Conneaut Lake Love Thread

After the recent bad news about CLP possibly not being able to open this year. I thought this would be the perfect time for a love thread for this incredible little park. Through the past 110 years this one of a kind park has struggled while still giving all of its guests great memories and interesting visits. So tell your stories, share your memories, and pray that Conneaut will continue to take people on a "....ride back in time."

Heres' my two cents.

Unfortunately I've only been to CLP 5 times in my life. I barely remember my first visit. I was really little and never realized that it was my first amusement park until just a while ago when my mom told me we went there before they ever took me to Cedar Point. The only memory I have of that visit was riding the river rapids ride (did they ever even have a river rapid ride???) with my family and their friends. I always thought this memory was from my first geauga lake visit but my mom keeps insisting that it was Conneaut Lake that I'm thinking of. Could someone help me out with this???

Anyway, my second, third, and fourth visit was during last off season. I was there each of the 3 weekends for the Paint it blue event. The 1st and 2nd weekend was i only got to go one day. But after finally convincing our parents, me and my friends finally got to spend the night at the hotel and stay for 2 days on the last weekend. Those weekends were the first time I got to walk portions of the track and go in restricted areas. The first weekend was really fun. When we got there we were looking for the other ACEers. We didn't make it in time for the free breakfast so we just drove down the midway looking for everyone. We found them already at work on the coaster. We went up on to the station grabbed some scrapers and started to scrape (it was too rainy to paint so we scraped in and around the station area.) We had alot of fun meeting new enthusiasts and hanging out with them as we chiseled away on our "panels" along the brake section. After workin most of the day we met Arrow Guy and John Peck and hung out with them and worked on a frustrating puzzle in the hotel lobby (remember that guys?? ) until our free dinner was ready.

The second and third weekend were really fun too. We finally got to paint the coaster instead of being stuck doin just the station because of the rain. We continued to get the great free meals (one even including crab legs) in the hotel and had more great times with the other enthuiasts.

On the third weekend we finally got to stay the night at the hotel. The funny thing was that on that same night that we finally got to stay, the hotel hosted a sorority party. after we were done painting earlier that day we walked around the park and checked out all of the rides taken down for the off season. We did some interesting things while we were waiting for night to come. My favorite would have to be me and my friend dan pulling and launching our friend billy down the boardwalk on his rollerblades. Finally we decided that we'll go to bed. I don't know whether it was the hotel or the full day of fresh air, but that had to be the best night's sleep I've ever had. And in the morning we got up and enjoyed another great CLP meal. we painted until dan's dad came to pick us up around lunch time. We left right before some really bad storms kicked up. I found it kinda interesting that it was pouring down rain ( probably about a 10 or 20 ft visibility range in the car) but as soon as we crossed over the OH-PA border it suddenly stopped raining and the sky was really blue. Weird.

And my final visit to CLP (and hopefully not the last) was in mid-July. This was the time I finally got to ride the rides. We got on Blue Streak 5 times and man that is an incredible classic. I wish I would have gotten a chance to come back and try out the original trains. Tobaggan was closed but I'm pretty sure all of the other rides were open. I rode my first flyers and had brad teach me how to snap them. We rode all of the flats and I loved them all. I really had a great time at this park and its incredible to see that so many poeple had some of the best times of their life in such a small park. I really wish there was something I could do to help save this amazing classic park.

*** This post was edited by RllrCstrDude187 on 1/29/2003. ***

RCDude - thanks for starting this thread.

Consider yourself lucky...you have four more visits than I do. My first and only visit thus far was on my SRM trip last year. CLP - and Blue Streak - was park I'd wanted to visit for quite some time but never seemed to be able to get to.

I fell in love with the quirky Conneaut Lake park the moment I stepped inside. Blue Streak is an awesome coaster that landed in my Top 10 [out or 80] wood after my first ride. What it lacks in Ravenesque intensity it makes up for in history and those wonderful first three drops.

Anyway, I could go on and on but you said it better than I could. My fingers are crossed that CLP will be open this year.

-----------------
Welcome to the New & Improved Coasterbuzz...now with 25% more tomfoolery!

Look at the message written by myself, at the end of this thread:

http://www.coasterbuzz.com/forums/thread.asp?ForumID=11&TopicID=28302

This gives me a little hope.

Who said brad could snap flyers???

Chuck, up to a CHALLENGE anyday and hopes someday he can go to Conneaut and ride theirs.

-----------------
Charles Nungester.
Confirmed, Lesourdsville Lake opening for 2003 details soon at Lesourdsville.com

Well, since I do work the ringtoss most of the time there, I'd miss that summer job. Since my uncle did run the midway games, it was quite fun. Made lots of money, and it was just a fun place to work. I really don't hope it shuts down.

But as a park, I don't like it. Has no good rides, I hate Blue Streak ;), and its really bland.

"Is this game rigged?" NO. ~ Steve

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Maybe you should work at WofA with the other happy folks.

-----------------
"Every Man Has Got to Know His Limitations"

I made my first visit just last year and probably just in time. I loved the park. I love small parks that have a small town setting. They had a car show the weekend I went and it just added to the fun.

I loved the indoor scrambler. I can honestly say I liked it better than tomb raider.

The Blue Streak was a little rickety but very fun. What wood coaster isn't.

If they open this year, I will go back

-----------------
I can't be bargained with, I can't be reasoned with, I don't feel pity or remorse or fear and I will not stop EVER until I have ridden them all.

I made my first visit to this fine amusement park last year and found the park and the area in general to be very relaxing and nice. The Blue Streak is a very good woodie, those first three drops are very intense. I was hoping to go back this year because I've made so many great memories from just one visit.

I'll agree with you Indiana Jones, their indoor scrambler was a big surprise, definetly better than Tomb Raider.

*** This post was edited by Binaural on 1/29/2003. ***

I am definitely gonna miss CLP this year. My first visit to this park was quite a while ago before I was an enthusiast. This past year I visited 4 times. RllrCstrDude187 and I went to Conneaut for Paint It Blue all 3 weekends as he said and then we also went in July. Blue Streak is an amazing classic and I loved it. Unforunately we didn't get on Toboggan but I think we may have rode every flat ride there. I love CLP and hope that it reopens soon!

------------------
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink whatever comes out."

The car shows happen very frequently. Its almost something you can look forward to no matter when you go.

------------------
Please visit the small parks. We don't know what's happening behind the scenes
Woodencoaster.com

I am 23 years old and have only been to CLP once since they started trying to modernize it. I basically went there last summer 2002 just to take a few rides on the Devils Den ( a great laugh in the dark ride, not to thrilliong but more for old times sake from when I was a kid riding that ride) and to ride the Blue Streak which honestly is one of my favorite coasters I 've ridden, although its not huge or magnificant in anyway except that it has been a survivor. Just riding it and thinking what it must of seemed like back in I believe 1937 when it was built. Now its not impressive due to wooden coasters like the Beast, Son of Beast and the Mean Streak, but its a perfect example of our past. When I was little between the ages of 4 or 5 and 12 or 13 my parents use to take my brother and me there, at that time I they prefered a small family park, we also use to hit up Cedar Point with my grandparents and uncles and aunts along with Geauga Lake(Six Flags Avdventure) and every few years head down to Kings Island. But there was something about CLP back then, at that time you could pretty much drive right though most of the park and entery was always free, either you bought a all rides pass or bought tickets for a short time I believe they had an enterance fee in the late 80's or early 90's. I'll be honest I still thought they had an enterance fee as of last year but my girlfriend and I who both love coaster especially old wood ones, were just cruising though the Pymatuming area and decided to drive by. I actually hope the park opens this year or atleast the Blue Streak is saved. I would like to go back there one more time at the very least. The Blue Streak is actually a scary coaster, mostly because it looks like its about to fall down. The train they were running must have been the original the stainless steel one was off to the side but this train was sweet had like 30 coasts of paint on it and only a leather lap belt and no divider between the two riders sharing the seat. Making this a true old woody.

PS...if there is anything going on at CLP like fundraising or volunteer work,,,please email me.

I just checked a book i have on PA parks and it said the park was fenced off in 1990. The park closed in 1995 and when it reopened in July the following year, the admission and parking charges were eliminated.

There were plans to have another "paint it blue" at Conneaut this April. I'm not sure if it will still happen but when I found out more info I'll let ya know Fxnib.

Yeah, Riding a wooden coaster in the middle of the seat. Ain't that sweet? Chuck, who wonders why they had to go and ruin the woodie experience?
------------------
Charles Nungester.
Confirmed, Lesourdsville Lake opening for 2003 details soon at Lesourdsville.com

I heard they were considering to sell the park to a new developer. The person interested want to demolish all the structures on the property and put in a new shopping plaza. I dont' know if this is true or not, but if it is we should protest or something.

The park is (pending the outcome of the lawsuit) owned by a trust. It won't be sold.

------------------
Please visit the small parks. We don't know what's happening behind the scenes
Woodencoaster.com

But even things like that have fallen threw in the past. We must act now and save the park..........Beam me up!

I should save the Blue Streak if Kyle Park ever becomes a reality.

YOUNGSTOWN 2010 is on the rise! Beam me up Scotty!!!!!!

CLP, as quirky as it is, was always a fun place to go. I haven't been there since 1994, but I have plenty of good memories of work picnic trips. I'd swear every time we rode the Blue Streak it was going to fall apart. I wish I had the time to get back to that part of PA and ride it again.

------------------
Men are like parking spaces... the good ones are all taken and the rest are handicapped or too far away.
www.TiggerMan.com

I'm even more glad I took the trip last summer, then. The Streak was an incredible trip to the chiropractor!! Especially the laterals into the hill off the turnaround. Devil's Den was a classic and the ride ops were hilarious. This is a shame if it doesn't open.

------------------
There's nothing like a woodie...