Well, this sort of closes the book for me on the place. I understand that business is business but I'm just bitter about the entire situation. Of course, Cedar Fair had no obligation to be the good guy and try to save something from what was Geauga Lake, but I don't care.
They like to tout the history of Cedar Point and the 130+ years of memories, nostalgia, etc. Then, they let remnants of Geauga Lake end up in the scrap pile.
I will acknowledge that my opinion is skewed and I'm likely too close to the situation. Geauga Lake was my home park and, for at least several summers as a youth, my backyard. Then, it became one of my first employers as I spent 5 years becoming familiar with the amusement business.
I remember the first summer I worked in Rainbow Island and the close crew that enjoyed putting smiles on kids faces no matter how many horns we heard beep-beep-beeping and no matter that we didn't get to work the "big rides".
I spent nervous hours on that old ferris wheel worrying about whether or not I had it balanced...fearing it might just start rotating back the wrong direction.
I spent countless summer nights basking in the yellowish light of the Big Dipper station listening for the familiar buzz as one of the trains neared the final brake run...people cheering as if they just got finished riding the world's biggest coaster. The smell of the grease would remain with me well into winter even after the last light had been turned off each season.
I had countless conversations with people about Rotor Fred and did my best to satisfy parents that he was a harmless guy who needed very little to be entertained in life.
The ringing in my ears after 8 hours of working at the Euro Racers was only interrupted by the barking of the sea lions across the lake as we would walk down a dark, empty midway at midnight after a long, hot summer day. A day that the huge attendance like it rivaled the big days at the Magic Kingdom.
I remember the smell of warm beer on an October night and elephant ears and cinnamon buns making my mouth water. There were no lasers or fireworks or parades. Just a community event, really, that drew thousands of locals on a Friday night.
We can rehash what happened. We can try to debate who caused the most damage. Anheuser-Busch did them in when they left town. Six Flags built too much too fast. Six Flags and Cedar Fair did not show respect to the local market. At this point that is irrelevant to me.
In my opinion we lost a classic park, a classic ride and, what is most disappointing to me, and the opportunity to share that park with my children.