Remember Americana's Serpent?

http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/20...g_to_kochv.html

Remember Americana's Serpent?

Yes, sure do...

Six dollars to ride that thing at Kokomo's? HA!

It's sad to see another piece of LaSourdville Lake going away. That was a fun ride.

Well, there's always the Pepsi Python....

...runs off into hiding!

Which for novices, can be a forceful ride, especially as you begin your plummet over the drops!

Back when Coney still had individual ride tickets (2003), the Python would set you back six tickets per person. Each ticket was 50 cents, so a ride on the Python would cost $3 per person. Since the individual ride tickets are gone (they were a pain to try and count, while measuring kids for heights and counting how many people you let into the ride area, not to mention they were a mushy mess when it rained!), there is no real "cost to ride" break down at Coney anymore.

I agree. $6 would be a little pricey for a ride on a coaster. How many people would pay $6 to ride Vortex? I know it is a different style park and different sizes, but still would be an interesting conversation piece.

Having paid $10 to ride what was then Manhattan Express....(and now is known as The Roller Coaster at New York, New York in Las Vegas)....

Right. But that is a tourist destination. Also, NY,NY in Las Vegas isn`t a full fledged amusement park either.

For those that don`t know much about the history of amusement parks, all older parks used to be ride tickets only to ride. Their was no "pay one price" admission. In fact, that is how the Disney parks got the name "E ticket" attractions for their big rides. These were the rides that cost the most tickets to ride. Most (but not all) parks have opted to forgo individual ride tickets in favor of POP admission. Some parks, like Coney, simply give you a rides wristband and let anyone walk around the park grounds for free. While most major amusement parks will charge for admission to the grounds (like Kings Island).

I remember when Camden Park had both tickets to ride or you could purchase an all day ride deal. You could also pay .25 to get in, which was cool for parents or grandparents who didn't want to ride.

I hate to see it go, however going to another park is better than rusting away sitting idle.

I hate to see it go, however going to another park is better than rusting away sitting idle.

I couldn't agree more.

Piece by piece, the Lesourdsville Lake/Fantasy Farm area is fading away into the monotonous, cut-and-paste suburban landscape of sprawl. The only landmark that has been consistent throughout my lifetime is that rusty blue water tower that let you know you were close to the park. That swinging ship at the front of the park wasn't there the last time I visited (twice, in 1986, when it was Americana). There used to be something that looked like a cross between a ferris wheel and a zipper (an Electric Rainbow was also highly visible as you entered the parking lot). Now, it's an RV lot, and you can almost hear the earth movers coming. I hope each piece brings fun and joy to the new riders, wherever they end up.

There used to be something that looked like a cross between a ferris wheel and a zipper

Sounds like the Rock-O-Plane that's now at Coney.

Six dollars to ride that thing at Kokomo's? HA!

I will ride it again, at that price, if I must. The Serpent was my very first Roller Coaster. I miss LL, I hope that something miraculous would happen with what is left of the park. Sometimes miracles do happen.

Speaking of the Rock O Plane, here is the Coney Island Central page on the Rock O Plane. It is really a fun ride, although, it can be rather intense at time, especially if you get the cars flipping and rocking!

It would be cool if Strickers Grove bought some more rides from Americana and make their little park in to a park like Americana was.I remeber going to Americana when i was little in 2002.I liked the log flume ride.(If you know the name to that is please tell.I cant remember!)

I liked the log flume ride.(If you know the name to that is please tell.I cant remember!)

That log flume would be "Raging Thunder".

Thanks Gordon.That was my favorite ride.I can only remeber little parts of that ride though.So sad it had to go.

And it was one of the few from Barr Engineering. Camden Park also has one. Americana's thoroughly drenched its riders, and was far more of a rapids ride than a log flume. I once saw a kid dive head first into the trough at the station....the ride ops went after him...he got about 10 feet, got out and ran away. Amazing...

Valleyfair's is also from Barr...and Barr is from Minnesota! They also built Islands of Adventure's very, very wet rapids ride!

And...Raging Thunder, is considered by many here, my self included to be the greatest and wettest log flume ever made.

I have to agree with you guys, I remember riding raging thunder at least 20 times.... still my favorite flume.

And within a stone's throw of that flume they sold the best fudge I ever et in a park, Coffelt's from Dayton!

And within a stone's throw of that flume they sold the best fudge I ever et in a park, Coffelt's from Dayton!

Mmmm, fudge...I get fudge usually from every park that I go to (or somewhere around the park if it is a local brand). It is somewhat of a tradition. Really IMO during the mid 90's LL/Americana had some of the best amusement park food I have ever eaten. I remember walking out of a smoothie shop with a strawberry daquarii, and some other fruits under the night sky as the Electric Rainbow spun in front of me with all the lights reflecting off the lake. It was just a beautiful time to be able to experience.

Does anyone else remember a sheet of water on Raging Thunder, that would shut off right before your log got to it?

Oh, yes. Dorney had one on their flume, too....and it shut off MOST of the time....oddly, it was usually during autumn when it was cold and chilly that that particular one often did NOT shut off...

I live about 5 minutes from 'Kokomos'. It's a cheesy family fun center that features indoor golf, arcade games, pizza, the usual family fare. I haven't been there in years, but they never had any rides to my knowledge and having this new 'Serpent' coaster might spruce the place up a bit. I wonder if it will be indoors, allowing for year round rides. The Zyklon coaster which is a permanent fixture at the Saginaw Fairgrounds but is only open 2 weeks out of the year, so any coaster riding in Michigan has to be done at Michigan's Adventure which is not in the best location for most Michiganders. I'd pay 6 bucks a ride... especially if it can cure the winter blahs!

http://www.ohio.com/news/ap?articleID=396541&c=y

http://1290whio.com/includes/news/indepth/...ome_060510.html

The last paragraph has a rather dubious statement in it:

LeSourdsville opened in Middletown in 1922 and was hurt badly when Kings Island opened nearby in the 1970s. For a time, the park changed it's name to Americana Amusement Park. The park closed for good in 2002.

I really don't trace most of LeSourdsville Lake's problems to Kings Island. They served very different markets...and I don't believe the park's eventual closure would have been avoided were there no Kings Island.

It would be cool if Strickers Grove bought some more rides from Americana and make their little park in to a park like Americana was.I remeber going to Americana when i was little in 2002.I liked the log flume ride.(If you know the name to that is please tell.I cant remember!)

You said it! By the way--I love your signature!

It would be cool if Strickers Grove bought some more rides from Americana and make their little park in to a park like Americana was.I remeber going to Americana when i was little in 2002.I liked the log flume ride.(If you know the name to that is please tell.I cant remember!)

You said it! By the way--I love your signature!

Strickers would fare well with some more rides from the former Americana, although the rides that are still there are not in the best of shape. Would love to see the log flume go there. The little dipper could probably run again. It's a shame probably nothing will become of the Eagle. The wiring on the ride is all pretty much intact. It would require some new brakes, new control panel, replace some wiring and steel on the wooden track here and there. Most of the rusted steel would become polished after running the train on it after awhile just as on most wooden coasters. It would probably need new trains since no one seems to know where the former trains for it went. I think GL and KI have some extras they may want to sell...

...which won't fit. There is a reason that Big Dipper at Geauga Lake kept its NAD sized rolling stock. NAD trains are not the same gage as others.