Three Dog Night Followed by Hi-Miler

Ok...the title alone should give you an idea of my chronological age anyway. P and I went to the Del MAr fair here in San Diego on Tuesday night to see three dog night for free...what the heck. Thier best of album is on my top ten. Fun stuff. The concert was ok. Joy to the World was off the hook. But the entire concert was spent watching the Hi-Miler out of the corner of my eye. Actually, I couldn't wait for the concert to end.

Being a geologist geek, we had to stop at the gem exibit on the way to the Hi-Miler. After a couple oogles at tourmaline samples from our local Pala mine, I was more than ready.

Bought 24 tickets which got us on the Hi-Miler 3 times at the Zipper once. We won't go anywhere near the spins and pukes. Made a beeline to the Hi-Miler past the gauntlet of carny game barkers. Missed the first train which put us in front for our first go around.

Fot those of you who have never riden, this ride is wild. I'd say the best portable out there. An airtime machine as they say. First hill had all 225 pounds of me out of my seat. Second hill had all 225 pounds out of my seat and around a corner before my behind was back in it. Yes...this thing corners like a real sportscar. Tight turns and back down before returning to your seat. Amazing. There is nothing else out there quite like it. I consider it the scariest ride I have ever been on. Something about the shopping cart wheels (YES...Shopping cart wheels!) that had me unnerved. Mind you, the entire reason I returned to the fair this year (I saw all the rocks last year and three dog night was ok). Anyway, the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th hills/turns were on par with the second. Freakasonic baby!

Yah, we did the back seat and the front again. The back had gook air, but I'd say the front sports about 20% more. I wish this puppy would be around more than once a year. How about a permanent home at Bemont Park? Speaking of which, I did get a response from the developer who mentioned that several ride(s) have been ordered and that the city is planning to extend the trolly to Mission Beach (a whole 'nother story). Anyway, so long as this ride keeps appearing at the Fair, I'll be there every year. Such bliss! If any of you have the opportunity to sample this machine at your county fair, I strongly recommend it. Top 10 all the way!

-----------------
"If the beats were made of meat then they would have to be me ..." - L.L. Cool J

The spinning wild mouse is pretty fun to, but what happened to the looping coaster they had in years past.

Yah....they still show it on the commercial for the fair. I personally thought that it was a bit rough, but it sure looked neat. Too bad they don't have a portable Shwartzkopf!

-----------------
"If the beats were made of meat then they would have to be me ..." - L.L. Cool J

or that portable invert.

janfrederick:

Just an FYI for you - you can usually catch Hi-Miler at the Orange County Fair (Costa Mesa) in July and the L.A. County Fair (Pomona) in September, if you feel like taking a longer drive.

Ahhh...cool. I knew about the Pomona fair...Costa Mesa is a tad closer. Hey, it's closer than Knott's!

Thanks.

-----------------
"If the beats were made of meat then they would have to be me ..." - L.L. Cool J

The Hi Miler belongs to Ray Cammack Shows. Anywhere they have a big date expect it to be there. The Looping coaster that has been there in the past also belongs to RCS, but apparently it didn't make the cut this year for the fair. The San Diego County Fair (the fair formerly known as the Del Mar Fair) has what is called an independent midway. No one carnival co. has the contract. The fair hires a midway coordinater who books the best pieces from many different shows and independent operators from around the country.

Wow, that's news to me. I thought it was all RCS because i remember seeing RCS on every single fence surrounding rides. I think the freefal at the fair stunck and hurt.

That makes sense because the midway has a huge assortment of rides and games. Well...I'm glad Hi Miler made the cut. ;) Then again, I never saw the ride sitting idle for want of riders.

-----------------
"If the beats were made of meat then they would have to be me ..." - L.L. Cool J

Belmont Babe and I went to the fair this afternoon, to check out the latest assortment of pig iron, uh, spectaculars.The first one we hit was Steve Vandervorst's Reverchon Spinning Mouse. Ran into an aquaintance working there who I met at an AIMS conference a couple of years ago. This is a great ride, and if you get the chance by all means do!. From Del Mar it's headed to Santa Rosa. We then tried a ride called the RE-MIX. Some incredible g's on this ride. They could have shaved 15-20 seconds off the cycle time on this however. Lost feeling in my feet by the end. We rode a few more rides, hit the exhibit halls then headed home.

I totally love the Hi-Miller. I remember going to the Pomona fair one year, when I was in elementry, and being totally scard to go on that coaster because my cousin that I went with said that it was so scary and and dangerous and I could fall out because it feels like you are going to fly out of your seat. I was so scared after hearing that, and I didn't go on it until I was in the eighth grade. I said "I don't care how scary it is, I'm riding it."

It was so much fun! I've loved it ever since. I've always said that you can get more air out of that coaster during one ride than you get during a whole day at SFMM. I always ride that ride first when I go to the fair.

Is the looping coaster everyone is talking about, the coaster that only went in a loop and hung you upside down, or is it the coaster that had hills and turns and that one loop. I forgot the name of it, and I only remeber it being at the Pomona fair one year, but it was a lot of fun. Does anyone else remember it?

I think the looping coaster was called the Looping Star and it was a Zyklon coaster or something like that.
How come when I went on the Hi Miler last year I didn't get any air?