Photo TR - Knott's Berry Farm and Los Angeles County

[YoshiCraft2011]

Hello! This is YoshiCraft2011 if you don't already know me. I have made video trip reports on Delta Air Lines in the past, but I have never written a trip report before. Just bare with me.

 

Backstory

 

My family and I originally did not plan to go to Knott's this year. We were going to Honolulu instead. Due to unfortunate events, however, my mom canceled the trip to Hawaii. I was a bit disappointed, but it was just fine. To make up for it, my dad booked a vacation package at the Knott's Hotel. It included park tickets for Knott's and Soak City (which were early access passes), complimentary breakfast buffet, and free parking. Sweet!

 

Day One - Driving to Los Angeles

 

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

 

I live in the Las Vegas area, so it was only around a 4-5 hour drive to California. After leaving our house, my dad drove us to Primm for some breakfast. All I had was an Egg McMuffin and some milk. My sister had a hash brown.

 

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

 

What can I say? It's just a McMuffin, that's all. After some breakfast, my mom decided to drive. Our next stop was Barstow, which was an hour or two away.

 

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

 

We were finally at Batstow. Our family was originally going to Barstow Station, but my mom said that the bathrooms there are dirty. Instead, we parked at an In-N-Out.

 

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

 

My dad wanted a plain cheeseburger. He wanted my mom to order. What my mom actually ordered was a cheeseburger with veggies and condiments. What an In-N-Out noob.

 

After that stop, it would be a few hours before reaching West Covina. There was a Taiwanese cafe called 85 C. We decided to check the place out.

 

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

 

Just one more stop to go. The next stop was San Gabriel, where my family and I would have some lunch. After eating those desserts, I wasn't that hungry. But I still needed a proper lunch.

 

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

 

It was now a one hour drive to Knott's Berry Farm. Unfortunately, there was some construction on the I-5, so traffic was pretty bad. It cleared up, though, and we finally made it to the hotel.

 

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

 

We booked an oversized queen room for three nights. The room definetially looked bigger. There was a bar, a mini fridge, and a shower. However, the closet was located in the bathroom. Bad placement. The walls in this room seemed as thin as paper. You could hear people and the GhostRider. Yikes.

 

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

My 21.5 inch iMac, 2013 edition.

 

In the next post, I will explore the California Marketplace and review Mrs. Knott's famous fried chicken! Stay tuned.

The abandoned Rock-a-Hula water park. This is a bad location.

The Barstow In-N-Out. Bathroom break.

The huge solar power plant.

Welcome to California!

Buffalo Bill's and the Desperado.

Welcome to Mc onald's!

Just a McMuffin for now.

Geez, this restaurant is huge! The one nearby my house is less than half the size of this.

Even the kitchen is pretty big.

Hot and sour soup.

Some mochi and Shanghai dumplings.

OK travel? Just a decent travel agency?

Lunch for today.

85 C, the Starbucks of Taiwan.

Very relaxing atmosphere.

Having dessert before lunch is bad, but whatever. A chocolate pearl and matcha smoothie.

Construction. It will help traffic in the future, but for now, it's jammed up.

I see a billboard advertisement! Three new rides at Camp Snoopy.

The two towers at Knott's.

The main entrance of the hotel.

The lobby is refreshed. It looks more modern now.

The tiny bar in our room.

Two queen beds.

View from our hotel room.

Edited August 22, 2014 by YoshiCraft2011

[WFChris]

Nice report! Can't wait to see more

 

The cool part about going to California instead of Hawaii is that there are no coasters in Hawaii

[tarheel1231]

The walls are that thin? Lol. At least the hotel looks nice. Can't wait to see the trip report!

[YoshiCraft2011]

Nice report! Can't wait to see more

 

The cool part about going to California instead of Hawaii is that there are no coasters in Hawaii

 

True, very true. I have never heard of any roller coaster located in Hawaii.

 

The walls are that thin? Lol. At least the hotel looks nice. Can't wait to see the trip report!

 

Of course not. You can easily here other things, though. The Knott's hotel is decent. Not the best, but definetially decent.

 

----

 

In this post, I will give you a brief tour of the California Marketplace. I will also review Knott's famous fried chicken. Enjoy!

 

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

 

The chicken was good. Some pieces were dry while others seem to be moist. The crispy coating didn't have lots of flavor, though. Overall, Knott's chicken dinner was a pretty good meal.

 

Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant.

Knott's Chicken to Go! Chicken without the wait.

Here's the berry market.

Jams, syrups, and cookies. I don't think you can find the jams anywhere else.

TGIF!

Say what you want about GhostRider, but I love this coaster.

The hotel gift shop. There's a bunch of Snoopy plushies.

These are the ballrooms.

The thrid floor of the hotel has direct access to the lobby.

Fudge!

Some gift baskets with gifts.

A cool star shaped fountain.

Here's a nice seating area.

Yum, fried chicken.

Cool wrapper with the names of other Cedar Fair parks.

Pastries!

Bulk candy!

Snoopy cookies!

Snoopy HQ. I bet they sell a bunch of Peanuts merch.

"All clear, dispatch."

[Wingwright]

Cool Trip Report! I never thought I would see a West Covina TR. I went to high school there.

 

Personally, I think Knott's Chicken Dinner has gone downhill. Last time I went the chicken was soggy and bland. It's lost the home-cooked appeal.

[bert425]

I never cared for the chicken all that much. . but Mrs Knott's is all about the biscuits to me

 

I was sad not to see a picture of the cute, tiny biscuits!

[YoshiCraft2011]

Cool Trip Report! I never thought I would see a West Covina TR. I went to high school there.

 

Personally, I think Knott's Chicken Dinner has gone downhill. Last time I went the chicken was soggy and bland. It's lost the home-cooked appeal.

 

Well, I wasn't even born before Cedar Fair purchased Knott's, so I think the chicken is tasty.

 

I never cared for the chicken all that much. . but Mrs Knott's is all about the biscuits to me

 

I was sad not to see a picture of the cute, tiny biscuits!

 

You'll see some biscuits in a later post. They're so fluffy.

 

----

 

Day Two Part One - Breakfast and Camp Snoopy

 

It's time for me to continue writing this trip report. After getting a rather uncomfortable sleep, it was time to go to Knott's. I will be splitting this report in sections, which will give me more time to review your replies.

 

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

 

Our family had vouchers for Amber Waves, the hotel restaurant. Breakfast buffet was complimentary for us, but for those who don't have buffet vouchers, the buffet is $15.50. Overpriced? Yes.

 

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

 

After a decent breakfast, it was time to go to Knott's. The hotel is just five minutes away from the park.

 

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

The GhostRider looks quite lovely this morning. A maintenance guy is inspecting the coaster.

Cold stuff at Amber Waves, which includes generic cereal and pastries.

There's some sugar, but no jam.

Cedar Point! Really want to visit that park one day.

Hot stuff at the buffet. Hash, eggs, and fatty breakfast meat.

Not the best breakfast, but it's filling.

All attractions are open, they say. This is actually false.

The main entrance of Knott's.

This coaster was the first ride I ever rode at Knott's and may even be my first coaster, period.

This is Linus Launcher, one of the new rides. It intrigued me. You basically "fly" in a circle. I like it.

It's an enjoyable ride as usual. The track layout is perfect for a spinning coaster.

First off, Sierra Sidewinder and the newly refreshed Camp snoopy.

Well, early access isn't until 9:30. I was mislead.

Snoopy was happy to pose for me.

[tarheel1231]

This is looking pretty good!

[thrillseeker4552]

Great report so far. Can't wait to see more!

[coasterbill]

Great report so far!

[bert425]

ooo. . Camp Snoopy is looking good!

[YoshiCraft2011]

Day Two Part Two - Ghost Town and Fiesta Village

 

After checking out the Camp Snoopy area for a little while, I decided to take a ride on the GhostRider, Knott's "bad" and "painful" CCI wooden coaster. I wanted my sister to come along, and she wanted my dad to come as well. My dad didn't seem to convinced, so I said that the GhostRider was "smooth".

 

Welcome to Ghost Town!

The entrance of the GhostRider.

The best in the west? I'm not so sure about that.

The line for the front car was around 45 minutes long.

 

I actually really enjoyed GhostRider! Sure, it's a bit rough, but that's what makes this coaster fun. But my opinions would soon change pretty soon...

 

After that ride, it was time to ride something more peaceful. That, of course, was the Pony Express.

 

Some shops surround GhostRider's queue.

Howdy, folks!

The Ghost Town has these nice peek through buildings with animatronics.

There's more shops as we approach the Pony Express.

Here it is! Pony Express, a Zamperla motorbike coaster.

 

The Pony Express was a good ride. It had a unique restraint system and a simple layout. However, the ride was just way too short. In fact, the time spent on the brake run is more than on the actual ride.

 

The stage is decorated with a Western theme.

Here's the old train, still operating to this day.

As we approach the Fiesta Village, you cans see the Silver Bullet.

 

Ah, the Fiesta Village. This is a really funky Mexican-inspired area. There are two roller coasters and a few flats.

 

The Fiesta Village has some nice theming.

La Revolucion! Unfortunately, this flat was closed. You lied to me, sign!

Jaguar! The queue is inside a temple. It looks pretty cool.

 

The Jaguar is just a kiddie coaster. However, it does interact with a bunch of rides. It also has that nice, loud sound when it goes through the track.

 

The is where the WindSeeker once was. I wonder what could be built here...

Montezooma's Revenge, a classic Schwarzkopf shuttle loop.

 

Here's what happened. My sister and I were in line for Monte. Then, the ride op said that there were some problems. Almost everyone in line just left the station, including my sister. I stayed. In just a few minutes, Monte was back up and running. I snatched a front seat with no problem.

 

Montezooma's Revenge is a classic. It has a great launch and a forceful loop. It also has that nice roaring sound. I like it.

[bert425]

with the park that dead it was still 45 minutes for front seat on Ghostrider?

 

they were only using one train, I guess?

[YoshiCraft2011]

with the park that dead it was still 45 minutes for front seat on Ghostrider?

 

they were only using one train, I guess?

 

Nope, they were using two trains. I think the lines were long because there were early access people in line.

 

----

 

Day Two Part Three - The Nightlife

 

After checking out the Fiesta Village, I wanted to try out the Supreme Scream, a set of three S&S drop towers.

 

Supreme Scream, which consists of three drop towers. One was being maintained during my visit.

 

It was a decent flat. I screamed like an idiot during the first drop, but the rest of the ride was pretty tame. There's also some air time when I was first dropped. All in all, okay.

 

This popping cherry Dippin' Dots thing.

 

Next, it was time for me to visit the two rides Knott's is most famous for. Of course, it's their log ride and the mine ride.

 

The line for the Timber Mountain Log Ride was long, but it went by fast.

 

The log ride was nice to look at. Everything was bright and the animatronics look really nice. Unfortunately, I didn't get very wet during the final splash.

 

The Calico Mine Ride, newly refreshed for 2014.

 

This ride was also nice to look at. Everything looked bright and fresh. There was also some smoke at the end of the ride. However, Knott's replaced the ride op's voice with pre-recorded ones.

 

After staying in the park for a while, I was hot and there were too many people in the park. It was time for lunch! Since we just ate chicken the night before, we decided to got to TGIF.

 

Sizzling chicken on spinach! It was actually sizzling.

The interior still looks new, despite being nearly ten years old.

It's friday, and I'm eating at Friday's. Fitting!

 

After lunch, my dad, sister, and I went to Soak City. We were only able to ride on the mat slides, the lazy river, and the wave pool. The lines for the water slides were ridiculous! There was a line just to get a mat. I guess that's what happens when you visit during a weekend.

 

After Soak City, my whole family went to this Vietnamese restaurant in "Little Saigon" for dinner. It was my first time going to this restaurant. I liked the food there and I liked the atmosphere.

 

Some Vietnamese restaurant in the Little Saigon area.

Soup. Yum.

 

It was time to go back to the park after an enjoyable dinner. My re-entry stamp washed out, so we used our tickets to get back in. The first ride of the night? GhostRider.

 

The GhostRider entrance at night.

 

Oh dear. That ride was PAINFUL! I was seated in the second car in the second row. It was so bumpy that the ride was just plain unenjoyable. This woodie needs some serious retracking. Ouch.

 

Well, at least there's the nice, calm Pony Express.

Knott's is so dead. And it's dark.

This water well thingy at the entrance.

Camp Snoopy at night. What happened to Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular? I guess they shut down the show as part of renovations.

Here's the Sierra Sidewinder. A great ride no matter what time it is.

The waterfalls have this blue light.

The Ferris Wheel looks great at night.

It's time for the Fiesta Village!

The park is so empty at this time...

Jaguar! It was a walk-on. Literally.

Even when there's no people, there's still a great live performance.

The Linus Launcher is shut down for the night.

Goodbye, Knott's. I'll be back tomorrow!

[GigaG]

Second row... on 2-row PTC trains, aren't the first rows of individual cars smoother than the second rows of individual cars?

[YoshiCraft2011]

Second row... on 2-row PTC trains, aren't the first rows of individual cars smoother than the second rows of individual cars?

 

Definitely. I was going to ride on the front row, but I wanted to see the difference between the two rows. Bad idea.

 

----

 

National RollerCoaster Day, Part One

 

I recently found out that August 16, 2014, was national rollercoaster day. What I already knew was that today was the last day of operation for Colossus. Gee, what a day. On this day, I added two more credits to my list, Xcelerator and the Boomerang.

 

Breakfast at Amber Waves. Modest, but it's a breakfast.

Snoopy discussing with another party. He makes everyone smile.

This was a display for Knott's 2014.

All attractions better be open, sign.

First ride of the day, GhostRider. I did not make the same mistake and instead went for the first row.

That cobra roll. So majestic.

This is the Peanuts gift shop at the entrance of Camp Snoopy.

Yeah, no thanks.

This is likely to stay here for the next 30 years.

Montezooma's Revenge. Such a classic.

The Butterfield Stagecoach is at the crossing.

Seconds later, here comes the train.

First new coaster of the day, Xcelerator. This was an excellent ride! The launch is so fast and the train soars through the track. Easily my favorite ride.

Now it was time for the more peaceful Calico Mine Ride. My mom came with my sister and I this time around.

They still have that sign for Knott's Roaring 20's.

This is a nice area to sit and relax.

The Boardwalk Pier, with the three new rides from last year.

Coast Rider. It's a fun little Wild Mouse coaster. However, it's not a thrilling ride at all.

My second new ride for the day, Boomerang. Only ride this for the credit. It's not a very good ride. It's rough and it has that headbanging.

Knott's, I'll see you again soon.

[Nrthwnd]

Ah, I must get back to Knott's, some time soon.

Thanks for posting your recent visit there.

[YoshiCraft2011]

Somehow, I abandoned this TR for whatever reason. I still have plenty of photos to post, so please read on!

 

After leaving Knott's for the morning, our family went to the Little Saigon area again for some lunch. It was the same restaurant we ate at the night before.

 

Soup with meats and noodles. Tasty! I also hade a special lemon soda.

 

After lunch, it was time for us to go back to the hotel to relax for a while. After that, my dad, sister, and I would go to Soak City. Gee, the lines for the slides were way too long.

 

That's a nice arch.

Back to the hotel!

The sun sets over Southern California.

Delish! The chicken is good, but man, the biscuits were just great. It's so fluffy, and it's great with boysenberry butter and some *cough* Smucker's *cough* boysenberry preserves.

In the display shelf for Virginia's, there's some retro things.

There's a lot of things in Virginia's, but I couldn't find anything Knott's related.

It was off to Snoopy HQ after being disappointed about Virginia's Gift Shop.

Wow! There's a lot of Peanuts stuff here. A lot.

They even have the television specials playing.

I eventually purchased two items from this store.

There's live music again, but this time, there's a crowd!

At least WindSeeker has a new home. This was a ride I never got a change to ride.

They say that the carrousel is over a hundred years old.

I was going to ride Silver Bullet, but man, the lines were ridiculous! This was mainly due to the fact that they were only running one train.

Coasters looks great with its neon lights.

There's Coast Rider. It doesn't really shine at night.

The two flats, however, look fantastic!

It's pretty dark here...

Unfortunately, the Roaring 20's sign doesn't light up. Does it mislead guests?

This is a fabulous marquee.

I rode the bumper cars. Good fun!

It was time for one last ride on Pony Express. You won't believe how many people rushed to the line. Come on, it's not Colossus!

The park is now closed. Do you want to ride the Bigfoot Rapids in a chilly night?

It's back to the hotel.

[WFChris]

Glad to see this P:TR continuing on! Thanks for posting

[YoshiCraft2011]

It was Sunday, August 17, 2014. This was our final day at Knott's, so I needed to ride all the coasters I wanted before heading back to Vegas.

 

One last breakfast at Amber Waves.

Here's one of the ticket booths.

From here, Silver Bullet's cobra roll really "smiles".

Bullcrap. Only GhostRider and Camp Snoopy are open during early access. Well, at least there's a fun coaster waiting for happy guests!

I had to wait in the Indian Trails area until ten.

Silver Bullet! This ride was pretty fun, but it just seemed forgettable for some reason.

I had no idea there were actual boysenberries here until after the trip.

Boomerang. Awful!

Wipeout is quite fun. It's forceful and it spun by body all over the place.

Coast Rider. Meh.

Xcelerator is an awesome ride, especially when the park is this dead!

I did not ride any of the new flats on this trip, but they are good.

Rumor has it that this area will be turned into a dark ride.

This section of the Boardwalk has asphalt for some reason.

Pony Express. Fun!

I never noticed this plaque until now.

Treetop Flyers is one of the new rides for this year, and it's a good one.

Montezoona's Revenge is one of the best at Knott's!

Some of the paint is peeling off, though.

Goodbye, Knott's! I'll see you again sometime soon.

Finally, I leave you with a shot of Jaguar!

[YoshiCraft2011]

All right, time to bump this thread once again. After leaving Knott's, our family went north to Los Angeles County. Here's my report! But, before I do that, here are my favorite coasters at Knott's.

 

10. Timberline Twister - I didn't ride this kiddie coaster this year, but I did last year. It's rough.

9. Coast Rider - It's a fun coaster, but offers little in thrills.

8. Jaguar! - A pretty long kiddie coaster.

7. Boomerang - It's a Vekoma.

6. Pony Express - Probably the most underrated coaster at the park.

5. Sierra Sidewinder - For a kiddie coaster, it's pretty intense!

4. GhostRider - Rough, but fun.

3. Silver Bullet - Overrated.

2. Montezooma's Revenge - Good old classic fun!

1. Xcelerator - No question.

 

Time for lunch! This is Din Tai Fung, which is a well known Chinese restaurant in Arcadia.

The wait was a bit long, though, so we stopped at the Phoenix restaurant next door.

Dumplings! These are xiaolongbao, also known as "juicy dumplings".

I also had a spicy beef soup.

This is the Hilton at San Gabriel.

Parking is underground.

The lobby looks promising.

Fake flowers!

Inside room 426, I think. Pretty nice furniture.

Toilet shot.

This is a pretty decent pool area!

I don't know the exact name of this mall, but it was nearby the Hilton.

They've added a Daiso this year, which is a Japanese chain of dollar stores.

Um...

So these packets of Hi-Chew may cause cancer?

The stores are now closing.

It's time to go!

 

By this time, my phone was almost dead, so I didn't take any photos. During that time, our family made a visit to some B-rated seafood restaurant. It was decent. After that, we came back to the Hilton and watched some Food Network.

 

Coming up next, IKEA and back to Vegas.

[805Andrew]

I've been to both that 85C and Din Tai Fung. I used to stop at that 85C on the way to visit one of my sisters that lives by Corona until they opened one closer to her in Chino Hills. The strip mall with that 85C in West Covina also has a really good Japanese restaurant called Oto Oto Izakaya Japonaise. I've also been to Din Tai Fung a few times before heading home from the Inland Empire.

[YoshiCraft2011]

I've been to both that 85C and Din Tai Fung. I used to stop at that 85C on the way to visit one of my sisters that lives by Corona until they opened one closer to her in Chino Hills. The strip mall with that 85C in West Covina also has a really good Japanese restaurant called Oto Oto Izakaya Japonaise. I've also been to Din Tai Fung a few times before heading home from the Inland Empire.

That's good to know. Perhaps I should tell my parents to take me to that restaurant the next time we go to SoCal...

-----

It was time to head back to Vegas! The trip was excellent, and I honestly didn't want to leave SoCal. Oh well. Here's my report!

It's time for us to leave the Hilton.

First stop, Atlantic Time Square in Monterey Park.

There's a Daiso here with little people.

There's also dim sum. Yum.

Wing Hop Fung, home to ginseng that's "good for health".

Here's the interior.

Some random place my dad wanted to stop at.

Furniture.

On the I-10 to Covina and Ikea.

Ikea, home to cheap furniture and cheap food.

It's the Ikea BookBook!

They have what I call "miniature houses".

Cowhide. Interesting!

Ikea makes batteries?

This is where people pick up their furniture parts.

Fish and Ikea's special juice. It was similar to a frozen dinner.

The interior of the cafe is simplistic.

Next stop, the 85.

This is some kind of funky fountain.

Squid ink pastries?

Mango pastry.

After a whole lot of nothing, we're at Primm.

Either the sign was fixed or I'm looking at the wrong side.

Epic sunset.

Finally, I leave you with a picture of the In-N-Out at the I-215 and Eastern. Burger with chopped chilies for me, please!

Well, there you have it! This was my complete report of my trip to Knott's Berry Farm and Los Angeles County. I had a fun time at Knott's and explored some pretty cool places. Next time, I will be visiting the Adventuredome sometime in December. Until then, this is Kevin, signing off.