Photo TR: Tom's North American Adventure!

[coastercrazed49]

Well looks on the bright side there wasn't very long lines.

 

The only good looking ride the is ROS

[BrownStreak]

Well hey if your out that far already you gotta hit Seabreeze up in Rochester- home to my #3 Woodie!

 

BTW- The Great Canadian Midway on Clifton Hill would have actually been worth a quick detour- they have a neat shooting dark ride called Ghost Blasters and their simulator plays Fun House Express.

 

Where was that Big Wheel? That wasn't there the last time I was up there (I grew up nearby). There was a giant wheel at Maple Leaf Village but when the park closed it was torn down- nice to see they got one back!

[dandaman]

Tom! You should have told me you were in town!

 

(About 20 minutes away from Windsor, but close enough as far as TPR member proximity goes...)

 

Everything you said about Marineland? Completely true. The kind animal rights people were out in full force when I visited last July. That's also the day I killed my legs for the next three days by challenging Sky Screamer... 's hill.

 

The most feared Canadian in the Seven Seas!

 

5 with the exchange rate.

 

Great TR. Always nice to see other members around my neck of the woods... even if those woods suck the hardest out of the entire forest of area attractions.

 

^ The Wheel was on the south side of Clifton Hill, about halfway down. Pretty close to the Frankenstein Burger King (I'm surprised there's no pics of that here!).

 

We got some Canadian Midway Pass last year that granted access to that, GhostBlasters, and about 10 other rides/attractions for $25. Very worth it, IMO.

[bovinejumpsuit]

I feel so dirty that I laughed at jokes made by an Gooner. Couldn't you make it easier for me and take notice of Rory McGrath?

[Gutterflower]

I'm sure u had more hair last time i saw you Tom

 

where are you heading next anyhow?

[Shockwave]

^The answer is 3 posts above yours!

 

So after finishing Darien Lake a lot earlier than planned, I figured that since I was less than one hour from Seabreeze, it would be rude not to visit the park.

 

So I did!

 

 

 

Part 4b - Seabreeze Saves The Day!

 

 

 

And how glad I was to make the drive here!

 

If Darien Lake was like a sticky turd that just won't flush, then this was the cheap and cheerful snack that you ate a day ealier.

 

It's a very quaint little park which includes a classic woodie, some pretty good flyers, a butter smooth spinning coaster and a steel-on-wood bobsled ride. Sides include a log flume, a few other recongisable flat rides and a show area which was packed with parents watching their kids dance around on stage for some parade they had going on. All this family fun was going for the bargain bucket price of just $18 plus tax.

 

What this park does have is one thing that Darien Lake was sorely missing: a good family atmosphere. It wasn't rammed with rowdy teenagers, but had a pleasant vibe to it. It's not a park that will win any awards, but it was so much better than Darien Lake in almost every way that it put me in a really good mood for the rest of the day.

 

And they let me on their kiddie coaster too!

 

Here's a few photos...

And here's where I was headed! So guess where the next update comes from? See you soon...

As Jack Rabbit dives into the ground, it was time to dive into the car and head for the next hotel.

Slightly blurry I know, but I don't care for two reasons. A: The train actually goes pretty fast, and B: That is a bona fide SIGNATURE MOVE in the front!

And I hadn't forgotten about the Bear Trax kiddie coaster as well. With an English accent, a conversation about football (or soccer as some poeple call it) and a well placed TPR hoodie I felt like 7 years old again!

And who needs a Supreme Scream when you can have a ride that almost anyone can do, and probably has more airtime as well!

Here's another case in point.

And if you do want something more thrilling like this Screamin' Eagle skyflyer, it's only a short walk away!

As you can see, with rides like this they've got the family formula well worked.

Here's one side dish that is always a family favourite.

Lost? Well you shouldn't be with a map this clear.

John Candy would have been proud of that!

Right next to Whirlwind are the Bobsleds.

They seem happy enough!

And my, it spins well! Just make sure you get that magic number though.

What is there now is the Whirlwind. It's the same name and model as the spinner at Camelot in the UK, the only difference is that this one hasn't been torn to bits on the German Fairs.

Seeing as Quantum Loop isn't there anymore, this one's for Derek. If I heard right, he might just like Flyers.

The layout runs past the grass parking lot away from the park. Not much airtime, but no spine-jarring bumps either.

Does that look like a first drop? Well it is!

Jack Rabbit might be running some awful Morgan trains these days, but it's still an enjoyable little coaster.

First stop was the classic John Miller woodie.

Welcome to Seabreeze! Family fun which your wallet will smile at.

[odene497]

Great pictures Tom! I agree, Seabreeze is a nice place to spend a few hours. Although I don't think Darien Lake is as bad as you described it, it definetely does need some work. Looking forward to Pennsylvania!

 

-Nick

[Tanks4me05]

[sarcasm]I'm so happy people constantly trash Darien Lake for the piece of crud that it is[/sarcasm] It really is not as bad as all those people think. Yeah, Mind Eraser hurts, but it's not horrible. Actually, Boomerang is not bad at all, and Viper is actually pretty smooth. Either A: You sat in the crap places of the trains, B: Everyone are wimps and can't handle any pain, or C: I'm crazy. (I think C is correct, because Mean Streak and Hercules are still in my top 10 wood lists)

 

Oh, Predator did re open, I rode it in early June, it just didn't like you and decided to break down that day. If you ride in the second car, first row, it isn't that bad, save for three or four spots.

 

At least Seabreeze was complimented. (Dude, Bobsleds got a new sign!)

[BrownStreak]

Yeah I was right, I guessed his next park. The last drop on the Jack Rabbit at Seabreeze is the reason that it ranks so high on my coaster ranking. If you sit in the right area of the train you get airtime coming into the station breaks- very rare in my experience- plus its in a tunnel!

[BrownStreak]

Opps my PC is acting up again- sometimes when I click the right button it double clicks so I had two idenitcal posts so I'm just typing this in "edit" so I don't get yelled at for it...

[Meteornotes]

Seabreeze is a cool little park. Too bad they don't have that totally screwed up looping coaster there any more. That thing was interesting.

 

Dariian Lake is a dump. I'm amazed it's still open. Outside of S:ROS (which is the worst one I've ever been on), there is nothing redeeming about the place.

 

dt

[Darien Laker]

Darien Lake is in much better shape than it was last year I think, and hopefully this is just a transitional year.

 

Viper and ROS are still my main reasons to go, and Predator as I always say is just like falling down a flight of stairs, so nothing was missed there.

[Tanks4me05]

^^ You can still ride Quantum Loop, the "totally screwed up looping coaster", it's just in Columbia, named Bambo Coaster.

 

 

http://rcdb.com/id2749.htm

 

-Tanks "that and Broca (Zambezi Zinger) are why I want to go to South America some day" 4me05.

[Shockwave]

[sarcasm]I'm so happy people constantly trash Darien Lake for the piece of crud that it is[/sarcasm] It really is not as bad as all those people think. Yeah, Mind Eraser hurts, but it's not horrible. Actually, Boomerang is not bad at all, and Viper is actually pretty smooth. Either A: You sat in the crap places of the trains, B: Everyone are wimps and can't handle any pain, or C: I'm crazy. (I think C is correct, because Mean Streak and Hercules are still in my top 10 wood lists)

 

Oh, Predator did re open, I rode it in early June, it just didn't like you and decided to break down that day. If you ride in the second car, first row, it isn't that bad, save for three or four spots.

 

At least Seabreeze was complimented. (Dude, Bobsleds got a new sign!)

 

Well after you go to over 100 different parks, you begin to get an idea of what a good park is. And this one has a long way to go before getting that tag.

 

What Darien Lake really needs to benefit from is good management. And the new folks in charge (especially at the very top of the business) surely can't be any worse than the previous lot.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Part 4c - Waldameer Park

 

 

 

Anyway, after visiting Seabreeze I had a hotel booked in Erie, PA. When I arrived there it was still only about 5pm.

 

And seeing how convieniently close I was to Waldameer Park and it was open till 10pm, I took the 20 minute drive down there for some more rides. I had originally planned to visit the next day, but I was so ahead of time after the two previous parks, it made sense to get Waldameer finished that same night.

 

Unfortunately, my camera was feeling a bit sick (and would also become terminally ill by the trip's end), so a few of the photos are really shit to be honest. So I'm sorry for buying a Kodak.

 

There's a junior wooden coaster called Comet, which had its fair share of tree action, the Ravine Flyer 3 kiddie coaster which was great fun, and another Maurer Spinning Coaster which was even crazier than the one at Seabreeze earlier in the day.

 

Along with the usuals (Ferris wheel, Log Flume, Twister, Dodgems, etc) their new ride is a 140ft freefall tower called X-Scream which was pretty enjoyable, and a couple of really cool dark rides.

 

And of course, there's a construction site for the eagerly awaited Ravine Flyer 2 wooden coaster, which, along with Waldameer's food stands will no doubt be heaving with ACErs when it finally becomes a reality next year (touch wood).

 

It's a park in the same vein as Seabreeze with a very similar line-up, but has much more foliage and trees around the main pathways, to give a much more secluded feel to it. And as the sun set, the atmosphere that night was really charming. It really fits in to that classic American amusement park steroetype, and more importantly because it's a good park, it does this very well,

 

On balance, it was probably my favourite park of the day. And I might even head back over there next year if Ravine Flyer 2 has finally opened up after the long legal battles over its planning permission.

 

A great way to end a pretty good day. (Just forget I went to Darien Lake first).

Never mind. I'll be seeing you and your Ravine Flyer 2 next year!

It didn't quite go to plan.

Sunset was looking good, so I tried to get my face in the picture too.

It's a tower. It drops you. It's a drop tower! And it has nice green lights.

Just make sure they cool down a little before taking a bite.

But when in Rome...

Only in America could take they take a completely healthy snack and make it totally unhealthy.

Wow, it's like I'm having deja vu from a few hours ago!

But not for me. I wasn't about to get soaking wet tonight.

The Log Flume is this way!

No wheel-chucking here!

And unlike the other Steel Dragon, these train still have all their wheels attatched.

Steel Dragon was awesome! Dragon's Fury would be proud of you!

The Ravine Flyer 2 project has taken so long, that they got the third one up before it!

Next year, this pile of dirt should have a new station and some track sitting on it.

And this is what is getting built!

Well fortunately for all the Waldameer fanboys out there, this is actually a ride construction site.

OMG!!1!!1!! Crane construction through the trees!

Certainly more of a classic than Triple Hurricane anyway!

First stop, the Comet! A Coaster Classic according the ACE gospel.

[dandaman]

^^ "Ghost Rider".

[ginzo]

Waldameer is awesome. Did you do Whacky Shack and Pirate's Cove?

[BrownStreak]

Hey, be careful...its illegal to insult Kodak within a three-hour drive of Rochester...great trip report- your hitting all of the parks near me that I can't afford to go to!

[bgwfreak]

Great report.

 

I just discovered it this morning and read through all the updates!

[coastercrazed49]

Wow Rivine Flyer 2 looks awesome. I can't wait untill that is finished!!!

 

BTW Great trip report.

[Homer]

For the Steel Dragon pictures, one of the captions should have made fun of wrebbit.

 

On topic, great photos of Waldameer. Thanks for those uber sexy Ravine Flyer 2 pictures. How many wooden coasters need to sound like movie sequels anyways (Twister II comes to mind)?

[verticalzero]

I heard that the Lakeview Grove picnic shelter, was the original Ravine Flyer station. I hope they can use this for their Ravine Flyer 2 woodie.

 

Pic's: http://tmcgill1.photosite.com/RavineFlyerII

 

Wood-coaster designers are pushing the envelope further and further, and Voyage proved to be *at least* as much as current PTC trains can handle (maybe even a bit more than that).

 

The layout looks very impressive and can't wait for some pov's.

[307]

 

Nikki and I really enjoyed Waldameer when we spontaneously visited a few years ago... Whacky Shack really is an awesome ride. I really liked Spinning Dragon or whatever, too - the problem is, it was the first of any spinny mouse we had gone on, so we had the false impression that ALL spinning mice would be as good as that. And to this date, it's the only Maurer-Sohne spinner we've been on

 

One other thing: that shot of me eating the chicken wing is horrrrrrible! I thought I told you not to post pics of me eating!

 

Can't wait for the rest of the pictures!!!

[Shockwave]

Part 5a - Idlewild Park

 

 

 

Nicely ahead of schedule, I took the opportunity to check out Kennywood's sister park Idlewild, deep in Western Pennsylvania.

 

It's a small family park set in the valley of Loyalhanna Creek, which is a great drive to get to as the Lincoln Highway runs either side of the creek through a lush green canopy, a really stunning setting for a park. Even with all the parks I've been to, it was a real joy to find that a place like this exists.

 

My car however did not find it a real joy. Because it wasn't in its natural environment driving/queuing on the freeways, it pitched and rolled from side to side every time it took a bend along the twisty road. It would probably have felt more at home floating down the creek than on the highway. And because it's much more likely to be killed just getting to a park in the first than when you're at one, I did take a few deep breaths on the really bad turns.

 

But after surviving that, I made it to the park for a few hours and had a good wonder around. It's got some great areas for the whole family, including a Mister Rogers Make Believe land, the Hootin' Holler land which has a circa 1900s Mining town lovingly recreated, with lots of food and entertainment for all. Jumpin' Jungle is a big outdoor play area, Raccoon Lagoon is full of kids rides, you can relive your fairytale dreams in Story Book Forest, and Olde Idlewild has thrills and spills for all ages.

 

Looking back I really would have liked to have spent more time here, but hopefully the photos will give you a little idea about what's there.

I might just do that!

So yeah, that's a brief tour of Idlewild. The second best kids park in the world!

The wierd lift where the mice go up slanted! I can't figure it out, but there's gotta be a reason for it.

And here's another unique part to ride...

From what I gather, it used to be crazy when over in Europe, but has since been tamed down for the sue-happy modern day culture that we live in.

Here's just a few of them.

And a million different safety instructions.

They also have the old Vekoma Wild Mouse from Wiener Prater and Alton Towers.

Even for a junior wooden coaster, there's a couple of pops of airtime!

Rollo Coaster looks a lot like the inspiration for Boulder Dash.

Oh yeah, they do have a couple of coasters too!

Hmm, Whose Caricature is it Anyway?

Me, I prefer rocking chairs.

The smallest bench in the world! Probably.

And the Caterpillar.

Including two versions of rides which recently bit the dust at Blackpool and Southport. The Whip...

The park has a lot of classic rides floating about.

Speaking of which, there were a few re-enactments going on around the park today.

I honestly had no idea till this Paul Bunyan guy was till one the actors told me about his legends.

But first I'm gonna learn some real American folklore!

The play area looks fun...

So, where should I start?

And there was me thinking that the Americans had thought of drive-thru everything! Not today, lazy boys!

This is what the park looks like from a quarter mile away on the highway.

[FeelTheFORCE]

Great PTR!

 

 

I heard that the lift was tilted because it used to be covered in one of those fun house tunnels that disorient you, and the tilted lift added to the disorienting experience. Don't know if that's true or not, but that's what I heard.

[RaptorBoyASU]

Lovin this TR still Tom........awesomeness!