Canobie Lake 5/16/09: Canonballapaloza

What a day!!!!!

I took adantage of the last weekend of Canobie's spring pricing ($23 vs. $30 adult admission) and headed down there. I got to the park at about 10 and had entered the gates by 10:30.

The rides didn't open until 11, so I made sure I made a beeline for the Yankee Cannonball. 11 came and I ened up front row on the first dispatch of the day. I had forgotten how much floater air she has. If I could go back in time and meet Schmeck, I'd shake his hand for designing such a classic and timeless ride.

I ended riding the 'Ball about five more times, including my last ride of the day. I swear that she got faster every time I rode it. The line wasn't too bay, 10-15 minutes at most. The only downer of the ride was the crew seemed lifeless.

I hit a few flats (including the Turkist Twist, one of the simplest but most insane rides ever built), and them headed over to the Canobie Corkscrew. The crew had so much life and were having fun! What a contrast between the 'Screw crew and Cannonball crew! The ride was a walk-on all day, as were most of the flats.

Grabbed a dog and soda. The food has improved since my last trip (7/07). The prices seemed reasonable. $6 for the dog & pop.

The park was very clean and it looked like many things got a fresh coat of paint over the winter. The plants, scrubs and trees looked great. Restrooms were spotless and every time I went into one, there was somebody just getting ready to start or in the process of cleaning. The only thing I noticed was when I was sitting on a bench for a 15 minute break. I watched no less than 10 employees walk by a piece of trash and not pick it up.

Overall, good bang for the buck. In my opinion, Canobie is positioned right for the economic times. They've got enough for everybody.

Now, if they'd just build a new coaster... :)

$7.50 for a dog and soda is reasonable?

Compared to SF or CP prices. Plus, the quality was better.

How is the quality of the soda better? What do they do differently?

No. The dogs were better. They used Kayem (a local New England brand) vs. whatever no-name stuff CP can get the cheapest.

As for the soda, the water here in NH has a different mineral content so it tastes better to my buds.