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Posted

This is my first CS park, so there will be a mix of CS & noCS, mostly noCS. I'm not exactly a building expert, so bear with me.

Hope you enjoy!

 

========================================================

 

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Friday, May 5, 1972.

 

Hello, John Kline here, Park operations manger here at Valley Hills Amusement Park.

Valley Hills is West Virginia's premiere amusement park. After six years of extensive research, planning, construction, and marketing, Valley Hills is finally ready to open it's doors. I am proud to say that Valley Hills is quickly becoming the ideal family destination for all of central West Virginia.

It's finally here, opening day!

 

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Approaching the entrance of the park, I must say, it feels good to be here to relax and not having to work.

 

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Once into the park, you will cross a creek. Looking to the right you can see the Paratrooper ride, named Apple Twists. A gentle family oriented ride that provides a flying sensation and a scenic view of the creek. You can also see the the mine ride in the back, more on that later.

 

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Looking to the left, we see West Virginia Turnpike. An arrow dynamics designed automobile ride. Great for the youngsters who want to take their first driving lesson. The ride was specially designed to weave around the dense vegetation. A classic ride that I'm sure will continue to entertain guests for years to come.

 

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Further down the Main Midway we can see the massive Parachute Tower. It's given a red, white and blue color scheme to symbolize our great Lady America, providing great views of the West Virginia Hills as well.

 

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I was able to get this shot while riding Parachute Tower. Carousel, towards the right, features WVU's old gold and blue colors. It's a great ride for families with smaller children. To the left you can see the Greenbrier Grill, serving all-American eats such as hamburgers and hot dogs.

 

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Valley Hills also has rides for adults and older children. Scrambler will throw your body every which way and provide an out-of-control sensation. This ride was a bit much for me, once is enough.

 

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Now for Valley Hill's signature ride. Kanawha Railway! Named after the native Kanawha river that flows through the heart of the Mountain State. Kanawha Railway is Valley Hill's single largest investment, designed by Arrow Dynamics. Kanawha Railway is the longest mine style roller coaster in world, with over 2,800 feet of track!

 

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The ride is full of twisted turns and high speed sudden drops. It also features two underground tunnels. We worked closely with Arrow Dynamics to ensure it provided one of a kind experience, unique to Valley Hills.

 

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I don't remember taking this, my eyes were closed. That sudden drop into the tunnel got me good.

 

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After a near-heart attack on Kanawha Railway, I decided to try something a little more tranquil. West Virginia Turnpike was the perfect choice. Very relaxing and scenic. I'm glad Valley Hills has something so enjoyable.

 

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With night approaching, I decided to catch the sunset upon Parachute Tower. You can see much of Kanawha Railway from up here.

 

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With it getting even darker, and closing time approaching, I picked up some delicious homemade pretzels and headed out.

 

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Such a fun filled day at Valley Hills. Tomorrow it's back to work, so at least I had time to enjoy myself.

 

To be continued.....

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Posted

Monday, September 3, 1973.

John Kline. Valley Hills Park Operations Manager.

 

 

Another season has come and gone here at Valley Hills. 1973 saw an attendance boost. It's good to know all our hard work has paid off and the public is taking such interest. With today being the last operating day of 1973, I've decided to take one last stroll before old man winter creeps in.

 

 

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There are great views of Kanawha Railway from the main offices. Unfortunately, some rain was in the forecast.

 

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Waiting for the rain to pass, I decided to try some burgers at the Greenbrier Grill. It's been two years and this is the first time eating here. Not the best, but you get a lot of bang for your buck.

 

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The rain passed surprisingly quick. Apple Twists was up and running in no time. Apple Twists has become insanely popular, I haven't seen a day without a full que.

 

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Not today Kanawha Railway. This coaster has become a big hit for the older children and adults.

 

 

 

==============================

 

We've seen an influx of teens at the park. Valley Hill's popularity is growing, so we want to capitalize on that momentum....

 

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Whatever could this be? Valley Hills will be entering it's third season next year. And with the increasing attendance, we need more rides to keep them coming back.

 

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Official announcement will be published in the Charleston Gazette, Christmas Day.

 

To be continued........

Posted

Monday, February 11, 1974.

 

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In case you missed it, this was our official announcement of Trout Spin. We wanted to include something unique and thrilling and we decided this would be the best choice when considering budget.

 

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(taken atop tree) Work on site has progressed some. The ride and all of it's parts have been assembled. All that's left is some wiring, control booth and que construction. The midway will be further expanded to ensure the ride will be in full view for guests. The ride was named after the state fish, Brook Trout, a continued to tradition to honor the Mountain State.

 

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Parachute Tower now supports the grand ol' American Flag. A suitable location, don't you think? Opening day will be here soon, with the all new Trout Spin. Hope to see you soon.

 

 

To be continued......

Posted

I doubt that an Enterprise would cost $500,000 today, let alone in 1974. Also, try mixing in custom scenery with your paths to give them a better aesthetic look. Overall, this park is looking pretty good.

Posted

$500,000 is the total investment. There are a few things you have to consider.

 

  • The Ride concept is new(second ever built), newer rides cost more.
    This is the largest Enterprise, and also the first permanent & non-portable version.
    This is an investment covering: permits, marketing, purchasing, transporting, and construction for the ride. Including the new midway expansions.

 

Anyways, thanks for the feedback. More soon!

Posted

Saturday, June 8, 1974.

Samantha Keystone, local resident.

I've been hearing a lot about this new Valley Hills amusement park so I decided to take a trip down to to see what all the buzz was about.

 

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Arriving at around noon, the parking lot was about 3/4 of the way full. Trees are abundant here, reminds me of Kings Island.

 

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Once in the park I could see this huge towering attraction, Parachute Tower. I'm not the biggest fan of heights.

 

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Apple Twists was a nice and gentle. I was able to get some nice views of the creek as well. The only downside was the 25 minute line. 

 

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The new Trout Spin. I've never seen anything like it and it turns you upside down! This I had to try!

 

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The ride was really fun and you were glued to your seat the whole time. You just kept going upside down, made me dizzy. I like this ride enough to ride it again.

 

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After all that spinning, I felt dizzy and decided to grab a bite to eat. The park doesn't offer that much variety of food, so Greenbrier Grill it was. This place turned out to be an unpleasant surprise. I had to wait 20 minutes just for two burgers, a coke, and cold fries. The place was crowded and having nothing but bland wallpaper to look at didn't help either. A lot of other people were upset about the lack of workers, and long lines. And the worker girl gave me sass for holding up the line when I complained. This was ridiculous!!

 

 

After all the Greenbrier Grill shenanigans I headed towards the other side of the park, hopefully this wouldn't be another hassle. Apparently, there is a live show over there. here. 

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The show, at Bluegrass Theater, was surprisingly good, minus a few corny jokes. The live action stunts were incredible and it even had a compelling story.

 

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This was my favorite part. "Billy" gets thrown off the roof for not milking the cow. The show also had some inside adult humor too, a big plus. This is Valley Hill's hidden jewel. I am surprised I haven't heard more about this.

 

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It was finally time for Kanawha Railway. This ride was so much fun!

 

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Some argue that this is better than the KI Racer. The tunnel twists were great, I thought I was going to loose my fingers.

 

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This tunnel drop caught everyone off guard, the best part of the ride to. My bottom came up off the seat. Thankfully I had this safety bar to keep me from flying out. This was a wild and crazy ride. This coaster is reason enough to visit.

 

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Kanawha Railway had me pumped, so I decided to finally try out Parachute Tower. The heights were dizzying. I could get a great shot of Trout Spin from up here.

 

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Overall, I enjoyed this park. I could definitely see myself coming back and I will be telling lots of my friends and co-workers about this place. It's great to have such a wonderful place within driving distance. Valley Hills has become a big success for area tourism as well. I can't wait to see what's next for the park. The Greenbrier Grill incident was a pain and they need to do something about operations there.

 

~Samantha Keystone

 

 

=========================================

Another update coming soon!

Posted

Monday, August 4, 1975.

 

John Kline, Park Operations Manager.

 

It's been a busy season here at Valley Hills, I've been buried deep in work for the past few months. I was finally able to enjoy the park for a bit during my lunch break. We saw an attendance boost last year with the addition of Trout Spin. The midway has been further expanded this year. Lets take a look...

 

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An all new area has been added to the park. A shady nook across from Trout Spin featuring two new additions.

 

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Mountain View the new ride for 75'. A 75 foot tall Ferris wheel giving guests a relaxing view of the surrounding terrain.

 

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Mountain View also gives great views of the park. Guests who aren't tall enough for Parachute Tower can enjoy the more tame Mountain View.

 

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The Greenbrier grill was Valley Hills primary food outlet and it was operating beyond capacity.  The new Cobblestone Cafe serves Pizza, Pasta and Root Beer.

 

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A new picnic area across from Cobblestone Cafe. Guests can now enjoy their meal in a relaxing (non-hectic) environment.

 

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We now offer three different restroom facilities as we're growing faster then expected. This should help relieve some of the overwhelming traffic at the other two facilities.

 

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Hey!

(The park now is in co-partnership with a local greenhouse. We're always striving to help the local community. )

 

I'll try and get another report in before the end of the season. I've just been really busy getting thing together for next year.

 

John Kline

Posted

Thursday, July 1, 1976

John Kline, Park Operations Manager.

 

 

Summer has returned, and Valley Hills is open for business.

 

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Cobblestone Cafe is my new favorite vendor in the park. The pizza here is a really good value and has masses of toppings.

 

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NEW! Rotor

An all-new thrill ride designed to keep riders "floating" above the floor in a spinning room. A great ride for the older children & adults looking for a scare.

 

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Lines were like this all day; I was able to get this just before the que was expanded. I saw lines reach up to an hour for this one. All this hard work pays off with the guest appreciation.

 

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New! Dodgems

The classic bumper cars attraction makes its debut at Valley Hills. Another family ride that has become successful with large groups. We were able to purchase this from a traveling fair. With a little refurbishment our maintenance department had it up and running.

 

_______________________________________________________

 

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Originally, three new attractions were planned to open for the bicentennial celebration. Unfortunately, we were only able to open two of them. The third attraction has been delayed due to a recent buzz in the industry.

 

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The third attraction's future location is pictured here.

 

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Parachute Tower provided a better view. Something big is coming! Unlike anything else!!

 

John Kline

Posted
Quote
Sunday, December 19, 1976.

Charleston Gazette

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NEW for 1977!

Valley Hills amusement park welcomes RATTLESNAKE, an all new steel looping roller coaster! RATTLESNAKE will take riders on a journey like no other, A 100 foot accent will send riders slithering down 91 feet, reaching speeds of up to 50 m.p.h. ! RATTLESNAKE will flip riders completely upside down, with a 360° vertical loop! The roller coaster is packed with high speed slithering turns and hills on it's 2300 foot course. Valley Hills is making a $1,500,000 USD investment with RATTLESNAKE, a commitment to happiness and thrills. RATTLESNAKE will be the first looping roller coaster east of the Ohio River when it opens in May.

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-----General Statistics-----

  • Style - Steel looping roller coaster
    Company - Anton Schwarzkopf
    Height - 100 feet
    Drop - 91 feet
    Length - 2300 feet
    Ge-force - 3.7
    Track crossovers - 3
    Investment - $1,500,000 USD

 

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Posted

Friday, June 3, 1977

Samantha Keystone ~ local resident.

 

Another update here from yours truly. I haven't been here since early last year, Rotor and Dodge 'Em were the new family-oriented rides of last season. I don't like the rides, but they are still two great additions to Valley Hills. With the reveal of Rattlesnake, the park’s new looping roller coaster, I just had to check it out for myself.

 

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RattleSnake!

 

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RattleSnake's impressive station.

 

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Going up.

(I got this one about 20 minutes into the wait, lines were at least 2 hours all day)

 

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That crazy Loop! Such a neat feature to be included on a roller coaster.

 

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About 1 hour into my wait, I was able to snap this one.

 

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So how was it?

Awesome!! The ride was cool and super smooth. The loop was extreme, my body felt super heavy. It was an amazing experience going upside down on a roller coaster. Everyone was scared coming down that first drop, in anticipation of the loop. The rest of the ride was great too. Lots of twisty segments with more extreme forces that kept everyone snug in their seats. There were a few moments of unexpected butterflies as well. The verdict: even better than Kanawha Railway! Such a great roller coaster, and has made Valley Hills my new #2 park, behind Kings Island. Rattlesnake is my new favorite ride as well. I waited in another 2-hour line to ride it again, and it was worth it.

 

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The new Rattlesnake Refreshments are located outside the ride's entrance.

 

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Decent coffee is served here, and oversized ($3.99) souvenir cups filled with soda. Rattlesnake provides a better wakeup call than a coffee ever could.

 

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Apparently, the park has been working with a local greenhouse, and it appears they've also taken up shop here. It's good to know Valley Hills focuses on the smaller things too.

 

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Trout Spin and Parachute Tower. Two excellent rides at an excellent park.

 

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I was impressed with the Cobblestone Cafe. It had speedy service and an open area design. The dense vegetation surrounding it created a nice place to enjoy a meal. A vast improvement when comparing Greenbrier Grill.

 

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Mountain View. Another scenic attraction at the park.

(The name confuses me though; I saw hills not mountains.)

 

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I skipped Dodge 'Em, the line was too long. 45 minutes for a bumper car? No thank you...

 

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Look at those trees! Nothing worth mentioning here, moving along....

(Never again!)

 

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Parachute Tower. I passed on this one too, lines were absurdly long all day. And it's only early June. Rattlesnake has been quite a success.

 

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Apple Twists. I managed to catch this one with only a 25-minute wait. The line quickly grew to 50 minutes when I got off. Lucky me!

 

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I had such a great time at Valley Hills today. The park just keeps on improving and offers such a great collection of rides. The RattleSnake and Kanawha Railway are two of my favorites here. The food options have improved, and the park is still locally owned and operated. Valley Hills is a promising place, can't wait to see what's next for the park.

 

Samantha Keystone

 

 

===========================

So, what do you think?

What would you like to see added?

 

Comments would be appreciated. And thanks for the views.

 

Posted

Thursday, August 18, 1977.

 

John Kline

Park Operations Manager

 

Valley Hills is a full-time commitment. Everyday our maintenance crews check and test each ride to ensure safe thrills. Here’s a behind the scenes look at Valley Hills' daily inspections.

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

 

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The start of another day at Valley Hills

 

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Scrambler's electrical components were being tested. A vigorous 10-minute test cycle is followed by another inspection. Safety is important!

 

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Rotor was having some issues this morning. Unfortunately, the ride will remain closed until the floor locking mechanism issue is solved.

 

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A behind the scenes look at RattleSnake! The ride goes through a mandatory 20-minute safety run every morning. The ride is performing well.

 

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The crew let me join them on their "lift walk” for some great views.

 

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I was granted access to Parachute Tower's maintenance platform. That's a LONG way down. These workers are brave.

 

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The only time Greenbrier isn't packed to the wall with customers. Sales have decreased here since the introduction of the Cobblestone Cafe. It was brought up in the last few meetings, hopefully some changes are coming.

 

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Kanawha Railway takes the longest to inspect and test with its long wooden structure, two separate lift hills, and five different brake zones. A small price to pay for our most popular attraction.

 

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Attendance has spiked this year, and RattleSnake has been a huge contributor to that. It has nearly paid for itself already! Upper management is pleased. What truly matters is the guest experience.

 

John Kline

 

=================================================================

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Bonus material, 1977 park map! Enjoy.

=================================================================

 

Posted

Thanks for the comment. I've been working on this park extensively the past few days. I've already entered the 80's, I just need to post some TRs.

I can't reveal much. But rest assure, some interesting additions are coming. Another update will be posted soon!

Posted

Mega Update!

I experimented with a little more CS.

============================================================

Monday, July 2, 1979.

Tessa Keystone

Local resident, mother of five.

 

 

Quote

 

Quote

Valley Hills has "something for the whole family." When I read this, my headache went away. My husband Rick, the kids and I were all arguing about where to spend the day. My sister, Samantha, constantly talks about the place and how I should take my family there. So, we took a day trip down to Valley Hills to have a family day.

 

 

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Making our way into the park, this towering ride caught everyone's attention.

 

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The younger ones were thrilled to see this, they called it "pixie horses." My youngest is going through a horse phase, she was mortified when she had to get off.

 

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The next ride of the day was Apple Twists. Quite relaxing.

 

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My sister, Samantha, spoke highly of Bluegrass Theater. So, I had even more motivation to check it out. And apparently, she was right, a full house before noon.

 

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The show was very entertaining, and had some great humor to. The kids really enjoyed all the stunts, which were better than the local theaters.

 

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After the show, the kids saw this and were more than eager to try it out (they were like this with everything they saw).

 

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We snacked on some of these delicious pretzels. These things were massive!

 

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It was time for Kanawha Railway!

 

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The lines for the front were too long for me to care for, seats towards the back had no wait at all. I don't understand why people wait longer to experience the same ride. The ride itself was amazing! Lots of tunnels, the kids loved it.

  

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My sister, Samantha, told me to stay away from the GreenBrier Grill. I decided to take her advice. I saw a lot of upset faces through the window though.

 

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Everyone wanted to ride Parachute Tower. I'm a sucker for heights, but the younger ones begged me to ride with them.

 

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Scrambler looked like a vomit inducer.

   

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Mountain View? Not my favorite, but the younger ones were having a blast.

 

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It was time for lunch at the Cobblestone Café

 

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Next up, Trout Spin. Everyone but our oldest two sat this one out. The line was mostly teenagers, go figure.

 

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Disappointed to find this one closed.

 

 

====================

= PART 2 - KID TOWN =

====================

 

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The little ones were beyond thrilled to see this, a town just for kids. Kid Town.

Our oldest two split from the group and joined their friends at this point. So much for a family day....

 

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The place was beautifully decorated with flowers; I noticed quite a few rides too.

First up was Tea Party, the ride furthest from view.

 

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My two youngest boys loved these motorcycles. Road Rally was their favorite ride of the day.

 

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It was time for Kid Town's centerpiece attraction, Monarch Flight.

 

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We rode this together. Fun ride.

 

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Cameras were allowed on this ride. I was able to get this picture of the eatery.

 

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Kid Town Market. This place was beyond busy, but we still decided to check it out. The kids snacked on PP&J sandwiches and cookies.

 

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The Caterpillar! A kid-sized roller coaster, which meant I could take a break.....

 

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Not bad for a kid-sized coaster though. I feel a little ashamed enjoying it so much.

 

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After about 1 & 1/2 hours in Kid Town, it was time to try something for us adults. RattleSnake! I met up with my oldest two and made them watch the younger ones while hubby and I enjoyed this. This thing was VERY intense, that loop is a ride by itself. My favorite ride of the day! (no kids either)

 

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Everyone was nearly exhausted, so we all decided on one last ride. Which ended up being up Dodge 'Em. Which ended up breaking down right before our ride. Which caused the younger ones to argue among themselves. I was feeling a bit bewitched at that point.

 

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All in all, Valley Hills was an excellent place to spend a family day. We agreed (on something, finally!) to visit again, maybe sometime soon. For now, it's back to juggling this family.

 

Tessa Keystone.

Posted

No comments?

I'm starting to feel iffy about this project.

 

 

 

===================================

 

Friday, June 27, 1980.

John Kline ~ Park Operations Manager

 

Valley Hills has seen eight prosperous seasons, filled with laughter thrills and memories.

Sadly, during this ninth season, Valley Hills has taken a turn for the worst. The park has been struggling to make a profit for nearly 3 years now. The park's attendance has slightly dropped for the first time, adding to the wound...

 

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Kid Town is one of the more prosperous areas of the park. Sadly, profits say otherwise.

 

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Sky Slide was the only feasible this season after last years major Kid Town

 

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Rotor is still having technical difficulties. The ride ran for only 5 weeks last season and remains closed this season. Extremely unreliable for a 4-year-old attraction.

 

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In other news, Backwoods Buffet suffered a fire early this year and will be demolished.

This is most unfortunate as Backwoods Buffet was a huge crowd draw for this area of the park.

 

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Due to proximity Bluegrass Theater will also remain closed.

 

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Valley Hills has taken a huge hit financially. We’re hoping for brighter tomorrows.

 

John Kline.

 

Posted

What a quick turn of events at Valley Hills. Seemed like everything was going fine as they've mede a few smart decisions when it came to new attractions. I see a sale may be in the park's future if things don't turn out right. Looking forward to seeing how this story plays out.

Posted
Looking great! well the storyline i mean.

Oh, okay. Thanks.

 

Please keep it going I love this park. Everything looks great! The story line is amazing. I'm really looking forward to see what the future holds
Hopefully the park profits go back up. This is a great park.
Definitely keep going, looks great so far.

Lets hope for the best! Valley Hills will keep chugging along, at least for now....

Thanks for the compliments btw!

 

What a quick turn of events at Valley Hills. Seemed like everything was going fine as they've made a few smart decisions when it came to new attractions. I see a sale may be in the park's future if things don't turn out right. Looking forward to seeing how this story plays out.

This story has begun heating up a bit. What's next will decide the Valley Hills' shaky future.

Posted

================================

Update!

 

Sorry for the wall of text, but it's important.

Enjoy!

================================

Tuesday, August 31, 1982

Kevin Jones ~ Valley Hills financial officer

 

 

Valley Hills has been going through some tough times as of late. The last few seasons have seen no added attractions. And what's worse is the park's struggling financial status. I had to attend a private meeting between Valley Hills and City government, which was held May 3, and have some news to report.

 

Quote

 

The park's founder & main financial backer, millionaire Samuel Jenkins also attended the meeting. The City officials discussed the parks financial status and their ongoing contract with the park. The contract states that:

Valley Hills will receive [an undisclosed amount of] tax breaks in return for founding the city with [an undisclosed amount of] for public use.

The City is now demanding compensation, which the park has been unable to provide.

 

 

 

This is when Samuel Jenkins unveiled his new plan to revitalize Valley Hills and bring it back better than ever. I can't get into all the details, but I can reveal the basics...

 

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VALLEY HILLS - PROPOSAL 1:098-7

$10,000,000 USD in capital investments

Revitalize old Backwoods Buffet site

Increased advertising

 

which will;

 

Increase attendance

Increase in-park spending

Increase profit


 

After about an hour of discussion, both parties came to an agreement.

 

Valley Hills will receive their tax breaks and will temporarily be granted permission not to pay the City's compensation for the next 3 years. However, once the three years are up, Valley Hills will have to pay their debt, with a 9% interest rate.

 

This will allow Jenkins' plan to materialize and hopefully provide a steady cash flow. Which would also enable Valley Hills to deal with this new contract.

 

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The unused portion of the parking lot has been reserved for private use. Equipment related to the $10,000,000 additions has begun arriving on site.

 

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Site clearing has already begun, and construction will break into full gear once the 1982 season is over.

 

 

Plan 1:098-7 is Valley Hills' last chance for survival. If this plan fails Valley Hills will undoubtedly go bankrupt. Closing after only 13 operating seasons. With only 3 years to make a comeback this must go off without a hitch!

 

Kevin Jones ~

Posted

Wednesday, June 1, 1983

Kevin Doss ~ local guest

 

As a frequent visitor to Valley Hills, the lack of new additions was beginning to test my patience. Valley Hills announced three new attractions. One is supposed to be the nation’s largest free fall ride, a family-oriented ride, and an all-new eatery. A visit to Valley Hills was inevitable.

 

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Something new on the horizon!

 

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An all-new midway opened this year. I'm so used to getting nothing, this felt surreal.

 

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Towering Inferno! New for 1983.

 

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Looks intimidating!

That 100-foot drop was no joke. The most frightening ride here.

 

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Towering Inferno had a 1.5 hour wait all day. RattleSnake was never this busy.

 

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Music Box, the other new ride for 83. Skipped this one, mostly due to the long que. Valley Hills was surprisingly crowded today, very unusual.

 

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Finally, something new to chow down on! Allegheny Hall offers a variety of local cuisine. They even brought back those giant pretzels!

 

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Allegheny Hall also features a picnic area, with an exclusive view of Kanawha Railway.

 

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Bluegrass Theater has finally re-opened, albeit further down the new midway. I hear the new show is better than the last.

 

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Purchased this postcard featuring Towering Inferno. I've heard that name elsewhere....

 

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Seems like Valley Hills has something new up its sleeve. The park has been frequented by construction vehicles, and the local paper says they're on a building spree. New rides are always welcomed!

 

 

Kevin Doss~

 

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