Lagoon Park 07/22/16

Ah, my dear Bobbie. Your fables and foibles never disappoint! :)

I'll repeat, BGVa is the right choice. One of my favorite parks on the planet. So far....

Early next month we're going to Europe and I'll be driving by myself through the Netherlands and Germany, from Amsterdam to Munich. On the way there will be stops at Efteling and Phantasialand, then time in Munich, a day at Oktoberfest, then back up to Europa Park, then drive from there back to Amsterdam. I'm not saying this so my fellow C'Buzzers will fall into jealousies, (but you may if you like). Instead it's to say that I like to drive, but some of those legs will be 6+ hour drives on foreign soil. I'm nervous and excited at the same time, and I'm sure not going to miss out on the opportunity.

I think about enthusiasts, and we've seen some recently, that make it their goal to drive to every major park in the US over a summer or less. (Hey, whatever happened to the naked dj and his hot girlfriend, anyway?) And for that matter, if I want to go to CP, KW, KK, DW, or HW from where I live I'm looking at a 3, 4, or 5 hr trip each way. But I want to go so I do.

So Bobbie, take my advice. Rent that car, suck it up and make those trips. Take all the time you need. It's cheaper, can be a ton of fun, and it broadens ones horizons. An added bonus is you'll likely feel like you have better control over your destiny and feel less victimized when you finally don't have to rely on airlines, family, or friends that flake for whatever reason.

No excuses, girl! Plan a trip to Erie some summer and I'll meet you there. I can get there in 4 hours or so and you can get there in about 6. Deal?

Hey MAC, will these European parks be first time visits for you?

Yes they will. I've never been anywhere.
I can't wait, I consider it to be the trip of a lifetime. The credit whore in me is going to be extremely happy.
And folks, it turned out to be far less expensive than I ever imagined. It's off -season there, nice cool temps and reports are that the parks are quiet.

Did I say I can't wait?

Macdaddy, a deal! Although I'll probably ask for Dad's car again b/c it costs me about $150 a day to rent a car. (When you don't own a car and therefore don't have auto insurance, you have to take out waivers and special liability protection, and this really adds up.) I envy you your European trip! I'm trying to plan a trip to Alton Towers. Have over 40, 000 avios on British Airways - enough to get to the UK - but that airline packs on huge surcharges. At least I have an ex-fiance in the UK, with whom I remain on friendly terms, who loves to drive and would undoubtedly be happy to drive me from London to AT. Here's the kicker: over the course of my 6 or 7-year relationship with this wonderful man, I had no interest whatsoever in roller coasters. Too bad, Roller coasters came later. Had I been into them when I was engaged to a Brit, I would have been to Alton Towers and Thorpe Park at least. A case of bad timing. Yep, it's going to be BGW and my friend is going to see whether her time share is available. When the hell are you coming back to SFGAD?

RCMAC: Pretty awesome trip you have planned. Europa from all accounts is *the* amusement/theme park to beat. With Efteling, and Phantasialand, and Oktoberfest sounds incredible...can't wait for the TR(s)...

Lagoon I'm thinking is the only US park left with two operating Antons...?

Bobbie, I don't know your situation, auto or otherwise, but if you have transportation issues, you can always fly into Louisville and walk to Kentucky Kingdom. Seriously... I've done it in my younger, poorer days. Or a cab would be very cheap.

They have an RMC for ya (to replace your need to go to SFNE) and from what I hear, their Morgan mini-hyper is pretty sweet too. And from Louisville, if you had the days, you'd be about 1.5 to 2 hours from either Kings Island and the worlds best Invert, or Holiday World, which needs no qualifier. Unfortunately they are completely opposite directions from Louisville... choose wisely.