cassie_KY

That is exactly what Nathan said!! :lol:

Here are our pictures! Pictures of Six Flags Over Georgia I have to go in and add captions to the photos. And yes, there are WAY too many pictures of me with the drink cup. Nathan found it humorous that I had a never-ending supply of Diet Coke. Thanks for looking!

With all this exciting news,I wonder if I can squeeze in a long weekend to head over to KD and see the construction as well as FINALLY get my ride on Dominator.

Dave- thank you so much for your compliments! I am with you that I would not have traveled specifically to Atlanta solely for this park. We sandwiched it into a larger vacation (We did a cruise and had activities before and after. I will be typing trip reports for a week!) I don't know if this is something your family would be interested in, but the city of Atlanta has a City Pass and for $69 for an adult and $49 for children, it gets you into six different attractions including the Georgia Aquarium, Coca-Cola World, Atlanta Zoo, a Botanical Garden, and other places (Atlanta City Pass). We had gotten rained out the day before and went to the Georgia Aquarium, Coca-Cola World, and had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. It was a very enjoyable time and all the attractions were in walking distance of each other. We stayed at the Baymont Inn which is an exit up from SFOG and they offered a free shuttle to the park. gad198- Yeah, Nathan and I have not done the "big debate" between the two coasters. An explanation may be what our favorites are. He likes Millennium Force and I prefer Maverick for example. I think Diamondback, while it does have insane air time is a little tame (please don't kill me folks- just my opinion!) and I like more twists and turns so I don't know what comes next. Nathan has the cameras (we took two digital and an underwater for when we went snorkeling). I will "suggest" he get to moving on uploading them.

On Monday, July 6th, Nathan and I continued with Day 9 of our summer vacation. When planning our trip, we wanted to hit a couple sights on the way to Mobile and on the way home (other trip reports with our adventures will be posted as soon as they are typed and slideshows will be uploaded). Six Flags Over Georgia (SFOG) won out for the northern leg homewards. With season passes in hand, we left the hotel and headed to the park when it opened. Here is where the confusion ensued. There are two parking lots- east and west. They filled east up first. As we came in from Six Flags Drive, we entered the park on the west side. A park employee was flagging traffic in. We buzzed past her in the direction she pointed and realized we were going the wrong way on a one way street. Stopping, we looked around to see where we goofed. Then, an Explorer roared past us. Heartened we were not going to play chicken with another car in the next few minutes, we followed. That is, until we passed the next one way sign and the Explorer stopped. As our two cars sat puzzled, a white Honda zoomed past us both. We followed them and left Miss Explorer behind. We made it to the east parking lot and trekked to the front gate. I really liked how the walkway travels beside and under the coasters (Batman- the Ride, Mindbender, Goliath, and Georgia Scorcher).Walking past the ticket counters, we headed to the gates. Our passes worked no problem and we walked through the metal detector and entered The Promenade. Bugs and Daffy were there to greet us. The architecture was very pretty and modeled to look like the Old South. I loved all the flowers! It had stormed the day before and gray clouds loomed overhead. In case of bad weather, we decided to hit all the coasters and Monster Mansion first and then go back around for re-rides and anything else we missed. After studying the map, we decided to start at the front of the park and work our way back to Gotham City. Georgia Cyclone was first. I thought it was neat it was a replica of the Cyclone at New York's Coney Island. We had read several trip reports and saw video reporting how rough the ride was. We aimed for a seat closer to the front and were on our way as the ride was a walk-on. This coaster is old and it showed. It doesn't track very well and shimmied its way through several turns. I felt several areas where air time was promised, but the ride didn't fully deliver. What I did'nt experience was the pain and roughness so many claimed. While not re-rideable as The Racers, this ride was no Hurler either. We give this ride three stars. Ride it once a season, but no more than just to compare how it was from one year to the next. Next was Georgia Scorcher- the park's standup. The headrests were softer than other standups I had experienced and the ride-ops were working quickly to dispatch each train before the next arrived. I was glad to see two-train operation as some I have ridden did one train and that made for long wait times. We found this ride to be enjoyable. This is the fourth stand-up we have ridden and like it second behind Cedar Point's Mantis. We give this ride a six as it is a little short and we both experienced some head banging. I would ride this each time I went to the park providing the line was not overly long. Lockers are beside the ride, but most park guests went ahead and took their stuff to the station. We couldn't deny it anymore. Goliath's yellow track was calling. Twenty minutes later, we left the station. The lift hill is steep and the descent is pure thrill. While Diamondback is a series of airtime hills, Goliath is a mix of airtime hills and speeding curves. I liked this coaster better than Diamondback while Nathan favored the coaster in our back yard. If we had been allowed, we would have made multiple laps, but weather pushed us on. We give this coaster nine stars. Be warned- the ride ops were enforcing a strict locker policy and nothing was allowed to be carried into the station. In the morning, our hands were empty, but we were not going to pay to stick our drink cup in a box. People who wore sandals were required to take them off in the station. If a person has a big bag, then yes, use a locker, but a cup takes up less space than a pair of shoes. We took a break from coasters and headed to the French section for Monster Mansion. This was the new attraction for 2009 having undergone a makeover. This dark ride's premise is we humans are guests at a monster reunion. We boarded boats that hold six adults in three rows (two per row). While a little corny at times, we both thought the ride was a hoot and very well done. Eight stars for cute factor, quality of special effects, and storyline (Watch out for the marsh!). It would have scored more but audio was messed up in a couple areas and some animatronics were not working like they should. However, that is nitpicking. The ride is a good addition to the park going experience. Wile E. Coyote Canyon Blaster is over in the Spanish section. It is a cute mine ride for kids. One thing I liked about this park is the majority of rides will accomadate adults and kids. Nathan and I both fit in the car and were comfortable. The ride is pretty smooth, and thrilling for younger park guests. We give it a six as a good kid's coaster. Also, the area is really well themed with ACME props and gadgets. The air conditioned tunnel was nice too! Dahlonega Mine Train is in Peachtree Square and was coaster five of the day. This is a junior sized mine coaster. It has two lifts and a tunnel. It was pretty jerky through element transitions and some theming had weathered to the point of being unrecognizable. On this ride, I nearly had one of my big mouth moments. I am sure everyone can relate to this- someone is carrying on past the point of being tolerable and you can no longer stand it. On this ride, Nathan and I were practically twittling our thumbs (It was that mild- we weren't bored.) and a girl behind us was screaming her bloody head off. I turned around to see what the big deal was and the girl was in tears! No way would I say anything except shame on the boyfriend for taking her on that when she was scared. We give this coaster a five. OK ride, but forgetable. The Cotton Section and it's three coasters were next. The five looping Ninja sat over the water with Asian music over the PA. We had also heard this coaster was pretty brutal. Riding defensively was a must to see if it bettered the experience. This is a pretty coaster and we really wanted to like it. It goes out over the water, red is a nice color, and it loops. For us- most disappointing ride of the park. Even after pressing our heads back against the head rests, we were shook violently and my neck audibly popped once (rare for me). We continued to be bounced and thrown around until we were back at the station. We give it a three because we didn't have time to try a front seat ride and all coasters deserve the benefit of a doubt. Great American Scream Machine was the big wooden coaster sitting next to Ninja. While needing a fresh coat of paint, it is quite pretty painted red white and blue. A one car wait and we settled into our back row seats. They were a tight fit, but we made it. This coaster rattles you, but gives good air time. Twice, we were yanked back into our seats so hard we both said "ouch" simultaneously. It's not our Racer, but it was fun. We give it seven stars due to bonus points of going out over the water and all the surrounding buildings painted to match. We had been saving our seventieth coaster (we count them as how many we have ridden together) for something special and Superman- Ultimate Flight fit the bill as Firehawk was our first coaster. This was the longest wait of the day at half an hour. I had disliked previous flying coasters due to not being comfortable in the harness. Superman has a wide chest "vest" made out of a foamy material, the leg restraints fit comfortably, and I didn't feel like I was going to fall out. We were tilted forward and took off. I was surprised that I liked it! The wider chest plate spread the pressure out much better than a five point harness. The loop is pretty intense and was my favorite element. Where it travels close to the ground, it lends more to the sense of flying. We give it eight stars. Gotham City was the last stop. We headed straight to the green Mindbender. We didn't know it was an ACE landmark. The ride was a walk-on. The seats are wide and well cushioned. Billed to be the world's first coaster with three loops, it had a lap bar only. What fun! The lift rattled and clanked as the car hung at the top before we plummeted to the first loop. This ride was a surprise hit with pops of airtime that barely kept me under the lapbar. No seat dividers allowed us to slid around in the curves. We give it eight stars as we went in with lower expectations and were thrilled with the results. Our question is, do they count a helix as the third loop? Batman the Ride was the last one in the park. As it is a "dangly foot" coaster, I had some reservations about riding it, but I knew I needed to face my silly fear. The queue for the ride is ridiculously long (We want to know: when it first opened, was it totally full and how long was the wait?). We were happy to see open seats and no waiit. We jumped on and with Batman Theme music playing, we headed out. I closed my eyes for the lift. Then, just as we entered the first loop, I realized I wasn't scared! I finished the ride looking all around and laughing through the corkscrews. I loved it! We pulled into the station and were able to grab a second ride without getting off. We give this ride nine stars! With all ten coasters under our belt, we needed to eat. While we feel parks charge too much, we will pay for good food. Daddy-O's BBQ had been tempting us all day. We walked in and saw the most yummy looking chef salad. Chicken, whole cherry tomatoes and lettuce were packed inside a seasoned tortilla shell. Eight bucks didn't seem too outrageous. While they were large, we made quick work of them. Four thumbs up! With full tummies, we walked around the park and snapped pictures. The train ride (while not themed) was a fun way to see the park. The trees and landscaping are very well done and the place feels just as much a park as it does a land of thrills. At the end of the loop, we saw the cupola of the carousel and, horse lover that I am, we had to investigate. It is a beautiful machine opening in 1904 at the now defunct Riverview Park in Chicago. It was a five abreast model handcarved with more than 28,000 man hours put into them. I had to take a ride. Nathan was not amused, but he went along with it. Six stars for nostalgia. We felt a few "wayne" (rain) drops and headed back to Batman and rode it four more times. We tried different seats and found we liked towards the back on the left side. with little time left, we headed toward the front of the park. We rode Georgia Scorcher again. Not as fun as the first time due to my restraints being greasy. As we were nearing the end of the ride, I felt something hit my leg. The seat belt had become unfastened. Little worrisome as I had had the ride op do it for me. At this time, the goodbye music was playing. We stopped in the shops and bought a magnet and a pin. All the characters were lined up for photo ops and waving as we left. With a setting sun, we headed out. All in all, this was a great day trip. I wish we had been able to get more re-rides on the coasters, but sometimes time restraints happen. What we liked about this park: Ride ops and staff were very nice and engaged in small talk many times to see if we were enjoying ourselves. The park is really clean with lots of landscaping, flowers, trees, and waterfalls. The park is laid out fairly well with the exception that Gotham City has only one way into it. Soda deal- $12 for a souveniir cup and it had unlimited refills all day. Lots of food choices and not just burgers, hot dogs and other junk food. The park had a real family atmosphere with little profanity or rude people. We didn't experience more than one experience with line jumping and that one was not a bad experience. What we didn't like How to get into the park. The parking lot was confusing. $15 to park is too high. The park doesn't open until 10:30AM and closes at 9:00PM. No free watar. The asphalt was hot and slick in some places. Thanks for reading! We will post pictures as soon as we get them downloaded.

I think you crammed as much as you could into the time that you had. Yes, Disney is enjoyed better at a more relaxed pace, but when you don't have time it sounds like you chose the "must-dos" and hit a big percentage of them. BTW, thanks to everyone who posted there with your suggestions. I am looking forward to a Disney trip in the future and have so much to plan and look forward to!

Thank you for your photos. I have been wanting to head that way for some time. We are farther away than the one hour, but I am sure there are other things to do up that way and make it a multi-stop trip. Your fireworks photos are very pretty.

I saw a special about Schlitterban on the Travel Channel and have wanted to go ever since. After your photos, I may enter their lazy river system and never get out! Thanks for sharing.

I whole-heartedly agree about the clothing choices of some park guests. My mother would have never let me out of the house that way (nor did I ever have an inclination to). Also, it's just gross. Yes people get hot. Summer=hot season and that means sweating. Pardon the more gross comment here folks: Clothes soak that sweat up to a point. Wearing a bikini top or those ripped open shirts just means all your nasty sweat gets all over the seats... ugh!!

I know they are at other parks, but the ever-present thumping basketballs drives me insane! I really don't care that you think you are hot stuff for making baskets from the free throw line. I don't need you walking along behind me dribbling it all day. And, I really dislike having to watch where I'm going when said free-throw aces let the basketball get away from them and it rolls across the midway tripping people as it goes.

We went last month for the first time. I went with low expectations as I had read several trip reports that were negative. I was pleasantly surprised and had an enjoyable trip.

Holiday World is just a great park. Lots of activities for all ages. I am glad you enjoyed Voyage. Just blows me away!

Thanks you all! I am glad that he has a great time. I didn't know about the lollipops; That is really adorable and endearing. I would never want to begrudge anyone having a good time at the park that's for sure and I am glad that King's Island can accomadate so many people. It just made me curious who he was (as I have seen him so many times) and where better to ask then on these boards??

I have wanted to post this for a time, but have not done so because I don't know how to word it "pretty." Nearly every time I have been to King's Island, I have run into a gentleman who appears to have Cerebral Palsy. He is in a wheelchair and has very little body control. He appears to be in his mid-fifties, has dark hair that is thin on top and is small framed. Another gentleman of similar age and wears glasses takes him around the park. I have ridden with him on several rides including Beast and Adventure Express. I am so glad that he is having a good time. You can tell he really enjoys the coasters. However, I was riding two rows behind him on Adventure Express last summer and, frankly, he scared me to death. Where he has little upper body control, he was thrown like a rag doll the entire time and I was convinced he had knocked himself unconcious after going through the last turn before the final tunnel. We were stopped in the tunnel and he wasn't moving at all and was slumped over in his seat. I was reaching down to unbuckle my belt and crawl out to get to him (yes, I know it's a big no-no, but I was upset and not thinking) because I was scared he was hurt. Thankfully, he straightened himself and I calmed down enough for the ride to end. My question here, has anyone else seen this guy or know him?

I wasn't aware that Kennywood is that close to Wheeling! Will definitely have to hit the place up this year. How much further is it to go to Waldameer? Thanks!

LOL I have some of the camel sirloin in the freezer from when we were there a few weeks ago. I will have to report when I cook it... Looks like you had some fun wandering around. I find something new each time. The blue elephant is at a side street.

Kiddie coaster "junior coaster" Wood and Steel Wood: Little Dipper- Camden Park Steel: Roller Skater- Kentucky Kingdom Major Wood and Steel Non Looping Wood: The Beast Steel: Adventure Express Looping Steel Firehawk Suspended Iron Dragon Inverted Runaway Reptar Launched looped and Non looped Looped: Flight of Fear Non-Looped: Italian Job: Stunt Track Stand up Shockwave- King's Dominion Water Ride Log Flume at Camden Park

Yes I said that in my previous post. However, 7/24 was not mentioned in the article and (7 rides of 24) was the figure I was referencing. But anyhoo, we are both correct in our responses (your title and the statement from the article that I used) and that 's always good. I wanted to tease you just a touch and I *think* we all got a giggle from it today.

Guys, I am great at math. Yes, according to your title, 7/24 would be the answer that Corey had posted. However, that was not what the article said. It stated that 7 of the 24 rides are closed. The author continued that that equates to 34% of the rides are not functioning. I stated that that is a little more than 1/3, so the author is not off but a fraction of a percent.

Terpy, 7 rides out of 24 is a little over 1/3 and that would make the 34% a little low, but not by much. I didn't see a mention in the article of the figure "7/24." Cassie- confused.

duplicate post- sorry!

One of the signs said that Big Muskie was the biggest machine that ever moved on land. My dad's a steel worker and I have seen my share of big machines, but that bucket is just a part of the whole thing. My mind can't wrap around the sheer size of what it must have been. I imagine it was plenty loud as well?

(Slideshows are at the end of this post!) On June 7th, Nathan and I headed up to The Wilds in Cumberland Ohio. I had stumbled across their website (www.thewilds.org) last year and had been dying to go to it since then. Guess what- we couldn't make it to CoasterMania due to some other committments, so we decided to take a day trip and "walk on the wild side." Two and a half hours later, we were pulling into visitor parking. They charge $3 for parking (that hadn't been advertised in any literature/media I had read). We hopped on an old school bus painted tan and were taken up to the welcome center to purchase our tickets. There are two options. One costs $20 and is an air conditioned bus that makes stops and you can take as long as you wish at each stop. The other costs $27 is an open air bus. When it makes stops, you have to get back on with everyone else and stay with the same tour group. We opted for the $20 safari and were pleased to discover they give a AAA discount. We had a little time before the next shuttle began. The visitor center plays a short film that describes the history of The Wilds, some of the animals there, conservation efforts, and different experiences guests can have while visting the Wilds. We also walked outside and looked out on the valley spread below us; This place is HUGE! At over 10,000 acres of reclaimed mineland, it is the largest conservation facility in the United States. I was so excited to start out tour! We boarded our shuttle and claimed a seat in the back that had views to the sides and rear. You pass through a series of two gates and we were in the preserve. We bounced our way down a gravel road and popped around a curve to see a One-Horned Rhino several yards from the bus. Here we begin the "oohs" and "ahhs" as we start snapping pictures. Things got better as we stopped by a small shed where a mommy rhino and her baby were resting. Next to the shed was a pile of rhino poo. The guide told us rhinos only poop in one place and this "rhino email" lets all other rhinos know who's territory this is. In front of us, we had to come to another stop. A herd of Onagers (Asian wild donkeys) were blocking the road. Our guide told us that most zoos won't keep them because they are so stubborn. She went on to say that we may be here awhile as they will move when they are good and ready and nothing will make them move until they want to. That let us snap tons of photos of them as well as the Bactrian (two-humped) camels that were directly to our left. When I first saw them, the camels were all piled together and so fuzzy that I thought it was a scattered round bale of hay! Across the valley, a herd of Pere David's Deer were grazing. The story about them is amazing. They are originally native to China. A gentleman (Pere David) took a liking to them and exported twenty back to his estate in England. Shortly after, a war broke out in China and all the deer were killed. The only examples of the species left were the small herd in England. With successful breeding programs like The Wilds, they are slowly being reintroduced into protected preserves in China. These deer have long tails! Another animal was wandering around with the deer. Upon first look, it resembled a bear. When it turned around, it had a rat/cow looking kind of head. It is called a Takin and inhabits the same type of environment as the Panda bears in China. We were told that a description of them is part cow, part gerbil, part bear. And yeah, check the pictures as they are that ugly! The guide said Takin are so agressive that zoos will have nothing to do with them. Finally, the Onagers moved and we continued on to our first stop which is the lake. There is a walking trail down to the water. We took pictures of a herd of Takin across the water as well as a Trumpeter swan. The lake has catfish and bluegill that you can feed. We really enjoyed watching the fish fight for the food. Getting back on board the bus, we found two of my favorite animals next. The first are Przewalski's Wild Horse. Originally from Mongolia and Europe, this was the first species brought to the park in 1992. They were extinct in the wild in the 1960's, but breeding programs have allowed them to be reintroduced in certain regions of Mongolia and China. This is the only species of horse (they are not the same species as the domestic horse) that cannot be domesticated. The herd had a two week old baby that put on quite the show for us. For breeding purposes, they rotate the stallions each breeding season. We drove a little farther and came to the giraffes. The Wilds keeps three subspecies of giraffes. I think they all are so cute and love their expressions. It was hot out and they were all piled under the trees taking a snooze. We crossed back out to the outer perimeter of the park. Our guide told us the history of the Trumpeter swan. This bird was nearly wiped out in the state of Ohio. The Wilds received a phone call from a local airport that had a nest of them. Swans stay in the same area where they were born/learn to fly so Wilds staff collected the eggs and hatched them out so they could live on the preserve. The outer perimeter is also where the bison are located, but they were hiding as we never saw them. Our next stop was the wetlands. They didn't have much to see there. We got off and walked around and took their nature trail. The water is not as deep as it should be and there were cattails nearly as tall as I was for as far as you could see! We snapped some photos of the birds and were ready for Nathan's favorite stop..... The Mid-Sized Carnivore Habitat. This is where they keep the African Wild Dogs, the Dholes and the Cheetahs. We saw the Wild Dogs first. We found out that when they hunt, they have a better than 80% success rate as they hunt in groups and are capable of taking down very large prey. I was in love with their coloring as it was so unique to help them blend into their environment. The Dhole (pronounced like the banana) is an Asian wild dog and looks much like a red fox. They have a male and a female. The male had been raised in captivity and was a real ham as he showed off for everyone. You just wanted to pet him even though he could take your hand off if he wanted to. We stood and watched him prance around, roll over and just pose for everyone. We never saw the girl which we were told is not unusual. The cheetahs were at the top of the hill an were asleep. We got within five feet of them. They were no where near as impressed with us as we were of them. When we got ready to leave, I asked one of the staff how many they had and they said they have 9. The two that are "on display" were born here while the others were used for breeding and were located elsewhere. Boarding the bus, we headed over to see where the antelope played. They have two different breeds of Oryxes of which, the Scimitar-Horned Oryx has been extinct in the wild since the 1970's. They are being reintroduced into portions of Tunisia. We were able to see several herds of Sable Antelope. In the distance, a barn with the zebras was pointed out to us. I would have loved to have seen them up close, but I had seen so many other animals I had never seen before so I wasn't going to complain!! We popped around a hill and nearly smashed a Bactrian deer. This is a member of the red deer family and had the biggest rack of horns I had ever seen. I am sure he thought he was pretty special as he stood and posed for us before we continued. Next up was a herd of Banteng which is a Wild cow species from Southest Asia and Indonesia. They are endangered because they interbreed with domestic cattle. The males are a dark brown while the females are a light red in color. Intermixed with the Banteng were some Indochina Sika Deer. These deer keep their spots for their entire life and may be extinct in the wild die to hunting, water pollution and habitat loss. Breeding programs are keeping the species around, but scientists fear they are being poached after the deer are released onto preserves in Vietnam and China. Our last stop was to see the Southern White Rhinos. The Wilds is very proud of their program there as they are the only known facility in North America whre third-generation white rhinos are being born. The two babies were wandering around and we took lots of photos of them. They also had a display of different horns and antlers as well as fur from some of the different antlers. I picked up one of the horns from the Bactrian deer andit felt like it weighed 15 pounds (no joke!). I don't see how that fella was able to keep his head up, let alone move around carrying that! Sadly, we boarded out bus and headed back to our drop off place. We browsed the gift shop and picked up our usualy magnet and patch. We had been there for over six hours and had a blast the entire time. On the drive home, we saw one of the historical markers talking about the Big Muskie Bucket. I immediately think it is some type of lake where you can muskie fish, but that is not the case. There is no way I can describe this, so here is the description from the guidebook: "We said you'd be amazed, so here's our first documentation. The Big Muskie Bucket is the centerpiece of Miner's Memorial Park located 16 miles West of Caldwell 1-77 Exit 25 and right along SR 78. This artifact has generated unbelievable interest from young and old all across the United States and from around the world! It has even been featured on the History Channel! Why? "The Big Muskie Bucket was one of the Seven Engineering WOnders of the World! It was also the World's Largest Dragline! The Bucket, weighs 460,000 pounds empty and when loaded carried an additional 640,000 pounds. It's volume is equal to a 12 car garage. Can you imagine what Big Muskie must have been like to even move such an object, let alone maneuver it effectively? The Big Muskie Bucket and Miner's Memorial is without a doubt a one-of-a-kind destination. The site represents a major piece of history and assures that the mining men and women of Southeastern Ohio will never be forgotten." Without further ado, here are some pictures. Thanks for reading!! The Wilds Slideshow Big Muskie Bucket Slideshow

I tried holding hands up on Voyage and manged it on sections. After the rains Saturday night, the coaster was so forceful that I couldn't keep my hands up the entire time. Must... lift.... weights! I chose Level 5 but I will ride all the different sections depending on my mood.

I read all the trip reports. I used to be real shy about posting on here, but that is getting better as the days pass. I also like to post trip reports. Some of mine have nothing to do with parks, but I think they are interesting and if I like what I did, someone on here may want to do it too?? And yes, I am SO guilty of seeing how many views I get!