Trip back east in June Advice

[Bush985]

Hey Everyone,

I need some advice. A few of us from NCC are planning a trip back east to Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio. We plan on visiting June 2nd - 10th, possibly 11th.

 

Here is what we have laid out so far for our trip:

June 3 - Arrive in Louisville, KY at 11 a.m. - Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom

June 4 - Paramount's Kings Island

June 5 - Beech Bend in Bowling Green, KY

June 6 - Holiday World & Splashin' Safari

June 7 - Holiday World & Splashin' Safari

June 8 - Six Flags St. Louis

June 9 - World of Fun or Silver Dollar City or SFGam

June 10 - Leave Louisville, KY and head home

 

Does anyone have any suggestions. I know we missed Indiana Beach, but besides that, what else are we missing? I know we are doing a lot of backtracking to get back to KY, but they want to leave out of KY again. I have never been to any of these parks and I know that many of you have been around to these parks.

 

Any suggestions would be great. We are trying to keep costs down by visiting Season Pass parks mainly, but anything would be great.

 

Also on Friday June 9 we can't decide on which park. Both SDC and WoF are about 4 hours from SFStL. Which would you visit?

 

Thanks again for the advice,

-RD

[jamesdillaman]

if you are willing to stay the extra day, you could do SFGAm and on the way back hit indiana beach. How many of you are going? if it's only a few perhaps I can offer a place to stay 5 minutes from Kings Island if you'd like. I'm always up on hanging out with coaster lovers and helping to cut costs on any trips if you're down my way.

-James

[memphish]

You might look into flying into/out of Nashville. I believe its only an hour from Beech Bend so you could probably do Beech Bend and SFKK in the same day if you had a early enough flight. This would also keep you from having to backtrack from Ohio back to southern KY.

 

6/3 BB +SFKK

6/4 PKI

6/5 HW

 

Also, you can probably get a fill of Holiday World in one day if you stay from open to close. Although 2 days at HW is not a bad thing!

[Bush985]

There are most likely 4 of us going on the trip as of right now. Sean (The Menefee), Al and Kelly.

 

You might look into flying into/out of Nashville. I believe its only an hour from Beech Bend so you could probably do Beech Bend and SFKK in the same day if you had a early enough flight. This would also keep you from having to backtrack from Ohio back to southern KY.

 

6/3 BB +SFKK

6/4 PKI

6/5 HW

 

As far as HW goes, they want to spend two days there. I guess just to have as much voyage as we can get.

 

That might work out well. SFKK closes at 10 that night, so we might hit up Beach Bend first, then head over to SFKK for a few hours. I would imagine that isn't a very big deal.

 

-RD

[jamesdillaman]

You're welcome to stay here when you go to PKI, as long as you don't mind crashing on 3 couches, I do have 1 spare bed. Just an offer

[Carnage]

I would strongly suggest that you make it to Silver Dollar City. I'd stay a full day there. It's a great park,and you should really enjoy yourself.

 

SFGam is good as well, though even in a full day you might be rushing to get everything done.

[Bush985]

So I think we have updated our plans. No 100% yet, but a little more logical travel wise.

 

June 2: Arrive Ryan Only... Louisville

June 3: SFKK

June 4: PKI

June 5: Cedar Point

June 6: SFGam

June 7: SFStl

June 8: Holiday World

June 9: Holiday World (Relax)

June 10: Leave from Louisville

 

6 Parks, 59 Coasters. No more than five hours driving a day.

 

-RD

[shesaidboom]

Looks like a good plan. I'm doing a trip around those same dates and am going to some of the same parks you are. I'm actually going to Holiday World on one of the dates you had originally planned to, June 6th.

[Jeezus Juice]

Holy hell that is some crazy driving

[Sean Menefee]

We have pretty much given up on any chance of sleeping on this trip, but It will be worth it for some of the people who haven't seen CP or Six Flags Great America!.) Not to mention it's been a few years since I've been up to Ohio, and Skyhawk looks cool after getting a chance to experince Screamin Swing during Solace this year.

 

Voyage is icing on the cake, and we will get a shot to rest a bit before we gotta fly back to Oakland, (then drive back to Sacramento,) on the 10th.

 

Redbull and cheap motels are the lick.

 

Edit.... Side note:

 

How many of you are going?

 

There are going to be five of us on this trip. Al and his girlfriend Kelly, Kelly and myself, and RD.

[Bush985]

Holy hell that is some crazy driving

 

For some crazy people I guess. It will be worth it in the end. I'm sure we will find ourselves stopping midnight a few times. But it's much better than our first plan.

 

-RD

[Marko]

Also remember the traffic around Chicago is insane, there doesn't seem to be a good time to hit it either. One option to consider is to visit Michigan's Adventure after CP and then take the new high speed car ferry from Muskegon to Milwaukee. From Milwaukee to SFGAM is less than an hour drive, plus you save a ton of stressful driving and get to ride Shivering Timbers. Otherwise stock up on change for the tolls and give yourselves plenty of time to get through Chicago.

[Bush985]

^ We will most likely leave Cedar Point by 9PM and go about halfway that night. Then get up the next morning and book it over to SFGam. Maybe we should just try to get there overnight, and sleep in... That should help with the traffic situation. I wish we could do Michigans adventure, but the Car ferry is def. something to look at.

 

-RD

[Sean Menefee]

Here is an outline of what we have going on:

 

NorCalCoasters Heads East....

June 2 – 10, 2006

 

Friday, June 2

-Depart from Oakland, CA at 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 3

-Arrive in Louisville, KY at 11:15 a.m.

-Visit Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (Park open 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.)

-Stay at Sean’s brother’s apartment in Louisville, KY

Sunday, June 4

-Depart from Louisville, KY to Kings Island, OH

-Travel Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes; 129 miles

-Visit Paramount’s Kings Island (Park open 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.)

-Get lodging in Kings Island, OH

Monday, June 5

-Depart from Kings Island, OH to Sandusky, OH

-Travel Time: 3 hours and 59 minutes; 219 miles

-Visit Cedar Point Amusement Park (Park open 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.)

-Depart from Sandusky, OH at 9 p.m. to Gurnee, IL – Stop mid-way for the night.

-Travel Time: 5 hours and 45 minutes; 335 miles

Tuesday, June 6

-Arrive in Gurnee, IL

-Visit Six Flags Great America (Park open 10 a.m. until 9 p.m.)

-Depart from Gurnee, IL to St. Louis, MO – Stop mid-way for the night.

-Travel Time: 5 hours and 48 minutes; 354 miles

Wednesday, June 7

-Arrive in Eureka, MO

-Visit Six Flags St. Louis (Park open 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.)

-Depart from Eureka, MO at 8 p.m. to Santa Claus, IN

-Travel Time: 3 hours and 42 minutes; 225 miles

-Arrive in Santa Claus, IN at Midnight – check-in to Santa’s Lodge.

Thursday, June 8

-Visit Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari (Park open 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.)

-Dinner at Schnitzelbank German Restaurant in Jasper, IL (Open until 10 p.m.)

Friday, June 9

-Visit Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari (Park open 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.)

-Visit the Holiday Drive-In in Rockport, IN (Evening)

Saturday, June 10

-Depart Santa Claus, IN to Louisville, KY

-Travel Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes; 79 miles

-Visit Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom for a few last rides! Leave the Park at 4:30 p.m.

-Depart from Louisville, KY to Oakland, CA at 6:30 p.m.

[Marko]

If you haven't been on MF or TTD at night I would highly recommend staying at CP until close. Plus the park is absolutely beautiful at night. CP's lines close at 10:00 but they cycle all the riders through, which often makes the actual closing times for MF and TTD an hour or more later. While my coaster count is only 120, one of my all-time favorite moments/memories are late-night rides on MF and TTD.

[Bush985]

^ Something we will have to look in. I'm sure by Day three of this trip we are going to be exhausted. I can't wait though. All the exhaustion and lack of sleep will be well worth the trip. I'm sure we will be passed out on the way back, hopefully I don't have to spend the next day at PGA.

 

-RD

[Jeezus Juice]

Good luck you guys. I think your plan is technically doable, but driving from Cedar Point to SFStL by way of SFGAM is going to be hell!

 

BTW, how are you leaving OAK at 10pm and not getting to Louisville until 11:30 the next day? You didn't buy the Delta "Louisville via Atlanta" route did you?

I've looked at that route before and it makes like zero sense to fly nonstop all the way to georgia only to have to fly back to kentucky. Funny thing is that it's actually cheaper than just flying to Atlanta! Stoopid airlines!

 

Screw the Amazing Race, I want to see a reality show made out of this trip!

 

-Don

[Sean Menefee]

Yeah we had to eat some layovers to save on ticket prices. We end up getting flown all over hell and back on the way there.

 

The flights are:

 

Oakland, To Atlanta, To Memphis, To Kentucky

 

Then

 

Kentucky, To Chicago, To Oakland.

 

Were bringing the laptop with us so I'll be doing updates from the road with video. It should be entertaining for everyone else from our lack of sleep.

[Bush985]

I think this might be a good time to assemble our NorCalCoasters DVD that we have talked about for a long time. NorCalNonsense Does the Midwest. A six day reality web show for the TPR viewers...

 

Can't wait for the trip. I am flying in the day before everyone else because I got a free plane ticket, so I have to spend the night in Louisville Oh well..

 

 

I think I really will think about the reality NCN Trip.

 

-RD