New England Coaster Trip 7/8-14, 2020

I flew into Providence, RI on Thursday, July 8 and immediately drove north to Canobie Lake, NH. Their CANOBIE CORKSCREW was my first Coaster "Hit" of the year, I immediately did their YANKEE CANNONBALL nest. The Coaster was running in Top Form, and, in that rarity of rarities, the Ride Ops actually let me shoot a Video from the Front Seat! This park also has one of the few remaining CATERPILLER Rides in existance. The next day I pulled a "Doubleheader". I first visited Quassy Park in Connecticut and added their MAD MOUSE and LITTLE DIPPER Coasters to my "Collection". This is a quaint little Park, mand they had their signs up advertising their new Wooden Coaster for next year. (They were supposed to build it this year, but I heard they had a "N.I.M.B.Y." Problem with some Neighbors.) :( After visiting this park I drove to Rye, NY and descended upon Playland. This is an Excellant Park! SUPER FLIGHT was the first Ride I went on, it was a Zamperla "Flying" Coaster similiar to the one I rode a Canada's Wonderland a couple of years ago. It's located on the site of an older Coaster that used to be there (More on that later). My best ride was their DERBY RACER. Wow! I've been on the ones at Cedar Point and Blackpool, those two parks run their rides SLOOOOOOOOOOOW! Compared to Rye's This is a Merry-Go-Round on 'Roids! The Ride Ops instruct Riders on how to mount and ride the Horses, you have to hand on and lean inwards on this ride! I attempted to ride their Kiddie Coasternext, but was too tall. :( Darn! FAMILY FLYER was the next Coaster on my list, followed by their CRAZY MOUSE. I saved the DRAGON COASTER for last. :) IMO This park is a "Diamond-in-the-Rough", all it needs is a "World Class" Coaster to be noticed by more people. If I were in charge of this park, Id get GCI or some other Coaster Company to REBUILD THE AIRPLANE! This is the Coaster that one stood where Super Flight now stands. Standing in line for the Dragon, I envisioned what it was like before 1957, seeing the Airplane standing across the way from the Dragon. If only I could travel through time! I spent the next two days touring some Historical Sights by day, but in the evenings I went to Six Flags New England. THUNDERBOLT was running in top form, but CYCLONE was running a little rough in spots and was slow. BIZARRO is now my Number One Steelie! :) It went to the top on my first ride! This is "The Voyage" of Steel Coasters, and I feel sorry for any Park that decided to "Take it on". MIND ERASER is a Vekoma SLC, but it's not as rough as many others I have had the "misfortune" to ride. This on is not your typical "Hang and Bang" SLC. BATMAN, THE DARK NIGHT is a B&M Floorless coaster, giving a smooth ride. I alo rode PANDEMONIUM, their 'Spinning Mouse" Coaster. FLASHBACK, a Vekoma Boomerang Coaster, GREAT CHASE, a Miler "Credit" Coaster and finally CATWOMAN'S WHIP. I also Visited their Waterslide Complex and rode TYPHOON, which they call a "Water Coaster". Sorry! I do not consider it to be a Bona-Fide Roller Coaster. A Fun Ride, it's basically a series of slides linked to gether by Conveyor Belts. I saved the Best for Last, ;) Visiting Lake Compounce on my final day. WILDCAT was running a little rough, But BOULDER DASH was running in top form! ZOOMERANG is another Vekoma 'rang. I almost got to ride their KIDDIE COASTER, they require you to have a kid with you. A Fellow came up with two Daughters, and the Ride Op "Drafted" me to ride with the second, but then my Companion "Chicked Out". :( DARN! Oh well, better luck next time. The Weather took a turn for the worse around 4:00PM, but they kept most of the rides open. BOULDER DASH FLIES IN THE RAIN!!!! I made it up to No. TWO in my List, only HW's VOYAGE ranks higher! ;) IMO Lake Compounce is New Englands Best Park. It isn't the biggest, but it has that special Atmosphere and just the right "Mix" of Rides and Attractions to stand above the rest of the Parks in that area. Having New England's Best Roller Coaster also helps!

All good thing have to come to an end, and finally it was time for me to return home. But not before I "Snagged" :) A FREE AIRLINE TICKET! :) Yup. the Flight got Overbooked, and I Volunteered my seat for a later flight. :) I got Coupons for a Free Lunch at the Airport, Free "Adult Beverages" on The Planes (They gave me Exit-Row-Seating, which gives you A LOT more Legroom!) and, of course, the Free Ticket. :) I'll be using that Ticket this Halloween Weekend, when I'll fly to Texas and visit Three Theme Parks (Two of which won't cost me anything since I bought SFNE's Season Pass) as well as some appropiatly "Haunted" Historical Sights!

Glad you had a good time! it would be nice if next time you put some more spaces in your TR. That one giant paragraph at the top was getting kind of hard to read.

I love Canobies laid back atmosphere. It is the only park that i have ever been to where people are actually allowed to bring the pets into the park.

I find the Cyclone at SFNE to be very inconsistent. I know a good cyclone and a not so good one. Some days its ridiculously rough and others its perhaps the second best ride in the park. I totally agree with you on the Mind Eraser. It is a bit bumpy, but nothing compared to other SLCs'. I still have a headache from the one at SFA :)

Sorry bout that, My Bad!

When I get back from my Texas Trip this fall I'll make sure each Park I visit will have it's own Paragraph! ;)

Doesn't that Quassy NIMBY problem remind you of what happened at another park? I'm referring to Waldameer and RF2. At least Quassy is only being delayed for one year while Waldameer's problems delayed their coaster for many years.

Glad you had a great time at out wonderful southern New England parks. did you get on any other rides at Canobie or did you stick to the coasters and caterpillar?

I also noticed you didn't hit any dark rides at Rye. IMO the Dark rides far surpass the coasters at the park. i also thought it was funny you did Rye and Quassy in the same day. the Mad mouse at Quassy came form Rye.

I haven't made it to Rye this year (yet) but the Derby racer there is fun, but the horses do not rock back and forth like the one at Cedar Point. It takes away a lot from Rye's version....though I love how hte staff just hope on and off while the ride is moving in full motion.

I also don't think there's room for a "world class" coaster there. The Superfligt has a small footprint and does what it can in the space provided. (Love that lift-hill but hate the headbanging!)

I did go on Rye's Dark Rides! (Sorry I didn't mention them!) One of them, ZOMBIE CASTLE may be the only remaining "Laff In The Dark" ride designed by Harry Traver. (I noticed the cars ran over some "Trick Tracks" that these kinds of rides had. (In the 1980s I had the fortune to ride the LAFF IN THE DARK rides at Crystal Beach in Ontario and Williams Grove park in Pennsylvania, both of which no longer exist, while they were still around, so Rye's may be one as well, correct me if I'm wrong.) I also rode their OLDE MILL, which is one of the few remaining "Tunnel of Love" Rides in existance.

At Canobie Lake I rode their Log Flume and their "Boston Tea Party" Ride (This was the second ride I did there after the CANOBIE CORKSCREW. It was 94 degrees outside, :( so I rode this to remain Cool while I did the remainder of the park.) :) I also rode their Ferris Wheel, which like me is an Ex-Michigander. (It was once located at Edgewater Park in Detroit, Michigan, when that park closed in 1981 they purchased it and relocated the ride to their park.) During my 1983 Visit to Canobie Lake their Manager said they actually spent twice as much money refurbishing the Ride as they did purchasing it!

As for having a "World Class" Coaster at Rye, it's simple. Move the Super Flight and the other rides that are in the area once occupied by the AIRPLANE prior to 1957, which they would then get someone like GCI to REBUILD! ;)

Zombie castle was originally a Traver attraction. Around 10 years or so ago the Gen 2 pretzel car were rebuilt, hence the cool wood cars, and the old props were removed and replaced by the dark attraction zombie animatronics. my only complaint about the ride is the volume on my last trip was way too high. made it hard to enjoy the ride.

The park woudl only have to move a few rides. I would have no problem seeing them remove the mouse for and move super flight there are only around 2-3 Flats in that section if that. Music express is in that area
most of it is open.

I did know the Ferris when was rehabbed by SDC which are why there are SDC cars on it. didn't know were it came from.