I just came back from a fantastic vacation.
I went with my brother and two of his friends to four different theme
parks.
First, we went to Indiana Beach, which is a theme park out in the middle
of the corn fields at this superfluous lake in the middle of nowhere. We
hit 15 rides including some really good wooden roller coasters. Not
nearly the biggest and best of the trip, but lots of fun. The new mine
car ride there was a big surprise.
Kings Island, near to Cincinnati, is home of the world’s largest wooden
roller coaster: The Beast. It was brutally hot. We mitigated that with
some well timed water rides and clicked up 19 more rides.
Geauga Lake, just outside Cleveland, was again an interesting theme
park. As usual when we visit that park, it was overcast and rainy from
time to time. Unlike Great America, they keep the rides running even in
a drizzle. We racked up 16 more rides, but the Captain only reared his
head once.
We got on the ride “The Dominator” just as the rain started to kick in
full bore. We left the station and the gentle but steady rain soaked us
to the bone.
Then, we went down the “big hill.” We were moving at freeway speeds down
the track as we were stung by drop after drop. The rain seemed to bore
into our skin as we slid smoothly through the ride. All we could do is
shout out “Owie!”
Then, your friend the Captain had not had enough. A ride now dubbed
Thunderhawk, that I used to know under the mucho-cool name “Serial
Thriller” was calling my name. We had just all went on the ride in the
front car. It is an inverted roller coaster (like Batman at Great
America) but I wanted just one more ride. I went up and saw the second
row was just walk up–which I did.
As we left the station, I looked up where the wheels meet the rail. A
little plastic holding cup was there and when we leaned back to go up
the lift hill, the entire contents of that pail dumped into my lap. I
was now drenched. But the ride wasn’t done with me. The wheels above
slipped across the rails spitting fluid directly in face. I was becoming
drenched. I finally returned to the station a completely drenched man.
Our last stop was Cedar Point. 15 more rides including 2 spins on the
chart topping “Millenium Force” with an initial 300 foot drop. It was
our longest wait of the day for about an hour each time.
By the way, do you know what is the most important thing is to do before
entering a line at a theme park? Apparently, it is charging up your cell
phone. During the aforementioned one hour line, I counted 23 distinct
telephone conversations going on. Now most of these people apparently
came to the park with someone, who they are currently ignoring, to talk
to someone who didn’t care to come to the park in the first place. How
rude is that?
Well, at least a bucket water didn’t pour on their lap.
The Captain