Winter Coaster Solace 4, Part 3
Associated parks:
None
Parks visited: DL & KBF (2/28/03), KBF & DCA (3/1/03), SFMM (3/2/03)
Weather: Unexpectedly nice
Crowds: Awesome everywhere!
Day 4 - 3/2/03
I was up and out of the Rad early on Sunday morning, grabbing breakfast on the road and stopping briefly to pick up my family as I took off my party animal hat and put on my family man one. My kids (6 & 8) have just started to become adventurous about rides and were even talking about wanting to do their first loop today...something my wife was not really down with. We would at least hit Gold Rusher and Ninja, and then see what would happen.
We arrived at the park at 9:45 and quickly purchased tickets. For once, SFMM had lots of ticket booths open, and lots of aisles on their bank of metal detectors open. There were also masses of cheerleaders, same as last year's Sunday After Solace visit. I even saw a re-appearance of the fable "Go!" and "Fight!" signs that rode Goliath last year!
All the east coast crew and most of the California people from Solace slept in a little bit and weren't there for opening. We entered the park and proceeded to Bugs Bunny's Happy Carrot Land, which we proceeded to ownzor for the next hour and a half. There was almost literally no one there. Highlights were a family ride on the Canyon Blaster, shooting foam rubber balls all over the Looney Tunes Lodge, and watching my kids take 10 rides in a row in the backseat of Goliath Jr., hands up.
While we spent time there the Crew had arrived and gone up to X. They waited about 90 minutes and were all abuzz when they joined us immediately afterwards at Mooseburger Lodge for lunch. Wish I could have seen Dan and Craig's faces after their ride, I think X just plain shocks most people on their first ride; I know I was shocked! We had a fun lunch at the Moose before proceeding to get fairly soaked on the Log Ride...not unexpected, as there were a number of Brothers of the Plunge logging that morning.
We said goodbye to the Crew for now and took a liesurely tour around to the back of Magic Mountain, stopping to enjoy the swinging ship, tilt-a-whirl, and an ice cream. My son immediately went for the back row of the ship, and informed me he "likes it when the ride lifts (his) butt off of the seat". That's my boy!
We then arrived at Gold Rusher (the other GR) and my kids were both excited to ride this, as they both had Quicksilver Express as their favorite coaster after our two visits to Bonfante Gardens last year. They were not disappointed in GR in the least, and we stuck around for 4 rides. A family ride on Jet Stream was next, and we magically managed to not get even the least bit wet.
We were close to calling it a day at this point so we decided to ride Ninja and the carousel and then go home. Honestly, I really thought Ninja would be easily do-able for my kids...I was 1/2 right anyways. My daughter and I sat in the front seat and she absolutely loved it, proclaiming it her favorite coaster. My son sat behind us and liked it at first, but then got bonked by the OTSR a few times near the end of the ride and ended up crying. Ah, nothing like arriving back into the station with a crying kid to make you feel like a child abuser, LOL! At least he was sitting with my wife, he he he. I decided not to push our luck and ride Revolution on this day.
We had run into the Crew again while waiting for Ninja and we waited for everyone to finish riding. Hugs were exchanged and goodbyes were said again. It will be June before I see most of them again, and on the other side of the country. As always, it was great to see them and I'm glad they all seemed to have a blast hitting the so Cal. parks.
We walked down the hill and had two carousel rides while my wife enjoyed a pretzel. Happily full of creamy amusement park goodness, we left the park and thus ended a great weekend of coasting. Can't wait for Solace weekend next year!
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Mike Miller - Harbinger Of Doom - Killer Of Threads - Cheap Rates, Ask About Our Special!
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Dr. Thrill IS my family practitioner
Would you just LOOK at what you've done to CoasterBuzz - you're going to have to clean it up ;)
Poor guy's head looked like a pinball bouncing between a couple of bumpers. :(
...or perhaps he was just showing you what he does when he listens to dad play...:)
Edit: Bass- Could you give me the direct link to the RTN2 segment. I couldn't find it.
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Sean Newman
*** This post was edited by SFgadvMAN 3/4/2003 6:26:02 PM ***
I don't think I will ever get around to going to the Solace so this is the next best thing.
I can relate to you regarding taking people around your home parks, and seeing it in a whole new way as I do that quite often around my area.
I have been going to Cedar Point since I was 5 and see it as a much different place than a lot of people who go there now, but when I take "newbies" around, it's like it is my first time there.
Who could forget Steve Gardina's first reaction to CP in 2000? That was priceless.
-Sean
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