markr

Oops, thanks for pointing out my error-my apologies to the great state of Tennessee, not that there is anything wrong with Texas but need to give credit where credit is due.

I think we should give Ryan and Don a great big thank you for organizing this event.

At long last I got to take my first trip to Dollywood and I must say that despite the heat it was one of the most delightful experiences I have ever had. I will just highlight some of the major parts of my trip. 1. The rides. a. Thunderhead-now my number two fav woodie behind El Toro. That is one kick a___ride while at the same time not giving me a headache or back ache. The well cushioned seats remind me of the seats on the old Shooting Star which made for a very comfortable ride. b. Texas Tornado-in my opinion the best arrow looper I have ever ridden. Very smooth. c. Mystery Mine-loved the theming and, although a little jerky, a very thrilling ride. d. Wild Eagle-while not quite as great as Gatekeeper ( Of course how can any ride compete with the keyhole 0 G-roll?) at any rate a very enjoyable ride-my fav element was the second inversion and the view of the park was awesome. The only negative-the stench on the shoulder restraint from the sweat of a prior rider. ( Ewwww.) e. The train ride is about 20 minutes long but one of the best train rides that you will experience at any theme park. 2. The food-did not eat a whole lot at the park but the pull apart pork sandwich was delicious. I especially got a kick out of the lady that waited on me. The sandwich came with an order of beans and potatoes on the side. When I asked if I could substitute the beans for an extra order of potatoes, the lady said sure and called out my order " Pulled pork and a double order of taters!" I just love southern accents. 3. If you go, make sure that you check out the museum showing the story of Dolly's life and career-there is a real treasure trove of information there. Also, there is a great ACE museum showing the history of the roller coaster-however, I think the museum is going to close this fall. 4. The best part of the park, however, was the wonderful Southern charm of the staff-could very easily get used to being called "darlin" or people saying "howdy" to me. I plan on going back hopefully in the fall when it is a little cooler.

Thank you-sounds like fun.

And don't forget to check out the Mr. Six Dance party. ( If they still have it.) Love how Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the other looney tunes join in.

Definately don't leave without riding Kingda Ka if it is open-although it has the shoulder restraints unlike TTD, it is still quite an adreneline rush especially the bunny hill before the finish which TTD does not have.

One of my least faves is Invertigo because of the intense g's-after my last close fainting spell I have refrainded from riding that ride.

The older I get the less self-conscious I am about what people think. It is my money and my time and, therefore, it is no one's business as to how I spend my money and my time whether I choose to spend it with friends or alone.

Checked out Reds Hall of Fame on 4th of July to give the place a second shot and I must say the place hit a home run after striking out on my first visit. The service was outstanding and the pull-apart pork sandwich simply melted in my mouth. Just wanted to give my kudos to the staff for putting it all together. Hopefully that we mean more great sit-down restuarants at the park.

As a recall Banshee is a creature from Irish folklore and many residents in the Sandusky area with Irish roots were offended by the name when the ride was announced in the Fall of 1995 so CP changed the ride name to Mantis. I thought it was kind of silly considering that no one in the community seemed to object to Demon Drop.

I thought it was a great ride when it first opened in 1991-I remember the line being all the way back past the railroad tracks. It certainly has gone down hill since then. ( No pun intended.)

Actually advertising rides from different parks started during the Paramount days.

Of course the pizza at the restuarants is much more reasonably priced-you can get a large two topper for $11.99 which is about half the price for a large pepperoni at the park. Secondly, the restuarants are more generous as far as putting toppings on the pizza.

Rivertown Potato Works with BBQ sauce on the side to dip them in-plum tasty!

It has to be at least the mid 80's for me.

I met him a few times and found him to be a true gentleman. He always seemed to remember me when he saw me.

Personally love the name Screamy Meamy( Or is it Screamy Meany? ) in National Lampoon's Vacation. If you ask me that would be a perfect name for the finished project 2014. ( Of course don't expect anyone to ask me.)

Laurie looked pretty mad when she was riding the antique cars with Keith-it was obvious that she wanted to go on The Racer with the rest of the family.

Despite the problems just had to complement our server. ( I think her name was Kaylie.) She was just awesome in a very stressful situation and we all made sure that she got a good tip.

Maybe this time the name of the new ride will in fact be Mustang.

As the brother of a two time breast cancer survivor, I was more than happy to share ERT with the 5k runners as it is for a great cause. What I don't understand is why ERT was cut from 1 hour to 1//2 hour.

Very nice photos. ( Even found myself in one.)

Leviathon II, what else? ( Of course I'm usually wrong but nothing wrong with dreaming.)

Demon Drop was never counted as a coaster in CP's coaster line-up if you want to use this as some guidance in determining whether or not Surf Dog is a coaster.

Guess what I'm making for dinner tonight? Pork Chopshhh and Apple Shhaushhh!!! Ok, actually just pork chops but had to post this schtick in honor of Peter's return to KI.