TheRapidsNerd Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Awesome report! I'm exhausted and it's not even close to done. And I'm hungry too... So you enjoyed McNavy Pier, eh? No appologies needed. You were kind enough to take time out of your monsterously busy schedule to get ANY Rapids shot, not to mention all the train love too. Who could ask for more? Much appreciated! The roller coaster soap bet gave me a great laugh. This past hour has been a great read and looking forward to the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedten Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Thank you for posting your report! I love seeing all the cool stuff there is to do around parks and you've given me a few ideas with some of the places I haven't seen before. Keep it up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looty Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Some of that food looks terrific! So just exactly how much weight did you gain on this trip? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Real Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Nice to see some Toledo Love. I am from Oregon, the city on the east side of the river. Im about 5min from Packos. Interesting you remembered enough to stop there. But business is so crazy there (despite Toledo pretty much being run into the ground) that it has been cleaned up. Theres even a second Packos next to the new ballpark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandaman Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 OK, this is one trippy flashback to last April with all the museums/Navy 3.14, and a flash-forward to next Monday with SFGAm. Stop conflicting my logic, dammit! 1. Why did I never see that amazing pinball machine at MOSI?! 2. That McD's description was pretty accurate... I bought ice cream at Ben & Jerry's and used it for futuristic seating, followed by new-tomorrow ice cream consumption, followed by post-modern waste disposal. 3. Meant to ride Klockwerks during Behemoth Bash (same ride as Ricochet) but never got the chance. All I remember was watching it cycle through while trying to explain what a poutine was to 50 American visitors! 4. So is American Eagle one of those Mobius Strip racers with the continuous track? 5. Train love is much appreciated. 6. Miracle Whip sponsors Iron Wolf? What the crap? 7. Did the park go all out on their signs one year? They all look brand-new and awesome! 8. Not the same thing, but they do have "Jellystone Parks" with Yogi as the mascot up here in Ontario... rather unthemed campgrounds though they are. 9. Damn you. You made pop come out of nose at the Pocket Rocket comment. Ow. 10. I finally just realized that SFGAm has two Batman coasters. Weird. 11. I've already asked/said way too much without being declared legally insane. Awesome, awesome TR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solid Gold Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 This is one of the best Photo TR's ever. You're going to nothing but overdone midwestern parks, and yet it keeps my interest more than any of the official European updates. Keep it up with the lots of pictures of lesser-known park things/museums/food/captions. Excellent Detail! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arw84 Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I really like the shout out you've given to the MSI Chicago. I am a passholder for the MSI (as well as Cedar Fair) for all of the reasons you mentioned: the museum simply has a little bit of everything under its expansive roof. I highly recommend anyone visiting Chicago for tourist purposes to take a trek down to the South side of Chicago to visit this great museum (largest in the Western Hemisphere) for its exhibits and simply the building itself (built in 1898 to impress visitors from around the world for the World's Fair). Good TR, and I'm excited for your first time experience opinions about Cedar Point, which I consider my home park despite being only an hour away from MiAdv. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedten Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 4. So is American Eagle one of those Mobius Strip racers with the continuous track?Nope, it is not a mobius loop. 7. Did the park go all out on their signs one year? They all look brand-new and awesome!Yep. Raging Bull sign, Cleanest park in the world, and I think the giant switch in front of the carousel are all new this season along with many others I am sure. 10. I finally just realized that SFGAm has two Batman coasters. Weird. I can think of at least 7 Six Flags Parks that have at least 2 Batman coasters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyyyper Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Hi, Hyyyper! , thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 This has been a really interesting trip report. I always wanted to do a true vacation in Chicago (not just a day at SFGAm, though it was fun). And all of these food pictures, McDonald's advertising, and that Ketchup stain is giving me the munchies. Awesome TR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameron Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 ^ And it barely scratched the surface Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Starr Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 ^ And it barely scratched the surface Yeah, there's definitely more things to do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printersdevil78 Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 Looty said: So just exactly how much weight did you gain on this trip? Honestly, somewhere between three and four pounds. But it was budgeted in my summer diet, so all is well. Time to bring this post out of the doldrums with another update. Sorry it's taken so long... but you were warned! The plan is to complete the TR by Sunday evening--so I can then start working on this weekend's TR! At any rate, Day 7 took us to Cedar Point. We had heard a lot of great things, so we were cautiously optimistic. I've had some bad luck at Cedar Fair parks in the past two years... but then Canada's Wonderland and Dorney Park were really nice last year. Unfortunately, my Cedar Fair curse would rear its head again at Cedar Point in a big way, making this our second-least-favorite park (behind Navy Pier Park, if you even count that) of the trip and one of my least favorite, period. Read on! We quickly learned that Cedar Point and its resorts provide vast adventures into contradiction. Contradiction No. 1: Our first night at the Breakers Express, my key card didn't work after the first time I used it to open our room door. I took it to the front desk, and they recharged it, saying I probably had it too close to my cell phone or a credit card or something, and I should avoid doing that in the future (because, you know, absolutely no one carries those things AND their room keys around in their pockets or anything like that). Only a little while later when Kelly, who also had her key far away from her cell phone and credit cards, tried to use her key card, it didn't work, either. Then again, maybe this comes standard whenever I stay overnight near a Cedar Fair park. The only other time I can remember anything similar ever happening to me was last year at the hotel we stayed at across the street from Canada's Wonderland during the Behemoth-Flyer trip (at least the desk clerk at Breakers Express was a lot friendlier about having to recharge the card than the one at the hotel in Canada was). The park had an apt nickname that day, with several inches of rain in the forecast. Yes, Cedar Point has a lot of trash cans. Ha ha ha. Now let's move on, please. (But seriously, even Kelly, who has no clue about that in-joke, noted that after only about 30 minutes in the park.) Fortunately, that wasn't the case, and as guests of the Breakers Express, we received early entry (and thanks to the weather, a great parking space in the front row). Now back to your regularly scheduled TR. As we crossed the bridge to Cedar Point, the weather was so bad that we were afraid we were going to get to America's Roller Coast and find it America's Roller Closed. Contradiction No. 6: Above all else, this is the main reason I never intend to visit Cedar Point ever again and will discourage anyone else from ever going there, either: We were the only two people in line for Disaster Transport. As we walked to the front of the cue, I took out my camera and attempted to get a shot of the empty train in the station. I'd been doing this all day at other rides with no problem. Only this time, the ride op at the turnstile says, "Sir, you can't do that here. You need to put your camera away." I didn't really understand the reasoning, but I wasn't going to argue. I put it away. Unfortunately, I did so in such a hurry that it didn't turn off properly. So I reached into my pocket and hit the power button, which not only turned off the camera, but discharged the residual flash, as it normally does. The ride op at the turnstile starts going crazy, and the op in the booth booms out over the loudspeaker "Put that camera away! Put that camera away now or we WILL confiscate it! You're going to have to delete that photo!" By this time there were a small handful of others in the cue, and I'll be real honest when I say I don't appreciate teenage ride ops yelling at me in front of other people on their PA systems. The turnstile op came running over and demanded I show her my camera and delete my picture at once. I pulled it out, showed it to her and said, "It's a picture of my POCKET. Is it a violation of Cedar Point rules to take a picture of my pocket?" She responded, "No, but remember, you can't take any pictures OF our rides, whether they're in motion or not." They had a third person stop me as I got off the ride to reiterate this statement. So if all the pictures OF Cedar Point's rides I'll be posting in this TR truly are "illegal," I guess I'll get a lifetime ban from TPR. Or I can point out that according to all literature I can find on the park, taking photos OF the rides is perfectly acceptable--taking pictures ON them (which I never do at any park anyway, save for the occasional Ferris wheel, train and scenic cruise) is not. What made me even madder was that when I got home, I saw the exact same picture I had attempted to take in the first place on a recent TR by Electerik. Man, they must have hauled him out in shackles with two sheriff's deputies on each side and an electric cattle prod not far behind. This, by the way, is what the inside of my pocket looks like. Contradiction No. 5: Gemini had, by far, the best ride ops in the entire park. They were cheerful, energetic and not afraid to interact with the crowd. Maybe this was why: At the end of the ride, the lead op announced over the loudspeaker, "Enjoy the rest of your day here at Six Flags, America's Roller Coast." Contradiction No. 4: Before we left, we wanted to see the "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" show at this theater. This was right after it began pouring down rain (see photo above for details). We reached the theater just before showtime--or so we thought. The Cedar Point employee at the door told us the show had just started, and we would have to wait--in the rain--until the first number was over before she would let us in. Now, I know this is the courteous practice in professional theater... but come on! No disrespect to anyone who may be employed in a theme park show, but you've got to understand this isn't Broadway... it's basically an excuse for people to cool down (or in this case, get out of the rain) between roller coasters. At any rate, another park employee was busy ushering out another "guest" (Cedar Point tends to use that term extremely loosely; their lawyers probably won't allow them to call their patrons "paying prisoners"), and upon being shown the door, that guest took one look at us, said, "Are they making you stand out here in the rain? You've got to be kidding me! Go on inside," and held the door open for us. The contradiction, by the way, is that earlier in the day, we also got to the "Snoopy's Big Bow Wow" show a few moments late, and the staff there not only showed us right in, but were some of the few park employees who said something along the lines of "Enjoy the show" without sounding like it made them want to kill themselves and everyone around them. Contradiction No. 3: It had stormed the morning we planned to go to Cedar Point, but stopped just before the park opened. Shortly thereafter we went to Blue Streak, which, being an amusement park history buff, was the coaster I most wanted to ride there. The ride op told us it was shut down due to rain. However, shortly before we left, it began pouring down rain again, and both of us saw Blue Streak running... in the rain. Apparently the coaster only shuts down if there's a *possibility* of rain, not when it's actually raining. Contradiction No. 2: Our Breakers Express package included park tickets and a number of other benefits, including free breakfast at the hotel. The first morning I went down to get breakfast, the lady at the coupon table yelled at me that I had to give her my coupon first before selecting my breakfast items. The second morning, the same lady yelled at me when I tried to give her my coupon first, telling me I had to select what I wanted to eat before she could take it. By this point I'd had about enough of Cedar Point's overall "go to he!!" attitude and asked her if the rules had changed overnight. She proceeded to tell me some not-so-nice things until I ultimately just walked away. The best part about breakfast: According to the same lady both mornings, customers were allowed to choose "one liquid and one solid" from the array of juices and pastries on display. I refrained from asking where the ignoble gasses were. ...and this subtle tribute to King's Island's Beast (or is that Son of Beast?). Anyway, that's about all the update I can muster for now. Big day yesterday with another to follow in a few hours. Stay tuned for lots more Cedar Point! Also visible from the train: Cedar Point's version of the "Lilly Belle"... Oh that's why! Guess they don't call this area "Boneville" for nothing.... I wonder why he's trying to climb that fence. Well, what do you expect? It's not like he has eyes. During the second half, you take a pleasant journey through Boneville. Legend has it Boneville was created when a rogue Ohioan (Ohioite?) watched too many episodes of "Gunsmoke" and tried to recreate Dodge City out of the remains he stole from local graveyards. I should know--I made up that legend just now. During the first half of the train ride, you get a nice view across Lake Erie (at least that's what you get when the weather forecast isn't "Wrath of God"). A little history for our resident rail fans. Oh my gosh, is that a ride op actually smiling and waving? No, that's just grandpa. He went off his meds and hijacked the train again. "Please be a happy train, please be a happy train...." Funway Station... there's bound to be some friendly park employees there, right? ...and Mantis. Eventually, most of the rides did start opening up, including Power Tower... ...Movie Screen: The Ride! Maxair was running, but we skipped it in favor of... No bumper cars in the "It stopped raining an hour ago" forecast, either. Speaking of coasters, it's been awhile since we've seen one in this TR. So how about Corkscrew? It wasn't running yet at that point in the day, of course, but hey, check out that track. I dare you! It was a nice little ride, but "not enough cows" in Kelly's opinion. We didn't try the other two car rides in the park. Seems like whenever they couldn't fit in a new coaster, they bought some more antique cars! Here we encountered even more ride ops who wished they--and we--had never been born. Yay. Next we decided to continue our antique car ride tradition. Especially since it was one of the only things open. Overall, I'm glad I did it... but I don't really need to do it again. The ride didn't really live up to my expectations, even though it did pretty much what it was supposed to do. Part of it may have been the ride op. This guy made the kids in "Adventureland" seem like 1960s Disneyland-caliber employees. He allowed only seven people on our ride cycle, even though there were more in line, and the way he delivered the safety and farewell spiels ("Enjoy the rest of your day here at Cedar Point, America's Roller Coast. Ride on."), we couldn't decide whether he was hungover, suicidal or a little of both. For the uninitiated, this is one of those "nearly every park used to have one, but now they're all but extinct" kind of rides that I love. Basically it's a carousel, only each row of four horses "races" to see who ends up at the front of that series of slots at the end of the ride. After finding out Blue Streak had yet to open (and may not) for the day, we made our way to the other historic ride I was excited about getting to try: Cedar Downs. Hey, there's a giant Ferris wheel! That's how we know when we're in an amusement park. Unfortunately, the Space Spiral remained down all day. And since we were never in a good position for a shot of *just* the tower, here's also a little something for you Wicked Twister and lamppost fans. Shortly after the "real" park opening, Lucy and Charlie Brown took his place, along with one of the many, many disgruntled-looking employees we would see that day. Snoopy was on hand to greet early-entry guests. The rumors are true: It really does rule the sky. And if it's anything like the rest of Cedar Point, it rules that sky with an iron fist! ...and Raptor open. In the Breakers Express lobby, the posted sign had said due to the weather, only Planet Snoopy would be open for early-entry guests. Fortunately, by the time we got there they also had Demon Drop... The entry plaza was still pretty damp when we got inside. Presumably because of the weather, they hadn't even bothered to put maps out (another gripe); we had to go to the customer service office and request them. See? Holiday World's not the only park that can rock a water tower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverickrocks Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Wow, I'm sorry to hear about your visit at CP. It seems like everything just seemed to go wrong for you. Even though I'm a bit of a CP fanboy, I will eaisily say that the park is very inconsistent in a lot of areas. So when somthing like a storm occurs at the park, it only raises the potential for setting things up to be very unsatisfactory, and it seems like that's just what happened. Sadly, I'm not suprised about Breakers Express. One thing that CP doesn't do a good job with is lodging....and it shows here. From my experiences, CP is one of the very best when it comes to ride operations, but if there's rain, the operations become a joke, with their rain policy. I'm very suprised to hear about the rude employees...that's awful. What you encountered was extremely unacceptable, espically at Disaster Transport. Even with the failures on visit, your experience should have been a lot better. You could let the park know about what happened via email; it might do some good. Anyways, great report and pics! Other then the let-down at CP, it looks like it was a lot of fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printersdevil78 Posted July 4, 2009 Author Share Posted July 4, 2009 ^Yeah, when we left the park, we fully intended to send a letter or e-mail once our trip was over. But by the time we got home it became more like "Eh, we're never going back there again anyway, so what's the point?" The bad experiences beside, we still had fun--just not as much fun as we probably should have had. Anyway, here's part two, as promised. Even more to come after this! The park's Old West section was still largely closed by the time we got there, but it didn't take long for things to open up. Also, here's Mean Streak! ...and chickens. And of course, this being a Cedar Point petting zoo, they had plenty of employees on hand to prohibit the petting (but not photographing) of any animals until noon, when the Cedar Point Gestapo said it was OK. More Cedar Point photos to come tomorrow... plus two more parks! Which ones will they be? Any guesses? ...goats... ...sheep... But the real stars of the show are the animals in the adjacent petting zoo, including cows... Also here: steam-powered tractors. This is one of the two exhibits inside the barn. The other one looked pretty much the same; I tried to pick the least rusty of the two. The backside of the museum pays homage to the Ohio bicentennial. But the real attraction (i.e. non-gift-shop) here is the Cedar Point Early Farm Museum. For our rail fans, Frontier Trail includes a nice SBNO train. Wonder if he's related to M.C. Speaking of Knott's Berry Farm, one of my favorite attractions there 20 years ago (that I can remember) was the pan-for-gold operation. I still have my little vial of "gold" shavings, so I didn't need to try it again here. The Christmas shop, on the other hand, sold less-creepy plywood snowpersons. Ninety percent of what this place sold were these creepy not-quite-jack-o-lantern plywood cutouts that subsequently gave me nightmares. "Spooky" is right! "Mommy, can we go to the mining store?" Even the chimney is bottle-shaped! ...and in! I love bottle houses, outside... I really wanted to see the Starlight Experience, but between the weather and our attending the park on the second-longest day of the year (day before the summer solstice), that wasn't in the cards. This peek behind the scenes was as close as we came. Here's that grist mill the sign described. This place reminded me a lot of pictures I've seen of the Ghost Town at Knott's Berry Farm (disclaimer: I've actually been to the Ghost Town at Knott's Berry Farm, but it's been so long ago, I don't really remember it). After our museum visit, we decided to take a tour of the Frontier Trail. I enjoyed the historic carousel display, as well. Apparently these horses came from a 1920s Dentzel carousel that once operated in the park's Kiddie Kingdom section. ...and lots of Exhibit Supply Co. card machines. They also had some other neat old amusements, like this football game... Here's the Lillian Russell film festival. Earlier in the day I had taken photos of the signs at the Old West arcade, just because I thought they were neat. Once I realized they actually corresponded to exhibits in the museum, on the other side of that section of the park, it became like a little scavenger hunt. ...and even tributes to otherwise long-forgotten Sandusky businesses (or types of businesses that Sandusky would have had in the early 1900s, anyway). ...a surry (without the fringe on top)... ...an historic and ornate town clock... ...antique model trains... Not to mention awesome historical pieces like this antique fire engine, built in New York, used in South Carolina and coveted by several collectors before being bought and restored by Cedar Point in 1970 and on display there since 1971... ...and Snake River Falls. ...Blue Streak... ...but it also has some great displays, like models of Mean Streak... Sure, Cedar Point uses this as a place to brag a little... Oooh! Theme park museum! Theme park museum! Geez, Cedar Point! Talk about nickel-and-diming your patrons! The Antique Cars looked very nice, but not nice enough for us to ride since we'd already conquered one "antique" car ride at the park. Add Skyhawk to the list of rides you'll never get me on.... Snake River Falls. The coolest thing about this, I thought, was that they themed it as an actual log mill (for a paper company) rather than just plopping a flume down in the middle of the park and sticking some fiberglass logs in it. Just goes to show how much my coaster tastes have changed since the Behemoth-Flyer trip opened my eyes last year. Before then, I'd have considered this a fairly "wild" ride! This was a fun little ride; nothing to write home about. (Though we did write home about our experiences in Chicago--everyone asked us to send them a postcard with the Sears Tower on it.) Ah, that's better. Boy, they did a lot more thorough job keeping the Cedar Creek Mine Ride closed than that little chain over at Maverick! "Wear like a pig's nose." I mean, yeah, it has a shared bath... but who's complaining? Forget the Breakers Express! Why didn't Elissa tell us about this hotel!? That would change soon! Unfortunately, the trains were moving so fast that my crummy camera couldn't keep up for a non-blurry shot consisting of anything but just the track. So here it is! ...but Maverick looks pretty tame already, what with that big chain across the entrance and all those people waiting in line. This sounds good in theory... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKI Jizzman Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Well, sometimes when ride ops are trying to handle a strict policy like loose articles or photos...they get a little carried away; jumble their words; and might say a few things they didn't mean, or come out right. I know I have a few times! I'm sorry to hear you experiences some under par ride ops. I've heard Cedar Point ops are a litttttle bit on edge (nothing against any of those reading, it's just what I've heard and experienced). I have NO idea why they would tell you that you're not allowed to take pictures inside the station, I've done it before! Some people are just looking to bust people. Thanks for the wonderful trip reports, you focus on things most people skip over! (like me!) Thanks! -Zach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandaman Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Oh my gosh, is that a ride op actually smiling and waving? No, that's just grandpa. He went off his meds and hijacked the train again. Well, even though I feel really bad about your "experience", that caption made me LOL IRL. (Damn acronyms.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printersdevil78 Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 Time for the final batch of Cedar Point photos! Two more parks left. The massive storm that crept up while we were in Toft's and continued during our visit to the Centennial Theatre had passed through by the time we were ready to leave the park, but we were still hopefully that perhaps a hurricane was on its way to put this park out of its misery. ...while Kelly decided on the Herd of Cows. She decreed there was not nearly enough cream inside the little chocolate cows with which the ice cream was laced. I ultimately decided on chocolate chip cookie dough... A cow wearing sunglasses? How delightful! At Electerik's indirect suggestion, we ended our day with a cool, refreshing Toft's ice cream cone. Noted! No clue why there's a statue of Mercury near the theater's exit, but so long as it was there, I figured I'd take a picture of it. Hmmm... wonder what they do in the "Good Time" Theatre. If you said "Put on an ice show," you're correct! (Surprisingly, it wasn't half bad, either, incorporating animation from the old "Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show.") "Take the tunnel!" If I enjoyed tall, scary steel coasters, this one would be right up there, I tell you what. You didn't think I was going to forget about this, did you? "How can we make the park's frontier area seem more authentic? I know! Let's add a Panda Express!" Despite the rain having stopped a full eight to nine hours before this photo was taken, the rapids just didn't seem very popular that day. But here's the raft, anyway, for those who are interested. After Gemini, we decided to make our way back to the Frontier Trail to do some gift shopping before heading back to the Breakers Express. I also took care of a little unfinished business, photo-wise. ... but I prefer the real thing, despite the fact that they had only one side running. Sure, Jr. Gemini's OK... All fear the Monster. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! This is just like the one at Dorney Park. Only, you know, it's in Ohio. Snoopy's arms must be tired. He paddled all the way from the Mall of America to get here. "Sorry, folks. No refunds." "Dang that Charlie Moedee! That's the third leak this boat's sprung since we took it in for its 100,000-mile checkup!" "Why won't white man have anything to do with us, Tonto? Always standing on other side of general store." Those steer are lucky this was a boat ride. Had we been on the train, they'd be nothing but skeletons! ...but mostly it was a poor man's Jungle Cruise, with the ride op making not-particularly-funny jokes about the vignettes staged along the waterway. The excursion offered a nice view of Mantis... All aboard! After the Disaster Transport experience, I made a point of asking our captain if photos were OK. He said they were, so everything's nice and legal here. Although he did catch another passenger texting on her cell phone during the trip and made a point of stopping in the middle of his spiel to yell at her to put it away, citing Cedar Point's "No cell phones on rides" policy (insert eye-roll here). Next up: Paddle Wheel Excursion. Good. Because while I got pictures of both these signs, somehow it's the only major coaster in the park I managed not to get a photo of for some odd reason. Everyone already knows what Magnum XL200 looks like, right? Zoom! (OK then, you come up with a better caption!) Top Thrill Dragster, anyone? "No, Snoopy, I'm afraid offering us a cookie will not make up for the Disaster Transport experience. Especially since the cookie is made out of fiberglass." Hooray for the Kite-Eating Tree! I had forgotten about its place in the "Peanuts" canon. Apparently Kentucky isn't the only place with kiddie monster trucks. ...and Joe Cool. (We probably would have eaten here instead of Johnny Rockets had we realized our Breakers Express coupon book included a discount coupon for this place.) Like the Red Baron... Planet Snoopy was a cute little place, exploring the beagle's many imaginary personalities. ...and a random sampling of John Deere maintenance equipment. ...Super Himalaya... ...Matterhorn... ...Wicked Twister... ...which is what this is... After Disaster Transport, some more random rides and photos including Troika... Proof positive that there is no direct correlation between the number of flags and the amount of fun to be had at any particular amusement park. I took this photo in the cue. Shhhh, don't tell the ops! Or do you? Yes, it definitely needs some new ride ops, but the attraction itself was... decent. Kind of the poor man's Space Mountain. But then, I also like Dark Knight, so maybe I just have a soft spot for indoor coasters. If you read the first third of my Cedar Point TR, you already know my opinion of this ride. Come to Cedar Point, win a giant skunk! "No, Snoopy! Do not attack that oblivious tourist!" After lunch we walked around briefly to remember the French fries of the Gods and decide what to do next. I also allowed me some time to get some random photos, like these Sky Ride buckets. Kelly wanted to go to Johnny Rockets for lunch, so I ordered a St. Louis burger to sop up some of the rest of the Parmesan-garlic grease. I refrained from picking up the carton and drinking what was left after that... though I did give it serious consideration (and Kelly said she was surprised I ultimately didn't go for it). This is what was left in the bottom by the time I finished. These Parmesan-garlic fries were hands-down the best thing I ate the entire trip! If I ever do return to Cedar Point, they will be the sole reason. Happy that I got to ride Blue Streak, it was time to break for lunch. This seemed like my kind of place. That's 78 feet up and then a lot of wooden track before it stops! Who here likes Blue Streak? Actually, just about all the rides were walk-ons or one-cycle waits. This is what we saw as far as lines most of the day. My longest wait was for Iron Dragon, and that was 10 minutes--only because they were still testing the cars, post-rain, when I got in line. OMG! It's open! And it's a walk-on! I really, really wanted to get the credit. I mean, you can't go to just any park anymore and ride an authentic John Allen coaster. Then came the question of the day: Would Blue Streak be open? While all the other coasters in the park had opened by noon, the ride op had told us earlier that Blue Streak may not. While we were in the neighborhood, we also showed the Wildcat some love. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to expectations. It was a pleasant little ride, but... slow, even by my standards. Out of the three suspended coasters I've ridden (Big Bad Wolf, Vortex and this one), it was easily my least favorite. After last year's great experience on Vortex at Canada's Wonderland, I was all ready to like Iron Dragon. Take a look at all that suspended coaster goodness! Silly Cedar Point! That's not an iron dragon; it's an iron griffon! Making our way off the Frontier Train and back into the main part of the park, we stopped for a spin on Iron Dragon. Sadly, the clouds rolled away and the weather was perfect for the evening crowd. Tired and slightly soggy, we retreated to our hotel for a dinner of leftover Dat's doughnut and Holiday World confections while watching "Catch Me if You Can" on TV before drifting off to sleep in preparation for the next day's adventure. Next up: Kennywood! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printersdevil78 Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 As promised, this TR will be finished today! I posted a very detailed TR of my Kennywood trip last June, so as far as photos went this year, I just hit the highlights, taking pictures of the things I didn't have a chance to (or just didn't) shoot last year. This won't be as detailed as the first week of the trip, but hopefully it will be enjoyable, nonetheless. As a side note, Kelly really liked the park; it was her first visit there. We had to leave the Breakers Express by 7 a.m. to meet our timetable for reaching Pittsburgh. Beyond our "one liquid and one solid" at the hotel, we stopped for an Elissa-friendly breakfast (and more importantly, coffee) on the Ohio Turnpike (seriously, is Maryland the only state that doesn't have a turnpike?). Unfortunately, our evening wasn't over. We had been asleep for about an hour when the hotel's fire alarm went off at about 12:30 a.m. Apparently some of the conventioners staying there decided it would be a good idea to get around the "no smoking in rooms" policy by smoking in the hallway instead.... Once everyone got back inside a half hour later, a bunch of kids staying there took over one of the elevators and had a traveling party that lasted most of the night. Needless to say, we had a really delightful night trying to sleep. Next stop: Idlewild! My lamb burger was just OK. Kelly really liked her pizza. Since we neglected to have a real dinner the night before, we decided to treat ourselves to an appetizer. The potato-and-cheese croquettes were amazing! Tired from our early morning and a day at the park, we were planning to just eat at the Chinese restaurant and turn in for the evening. Plans changed, however, when we learned that the restaurant hadn't quite opened for business yet. We consulted our hotel guide for recommendations and found this place, Sharp Edge Creek House, a Belgian restaurant in a former Victorian home, advertising "exotic" burgers and about 10,000 different imported beers. We took Kennywood's "Escalator to Heaven" back to our car and then had a fairly uneventful drive to our hotel. This is how all Kennywood TRs should end. Only in this one, it's placed about three-quarters away from the end. Soon enough, however, the sun reappeared, and we got in a few attraction re-rides before calling it a night. This year it was working... but as soon as we borded, the skies opened up and drenched us through the entire ride! Unfortunately, this precluded me from taking photos of the historical signs highlighting the park's past that are encountered during the journey. I also didn't get to ride the antique kiddie train last year, again not because of weather, but because the train wasn't working that day. OK, so last year I opined on the travesty that was turning the Old Mill into Garfield's Nightmare. For those who aren't familiar with the situation, let me bring you up to speed: After hosting a series of classic dark rides, most of them "haunted," since 1901, the Old Mill was transformed into a series of neon-colored plywood cut-outs of Garfield comic strips in 2008. This year, believe it or not, the ride got even worse! Last year at least there was a 3-D component. This year that part of the ride was completely gone, save for a lone pair of 3-D glasses tossed onto a random ledge that maintenance apparently missed. Then again, maybe that's good news; maybe they're removing this ride in stages, and getting rid of the 3-D glasses is the first step. Raging Rapids... though the wrought iron fence at Ghostwood Estate! Sorry, Michael; this was the best I could do. This was Kelly's favorite "ride" of the whole trip. We encountered so many cloudy, rainy days that Kennywood was the only park to which we even bothered to apply sunblock. King Kahuna, just because I didn't already have a shot of this ride in my collection. Potato Patch fries > Phantom's Revenge. Potato Patch fries are soooo good... but the line is always soooo long! I stood in it for 20 minutes, the longest line I encountered all day. (Kelly, on the other hand, stood in line for about 40 minutes for Phantom's Revenge.) Oh, now I remember! Though I didn't take pictures this year of Ghostwood Estate, the park's shooting dark ride, Kelly insisted I include in my TR that she beat me on it... twice. (Scoring-wise, that is--not in the Ike Turner way.) Its station also offers a good view across the river. You know, I know there was something else I was supposed to mention here, but I forget what it is... Thunderbolt is kind of a big deal. Thunderbolt was the other ride I was unable to ride last year due to weather. What a loss! We liked this coaster so much, we rode it three times straight (it was a walk-on). The Turtle, also one of the last of its kind in the world, afforded us a nice view of the valley below. I certainly wasn't going to go to Kennywood and not ride Noah's Ark, the last fun house of its kind on Earth. Kelly enjoyed it, as well, though the mother behind us who ended up carrying her crying 3-year-old through the whole thing (including the moving steps) didn't seem to have our same level of enthusiasm. Kelly is nearly 100 percent sure she thought it was going to be some kind of religious show. "Anyone leaving their arms and legs outside the car will be given pom poms and forced to cheer for the red team." "I'm the big cheese around here!" After a quick spin on some rides in Lost Kennywood, it started to sprinkle, so we ducked inside The Exterminator, which I didn't ride last year not because of the weather, but because the wait was two hours. This time it was about 15 minutes. Again, maybe I just like indoor coasters, but unlike most enthusiasts, I kind of liked this ride. So did Kelly. I think this is new since last year, but I could be wrong. Either way, they didn't put it on their 2009 souvenir cup. "Rock Me, Amadeus!" Kennywood is in Pittsburgh... so would that make this guy a Pittsburgh Pirate? It's the park's big "new" ride of the season. They even advertised it on their souvenir cups! Next we made a stop at Bayern Kurve, which reminded me of a Primanti Bros. sandwich in that I really liked it, but Kelly didn't. The Kangaroo was one of the two rides I didn't get to ride last year before the park closed due to a massive storm, so after obligatory rides on Jackrabbit and Racer (two of my favorite old woodies), we made a beeline for it. For the uninitiated, it's the only "flying coaster" in the universe still operating. It's called "Fall Fantasy" because the only way to have fall in August is to pretend. First up: the new "Kids in America" section! (Oops, wrong park....) See? There's the Phantom's Revenge as proof! Just kidding. We went to Kennywood! After Primanti's, we boarded a plane and headed to the Swiss Alps. And a cross-section for the full effect. I thought the sandwich was amazing, but Kelly didn't like hers. To each their own. The piece de resistance. These are the types of sandwiches available. We both chose the "No. 2 Best Seller" cheesesteak... which was really a cheeseburger! For those who don't watch the Food Network or Travel Channel, Primanti Bros. is famous for its sandwiches, which all include tomatoes vinegar coleslaw and about 40 pounds of French fries... right on the bread! (And no, this isn't the original Primanti's, but it was the one closest to our detour to Kennywood.) After the GPS took us into and out of downtown Pittsburgh twice, adding nearly an hour onto our drive, we finally reached our first planned stop of the day in North Versailles. We had thought the rudeness and callous attitude toward customers was specific to Cedar Point, but apparently it's an Ohio-wide thing. Is McDonald's really this bad off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printersdevil78 Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 We left our final day of the trip open for the possibility of spur-of-the-moment activities depending on how tired we felt. We knew we would have a five-hour drive ahead of us from Pittsburgh to Kelly's house, and I would be driving 45 minutes home after that. We had discussed the possibility of Idlewild before the trip began, but we knew we would only be able to spend three hours there at most and still get home in time to get some rest for work the next day. Ultimately we decided that a full day's admission wouldn't be worth just two to three hours of park time, especially since I had been there three times before (she never had). Fate has a funny way of intervening, however. As we left Kennywood on Day 8, a park employee stood at the gates, handing out stacks of paper to everyone who left. We diligently accepted ours, and in each one found two coupons for buy one, get one free admission to Kennywood on certain days this summer and four coupons each for $10 admission to Idlewild during the month of June. Well, we certainly weren't about to pass that up, even if it did add a little more driving to our day! Thus brings me to the final official portion of this TR. Thanks for coming along! Fortunately, the odd cloud cover didn't last long, and we experienced our best weather day of the trip (demonstrated here for any paddlewheel enthusiasts who may be reading). The weather looked all kinds of funky when we woke up in Pittsburgh on Day 9. For those who aren't aware, at Cheeburger Cheeburger you pick the size of your burger and the degree to which you want it cooked, then you choose from something like 27 different toppings. This one has blue cheese, ranch dressing, horseradish sauce, minced garlic, French-fried onion topping and pickles. Paired with thin-sliced onion rings and a side of southwestern dipping sauce, it was mighty tasty! And that seems like a good way to end this TR. Especially since after that, we pretty much just drove another two hours home. Hope you enjoyed it! I thought size didn't matter.... Instead, we made our way to the Annapolis, MD, branch of Cheeburger Cheeburger. We'd tried to go to the one in Timonium, MD, the month before only to find it had been converted into an AAA Insurance office. Cheeburger would be another new experience for Kelly. I could have had another bonus credit on the way home, but Kelly refused to stop Thanks, Idlewild! We will! Darned right! Idlewild's Potato Patch servings cost about 25 cents more than Kennywood's, but they're twice as big! Per Elissa's suggestion from last year, I paired mine with an amazing Idlewild burrito. What? Idlewild also has Potato Patch French fries? But I've already had Potato Patch fries once this weekend. Dare I risk a second day of Potato Patch? I thought this was a nice overall "mood" shot. If you disagree... e-mail my secretary, and she'll make me an appointment to pretend to care. See, no carnivorous bees at Idlewild; only the harmless ground variety. But don't disturb them. God help you if you disturb them! Favorite game of the trip: Bombs Away, featuring real toilets! This park is so old, it still accepts Master Charge (along with pieces of eight, Chinese fish money and shiny rocks). Yay, we arrived on a "warm" day! If I have any complaints about Idlewild at all, it's that the desperately need to upgrade their restroom facilities.... "When's natatomic coming back?" ...and Confusion Hill. Idlewild is also home to some other cool, more modern attractions including Paul Bunyan's Loggin' Toboggan... ...and the park's historic carousel. ...the only Vekoma Wild Mouse ever created (through the trees!)... ...one of the last Caterpillars in the world and perhaps the very last to still have a working canopy... ...which is all sorts of "runs through the trees" good... Because I provided a detailed TR following my visit to Idlewild during the Behemoth-Flyer Trip last year, because I already have a pretty good photo archive of the park and because our time there was so limited, I didn't take an abundance of photos... but I did cover the basics like the 1938 Rollo Coaster... But forget about that; this was the most awesome thing we saw the entire trip! "Yeehaw! I mean... fore!" After awhile you don't even see the barrel anymore! We got to see something called the "Battle of the Barrel," which apparently is a long-standing Firefighter and EMS Family Day tradition. Basically, competing fire companies squirt water from their hoses in an attempt to be the first to slide the barrel to their opponent's side. Yeah, lots of firefighters here. For those who are into that sort of thing (or those sorts of strong, handsome, muscular guys). Ohhhhh... that's why. When we got to Idlewild, it took us forever to find a space in its vastly wooded parking area. We ended up in the overflow-overflow-overflow lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy_Behemoth_Lady_Jess Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Mmmmm some of that food looks good! Making me hungry! "Anyone leaving their arms and legs outside the car will be given pom poms and forced to cheer for the red team." That totally made my day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printersdevil78 Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 ^We actually didn't ride Mean Streak after we heard some people complaining how rough it was... though since I tend to enjoy the kinds of coasters most enthusiasts avoid and hate the ones everyone else loves, I probably would have liked it! And yes, almost all the food was extremely tasty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Excellent TR! By the way, Canobie Lake Park also has a Caterpillar with a working canopy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now