Hey, I've been an enthusiast since I was 4 and I rode Rolling Thunder at SFGAm, and I haven't gotten many thrills since then. I asked my parents a while ago if I could take a road trip when I turn 18 and hit a bunch of parks on the east coast, and they agreed, I know I'm WAY in advance because that's 3 years away, but has anybody else taken I don't know, maybe a month road trip hitting a bunch of parks? ----------------- There isn't a problem that can't be solved. Suicide is NOT a solution! Send me an AOL instant message, my sn is unXplanible
A month?! That is nuts. Try more like a week, unless you want to eat fast food and pay for a hotel for a month. ----------------- Is it the roar of Kumba or the kumba of Roar? Discuss!
I can totally see where you are coming from SFGAMDie HARD, I am only 15 and no one in my family loves coasters. So I am stuck here in Colorado till I am 18 pretty much. They won't allow me to take a road trip till I am out of high-school. I have already started thinking about my route, but that will probably change as new parks might open and money and all that.
A month? Like Spacecase8310 said... that is nuts. In both time and expense, that is a bit much.
What I have found is that a week is a good amount of time... and then it is not hitting a park each day. There is something called "Burn Out".
What we do is plan vacations around several things. For instance, my wife likes light houses, I like parks, we both like hockey. Our April vacation is built around all three... Traveling to Norfolk VA for two Hershey Bears away games, 7 light houses, and two parks (PKD and BGW). Last March we did the same thing on a trip to FL. Visited some of her family, 3 light houses, and 4 parks (IOA, BGT, SW, and Old Town). In the planning is an upstate New York trip... a boat full of light houses and 3 or 4 parks (SFDL, Seabreeze, Great Escape, and maybe Marlineland if we feel like going across the border into Ontario).
Key thing is, don't be greedy! Don't try to do it all at once. For your expenses and sanity, break the large trip down into a few small ones. If it is a far way to travel, consider flying to a closer destination and renting a car (it is an expense, but I think air fare and car rental may balance out over a month of expenses)
Just start with an Ohio trip. Don't play the "well as long as I'm here I might as well go here" because that will end up being too expensive and before you know it you will be gone for a month! You're 18, you have plenty of time to travel. Just take it easy. ----------------- Is it the roar of Kumba or the kumba of Roar? Discuss!
Geez, I didn't think my month thing would be slaughtered so badly. Why does everybody have a problem with how I spend my money? I love adventure, and a road trip, McDonalds all the way, $18.00 motels bragging color tv is adventurous and would be a blast. And if I'm going to drive, I'm not going to go from Wisconsin, to NY, to NJ and then turn back and the next summer, drive back to NJ and go down to Georgia and drive back and then the third summer, go down to Florida and Louisiana and Texas and drive back! That would be insane! I'd never get tired out, the adrenaline rush would push me on! ----------------- There isn't a problem that can't be solved. Suicide is NOT a solution! Send me an AOL instant message, my sn is unXplanible
Oh, I forgot SpaceCase, how do you know I have a lot of time left at 18, heck, how do you know I'll live to be 18, I'm one of those people that live life to the fullest while I still can, I want to finish hs, take this road trip, stard and finish college, get a job and save, travel the world, then maybe settle down have a family, get a reliable job, and hopefully open a mini-amusement park outside of Nashville if I make it as a world renound (I know the spellings wrong) architect and happen to save upwards from 20 mil (equivalent will probably be more then) Those are my dreams and I'm going to grasp them the best I can! Call me nuts, but that's my life-long dream.
----------------- There isn't a problem that can't be solved. Suicide is NOT a solution! Send me an AOL instant message, my sn is unXplanible
O and, how come I never see you on AIM anymore space case? ----------------- There isn't a problem that can't be solved. Suicide is NOT a solution! Send me an AOL instant message, my sn is unXplanible
Hey SFGAM, I trust your in the chicagoland area. I'm going on my first coaster road trip this June, and I'm planning it right now. First thing you should do is go buy an atlas and plan it out. My circle is going to look like this.
Holiday world, SF Kentucky Kingdom, Paramounts Kings Island, SF Worlds of Adventure, and Cedar Point. Plot those out and see how it meets your fancy. Its about a week trip, and theres lots of coasters.
Do that, if all goes sweet, then try a bigger road trip.
I wasn't mad, I know sometimes it sounds that way because you can't type sarcasm, I'm not mad at all, I thought it was kind of funny actually. ----------------- There isn't a problem that can't be solved. Suicide is NOT a solution! Send me an AOL instant message, my sn is unXplanible
On the east coast you could start at Lake Compounce and Six Flags New England, and on the way down to Busch Williamsburg hit Dorney, Hershey, SFGAdv, SFA and Dominion.
----------------- Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com "As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"
Patrick, do you have an AIM sn? I'm not exactly from Chicago, I'm from the Milwaukee area. ----------------- There isn't a problem that can't be solved. Suicide is NOT a solution! Send me an AOL instant message, my sn is unXplanible
$18.00 motels may sound cool right now, but will not sound so great when you meet your multi-legged, segmented-bodied "roommates." Nor will it sound so great when you turn down the sheets on your bed to sleep and find a "gift" from last nights guests. Trust me, I've been there, it's not cool. Nor can you rest properly in that situation.
Hey, this is kind of related...what hotel chains do you all usually hunt out when you go on trips? I usually try to find a Baymont Inn. They're inexpensive and really nice. ----------------- Is it the roar of Kumba or the kumba of Roar? Discuss!
I'll bring a blow up matress! Or I can sleep in the car. God was that funny though! ----------------- There isn't a problem that can't be solved. Suicide is NOT a solution! Milwaukee Wisconsin, we bring you beer, brats and cheese. But don't be fooled, "Milwaukee truly is a special secret getaway that I will be sure to tell my friends about!" Erin Brock
Hampton Inn all the way! Holiday Inn's are nice too, but some of them can get pricey. If you want to go all the way, stay at an Embassy Suites! But really I think Hampton Inn is the greatest value. ----------------- There isn't a problem that can't be solved. Suicide is NOT a solution! Milwaukee Wisconsin, we bring you beer, brats and cheese. But don't be fooled, "Milwaukee truly is a special secret getaway that I will be sure to tell my friends about!" Erin Brock
A month seems a little long, even to me. This summer I will be going on a 2 week long eastern US trip in which I will visit 18 parks and ride 118 coasters. I've planned a day or two in which we catch up on sleep and rest. It is possible but home sickness and cost will be the biggest thing. But this trip is very well organized and will cost less then 800 total. I wouldnt recommend trying something like this until your at least 20. You must also be an extreme enthusaist since we are doing nothing but riding and driving.
Coasterman Mike ----------------- Now, a card carrying member of CE. Total rides on Pittfall: 255 Total rides on Superman:UE : 633
*** This post was edited by Coasterman Mike on 2/19/2002. ***
In my senior year my frat bruh's and I took a road trip to CP, the then SFO, and Kings Island. It was the most fun I've ever had, although I almost drowned in one of the hotel pools. Coaster road trips rule!!!
