Indiana Beach TR 6/18/09 by IndyGuy4KI

[IndyGuy4KI]

My father and I went to Monticello Indiana to put my seadoo and my Father-in-Laws seadoo on the water for some fun on Lake Shafer and afternoon fun at Indiana Beach. We left Indy around 7am and headed to Danville IN (20 miles west if Indy) to get the seadoos at my father-in-laws house. He has the double trailer for the wave runners, but one is mine and the other is his. My dad has never ridden a wave runner or a jet ski before so it was a real treat for him. We were a little worried about the weather, but the forecast was rain early and then clear up. We took 39 over to I-65. We stopped at the Flying–J to fill up my truck and seadoos. We ate at the little restaurant in the truck stop. Breakfast buffet for $6.99. Food was really good. (I did not take any pics this time for I had on my swim suit and my camera phone was in truck.) When we left there it was raining. We make it up to Lake Shaffer around 9:30. It was still raining pretty good. Indiana Beach has a camp ground with a boat ramp, but never used it without camping for it is free for campers. The other boat dock (that I know about) is at Lake Shaffer boat rental and marina and is $20.00 to launch. We pulled into the camp ground and asked how much it would be to lunch and it was only $10.00.

My plan originally was to launch at the marina and rent a life vest from them for my dad, but since we decided to launch at IB campground we had to buy one. At this point it is still raining hard. We went back to the local Wal*Mart and he got a nice one for $40.00. Still a little expensive, but being so close to a lake and legally can’t go without it, that was not bad. After we got out of Wal*Mart we headed back to the IB campground. It had stopped raining, but it was only 67 degrees outside so it was a little chilly to be getting on the water. By the time we paid and got to the boat ramp it was starting to clear up and warm up little. I think it may have hit 70 degrees at that point. Got my dad oriented on how to drive, turn and all the gauges we headed out towards the main part of the lake.

Lake Shaffer is really a river that has been dammed for flood control. So it is long, but fairly skinny. There are 2 “big” parts to the lake, one part being by the dam and the other on the other side of IB boardwalk. The rest of the lake is narrower. We played out on the water for about an hour and a half and we needed to go to the rest room. We docked at IB, for they have a place to dock so you can come eat if on the lake. We used the facilities and started walking back towards the seadoos. Some couple stopped us and asked when the ski show is going to start. Since we were in swim trunks and life jackets they thought were part of the ski show they have at IB. We told them we did not know and that we had just stopped in for a few minutes.

We then headed back out towards the dam area and played for a while. There were not really any boats on the lake so there were no good wakes to jump with the seadoos. There were a few pontoons, but they don’t make very big wakes like a ski boat or cabin cruiser would. We made our own wakes and waves to jump, but we had fun none the less. We had been on the lake for little over 2 hours and I was getting tired for I was really playing hard on mine and even threw myself off of it once. I knew my dad was getting tired as well for a first timer it is more tiring from being nervous about ridding it. For those who have never ridden a seadoo they are only something you can do in moderation. Really 30 minutes at a time is ideal, but when you drive that far to put them in the water you want to play as long as you can.

After pulling the seadoos out of the water we pulled into the IB parking lot and headed toward the boardwalk. Park admission is free this year so you can go walk on the boardwalk all you want. We were really getting hungry so we headed to the Sky Room Restaurant. I ordered a Philly cheese steak and my dad got a tenderloin. It took 23 minutes to get our food. Not sure what was up with that? The Sky room restaurant sits above the boardwalk at one end of the park so we were watching the people walk by and talking about our seadoo ride, so the wait was okay. Food was good once we got it. The park was not crowded so we went and got our wristbands for a POP (pay one price) as they call it.

The wristband comes with bar codes now and you have to scan your arm each time you go up to a ride. I did not like that. Especially when they placed the wristband on your right arm and the scanners were placed in a way that was awkward to get you arm in to scan. Some were placed so it would have been fine if the band was on your left arm. Most rides were walk on for the park was not busy. The beach only had probably 20 people in there and the water park was not busy either. We first went to Hoosier Hurricane. We had a good ride on it, but seemed shorter than the last time I rode. It is not as good as any coaster at HW, but it is still IB’s first wooden coaster. We then headed over to Cornball Express. I wanted to ride it very much for as you may have read in my last TR about HW I though CE was better than the Raven. I wanted to make the comparison.

I had a fun ride on CE, but was then torn between Raven and CE… I still cannot decide totally, but almost leaning more toward the Raven. It is a real toss up for me. I then went and rode Tig’rr a compact steel coaster. This was the first time I had ridden it with actually seat belts. Ride was sort of scary before with no restraints. I wanted to ride Steel Hogg for it was down the last time I made it up there last year. My dad did not want to ride it. He is not a steel coaster fan, he likes wooden coaster exclusively. The first drop is amazing with the inversion in. I wish it had a little more speed though. It sure files up the lift though. I would say it is as fast at DB’s lift. The cork screw is good as well. Did not care for the ½ a loop though. It almost stops as it inverts you to make the loop. It is still a fun little coaster.

We then wanted to hit Dodg-em the bumper cars. Their cars are really old and are twice as fast at KI’s bumper cars. We had a lot of fun on those. We then hit The Den of Lost Thieves. This is their SCATHC. We enjoyed this ride, even though I got beat by my dad with my score! We then went and rode Galaxi another compact steel coaster, we then hit Falling Star which was fun. We then rode the sky ride back to the other side of the park. We went and rode Double Shoot.

We then went and made our second trip around the park. We rode Hoosier Hurricane again, still a good ride but nothing spectacular. Went back and rode Cornball Express, my favorite coaster there! I went and rode Steel Hogg again and did enjoy it, but again fun but nothing spectacular in my book. We then hit Sea Dragon and rode the Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain. This thing just jerks you around and really is not fun at all for just for a few small drops. My dad did not like this one at all even though it is a woodie.

We were getting tired and were getting ready to leave. I hit paratrooper (Umbrella’s) on the way out. We headed back towards Danville to drop off the Seadoos at my father-in-laws house and then drop off my dad at his. I got home around 7pm that evening, we had a good time.

Some things to compare IB vs HW since I hit both places in the same week.

For me IB is more special since I spent more time up there as a kid.

IB is more compact and does not have much room for expansion unless it builds further in the lake where HW looks like they have plenty of room for expansion.

I like the free admission to IB and then paying for rides if you wish, but do not like the new wristband scanning at each ride.

IB may have more coasters that HW, but HW has more quality coasters.

There are water recreations at IB if you have a boat. Don’t know of a lake at HW.

HW could use a steel coaster for IB has 3 up on them.

HW employees are friendlier and seem to be more proud of their park.

Free drinks at HW not at IB.

Rides seem to be better maintained at HW than IB.

HW is much cleaner than IB

Over all I think HW is the better park. Thanks for reading!

[DaveStroem]

I love reading about parks that I have not been to.

I hope to hit IB for a day on the way up to SFGAm later in the summer.