Associated parks:
None
the fun beforehand:
well when I found out that my family was going to travel to Annapolis, MD for my cousin's graduation from the Naval Academy, my first thought was, "What parks are around Maryland?" the first one that popped into my mind was Busch Gardens. I had already been to BGT and I loved it. then I heard everyone raving about BGW and that was it. I was certain that there would be fun for everyone.
with the trip planned out, I moved to asking for time off from work. since I *thought* that I would be working wed. thru sun. I only asked off for wed. thur fri. the plan was to drive out on mon. and I would fly back fri. after the graduation so I could work Memorial Day. well my schedual got switched on me and I ended up with fri. thru tue. this almost ruined things for me, but, thankfully, my boss was nice enough to give me mon. and tue. also.
so we left...and then we came back because I forgot to write down a couple phone numbers that I would need. I couldn't get them because they were on-line and my dad (who doesn't live with us, but pays for AOL) was using the internet at the time. my mom bandaged up my dog's leg while we were home (totally different story) and we headed out again. we made it about two miles through Chicago rush hour traffic before I realized that I forgot some medicine (that's the last time I wait to pack until the morning of). since I was home, I tried to get on-line again and it worked! I got the numbers and headed off into traffic...again.
the numbers that I needed were that of my friend and of Cedar Point's resorts. I called the resort to try to get a room for the road trip I'm planning for late June. (venting) it turns out that I trashed every hotel in Chicago and I have a record with the Police so CP wouldn't give me a room. oh, wait. its just their policy to not rent rooms to perfectly fine people under 21. (/venting). I continued to drive while my mom called AAA to see if they could find me a room. they recomended the Surf Motel which sounds nice for our purposes.
the rest of the trip was fairly bland. there was snow in the Penn. mountains and we drive right past PKD, but nothing really special.
the fun during:
the park wasn't two miles from our hotel which was a nice plus. I wasn't expecting the layout for the parking nor was I expecting to drive right next to Apollo's Chariot. before we ecen entered the park, I was amazed by the beauty of the park.
first thing we did was see Pirates in 4D. a nice attraction for everyone and something very nice during the hot summer months, but it was exactly hot. in fact, it was cold. something bothered me about this, though. they said that the ride used the latest in technology, but I remember seeing the same film about ten years ago in Disneyworld. that and I never realized how horrible the acting was.
next was a stroll over to the horses. I got some nice pics before we moved on to Loch Ness Monster.
this coaster took me totally by surprise. literally. I wasn't expecting to be walking through trees one moment and then under track and supports the next. I loved that effect and it wasn't the first from the monster. making my way through the empty queue, I tried to pick up as much of the theming as possible. I took the front row. the ride itself was very cool, one of Arrow's best works, but it has its flaws. for one, why put trim brakes on the second hill? why have a MCBR if you have a second lift? why have a second lift. I think the train could have easily completed the circuit without the second lift. and if it was needed, why put that tiny bump before it when the train is traveling so fast? anyway, it still made its way to my favorite Arrow.
next came the skyride over to France. a ride on the antique cars was nice and gave a beautiful view of Alpengeist. the only problem is I think I broke my back. my mom drove and she just pounded the accelerator. with the short backs on the seats, my spine just curled over the top. then the ride op did the same thing at the end of the ride. oh, that so wasn't fun.
moving on to New France, the weather started to warm up so I suggusted the log fume, but my mom refused. on to Alpengeist! WHOOOOO! what a ride! front row for the first ride and everything but the Immelman and zero-g roll was intense. the theming blew me away. my only complaints were the cobra roll (I found a way to make that better later in the day) and the entry to the MCBR which tossed my legs like a Vekoma Hang'n'Bang tosses people's heads.
Germany got me a ride on the bumber cars before a trip on the Big Bad Wolf. BBW was running one train and the ride broke down just as I got in line. this was the longest line of the day pretty much because there was only one train and one heck of a long ride. still, the line just barely extended beyond the gates the same as all the other coasters. the problem was soon fixed and, again, I waited for the front (seeing a pattern?). I wish I would have gotten on a suspended before this 'cause it was pure fun. nice and smooth, the crash effects was amazing, and the dive over the River was undescribible.
it was around lunch time so we went to Italy to get some food. it was a nice lunch, a little better than the average park food, but I didn't get to experience the amazing culinary creations that I always heard about. anyway, it was good. the weather started to get worse so a look ar Roman Rapids was all I got before boarding Apollo's Chariot, front row. oh, baby was this good. whether or not they're all top ten, all the coasters at BGW are masterpieces. no birds except for a small one who crossed the river just before the train ran through on the way back. since the line for Apollo's Chariot was so increadibly short, I immediatly re-rode in the back. all I can say is airtime. this is tied with Raging Bull for best hyper. I can't decide if I like the twister or out-and-back style better.
next, we backtracked to Germany where I rode BBW in the back row. this was a completly different experience. it was just as rough as any Arrow out there and nowhere near as fun as the front.
the cruise on the Rhine River was nice, but I was expecting it to go down by LNM and towards Ireland.
more backtracking into New France for a sky ride back to England. LNM in the back was pretty much similar to the front with two exceptions. after the initial drop, the train swoops up and into a turn. in the front, there was headbanging. in the back, there wasn't. next, the helix was smooth in the front, but rough in the back. I guess its just a trade off.
next we went to Ireland and Corkscrew Hill. this was fun, but it only added to my back problems. the seats were't very comfortable and the movement was worse. I'm starting to sound like an old man so I think I'm going to shut up now.
Jack Hanna's Wild Reserve was awesome. we caught part of the bird show, saw the Lorikeets and Eagles, and decided to return for the wolf training session.
back in New France, we took the railway all the way around the park. aside from the endless forest between Italy and New France and the vacant lot that used to be Drachenfire, it was very nice.
the skyride from France to New France was, again, very nice. another stop at Alpengeist provided photo ops and two rides on the snow monster. one in the back row, one in the front. just as amazing as ever.
we ran back over to the wolves to catch the training before leaving for the day.
a very full day that was great for everyone. I highly recoment this park. there's something for everyone and the theming will give you a heart attack. I can't wait to return.
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-Bob (formerly Coaster Jedi)
Knott's Berry Farm Cuba ~South Park
"Your proctologist called, he found your head!" ~Jerry "The King" Lawler
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