 2000. RMC converted it for a 2014 opening. It was their third I-Box conversion, after New Texas Giant and Iron Rattler. Medusa has airtime all over the place, even where you wouldn't expect it. Medusa was the first RMC with a barrel roll drop. Storm Chaser was the second, and Twisted Timbers will be the third. My one and only complaint about Medusa isn't with the ride -- it's the queue. Six Flags took the park's wacky shack and turned it into the queue for Medusa, which is honestly a really creative idea. The problem is that if you're trying to ride multiple times, walking through a twisted-up dizzying off-kilter wacky shack queue every time gets really tedious! I found a pretty good photo angle to get the top of the lift. Oh, and there's some coaster design skill on that train, but I'm not gonna say any more than that! Waiting for some wind... ...there we go. Probably my favorite picture /from the entire Mexico trip/ right here. Medusa and the flagpole again. And on to the barrel roll drop for a killer ride! Yay for Six Flags Mexico! We had a really great day. And I hope I remembered enough about it to write a coherent review three years later! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- BONUS PICTURES! Seen on the way back to our hotel. Would you trust Dico the clown with your children? Here's our dinner spot -- Agua y Sal (water and salt). I don't eat fish, but they had exactly one non-fish entree on their menu, and it was good! Speaking of our hotel -- the Hyatt Regency in Polanco -- here are a few pictures of the main lobby. It's, well, kind of swanky. Real swanky, not "Owensboro, Kentucky" swanky. Honestly, probably too swanky for a scrub like me! But oh what a breakfast buffet! Pay no attention to the guy with the camera! Coming up next, a flight west and a new day in a new city!

Pictures from Six Flags Mexico -- Part 1 Arrival at the front gate of Six Flags Mexico! Though, I think this was just before we realized we were in the wrong place for our pre-park-opening meet-up! Six Flags Mexico prices -- in pesos, of course. Starting the day off right with a coaster themed to a big-time DC superhero... ...that's right, it's Batman, so it's time for some B&... ...oh. Well, we got some filming done and were on our way. At least it looked nice! I think the track had just been painted! Yeah, this is what we came for. Medusa! Steel Coaster! Completely with creepy ride-sign! And the sign over the gift shop has glowing red eyes. Awesome. Here's a behind-the-scenes angle of Medusa from our walk through the employee entrance! Super secret. Some shots of Medusa from the queue. Sorry for the lack of a train in any of these pictures, but I was using a not-great phone camera and those just ended up blurred. More Medusa from the queue. To note -- Medusa does have a lock-your-stuff-up policy, which is why I didn't have my good camera with me at that moment. Medusa has lots of high corners like these, and every single one is packed with forces. The front of the Medusa station. Here's the climb up the lift, where you go to prepare to be flipped and dropped and so on. The brake run and shed for the other train. An empty station as we get ready for filming. The importance of securing that lap bar. Ah, the now-familiar RMC chariot, which I find to be quite comfortable. Our final coaster for filming was Superman el Último Escape (the last escape). The queue entrance is through a building that looks far more traditional in architectural design than you'd expect... ...but the outdoor queue and station are a little more typical! Telefono, anyone? Superman's brake run! It kind of looks like the coaster just drops off a cliff to nowhere back there. We got our last rides in just as the regular guests were starting to arrive. Like I mentioned earlier, I was a little disappointed by Superman, mainly due to the first half having very little airtime. Queue theming: colorful lights! Queue theming: the difference between "dated" and "vintage" is in the eye of the beholder. Oh, and I had to get a shot of this. Superman's on-ride photo location is ... next to a barbed-wire chain link fence at the edge of a parking lot. Nice. Here's the Six Flags Mexico park map, and as you can see, Superman is about 900 feet tall and travels halfway to Oaxaca. Not sure what the Hollywood theming is for, but here's Sky Screamer! Two excited TPR people! One excited TPR person -- and one very confused local. TPR takes flight. JJ Abrams tribute shot. Caesar liked it. As did I. Oh, what's that through the trees? It's ... the world's first-ever Vekoma boomerang! It rides ... like the world's first ever Vekoma boomerang! It loops! It twists! It cobra rolls! It kerchunks! It gives you a headache! Cloud porn. This ... is the face of terror. Oh, and one fun part about this particular boomerang? The world's slowest lift hill. It seriously takes 3-4 minutes to get the train up the initial lift. Moving on to The Joker! The Joker is themed to Batman villains, though none of these three in particular. First, we must navigate the elaborate funhouse queue. Should we enter the giant clown mouth? This seems like a bad idea. It's too late to turn back now! They went all out on this queue. You've got paint and signs on the walls, spinny things on the ground... ...rollers, which are certainly not ADA compliant... ...bubbly things you have to step over, and spinning poles... ...and shifting floorboards, all capped off with a creepy clown mirror! Escape the fun house, and you'll finally make it to the station. Even the ride vehicles have been custom-painted. Would you like a Harley Quinn themed car... ...or one themed to The Joker himself? Joker's lift hill and twisted track. Don't get caught in the tunnel of terror! I seriously don't understand why all the US-based Tony Hawk clones didn't get this treatment. It really makes the whole experience a lot of fun. Anyone missing some teeth? While we're on the Batman theme, how about a mouse-in-a-box? This one was supposed to go to Six Flags New England, but here it is in Mexico instead. One neat thing about this version of The Dark Knight is the extra railway theming outside the station. And the Gotham City Rail map is located outdoors! That meant the lighting was good enough for me to finally get a decent picture of one of these! Caesar, that shirt's a little too on-the-nose. On the inside? The pre-show is dubbed in Spanish! I believe the ride experience is basically the same as any of the others. On to the next coaster. This giant structure, which is basically just for show, houses Tsunami. Tsunami is one of those giant-long-train Tivoli coasters. Here's a picture with the train going by. Oh, and yeah, the weather was pretty fickle. Sunny in the morning, cloudy as heck by afternoon. I know, it's my fault. Tsunami track close-up! Tivoli was doing steel beam track before RMC made it all trendy! Roller is the park's final coaster -- a Vekoma junior coaster. It's basically a clone of many others, such as Spacely's Sprocket Rockets (SFGAm) or Roller Skater (Kentucky Kingdom). I think these are really good coasters for their intended age group. Well, what do we have here? This is Huracán, and Caesar and Nozzy are going to take their chances. What's Huracán? It's a Vekoma Waikiki Wave Super Flip. So it looks like a Huss Top Spin, but it's worse. I think this is where reality sets in that you're on an evil Vekoma terror machine and it's just getting started. So the thing with these Vekoma devices is that they don't just flip end-over-end like a Top Spin. The two arms move independently, so the gondola also tilts sideways. Personally, I think Top Spins are painful enough, and I have no doubt I'd be in trouble on one of these! This just looks like so much fun! To watch. From the sidelines. Are those smiles? Yep, they made it through. In one form or another. Let's head around the park and check out some of the other attractions. Here's Freaky Dolls, a year-round haunt that has gone through some different iterations. I think this took some sort of inspiration from Xochimico and its Island of the Dolls (Isla de las Muñecas). Terminator X is a laser tag game I didn't get to try out. Every park in Mexico is required by law* to have a dolphin show! *probably Every park needs a carousel. Le Grande Carrousell is of the double-decker variety. Fiesta de las Tazas! Party of the cups! Piña Loca! Crazy pineapple! Another spinny flat ride, but this one's themed to giant smiling pineapples. It moves pretty quick, and the cars are somewhat tilted. I like pineapple. I would have probably liked to try this one just because it's so different. Rock n Roll is a Schwarzkopf Polyp with a 50s/60s theme -- classic car ride vehicles and the Grease soundtrack playing in the background. It's sort of like a scrambler, but with some vertical motion added in. Vuelo Alpino (alpine flight) is a standard wave swinger, and it's since been dwarfed by Sky Screamer. But, regardless, I think these guests are enjoying their ride. Rueda India (Indian wheel) is a Ferris wheel themed to ... Indians. The bonus for this Ferris wheel: the gondolas can be rotated. For photography's sake, this was probably the #1 thing I wanted to do but didn't get a chance to, as I was running short of time and didn't know how long the ride cycle would be. Around the, uh, well-themed wheel, you can find cows... ...horses... ...and giant Indian heads. Alright, sure, why not.

Day 3 -- Six Flags Mexico Tuesday, March 24, 2015 Scorecard: Batman: The Ride (x2) Medusa Steel Coaster (x5) Superman el Último Escape (x3) Sky Screamer Boomerang Tsunami Joker Medusa Steel Coaster -- Lunch -- The Dark Knight Roller Freaky Dolls Medusa Steel Coaster (x3) The Report: It was an early morning out of the hotel, but we had early morning plans for our biggest park day of the trip. We reached our destination at Six Flags Mexico -- the largest amusement park, by both coaster count and visitor count, in all of Latin America. Originally opened in the early 80s as Reino Aventura, the park was sold into the Six Flags umbrella at around the turn of the millennium. The park is located in the southwestern section of Mexico City, about ten miles from downtown to the north, and just a few miles from the tallest mountain in the entire Federal District to the south. We met our contact with the park's staff and probably confused a few of the rank-and-file employees as we shuffled in beside them through the back entrance. Nonetheless, we had some filming to do, and it was time to get started! Our first session was on Batman, though, uh, this probably isn't the Batman you're looking for. Once that was done, it was off to the highlight of the day, and one of the biggest highlights of the entire trip -- Medusa. We did five rides during our morning session on this outstanding RMC coaster. We then headed off to Superman for a few rides as the park was opening. Our final ride during filming was Sky Screamer, which had just opened in the weeks prior to our visit. When that was all done, my small group split off to pick off the rest of the coaster credits. The pace was generally leisurely, thanks to the excellent VIP fast pass system -- an extremely inexpensive purchase for what's basically just a receipt that you show at the queue entrance. None of us needed to use up all of the VIP pass credits we'd been given, especially with crowds not being especially heavy on the day we visited, outside of a few major attractions when the passes did come in handy. Sure, there were numerous school groups at the park -- you couldn't walk 10 feet without running into one of them -- but it wasn't a huge issue in terms of lines. Sure, the kids were loud and having fun, but honestly I didn't see much of the debauchery I'd expect from an amusement park absolutely run over by the 10-14 year old age group like this one was! So, hey, good for them! I ended the day with nine rides on Medusa, but I think most of others got ten. I actually had to skip one cycle just before lunch as I was fighting off a headache, but I was feeling good enough for three more rides near the end of the day. I did split off for some photography near the end, as I definitely wanted to try to capture some of the unique rides and interesting landscape at a park that not many enthusiasts get to visit. I probably would have tried a few of the park's flat rides if I'd been feeling a little better, but we had no shortage of things to do. Oh, and I had to get some churros on the way out, and I recall them being above-average for a corporate park! I mean, you'd hope so in Mexico, right? I think we were at the park until 6PM or 7PM, but I didn't have my time zone settings right on my camera, so I'm just gonna guess and say it was 7PM. Close enough. Suffice to say, we had a great day and I didn't even run and hide from the group picture at the end! Overall Impressions: I think we all came away pretty happy with our day at Six Flags Mexico. People on the 2013 TPR trip were pretty happy with the park too, and that was before Medusa got the RMC treatment. In several ways, it stacks up very well against the rest of the Six Flags chain. Here are three: 1) The landscaping and design are way above average for Six Flags. In terms of feel and appearance, it's probably the second nicest Six Flags park I've been to, trailing only Great Adventure. That's not to say it doesn't have a couple rough spots, but there's a variety in architecture and scenery you don't get from the average corporate park in the US. And am I crazy for thinking that there's maybe not quite as much advertising as in the US parks? 2) If you like flat rides, this park's got a great collection of them, including several that are pretty rare. I'm not big on flats or spinny things, but with a little more time, there are a few I would have tried! Oh, and add in some of the other experiences too -- the laser tag, the haunt, the dolphin show, the reptile house, and other things. This is a well-rounded park. 3) Medusa. My coaster count has grown significantly since going to Mexico in 2015, and it's still easily in my top 10. It's huge to have a destination coaster like this, and I hope it continues to draw enthusiasts from around the world to check the place out -- not just the park, but Mexico City. That sort of leads to what I think is the park's biggest weakness -- a lack of other top-tier thrill attractions. The rest of the coaster collection isn't terribly strong -- not a single B&M or Intamin, showing a desperate need for some modern steel. The park's made two big additions since our visit -- a Justice League dark ride in 2016, and one of the S&S Free Spin coasters for 2018. That's a good start. I hope they keep it going, because while I'd already like to return at some point, another good excuse wouldn't hurt. The Attractions: Medusa Steel Coaster: Wow. What a ride. Among RMC credits, Medusa's location in Mexico makes it among the most rare. That might have contributed unfairly to some lofty expectations, but it met them and then some. Everyone in the group was ready to put it in their top 10 (if not top 5) after just a couple rides. This was my first of the "small" RMC coasters, and I've since been on Storm Chaser, which even without the barrel roll would be the closest comparison. But while Storm Chaser is an outstanding ride, Medusa's got better pacing and a relentless sense of speed to go along with all the crazy elements. Videos don't do justice to how much intense airtime there is on the entrances and exits from all those raised turns. I have to say, I was skeptical about the barrel roll, but it's way more awesome than you'd expect. Add in one last detail -- the brief right-side-up moment at the top of the lift offers some great views into the heart of Mexico City. Be sure to watch that Robb filmed on our visit, which includes a guest appearance by the author of this post! Superman el Último Escape: Just being honest, but I was slightly disappointed by this one, and had a lesser opinion of it than the rest of the group. It's said to be one of the best Morgan hypercoasters, but honestly I'll take its little brother Steel Eel any day. Part of the problem is that all the turns on the first half of the layout -- including one that breaks up the first hill after the lift -- really kill any chance at airtime. At least the pre-lift section is kind of odd and fun! I'll also say that while it was far from the roughest coaster I've ever been on, something about it gave me some issues, and I spent most of the morning with a headache. That's just me -- I don't think anyone else had the same problem. Batman: The Ride: Umm... if you're looking for a B&M clone, you're at the wrong Six Flags park. Yep, it's a fully themed inverted Batman coaster, but it's a Vekoma SLC. So, yeah, you know what you're getting out of these. The less said, the better. Fine, want one good thing? Batman and Superman both provide some great views to the higher terrain to the south and east, including -- way off in the distance -- two gigantic volcanoes, Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl. And I thought that was pretty awesome. Joker: The rest of Gerstlauer's Tony Hawk clones are carrying out their lives in relative anonymity under the Pandemonium name, but Discovery Kingdom's moved to Mexico City and picked up some of the best theming I've seen on a Six Flags coaster! These are fun rides, but the props and tunnel on the coaster's circuit bring the experience to another level. I've got some pictures of the awesome funhouse queue in the report below as well! The Dark Knight: The same mouse-in-a-box as all the others, but this one's dubbed in Spanish! Boomerang: This isn't just any Vekoma boomerang. It's the first ever created Vekoma boomerang. It originally opened in 1984 at a small park in Puebla, Mexico. It moved to Mexico City later in the same decade. Guess what? It rides like it's the first ever Vekoma boomerang. One and done. Tsunami: One of those gigantic-trained Tivoli family coasters, identical as best I can tell to Blackbeard's Harley Quinn Crazy Treasure Train at SFGAdv. Decent ride. Roller: The final coaster of the park's eight -- at least as of our visit in 2015 -- is a Vekoma junior coaster. I like these, especially compared to kiddie/junior coasters by other manufacturers. SkyScreamer: Medusa Steel Coaster opened in 2014, so the new hotness for our 2015 visit was SkyScreamer. Loved the views from this one, high above Mexico City! Probably my favorite views from any of the SkyScreamer or WindSeeker rides I've been on, just thanks to the interesting landscape, though Cedar Point's up there too. Freaky Dolls: I normally skip haunts -- just not my thing -- but decided to go for this one. I don't remember being overly frightened, but it's tougher to be scared when the actors are yelling at you in a language you're only marginally familiar with!

I agree! I really enjoyed it and 2015 definitely won't be my last trip to Mexico.

I'm pretty sure the one out on the Chaussee isn't actually owned by Cedar Fair / Cedar Point, if that's the one you're referring to. It's a residential property. It may be residential, but the land parcel is listed under the ownership of "CEDAR POINT PARK LLC" Sorry for the delay, just saw this now. I pulled it up to make sure and it's listed as CEDAR POINT CHAUSSEE LLC with a mailing address at an office building in Beachwood, Ohio (near Cleveland). Only property in Erie County registered to that entity. It probably turned up in a search for "Cedar Point" but I don't think it's connected to the park. If I've got the wrong parcel, though, let me know -- I could certainly be missing something.

Thanks everyone! I'll get right on that, as soon as I figure out that whole weather thing...

I'm pretty sure the one out on the Chaussee isn't actually owned by Cedar Fair / Cedar Point, if that's the one you're referring to. It's a residential property.

The Report, Part 2 -- Mexico City After departing Mayahuel, we made our way back to Mexico City, for a walking tour through the city's historic downtown. We saw some of the city's most important landmarks -- the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts), the Palacio Nacional (National Palace), and the Catedral Metropolitana (Metropolitan Cathedral), among others. After a nice group dinner at the Café de Tacuba, we headed back to the hotel and called it a night. As with the previous report segment, I'll get into all the details in the captions. Suffice to say, this was a great day of seeing and experiencing some of the history of Mexico City and its surroundings -- from the really really old to the still rather historic but not quite as old. It was also, by far, my most interesting cultural day with TPR (at least up through this trip in 2015). Yes, there's more to informed tourism than roller coasters, and I'm glad this group is one that gets it! Now, some scenes from an impressive city... Mexico City is not impressed with your city's two-segment articulated bus. We drove into the city on the Avenida de los Insurgentes. Got this picture of the Monumento a la Raza from our van! Entering the center of Mexico City, we passed the Hemiciclo a Juárez -- a neoclassical monument to former Mexican president Benito Juárez. Juárez is one of Mexico's most revered political figures, with more things named after him than I can count. Our first big tour stop was at the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts). It's a major art and cultural center and theater, and one of Mexico City's most architecturally important buildings. Across the street are two ... slightly less architecturally important buildings. Also nearby is the Torre Latinoamericana. Though there are taller buildings in the modern downtown area of Mexico City (closer to our hotel near the Chapultepec park) this was the first major skyscraper in the city, completed in 1956. It withstood the 8.1 earthquake in 1985. It's also got an observation deck up top, which will be a top priority for whenever I return to Mexico City. But anyway, let's head inside the Palacio de Bellas Artes. This building is an interesting mix of art deco, art nouveau, and traditional design. The building is also home to murals by Diego Rivera and David Siqueiros. This building was officially inaugurated in 1934 Here's a security guard who is probably sick and tired of having his picture taken. A look up at the main dome -- the structure covered in orange as seen from the outside. This just looks cool, so it gets a close-up picture! We began walking east, heading toward the center of the historic section of downtown Mexico City. We pass the Avenida Cinco de Mayo, a street named -- as is the holiday -- for Mexico's victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Shifting one street north, our next tour stop was the Palacio de Correos de Mexico (Postal Palace of Mexico). Yes, it's a post office... ...but it's the most ornate and spectacular post office I've ever seen! The Palacio de Correos was built in the early 1900s. It was damaged heavily in the 1985 earthquake, but restored. I can just about guarantee this is nicer than the local post office in your hometown. Even the ceiling tiles are ornate! Artistic venues call for artistic pictures -- even if the subject in this mundane shot is just "TPR people leave the post office." Kinda thinking these skeletons outside the Museo Nacional de Arte are being a little bit inappropriate. Then we learned that parts of the city were decorated for a film shoot for a James Bond movie (the opening scenes from Spectre) and it all made sense. Well, sort of. Hey, how about a meteorite? This was on display outside the Palacio de Minería. We walked through a busy alleyway, in which just about anything could be purchased, including some things you may not want to get caught purchasing. Next on the tour was the Casa de los Azulejos (House of Tiles), an 18th-century building covered in blue and white Puebla slate tiles. A closer view of the tiles. Inside the building? The flagship location for the Sanborns restaurant / drug store chain. Sanborns is pretty ubiquitous around Mexico, but this location is special -- it's a rather elegant location for a simple restaurant! A look across the balcony on the second level of the building. Detail on the ceiling above the restaurant space. A mural hanging in one of the stairwells. Lighting in the stairwell, which just looks kind of neat, doesn't it? I'm not sure exactly why I took this picture, but I'm going to presume there's a reason for it, so here you go. The upstairs windows provided a nice view through the dense city center. Here's a view west toward the Palacio de Bellas Artes, with some of the more modern skyscrapers behind it. Busy streets and historic buildings looking toward the center of the city to the east. To the west, it's much more modern. Just an interesting note on how the city's downtown is laid out! The facade of the Church of San Francisco, which I'm just going to say is really really old. Heading east on the Avenida Francisco I. Madero, we pass a ritzy looking hotel... ...and one of many jewelry stores in the area. Also, a super-creepy head-coming-off creepy Peppa Pig wannabe. The bell tower of the Templo de San Felipe Neri, a church building that dates back the year 1720. Really enjoying the architecture even of some of the less-famous buildings, like this one which houses the Museo del Estanquillo... ...or even this one, which doesn't seem to house anything in particular! As we approach the clearing ahead, we're just about to the center of Mexico City! Here we are at the Zócalo -- the main public space in the middle of the historic center of Mexico City. Or can I call it ... The Great Zócalo? Sorry, that was awful. More James Bond props! I'm wondering if that was why the main part of the square was blocked off to public access. Across the square is El Palacio Nacional -- the National Palace, the seat of the federal government of Mexico. Sorry not sorry for the weatherporn. The center balcony of the National Palace, which is used for ceremonial purposes. A side view of the National Palace, which is said to have been built at the same location as Montezuma's palace when he ruled the Aztec empire in the early 1500s! Mexico City is, after all, built on the site of Tenochtitlan -- the capital of the Aztec empire. Another street scene, with the dome of the Templo de Santa Inés (now the José Luis Cuevas Museum) in the background. This building may not look like much... ...but it was the location of the first printing press ever used in the Americas! The first book printed anywhere in the new world occurred right here in 1539. The dome of the Iglesia de Santa Teresa la Antigua, a former convent from the 1600s, now used as an art center. Another view of the Santa Teresa church, but I'm going to point out something different. See how crooked this building looks? I should note that Mexico City is extremely unstable. Buildings are sinking. Earthquakes remain possible. Facades get tilted. That's just the rule of the land in Mexico City. Sun shot! Clouds and the Torre Latinoamericana in the distance. This is pretty fascinating -- the remains of Templo Mayor, one of the main temple complexes used by the Aztecs in the 1300s-1500s. Incredibly, the remains of Templo Mayor -- clearly a very important historic site -- did not begin to be discovered until the 1930s. Full excavation didn't begin until 1978! Across the street from Templo Mayor? A swanky-looking rooftop restaurant. The contrast might give you whiplash. Finally, we arrived at our last historic site on the tour. This is the Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de María, otherwise known as the Metropolitan Cathedral -- Mexico City's main cathedral. This cathedral is the largest cathedral in the Americas. In other words, it's huge. Construction of the cathedral occurred in stages between 1573 and 1813, though restoration work has been done on occasion since then. The amount of detail just on the outside of the cathedral is remarkable. Let's head inside... This is the Altar of Forgiveness. It's very, very gold. Nothing like a few well-placed sunbeams to add some drama to a few pictures! Inside the cavernous cathedral... ...and a view toward the main altar in the front. A view of the seating area in the middle of the cathedral, though the main aisle is not accessible. Big columns and arches -- this place is huge! Stained glass and sunbeams on the wall. An impressive organ. Detail in the art on the columns. Saints on the wall! By far the most interesting part of the cathedral -- hanging from the center of the roof, a pendulum used to track the seismic shifting of the position of the cathedral's foundation. This stuff is plotted out on a chart. It's crazy to think of how much the building has moved and tilted over the years! Walking up to the huge Altar of the Kings... ...which just about spans all the way to the roof! Did I mention that pretty much everything in here is colored in gold? No matter your stance on religion, this is such a breathtaking building that it's worth visiting. With that, we finished our tour of the city, but still had a dinner stop left to go. So, we headed to Cafe de Tacuba! Chicken mole and sopes for everybody! Oh, and some pretty spicy salsa, if I recall correctly. That's all from the Cafe de Tacuba and historic Mexico City... ...and if you've been waiting for some roller coasters, we're gonna have a Six Flags Day (but a good one) in this trip report's next installment!

Teotihuacan, continued... TPR makes the steep climb down from the Pyramid of the Sun. A final look up at the pyramid, as we head onward to the next part of the tour. The conga line to the top is growing! Quite the backdrop. Will these guys make a sale or two? For your convenience, they accept Visa and Mastercard. Making our way down into the Avenue of the Dead. Here, at the center of the avenue, is a really impressive view north. It's an odd feeling to be standing on this prehistoric road, flanked by ancient buildings, with a remarkable pyramid up ahead, and the mountain Cerro Gordo backing the whole thing up. A well-timed break in the clouds lights up the Pyramid of the Moon like it's an item in a video game I'm hovering my mouse over. Tourists are only allowed up on the first platform at the base of the Pyramid of the Moon, and the rest is roped off with ... police caution tape. Which doesn't look great in pictures, but oh well. Meanwhile, up atop Cerro Gordo behind the pyramid, I think I see a weather radar! The Pyramid of the Moon is 140 feet tall, so a little more than half the height of the Pyramid of the Sun. Archaeologists have found tunnels and tombs within this pyramid -- containing not just human bones, but animal bones as well. This structure at the front of the pyramid is bigger than the terrace that was found at the base of the Pyramid of the Sun. Let's climb up and see the view! Here's the wide view south along the Avenue of the Dead, with the Pyramid of the Sun featured prominently just to the left in the background. The area in the foreground is the Plaza of the Pyramid of the Moon, which is flanked by symmetric buildings, and is more open in design than the plazas further south. Some good timing, as I get the "lit object" view of the Pyramid of the Sun! The slope of the pyramid is pretty obvious from this angle -- it's steep! A whole bunch of tourists crowd the top of the pyramid. The open secret, though, is that the views are better from along the edge of the platform just below. This ruin, right at the base of the Pyramid of the Moon, is called the Quincunce. I legitimately can't make sense of the description of this, but it includes phrases like "four corners of the cosmos" and "the world's navel" so I guess that's pretty awesome. The Central Altar is in the middle of the plaza, so it was probably used as a stage of some ceremonious purpose. A distant view down the Avenue of the Dead, with the Ciudadela way in the distance. Another example of Talud-Tablero right next to the Pyramid of the Moon. Southwest of the Pyramid of the Moon is the Palacio de Quetzalpapálotl -- I'll get to that place soon. The side slope of the Pyramid of the Moon, seen from the edge of the terrace attached to the pyramid. The upper levels of the pyramid, as mentioned, are off-limits. So, let's head down. It's a shorter staircase, but just as steep as the Pyramid of the Sun! Sergio taught us how to make some art like the historic residents of Teotihuacan might have done. This piece of cactus is covered in white spots -- the home of the insect known as Dactylopius coccus When crushed, these insects (commonly known as cochineals) produce a deep red pigment! Add in some yellow and green from plants and you can get yourself a nice sunrise. Who know our tour guide was also an artist? Just west of the Avenue of the Dead is another important Teotihuacan site -- the Palacio (Palace) of Quetzalpapálotl. The layout of the structures outside of Quetzalpapálotl is really interesting -- multiple levels and passageways. I think there may have been some active work going on at this site while we were there. Quetzalpapálotl is best known for its murals, including this one of a very ornate jaguar. In addition to jaguars, the murals often depicted shells, starfish, and snails. Another nearby temple contains a mural to birds, believed to be quetzals. Another mural (found elsewhere on the Avenue of the Dead) depicts a puma. This is one of the more well-known murals from Teotihuacan. This mural wasn't discovered until 1963. Check out the size of those claws! Some awesome stone work detail inside the palace. We exited the palace and headed west, with some time to peruse the tourist shops on the way out. If you're looking for a hat, well, you're in luck. We departed Teotihuacan and stopped for lunch... ...at a little place called Mayahuel. We were serenaded with some music... ...and some free wi-fi. First course: aztec soup. Essentially it's what we'd call tortilla soup, but a little different (and much better) than you'd get out of a Progresso can from the supermarket. Main course: mixiote with chicken. It's mixed with spices and pieces of cactus, and cooked in what looks like plastic, but is actually the outer coating from the maguey plant. Oh, and bottled sodas. I think this is where I discovered Sidral Mundet, an awesome apple soda that's available pretty much everywhere in Mexico. I've figured out some places where I can find it here in Ohio! While you eat, enjoy the view of the Pyramid of the Sun, just off to the west of the restaurant. Next to the restaurant is their own collection of cacti... ...and these fruit were actually served to us for dessert! That does it for the first half of the day. Teotihuacan is probably not as well known as some other historic sites in Mexico and other Latin American countries, but it should be. It was a really great place to visit -- not too many places on this side of the planet with history dating back almost 2000 years!

My trip reports don't die -- they just go into hibernation. And this one's waking back up and it's going to be finished! After a day at La Feria, it was time to dig a little deeper into the spirit and culture of Mexico, present and past... Day 2 -- Culture Day Teotihuacan and Mexico City Monday, March 23, 2015 The Report, Part 1 -- Teotihuacan Our second full day in Mexico was our biggest cultural tourism day. If you're looking for theme parks stuff, you'll have to check in again in the next installment. If you like ancient pyramids and historic downtown buildings, plus a little sense of adventure beyond the rails of a roller coaster, keep on reading! After another trip to our hotel's breakfast buffet, it was time for departure out of Mexico City to head off to the northeast. We stopped at some smaller ruins near the center of the city (Tlatelolco), and then got on the highway from there. About 30 miles (48 kilometers) from our hotel, we reached our destination -- the ancient Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan. Let's see if I can get this pronunciation correct -- TAY-oh-tee-wok-AHN. Something close to that. Here's perhaps the most important piece of history to get straight -- Mexico is famous for its Aztec and Mayan cultures, but Teotihuacan is not directly connected to either. In fact, while the Aztec culture thrived in the middle of the second millennium AD, Teotihuacan dates back as much as a thousand years before that -- maybe more! Teotihuacan is one of the biggest tourist draws in the Mexico City area, for obvious reasons. There are pieces of native art, ancient structures, and some pyramidal high points to climb and do some photography atop. That last part might be of interest to this trip report's author. We spent about three hours at Teotihuacan before breaking for lunch at a nearby restaurant. I'll get into more detail about our visit in the photo captions, where it's easier to tell the story about the piece of history we were witness to. I did the best I could to cut this photo set down to a reasonable size, and I still probably failed, but oh well! Have some pictures, everybody! First, the most incredible ancient relic we saw all day! Can you believe it? Surrounded by concrete-structure apartment high rises, not even a mile and a half from the historic downtown of Mexico City, we made a quick stop at the ruins of Tlatelolco -- an Aztec site that dates back about 700 years. Here's a fun fact! In 2009, a mass grave was excavated at the Tlatelolco site. In addition to the Aztec remains, there's also an old church from the 17th century -- Templo de Santiago. There are also fountains, which I'd imagine are of more recent construction. Way off in the distance, you'll also see the Torre Latinoamericana -- one of Mexico City's tallest skyscrapers. Thankfully, our well-behaved group was of no concern for the bored Policia. We headed northeast out of Mexico City and it was fascinating to observe the landscape. Sharp hills with sparse vegetation, colorfully painted walls and building advertisements... ...and hillsides covered in homes. Far different from anything you'd see in the US. Some of the hillside neighborhoods were extremely colorful! But here is what we came for -- the highlight of our archaeological-cultural tourism. This is the Pirámide del Sol (Pyramid of the Sun), the third largest ancient pyramid in the world, and the cornerstone of the ancient city of Teotihuacan. Teotihuacan was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Our tour guide, Sergio, introduces us to Teotihuacan. Off in the distance is the La Pirámide de la Luna (Pyramid of the Moon), but we'll get back to that a little later. Looking at one corner of the Pyramid of the Sun. A look at some detail on the lower side of the Pyramid of the Sun. The view way up to the top -- the Pyramid of the Sun is 216 feet / 65.5 meters tall. So tall, it looks like the clouds are coming out of it! As we make our trek toward the pyramid, Sergio explains way more of Teotihuacan's history than I can remember. Thankfully, I took enough pictures of the guide signs around the place that I can piece some of it back together! An assortment of other ruins we passed on the way to the pyramid. Our group makes a walk around the pyramid -- and a local merchant attempts a sale. Sergio explains the tunnel system within the Pyramid of the Sun, with a rather, uh, lengthy drawing. The tunnels aren't open to the public, which is probably wise. So why do the tunnels exist? It all has to do with the history of the pyramid. Originally thought to be a monument to the sun (which explains the name), further excavation and exploration provided evidence that it was instead a temple to the water deity Tlaloc. The tunnels represent both life-giving wombs and an entrance to the world of the dead. Sculptures originally adorned the panels of the platform at the base of the pyramid, and several are now on display near the entry to the stairway. The sculptures draw inspiration from both feline and reptilian animals. It shouldn't come as a huge surprise, but much of Teotihuacan has been refurbished, if not outright reconstructed. Pay close attention to the sections of this wall between the rocks -- reconstructed areas are marked with dark dots, while original areas are not. Here's an example of a wall we saw later in the day, which is almost completely a modern reconstruction. It's a long way to the top if you want to ... climb the Pyramid of the Sun. It seems like endless flights of steep stairs, but I'd just done some hiking in the mountains near Denver, so I was in good shape and ready to climb! Nonetheless, these steps are steeper than your typical staircase. Oh, and just in case you have any inclination of /not/ taking the stairs... ...the sides of the pyramid are covered in rocks that jut out like video game spikes. So, lest you want to risk falling and playing plinko with your tumbling body, take the stairs. Like I said, it's steep, and this shot gives the right perspective. That's the Pyramid of the Moon in the background. Taking a quick stop on one of the pyramid's ledges. On the 2013 TPR trip to Mexico, which I wasn't a part of, I recall seeing from pictures that these queues were pretty much full! In 2015, we got here early enough in the day to beat the crowds. Stopping on another ledge closer to the top. Here's a fact about the pyramid's reconstruction -- the original pyramid only had four ledges, but it was mistakenly rebuilt with five! Just a couple more steep flights of stairs to get up to the top. Finally, we've made it -- a wooden platform that passes over the pyramid's highest point! Let's take in some of the views from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun. Here's a look down at some of the other ruins in Teotihuacan. Teotihuacan was a well-planned urban city, with a population of over 100,000 inhabitants at its peak. Archaeologists discovered evidence of drainage/sewage systems, multi-family dwellings, and public plazas -- all hallmarks of modern civilization nearly 2000 years later. The ruins seen here near the pyramids are part of the city's center, which represents only about 10% of the total size of the original city. The Avenida de los Muertos (Avenue of the Dead) stretches way off in the distance. One of the city's two main cross-streets, it runs essentially north-to-south. The south end of the historic area (seen here) is the Ciudadela, which was actually located at the center of the original city. We didn't visit here, but it's home to the Templo de Quetzalcóatl, another important historic site at Teotihuacan. Hills surround the Valley of Teotihuacan, including this hill just beyond the locality of Santa María Cozotlán. A look down the southeast corner of the pyramid. More views, now looking northeast from the top of the pyramid -- with the highest platform/landing also open to the public to walk around. Yes, this pyramid had a moat surrounding it! A look north toward the Pyramid of the Moon, at the north end of the Avenue of the Dead. The Pyramid of the Moon is the shorter of the two main pyramids at Teotihuacan, but it's otherwise no less impressive. These terraced structures along the Avenue of the Dead are an architectural style known as Talud-Tablero. It's commonly found in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. This Talud-Tablero platform is at the base of the Pyramid of the Moon. A closer look at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon, which is closed to the public, as it's in much worse shape than the Pyramid of the Sun. Strapping on the zoom lens and taking a closer look around the pyramid. Somewhere down there is where we parked. The building at bottom center is the restaurant we'd be eating lunch at, called Mayahuel. I somehow got a decent picture of despite not knowing we were going there! A good view from the top into the nearby localities, including San Martín and San Francisco Mazapa. An interesting church located in San Martín. Another distant view from the Pyramid of the Sun. A closer look at the less-built-up area of Santa María Cozotlán. More ruins near the pyramids. Teotihuacan lasted for many centuries, but fell somewhere in 700-750 AD, and was essentially abandoned. When Teotihuacan fell, some structures (especially near the city center) were burned. Later cultural groups (including the Aztecs) regarded Teotihuacan as a sacred city. Today, it's protected under authority of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), whose flagship museum I'd just visited two days prior. Oh, and the rest of the tourists are starting to arrive, so maybe it's about time to head down! ...and we're just gonna pretend this didn't happen. Here's a group who knows how to have a good time /and/ learn cool stuff!

Alright, since the article didn't specify, I will. Not hard to do a little searching around on the Erie County Auditor's website. Obviously, this is all publicly-available information. I found six parcels purchased by Cedar Point a short while ago on Cleveland Road. 1706 Cleveland Rd and adjacent (2 parcels total) Purchased from Crestview Holding Company LLC on October 5, 2017, for $163,250 http://erie.iviewauditor.com/Data.aspx?ParcelID=57-01884.000 http://erie.iviewauditor.com/Data.aspx?ParcelID=57-06019.000 1800 Cleveland Rd / 1801 Cleveland Rd and adjacent (4 parcels total) First three parcels purchased from Diamond Realty Co on October 11, 2017, for $300,000 http://erie.iviewauditor.com/Data.aspx?ParcelID=57-04694.000 http://erie.iviewauditor.com/Data.aspx?ParcelID=57-04750.000 http://erie.iviewauditor.com/Data.aspx?ParcelID=57-06018.000 Last parcel purchased from various individuals on October 11, 2017 for $0 http://erie.iviewauditor.com/Data.aspx?ParcelID=57-01775.000 Those six parcels form a continuous land area on the south side of Cleveland Road (US-6) between Cowdery Street and the Econo Lodge. To give you an idea of the size of this area in green, it's about 2.5 acres total. For comparison, the area covered by the Express Hotel (including parking lot) is a little over 8 acres. Searching for sales this year further north, I only found one parcel at 2009 Second Street -- it was purchased in January 2017, so not exactly a new sale. Rather, what's more interesting is that I learned that Cedar Point already owns a plethora of parcels behind the Commons and Express Hotel -- I found parcels on Fourth, Third, and Second streets. Suffice to say it's not just one or two -- far more than I feel like counting up or mapping out.

The easy answer is to spend your park days totally focused on the parks, and leave all the non-park stuff for that extra day. Disney Springs is fun to walk around even if you don't plan to shop much. Not sure where you're staying but maybe a hotel pool day? You can probably do that even after checking out. If you like mini golf, do not skip the Fantasia Fairways course outside the Swan/Dolphin. I have to play it every time I'm at WDW. Oh, and there's always DisneyQuest....... oh.

That whole Star Trek area is a huge change for Movie Park. Really impressive, actually! They've still got a lot of work to do -- dated attractions and some really awful big coasters -- but this is a great first step. Have to say, their family/kids area is really quite nice too.

People like to lie for imaginary bonus points that aren't redeemable for anything more than looking stupid. When I did Coasting for Kids at KI in 2015, I missed all of maybe 6 or 7 laps during the whole event, yet the people claiming to be "in the lead" had somehow taken 30 more rides than me. I love roller coasters as much as anyone but there is not a single ride on the planet I'd want to ride 1200 times in my entire lifetime, let alone a B+ GCI in one season. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the trip report, and have to say -- driving past the park at night, the lighting on the Eiffel Tower is almost indescribably spectacular!

Those are absolute works of art. Even aside from that, Mack's modern seats and restraints are very comfortable.

The world's #1 park to just get lost in. And if you go hungry at Europa, you're doing something wrong. Can't wait to get back there sometime! Did you enjoy the comfy seats on the new kiddie coaster?

Happy Family is a Mack Media production. The TPR group saw it at Europa in 2016. Interesting that it's coming state-side. I think they're doing a feature-length release of the film as well.