Justin Adams

Dark rides, if done right, are just as fun as coasters in my opinion. I was a dark ride fan way before I was a coaster enthusiast, having grown up on the classics at Disneyland. Rides like Peter Pan, Mr. Toad's, Haunted Mansion and even Snow White are some of my favorites at the park. Spiderman at IoA is in my favorites list as well. While ToT is a drop ride, it has dark ride elements and I count that as one of my favorites also. The only dark rides I can't stand are stupid Haunted Houses like the one at Knoebels and SCBB. Crap! Justin p.s. The dude kicking the other dude in your sig is hilarious!

Dude, this is a new low. I think I'll start a photo TR of my next trip to the bathroom, sans nakedness of course. THAT will be a new low... Justin

Great TR, nice pictures. Is it just me, or is IOA looking a bit shabby? Maybe it's just the way the pics came out, but I remember the rides and buildings being a lot brighter in color. I still really want to go back regardless. Thanks for fueling the fire, bud. Justin

Cows, blue boats and English countryside. Awesome. Sounds like you had a blast, thanks for sharing the pics. Justin

Dude, look at the chin on that guy in the blue shirt. Man, what a fat loser. That's classic, awesome job. Justin

Oh, if I thought it was bas yesterday, this morning I wake up exhausted, sore and miserable. HOLY CRAP. :shock: I hurt all over. It was fun though, just tiring. I'm glad I'm still alive too. When the heck are you guys coming up north again?

Nice pics, I've never seen SFMM so dead. At 103 degrees though, I can imagine why. HOLY CRAP that's hot. I guess coming from Florida, it's not too bad though. Justin

Nice photos, looks like you guys had a great time! Too bad about the fog, looks like the Bay Area most of the time. Except for this weekend, it's been blazing hot. Anyhoo, thanks for sharing, and thanks for not posting a picture of Gregg in a bathing suit. Justin

So my girlfriend Jeanne had what seemed like a great idea this morning. A ferry ride to Angel Island State Park, right smack dab in the middle of San Francisco Bay. Angel Island was used as a Civil War fort, as well as a military installation during the 30's and 40's. We figured we'd ride our bikes, get some fresh air, and get out in the sun for some exercise instead of swimming at the gym every day. So, we loaded our bikes into her SUV, and drove over to Tiburon to catch the ferry. It was warm, but the wind was blowing which made it a little more bearable. What WASN'T bearable was the FRIGGIN hills on the island. We both had never been, so it was all new to us. We figured, how bad can an island bike ride in the bay be? Well, I swear, I felt like Lance Armstrong in the Pyrenees. Only, I'm not NEARLY in the same GALAXY as him in terms of biking, so we both almost died. Talk about CRAZY hills. Anyways, we had a nice 2 hour bike ride along the island, up and down the hills. Got some great photos, some great sun, and had a little fun as well. We ended up back in Tiburon for dinner at a good Mexican restaurant, where I had fried plantains for the first time. It was very tasty, and we were very tired so we hit the road and got back home. It was a good day with my lady. Anyways, here are some photos: Getting ready for plantains. Mmmm... fried plantains... mmmmm.... On the ferry again. A great view, and not just Jeanne. Cannons? COOL! They actually recreate Civil War battles here too. An old Army barracks, circa 1910. As I said, Angel Island was a military installation. Here's some cool old Army stuff. I like stuff. Amazing views from on top the island. Me, after trekking up a major hill. Note the pain in my face. Lance Armstrong, who? The first of many hills. This was an easy one... The island profile. Shouldn't be too hard, right? A sign. Wow. The dreaded Isla de Muerta My girl. Again, safety first! BUFFNESS. Yeah right. Note the helmet, safety first! On the ferry. Tiburon from the ferry. Those homes go for about $3 to 4 million or more.

Hey, nice photos. That overhead shot of Lesbian, um, I mean Lisbon looks interesting. Sort of reminds me of parts of New York City and New Jersey. I don't know why, it just does. Too bad about the Roller Skater, we all know how much you LOVE Vekoma. I guess it'll have to wait until European Coaster Trip 3. Justin

Newcastle Fat Tire Guinness Honorable mention: Bass, Anderson Valley Stout, Corona

10. Wannabes - just be yourself people! 9. Work 8. Six Flags Magic Mountain 7. People who create trailers using Robb and Gregg's faces 6. Ig'nant peeps, fo shizzle 5. People who lie and cheat 4. Men who get liposuction (pussies!) 3. Work 2. George Bush and his cronies 1. Turning 30 Honorable mention: Anal retentive bosses

I have to say that, riding Millenium Force at night was probably the best night coaster experience I've had. Sitting on the side where you overlook the lake and you can't see a thing out there, save for maybe a few lights. Eerily wicked. Ahh, I miss Cedar Point. Except for Mantits, that ride sucks my hole.

Not originally, they were built for public transportation. Now they are mostly a tourist attraction. Back to HHN, who is going this year?

I'm also Space Mountain. Any ladies wanna ride my rocket?

Cyborg - J.U.S.T.I.N.: Journeying Unit Skilled in Terran Infiltration and Nullification Hobbitt - Olo Peatfingers of Brockenborings Elf - Findecáno Elendil (sweet, I'm the line of Elendil! ) Jedi - ADAJU FOALA of the planet Ativan Smurf - Queasy Smurf (must've been the chili...) Pimp - Seymour Sin Hip Hop - Grandmaster Vanilla Thug of the Underground Superhero - Master Nova

Honestly, I'm not dissing the movies at all. I love all the Pixar movies, and I love Disney movies too. My beef is the lack of creativity in the selection of new RIDES at DL/DCA. It all just seems to be rehashed stuff, redone stuff, or something that's already been done before. It's like Disney is turning into a more expensive version of Six Flags, dropping rides into parks that have been done before, or redoing rides altogether. Granted, Disney does it with a little more flair, but honestly the comparison can be made. Which is sad, because it never used to be that way. The last ride that was original and innovative in the park was, what, Indy? We got a crap version of Pooh, a redone Space Mountain (which sounds really good, actually, I'll give it that), Rocket Rods (could've been innovative if done correctly), HISTA (blech) and I can't remember what else. I'm not counting DCA, where we've got Soarin' and California Screamin, and even Grizzly River Rapids to a certain extent. ToT is just another rehash of an already existing ride. My biggest complaint lately is the lack of original attractions that you can't find anywhere else. Stuff like Mission: Space, Expedition Everest, Test Track, the list goes on and on. That's what I've been ranting about. So now I'm done. 8) Justin -- who carries a Disneyland soapbox wherever he goes...

^ Oh, definately, I agree that kids nowadays connect Disney more with the Pixar characters than with the classics. However, I'm talking about almost every single new ride idea coming down the pipeline for DL seems to tie into a Disney/Pixar movie. Disney used to be known for innovation and originality, now they are just using the Pixar characters to fill in space at the resort, while WDW gets all the original rides that DL used to be known for. That's my gripe. Believe me, I love DL with a passion, I even quit my job to work there for the summer a few years ago. However, it's sad that the current corporate leadership sees dollars only coming from rides based on Pixar movies, not on original, creative ideas. Given the money, time and corporate backing, I really think that DL could begin to find that more people would respond to innovative and new ideas, instead of just rehashing old rides with Pixar themes and hoping it brings in the bodies. That's my point. Is anyone really THAT excited about Monster's Inc. at DCA? Nemo sounds decent, and I liked Buzz at WDW, but really, are these anything to get THAT excited about? Not in my opinion. DL used to be a place where families could ride things together, and both adults and kids would come away awed and excited. It seems that was lost a long time ago. Anyways, I'm off my soapbox. I'd still love to live near the park again, and be able to visit all the time like I used to, even with all the Pixar rides. Justin

That's still probably too expensive for Joey. Just kidding. I could probably do Thursday through Sunday... I've been needing an IOA fix for a long time. Justin

Thanks for the info Robb. So when are we all going?

What I'm more concerned about is all the "Pixar-ization" of the parks, as I call it. First Buzz Lightyear at WDW, then Bug's Land at DCA, now Buzz Lightyear and Nemo at DL, and Monster's Inc. at DCA. Rumor has it a Cars attraction is coming to DCA soon too. I wonder when the next completely original ride not tied into an animated movie or character is going to show up at DL? I'm not counting the dumbed-down version of ToT, even though I think it's a great ride in itself.

I don't have any pictures, but SBC Park ranks among the best in views as well. I've never seen PNC Park, but that looks amazing. Too bad the Pirates suck, huh? Network Ass-ociates for the A's is a crap stadium too, but at least there's an Irish pub in there! Dodger Stadium is crap, too rundown for my tastes, but it has a nice location.

BUTTFLAME! "Um, sorry. I ate chili for lunch."

Here's me. Wow. More ladies on my arms... YEAH BABY! I've got a tree growing out of my head Always got the ladies on my arm... My girl and I at a wedding

Decent but otherwise boring ride?!? BLASPHEMY!! How DARE you impune the greatest coaster on the planet, THE WHIZZER! Seriously though, I love that ride. I wish PGA still had theirs. Stupid PGA... Sounds like you had a good time at least. I loved SFGAm when I was there, one of the best SF parks in the chain. I can't wait to go back sometime. Justin