Coasters in the Pacific Northwest

Does anyone feel that the coaster population here in the Pacific Northwest will improve?I I live in Portland,Oregon,and my home park ,Oaks Park,only offers 2 small coasters,and no plans of building any more.I feel if they built a CCI woodie,they would see a huge increase in patronage.

Personally, the Portland area is by far the most beautiful place I've ever been in the continental US, without exception. With the beautiful Columbia River gorge and Mt. Hood there, it's a beautiful setting and I'm sure planning authorities are careful about what they want built in the area. That said, the population between Portland and Seattle is pretty huge, so there is a need, I would think. A large park would have to be closer to Portland though, because the difference in annual rainfall is pretty significant.

A nice park with a CCI and a zippy little steel coaster would make Portland the best place to live for me!

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.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"

Rumor has it that one of the two parks in Turner (Salem ADI) may be building a wood coaster. But then, Tofte doesn't tell anybody what he's doing, so I'd consider that only a rumor for now.

Also, there are a couple of coasters planned for Six Flags Enchanted Village, but those plans have probably been delayed slightly by the Six Flags purchase.

And of course, if you don't mind a whole lot of driving, there's always Silverwood...!

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

The Northwest has some fine coasters, if you don't mind driving... In addition to Silverwood, there's Playland and the Puyallup Fair.

I deeply regret not hitting Vancouver and the Fair when I was living in Seattle. I'm hoping to take a trip up that way next year to remedy that situation, although I don't know how much vacation I'll have after Europe... ;)

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--Greg
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Ronald, personally I would like to see another park built somewhere here in the Northwest. Obviously, there is the new SF park (formerly Enchanted Village/Wild Waves) and the proposed Great Northwest Themepark. There is the 'perhaps-soon-to-be-announced/might-not-get-through-litigation Space World in Winlock, WA right off I-5. Who knows? Until I see development, I don't believe a rumor I hear. Would I love to see SF build a CCI or GCI along with a B&M to at least to get Wild Waves rolling? You bet! The chances? Slim to Slim Pickens.... Getting a park closer to Portland would be nice. Too bad they couldn't have kept something at Jantzen Beach. That was a great area, and still is. There is plenty of room near the old Expo grounds by PIR. Perhaps there?
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*** This post was edited by nasai on 11/8/2001. ***

i agree with jeff about portland being one of the most beautiful places in the u.s. the vancouver playland coaster, while not to close to portland, is is in my top three wooden coasters list. i went to oaks park and i saw the flood markers and was amazed. plus they had a looping zyclon coaster there.

Heck...I live in San Diego and will be driving to Silverwood next spring. Then again, the drive will be half the fun.
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"I'll bet that thing hits 5 Gs going through that loop.....faaar ooouut!"

janfrederick said:
Heck...I live in San Diego and will be driving to Silverwood next spring. Then again, the drive will be half the fun.
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Have fun........ Silverwood is a great family park, although pretty darn hot in the summer. Just bring sun screen, and set your park meter to 'mosey' as Eric Griswold says and you can't go wrong. Both CCI's are amazing, and offer incredibly different rides. You will be very happy you made the trip to the middle of nowhere.

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P>hanks you guys us Portlanders got it pretty good up here until it comes to coasters and amusment parks.I mean if you want ride some one of the best pair of woodies all you have to do is just drive about 16 hours up to silverwood./P>
P>FON style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff0">I think maybe one day we will see some new park in the greater portland area maybe out in tourtdale or canby.With a nice hypercoaster and maybe a nice CCI out-in-back.Or something like that./P>
P>You can always wish./P>

I lived in Portland for a couple of years and just moved away this summer. Now I'm in Columbus, OH. Right in the middle of a bunch of great parks. But to tell you the truth, I'd rather live in Oregon without coasters than to actually live anywhere else, regardless of the coasters. The natural surroundings are just as good as coasters when it comes to my mental well being, and it made me appreciate the coasters when I did have a chance to ride them. If I REALLY needed a fix, I'd take a quick spin on good ole' Looping Thunder. Unfortunately I didn't make it to Silverwood while I was out there, kind of a dumb decision in retrospect. But I plan on moving back to good ole Rip City in the future. Hopefully by then Ronald will have convinced Oak's on the modern splendor that is a CCI coaster.

Go Ducks!

*** This post was edited by Incidentalist on 11/8/2001. ***

Hey...I go to the middle of nowhere on purpose all the time! ;) How far is Silverwood from Missoula?
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"I'll bet that thing hits 5 Gs going through that loop.....faaar ooouut!"

From Missoula? Hmmmm.... say about 3 hours? I think that's right. It is approximately 71/2 hours to Seattle (speeding), so yeah... 21/2 - 3 hours to Silverwood. You live in Missoula?

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Oh no, but I have friends who do. I also have a cousin in Salt Lake City. I was thinking of staying in SLC the first night, then meeting out friends in Missoula the next day, and then doing Silverwood the next. Problem is that I kinda want to take 395 through eastern Oregon. I enjoy stark landscape. Either way, I'll need to have an overnight in there somewhere...And yah...I can't drive 55! ;)

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"I'll bet that thing hits 5 Gs going through that loop.....faaar ooouut!"

Man, I live in Iowa through May then its up to Shakopee in May through August. I gotta find a way to get out to Silverwood.
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Just wait till next year!

I have e-mailed Oaks Park a few times about building a woodie or bringing in a SBNO coaster.They don't seem interested in doing so......Oh,well I will just have to wait and see what Six Flags does with Enchanted Village .I have been to the PNE about 3 times.Coaster is the best woodie I have ever ridden,too bad it may not be there much longer.I haven't been to Silverwood yet.I hope to do so next year.The rumor about Enchanted Forest in Turner,OR getting A CCI woodie turned out to be false(a pity)The John Miller woodie at the Puyallup fair only operates during the fair in September,about 3 weeks.

That Puyallup fair Miller woodie is a monument to quality. I was shocked at how much air I got in the front seat on that thing. Too bad we can only ride it 3-4 weeks out of the year. :( Ronald... You absolutely must get to Silverwood. It is sooooooooooooooo worth the trip. Try to get there on a weekday early summer. Not too hot, and nobody there!
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Why might Coaster be "not there" in a few years?
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My fellow Americans, let's roll!
I pray that I will never see a Six Flags Conneaut Lake

Aren't they closing the PNE, or moving it? Ronald, what is it again? I haven't heard the latest...
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http://www.joyrides.com/pne_playland/full/coaster2.htm
:(
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My fellow Americans, let's roll!
I pray that I will never see a Six Flags Conneaut Lake

*** This post was edited by bigkirby on 11/10/2001. ***

I live in Seattle, and didn't even know that park existed. If it's still around next year, I'm going to try and go opening weekend. That coaster looks amazing.