The Great Zo

As bluestreak noted, it was never officially confirmed, though this tweet by Melt hints pretty strongly at it. Interestingly, King's Island opened a Tom+Chee location late in the 2016 season, which is a sort-of competitor to Melt (though Melt is full-service and Tom+Chee is fast-casual). Melt is based in Cleveland and Tom+Chee is based in Cincinnati, so it makes some sense to let each one serve their nearest local park.

I think part of the issue is that while diversifying is good, Toverland's definitely a park geared toward a younger age group, and it would be peculiar to make their biggest-ever investment a ride that a big portion of their main demographic couldn't participate in. The place was packed with (and I dare say overloaded with) school groups when I was there this past year, and I'd guess most of them were in the 8-10 year old age range. In fact, it's a little weird for me to picture Toverland with all their play areas and magic forests and fantasy theming up front, and a huge B&M wing coaster in the back. It's definitely a big step, and I don't mean that in a bad way at all -- I'd be thrilled to go back there and check out the new coaster. Just hope some of the kids can get on too (so I can sneak a few more rides on TROY!)

Yup, it was 1985. That area has some tough geographic/geologic issues, between the threat of seismic activity and the fact that the city is on unstable ground and slowly sinking -- for real, not like Magnum or Vortex or whatever.

Naming a roller coaster after a state highpoint is one of the greatest things I've ever heard.

My own personal theme park heaven serves an unlimited supply of Tequesitos, Cinnamon Bread, Dole Whip, and Stroopwafels. Though, I might never make it on the coasters in that case.

Day 1 Continued -- A Walk in the Park Sunday, March 22, 2015 Q: Why did three mostly-sane TPR friends willingly eat fried worms and ant larvae? A: Because they were all out of grasshoppers. Here are a handful of pictures from Bosque de Chapultepec after our day at La Feria. Took a little trip back into the park. No boats on the lake this time, but awesome colors with sunset approaching. Because no trip to Mexico is complete without meeting Spider-Man, Bat-Caesar, and Captain America. Who is this DC Comics bat person? Toss him overboard! Looks like some sort of stage show or play being set up on another lake in the park. The stage backdrop looks like an Escher print. What's at the end of the rainbow? Probably a homemade popsicle cart. Looks tempting. Don't do it. Vendors of all sorts in the park, selling clothing, snacks, and toys. Or, you can get a henna tattoo, like one of these. Maybe you'd like a bar code? A Hello Kitty? A crucifix? Or, uh... Yeah, moving on! This is the Altar a la Patria (or Monumento a los Niños Heroes) at the east end of Chapultepec Park. This is another airplane, but I'm easily distracted. The monument (and the altar) are in memory of the Niños Héroes (boy heroes / heroic cadets) who died protecting Chapultepec Castle from invading US forces during the Mexican-American War. I've visited numerous monuments and memorials for US soldiers, so it's really kind of interesting to visit one on the other side of a conflict. The Día de los Niños Héroes (September 13) is a civic holiday in Mexico to celebrate the bravery of the Niños Héroes. A good evening to look at some artwork near the park, with Chapultepec Castle high on the hill in the background. The skyscraper boom in Mexico City hasn't let up since these pictures were taken! Several more are under construction. A rather colorful evening in Mexico City. At the east entrance gate to Bosque de Chapultepec, and there are the roller blades I was hoping to find earlier! Sitting on the steps in front of Mexico's Secretaría de Salud (Secretary of Health) national headquarters. Another monument -- the Estela de Luz (Pillar of Light), built in 2011 to commemorate Mexico's 200th anniversary of independence from Spain. Light evening traffic on a nearby freeway -- easily the least traffic congestion I saw in Mexico. A look east on Paseo de la Reforma. Torre BBVA Bancomer under construction -- now the second tallest building in Mexico. Torre Mayor, now the third tallest building in Mexico. The building under construction behind it is Torre Reforma, which (as of 2016) is the tallest building in the country. After our tour of the city, we found a place for dinner that had some interesting items on the menu. Sadly, they were indeed all out of chapulines (grasshoppers), which actually means somebody else already ate all of them. So my group -- minus me, as I stuck to the filet, thank you very much -- was forced to settle on... Escamoles -- the edible larvae and pupae of ants, considered an ancient aztec delicacy... ...and gusanos de maguey, a type of worm/caterpillar. Apologies for the stock images, but you really needed to see these up close and properly lit. All served up with corn tortillas and salsa verde, as demonstrated by Ryan, because this is Mexico. ¡Buen provecho!

Day 1 -- The Pictures (Part 2) The park's only other coaster is Ratón Loco, a standard-issue spinning mouse. The ride did experience some downtime, but we got a lap to earn the credit. Los Troncos ("The Logs" or "The Trunks") is the park's small-ish log flume. This is one ride that required little-to-no wait! It starts with a calm outdoor section that passes the midway near Ratón Loco. From there, the ride winds its way through troughs and under walkways until reaching the lift. It's a small drop, so it's fun for the whole family. Fun for this guy, especially. The splash is augmented by plastic shielding, but I don't remember thinking it was an overly wet experience. Nonetheless, picking the wrong seat in a heavy boat might do you in. And yes, in case the question's popped up in the back of your head, I did indeed brave a water ride in Mexico. Not quite a Skloosh-sized wall of water... ...but still a decent splash. Happy riders on log 13. Next up is a look at the park's tallest attraction. Here's the Power Tower, sponsored by... ...well, yeah. It's a bizarre Maurer Sohne drop tower, the likes of which I don't think I've seen at any other parks. It runs a cycle with several ups and downs, none of which were especially forceful. It a huge gondola -- probably seats almost as many people as the Intamin gyro drops in the US. Stop. Hammertime. El Martillo is a classic Loop-o-Plane, and a great way to lose track of your grip on reality. Hope you like hangtime and awkward forces. Once was enough! Nao de China -- or La Nao China -- is a big looping boat thing. It was much less uncomfortable than I had anticipated. The bars on the top of the boat are presumably there to keep you from falling out if your primary restraint fails. I have no idea why your primary restraint might fail, because clearly these padded lap bars are in perfect shape. Also, I am 100% confident in the strength of the tape on these ceiling bars, which Nozzy is fully qualified to assess and demonstrate. Surely the bent ladder rungs on the ride's spine are also of no concern to the park's visiting clientele. To further prove this ride's worth and quality, you may enjoy this figure on the front of the boat. From pirate ships to rocket ships -- let's head up the hill. I present the Jules Verne Orbinaut X10! Only the finest in modern amusement technology at La Feria! The seven engines on the back of this rocket are soon to propel us on a breathtaking intergalactic adventure. These high-tech chains and wheels will help control the rocket's motion through space. At the controls of the rocket you'll find Jules Verne himself, which is great because he's an author, not a pilot. This state-of-the-art device under the rocket's nose will surely keep our environment comfortable during the spaceflight. On our way to ... Dino Island! Because nothing says outer space like erupting volcanoes and stegosauruses, rendered in Pixar-quality CGI. From one flying machine to the next. See you later, Jules. It has been fun. Oh, and that's a Lufthansa plane, which foreshadows another trip report I might eventually get working on in a decade or two. Cabaña Chueca is the park's wacky shack. The word "chueca" (or "chueco") translates to something like "crooked" or "not straight" -- though the first result I got on Google was "bow-legged" which could make this whole operation mean something else entirely. But at least somebody got some exercise out of this -- Nozzy proves that sit-ups are difficult when your gravitational frame of reference is askew. Casona del Terror is a year-round haunted house. Jason and Freddy welcome you to this fully-licensed attraction! I am again obligated to report that I skipped the haunt, out of whatever reason you want to assign to me, so here's a picture of some other TPR members who survived the experience. In all seriousness, they said it was a pretty good attraction, so if you're into haunts this is probably worth going through. Time for a lunch break and a view over the rest of the park's attractions. The double-decker carousel looked interesting! Not every park has one of these. Sadly, the horses have seen better days. Since it's a compact urban park, it's no surprise that there's a lot of concrete. There are also steps all over the place, especially in the front half of the park. La Feria has a Condor, which I actually would have liked to ride, as they're pretty fun and aren't easy to find. Unfortunately, the line was probably 30-45 minutes long. The music express was also very busy and lined up. This kiddie version was not as popular. Another must-have attraction for any theme park in Mexico is Las Burbujas -- the bubbles! Unfortunately, these are just for kids. I finally found a theme park train that I had no interest in riding, since it appears that this one takes you directly to prison. Along the way, you'll get great views of ... chain-link fencing and poorly-painted wood coaster supports. Pass. They did have a cute little kids monorail... ...and a larger-than-normal bumper car platform. Carros Chocones = Bumper Cars. It's not Knoebels', so why bother? Here are a bunch of people waiting for some kind of show to begin at a makeshift stage. I presumed I was not the target audience for the event. I think I got some ice cream from here. I think it was good. But this is the challenge of not remembering everything when you're 22 months behind on trip reports. La Feria's finest souvenirs: Bicho Robots (AHHH!!) and Horrible Splat Balls (with horrible bugs inside!!) One last spin on Cascabel, and it's a front row ride just after the rain. Great way to end the day!

Day 1 -- The Pictures (Part 1) Good morning from Mexico City! A view from my hotel room. We have arrived at La Feria Chapultepec. Chapultepec translates roughly to "Grasshopper Hill," though that says nothing regarding to the anthropomorphic rodents and alligator. This is the park's main gate, which isn't particularly spectacular. You'll also notice their advertisement for a "pase anual" which might or might not be what you think it is. Bienvenidos! Anyone have a paintbrush? The first thing we see upon arrival at the park is that the park's triple-looping Schwarzkopf is out of service -- we didn't know about this in advance, since the park doesn't really communicate that kind of information anywhere. Oh, there's the paintbrush I was looking for. I would estimate a near-zero chance of coaster trains passing through these loops any time soon. The bright yellow paint did look nice. After the re-paint was finished, the loop supports were also changed to a bright red. It's a nice looking coaster, and it's a shame we couldn't ride. Also, note the Pepsi advertisement -- the first of many. Also, I'm pretty sure that "PEPSILINDROS" has nothing to do with the Philadelphia Flyers hall-of-famer. Also, that feels weird to type. A view over the rest of the park from the entry area. There's Montaña Rusa in action, behind ... a DJ'ing potato chip? Yes, a DJing potato chip. This post brought to you by Ruffles, PepsiCo, and what appears to be an awesome attempt to connect to youth culture circa 1995. On the other side of the entrance area, what's this monstrosity? This is La Cola de Chester Cheetos. It's a giant bouncy slide ... themed to another Frito-Lay / PepsiCo mascot. This slide was open for kids only, but we'd get another shot at a different park a few days later. If you're on the highway outside the park, your view will be consumed by the giant figure of this sunglasses-wearing cheetah. At this point we're a stack of pogs and a pair of roller blades away from this being the most awesome set of anachronistic park theming in existence. Enough from your sponsors, let's get to the rides! We went to Montaña Rusa first thing in the morning, entering this very colorful station. The station entrance is actually on a level above the boarding area, which is at ground level. Here's a view from near the exit, after a line had begun to develop. Let's all just stand around and look at an empty train. Maybe we'll put some people in there eventually. If I'm reading this sign correctly, Luis Felipe Santamaria rode Montaña Rusa 1,333 times between February 27 and March 8, 2006. He's never been seen or heard from since. To ride safely, attach your lego claw hands and get naked. I believe this sign is commemorating a reconstruction of Montaña Rusa in 1987. They're a little overdue for another one. Awesome art at the top of the station! If you're waiting in line like most people, you should have plenty of time to admire it. Robb and Ryan are obviously super excited for, what, maybe their 6th or 7th lap? Alright, let's check this thing out. Oh, and no rules were broken during the collection of these photographs, because that would imply that there are rules. Oh, so there /are/ rules: don't raise your hands, don't take off your legs, and don't go to the bar. A nice view of the pick-a-name-already Schwarzkopf across the park. Oh, and this thing. We'll get to this thing! This might be the best part of the ride -- a killer view of downtown Mexico City from the first big turn. Background: the TPR hotel. Foreground: an operational lightning rod. Just across the park, the tallest buildings on Paseo de la Reforma. Chapultepec Castle makes an appearance in this shot as well. Now, the fun begins. It's a very nice looking structure, but the ride experience doesn't live up to its historic status. The red/green/white colors look great. I do hope they take care of this coaster in the future, because it's got the potential to be a lot of fun. But as for now? Well, the varied expressions kind of tell the story. Now for some off-ride shots of Montaña Rusa. Or, if you get bored of pictures of the coaster, just play "count the Pepsi logos." But really, don't raise your hands. One train goes up the lift. Just one train, because that's how Montaña Rusa rolls. A train of obedient riders. Cresting the lift and heading down. The hills on this ride delivered some airtime, but not necessarily of the comfortable variety. Here's a fun fact! Montaña Rusa was part of the inspiration for Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Making a big turn past the coaster's infield, which is filled (in part) with an upcharge go-kart track. When Montaña Rusa opened in 1964, it was the world's tallest roller coaster at 110 feet. This ride would be so much more fun to photograph if both sides were operating. Down the hill... ...up the hill. There are a few good spots to get views of the ride, mainly from the back half of the park. Since it's a mobius-track woodie, it was important to ride both sides to complete one full circuit. They felt pretty much the same to me. Next up? Cascabel. Or is it Cascabel 2.0? The lego-slinky-robot snake seems to indicate that the ride's official name has been changed, but outside of some adjustments to the theming and a new paint job, I have no idea what's different. The lengthy queue ramp was thankfully mostly empty. To be fair, Cascabel had some of the better operations in the park. Better, but not perfect, I say while waiting for the gates to open. Cascabel's a classic Schwarzkopf shuttle loop -- a launched looping coaster with no horizontal curves. Cascabel was originally opened at Kennywood in 1980, but re-opened at La Feria in 1994. It's a Schwarzkopf, so you know the loop's going to be intense -- especially on the outbound leg. I'm not sure this one was launching quite as fast as it could, but it was still a lot of fun! From the front spike to the back spike. This might be the most fun part of the ride -- anyone in the back half of the train is getting some legitimate airtime! Montaña Rusa might have Cascabel beat on history, but at least during our visit, Cascabel was far and away the best ride at La Feria. The public seemed to love it as much as we did. The bright green trains look pretty nice, too. Off the back spike and coasting into the station.

Alright, let's get to the first park of the trip! As foreshadowed in the last report... Day 1 -- La Feria Chapultepec Mágico Sunday, March 22, 2015 Scorecard: Montaña Rusa (Right Lift) Montaña Rusa (Left Lift) Montaña Rusa (Right Lift) Montaña Rusa (Left Lift) Cascabel [back] Los Troncos Ratón Loco Power Tower Reptour El Martillo Nao de China The Jules Verne Orbinaut -- Lunch -- Cabaña Chueca Cascabel [Front] The Report: The first park day of the trip required no lengthy travel. La Feria Chapultepec, located within the large Bosque de Chapultepec city park, was not even a mile from our hotel. After partaking in our hotel's friggin' awesome breakfast buffet, we headed off to the park just after 9 AM. The first disappointment of the day came right when we walked up to the gate -- Montaña Triple Loop, the park's triple-looping Schwarzkopf, was in the middle of a painting/refurbishing job and clearly not soon to return to service. That didn't start things off on the best of notes. Figuring out how the morning was going to transpire was a little bit of an adventure, but we ended up getting into the park a little early, and opening our day with a guided tour of the property -- while it was still closed and the rides weren't yet operating. This makes sense, really. After that, we headed to Montaña Rusa for some early rides, and given how that ride was operated later in the day, we're very glad we got on as early as we did. We were all able to take multiple laps, earning the necessary credit for the entire mobius track. We went across the park to Cascabel next, before splitting off and tackling the rest of the park's attractions. The only other coaster, Ratón Loco, did experience some downtime during the day. However, we got on as soon as we saw it had re-opened. We also made a trip through the park's herpetarium (reptile exhibit), which included an opportunity to get pictures while holding a gigantic owl. There's something you don't see everywhere. After riding (and filming) an assortment of classic / unique / ancient flat rides, we broke for lunch. I have gained a new appreciation for the difficulty and complexity of serving a handful of cut-rate burgers and frozen pizzas to a group of barely over a dozen people. Next time we'll call in some experts with PhDs and chef's hats to ensure the process goes a little more smoothly. Wait times aside, this was one unfortunate theme that popped up a few times on the trip -- in parks serving up plenty of interesting, great-smelling local cuisine, they insisted on feeding us burgers and pizza. Really, this group's adventurous enough for some tacos! Thankfully, I think we all ate very well outside of the parks, so these complaints should be taken with an appropriate level of snark. After lunch, I split from the group to do some photography around the park, and I think I'm contractually obligated to make sure everyone knows I bailed on the haunted house because I'm a wimp. Once we re-united, we dodged a brief downpour near the park's train station, and indulged in some tequesitos. I don't have a picture of these high-class delicacies, so here's their Twitter account, so you can see them in all their fried-cheese-wrapped-in-dough glory. These shouldn't be good, but they are. They need to be in every US park as soon as possible. Wrapping up our day at La Feria with a front-row ride on Cascabel, we headed out at about 5 PM, making the short trek back to our hotel before a little more fun in Bosque de Chapultepec in the evening. Overall Impressions: La Feria is known as a small, classic urban park -- one with elements of culture and charm amidst the giant metropolis surrounding it. Did the park live up to these expectations? Not quite -- in fact, the place probably leans more toward outmoded and old fashioned, as opposed to quaint and historic. The park's ride lineup is obviously a weak point, though to some degree, that's something that can be excused/expected for a park of this type. It's a strange mix of flats that range from legitimate classics to outdated curiosities. The coaster collection is small, with two relocated Schwarzkopfs and a giant woodie in need of some work. Cascabel is good for multiple rides, as I'd presume the other Schwarzkopf is as well, and Montaña Rusa's got the historic aspect going for it. Outside of those, there really aren't any other can't-miss attractions. Unfortunately, getting through a handful of rides was a slow process due to the park's rather poor operations. We even had trouble with finalizing the arrangements for our group -- the initial plans didn't get to Robb until just a couple days before, and details were still being firmed up on the drive from the hotel. Dispatch / cycle times across the park ranged from acceptable-ish to slow, with the exception of Montaña Rusa, whose operations were hilariously awful. Here's a dual-station mobius-track coaster, which should be eating people like there's no tomorrow, and the park is running one train with a full queue. This is why I'm glad we got some early-morning pseudo-ERT-ish rides, because the wait was easily an hour long throughout most of the rest of the day. Had to skip a couple minor attractions in the interest of time, despite being at this relatively small park for almost eight hours. Also had to miss the Dolphin show (Exhibición de Delfines) but I figured since every Mexican park has dolphins, I'd catch a show at another park later in the trip. Oops -- never made it to a Dolphin show until Kolmarden in July 2016. Would I return to La Feria? I'd love to spend more time in Mexico City in the future, including taking some time to explore the rest of Bosque de Chapultepec. If I did that, I'd probably stop in for a couple hours and ride the fun stuff, and maybe one or two of the attractions I missed. I don't think I'd plan a whole day here on my own -- if not for the operations, a quick run through the must-ride attractions might not take that long to complete. Contrary to some reports I'd read, I didn't find the park to be dirty or aesthetically unpleasant. It's not as well up-kept as it could be, and maybe some fresh paint or cohesive design elements wouldn't hurt the haphazard visual "theming," but it's not an ugly park. It does have some charm, but it would be selling the place way too high to put it in a class with other classic / urban parks in the US and Europe. So, that said, my usual disclaimer on a mixed review: any day at a park is a good day. Especially true while visiting a foreign country and experiencing everything that comes along with that! The Attractions: Montaña Rusa: When La Feria opened in 1964, Montaña Rusa was the park's star attraction, and in a lot of ways it still is. It's an iconic structure, a rare mobius woodie, and far and away Mexico's most historically important amusement park attraction. Unfortunately, even aside from my thoughts about the ride's operations, it was a little too rough to be enjoyable. Definitely not on a Hades / Son of Beast / Bandit level, and not rough all the way through, but with several very jerky potholes at various spots along the way -- particularly at the bottom of the larger hills. There isn't anything particularly interesting about the layout, either. I will say that I absolutely love the views over Mexico City from the slow curves at the top of the structure. It's definitely worth riding for that reason alone. Oh, and what's the meaning of the name? Montaña Rusa's literal translation is "Russian Mountain," but in Spanish, it's an idiom that means the same thing as "Roller Coaster" in English. Montaña Infinitum / Montaña Triple Loop / Quimera: This ride, since moving to Mexico after stops in three different countries (Germany, Malaysia, UK), has been through three names in a decade. It also literally had a guy on a platform in one of the loops doing a paint job. A pretty clear sign that it wouldn't be opening. That's a shame, as it's a classic, and supposedly a pretty good coaster. Cascabel: Thankfully, the park's other Schwarzkopf was running very nicely for us! Cascabel (or Cascabel 2.0) was clearly the best ride operating at La Feria for our visit. I'd bet most people on this board had their first shuttle loop experience at Knott's (Montezooma's Revenge), or maybe even Kentucky Kingdom (Greezed Lightnin'). Here's a fun fact: if you rode Laser Loop at Kennywood, then you've been on Cascabel -- the ride was moved from West Mifflin to Mexico City in the early 90s. See for Robb's video of Cascabel in action. Ratón Loco: This is a pretty standard Reverchon spinning mouse -- to keep the Kennywood connection going, it's the same model as Exterminator at that park. A decent ride, but we've all been on these before. Good for a spin. Power Tower: This may be the only ride on the planet that's actually been themed to both Coke and Pepsi. To the chagrin of the owners of this website, I'm sure, La Feria seems to have settled on Pepsi. A rare example of one of these rides made by Maurer Sohne, it's not simply a drop ride -- they run a program with two or three cycles up and down the tower. Nice views from up top. Los Troncos: I'm a sucker for classic log flumes, so I braved getting a little wet, even in Mexico City. This one is on the small side, and I won't say it's among the world's most aesthetically pleasing flumes, but it was fun. Also, I didn't get injured while riding it, so there's that. I'll never get down on a park for keeping one of these around. The Jules Verne Orbinaut: Quite simply the most advanced motion simulator ride I've ever been on. This is a pioneering landmark in ride engineering. Universal and Disney have nothing on Julio Verne. From the life-like rocket we all boarded, to the advanced CGI on our trek through a land filled with dinosaurs and exotic creatures, it's truly an experience unlike any other. El Martillo: Oh boy. A classic Loop-o-Plane, this was every bit as uncomfortable and headache-inducing as I'd feared. Laugh really hard while you're on it, then swear to never ride again when you get off. , but you may want to pop some nausea medication before you watch. Nao de China: After El Martillo, I was expecting to hate this, especially as I'm no fan of hangtime. Thankfully, this Weber Traumboot -- a ride type I'm not sure exists in the US -- was actually pretty fun. . I'm sure the ker-chunk at 0:47 in the video is absolutely nothing to be concerned about at all. Cabaña Chueca: I think there is a requirement that every theme park in Mexico must have three things. One: a herpetarium. Two: a dolphin show. Three: a wacky shack. They go under several names, but the concept is always the same -- a decrepit old house carefully constructed for maximum optical illusory confusion. The challenge with visiting one of these in Mexico is that they're guided, extremely fast-paced, and narrated entirely in Spanish. I'm not sure we had a clue what was going on, but Nozzy was selected to participate in doing the toughest sit-ups of his life, so I guess at least somebody got some exercise out of it.

I close my eyes. Only for a moment, and the moment's gone. (sorry)

Just binge-read this whole thread in one go. Any report with mega-tall skyscraper views, a crazy ropes course, overloaded churros, and Hanno pics is going to be a good one.

I really enjoyed my time there. There's another "culture" trip report segment coming up later, too. There's a book's worth of conspiracy theories about that airport. I liked the main terminal building, but overall found it to be just slightly better than average, not to mention it's basically in Kansas.

The First Day in Mexico Arrival at Terminal 1 of Benito Juárez International Airport was relatively straightforward -- a long walk through the secured immigration area, a simple customs form, and few basic questions with a bilingual security officer. After that, it was time to play the "red light / green light" game. Upon arrival in Mexico, each passenger must press a button, which randomly activates a red or a green light. A green light means you're free to go, but a red light means you're getting searched. I saw a couple red lights while waiting in line, but I got green, and exited the secured area -- free and on my own in Mexico City. I took some time to get my bearings and set up my phone for the Mexican network, and then headed off to find a taxi to my hotel. It was my first time trying to speak a little bit of Spanish, and it went rather poorly. I'd end up a little more comfortable with it later in the week. Nonetheless, I successfully described my destination, and hopped in the back of car #0042 for what would prove to be 25 white-knuckle minutes through the roads of Mexico City. I can barely begin to describe the driving experience in the heavily-congested capital, and my words will only go so far to explain it -- so we'll go with a high-speed free-for-all in which traffic laws cease to exist, roundabouts are traveled in both directions simultaneously, medians and curbs are an imaginary construct, and pedestrians only have the right-of-way if they're hawking vegetables and flowers in the middle of a freeway. I've never seen anything like this, and NYC's got nothing on it! I arrived in one piece to the Hyatt Regency hotel in the Polanco district -- a great location close to several museums and the Bosque de Chapultepec -- Mexico City's gigantic urban park. I got to my room, dropped some things off, took a few minutes to assess my plans, and walked out onto the streets of Mexico City for the first time. It didn't take me long at all to feel comfortable -- the park was packed with people. Families boating on el Lago de Chapultepec, groups of people perusing the wares of several dozen street vendors, and people with their phones held up, taking pictures of the scenery. I pulled my camera out and did the same. I spent some time at Castillo de Chapultepec -- the historic castle and museum atop a prominent hill at the east end of the park. I then traveled just outside of the park to the famous National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropología) and met up with some of the other trip participants. We explored the museum, then headed out for dinner before ending the first day in Mexico City. Here's a batch of pictures from the park, the museums, and the scenery of Mexico's capital. If you're looking for theme park content, there's a quick preview in here for the next set. The first park review from the trip will be posted soon (within the next week). Coming out of the haze and getting my first view into Mexico City. Chapultepec Park is on the right; the central business district is on the left. A closer view over Mexico City's many modern skyscrapers. Spoiler alert: I might end up at this place. That's La Feria Chapultepec, Mexico City's urban theme park, and home to Montaña Rusa -- a huge mobius woodie. Coming down over the cityscape of Mexico City. It's kind of neat to see how different city streets look in another country. Out of the haze, Mexico City is a very colorful place. Nothing says "Mexico City" like a giant American home improvement retailer. About to land at the cramped-for-space Mexico City airport. On the ground in a new country -- and taxiing in to Benito Juárez International Airport Terminal 1. Trying not to die in the back of a taxi on the way to my hotel. This is home for the next few days! Walking to the park and expanding my comfort zone. A trail along the water's edge. Paddle boats were available for rent on Lago de Chapultepec. Despite the clouds, the scenery wasn't bad. You've got modern skyscrapers... ...and historic buildings, like this castle up on the hill. This is Castillo de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Castle). Let's take a hike up there! It's a long pathway up the hill, but there are several nice views along the way. Such as this view of the nearby amusement park, La Feria! More foreshadowing! Montaña Triple Loop (or Quimera as it's now called) at the south end of the park. Also, a 40-foot-tall Chester Cheeto. The outbound spike of Cascabel -- the other of the park's two Schwarzkopf coasters. Montaña Rusa and the Pepsi-sponsored Power Tower. As I'd learn the next day, I was unbelievably lucky to actually get a picture of this ride in motion, considering they dispatch trains about once every ten minutes. The entry gate for Castillo de Chapultepec. Normally they charge a fee to get in, but I got there within the last hour that it was open, and they were letting everyone through. In case you forgot which country this is. Construction on the Castillo de Chapultepec began in the late 1700s, but it was not totally finished until 1863. The castle has served various purposes over its lengthy existence, but it's now the home of Mexico's national history museum. A mural near the main entryway to the castle. This carriage was used by Maximiliano, the emperor of Mexico from 1864-1867, who resided in the castle. I'm not sure I'm important enough to be in this stately meeting room. There are stained glass windows all over the castle. Here's a view of another one from outside. The east end of the castle is built over a steep hillside, with terraces that wrap around the building, providing excellent views of the city. Here's a view of the north, with some of the taller buildings of the Polanco neighborhood. This is one of the oddest buildings in Mexico City. There's our hotel again! A tree in bloom. Looking east over the main core of downtown Mexico City. The city's tallest buildings are right here, at the west end of the Paseo de la Reforma. This is the Monumento a los Niños Héroes, an important monument at the foot of the hill. Another look down the Paseo de la Reforma, which, to be honest, is probably one of the more Americanized sections of the city. The Angel of Independence (Monumento a la Independencia) in the middle of the Paseo. It's one of the city's most important landmarks and symbols. A view to the southeast. Just love how different it looks from what I'm used to in the US. Restaurants, buses, street vendors -- things you'll see a lot of in Mexico City. Mountains, also. But don't just look at the obvious one straight ahead -- cast your eyes at the top left. There's a glimpse of Iztaccíhuatl -- a completely-unpronounceable 17,160 foot tall volcano just over 40 miles from Mexico City. Taller than any mountain in the continental US by thousands of feet. A view south of the castle, and a reminder that mountains pretty much ring themselves around the entire city. If you're into old churches and cathedrals, Mexico City has you covered. Never thought I'd include J-Lo in a trip report, but here we are. Off to the south-southeast and shrouded in clouds is Mexico City's tallest peak, Ajusco. Six Flags Mexico is out that way somewhere too, but not in this picture. Chapultepec translates to "Grasshopper Hill" so enjoy this statue/fountain of the namesake insect. By the way, you're probably familiar with the US Marines' Hymn: "From the Halls of Montezuma..." and so on. Well, this is it. These are the famed "Halls of Montezuma." This was a neat place to visit. Great history, great views, and easy to get to. Time to head down from the hill to the next destination. On the way, I passed through some of the busier areas of Chapultepec Park, with more vendors than I could count. I passed by this "living statue" guy... ...and learned that pay phones still exist! INAH is the National Institute of Anthropology and History (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia) -- a government organization that manages museums all around the country. This is their flagship museum, and the most visited museum in all of Mexico -- the National Museum of Anthropology. Or, the Museo Nacional de Antropología, if you prefer. The entryway to the museum, with a quote from Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos: "The Mexican people lift this monument in honor of the admirable cultures that flourished during the Pre-Columbian period in regions that are now territory of the Republic. In front of the testimonies of those cultures, the Mexico of today pays tribute to the indigenous people of Mexico, in whose example we recognize characteristics of our national originality." A huge roof/pillar/fountain structure in the central courtyard, known simply as the umbrella (el paraguas). It's really quite impressive. Also, you could take a shower in it, if you really wanted to. I think they kinda frown on it, though. After a little bit of wandering, I met up with some of the rest of the TPR group in the museum's most famous exhibit -- the home of the Aztec Sun Stone. Sometimes called the Aztec calendar stone, it's been described as the Mona Lisa of Aztec / Pre-Columbian sculpture. Alternatively, it's simply a spot for a horribly-cheesy photo op. Can you believe they found this thing /buried/ while doing repairs on the city's historic cathedral? This is /not/ the actual Sun Stone. It's the replica in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot -- and because I never actually went into the Mexico pavilion until a Disney trip in October 2015, I saw the real thing seven months before I saw the fake one. But, uh, the replica version's got the better lighting package! Back to the real thing -- a closer view of the center of this spectacular work of art. It's attached to a huge slab of rock, and it's probably going to be safe in here for years to come. I really don't know how to caption most of the rest of this, but it was pretty neat to see a bunch of historic artifacts from numerous cultures. Probably only about 10-20 percent of the museum's text included English translations, so it wasn't always easy to interpret. Bones, skulls, weaponry, and what not. Old maps, too, which I'm kind of into. Mexico City was built on the site of an ancient lake (Lake Texcoco) which was drained after the Spanish conquest. Before the modern city was built, this location was home to Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire. This is a model of the Templo Mayor, whose ruins still exist very close to the historic center of Mexico City. Here's a raised map of Teotihuacan -- another historic site, but this one pre-dates the Aztecs. A bit more foreshadowing for this trip report? Another, much larger model of Teotihuacan. There will be more about it later, because -- if it's not obvious -- we visited the site. Teotihuacan, unlike the Aztec sites, dates back over a millennium! The two prominent pyramids at Teotihuacan are some of the most important in the western Hemisphere. Pretty neat to know I'd be visiting them just a couple days later. Some more stone art in the museum. A bunch of dragon lizard things. Sorry, I'm running out of caption ideas. OK, it's actually a restored / painted version of the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, which is another historic structure at Teotihuacan. A tile mosaic skull? Now we're getting somewhere. Ritual cannibalism? Now we're talking! A cracked skull? Human bones made into tools? Welcome to Preclassic Mexico. A legit ancient human skeleton, which I believe is from at least a couple thousand years ago. Bones from a long-extinct Mammoth, found in Mexico. Cave paintings! Honestly, we probably only saw about half of the museum -- maybe not even that much. It's huge and well worth visiting for several hours. Now, how did I get out of here without a single picture of all the bead art? One of the last displays we saw was this rather disturbing video board in which faces morphed into skulls. This isn't creepy at all. In the gift shop, you can buy little trinkets like this! Or, you can buy Minialmaniques, little history books that celebrate important moments in Mexican cultural history, like ... the release of Pulp Fiction. Dinner at El Bajío, which was one of my favorite restaurants on the trip. If Tres Leches cake is your thing, oh my. Getting this picture of the fountain / statue behind my hotel was the second-to-last thing I did on my first day in Mexico. The last thing I did was raid the nearby 7-11 and buy up a bunch of soda and candy, because everyone knows that's pretty much the most fun thing to do on a visit to a foreign country! More to come -- including the first park day of the trip -- with the next installment.

As is natural for a journey to Mexico, this trip report begins in Denver, Colorado. Wait, what? The Prologue We're going to have to start with a little geography lesson. Mexico City, the first stop on the trip, is the famed and historic capital city of my native country's southern neighbor. The city is located within the Valley of Mexico, part of a high-based plateau, and formerly the site of Lake Texcoco. After the Spanish conquered the Aztecs, the lake was drained, leaving behind a dry basin surrounded by tall mountains. While this geography can lead to problems with air quality, the elevation is a bigger factor -- Mexico City sits at around 7,500 feet above sea level. Anyone who's ever dealt with altitude sickness can probably surmise that jumping straight from a typical lowland US elevation to that kind of height is a recipe for disaster. I've had issues with rapid pressure changes in the past, so I decided to take a stair-step approach to my trip, and headed off on my first-ever visit to the Mile High City on Thursday, March 19. I spent two days acclimating in Denver, getting lucky with some fantastic weather, and actually ending up on an 8,150 foot mountain summit near Boulder -- proving to myself that I'd handle Mexico City's rarefied air just fine. On the morning of Saturday, March 21, I returned to the airport to make my trip south of the border. Also, I promise that's the only time I'll use the hackneyed phrase "south of the border" in this trip report. I connected through Dallas / Fort Worth -- not just a change of planes, but a complete "get your own luggage" change in airlines. From there, I had a direct flight into Mexico City -- and a new country credit to add to my collection. Here are some pictures from the first leg of the trip. I'm putting up some pictures from Denver and the journey south, but I promise that there will be some theme park content mixed in! Departure gates. Get this show on the road. Or in the air. Arrival in Denver. This is public art in the airport, not a credit. But you were thinking it. Admit it. First visit to Denver. Wanted a good view of downtown. Found it across the street from what I think might have been a pay-by-the-hour motel. Just to the right? Elitch Gardens, closed for the season, because it was March. But hey, have some pictures anyway, because this is a theme park site. They've got water slides. They've got a freestanding observation tower. By that, I mean the type you can freely stand in. Those are my favorites. They've got a Ferris wheel. They've got a Vekoma SLC. Did I mention I was actually glad this place wasn't open? Oh, and a boomerang. Elitch Gardens isn't the only park in Denver. Too bad I missed Lakeside's job fair by only three days. Some interesting old architecture at Lakeside Amusement Park. Cyclone is a wooden coaster from 1940. Looks interesting. Here's a view from up on Inspiration Point, a small hill / park just northwest of Lakeside. Hazy as it was, this is why I really went up to Inspiration Point -- the first time I've ever seen the Rockies. OK, back to my semi-sketchy photo spot of Denver. Elitch doesn't look bad for the off-season. Fun with long exposures. Went into the mountains the next day. Took a pleasant hike around Evergreen Lake. This is how you use a frozen pond! Well, I guess they're bound to break down sometimes. That's a breathtaking view over I-70 -- first time I've seen anything like it. What's that on the hillside? We've got bison. Dangerous and unpredictable. Kind of like those Vekomas at Elitch Gardens. Went up to see the grave site of William "Buffalo Bill" Cody. There it is, at the top of Lookout Mountain. In memoriam! Noted. Nice view of Denver from up here. Downtown looks so far away. More amusement park content! Elitch Gardens from 12 miles away and 2,100 feet up. There's Lakeside Park from about the same distance and height. Got some more neat views of mountains. Then I went and climbed this one. The summit of Green Mountain in Boulder. Pretty cool view west. Pretty cool view east. Mountains make neat shadows. That's it for Colorado. Time to head to sleep and then head to the airport. This mural at the airport really got me in the multicultural spirit to travel to Mexico! This mural, on the other hand, is a nightmare wrapped in a disaster wrapped in a horror movie. Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba. Arrival into DFW and a quick pass over Six Flags Over Texas. I'll get you one day, NTAG. A change of airlines later, I was on my way to Mexico!

Mexico: now in technicolor! So, does starting a report on an early-2015 trip in January 2017 negate this to nostalgia? Wait 'til you see how long it takes me to start work on 2016. Table of Contents: Prologue -- Travel and Culture (Page 1) Day 1 -- La Feria Chapultepec (Page 2) Day 2 -- Teotihuacan and Mexico City Culture Day (Page 3) Day 3 -- Six Flags Mexico (Page 4) Day 4 -- Guadalajara Culture Day (Page 5) Day ??? -- Boblo Island (Page 6) Day 5 -- Selva Mágica (Page 7) Day 6 -- Small Parks of Mexico City (Page 8) In March of 2015, I was able to attend a week-long trip to Mexico with Robb and Elissa. This was my first international trip with the group, and the first time I'd ever been to Mexico. Why did I choose this trip in particular? I'm a little bit interested in the culture and the history. I'm interested with stepping outside the comfort zone of domestic travel. I was definitely interested in proving that a trip to real Mexico is far more rewarding than a lay-on-the-beach lazy-cation at some culturally-bankrupt Caribbean resort. The roller coasters were just a part of the reason, and just a fraction of the experience. We spent time in both Mexico City and Guadalajara, and theme parks only made up about half of our itinerary. Along the way, there were pleasant surprises (Schwarzkopf was a madman), minor disappointments (Alicia, you let us all down), several fantastic "culture credit" tours, and one absolutely killer RMC.

Columbus, Ohio.

Looks great! Some really nice shots in there, including the fireworks/peninsula from a distance, and the Gatekeeper lift climb. Plus, a guest star appearance from TPR's Marcel!

Complain? It gets you to the best part of Epcot quicker!

That looks like a pretty effective way to not be friends with Tony Clark anymore.

Great example of how to put a lot of coaster in a small plot of land. Not a section of wasted track. Should be a great complement to White Lightning. ...and, I mean, the rendering looks fine. It's a rendering. It's a mockup. They're not gonna build a support that clobbers your face while you ride. This isn't Mount Olympus.

I think the first RMC teaser was a Twitter "to-do list" post from September 1, 2014.

Here's the path of the tornado yesterday. Winds of 100 MPH and a path length of ¾ mile. The start of the tornado's path was under a mile from SFOG. Quite the week of weather / theme park close calls, with the wildfire near Dollywood and another tornado two miles from Carowinds.

The warning was issued because radar indicated a strong circulation in the vicinity of the park. The closest damage being reported as of now is at the intersection of Mableton Parkway / Discovery Blvd, about two miles NE of the park. It's very unlikely the park was affected.

A tornado did occur near the park, and there is damage that extends to north of downtown near Buckhead. I can't find any reports to suggest that the park was hit, or that a tornado was spotted at the park. The warning for the area (which included the park) was issued at 138 PM EST.

Found a nice review of the weather conditions that led to the fire and its rapid movement last night, if anyone's interested. The weather forecast for the next day or so is complicated. Winds are not overly strong right now (gusts of 25-35 MPH at higher elevations near Gatlinburg) but this will increase overnight, and winds will be at their strongest between 4AM and 1PM (gusts of 40-60 MPH at higher elevations, 20-40 MPH in the valley). Conditions are dry right now, and outside of maybe a light shower or two, will remain so for several hours. Chances of rain will increase after 10PM, with the potential for some heavy rain and thunderstorms overnight and tomorrow morning. Rain is good, but too much heavy rain on freshly-burned slopes can lead to flash flooding, and lightning isn't good news for anybody in these kinds of situations. I'm glad not all of the earlier reports of damage ended up verifying to their initial severity. At this point it seems like waiting for a primary source is crucial, as there's simply too much speculation to keep track of.