CanobieFan
Strata Poster
Well, since people seemed to like @MestnyiGeroi 's long road trip TR, I thought I'd try and piggy-back off it's success and do mine own, but since I'm lazy, I'll just string together all my tweets over the last month and lump them together here for a semi more consistent read
Lazy intro -
Well, if you check back to that whole '2021 trip plans' topic and such you'll see what I had planned all fell apart thanks mostly to COVID. Back in 2020/19 I had planned a pretty big European Vacation linked together with a Baltic Cruise from Denmark to Russia as well as going to Creamfeilds in the UK (with a $400 ticket that just went to waste, hooray!) My job makes me put in vacation requests over a year in advance, so last fall I put in my time for this August assuming the US would get its act together with COVID, we didn't, and my Cruise got canceled back in like, May. (well, Lift and Shift'd until 2022 now.... so we'll see how that goes) and with international travel so uncertain and my uneasiness to travel to England for a 4 day music festival despite being fully vaccinated personally, I found myself with 3 weeks of time off and nothing to do with it, so in July I made plans for a half-ass'd road trip from my house in Orlando up to Boston to see my parents... stopping at a bunch of parks and other sight along the way. Also trying to link up with different friends along the way at different points. I mean, who wouldn't rather sit in dead-stop traffic for 3 hours, over riding Kondaa?! Oh well, maybe next year....
Day 0 - The preamble.
Realizing summer was almost over and I'd yet to visit SeaWorld for Electric Ocean, I found myself Feeling Electric and watching SeaWorlds oddly satisfying fireworks show
Day 0 (2) again - The next day I was gonna visit Aquatica, but it was storming pretty bad, so I ended up at SeaWorld....again
Day 1 - Driving from Orlando, FL to Southern VA and stopping at two Florida State Parks (a pretty big hobby of mine, I've done about 50 of the 175, getting my 'passport' stamps along the way, as shown in the photos below) My first stop was Fernandina Plaza Historic State Park, the smallest park in the Florida State Park system, a rather uninteresting... field.
Stop two was far more exciting, Fort Clinch, built in the 1840's, as well as the most northern beach in all Florida, you can even see Georgia across the bay from the fort.
Got some lunch at Whataburger. We don't have these in Orlando anymore *shrug*
annddd I drove slightly out of my way when in North Carolina, to add some new-for-me counties.... because that's my other big (lame) hobby... County-Counting, before making it to my hotel. After some 11 hours / +700 miles of driving
(thrilling stuff here, I know)
Day 2 - Started my day getting a few more extra counties in, as well as visiting Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, where the American Civil War, ended.
Appomattox was pretty cool, I was there before opening and basically had the place to myself and since I visited Fort Sumter a few years ago, where the Civil War started, it was neat to see where it ended. (lol, The South lost)
Leaving Appomattox and heading to my friends house just outside of Washington DC, I made 2 stops at VA State Parks, the first being the awesome High Bridge Trail State Park
The second being Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park
Annddd since its on the way, and I needed to get gas annyyyways...... I stopped across the street from Kings Dominion for a bit and took some photos before finishing the last leg of my drive for the day up to DC. Hooray
((but at least now there's been coaster content?))
Day 3 - My friend since we were like... 7...Yatpay, is literally a Rocket Scientist, and works for NASA in DC (Goddard Space Flight Center)... So while he worked, I drove around the DC Metro area tracking down some stand-alone Carousels and Miniature Trains
First stop was the DC High-Point <3 I've been to Washington more times than I can count, I almost moved there in 2008, but I had never been to the High-Point... so that was my main goal for the day, haha
My next stop ended up being closed for reasons unknown so I headed onward to my next stop after, Wheaton Regional Park Miniature Train and the Ovid Hazen Wells Carousel located in Wheaton, Maryland
After that I headed to Watkins Regional Park, home of the Chesapeake Carousel. Sadly, their train was closed.
And with nothing better to do, and as my friend still wasn't finished at work.... I made my yearly visit to Six Flags America....and had a typical Six Flags.....day
Bitching aside, fun things were ridden... and the Superman photo is kinda funny.
Day 4 - Toolin' around DC on Friday the 13th. Had no real plan for the day, some things here are still closed because of COVID and things that are open are still running at limited capacity. Normally I go to the Zoo but they had required reservations with an additional reservations needed for the Panda viewing. I wasn't planning on going to the Zoo but in the morning found I was able to get a res, so I headed into the city.
Also, since I got to the Panda house at a slow time, they just let me in, no res <3 (I was very excited)
After the Zoo I just walked all around the city looking for a District Taco, my fav DC area chain. I hadn't been in almost 2 years because COVID ruined my 2020 DC trip.
Ducks <3
Confessions of a Coaster Enthusiast
Leading to Deja Vu!
But suddenly.... success! (meh)
Day 5 - Left DC to go Delaware High-Point chasing, and getting around to getting some new-for-me coaster credits, hooray....and also driving the rest of the way to Boston
The goal for the day was hit up Casino Pier for Xolo Loco, but it still hasn't opened to the public... So I met up with my friend Rob at his house and we headed out to Ocean City..... mid-transit we realized they were on reduced operations and kept going south, to Wildwood. I hadn't been to Morey's since like 2008 and was really looking forward to it... that was until we got there and found a nasty surprise waiting for us at the ticket booth.
Nope! Tickets it is....
With our lack of time spent at Morey's we were able to visit a nearby Zoo that was new for me, so at least there's that. The Cape May County Park & Zoo.
Afterwards we actually made it into Ocean City now that both parks there were open for the day. I walked over to Castaway Cove first since it was the only one with a new credit I needed, one I've tried twice before over two different years to get, haha.
And I also checked out the awesome Squadron 33 ride
(check out the CF video - Click! )
We made a lap around Wonderland Pier too, since its right down the boardwalk from Castaway, I didn't ride anything tho'
After getting something to eat and getting back to Rob's house around 9pm, I realized how much I wasn't looking forward to the remaining 5 hour drive, passing NYC, to my parents house, haha, oops
Day 6/7 - Found some of my old coaster junk at my parents house and got a bonus coaster credit at a local fair!
*turns on time machine*
Day 8 - After I sorta set my basic plan for this whole trip up, I convinced my friend Jeff in Orlando, who was also planning a trip to see his family (and fellow coaster enthusiast) he should fly to Boston and I'd drop him off in New York after we hit up some parks.... and somehow, that worked. Originally the plan was to visit my local Zoo and finish the day at Canobie.... but after things were set I checked Canobie's hours and to my horror, realized they were not doing full-week operations because of staffing and we wouldn't be able to go. (devastating.) We settled for a trip around my neighborhood, the Zoo, and a quick visit to....Maine.
Made a fast lap around Stone Zoo.
And then up to Yorks, where I hadn't been in like, 10 years. ha
OOB wasn't part of the plan but it did seem silly to be so close and not just... go. Nothing new for me, but there were credits for Jeff.
In passing to our hotel for the night out near SFNE, I dove us past Canobie. It'd be a lie to say I wasn't slightly sad we wouldn't be able to go
Day 9 - Six Flags New England and some random other stops.
SFNE never opened with rides in 2020, although did do a lights-only Holiday in the Park I managed to visit, by this trip I was ready for some Wicked Cyclone and Superman and was excited to show Jeff around my 'other' home park. But it's kinda funny because I don't really like the park (I just like some of it's rides) playing the 'this used to be here' game was fun. Pointing out how the park used to have sooo many flats and now it's got like... 4
But at least it got a new one, even if it was a hold-over from last year.
Park was somewhat slow and way too hot, so we left early and made our way to New York. I'd been to Albany probably 20 times (even rode the coaster it used to have) but I'd never gotten around to the State House visit because that's been something I've only started going harder for in the last 10 years or so
Unplanned re-credit stop? Huck Finn's opened not too far from the State House like 6 years ago but is basically a spiritual successor for Hoffman's Playland, a park I had visited as well, when it was more age appropriate for me. But I'm glad the coaster got saved.
Annddd, that night before getting to our hotel just south of Lake George we found this bomb-ass Taco place <3
Day 10 - The hope was we could get in some rides at Great Escape and maybe something else on the way to Rochester but suddenly we were facing something more fitting to us being home in Florida and not something you think about dealing with in Upstate New York... Hurricanes?
Weather rapidly deteriorating, we went and got breakfast
And ended up driving around Vermont.... because, why not?
After figuring out if Great Escape was even gonna open or not, we made our way to the park. Getting there just after opening and finding the park a Ghost Town (haha, get it? the park used to be called Ghost Town!!!)
Surprisingly, almost everything in the park was *open* despite what the park entrance was saying, and the posted signs along the midway. I was even able to ride the parks newest ride (another 2020 hold-over) Adirondack Outlaw. I love me a good SkyScraper / Booster ride.... and this was a first for me, doing it in heavy rain...and wind. I got SOAKED, like, I probably could have jumped in Lake George and come out dryer than after this ride, haha <3
Look at me, the only fool getting on this thing. After the rain let up, others starting getting on as well, ha.
I grew up going to Great Escape like every summer, so evena little a lot of rain wasn't gonna stop me from having fun.
Heading west from Great Escape the weather improved greatly and the evening was almost perfect! Well, except for the part where when we got to Sylvan Beach only to find it closed.... We've both been before so it wasn't a loss, but still a bummer
But at least there was pie, to make things better.
Day 11 - After dropping off Jeff in Rochester, I headed South towards Legoland New York, where my friend Rob would once again be joining be on my adventure.
I mean, it happens....
But hooray! New for me park with new for me coasters and well, an entirely new....park!
((had to rock the Legoland Malaysia shirt cause you know, goon'in))
((<3 @SaiyanHajime ))
Place was packed, despite required reservations.... Lines were way longer than we expected... but credits were needed
But also, the park kinda......sucks (sorry not sorry?) I've been to the UK, FL, and Malaysia parks and have always had a fun time... This park is a hellhole :| Like, they opened it but it clearly wasn't ready. Most queues lack actual line rails and in a park full of small kids, it leads to chaos and massive line jumps.... there's also zero shade and a horrible park layout where most guests were just climbing down the grass hill, rather than use the long winding paved path.
And there's this nasty surprise, at the end!
Just a few miles down the street from Lego is another 'park', Castle Fun Center, with its own kiddie coaster. Rob and I both already had the credit in its former home but we gave it the courtesy ride (Because C-C lets you mark it has ridden in both places without it adding a +1 and messing up your count!) We also did a ride on the S&S/Soaring Eagle Zipline thing before heading out.
Annndddd since it was only a 30 minute drive away from where we were, I had to make a run for the Jersey High-Point! (too bad it was covered in cloud/fog.. D'oh!)
Day 12 - Heading out to Great Adventure from Rob's I knew Jersey Devil was still gonna be closed, but I was still holding out hope... Was I really in the middle of a +4,000 mile road trip and gonna have the *biggest* new for me coaster only be a Zierer Force model? YUP But the cool thing about Great Adventure is I've been so many times and get to go almost yearly, I never care what I do or don't ride and there's always next time. I actually ended up doing a bunch of things I've skipped over the last few years... Like the Flume and Ferris Wheel. We also did the Sling Shot, since membership holders ride twice and at a discount. It was also a 'new' ride for us since it replaced the old terrible S&S ErUPtion ride we had also ridden years ago haha. Also, somehow, AGAIN, a second Hurricane/Tropical System was approaching us!
And just like that, Rob and I parted way and I was back on the road heading back to DC for a place to overnight.
Y'all, the toll roads/bridges/tunnels in the North East are no joke! So many, so expensive.
Day 13 - Plan for the day was just to drive from Yatpay's place in DC down to Dollywood. Exciting stuff.
But I did make a stop about halfway in Roanoke
....because they have a Zoo and I hadn't been to it before <3
Oh, I see you.....
And after what felt like an eternity of driving, I made it into the Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge tourist area, hitting up the new Rowdy Bear location home to what I didn't wanna count as a coaster but probably will, and what definitely ISN'T a coaster but is on RCDB.
But also, HOOOORAY! Dollywood! Since we couldn't do our cruise or Creamfields, my friend Deka and I decided to do a weekend trip to Dollywood, at the tail-end of my road trip, so we stayed at DreamMore for a couple of nights <3
And so started our 3 days of Parks/Tack/Tourist BS/ and of course, overeating
Day 14 - Dollywood and Pigeon Forge
I mean, who doesn't love Dollywood. And you know whats even better? Dollywood, with every...single... ride... being a walk on and Lightning Rod being open! (So wait, is it a new credit or no?) I mean, Rob loves it so much he decided to join us, driving down from New Jersey by way of Kings Dominion the day I did the Roanoke Zoo. The 3 of us have been friends for 20 years but this was the first time all 3 of us were together at the same time since 2009, we all live in different states and while we still visit/travel with each other we hadn't gotten to all get together since before I moved to Florida, making it a bit extra special, I guess, haha.
After doing the park open to close, we headed over to The Mountain Monster, a new 'mini park' thing... built by ex-S&S, Soaring Eagle Zipline. It's a bit pricey, coming in at 60$ for the 3* ride combo ticket but it was worth it. The tower has a 200ft freefall ride on one side (with just a seatbelt!), a Sling Shot style ride ' Saddle Sling' (new for me version) and a Sky Coaster style ride (a less impressive Terror Dactyl)
The Sky Coaster thing was still neat, and the view of the mountains was fantastic...but having already ridden Terror Dactyl, its hard beating getting dropped off a cliff into a canyon.
Afterwards we went across the street to The Island so Rob could get his SBF Spinner credit, and we all could get some fooooood. (love me some Mellow Mushroom)
Day 15 - Gatlinburg , like, everything in Gatlinburg. The day started at Ober, neither Deka or Rob had been up there before and I hadn't been since they added the Alpine Coaster. I also went Ice Skating for a bit and tried the strange ice....bumper car....things that were oddly fun and spin way faster than you'd think.
Heading back into the city Deka really wanted to eat at the Dicks Last Resort. I'd been to the one in Orlando before it closed and I'm pretty sure the one in Boston is gone now too. Rob was 100% not about it... but we still had our fun even if he was being a party-pooper.
After lunch we walked over to the new for all of us Sky Bridge that opened in 2019
Where I got waayyy too excited that this happened!
<3 <3 <3 I love bears! I was so excited and it happened so fast I couldn't even take a photo.
Coming down from the Bridge we walked over to the Ripley's Aquarium. I've passed it a few times and had expressed interest but never really got the chance to go and since it was so hot out, we decided to go inside and enjoy some AC and look at the fish. I was honestly surprised how nice the place is, in a city full of tack, the aquarium is worthwhile!
By this point we had almost walked the entire parkway tourist area in Gatlinburg, so why not just go the whole way and visit the other Rowdy Bear location (this being the good one) I had ridden the Alpine Coaster here like the week it opened, but they've more recently added a set of Mountain Gliders. My first time encountering these ZIpline/Coaster hybrids. RCDB doesn't count these (but counts this :roll: ) C-C has them... so we gave it a try... and I'm somewhat conflicted. It has a complete circuit, it rolls on its own power, has a lift hill, it *isn't* rider speed-controlled...... but doesn't quite feel coaster-y either. Fun tho'
The pass for the Sky Bridge is good for the entire day, so we went back up at sunset to get the night view
And the realization hit that.....
and also, my trip was coming to an end (lol, 10 hours... funny)
Day 16 - Anakeesta clean-up, and the nightmare traffic jam.
Rob bailed early in the day to start his drive back to New Jersey. Deka and I found ourselves at WaHo <3
While we weren't really doing anything in Great Smoky Mountains National Park outside of the PF/G stuff, I had my passport on me to get the stamp I missed when I came to actually do the park. Coincidentally, it was the National Park Service's 105th Birthday <3 so after a quick stop at the Visitors Center we were on our way to Anakeesta.
Anakeesta, its a pretty cool place. The park opened 2017 and has expanded at least twice, since.... But its still stuck between wanting to be a cool mountain top garden or a theme(d) park. It'll be interesting to see what they do in the next few years. I wouldn't be shocked if they go full amusement park
But be warned! (we took the bus back down because the lift took so long!)
But its totally worth it... because of their Alpine Coaster, Rail Runner. The hype around the Brandauer built Alpine Coasters is definitely warranted. (and now having ridden that, I've completed all 7 PF/G Alpine Coasters....that I don't even count.)
After getting back to our cars at the base of the mountain I was ready to head out. Deka wanted to go to the Outlets and I was gonna start home over an hour earlier than planned, so I made a slight diversion on my way and made a stop in Columbia, South Carolina to visit the State House.
Little did I know as soon as I got on the highway there would be an accident a few hundred feet ahead of me leading to gridlock that lasted 3 solid hours where everyone was just stuck in place until the semi-trailer could be moved out of the way....and I slowly watched my 11.30pm arrival home tick away to past 3am. Not exactly what I had planned on, but oh well. I also encountered one of the heaviest rain storms I've driven in in a long time just before getting to Downtown Orlando with some pretty crazy lightning all around ....finally getting home shortly before 3.30 am.
Day 17 ? - After some 4,312 miles of driving, an oil change, and a $300 engine coil replacement (?) before getting to SFNE, I was home
Where I found a package from the UK in my mailbox
and also unpacked my bag of all the stuff I got along the way
....and then I built my Nano's
TL/DR - I drove over 4,000 miles to only add six new coasters, all being kiddie coasters
Sorry if this was a bad TR
Lazy intro -
Well, if you check back to that whole '2021 trip plans' topic and such you'll see what I had planned all fell apart thanks mostly to COVID. Back in 2020/19 I had planned a pretty big European Vacation linked together with a Baltic Cruise from Denmark to Russia as well as going to Creamfeilds in the UK (with a $400 ticket that just went to waste, hooray!) My job makes me put in vacation requests over a year in advance, so last fall I put in my time for this August assuming the US would get its act together with COVID, we didn't, and my Cruise got canceled back in like, May. (well, Lift and Shift'd until 2022 now.... so we'll see how that goes) and with international travel so uncertain and my uneasiness to travel to England for a 4 day music festival despite being fully vaccinated personally, I found myself with 3 weeks of time off and nothing to do with it, so in July I made plans for a half-ass'd road trip from my house in Orlando up to Boston to see my parents... stopping at a bunch of parks and other sight along the way. Also trying to link up with different friends along the way at different points. I mean, who wouldn't rather sit in dead-stop traffic for 3 hours, over riding Kondaa?! Oh well, maybe next year....
*warning*
there's a whole lot of non-amusement related BS in here, haha. I love visiting National Parks, State Parks, High-Points, Zoo & Aquariums, and State Houses in my travels, soooo there'll be a lot of that found within. Also, I've never made a post before with this many embedded tweet/photos..... so we'll see how this goes. I guess there's a bunch of URL's in here too now.Day 0 - The preamble.
Realizing summer was almost over and I'd yet to visit SeaWorld for Electric Ocean, I found myself Feeling Electric and watching SeaWorlds oddly satisfying fireworks show
Day 0 (2) again - The next day I was gonna visit Aquatica, but it was storming pretty bad, so I ended up at SeaWorld....again
Day 1 - Driving from Orlando, FL to Southern VA and stopping at two Florida State Parks (a pretty big hobby of mine, I've done about 50 of the 175, getting my 'passport' stamps along the way, as shown in the photos below) My first stop was Fernandina Plaza Historic State Park, the smallest park in the Florida State Park system, a rather uninteresting... field.
Stop two was far more exciting, Fort Clinch, built in the 1840's, as well as the most northern beach in all Florida, you can even see Georgia across the bay from the fort.
Got some lunch at Whataburger. We don't have these in Orlando anymore *shrug*
annddd I drove slightly out of my way when in North Carolina, to add some new-for-me counties.... because that's my other big (lame) hobby... County-Counting, before making it to my hotel. After some 11 hours / +700 miles of driving
(thrilling stuff here, I know)
Day 2 - Started my day getting a few more extra counties in, as well as visiting Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, where the American Civil War, ended.
Appomattox was pretty cool, I was there before opening and basically had the place to myself and since I visited Fort Sumter a few years ago, where the Civil War started, it was neat to see where it ended. (lol, The South lost)
Leaving Appomattox and heading to my friends house just outside of Washington DC, I made 2 stops at VA State Parks, the first being the awesome High Bridge Trail State Park
The second being Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park
Annddd since its on the way, and I needed to get gas annyyyways...... I stopped across the street from Kings Dominion for a bit and took some photos before finishing the last leg of my drive for the day up to DC. Hooray
((but at least now there's been coaster content?))
Day 3 - My friend since we were like... 7...Yatpay, is literally a Rocket Scientist, and works for NASA in DC (Goddard Space Flight Center)... So while he worked, I drove around the DC Metro area tracking down some stand-alone Carousels and Miniature Trains
First stop was the DC High-Point <3 I've been to Washington more times than I can count, I almost moved there in 2008, but I had never been to the High-Point... so that was my main goal for the day, haha
My next stop ended up being closed for reasons unknown so I headed onward to my next stop after, Wheaton Regional Park Miniature Train and the Ovid Hazen Wells Carousel located in Wheaton, Maryland
After that I headed to Watkins Regional Park, home of the Chesapeake Carousel. Sadly, their train was closed.
And with nothing better to do, and as my friend still wasn't finished at work.... I made my yearly visit to Six Flags America....and had a typical Six Flags.....day
Bitching aside, fun things were ridden... and the Superman photo is kinda funny.
Day 4 - Toolin' around DC on Friday the 13th. Had no real plan for the day, some things here are still closed because of COVID and things that are open are still running at limited capacity. Normally I go to the Zoo but they had required reservations with an additional reservations needed for the Panda viewing. I wasn't planning on going to the Zoo but in the morning found I was able to get a res, so I headed into the city.
Also, since I got to the Panda house at a slow time, they just let me in, no res <3 (I was very excited)
After the Zoo I just walked all around the city looking for a District Taco, my fav DC area chain. I hadn't been in almost 2 years because COVID ruined my 2020 DC trip.
Ducks <3
Confessions of a Coaster Enthusiast
Leading to Deja Vu!
But suddenly.... success! (meh)
Day 5 - Left DC to go Delaware High-Point chasing, and getting around to getting some new-for-me coaster credits, hooray....and also driving the rest of the way to Boston
The goal for the day was hit up Casino Pier for Xolo Loco, but it still hasn't opened to the public... So I met up with my friend Rob at his house and we headed out to Ocean City..... mid-transit we realized they were on reduced operations and kept going south, to Wildwood. I hadn't been to Morey's since like 2008 and was really looking forward to it... that was until we got there and found a nasty surprise waiting for us at the ticket booth.
Nope! Tickets it is....
With our lack of time spent at Morey's we were able to visit a nearby Zoo that was new for me, so at least there's that. The Cape May County Park & Zoo.
Afterwards we actually made it into Ocean City now that both parks there were open for the day. I walked over to Castaway Cove first since it was the only one with a new credit I needed, one I've tried twice before over two different years to get, haha.
And I also checked out the awesome Squadron 33 ride
(check out the CF video - Click! )
We made a lap around Wonderland Pier too, since its right down the boardwalk from Castaway, I didn't ride anything tho'
After getting something to eat and getting back to Rob's house around 9pm, I realized how much I wasn't looking forward to the remaining 5 hour drive, passing NYC, to my parents house, haha, oops
Day 6/7 - Found some of my old coaster junk at my parents house and got a bonus coaster credit at a local fair!
*turns on time machine*
Day 8 - After I sorta set my basic plan for this whole trip up, I convinced my friend Jeff in Orlando, who was also planning a trip to see his family (and fellow coaster enthusiast) he should fly to Boston and I'd drop him off in New York after we hit up some parks.... and somehow, that worked. Originally the plan was to visit my local Zoo and finish the day at Canobie.... but after things were set I checked Canobie's hours and to my horror, realized they were not doing full-week operations because of staffing and we wouldn't be able to go. (devastating.) We settled for a trip around my neighborhood, the Zoo, and a quick visit to....Maine.
Made a fast lap around Stone Zoo.
And then up to Yorks, where I hadn't been in like, 10 years. ha
OOB wasn't part of the plan but it did seem silly to be so close and not just... go. Nothing new for me, but there were credits for Jeff.
In passing to our hotel for the night out near SFNE, I dove us past Canobie. It'd be a lie to say I wasn't slightly sad we wouldn't be able to go
Day 9 - Six Flags New England and some random other stops.
SFNE never opened with rides in 2020, although did do a lights-only Holiday in the Park I managed to visit, by this trip I was ready for some Wicked Cyclone and Superman and was excited to show Jeff around my 'other' home park. But it's kinda funny because I don't really like the park (I just like some of it's rides) playing the 'this used to be here' game was fun. Pointing out how the park used to have sooo many flats and now it's got like... 4
But at least it got a new one, even if it was a hold-over from last year.
Park was somewhat slow and way too hot, so we left early and made our way to New York. I'd been to Albany probably 20 times (even rode the coaster it used to have) but I'd never gotten around to the State House visit because that's been something I've only started going harder for in the last 10 years or so
Unplanned re-credit stop? Huck Finn's opened not too far from the State House like 6 years ago but is basically a spiritual successor for Hoffman's Playland, a park I had visited as well, when it was more age appropriate for me. But I'm glad the coaster got saved.
Annddd, that night before getting to our hotel just south of Lake George we found this bomb-ass Taco place <3
Day 10 - The hope was we could get in some rides at Great Escape and maybe something else on the way to Rochester but suddenly we were facing something more fitting to us being home in Florida and not something you think about dealing with in Upstate New York... Hurricanes?
Weather rapidly deteriorating, we went and got breakfast
And ended up driving around Vermont.... because, why not?
After figuring out if Great Escape was even gonna open or not, we made our way to the park. Getting there just after opening and finding the park a Ghost Town (haha, get it? the park used to be called Ghost Town!!!)
Surprisingly, almost everything in the park was *open* despite what the park entrance was saying, and the posted signs along the midway. I was even able to ride the parks newest ride (another 2020 hold-over) Adirondack Outlaw. I love me a good SkyScraper / Booster ride.... and this was a first for me, doing it in heavy rain...and wind. I got SOAKED, like, I probably could have jumped in Lake George and come out dryer than after this ride, haha <3
Look at me, the only fool getting on this thing. After the rain let up, others starting getting on as well, ha.
I grew up going to Great Escape like every summer, so even
Heading west from Great Escape the weather improved greatly and the evening was almost perfect! Well, except for the part where when we got to Sylvan Beach only to find it closed.... We've both been before so it wasn't a loss, but still a bummer
But at least there was pie, to make things better.
Day 11 - After dropping off Jeff in Rochester, I headed South towards Legoland New York, where my friend Rob would once again be joining be on my adventure.
I mean, it happens....
But hooray! New for me park with new for me coasters and well, an entirely new....park!
((had to rock the Legoland Malaysia shirt cause you know, goon'in))
((<3 @SaiyanHajime ))
Place was packed, despite required reservations.... Lines were way longer than we expected... but credits were needed
But also, the park kinda......sucks (sorry not sorry?) I've been to the UK, FL, and Malaysia parks and have always had a fun time... This park is a hellhole :| Like, they opened it but it clearly wasn't ready. Most queues lack actual line rails and in a park full of small kids, it leads to chaos and massive line jumps.... there's also zero shade and a horrible park layout where most guests were just climbing down the grass hill, rather than use the long winding paved path.
And there's this nasty surprise, at the end!
Just a few miles down the street from Lego is another 'park', Castle Fun Center, with its own kiddie coaster. Rob and I both already had the credit in its former home but we gave it the courtesy ride (Because C-C lets you mark it has ridden in both places without it adding a +1 and messing up your count!) We also did a ride on the S&S/Soaring Eagle Zipline thing before heading out.
Annndddd since it was only a 30 minute drive away from where we were, I had to make a run for the Jersey High-Point! (too bad it was covered in cloud/fog.. D'oh!)
Day 12 - Heading out to Great Adventure from Rob's I knew Jersey Devil was still gonna be closed, but I was still holding out hope... Was I really in the middle of a +4,000 mile road trip and gonna have the *biggest* new for me coaster only be a Zierer Force model? YUP
But the cool thing about Great Adventure is I've been so many times and get to go almost yearly, I never care what I do or don't ride and there's always next time. I actually ended up doing a bunch of things I've skipped over the last few years... Like the Flume and Ferris Wheel. We also did the Sling Shot, since membership holders ride twice and at a discount. It was also a 'new' ride for us since it replaced the old terrible S&S ErUPtion ride we had also ridden years ago haha. Also, somehow, AGAIN, a second Hurricane/Tropical System was approaching us!And just like that, Rob and I parted way and I was back on the road heading back to DC for a place to overnight.
Y'all, the toll roads/bridges/tunnels in the North East are no joke! So many, so expensive.
Day 13 - Plan for the day was just to drive from Yatpay's place in DC down to Dollywood. Exciting stuff.
But I did make a stop about halfway in Roanoke
....because they have a Zoo and I hadn't been to it before <3
Oh, I see you.....
And after what felt like an eternity of driving, I made it into the Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge tourist area, hitting up the new Rowdy Bear location home to what I didn't wanna count as a coaster but probably will, and what definitely ISN'T a coaster but is on RCDB.
But also, HOOOORAY! Dollywood! Since we couldn't do our cruise or Creamfields, my friend Deka and I decided to do a weekend trip to Dollywood, at the tail-end of my road trip, so we stayed at DreamMore for a couple of nights <3
And so started our 3 days of Parks/Tack/Tourist BS/ and of course, overeating
Day 14 - Dollywood and Pigeon Forge
I mean, who doesn't love Dollywood. And you know whats even better? Dollywood, with every...single... ride... being a walk on and Lightning Rod being open! (So wait, is it a new credit or no?) I mean, Rob loves it so much he decided to join us, driving down from New Jersey by way of Kings Dominion the day I did the Roanoke Zoo. The 3 of us have been friends for 20 years but this was the first time all 3 of us were together at the same time since 2009, we all live in different states and while we still visit/travel with each other we hadn't gotten to all get together since before I moved to Florida, making it a bit extra special, I guess, haha.
After doing the park open to close, we headed over to The Mountain Monster, a new 'mini park' thing... built by ex-S&S, Soaring Eagle Zipline. It's a bit pricey, coming in at 60$ for the 3* ride combo ticket but it was worth it. The tower has a 200ft freefall ride on one side (with just a seatbelt!), a Sling Shot style ride ' Saddle Sling' (new for me version) and a Sky Coaster style ride (a less impressive Terror Dactyl)
The Sky Coaster thing was still neat, and the view of the mountains was fantastic...but having already ridden Terror Dactyl, its hard beating getting dropped off a cliff into a canyon.
Afterwards we went across the street to The Island so Rob could get his SBF Spinner credit, and we all could get some fooooood. (love me some Mellow Mushroom)
Day 15 - Gatlinburg , like, everything in Gatlinburg. The day started at Ober, neither Deka or Rob had been up there before and I hadn't been since they added the Alpine Coaster. I also went Ice Skating for a bit and tried the strange ice....bumper car....things that were oddly fun and spin way faster than you'd think.
Heading back into the city Deka really wanted to eat at the Dicks Last Resort. I'd been to the one in Orlando before it closed and I'm pretty sure the one in Boston is gone now too. Rob was 100% not about it... but we still had our fun even if he was being a party-pooper.
After lunch we walked over to the new for all of us Sky Bridge that opened in 2019
Where I got waayyy too excited that this happened!
<3 <3 <3 I love bears! I was so excited and it happened so fast I couldn't even take a photo.
Coming down from the Bridge we walked over to the Ripley's Aquarium. I've passed it a few times and had expressed interest but never really got the chance to go and since it was so hot out, we decided to go inside and enjoy some AC and look at the fish. I was honestly surprised how nice the place is, in a city full of tack, the aquarium is worthwhile!
By this point we had almost walked the entire parkway tourist area in Gatlinburg, so why not just go the whole way and visit the other Rowdy Bear location (this being the good one) I had ridden the Alpine Coaster here like the week it opened, but they've more recently added a set of Mountain Gliders. My first time encountering these ZIpline/Coaster hybrids. RCDB doesn't count these (but counts this :roll: ) C-C has them... so we gave it a try... and I'm somewhat conflicted. It has a complete circuit, it rolls on its own power, has a lift hill, it *isn't* rider speed-controlled...... but doesn't quite feel coaster-y either. Fun tho'
The pass for the Sky Bridge is good for the entire day, so we went back up at sunset to get the night view
And the realization hit that.....
and also, my trip was coming to an end (lol, 10 hours... funny)
Day 16 - Anakeesta clean-up, and the nightmare traffic jam.
Rob bailed early in the day to start his drive back to New Jersey. Deka and I found ourselves at WaHo <3
While we weren't really doing anything in Great Smoky Mountains National Park outside of the PF/G stuff, I had my passport on me to get the stamp I missed when I came to actually do the park. Coincidentally, it was the National Park Service's 105th Birthday <3 so after a quick stop at the Visitors Center we were on our way to Anakeesta.
Anakeesta, its a pretty cool place. The park opened 2017 and has expanded at least twice, since.... But its still stuck between wanting to be a cool mountain top garden or a theme(d) park. It'll be interesting to see what they do in the next few years. I wouldn't be shocked if they go full amusement park
But be warned! (we took the bus back down because the lift took so long!)
But its totally worth it... because of their Alpine Coaster, Rail Runner. The hype around the Brandauer built Alpine Coasters is definitely warranted. (and now having ridden that, I've completed all 7 PF/G Alpine Coasters....that I don't even count.)
After getting back to our cars at the base of the mountain I was ready to head out. Deka wanted to go to the Outlets and I was gonna start home over an hour earlier than planned, so I made a slight diversion on my way and made a stop in Columbia, South Carolina to visit the State House.
Little did I know as soon as I got on the highway there would be an accident a few hundred feet ahead of me leading to gridlock that lasted 3 solid hours where everyone was just stuck in place until the semi-trailer could be moved out of the way....and I slowly watched my 11.30pm arrival home tick away to past 3am. Not exactly what I had planned on, but oh well. I also encountered one of the heaviest rain storms I've driven in in a long time just before getting to Downtown Orlando with some pretty crazy lightning all around ....finally getting home shortly before 3.30 am.
Day 17 ? - After some 4,312 miles of driving, an oil change, and a $300 engine coil replacement (?) before getting to SFNE, I was home
Where I found a package from the UK in my mailbox
and also unpacked my bag of all the stuff I got along the way
....and then I built my Nano's
TL/DR - I drove over 4,000 miles to only add six new coasters, all being kiddie coasters
Sorry if this was a bad TR
