dj snow Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 About a month ago, I took a day trip up to Albuquerque, NM to check out Cliff's Amusement Park. Cliff's reminded me a lot of Waldameer--a small, hometown amusement park with a nice assortment of rides. It was all well-kept and clean too. While it's not the biggest park around, the people of Albuquerque are lucky to have it. On to the pics! Finally, as my visit to the museum (and my trip to Albuquerque) came to an end, there was an awkward moment as I walked in on a mannequin undergoing a medical exam. Thanks for reading! When I need creamy mushroom dressing, I only use Three Mile Island brand creamy mushroom dressing. No, your eyes do not deceive you. Indeed this is a Three Mile Island lamp. Back in the 1930s, shoe stores used machines like this one to xray your feet "to ensure a proper fit." In reality, it was a carcinogenic gimmick. Heat-shield comparo: Before re-entry (right); after re-entry (left). There is weaponry everywhere you look! Doesn't this curtain look inviting? It's Fat Man and Little Boy! (Well, okay, they're replicas.) Nazi memorabilia your thing? The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History has you covered! Inside the museum we find sensitive, politically correct posters such as this. And here's a wing! Eventually these pieces will be reassembled, I hope! Here's a bunch of engines laying around. (These displays are still a work in progress, if you couldn't figure that out.) Here's the business end of a rocket! The museum just moved to a new location. Outdoors, they have a display of various aircraft, rockets and the like. Oh, of course! I have arrived at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History! Time to sample another of Albuquerque's attractions. Hmm, what might this model of the atom mean? And if family fun isn't your thing, TD's Show Club is located directly across the street. (Say it out loud... "TD's..." "TD's..." Got it now?) I couldn't resist one last shot of New Mexico Rattler's lift hill. By the way, Cliff's is celebrating 50 years of family fun this year! Albuquerque's elevation is 5,312 feet above sea level. If that's not high enough, Cliff's provides this drop tower to give you an added, albeit momentary, boost. For those who wonder what became of Holiday World's Banshee, here is your answer. It's at Cliff's! (Seriously, this is it!) It tilts. It whirls. It's the Tilt-A-Whirl. Their bumper cars, with their light show (hard to see because of my flash) reminded me a bit of the El Dorado bumper cars at Coney Island. Without the pre-recorded mild profanity, of course. The Sidewinder is one of the newer rides at Cliff's. Here's some more train scenery. For the record, nothing happens here. Here's a glimpse of the New Mexico Rattler as seen from the train. By the way, Cliff's is celebrating 50 years of family fun this year! ...and offering you a view of the entry plaza and log flume. During your ride, park employees chase the train to guard all the crossings. The train takes you on a tour of the park, past this Old West scenery... Let's take a ride on the train, shall we? Shield your eyes, it's another Scary Clown Wall-Face! It's the Fire Ball! Nah, I didn't ride. Anybody else see a bit of Waldameer in this shot? Or is it just me? Oh, thank God you survived! Look out, kids! Underground tunnel ahead! Here's the first drop as seen from the kiddie rides area. For dominating the park as much as it does, this coaster is fairly tough to photograph. A train travels up the lift. By the way, Cliff's is celebrating 50 years of family fun this year! The star attraction is the New Mexico Rattler, the last coaster CCI ever... started. CCI went belly-up during construction, leaving the park to finish the job, presumably at added expense & certainly with added aggravation. (FUN FACT: Use the left entry for the back car and the right entry for the front car! Prefer the middle? Figure it out!) Cliff's also boasts a collection of Scary Clown Wall-Faces. They have one of these. It's called The Big Flush, just like the one at Indiana Beach. (FUN FACT: The two parks had the same ad agency at the time.) Their Galaxi looks almost showroom-new, and it gives a nice ride too. Look right, and here's your view. By the way, Cliff's is celebrating 50 years of family fun this year! Upon entering Cliff's, look left and this is what you see.
LJGoBlue Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 Nice TR, Cliff's looks like a fun little park. P.S.- I like how you included the little fun facts throughout the report, such as the one about the New Mexico Rattler entrance.
robbalvey Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 Your TRs are always amazing. Glad to see that Cliff's is being well kept up. Always thought it was one of those very under-rated parks in the country. Silverwood, Cliff's, Waldameer, Martin's Fantasy Island, etc... All very similar and all great parks! --Robb
Flippero95 Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 Very cool, we just stayed in Albuquerque overnight a few weeks ago. Our hotel was right across from Cliff's but, alas, we didn't get to stop and visit. I enjoyed your photos!
Kennyweird Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Great Photo TR. I remember passing by Cliffs on the way to Philmont last August. Looks like a great little park, I wish our crew had the time to visit, but unfortunately, we had an itinerary to follow.
DBru Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Great PTR! Cliffs looks like a great little park with an awesome collection of rides. (That ARM Tower alone draws my attention...) Thanks for the info on the park's Falling Star...I miss the Banshee SO much! It was definitely the best flat Holiday World has ever had. I have to ask now, though: if the ride was still operational, why did the park remove it/their best flat?
haux Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 How's New Mexico Rattler running? I rode it in 2005 and was planning on trying to visit this year. It's a fantastic coaster, and I hope it's still running well.
dragsterfan420 Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Great TR! The Cliff's picks were nice. I always like to see pics of "homey" parks. And the Nuclear Museum was awesome. I love that type of stuff. So all in all the TR was an A+++++++
coastercrzyjames Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Wow thanks for the GREAT photo tour of Cliffs. I haven't been here since I was like 10. It was my home park for many years growing up in Albuquerque. I regret that every time I'm in town is during their off season. I really need to plan a visit up there sometime and get my NMR credit.
Calicoasters Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Great TR of Cliff's! I am planning on stopping by there sometime next year if I go through with my "roadtrip to Texas" vacation next year! Good to see the place isn't a total dump and worthy of staying a while insted of doing a "credit run."
aLFREd_25 Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Your trip report was great! Every time I visit my family out in Abq. I try to get to the park. New Mexico Rattler is one of my favorite coasters. Glad to see you enjoyed yourself.
dj snow Posted July 7, 2009 Author Posted July 7, 2009 Your TRs are always amazing. I agree. Thanks for the info on the park's Falling Star...I miss the Banshee SO much! It was definitely the best flat Holiday World has ever had. I have to ask now, though: if the ride was still operational, why did the park remove it/their best flat? I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were some combination of maintenance costs, operational headaches (that "no single riders" rule can't be fun to enforce) and the desire to put a more family-friendly ride there. When HW put Banshee in (I think it was introduced in the mid-80's), it was probably the most thrilling ride in the park. With the coasters to satisfy the thrillseekers now, putting in a ride that the whole family can ride together (the swings) was probably not such a bad idea. I agree that Banshee was a lot of fun, though! How's New Mexico Rattler running? I had never ridden it before, so I can't compare to how it was when it was new. Still, it seemed to be running pretty well. Maybe a bit sloppy in a few turns, but overall it seemed fine. You can see where they've replaced some wood here and there, so they seem to be keeping up with it. I really need to plan a visit up there sometime and get my NMR credit. Yes. Yes you do. Thanks for the comments, everyone!
andyuk200523 Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 So let me just get this right, Cliffs are celebrating 50 years of Family fun?? Love the look of the CCI, I loved some of the designs they came up with, after all they did Megaphobia and Tonnerre De Zeus, and they are both fun woodies, although they also did some slightly rough rides too Good TR
CorkscrewFoley Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 yeah, Villain was pretty rough...but it was my favourite. Anyways, great job on the TR and the pics were fantastic. So I have a question, who is the maker of Sidewinder?
dj snow Posted July 7, 2009 Author Posted July 7, 2009 I think Sidewinder is from Moser Rides. It looked like it was the same as Fandango at Knoebels. "Fan... dango?"
dino Posted July 8, 2009 Posted July 8, 2009 Cool TR. The park seems to be clean and professional, but it still keeps that "home town" feel. I was just in that area not too long ago. I was hoping to get the Rattler credit, but the park wasn't open during my time there .
Electerik Posted July 8, 2009 Posted July 8, 2009 Great TR! Never been to Cliff's, but now I'd like to.
Mochtroid Posted July 8, 2009 Posted July 8, 2009 Did you visit Adventureland or Cliffs? They both: have a western themed cci have a very tall, unsupported looking shot tower have a small Huss sidewinder have a falling star It goes on and on!
Philrad71 Posted July 8, 2009 Posted July 8, 2009 Nice report! This does remind me a lot of Waldameer with the exception that Cliff's has a Fireball and a rockin' Rock-O-Plane - two flats I loved growing up!
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