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This was a day I was anticipating for a long time. (A full day at a great park that has been closed for 2 years)
We (me and some others had visited on opening preview night and found the park in a barely opened condition with lots of work still to be done.
Not this time, Lesourdville was open, not only open but in good shape with all rides open except for two. (Swinging ship) and Musik Express.
We get to the park at 1pm. Ok, this just must have been the time everyone and their brother showed up cause it took over a half hour to get our wristbands. I asked some other people and they said they got right in. Oh well, That was the only dissapointing part of our day. :)
After the long wait in the hot sun we entered the park to find the park in much better shape than it had been on preview night. The broken benches and some potholes that were there opening night were gone or fixed. The right side of the park that had debris and picnic tables stacked for miles opening night was cleared up and nice.
FIrst ride was the Flying Skooters which now has a sign naming the ride which I can never remember it having a sign. Oh well, I get some snaps my first ride but Im out of practice. It takes a differnt style of flying to get the elevation and snappage on these and my brother was clearly miffed. A second ride and I was snapping like crazy and even had some ops from other rides watching. Rob Deemed them not fun! He was not happy and so we went on to ride something else.
Screechin Eagle, seat 3-2 Ok, last time I rode the eagle in '98 it had very little airtime but memory and tailbone still tell me this ride can and used to be wicked. HORRAY! The outbound trip featured light air on the first drop. no air on the second and ejector pull over on the third with two pops of air on the two humps of the turn around. The return trip cannot be described! :) Latteral ejector air in three spots that are just something everyone should experience. I love the Screechin' Eagle!
Next up me and Rob hit the walkthrough fun house. it's kinda cheesy but it is and can be fun. watch those steps :)
Our next ride was Calypso. When couch bought the park he said the ride would never operate again. Pugh restored it somewhat and while it looks nice, It is not running in insane mode like it used too.
A trip over to the Tilt-a-whirl which was opened opening night but I did not ride. It is painted really neatly and we decided to get our own car. Sit in the middle alone and you will spin like crazy! :)
NAD train back to Loggers run revieled that the carp have woke up. They were not around opening night and after two years off I guess had decided to fend for themselves rather than waiting for fish food. :)
Loggers run: Ok, This area was closed opening night. The Rock-o-Plane was closed up until a week or so ago from the TR's I've been reading but not now. They even had the old time photo open but the ice cream shop and game room were not re-opened yet.
Raging Thunder Log Flume: Ok, we are not 20 ft out of the station and whoosh I am flooded by a wave of about 10 gallons of water. After the first turn a severe elevation drop in three stages creats some massive waves of water that you will get DRENCHED! The tunnel has been rebuilt that on my previous visits was only sturcture and the final plunge is one of the wettest in the flume buisness. Yes Thunder Run was supposed to go here. Ok, I am happy with Raging Thunder :)
Scrambler. Now this scramber runs in fast mode unlike most park anymore :)
Rock o plane. I love this ride, You can either leisurely ride it like a ferris wheel or you can flip it constantly or you can go upside down at your liesure. WARNING! do not pair a large rider and a small person on Rock O Plane as the smaller person will slide out from under the bar. Anyhow the ride looked much better than it's former colors of rust and rust! :)
Me and Rob take the lake sidewalk back past picnic areas that I am sure do not have many bookings for this year. none the less they are getting ready to get back into the company picnic buisness and the area looked generally nice. A walk past the pool reaviel that the water looked mighty tempting but not today :)
Serpent. While waiting in line for the Serpent, swOHman apeared and waited for us to get off. The serpent is probably the only unbraked Galaxie I have ever ridden and has spots of airtime and huge latterals on the final curve :)
Ok our flyer team is now 3 and its back to the Flying Skooters. Brian and I took off just like we left opening night and were snapping like crazy, Rob got a couple snaps but was still upset with himself for not snapping much but that would be remedied later.
Ok after the flyers we go back to Eagle and meet up with two newly accquainted friends from Minnessota Tina C and Derrick. I got to tell you, These people are super nice and we ended up for the most part spending the evening with them.
After a few more Eagle rides we meet up with Rob Wilson (BGW) and soon are met by a friend named Jack. Back to the Flyers and School is open!
Jack gets the flyers first time out and says you have to fly them just like fun spots to snap em. I said thats funny because FUN SPOTS flyers are the old Fantasy Farms that was right next door to Lesourdsville :) My brother with a few adjustments is snapping like crazy now and Derrick even gets the hang of it. Tina is still baffeled and after a couple more rides gets a couple snaps but later decides just to ride with Derrick.
Now about 6pm we are off to marathon on Screechin Eagle. A front seat ride is just insane. with airtime on every hill on the coaster!
Tina and Derrick wanna go back for Raging thunder. We make the decision to walk the sidewalk back rather than take the train that sometimes seems to take 45 minutes per lap.
Ride two of Raging thunder finds a line I have not seen in years at Lesourdsville. About a 30 minute wait was in store. Me, swohman and my brother chat with Derrick about the history of the park. How the coaster used to ride and many past rides the park had including the roaring '70's when this park was flat packed with attractions including two darkrides.
Raging Thunder again, Soaked again! :) Thats ok, it's hot and I can almost guarantee you can't stay dry on this FLume!
A scrambler and rock o plane ride were in store for this trip back to loggers run and back to the main park we go.
Flyers-Eagle, Flyers Eagle. BGW declairs he is king snapper of the flyers as I had a ok ride but he was rockin. The ride op begged me (Not really :) ) To ride again to show him up because about 8 other ride op's came over to watch us. I put on a show and the op's were staring in dissbelief and high fived us all cause we all snapped like crazy :)
I took a minute to talk to the guy working on the Musik Express. he claims 54 MPH for this ride and recomends that large people don't ride together. I can attest that on opening night this ride was one of the fastest himylayas I had ever ridden. He said that they melted a wheel and that it happens just like on coasters. He said they had to go to Tenn to go get a replacement as their parts supplier for the ride was out of buisness. he also told me that the ride is going to become a catapilar. They have ordered the equiptment so that durring the ride a cover will raise over the ride just like the old catapilars :)
We finish the night off on the flyers and Eagle and then the park puts on a heck of a fireworks display on friday nights. I gotta tell ya, This was one of the best fireworks I've seen and the reflection in the lake was neat to boot. The park also had live bands from 8-10pm.
I am so glad we got this park back, The park seemed steady and seemed to get busy after 6pm with the reduced addmission. I found lesourdsville to be as much fun as any park I have been too. I hope you do too.
Lesourdsville Lake is about the size of the area of Knoebels that is used for amusements. The park circles around a lake but the left side is by train only to get back to Loggers run area of the park. I found it interesting that while riding the rock - plane that a new subdivision had been built behind the park and across the railroad track. (More admissions? :))
Chuck, who thanks you for reading.
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Charles Nungester
Lesourdsville Lake, The great American amusement park opens the season June 6th Thurs-Sun every week. Park phone is (513)539-2193
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Im the #1 Canobie Lake Park Fan!!!These are my top 3 coasters:
1. S:RoS @ SFNE 2. Yankee Cannonball 3. Cyclone
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Can we change the name of Top Gun to your mom so no one wants to ride your mom?
Thunder Run at Kentucky Kingdom was originally designed to be built at Lesourdsville Lake pending the insurance settlement from the old Bathouse fire of 1990.
The park said they had lost over 3 million in assets in that fire. Rides like the Paratrooper, Tubs for the flyers and rock o plane and a couple other rides were all stored in the building and a few rides were lost for good. Others got replacement tubs.
Like I said they made a claim for 3 million in damages and the insurance only paid $800,000. Aparently they had already started the design process for Thunder Run but when the settlement came they were well short on $ needed to build it and instead with the $800,000 decided to build a $600,000 flume and replace the tubs on the flyers and rock o plane and also build a eatery where the old bathouse used to be. Unfortunately the flume ran over almost $200,000 in cost putting a already hurting park in serious financial jeopardy and if was finally sold to Park River Corp the owners of Cincinnati's Coney Island. At the end of the 99 season Park River said that they were not going to pursue opening the park for the 2000 season :(
Chuck, who in hindsight kinda thinks the closure may have been a blessing in disguise because people now know what a gem they almost lost for good.
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Charles Nungester
Lesourdsville Lake, The great American amusement park opens the season June 6th Thurs-Sun every week. Park phone is (513)539-2193
Chuck, what preceeded the minigolf at that end of the midway?
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David Bowers
Mayor, Coasterville
Coasterville Dave said:
Chuck, what preceeded the minigolf at that end of the midway?
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David Bowers
To the best of my knowlege there was nothing on the old mini golf site. I believe it was filled in specifically to put the golf in and move the tilt and electric rainbow back there. If you remember the Electric rainbow used to be at the front of the park where the zipper is now.Just before that area was a ride called Space Combat. That now has a ride known as Tip Top. A ramp coaster like Kangaroo used to be in the Tilt location but was removed sometime in the '80s.
Scott Fowler has a rides hall of fame on his site. Americanaamusementpark.com
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Charles Nungester
Lesourdsville Lake, The great American amusement park opens the season June 6th Thurs-Sun every week. Park phone is (513)539-2193
Hmm, I remember the Kangaroo as being closer to the Screechin Eagle. Before they built all those food stands and stuff the Screechin Eagle station part of the midway was quite crowded with the Kangaroo, Scrambler, Rock-O-Plane, Flying Skooters, Whip, Carousel, and Dodgems all in that one area. (At least that's how I remember it)
Also I have seen that Electrc Rainbow reside at least three different places on the midway. (It's current home where the Trabant used to be)
David "Bring back the Space Combat" Bowers
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David Bowers
Mayor, Coasterville
Dave, I believe your right on the Ramp Coaster, i do remember it being pretty close to THE SPACE ROCKET (Eagle). It may have just been just past the old boat ride where the hotdog stand is now.
I never remember the whip in any other location, I do remember the flyers used to reside behind the eagle and next to the restroom that is behind the whip. My only recollection of the old trabant was somewhere around where the Calypso is and I also remember the Paratrooper being near the old cinema 180 was.
Chuck, bring back the Indy 500, Nungester
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Charles Nungester
Lesourdsville Lake, The great American amusement park opens the season June 6th Thurs-Sun every week. Park phone is (513)539-2193
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