Photo TR: Behemoth/Ravine Flyer Trip

[All Clear]

Luke + Cameras = Magic

 

That drop tower at Waldameer was FANTASTIC and I hate drop towers.

 

Also, in case we do all get sucked into a man-made black hole tomorrow I'm really glad that the last TPR trip report I ever read was so enjoyable. I just wish you'd have made more mention of Dan getting wet or Aquatrax and stuff. And you didn't post anything through the trees really...tut, tut.

[televisedconfession]

You're amazing, and so are your Trip Reports..

 

 

ALSO, Don't forget about Great Adventure!

 

 

I know the feeling about school though, only I've been rebelling against it. I'm so very far behind now, and it's time to do some serious homework drilling.

 

blah.

[downunder]

I really like your night shots of the spinning mouse at Waldameer, it's the shame the coaster wasn't nearly as untamed as the one at Seabreeze, trim brakes are the devil.

 

This helps me catch up on what I missed at Waldameer, I spent a bit of time asleep on a bench and I managed to not get molested either, which was a bit of a bonus - I probably wouldn't have been as fortunate if it had been the East Coast trip.

 

Shame I missed Retroactive, but the country and western thing earlier was fun.

[lil jimmy norton]

The Nell referance actually had me laughing out loud to myself.

[natatomic]

^YES! I'm so glad someone got it. I was worried it might be too obscure.

 

There, Jason. Now you know, too!

 

I just wish you'd have made more mention of Dan getting wet or Aquatrax and stuff. And you didn't post anything through the trees really...tut, tut.

 

Oh, no, no, no. That's what everyone does in their trip reports. I'm too much of a rebel to do the typical and obvious. Plus, my camera is actually called a Rebel, so I don't think I have much of a choice, anyway.

 

You're amazing, and so are your Trip Reports..

 

 

ALSO, Don't forget about Great Adventure!

 

Well, thank you. And I haven't forgotten about SFGAdv (that day it forever ingrained in my memory as well as sliced into my foot). I'll probably end up making an entirely separate trip report for that park, though, since it's not actually part of the Behemoth trip.

[Fry]

Hahaha - absolutely hilarious stuff! I stole one of the photos for Facebook-profile-picture-ness... hehe, thief that I am!

 

The stomach-butt photo/caption is perhaps the funniest thing... well, ever! I concur with Robbie - magic! I really don't remember it being taken though... But then I don't even remember walking through the queue - I think the walk to the entrance had made me black-out or something.

 

And then dancing on the Retro-Active stage! That was too fun! Although why I felt such a need to extend my butt while going "NOT!" I don't quite remember... Did anyone get photo evidence of how seedy it got later in the day with all the grinding lap-dances!?! Well, I say all... I really mean both. I miss Waldameer now... not Marineland so much.

 

Look forward to the last part with anticipation... (proud of myself for not making that a reference to the obvious...).

[dammie16@vt.edu]

First caption was full of win!

 

Great TR cant wait for more "rebellious" trip reports b/c where is the fun in reading the same captions?

[dandaman]

After I took this shot, the ferris wheel stopped, and I sat there for about 10 minutes waiting for it to start up again so I could get a second chance, until I finally realized - D'OH - the ride closed for the night.

 

Yep... totally did that at CP last year.

 

Awesome TR. Shame I didn't chat with you at Wonderland, even though we all spent like 14 or 15 hours there.

[U2Rox]

Hi Natalie Hey Everyone

 

Great Pictures as usual!! I love your shots of Steel Dragon at night with the storm clouds coming in. Priceless memories!!

 

I also love the Luke in the air picture, what an action shot that was!

 

[TPDave]

Another great TR! You're closing in on Chcuk to take the "TPR caption award"!

 

ERT of RF II was incredible! I rode the last two trains in the front with Cameron, so painful, probaly so dangerous, but sooooooo good!

[eBen]

Didn't ANYONE get a photo of all of us soaked to the bone that night? Of the thousands of B/RF TRs, I've yet to see any photographic evidence of the event.

No not you as well! Add Hannos lack of photos with me/us looking like an over worked tampon and we are left with very few speckles of hope. It adds one more reason of why not to get dementia when I get old!

[televisedconfession]

^ I also think most of us were too concerned with not destroying our cameras in all the unacceptable (yet extremely acceptable) amount of wetness that was involved with that infamous night.

 

I miss it.

[natatomic]

Day 5, part 1: Idlewild

 

This was probably my favorite park of the whole trip. It was clean, quaint, and just plain adorable - like, I wanted to pinch its chubby little cheeks, it was so cute. I think the best way to describe it is it's kind of like a mini Dollywood, and yes, I know that Dollywood isn't exactly a huge park for there to even be a mini version of, but Idlewild really is that small. Still, what they lack in size, they make up for in quality; and if you are ever within 3 hours of this park, it would be well worth your time to make a side trip up there.

And to bring this portion of my TR full circle, I'll end with a shot of theming.

 

Two parks to go, folks - the end is nearing!

...but it was the prettiest.

It wasn't the wettest or most intense log flume on the trip...

 

(your mom was wet and intense)

The flyer selection on the trip (these and the ones at Seabreeze) was probably the only disappointing thing for me. Both were totally unsnappable. Insnappable. Nonsnappable?

 

Um, they were unabled to be snapped. There.

Oh yeah, this is one a them covered ones.

I'd never done one of these before, and I thought it was pretty good as it first got going, but then I went over the fan underneath and LOST MY MIND from the awesomeness.

 

I'm going to try to wear a skirt next time I have the chance to ride one of these things again, so I can do an impersonation of Marilyn Monroe. And the fact that it'll be while riding a caterpillar will make your head spin from the surreality of it all. Well, that and the fact that you'll be watching me go in circles.

This photo just seems sad to me. Maybe because I'm partial to the number 2, maybe because I have a uterus and that makes me cry at everything. Either way, I need a frikin tissue now.

The faces speak for themselves here

Aw, crank car for grown-ups! Notice that they have to give you a push-start to get you going.

If I look a bit nervous in the picture, it's because I WAS. Notice that that chair only has it's back two legs rested on ANYTHING (that "anything" being a 2-inch wide bit of wood superglued to the wall), and I think it was just a second before this picture was taken that I subconsciously lifted my head about 1/4 inch away from the wall, and I swear the whole chair moved with me.

 

Also, the the crookedness of the rooms was making me quite nauseous, and so if threw up, I'd most definitely fall out of my chair in the process and land on my partially digested breakfast.

 

There was just so much that could go wrong as I sat in that chair.

Annnnnnd I'm pretty sure everyone in the group got their crotch credit for the day. For those of you who were there, either I'm sorry or you're welcome. Pick the response that most accurately coincides with your feelings about the situation.

Something compelled me to volunteer for this. Probably the same thing that occasionally compels me to stick my hand in a blender.

No one can stand straight in Confusion Hill, but I don't think that not being straight is a new experience for some of these people.

Yeah.

Next was Confusion Hill, and I think this first photo pretty much explains the meaning behind the name of the attraction.

It looks like Raggedy Ann with a beak. Prince Tuesday is probably into that kinky stuff anyway.

And at each stop, we were to tell whoever was around to "Come along, come along, to the Castle Hug'N'Song!" The only bad thing was that we were not paid to be the King's messengers for the day. Cheap son of a-

By the way, the premise of the ride was for us to invite all the people and/or ducks to King Friday's Hug'N'Song Party.

The level of gender ambiguity of some of these characters is ASTOUNDING, don't you think?

 

So is the fact that 20% of that sentence was made up of the word "of."

Funny, I don't remember Victor Victoria being in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

King Friday ain't too bad to look at either, though. I like a man who can wear robin's egg blue with such confidence.

The weird thing was that King Friday looked to be about average human height. Imagine the giant of a man they had down there working that puppet. I mean...the size of his hands...think how HUGE.

 

Where can I get that guy's number?

Before this ride, no one ever knew what the inside of that tunnel looked like. After finally going through it, I think the trolley could have derailed, crashed, exploded, and killed us all, and we'd have been fine with it. Our lives were complete at that point.

I don't know why I took this shot crooked. As if Mister Rogers isn't enough of an acid trip for a train full of adults.

Neil is giddy with nostalgia, but Jake is completely entranced with his first experience with this American icon. I think he even has a tear forming in his eye.

 

He thought he knew what beauty was until that day...

And I am not the only one who feels this way.

ERT is good and all, but IT DOES NOT COMPARE TO A TPR TAKE OVER THROUGH MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD.

Okay, it honestly wasn't that bad at all. It was the fun kind of rough, not the will-my-insurance-cover-coaster-inflicted-pains kind.

Well, I see no tears, so that's a good sign. Unless those thumbs up are for the stunning visual sequences they just witnessed as their lives flashed before their eyes.

How about now?

Notice anything interesting about this lift? Anything at all? No? Not yet?

Vekoma + Wild Mouse = GOD HELP US.

I don't know why so many people think we're a group of geeks. Don't cool people duct tape to coasters for awesome POV shots, too?

The enthusiasts on this trip, however, are not.

The trains are so cute and petite!

You know this coaster is old because even the sign seems to have been made before the advent of Spell Check.

On the Fujita Scale, I hear this about an F4. I believe that's right between a Tasmanian Devil and an Ororo Munroe.

No, that's not shoddy construction on the building ahead. It's a little thing called "theming." Remember that stuff? There wasn't a whole lot of it on this trip at that point, so I felt like it'd be best for me to jog your memory in case you weren't sure of what you were looking at.

 

(I don't count Marineland as having themeing because I was far too exhausted from ALL. THAT. WALKING. to even see straight, let alone notice any of the details of the park. Other than the vast stretches of attractionless forests, of course. I noticed a LOT of those.)

EDIT: I forgot this picture from the Hug'N'Song party. I had to tack it on the end, but I couldn't just leave it out. That's the most action anyone got on the whole trip!

[Team Thriller]

They have on of those "You can't stand straight" rooms in Phantasia Land, so I can imagine how much fun you had in there.

 

Great TR, still very funny, and still great pictures.

 

--James

[natatomic]

^Yeah, I thought it was entertaining, but if there had been just one more crooked room, I think I would have up-chucked all the fun I was having. There's not a ride yet that I've gotten sick on (knock on wood - don't want to jinx it now), but this walk-through about did me in.

 

Glad you're enjoying the TR!

[printersdevil78]

The trains are so cute and petite!

 

They were probably thinking the same thing about the photographer.

 

Also, the the crookedness of the rooms was making me quite nauseous, and so if threw up, I'd most definitely fall out of my chair in the process and land on my partially digested breakfast.

 

Not necessarily. At Confusion Hill, throw up probably goes up, like the tater on the kitchen table. And really, how much throw up could six or seven Cheerios possibly produce, anyway?

 

I'm going to try to wear a skirt next time I have the chance to ride one of these things again, so I can do an impersonation of Marilyn Monroe.

 

I thought the chair at Confusion Hill WAS your Marilyn Monroe impersonation.

 

That's the most action anyone got on the whole trip!

 

The most action any of those guys got, maybe....

 

By the way, didn't we go on this trip like a year ago?

[televisedconfession]

^ Two years ago Jason. Two years.

[Erik Johnson]

Boy, I am glad I was not the only one who felt motion sickness while walking through The Hill.

[downunder]

I was pretty much in a daze on the entire Behemoth trip from jetlag combined with lack of sleep , so I just kind of stumbled through Confusion Hill - oh yeah, the floors not straight, I think I should be sick now.

 

Natatomic, I felt sorry for you up on that chair. Though it would have been worse if I got up there.

[Joe Schwartz]

Nat, your captions are hilarious! I haven't laughed that hard at anything I've read in a long time. Upon reading "I'm sorry or you're welcome", I almost fell out of my own chair.

[natatomic]

^Thank you very much!

At least if you had fallen out of your chair, it wouldn't have been one that was balancing on a stick 4 extra feet in the air. Or, I dunno, maybe it would have been - I don't know how you arrange your furniture. It could be really good feng shui or something.

 

Not necessarily. At Confusion Hill, throw up probably goes up, like the tater on the kitchen table.

 

True, but I'm pretty sure (I'm not too good with the sciences, so correct me if I'm wrong) that gravity affects everything pretty much the same, so even if my vomit rolled up hill, I'd probably roll along that same, slimy path.

 

By the way, didn't we go on this trip like a year ago?

 

Yeah, yeah.

 

I'm just hoping to have this thing done before whichever TPR trip I do next year, crossmyfingers.

[dino]

Natatomic wrote: On the Fujita Scale, I hear this about an F4. I believe that's right between a Tasmanian Devil and an Ororo Munroe.

About 5 minutes had past before I realized where I had heard that name before. I was laughing so hard. Half from the joke, and half from my lameness of not getting it sooner.

Anyway great Behemoth TR (dare I say best...?), with even greater captions. Beautiful pics from a beautiful girl .

[natatomic]

^Aw, thank you!

 

Day 5, part 2: Lakemont Park

 

Okay, this was a decent little park. I don't have anything bad to say about it; but at the same time, the best thing I can come with to describe it is "a very clean county fair." Just without all the cows, tractor pulls, and longest zucchini contests. Still, Lakemont has a Skydiver, a traveling toboggan, AND the world's oldest operating coaster; so it's not like there wasn't fun to be had and lives to be risked.

 

Because there was.

Okay, folks. One more park to go! I'M SO CLOSE TO FINALLY FINISHING!

 

Thank you sweet baby Jesus.

I mean, when you're the oldest coaster in the world, you deserve some extra TR time.

And here's a few extra photos of Leap the Dips.

I have NO idea why there aren't more Skydivers around. I LOVED this thing.

Anyone spot the hairtime poking through one of the the cars?

 

At least, I THINK that's what it is. I honestly have no clue. But don't you find yourself hoping that that's what it is, too?

But THIS is what I was looking forward to most at Lakemont.

It looks so innocent, though, doesn't it?

A popular misconception for this coaster is that the "Go Curve" on the side refers to the baseball team that plays on the field next to the ride. This is not at all true. It instead refers to the natural curvature of the rider's spine, and how the coaster will make it simply go away. You should have seen the look on my chiropractor's face when saw my X-rays taken once I returned from this trip.

Yet another in the long line of woodies on this trip that would make your God-fearing grandmother use words that'd make a sailor with Tourette's blush.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think it's like a poor-man's tilt-a-whirl.

Understandably, Brooke said a prayer of thanks to sweet baby Jesus for returning everyone safely to the station.

Oh! And there aren't any seat belts! Or restraints of ANY kind! Or even a height restriction!

 

I LOVE THIS COASTER.

Did I mention that only one of the cars is currently operational?

That's right. Side-friction, baby. No upstops holdin' you down here.

It's a wonder we don't see modern coasters use this anti-rollback system. What in the world could possibly be stronger or more reliable than 2x4s screwed in by a single bolt?

...though at least you'll go out in a really cute, old-fashioned coaster car.

 

(Notice that gravity isn't enough to get you going on this ride)

But it's what's behind this giant roof that will REALLY kill you...

I know you're not going to believe me, but you can actually fit a human in that little car. TWO, even!

 

However, for the first time in my life, I was happy to be short. *I* didn't have to worry about a concussion that day.

Nothing says quality like a ride you can hook up to your truck and tow down the highway.

I... This hair... I just... It's...

 

Wow, there just aren't any words, are there?

Let's see...no flags on the poles and shrubbery that's only trimmed on one side.

 

This is gonna be good.

[Joe Schwartz]

Great shots, Natalie. With a lazy or inexperienced operator, a Twister ride is indeed a "poor man's Tilt-A-Whirl". But with a talented hand at the controls, it absolutely puts the Tilt-A-Whirl to shame, with near-blackout positive G's. A lost art, unfortunately.

[dandaman]

 

This is why one should never let Don King suggest hairstyles.