Fading away...

Well, a lot of you who know me probably have nearly forgotten about me now, seeing as how I have all but disappeared from not only the online coaster community but the physical as well. I only went to one park this season, Cedar Point, and only twice, once with a group from another board I frequent, somethingawful.com, and once with my boyfriend (who also went with the SA group since he is also from SA).

Anyway, I was thinking of doing one last coaster trip before I move from the middle of the coaster belt down to Knoxville, TN, land of 6 hour trips for even one park, and I was looking for some possible input of a good trip that starts somewhere in this vincinity (Ohio) and ends up in New England (SFNE/Lake Compounce). This is one of my options for a post-graduation trip with my boyfriend (the other is a trip to Alaska or the Bahamas). I have never done a big coaster trip before and was just interested in the best route and parks along that way. I'd prefer to take 80 through PA rather than the turnpike, but other than that the only route I've traveled is through NY/CT to Boston. Help me, well-traveled coasterbuzzites!

-Natalie
<3

Knoxville is less than six hours from Dollywood (45 minutes), Six Flags Over Georgia (3.5 hours), Holiday World (5.25 hours), Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (4 hours), Paramount's Kings Island (4.5 hours), Paramount's Carowinds (4 hours), Lake Winnie,... I would say you're still extremely lucky to be within a six-hour trip to that many parks. :)

If I were doing a trip like you mentioned, I think I would start at CP-> SFWOA-> KW-> Idlewild-> Lakemont-> Hershey-> Knoebels-> Dorney-> SFA (optional)-> Paramount's Kings Dominion (optional)-> Clementon (optional)-> Jersey Shore Piers (optional)-> Great Adventure-> Coney Island-> Adventureland NY (optional)-> Rye Playland-> Lake Compounce-> SFNE. I don't know what you consider a long trip and what might be too long. If that's not long enough, you can go as far as adding Waldameer, DelGrosso's, Sesame Place, William's Grove, Great Escape, PCW, SFDL, Seabreeze, MFI, etc.

-Danny

Wow it takes you 6 hours to drive to Dollywood from Knoxville? You either need to step on the gas pedal or invest in a good map when you get settled in.

I-80 is a long boring ride from Ohio thru PA. What I'd do is head to Kennywood then take rt 22 to I-99 in the Altoona area for Lakemont and DelGrossos's.

From there you can head to Knoebels on I-80 or go thru State College using less traveled roads. (going thru State College will take you along rt. 45 where the Woodward Skate Park is I think it was in a Tony Hawk or Dave Miria game).

From Knoebels you can easily get to I-81 and head to Hershey and fairly easy to Williams Grove. From Hershey you can head back on 81 and then get on I-78 about 15 miles from Hershey and go straight to Dorney.

If you want more info about PA roads drop me an email. Maybe I can meet up with you on the eastern PA leg of the trip.

He was saying all parks within six hours of Knoxville. He said it was only 45mins to Dollywood.

I'm sorry I meant decently sized and well run parks, the ones listed near Knoxville with the exception of PKI are ones I'm not really that interested in. I'm not really very much of a "OMG I WANT TO GO EVERYWHERE" coaster person anymore, I'd rather just go to bigger parks where I can ride a lot and enjoy it (with the exception of this trip of course).

Oh and of course I still love Holiday World but that's kinda far.

I've never been to Carowinds...

The replies for the trip are good ones from what I've seen, I would not have thought of some of those parks on my own. As far as meeting with people, I doubt my boyfriend, who isn't an enthusiast at all and would kinda be dragged with me (he likes coasters but you know), would much agree to meeting new people I don't already know. There are coaster people I already know and if I can see a few of them along the way that'll be cool, but as far as new people...just not sure.

*** Edited 1/18/2004 7:05:37 PM UTC by Natalie***

---

Natalie said:
I'm sorry I meant decently sized and well run parks, the ones listed near Knoxville with the exception of PKI are ones I'm not really that interested in. I'm not really very much of a "OMG I WANT TO GO EVERYWHERE" coaster person anymore, I'd rather just go to bigger parks where I can ride a lot and enjoy it (with the exception of this trip of course).PM UTC by Natalie***

---

Well Run? You apparently don't have any knowledge about Silver Dollar City and Dolly Parton's joint effort park, 120-acre DOLLYWOOD, which is just like an hour up the interstate in Pigeon Forge. They've got Tennessee Tornado, Thunderhead, and lots of great entertainment. Sure, it may not be Six Flags or Kings Island in terms of thrills, but it offers better entertainment and a higher quality expierience than either of those parks, much more on the same level as Busch Gardens or Disney.

I'd consider going there before heading towards Carowinds....

*** Edited 1/18/2004 9:54:36 PM UTC by Dukeis#1***

I think she meant larger parks that have more rides like PKI, SFoG and Carowinds.

As for your east coast trip, I'd say go to SFNE and work your way back. SFNE, LC, Dorney, Hershey, Knoebels, and those other parks that coasterpunk recommended.

I'd checkout Great Adventure too, but it's about 2 hours away from Dorney and out of the way.

So Natalie, is this your farewell tour? Is that the point? I find it interesting that when I first signed up here in 2001 that you were the dominant force here. Now, 3 years later, life moves on, and people move out and away.

I hope your life is a joyous one. I don't know you, but I always found your wit very enlivening. Hope your future is bright, and you enjoy this trip.

On that note, I don't usually take big trips (if you don't count Japan!), but I did last year. One week, 7 parks, 53 coasters. Pretty fun, but tiring. The big thing is making sure you like who you're with. :) Sounds like you do. Don't worry about the weird credits. If you get 'em, you get 'em, but try and do what Corey is recommending. Start at SFNE. If you do, I will be so jealous. ;)

Good luck, and show your face around here once in awhile. It's nice to hear you are well.

Wow, if I were within 3 hours of Dollywood, I would probably make a trip there monthly. Give some of the parks are listed a chance. The only "small" park is Lake Winnie and the only one that's talked about as not being well-run (which it actually is sometimes) is SFKK. I would be equally happy about living 4 hours from Carowinds and SFOG as I am from CP and SFWOA. That's me though and what a park has to offer is more important than number of coasters and their thrillometer. Splash Mountain is as important as Millennium Force is as important as Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle to me. In my books, Kings Island and Dollywood are on the same level of extremely high quality experience next to BGW, DL, SFGAm, etc.

It is a good suggestion to start at SFNE since our 2003 trip started at SFGAdv (really Casino Pier and Funtown Pier) and we worked our way back to Dorney and Hershey and no one dreaded the drive home since the excitement was there in getting there to begin with for the long drive. Same thing with Florida in 2002. We did some Orlando parks first then went back to Wild Adventures and SFOG on the way home.

-Danny

Rctycoon2k...I was just being silly with Natalie. I wasn't actually replying back to Koaster King.

Natalie...some great tips for your NE trip on here. I'd love to get up there to those parks one day too. I think a stop at Coney Island would be mandatory for me. Good luck!

Have you not been on SFNE's S:RoS Rob? I'll have to come along for your de-flowering on that one...

I'm thinking of doing a similar trip in reverse, but I was thinking of taking 90 and hitting SFDL and GE along the way. Anyone know some other good spots along the 90 out to Cedar Point route?

Andy, I would look into going to Sylvan Beach, Seabreeze, Martin's Fantasy Island, Marineland, Midway Park, Waldameer, Conneaut Lake Park, and Erieview. They are all within a reasonable distance of the I-90 corridoor.

Wood - anything else is an imitation