Photo TR: An Epic Theme Park Summer

[GnastyGnoric7]

Once again, another fantastic trip report AJ. This was my first time visiting Six Flags Great Adventure, and I was overall impressed with the park. I will admit that I was scared about Zumanjaro, but since Kristen rode it, I felt that I'd better ride, and as a result, I destroyed my fear of heights. I know a lot of people love Nitro, but I thought Nitro was pretty weak. I loved Batman the Ride, so much so that the Flash Pass lady was all like, you again? Kingda Ka was a total rush that I freaking loved. Green Lantern was a fun coaster, except for the corkscrews, I don't like corkscrews on Stand-Up coasters. Superman Ultimate Flight was my first flyer and I really enjoyed it, especially the pretzel loop. Bizzaro was tons of fun, way more fun than Hydra at Dorney. El Toro was incredible, I loved every moment of the ride, and the ERT session was exceptionally awesome. All in all, that whole day was an incredible way to close out an incredible trip.

[GwaziBSRider1]

Time for disagreements!

 

Kingda Ka - I'm not a one-trick pony person. This ride is just mediocre to me. Although on my one ride in 2012, if it weren't for the fins at the top of the hill, we WOULD have stopped.

Green Lantern - This to me is the worst of all of the B&M's. As much as I enjoy the layout, I always walk off hurt. I've ridden almost half of the B&M coasters, and this is the only one that I would consider to be incredibly painful (Yes, even more so than Vortex or Apocalypse).

B:TR - I'm the complete opposite. I consider this one to be the strongest of all the B:TR clones and SFMM's the weakest.

Dark Knight - I enjoy "Mice in a Box" rides, especially if they're well themed like this one. Although, the one in Mexico is miles ahead of this one.

Nitro: Again, I completely disagree. I've ridden a good handful of the Hypers, and this is by far the worst for me. I find it to be incredibly boring with little to pique my interest. If it weren't for the horrible rattle on it earlier this year, I could've easily fallen asleep on it.

El Toro: Outlaw Run just barely inched ahead of it for me. I thought nothing could beat it either. I was incredibly shocked by that coaster.

[coasterbill]

Technically, my favorite non-coaster ride at the park is the SkyWay, but that is mainly due to how much I like these rides than because it is the best and SFGAdv has a rare double Von Roll skyride.

 

I like the way you think... this ride is completely overlooked but from a historical perspective it's a gem. Any Von Roll skyride is great experience, but to have a double sky ride from the 1964-1965 World's Fair is pretty awesome. Too bad they don't still run it like they did at the World's Fair though... now this is a high capacity ride (They no longer use these cabins though so they now have about half as many as they did at the fair).

 

 

Anyway great report! I'm surprised to hear you're not a fan of Batman though. I love that ride and think it's on par with the other Batman clones I've ridden if not slightly better. I've noticed that the ride really does get noticeably faster as the day goes on though. This is common on wood coasters and some larger steel coasters but to see such a big difference on an invert based on the time of day is kind of strange.

[gardyloo!]

Love to read your trip reports . Just a random question, which ride usually attracts the longest lines in the park?

[rcdude]

Response time.

 

Once again, another fantastic trip report AJ. This was my first time visiting Six Flags Great Adventure, and I was overall impressed with the park. I will admit that I was scared about Zumanjaro, but since Kristen rode it, I felt that I'd better ride, and as a result, I destroyed my fear of heights. I know a lot of people love Nitro, but I thought Nitro was pretty weak. I loved Batman the Ride, so much so that the Flash Pass lady was all like, you again? Kingda Ka was a total rush that I freaking loved. Green Lantern was a fun coaster, except for the corkscrews, I don't like corkscrews on Stand-Up coasters. Superman Ultimate Flight was my first flyer and I really enjoyed it, especially the pretzel loop. Bizzaro was tons of fun, way more fun than Hydra at Dorney. El Toro was incredible, I loved every moment of the ride, and the ERT session was exceptionally awesome. All in all, that whole day was an incredible way to close out an incredible trip.

 

I was a little nervous the first time I rode Lex Luthor, but after riding it and Zumanjaro I think these newer drop rides look scarier than they are. Nitro seems to be a love it or hate it ride...I consider it the best B&M Hyper and I've met people who consider it one of the worst, but very few seem to rank it in the middle. I remember seeing you marathon Batman toward the end of the night. If you like intensity a Batman is about as good as it gets. Six Flags Great Adventure just has a ton of good rides, and other than Dark Knight I'd consider every coaster at the park at least "decent."

 

Time for disagreements!

 

Kingda Ka - I'm not a one-trick pony person. This ride is just mediocre to me. Although on my one ride in 2012, if it weren't for the fins at the top of the hill, we WOULD have stopped.

Green Lantern - This to me is the worst of all of the B&M's. As much as I enjoy the layout, I always walk off hurt. I've ridden almost half of the B&M coasters, and this is the only one that I would consider to be incredibly painful (Yes, even more so than Vortex or Apocalypse).

B:TR - I'm the complete opposite. I consider this one to be the strongest of all the B:TR clones and SFMM's the weakest.

Dark Knight - I enjoy "Mice in a Box" rides, especially if they're well themed like this one. Although, the one in Mexico is miles ahead of this one.

Nitro: Again, I completely disagree. I've ridden a good handful of the Hypers, and this is by far the worst for me. I find it to be incredibly boring with little to pique my interest. If it weren't for the horrible rattle on it earlier this year, I could've easily fallen asleep on it.

El Toro: Outlaw Run just barely inched ahead of it for me. I thought nothing could beat it either. I was incredibly shocked by that coaster.

 

Have you ever been on the CGA Vortex? In my opinion, that is by far the worst B&M and is significantly more painful than any of the other stand-ups (note: I've ridden all except Apocalypse and Georgia Scorcher). As far as Batman coasters goes, I'd rank the ones I've ridden (strongest to weakest) as La Ronde, SFGAm, SFStL, SFMM, SFGAdv, but they're all pretty similar. Both of SFGAdv's big steel coasters seem to get mixed results on the enthusiast front...some love them, others hate them. As for El Toro, I have yet to ride Outlaw Run so I can't say whether I'll prefer that or not. I will say that SFGAm's Goliath ranks fourth on my wood list and as that's generally considered the worst RMC it's possible Outlaw Run could beat El Toro, but knowing my preferences I'm guessing it won't.

 

I like the way you think... this ride is completely overlooked but from a historical perspective it's a gem. Any Von Roll skyride is great experience, but to have a double sky ride from the 1964-1965 World's Fair is pretty awesome. Too bad they don't still run it like they did at the World's Fair though... now this is a high capacity ride (They no longer use these cabins though so they now have about half as many as they did at the fair).

 

Anyway great report! I'm surprised to hear you're not a fan of Batman though. I love that ride and think it's on par with the other Batman clones I've ridden if not slightly better. I've noticed that the ride really does get noticeably faster as the day goes on though. This is common on wood coasters and some larger steel coasters but to see such a big difference on an invert based on the time of day is kind of strange.

 

In addition to theme parks and coasters, I'm also a chairlift/aerial ropeway enthusiast. When I go skiing, I keep track of chairlift credits when I visit a new ski resort (riding the beginner lifts is the equivalent of credit whoring). At any park with a skyride, I consider it a must ride, and I was particularly disappointed to miss out on the Lake Compounce Skyride as it was closed when I visited. Off hand, I don't know of another double Von Roll skyride like SFGAdv's so that one is particularly unique. As for Batman, I'm just not a huge fan of rides that are non-stop intensity. In general, I prefer moderately intense rides with high intensity moments to rides that are high intensity throughout. It's still a pretty good ride, it's just not my thing.

 

Love to read your trip reports . Just a random question, which ride usually attracts the longest lines in the park?

 

At Six Flags Great Adventure, I've found that Kingda Ka usually has the longest line, followed by Superman, Green Lantern, and El Toro (in that order). Unlike a lot of parks, SFGAdv doesn't have any coasters that seem to never get waits, but the others have usually been reasonable. A local may have a better answer for you, as I've only visited the park twice and am basing this solely off my experience.

 

I'm planning to get the next update posted sometime tomorrow afternoon. It will be mostly about New York city, but will have amusement park content due to Coney Island.

[rcdude]

Missed it by a bit, but here we go.

 

Trip 2, Part 12: New York City-August 4th-6th, 2014

 

Although the big TPR tour was over, I still had several days left before returning home. My Dad has wanted to visit New York City for some time, so since the trip ended up here it gave us the perfect opportunity for a family trip. My Dad, brother, and sister all arrived in New York City on Saturday (August 2nd), and spent a couple days exploring the city before I arrived. I joined them upon arriving in the city after Six Flags Great Adventure.

 

Monday, August 4th was a late morning for everyone. Eventually, however, we all got up and out to start with some sightseeing. First stop of the day: The National September 11th Memorial. Due to construction, it was a little tricky to find the memorial. I thought the memorial was pretty neat to see, though I was a little too young when the event happened to fully get the impact of it. I was disappointed to find that the memorial has essentially been turned into a tourist attraction and plenty of visitors did not appear to be giving it the respect deserved of such a place. Due to lines and the price, we opted not to go inside the museum. Once we were done at the Memorial, we headed over the Brooklyn Bridge and walked across to the far side. We walked around Brooklyn for a short while before locating a subway station to head back.

 

After returning to Manhattan we wandered around the city for a bit, then headed back to the hotel for a mid-afternoon break. My sister opted to remain at the hotel for the evening while my Dad, brother, and I headed over to the Roosevelt Island Tramway. The tramway, a Leitner-Poma aerial tram, was of particular interest to me simply because I like aerial ropeways. After a bit of time exploring Roosevelt Island my brother headed back to the hotel while my Dad and I headed to Yankee Stadium for the baseball game. Baseball is my favorite of the major team sports and I always enjoy visiting the local stadium, but this particular one was somewhat underwhelming. The Yankees have a very nice stadium, but it just felt really sterile and generic with a lack of uniqueness. In any event, the game was decent and it was still an enjoyable evening.

 

Tuesday, August 5th was our busiest day in New York City. The day began with a ride out to Liberty Island to tour the Statue of Liberty. While we could not access the crown, our tickets still got us to the top of the pedestal, which provided a good view of New York Harbor and the city skyline. Once done here, we headed over to Ellis Island, which I found more interesting and more relevant to American history than the Statue of Liberty. It was neat to see the old buildings that many European immigrants were forced to pass through in order to reach America.

 

Following Ellis Island, we headed back to the city, where we boarded a subway bound for Brooklyn, as Tuesday was the final park day of this trip. The line ended at Coney Island, one of the most famous sites in the world of amusement parks. After waving to the departing TPR group (those doing the New York add-on visited in the morning on this day), we headed to the original Nathan's for lunch, then made our way to the park.

 

Coney Island

 

Depending on how you count, Coney Island is one, two, or three parks located right next to each other. Luna Park is the main ride park, and this is where you will find the famous Cyclone roller coaster. Scream Zone is located at the other end of the boardwalk and contains mostly upcharge attractions, including the brand new Thunderbolt. In the middle is Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, a completely separate property featuring the Wonder Wheel and a selection of carnival rides.

 

Every area of Coney Island is priced separately, so a day at the park can get quite expensive. Fortunately, we were able to get a good deal on Luna Park wristbands and Cyclone tickets with a ClubTPR discount. We started our day with rides in Luna Park, then moved to the Scream Zone, and ended with a ride on the famous Wonder Wheel. In total, we spent about three hours at the park as lines were fairly short.

 

Coaster Reviews:

 

Coney Island is not a place you visit for roller coasters. While Cyclone is a legendary ride and is actually a lot of fun, the rest of the park's coasters are all below average. However, if you enjoy Zamperla creations you will find a couple interesting ones here.

 

Tickler: Tickler is a standard Zamperla spinning wild mouse, though it has one noteworthy difference: The cars spin during the entire course. In addition, this particular model seemed to spin a bit more than similar models, though still nowhere as intense as some other spinning coasters. Due to these factors, Tickler is my favorite of the Zamperla spinning mice, though it's still just an okay ride. C-

 

Cyclone: There are a handful of coasters that have gained historical significance outside of the coaster enthusiast community, and Cyclone is one of those coasters. The Coney Island Cyclone is arguably the most iconic wooden coaster ever built, and even though the ride is nearly 90 years old it still gives many modern woodies a run for their money. The ride is thrilling, though not overly intense, and while it is a bit rough at parts the huge pads on the ride minimize discomfort. If it wasn't for the $9 price per ride, I would have definitely given Cyclone a re-ride or two, but I'm glad I got to ride this classic and it conveniently ended up as credit #350. B+

 

Soarin' Eagle: I previously rode a Volare when I visited Canada's Wonderland a couple years ago and discovered the truth...they suck. I'm happy to report that Soarin' Eagle wasn't quite as bad as Time Warp. As this is the original Volare, I'm assuming Zamperla gave it a good refurbishment during the relocation. It wasn't a good ride by any means, it just sucked less than the others. D+

 

Steeplechase: Steeplechase is a Zamperla MotoCoaster, in my opinion the best coaster design the company has produced. While it is identical to Darien Lake's MotoCoaster, Steeplechase felt a little slower and less intense. It wasn't a bad ride, just not a particularly notable one. C

 

Thunderbolt: When Thunderbolt was announced, I thought it looked like a pretty good ride. It's a little short, but it's got a vertical lift and drop, several inversions, and hills that appear to deliver significant airtime. Sure, it was Zamperla's first big coaster, but that didn't really concern me. While I never expected it to be top ten material, I did expect it to be on par with rides such as the Gerstlauer Euro-Fighters. Never have I been so wrong about a coaster. Thunderbolt was absolutely horrid. Okay, I'll revise my statement...Thunderbolt has a good drop, a decent loop, and a downright terrible remainder. I don't know what causes it, but the cars shake and jostle around for the entire ride as if running on square wheels despite the coaster only running for a few months. The lapbar looks like it would be comfortable, but it isn't and any time you get airtime the straps dig into your shoulders. There is airtime on this ride, but it is violent ejector airtime and is more unpleasant than fun. Need more evidence that the coaster has serious issues? A kid in the front row of our car came back with a bloody nose due to bashing their face into the restraint. No joke...the ride is that brutal. I'll be honest...if Thunderbolt was a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter with the exact same layout, it would be worth the $10 that is charged for the ride and would be a solid B coaster. However, the actual ride deserves about a C- (that's even a bit generous) and I wouldn't ride again unless the trains are modified and it is no longer an upcharge. Overall, Thunderbolt is a good concept that was poorly executed and I hope Zamperla never tries to build a large coaster again.

 

Non-Coaster Summary:

 

Coney Island has a large number of non-coaster attractions, ranging from standard carnival rides to prototype or one-of-a-kind attractions. The most famous non-coaster attraction in Coney Island is the Wonder Wheel, the centerpiece of Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. While the ride is similar to the Fun Wheel at Disney California Adventure Park, the Wonder Wheel is the original and is well worth a ride. Coney Island's other top flat rides are located inside Luna Park. Air Race is a prototype Zamperla thrill ride that is quite fun, though I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. Brooklyn Flyer was my personal favorite flat of Luna Park, as although it's a shorter swing on a stick it does give a good view of the area (not as good as the Wonder Wheel). Luna Park's other flat rides are all common Zamperla attractions, mostly of the kiddie ride variety. Outside of the parks, Coney Island also has a collection of carnival rides run by an independent operator.

 

For those looking for a dark ride, Coney Island has two. Spook-A-Rama, located under the Wonder Wheel, is a historic dark ride that is surprisingly good, though a tad expensive at $7 per ride. I did not ride Ghost Hole, an independently operated dark ride nearby, but it looked like a standard carnival ride. For water rides, Coney Island is lacking, with only a mediocre carnival log flume, but there's the beach nearby if you want to get wet.

 

Overall Thoughts:

 

I was excited to visit Coney Island, but unfortunately I was a bit disappointed by the place. Although a historical amusement park, it felt as if a lot of the history is gone. Cyclone and the Wonder Wheel still stand and independent operators are present, but Luna Park felt like little more than a Zamperla showcase and their big new coaster was a major letdown. However, you get the good with the bad...Luna Park was decent while Deno's was a bit dumpy (I imagine all of Coney Island used to be more like that). Across all three parks, operations were decent and the staff members were friendly so I can't complain about those areas. I did enjoy the few hours I spent there, it just wasn't quite what I expected.

 

After leaving Coney Island we headed back to Manhattan and over to Little Italy in order to have dinner at Lombardi's, the first pizzeria in North America. I really liked this restaurant and was surprised at how big it was. The pizza itself was a little different from what I'm used to, but it was really good and quite reasonably priced. After dinner, my brother and sister headed back to the hotel while I went to the Empire State Building with my Dad. Even at 10 P.M. on a weeknight there was still an hour wait to get to the top, and judging by the queue I imagine there can be lines that put Disneyland to shame. Anyway, the view from the observation deck was pretty good, it's just a hassle getting up there due to the lines and the need to take two separate elevators to reach the deck.

 

Wednesday, August 6th, was our last day in New York City, as we would be taking a train to Boston that afternoon. However, we had enough time to go explore Central Park in the morning. While we didn't get to see the whole thing, we did see a decent portion of it. I knew it was big, but it was larger than I thought. If I go back to New York City, I'd definitely like to spend a couple hours just wandering around Central Park. After the park we returned to the hotel to retrieve our luggage, got lunch, and then headed to the station to wait for our train.

 

Overall, I enjoyed New York City and wish I had another day or two to explore it a bit more. While some of the stops weren't all that interesting to me, I'm still glad I got to see what I did and would definitely consider making a return visit to the city. It's not somewhere I'd like to live, but it is a fun spot for a vacation.

First up on the New York Trip, the 9/11 Memorial.

One World Trade Center was under construction at the time of my visit, but I believe it is now open. At 1,776 ft, this is the tallest structure in New York City.

This hole is the size of the South Tower's footprint, with the center representing the elevator column. Another hole represents the North Tower.

Time to head out onto the Brooklyn Bridge. It's a mile to the other side.

A view down the East River from the bridge.

And one in the other direction.

It was at this point that I discovered how to take panoramic photos with my iPhone, so you'll be seeing a few in this update.

The Brooklyn Bridge is an engineering marvel and is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the world.

A look back toward the city.

The skyline of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge.

Next stop, the Roosevelt Island Tramway.

Leitner-Poma is the Intamin of the skilift world.

Unlike most aerial trams, this one is not a jigback system and each tram car operates independently. Only one car was in use at the time of my visit.

We never crossed this bridge on our trip.

The tram ends right below the Queensboro Bridge on Roosevelt Island.

I'm not sure what this it. Since it's on the river, I'm guessing it's some type of power plant.

On Monday evening we went to a ball game at Yankee Stadium.

Inside the stadium.

Stadium panorama.

It's a nice stadium, it's just sterile and generic.

Tuesday began with a visit to the Statue of Liberty.

We were only able to access the pedestal, but that got us right to the feet of the statue.

A look out at the New York Harbor.

The entrance area to the statue.

A view of Ellis Island. For some reason, I didn't take any pictures on that island.

Looking back towards Manhattan.

The corner stone of the pedestal. It has sat here since 1884.

One last look up at the statue.

A panorama from the pedestal.

We spent the afternoon at the beach. However, it's not just any beach.

We're at Coney Island, one of the legendary amusement parks of the golden age.

Cyclone is one of the world's most historic roller coasters.

The whole place is situated right on the beach. While not as nice as the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the setting definitely adds to the park.

My brother talked me into doing the slingshot with him. For both of us, this was our first time on this particular ride. The initial launch was insane, but the rest of the ride was a little dull. Fun, but not worth $22.

Believe it or not, the Steeplechase is the second best coaster at Coney Island. Still, it's just an okay ride.

Tickler is a fun ride, better than many of Zamperla's spinning mice.

The best coaster at Coney Island, however, remains the legendary Cyclone. For it's age, this ride is running great and still delivers a thrilling ride (heck, I liked Cyclone better than SFGAm's Viper).

After the Cyclone, the Wonder Wheel is the most important of Coney Island's rides. While similar to the DCA Fun Wheel, I enjoyed the Wonder Wheel more due to it's history and semi-sketchiness.

The ride looks so good, but it is just so, so bad. Please fix this ride Zamperla!

New for 2014 is Thunderbolt, Zamperla's first big coaster and their take on the Euro-Fighter idea.

Despite the roughness and high level of suck that Thunderbolt has, I still prefer it to Soarin' Eagle, the park's Volare. At least Thunderbolt is unique and does have one or two redeeming features.

Before rides, however, it's time for lunch at the original Nathan's location.

Time for dinner at Lombardi's, North America's first pizzeria.

Don't believe me? This plaque confirms it.

After dinner it was up to the top of the Empire State Building for some great views of the city.

It's a long way down from up here.

We didn't have access to the very top of the tower, but I doubt a couple hundred feet would make much difference in the views.

A view toward the Chrysler Building.

Another view from the observation deck. The city really is primarily composed of skyscrapers.

Looking out toward the river.

One final view before moving on.

Time for our last day in New York. This was either our hotel or a building right near it.

I hear this is a lively place at night.

Central Park. This is a great city park and covers a huge amount of area.

When you're in the park, it's possible to forget that a city full of skyscrapers surrounds you on all sides.

Our time was a bit limited, so I only got to see a portion of the park, but I would definitely spend a couple hours here on a future New York visit.

And I'll end this update with a shot of the Central Park Carousel. While there is one more update to come, this will be the last theme park related thing you see. Boston will be up at some point in the next few days.

[GwaziBSRider1]

Nice culture TR, AJ! I tremendously enjoyed my first visit to Coney Island this summer, so I'll comment on your opinions.

 

Cyclone - Perfect summary, although I bumped my elbow very hard on the side of the train on one of the turns.

Soarin' Eagle - Think those two are bad? Try Rye's up the road.

Thunderbolt - I actually really enjoyed this coaster. Dare I say, it's better than the Cyclone? (GASP!) I didn't find it extremely rough, but it definitely did jostle a lot. I really think the trains are the problem with this ride. Why Zamperla decided that metal restraints with worthless straps were a good idea, I'll never know.

 

I'd also like to throw in my opinion on the Wonder Wheel (because I didn't think you mentioned it). It's incredibly disappointing. The two kiddie coasters on Coney Island are more exciting than the "coaster" part of the wheel.

 

Also, you didn't ride the kiddie coaster in Central Park? How dare you!

[coasterbill]

What a great update... it seems like you managed to hit a ton of the great destinations in New York. The Empire State Building at night is amazing... first of all the lines are usually much shorter than they are during the day and second of all the views are awesome.

 

I agree that the "new Yankee Stadium" is generic and dull. They screwed up royally when they got rid of the old one and their attendance is a reflection of that. I think they seriously underestimated the value of the old stadium as tourist destination. Their dwindling attendance isn't just a reflection of their play on the field because a few years ago they couldn't even sell out the ALCS even though tickets were going for far less on the resale market than they were 10 years ago when they had more seats than they do now. We paid 50 bucks for 2 tickets in the upper deck. In 2004 we paid 125 each for worse seats in game one of the division series.

 

As far as Coney island goes I'd like to get back there. I haven't been out there in about 10 years even though it's only an hour and a half away. Back then it was a complete dump and I'd like to see how the new additions have helped revitalize the area. I've heard Cyclone was running better too which is good because it used to be a horrible ride.

[The Great Zo]

We ended up with similar plans in NYC! I also went over to Roosevelt Island on Monday, and went down to the south end (Four Freedoms Park) for some nice views of midtown Manhattan. Went to the same Yankees game too. Also climbed a skyscraper at night on Tuesday, but I went to the Rock -- the wait there was an hour and a half! I'll zoom in on my pics of the Empire State Building from up there to see if I can spot you waving.

 

Totally agree on Thunderbolt -- love the overall design of the ride, and it was executed so poorly. My biggest problem was with the unpadded hard plastic seats -- slamming back down after that ejector airtime was a spine-killer. What a shame. Coney Island's definitely got the hokey carnival atmosphere going for it. I liked it, but as this was my first seaside park, I think I'd prefer the classic atmosphere of something like Santa Cruz.

[rcdude]

How has it been a month since I last posted in here? I guess I've just been very busy.

 

Nice culture TR, AJ! I tremendously enjoyed my first visit to Coney Island this summer, so I'll comment on your opinions.

 

Cyclone - Perfect summary, although I bumped my elbow very hard on the side of the train on one of the turns.

Soarin' Eagle - Think those two are bad? Try Rye's up the road.

Thunderbolt - I actually really enjoyed this coaster. Dare I say, it's better than the Cyclone? (GASP!) I didn't find it extremely rough, but it definitely did jostle a lot. I really think the trains are the problem with this ride. Why Zamperla decided that metal restraints with worthless straps were a good idea, I'll never know.

 

Yeah, I've heard that Soarin' Eagle and Time Warp are the best of the Volares. I'll have to get to Playland Park one of these days to see just how bad their Volare is. As for Thunderbolt, if it was smooth or at least only a little rough I probably would consider it my favorite coaster at Coney Island, but it was just particularly brutal when I rode. As far as I'm concerned, if riders return with visible injuries the ride has issues, and there was definitely a visible injury on this ride. I have heard Thunderbolt was better when it first opened and got worse over the summer, so depending on when you rode it you may have had a better experience.

 

I'd also like to throw in my opinion on the Wonder Wheel (because I didn't think you mentioned it). It's incredibly disappointing. The two kiddie coasters on Coney Island are more exciting than the "coaster" part of the wheel.

 

When it comes to the Wonder Wheel (which I did mention in my non-coaster summary), it's not a particularly thrilling ride, but it is fun for the historical aspect. I don't know that I'd bother to do it again on a solo trip to Coney Island in the future, but I wouldn't mind doing it again.

 

Also, you didn't ride the kiddie coaster in Central Park? How dare you!

 

We did walk by Victorian Gardens but I knew in advance it would cost $12 to get the kiddie coaster credit, which is not worth it to me (if it was like $5, however...). I also wouldn't have wanted to keep other family members waiting and/or provide them with blackmail material.

 

What a great update... it seems like you managed to hit a ton of the great destinations in New York. The Empire State Building at night is amazing... first of all the lines are usually much shorter than they are during the day and second of all the views are awesome.

 

That's exactly why we waited until the evening for the Empire State Building. Even at night it still took an hour to get to the top and I honestly wouldn't want to wait much longer than that. I definitely like the lit-up city view over a daytime view as well.

 

I agree that the "new Yankee Stadium" is generic and dull. They screwed up royally when they got rid of the old one and their attendance is a reflection of that. I think they seriously underestimated the value of the old stadium as tourist destination. Their dwindling attendance isn't just a reflection of their play on the field because a few years ago they couldn't even sell out the ALCS even though tickets were going for far less on the resale market than they were 10 years ago when they had more seats than they do now. We paid 50 bucks for 2 tickets in the upper deck. In 2004 we paid 125 each for worse seats in game one of the division series.

 

I've been to 6 different baseball stadiums and Yankee Stadium is easily my least favorite. It's sad that more care wasn't put into preserving the character of the old stadium when the new one was built. I tend to compare it with Busch Stadium as those are the two new stadiums I've visited, but while Busch Stadium had some memorable features and interesting areas there was absolutely nothing I'd consider noteworthy about Yankee Stadium.

 

As far as Coney island goes I'd like to get back there. I haven't been out there in about 10 years even though it's only an hour and a half away. Back then it was a complete dump and I'd like to see how the new additions have helped revitalize the area. I've heard Cyclone was running better too which is good because it used to be a horrible ride.

 

Some parts of it still feel like a dump and others are reasonably nice. I don't know how Cyclone used to be, but it was definitely running great when I rode. I'd even say it rivals Great Escape's Comet for the title of New York's best woodie.

 

We ended up with similar plans in NYC! I also went over to Roosevelt Island on Monday, and went down to the south end (Four Freedoms Park) for some nice views of midtown Manhattan. Went to the same Yankees game too. Also climbed a skyscraper at night on Tuesday, but I went to the Rock -- the wait there was an hour and a half! I'll zoom in on my pics of the Empire State Building from up there to see if I can spot you waving.

 

I was wondering how those doing the NYC add-on ended up spending their free time. I had a feeling skyscrapers, the Statue of Liberty, the Yankee game, and Broadway Musicals would be the popular options. Sounds like you made good use of your time and did things others may not have considered. I still wish I could have done the add-on, mainly because I missed out on the Pizza Tour (I suggested doing it on Monday to my family but they all shot it down).

 

Totally agree on Thunderbolt -- love the overall design of the ride, and it was executed so poorly. My biggest problem was with the unpadded hard plastic seats -- slamming back down after that ejector airtime was a spine-killer. What a shame. Coney Island's definitely got the hokey carnival atmosphere going for it. I liked it, but as this was my first seaside park, I think I'd prefer the classic atmosphere of something like Santa Cruz.

 

Yeah, Thunderbolt hurt. Given the layout it definitely should have been a much better ride than it was. For seaside parks, I have yet to find one that I enjoyed better than the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. While it doesn't have any big modern thrill rides, the atmosphere of the park is great and it does have a good mix of modern attractions and old classics. I'd say it's probably my favorite non-major park after Knoebels (for reference I'd put Coney Island somewhere in the middle of that ~50 park list).

 

Now for the final update of this trip report. If you like culture trip reports, you'll love this one.

 

Trip 2, Part 13: Boston-August 6th-9th, 2014

 

The train ride to Boston took about 4 hours, so by the time we arrived and checked into our hotel it was a bit late to do anything notable. We explored the area around where our hotel was (Copley Square) and got dinner at a nearby restaurant.

 

The next day was our first of two full days in Boston. We started the day by heading out to Fenway Park, the oldest Major League Baseball stadium in the country. Although the Boston Red Sox were out of town, we were still able to take a tour of the stadium. While I would have preferred seeing a game here, it was neat to tour the stadium and see areas you can't typically visit during a game. Once the tour was over, we headed out to Harvard and spent the rest of the day exploring the areas around Harvard and MIT. It's not anything particularly exciting, but I can now say I've been to an Ivy League school. We returned to the Copley Square area for dinner and ended up having to relocate halfway through our meal due to a surprise downpour. Although not the best thing that could have happened, it was definitely memorable.

 

Friday, the last full day of the trip, was spent walking the Freedom Trail. This 2.5 mile trail begins at the Boston Common and passes a number of historical sites from the American Revolution period. Highlights included the Old South Meeting House, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, the Bunker Hill Monument, and the USS Constitution at the end of the trail. While not a strenuous walk, it does take a good six hours to complete the trail and see every site. Once we reached the end, we took the Charlestown Ferry back, then returned to our hotel and got dinner at the nearby shopping mall.

 

Although Saturday was the departure day, our flight didn't leave until 5 P.M. so we had a bit of time before departure. At the suggestion of my brother, we decided to walk the Black Heritage Trail. While not as interesting as the Freedom Trail, it was a decent tour of the Beacon Hill neighborhood and passed several important sites. Unfortunately, many of them were simply designated by a plaque and it was impossible to tour them further. Since we still had time to kill, we decided to go to the Boston Tea Party Museum. Although it is labeled a museum, the attraction was more of a historical experience where you play the part of the colonists on the night of the tea party. After participating in a town meeting, storming a replica ship, and throwing imitation tea chests into the harbor, you go inside the actual museum to view a series of displays about the events that led up to the start of the Revolution. Although we were worried it was going to be hokey, the attraction was actually really well done and something I'd recommend if you've got time. From there, we went back to the hotel to retrieve our luggage, then headed to the airport for our flight back home.

 

Overall, I really liked Boston, and of the big cities I've visited it is probably the one I would most like to live in. The city is a mix of old historical structures and newer buildings, giving it a unique character. It is also a lot like many places in Europe in that major historical events actually happened there and you can feel it as you walk around the place and see the sites. While I would be more likely to return to New York for a vacation, Boston was definitely worth the trip to visit.

 

Now that this trip report has come to a close, it is time for a review of my summer. Over the summer of 2014, I got to...

 

-Go on two trips totaling 5 weeks

-Visit 5 new states

-Experience 15 new parks

-Collect 81 new credits (including credits #300 and #350)

-Spend time in three major cities not previously visited

-Sightsee at three US National Parks

-Compete at a student engineering competition

-Join a family reunion

-Participate in both US TPR tours

-Meet plenty of new people and see some old friends again

-Have a ton of fun doing all of it

 

I'd say that's more than enough to consider it an epic summer. I'm glad I got to do all this while I could as I doubt I'll have this much free time again anytime soon.

The first point of interest on our tour of Boston was Fenway Park, the oldest Major League Baseball stadium.

Inside of Fenway Park. The Boston Red Sox were away, so all we could do was tour the stadium. Next time I'm in Boston I'd like to go to a game here.

This is the view from the oldest seats in baseball. Fenway has preserved sections of old wooden seats, and it is not uncommon for people to come sit exactly where their great grandparents sat.

The view from the top of the Green Monster. It would be neat to sit up here.

Another angle.

These seats, however, are possibly more famous. Located on top of the Green Monster (the tall outfield wall of Fenway Park), they go for several hundred dollars a game.

This is the view from the top deck of the stadium. The seating area on the far side is called the Triangle, and creates an unusually deep outfield pocket (420 ft).

A view from the opposite side. The Green Monster is the wall to the right of this picture. It is 37 ft. tall and houses the large manual scoreboard used at Fenway Park.

This is the famous red seat, which marks the longest home run ever hit at Fenway Park. In 1946, Ted Williams hit a 502 ft. home run to this exact spot.

Outside the stadium were several statues of famous players of the Boston Red Sox. I do not remember who they all were.

The statues continue down the street.

When we returned to Copley Square that evening, we saw a rainbow. Unfortunately, this also happened to be the night we got rained on while sitting outside at a restaurant.

The 2.5 mile trail begins in this park and winds past over a dozen historical locations in Boston.

This statue in the Boston Common marks the start of the Freedom Trail.

I don't remember the significance of this marker, but it was located near the top of the hill in the park.

The Massachusetts State House, located at the top of the hill, is the first actual stop on the trail.

The next day was our day to walk the Freedom Trail.

From there, you then head back down the hill and to the Park Street Church before continuing down Tremont Street.

The Granary Burying Ground is the first of several cemeteries on the trail. This is the third-oldest cemetery in Boston, established in 1660.

Several notable patriots were buried here, including Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Paul Revere.

King's Chapel is the next church on the trail.

Old churches often have organs inside. This is the sixth organ that has been installed in this church.

The interior of King's Chapel. It was interesting to see the church split into small sections instead of pews.

Next to King's Chapel is the King's Chapel Burying Ground. This is the oldest cemetery in Boston.

The next site is the former Boston Latin School. A Benjamin Franklin statue stands out front.

From there, the trail goes down a hill, past the Old Corner Bookstore (which now houses a Chipotle), then crosses the street to the Old South Meeting House. This was the first of three locations on the trail that charged an admission fee.

Inside the Old South Meeting House. There was a museum display set up on the back about the history of the building and its role during the Revolution.

A panorama of the interior.

The second location charging admission was the Old State House. The inside of this building has been turned into another museum.

This marks the spot where the incident occurs.

Outside the Old State House is the site of the Boston Massacre, in which British soldiers killed five American civilians.

One last look at the Old State House.

The trail proceeds to Fanueli Hall, an old meetinghouse that has been turned into a marketplace.

Quincy Market is located right behind Fanueli Hall. We didn't go inside, but it looked like it just housed a bunch of shops.

From Fanueli Hall, it is a little bit of a walk to the next destination, the Paul Revere House. This was the third and final location requiring admission. Of all the places on the trail, this was one of my favorites. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from inside as photography is prohibited.

The train then proceeds to the Old North Church. Outside the church is a statue of Paul Revere.

The inside of the Old North Church.

Another organ. Unfortunately, you cannot climb up to the belfry of the church.

Old North Church is the oldest standing church in Boston. This location is famous for the hanging of the lanterns ("One if by land, two if by sea.").

After leaving the Old North Church, the trail crosses the Washington St. Bridge over to Charlestown.

A park at the far side is where the trail splits. You have a choice between climbing to the top of Bunker Hill or heading straight to the end of the trail.

We chose to climb Bunker Hill. The Bunker Hill Monument sits at the top.

This is the location where the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought. This was one of the early battles of the war and showed that the American colonists did present a serious threat to the British.

There is a museum next to the obelisk, and you can also climb to the top.

A look down the shaft from the top. The obelisk is 221 ft. tall and the only way up is via 294 steps.

A view from the top of the monument.

Another view. This one is looking toward downtown Boston.

One final view, looking east toward the sea.

The final stop on the freedom trail is the USS Constitution. There is a whole museum out here, but the main interest was boarding the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel.

A close-up of a cannon. All cannons on board now are replicas, but they still give an idea of what the real thing was like.

There are several decks to explore on the ship. This particular one is the gun deck. During the war of 1812, 60 men would be positioned down here to fire volleys at 90 second intervals.

Approaching the city.

From there we took the Charlestown ferry back to downtown Boston.

And I'll end with one final shot of the Boston skyline. This concludes my epic summer. Thanks for reading!

Codzilla! I'm assuming this was some type of speedboat tour of Boston Harbor.

While its called a museum, this is more of a history experience. You do get to go on a replica ship and throw tea overboard.

I don't have many pictures from departure day, but this is the main activity of the day: The Boston Tea Party Museum.

[WFChris]

That was indeed an epic summer! I enjoyed Boston when I visited it, although I would like to go again in the Summertime as opposed to late winter. It was cold! I really liked their public transportation.

[Nrthwnd]

About The Red Seat there in the stadium.

 

Is it still a first come first serve kind of thing, or does someone have an ongoing season pass for it?

 

Just curious, thanks. Great TR of Boston.

 

And yes Chris ^ I agree, the public transport was great when we were there! Especially some of the station stops.

[GwaziBSRider1]

You most certainly had an epic summer! I've never been to Boston, but your trip report makes me very eager to visit.

 

As for Thunderbolt, if it was smooth or at least only a little rough I probably would consider it my favorite coaster at Coney Island, but it was just particularly brutal when I rode. As far as I'm concerned, if riders return with visible injuries the ride has issues, and there was definitely a visible injury on this ride. I have heard Thunderbolt was better when it first opened and got worse over the summer, so depending on when you rode it you may have had a better experience.

 

I rode it in late August, so I probably rode it after you did.

[rcdude]

That was indeed an epic summer! I enjoyed Boston when I visited it, although I would like to go again in the Summertime as opposed to late winter. It was cold! I really liked their public transportation.

 

Boston does have a really good public transit system, especially by US standards. The layout is pretty simple and you can get wherever you want to go without much hassle.

 

About The Red Seat there in the stadium.

 

Is it still a first come first serve kind of thing, or does someone have an ongoing season pass for it?

 

Just curious, thanks. Great TR of Boston.

 

According to the tour guide, you have to buy tickets to the red seat on a per game basis. I'm not sure if you actually have to buy the ticket in person on game day or you can do so online. The guide also said that if you sit in the seat you will be pestered continuously throughout the game by people who want their picture with it.

 

You most certainly had an epic summer! I've never been to Boston, but your trip report makes me very eager to visit.

 

As for Thunderbolt, if it was smooth or at least only a little rough I probably would consider it my favorite coaster at Coney Island, but it was just particularly brutal when I rode. As far as I'm concerned, if riders return with visible injuries the ride has issues, and there was definitely a visible injury on this ride. I have heard Thunderbolt was better when it first opened and got worse over the summer, so depending on when you rode it you may have had a better experience.

 

I rode it in late August, so I probably rode it after you did.

 

I would highly recommend visiting Boston when you get the chance. It is a great city and there are only a handful of American cities with the same amount of history behind them. As for Thunderbolt, you definitely rode it after I did, so I'm guessing you either got lucky or it didn't bother you as much. Where you sit also may make a difference (if I remember right, I was in the middle seat of the back row).