Montgomery Inn 5/2/08 & Kings Island 5/3/08

My buddy & I took a half day from work and headed down to Kings Island on Friday afternoon. It was a decent day in Ann Arbor but I had no idea that it was going to be wet in Mason on Friday evening. Needless to say our plans for Friday night rides were washed out.

Instead of sulking about the rain. My buddy & I went to Montgomery Inn on Friday night. It is in the cozy suburb of Montgomery. My in-laws and wife are from Cincinnati and they have raved about Montgomery Inn for the past 10 years. Montgomery Inn lived up to all of the hype. This is a world class barbeque chicken and ribs restaurant. The average dinner is about $22 and worth every dollar. I ordered a chicken and ribs dinner along with Saratoga chips. Saratoga chips resemble hot potato chips, just not as crunchy. It is just another one of the signature food items at Montgomery Inn. Montgomery Inn also has its own brew, Ted’s Pail Ale (that is not misspelled). However, it does not end with the food. If you are a sports memorabilia junkie this place is great for you. There is an extensive collection of professional and college sports memorabilia. There are many items that celebrate the heritage of the Reds (including seats from Crosley Field). One will find many autographed baseballs, bats, gloves, jerseys, football helmets, footballs, basketballs…and the list goes on. There is also a collection of photos of famous entertainers and athletes that have visited Montgomery Inn. The food and memorabilia work very well together. The wait staff is wonderful as well. They earn every dollar. Everyone should visit Montgomery Inn. Tip: Khaki shorts/pants and polo are recommended. Also, use the valet behind the restaurant. Parking is at a premium on the street. Valet is only $3.

Now on to my visit at KI. It had rained once again on Saturday morning and the rain would reappear during the morning at the park. My buddy & I were able to get a few rides in on The Beast and the Scooby Doo dark ride before the rain started. The rain rolled through around 11am and we managed to get soaked. We returned to the hotel to dry out and made it back to the park by 1 pm. We were able to ride all of the coasters multiple times. We did not get to ride FoF or Firehawk. The lines were simply too long. I realize that it would have been in my best interest to ride FoF and Firehawk first thing in the morning. I only have positive feedback about my trip. The ride crews were pleasant, other park staff was fine, the park was very clean, and all the coasters were in good working order. The waits were no longer than 20 minutes throughout the day. I also took in one of the live entertainment shows “The County Line” I think? It was a country show and it was ok. I am not a country fan but I make it a point to take in a show when possible. To me it is part of the amusement park visit. I am sorry that my report about the park is fairly short. I see this as a good thing. It means that I do not have any negative things to say about my visit. Despite the rain during the morning I had a blast. I hope to return to the park later this year. *** Edited 5/5/2008 10:11:34 PM UTC by MotorCityCoasterFan***