grinch1313 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 ^Gary, one of my favorite photos of you from the trip was taken while in the bar. You are totally rocking out to Ezra. It cracks me up every time I see it. Indiana Beach was totally one of my favorite parks. The turkey hats (see avatar), all those messed up flat rides, and LoCoSuMo. My favorite group photo was all of us looking confused after that one. A great park that I had an absolute blast at. I would go back there in a heartbeat. Great TR, Jahan! It brought back so many great memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrock23 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Indiana Beach completely surprised me. It doesn't have the biggest or fastest rides, but I just had a lot of fun. Cornball was my #2 woodie on the trip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnage Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Still...those night rides on Cornball The lightning in the distance was ... interesting. I was lucky to even make it down to meet up at IB, what with my mothers car stuck in 3rd gear the entire weekend. Awesome TR so far Jahan. (if I haven't already said) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolliger&Mabillard Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 SLC's are manufactured by the Devil himself. I rode Thunderhawk at Geagua Lake in 2007...It was the equivalent of letting toddlers kick me on the side of my head for 90 seconds...ouch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jynx242 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 ^ Don't worry - you're going on one this summer aren't you?? It will be a blast. This is just getting me more charged up for the East Coast tour later this year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfkk339 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Great TR! I'm so glad that you all had a good time at SFKK. I honestly don't think it receives all the credit that it deserves. And yes, Deluge is an AWESOME waterslide. Watch out Splashin' Safari, Splashwater Kingdom is coming for you! BTW, did you ever get to ride Thunder Run? Agree with you all the way SFKK doesn't get the credit it deserves at all! and yes deluge is awsome! to bad twisted twins and mile high falls is closed for '08 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roachman Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 ...Still...those night rides on Cornball (and the sickdiculous airtime on the turnaround)... Yeah, The airtime was awesome. There was a local who got kicked out for standing up on it when we were there. You were pretty much out of your seat anyways on that turnaround without having to stand up. That airtime wouldn't be surpassed until the backseat of Cyclops later on.... I must have rode that thing 15 times that night..... Too much fun!! Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I gave Kristen the camera to take photos on the train, but she just kept taking stupid emo photos of herself, so I had to take it away. Someone needs to make that photo black and white. KT has her first "myspace" photo. I gotta be honest, I really hate that picture of Kristen! I think she looks deformed in it. --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelated Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Aww... I think it's cute. What kind of parent are you Robb? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealTinkerbell Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 ^^ WHAAAT!? Robb are you okay? I don't think I've even seen her take an ugly picture?! Jahan, your TRs are awesome. Oh and those cheese-filled breadsticks sound so yummy. I tried to make some at home -I know how to make breadsticks, so I figured making cheese-filled breadsticks would be the same- but I completely failed. And I've been left craving cheese-filled breadsticks ever since you mentioned it in your TR. Gosh, what a fatty I am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrowfanman Posted March 11, 2008 Author Share Posted March 11, 2008 Day Five: Little A-Merrick-A and Mount Olympus Hey everybody! Ok, so this installment will be a little bit shorter than the last one, in part due to the fact that today was mostly a “travel day”. That being said, we still did a goodly amount of stuff! We spent the first few hours of the day driving north, towards Wisconsin. After lunch, we arrived at the super-secret bonus park of the trip—Little A-Merrick-A! We all entered the little park (so small, I’m sure it would fit within the footprint of a ride like Raptor or something) and were escorted the park’s newest junior-wooden coaster, the Meteor! A big thank you to the park for this “sneak preview” of the coaster! Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of this little preview. Why?—I don’t even remember. All I remember is a few cycles on the first train and then Chris grabbed me away from it and said, “Hurry, if we don’t get to the other credit, the line will take forever!” “Which other credit?” *cue background music* Why, the Toboggan, of course! The Toboggan is a coaster that I have seen in pictures every once and a while, but despite the photographic evidence, I wasn’t ever really convinced that they existed. Or at least that they actually cycled people! As easy as it is to joke about it, I have to be honest—I was actually afraid of this thing! We waited in about a 10-person line, which grew to like, 40. So good deal to Chris, for getting me in line so soon! I'll give you credit for that! (but NOT for wooing the IB operator) We waited about 5 minutes and were on. Once the awesome ride op essentially locked us into a cage and our heads were touching the ceiling, I think we were both rather concerned! The ride helped make me feel reborn—in many ways. The ride doesn’t almost kill you until this part! Honestly, the ride wasn’t that bad! I mean, I’m sure Robb and Casey had a scary-ass experience! But my ride wasn’t all THAT bad. It could have been worse. Up next was the steel kiddie coaster. It was an old one, the same layout as Goliath Jr.—which was almost charming to me as I was a certified Goliath Jr. ride operator. I hadn’t been on the Magic Mountain version since childhood, so it was fun to get a chance to ride, since this park didn’t have a maximum height restriction. This ride did have Goliath Jr. one-upped for obvious reasons… Ride with a view! If you cant consider that “atmosphere”, I don’t know what is! I may be smiling, but I know what the operator has to do to literally snap my spine, so I was dying on the inside! This photo is soooooooo amazing for sooooooooooo many reasons! After the kiddie, we realized we were well paced and had plenty of time to round up the last credit, so we stopped to ride a flat ride. I forget the name, but you sat in this jet-shaped gondola and rotated side to side as the entire structure spun vertically! It was intense and torture on the testicles! I swear! Rock-o-planes are fun, but this thing was just brutal! I did manage to get a shot of the Meteor from the ride! Yay! We also got a decent view of our next torture-device, the Mad Mouse. I have never been on a mouse this old and screwed up before! It was definitely fun, but still somewhat scary! An aerial view of this work of genius. Once we had finished our credits, we had a bit of time to just wander the park, take it in. I would have liked to ride the train ride, but we weren’t convinced that we had enough time. We barely had the time to ride the go-karts as we did! Why we chose those instead of the awesome looking monorail thingy, I don’t know! I mean, we would be at Mount Olympus that night! But still, we did. Hey, Elissa—why are you so wet? (*giggle*)… …Oh! From children’s bumper boats in a vat of Gatorade! Ok, so that was about it for Little A-Merrick-A. It was a fun little park. I would definitely classify it as more of a “family fun center” than an “amusement park”, because it was so undeniably small and strove to provide a charming little family experience. Though it did technically have four credits, there was just something left to be desired for me. With the exception of the Meteor, the park was like a year-round fair—an asphalt midway with a few temporary flats and coasters popped up wherever they so desired. If you’re a credit whore, I definitely suggest stopping by at this park. If stopping at the park coordinates well with any driving-stops you were planning on taking anyway, I suggest stopping at the park. If you are not really a credit whore and would prefer to stay on the road, I would recommend passing the park and spending that extra hour or two at the Dells. Which is where we’re heading now. We were soon on the road, heading for one of the most anticipated stops on the trip! When we arrived at Wisconsin Dells, we were all pretty excited! The town reminded me of Branson, Missouri, with one roadside attraction after another, right up next to each other. But we were headed for the largest attraction in town… Time for an Aegean Adventure! I was very stoked—the park was far more expansive than I realized and very very beautiful! When we arrived at the Resort, we checked into our rooms and the group immediately headed down to the park. I held off, as Wes had to pick up a quick prescription down at the nearby pharmacy and I thought I could use a break from a crowd, so I ventured off with him. We waited forever for a stupid taxi driver who couldn’t find the most popular spot in town! When he drove us, we realized that the pharmacy was literally less than a mile down the road and so we just decided to walk back, getting a great view of the Dells and of the park. This was….interesting. Hmmm….this should be a Trojan joke… I got one! This Trojan horse reminds me of the numerous Trojan condoms secretly stashed around Mike’s house, unbeknownst to him. When Wes and I got back to Mount Olympus, we finally set foot into the park to discover that everyone was heading over to the water park portion of the park. And naturally, the first thing on the itinerary was Poseidon’s Fury, the wave pool with nine foot tall waves. Oh. My. God. The wave pool was literally one of the most insane “attractions” I have ever seen. It was part fun. Part unique. And very much freakin’ terrifying! I know a lot of TPR members were out there, getting used to the wave patterns and enjoying themselves, but I was just tossed about and scarred shitless! You would get out there and hear the normal park noises (people enjoying themselves, shouting, splashes), and then all of a sudden there would be a rumble. A rumble that shook fear into everyone’s heart. We would all look at each other, knowing what awaited us. The misters would rocket steam into the air and then *BOOM*—a nine foot tall wave was headed for you! I took a few cycles of those behemoth waves and then called it quits. Although the one funny thing was getting tossed by one of the waves and inadvertently kicking Homer in the leg! Some TPR members, getting their asses kicked! Wes is smarter than the people in the last photo. Nine inches of water and a great view of the lifeguards. After the suicidal maniacs were done with the wave pool, it was time to check out some of the family-raft slides. We all took our turns going down the pink slide. The last group to go?—Casey, Robb, Chuck, and Chris. Where could they be? They were taking forever! All of a sudden, the water in the slide just stopped. And then this… I was scared for them, and I was on the ground! I swear I saw the raft leave the slide for a moment! The raft didn’t splash IN to the water so much as it did OVER the water, literally carrying them nearly to the edge of the pool entirely! It was VERY amusing! Anyway, we then spent a good 30-45 minutes in the indoor theme park, before throwing ON the towel and heading back to the hotel to change into street clothes. The plan was to head back into the park and get a night-time ride on Hades. We made it all the way to the ride when all of a sudden the sky opened up and dropped one of the nastiest storms I have ever seen onto us! Mind you—I’m a Southern Californian. I don’t see all that many “storms” So I was all and all impressed with the torrential downpour and numerous lighting-bolts, firing off in rapid succession. We made it to the “indoor park” with just enough time to get the Zamperela spinning wild mouse, before calling it a night. We sought shelter in the hotel, ordering pizza as it was the only food available and willing to deliver in the downpour. I’m pretty sure that’s THE lightning bolt responsible for our little situation with Avalanche the following day. More on that later…. Anyway, with us stormed in and only one credit under my belt, the plan was to make the early-morning hotel ERT tomorrow to ensure maximum rides could be expierenced. And to hear about that, you’ll have to check back for the next installment! Our Dells experience was proving to be interesting, for lack of a better word. Tomorrow would prove to be even more interesting, so check back for that! Thanks for reading everyone! -Jahan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
man Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 man I wish I saw them comming down I like just missed it cause I think I was going down the racer slides or in the wave pool. those racer slides where sick you could get some major airtime off of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 That photo of Robb, Casey. Chuck and Chris cracks me up every time. The Dells were pretty awesome, and Mount Olympus looks like it thas a pretty decent outdoor waterpark as well. There was also a massive rain shower when I was there, but it went away after only 10 minutes. It made for an interesting couple of laps of the Go-Kart track next to Dive To Atlantis! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIPDUDE Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Canmt wait for the next instlalment! Awsome update! You missed all the stormy craziness though! And I think that actually might be the bolt that hit avalanche, awsome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexTitan01 Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 ^^^period's and comma's, dude... OMG, pink slide of death was amazing! I think the funniest part of that whole thing was everyone waiting at the bottom thinking "hmm...they havent come down yet. Ride-op probably isnt letting them..." Then...the water just STOPPED, and we all knew. I think some people actually took a step or two back! Jahan, I'm glad you managed to get pictures of that. I almost had my camera out, but I was cold and I couldnt hold the camera steady! Great photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerxeyez Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 I'm totally loving these updates! Brings back so many memories!!!! That storm was amazing! The windows in our room were shaking, and all the car alarms were going off! Crazy thunder and lightening! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Congratulations on snagging the Tobaggan credit. I last rode one of those things at the Stanislaus County Fair (in swingin' Turlock, Calif.) back when I was in high school (a faraway decade called "the Seventies"). The scariest part, to me, was the lift tube, which reeked of cigarettes, dust, and urine (in other words, typical carny smells). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjaco Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 ^ That Tobaggan was my very first credit, when it was at Santa's Village in Dundee, IL. I got to relive the nightmare this summer when I rode it again with Paul. Jahan nailed Little-A-Merrick-A to a T. That place gave me grade A willies. Although, I give them major kudos. When we visited, there was no one there. The general manager noticed us as probable coaster nerds, and made sure that a ride op was at each of the credits, so we could get each ride as quickly as possible. Well, that and so that they could close early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnewton34 Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Hehe...the mouse at Little A-Merrick-A. The little haunted house at Little A-Merrick-A scared the crap out of me. I honestly didn't think we were going to get out alive. And then there was the tilt-a-whirl with Mario in the middle where the ride op kept stopping the ride every 10 seconds because she thought someone was going to puke or wanted off. Hmmmm...that's hot, hehe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealTinkerbell Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 BAHAHAHAHAHAHA The Pink Slide of Death! That's something that will always make me really laugh out loud. My mother actually just came in to see if I was ok. Jahan, that picture with the lighting in the background is super cool! Keep up the great Job on this TR! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy T. Koepp Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 So that is the infamous pink slide of death that I have heard so much about. Jahan, these pictures are awesome. It totally looks like they all just hydroplaned across the landing pool. That is terrifying! If anybody has any pictures of them catching the amazing air that they were reported to get, I would love to see that! Great job Jahan, keep it up. This report is excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBru Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Haha, this TR is GREAT! I can't wait to get out to the Dells this summer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 That wave pool was so terrifying. I'll never ever do that again. I don't know if it was the antibiotics kicking in or the gigantic spider bite I got on my foot, but I was seriously drained after the wave pool. I tried some more slides but I still felt awful, I think I went back to the hotel and sat in the shower for 45 minutes trying to recover. WAVE POOL EVIL!!! Also that night was when I got to hear Jahan make clicking noises with his teeth while he sleeps. It was adorable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 The Dells was a good time, I can't wait for the rest just for the ghetto soda machines and Happy Gilmore mini-golf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotdane Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 The Dells Experience...I think it's one of the highlights of the trip. All the time we got to spend just hangin' out. I wish the photo of the lightning bolt, Chuck, and me wasn't so blury! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts