silver2005

Well, I was going to go swimming in Lake Erie, but there's no one there and I don't feel comfortable swimming alone. I will have more than enough time to get Waldameer's water park and get the rides I want. Checking out a sea food place for dinner, then CP tomorrow and Wednesday. Weather on Lake Erie is gorgeous. Couldn't see the horizon at Lake Michigan in Muskegon, much less hazy in Port Clinton, though, I can’t make out Put N Bay.

So today was a mixed bag. First, MIA is pretty spruced up since my visit in 2017. The park looks great, the staff is great, and ops are pretty good for what the park is. The maintenance department is where they can only maintain 1 train per coaster besides Mad Mouse (which I skipped). The flats and water rides were running good. Corkscrew and Thunderhawk ran decent, and Wolverine Wildcat has a mix of recent retracks to be running good. I feel it's a few patch jobs away from being really good. Shivering Timbers has some need of a long term work as it's only retracked at the top of the 2nd hill. It's running pretty hard and intense with some jackhammering, mostly in the first half but the return run needs some spots fixed up, too. It'll be a while before I go back, I need to see significant more work done to Shivering Timbers first.

So single train ops aren't conducive with marathons, even with FL.

So the crowds aren't bad, but it feels worse because all the coasters are running 1 train and Mad Mouse has the bad CF mouse ops. Flats are a single cycle wait and the flume has a decent wait.

Wolverine Wildcat is running pretty good actually. The only rough bit is the double up and down. Shivering Timbers only had its first 2 drops retracked and it does have a bit of a jackhammer through the first half, though some of it is at the tops of hills and actually adds to the air. The turnaround, return run and helix are mostly fine.

You know when you realize MIA is neglected when the signs directing you there only refer to it as amusement park.

I may hate driving in Michigan. 70 mph on all highways including in cities, locals are crazy drivers, the double highways like the Business I96 make things confusing, and the lights are weird.

Leaving for Muskegon soon. Looking like I have good weather for MIA, CP and Waldameer.

My upcoming personal milestones for these trips- - First Zamperla Coaster- Wild Mouse @ CP - 100th steel coaster likely at Kings Dominion (likely making it Dominator as it'll be the last of the relocated Geauga Lake credits I can still get) - 4th giga coaster- I305 - 150th overall coaster (assuming the new Intamin and Premier credits I'm getting don't snafu)- likely RMC Wildcat - Only new park for me will be Busch Gardens Williamsburg Also, me seeing no Volcano at KD will likely be pain me as much as seeing no Vortex at Kings Island. Volcano was sooooo good.

Though the Eiffel Tower isn't that scary on its own, if you add some crazy wind, you can definitely feel it sway which can be unnerving.

I also consider KI to have the better overall ride selection over Carowinds, especially on the coasters. Carowinds has a top heavy line up whereas I think KIs is more balanced and higher quality. Carowinds doesn't hold a candle to KIs water rides and wood coasters.

My first excursion to MIA, CP and Waldameer begins Saturday. It's a hike from where I am staying in Port Clinton to Waldameer and back, but should be a nice easy trip. Weather is looking good early.

The real sin is me seeing them make 4 ways with onions on top of the cheese. Tsk tsk.

Also, Soak City must be popular today as the KIMVRR had a line out to the midway in Rivertown.

Make sure not to ride Adventure Express with sunglasses or else you'll miss a lot of theming and Easter eggs.

Diamondback currently down. Beast also.

Except the land around Soak City is pretty flat, at least compared to the terrain needed for a decent terrain coaster.

Did the writer perhaps mean heedless?

In terms of what average people talk about and praise, I'd say its the B&M trio and Beast. I do think MT has a low key popularity with people thinking since its not very big that its not good only to walk off the ride surprised. I think Racer will come around slowly since it does have the reputation among locals of being rough for so long and many just haven't ridden it post-retrack. I've actually heard a surprising number or normal guests actually like Diamondback over Orion.

I never had a shunt, but 2 summers I had were after major abdominal surgeries and I asked my doctors before doing anything remotely questionable to my health. It sucks, but part of the medical condition thing is gaining the courage to brace for giving up things you were once able to do. I got lucky in being able to retain a vast majority of those things, but the idea of giving up things for my better health are things I would do no questions asked, but with a great deal of grieving for those losses. Ask your doctor and accept your limits, it'll help you in the long run.

I'd also like to know where the Zamperla disappointment comes from. I've never known them to be particularly bad at anything.

KI's past problems with 'giant' flat rides (see Tomb Raider, a Giant Top Spin and Delirium, a Giant Frisbee) may have deterred them from getting the bigger model as well.

I'm hoping for a nice eye catching lighting package on Sol Spin.

^From what I've heard, Iron Gwazi had a quick transition from testing to opening and HP and RMC may be doing Wildcat similarly.

All that over a little paint, huh?