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A loop around Lake Eerie - May trip planning


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Now updated with the trip report, part 1!

 

-----

 

This will be my first trip as an enthusiast in over 10 years, and ‘tis the season of summer vacation planning. Would love to hear you guy’s thoughts!

 

Day 1: Saturday, May 19: Travel Day. Flying into Cincinnati at 5PM ($49 ticket after tax on Southwest, score!), get rental car, meet up with friends. Head downtown, beer, get situated in an Airbnb near KI.

 

Day 2: Sunday, May 20: KI all day. Thought about going to Kentucky Kingdom, as I haven’t been there since it was SFKK, and would LOVE to ride Storm Runner and Lightning Run. But it’s a little bit of a drive, and park admission isn’t cheap.

 

Day 3: Monday, May 21: Option to do KI in the morning, then drive to Sandusky (3.5 hour drive). Get situated in an Airbnb in town. Option to preview CP that evening. Beer, hangout, lounge, whatever.

 

Day 4: Tuesday, May 22: CP all day!

 

Day 5: Wednesday, May 23: CP all day!

 

Day 6: Thursday, May 24: Travel day. Two-hour drive to Detroit, do some sightseeing, drop GF off at the airport (6PM flight). Then drive 4 hours to Toronto. Beer. Whatever.

 

Day 7: Friday, May 25: CW all day!

 

Day 8: Saturday, May 26: Option to do CW in the morning. Drive 2.5 hours to Darien Lake, do DL for the rest of the day. Not holding my breath for Tantrum to be open by then.

 

Day 9: Sunday, May 27: Drive 2 hours to Waldameer, check that out for a few hours. Then Conneaut for a few hours. Then make my way back to MD. Option to extend trip into Monday (Memorial Day) if we’re tired.

 

What I’m looking for: What are some must dos in Toronto and Detroit for the very limited time I’ll be in both cities. We all like bourbon, beer, and anything cool.

Any other tips and thoughts?

 

646884527_Screenshot-2018-1-23MayTrip.thumb.png.d1735365908201613ad9b7766fe97686.png

Edited by steamedturtle
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That's great airfare, but just to be clear... you're spending over $700 to save about 2 hours, right?

 

You can drive from the DC area to Kings Island in about 7 hours and 40 minutes and based on this road trip you're not against driving. Let's say you give yourself even 30 minutes to get to the airport, you get there 90 minutes to 2 hours early, the flight is about 90 minutes considering taxing and actual flight time and then you need to wait for your bags, then you need to go rent a car which takes let's say... 20 minutes and then drive it to Kings Island which is 40 minutes away from the airport since it's in Kentucky. So conservatively assuming there are no delays and you don't leave earlier than I assumed which you probably will in DC traffic, that whole process takes about 5 to 5 1/2 hours at which point you'd be like 2 hours from Kings Island if you just took your own car.

 

From what I'm seeing on Kayak, you'll pay about $661 to rent a car on those dates and drop it at a separate airport. Add the flight and you're over $700. Let's call gas vs airport parking a wash assuming you need to park at the airport which maybe you don't.

 

I'm confused.

 

PS: That route has you taking the ETR in Ontario. Don't do that. It's a $30 toll (Canadian but still...) from Queen Elizabeth Way to Route 400 and it's completely unnecessary. If you rent a car, they'll probably bill the rental car company who will probably tack on additional fees. It's toll by plate only since you obviously don't have a transponder. That road is bullsh*t. Bull...sh*t.

Edited by coasterbill
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I'm confused.

 

Yeah, I should have specified in the original post. My car only seats 2, and my girl is gonna need her car when she gets back. We're splitting the rental appropriately. I agree it makes more sense to drive the whole way.

 

PS: That route has you taking the ETR in Ontario. Don't do that. It's a $30 toll (Canadian but still...) from Queen Elizabeth Way to Route 400 and it's completely unnecessary. If you rent a car, they'll probably bill the rental car company who will probably tack on additional fees. It's toll by plate only since you obviously don't have a transponder. That road is bullsh*t. Bull...sh*t.

 

Great tip, thanks! Sounds like it was from personal experience.

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Okay, that makes more sense. Personally I'd still rent a car near your house for less than $200 for those dates (I don't know exactly where you live but based on the map I put in "Silver Spring") and save like $500, but I guess it's a little closer at that point so it's more about personal preference.

 

The ETR thing isn't from the experience of screwing it up since I was warned by people on here ahead of time, but they make it REALLY easy to f*ck up and accidentally get on it at the intersection with Queen Elizabeth Way.

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Detroit - In Midtown, you have Jolly Pumpkin, Motor City Brew Works, and Traffic Jam all on the same street in view of one another. All also serve food. Plus there's the Shinola store and Third Man Records (and some other places too). That's about the easiest bar hop in the history of bar hops. The Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit Historical Museum (free), and Charles H Wright African American Museum are just a couple of blocks away. If you head Downtown, you can do a solid architecture run with the Guardian Building, Renaissance Center (and GM showspace on the first floor), Hart Plaza, Spirit of Detroit Statue, Joe Louis Monument, and a loop on the Peoplemover. If you want to drink there, Grand Trunk Pub and the Whiskey Parlor are steps away. You go further into the middle of downtown and you can hit Standby, Punch Bowl Social, Rusted Crow, Cliff Bell's, Cafe D'Mongos, and more. There's some really good stuff in Corktown and Mexicantown too, but with such limited time, you're better off concentrating on those areas IMO.

 

Toronto - The lazy thing to do is to head to Roundhouse park and drink at Steam Whistle, visit the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium, and do a Rogers Center (Skydome) tour or see an event there if something is occurring. The slightly less lazy thing to do is to take a boat across to Centreville Island if it's open and snag the coaster credit and ride the awesome old dark ride at the amusement park, then grab a beer in the bar there. I personally wind up on West Dundas when I'm out there more often than not because I know folks that way, and there's a preposterous number of places to do at all hours: Bandit Brewery is absolutely tops, but if you head up to Dundas and Keele, that's where there's a ton of action. There's architecture everywhere that's cool from the Art Gallery of Ontario to the library at UT. If you want hipster juice there's Kensington Square. The Sharetea location near Yonge-Dundas Square (AKA Canada's Times Square) is where I'd told the best pudding tea in the city is - yeah, it's a chain, but it's a Taiwanese chain first and foremost, OK? Sneaky Dee's is also real and probably has a wait unless you show up at 1AM like I do. Honest Ed's was real but they closed it; Koreatown and the section of Bloor it's by is still cool though and has a great documentary only movie theater.

 

If you never leave the 'burbs because that's where CW is and that's where you stay, Brampton has the best indian food probably on the continent. Vaughan Mills is near the park and it's a gigantic mall with a food court that has circus acts in it from time to time. Master Steaks in Mississauga is a throw back to 50 years ago - counter service cheap steak dinners in the middle of an industrial park. As far as the ETR goes, if you have an unlocked phone, grab a SIM chip at PetroCanada and get the cheapest package so you can have some data when traveling. The 400 can become a horrible, horrible slog. Yeah, the 407 is expensive as hell, but it never, ever has traffic on it. I'm willing to spend $20 USD to not spend a half hour or 45 minutes in traffic.

 

BTW: I've heard good things about Myrtle's Punch House in Cinci and I know there's a pile of decent bars in Covington across the river (hey, it's walkable).

 

Also, there's a bunch of not hideous coasters or parks on the route you're missing (Martin's Fantasy Island, Marineland, Idlewild, Kennywood, Coney Island Cincinnati, aformentioned Centreville). Not sure if you care or not but I might as well bring them up.

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I feel like I should also point out the obvious that somehow hasn't been addressed yet. You'll be driving literally right through Niagara Falls. I assume you're aware of that, but if you haven't seen Niagara Falls, go see Niagara Falls. You don't need to spend a lot of time but go over near the falls, pay a few bucks to park and go check them out.

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That's great airfare, but just to be clear... you're spending over $700 to save about 2 hours, right?

 

You can drive from the DC area to Kings Island in about 7 hours and 40 minutes and based on this road trip you're not against driving. Let's say you give yourself even 30 minutes to get to the airport, you get there 90 minutes to 2 hours early, the flight is about 90 minutes considering taxing and actual flight time and then you need to wait for your bags, then you need to go rent a car which takes let's say... 20 minutes and then drive it to Kings Island which is 40 minutes away from the airport since it's in Kentucky. So conservatively assuming there are no delays and you don't leave earlier than I assumed which you probably will in DC traffic, that whole process takes about 5 to 5 1/2 hours at which point you'd be like 2 hours from Kings Island if you just took your own car.

 

From what I'm seeing on Kayak, you'll pay about $661 to rent a car on those dates and drop it at a separate airport. Add the flight and you're over $700. Let's call gas vs airport parking a wash assuming you need to park at the airport which maybe you don't.

 

I'm confused.

 

PS: That route has you taking the ETR in Ontario. Don't do that. It's a $30 toll (Canadian but still...) from Queen Elizabeth Way to Route 400 and it's completely unnecessary. If you rent a car, they'll probably bill the rental car company who will probably tack on additional fees. It's toll by plate only since you obviously don't have a transponder. That road is bullsh*t. Bull...sh*t.

 

Silly Willy, I feel that your confusion is unfounded. Sadly, you're commiting the fallacy of only including expenditures that you physically pay as they incur, as opposed to economically incurring them. It sounds like you're fixated on the cost of gas and tolls, while comparing the cost of a car rental against the cost of using your own car. But as we all know, the cost of driving is actually closer to $0.55 or so. It depends on the quality of the car, and the economist who is making the calculations, but a bulk of the cost is the economic cost of wear and tear of the car and the extra checkups and repairs that are required by additional mileage.

 

In many cases, people actually prefer to rent cars on their trips, as it can be a way to use a more cost efficient vehicle for a long trip. In this case, the driver in question is able to a very long drive on a day that a week of grueling driver is looming. In many respects that adds economic value as well, as he avoids erosion of economic value from a long, grueling trip.

 

 

As far as suggestions for excursions and activities, there are actually fantastic ruins of the old Six Flags Ohio that are still around. I've heard that they are very fun to visit, and will provide an exhileration like none other. I've heard great things, and not really heard of anything negative about this idea. Its not everyday that you are afforded the opportunity to explore wonderful ruins that haven't been developed into something boring yet.

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That's great airfare, but just to be clear...

 

Silly Willy, I feel that your confusion is unfounded. Sadly, you're commiting the fallacy of only including expenditures that you physically pay as they incur, as opposed to economically incurring them. It sounds like you're fixated on the cost of gas and tolls, while comparing the cost of a car rental against the cost of using your own car. But as we all know, the cost of driving is actually closer to $0.55 or so. It depends on the quality of the car, and the economist who is making the calculations, but a bulk of the cost is the economic cost of wear and tear of the car and the extra checkups and repairs that are required by additional mileage.

 

In many cases, people actually prefer to rent cars on their trips, as it can be a way to use a more cost efficient vehicle for a long trip. In this case, the driver in question is able to a very long drive on a day that a week of grueling driver is looming. In many respects that adds economic value as well, as he avoids erosion of economic value from a long, grueling trip.

 

 

As far as suggestions for excursions and activities, there are actually fantastic ruins of the old Six Flags Ohio that are still around. I've heard that they are very fun to visit, and will provide an exhileration like none other. I've heard great things, and not really heard of anything negative about this idea. Its not everyday that you are afforded the opportunity to explore wonderful ruins that haven't been developed into something boring yet.

 

WTF? Where'd this guy come from?

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Day 9: Sunday, May 27: Drive 2 hours to Waldameer, check that out for a few hours. Then Conneaut for a few hours. Then make my way back to MD. Option to extend trip into Monday (Memorial Day) if we’re tired.

 

Doing that all in one day sounds a bit much in my opinion. You'd be doing 8 hours of driving on top of 2 parks which I personally would not want to do. I'd suggest just pushing the drive back to Maryland to the next day and taking your time at the parks.

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Honestly I think that plan is fine and we've done basically the exact same thing the day after a Cedar Point trip (actually we had a few more hours of drive time).

 

You don't need "a few hours" at Conneaut. You need like an hour tops. Honestly I'd just ride Blue Streak, the dark ride with gum all over it and maybe the tumble bug if its still operating and hasn't collapsed and been reclaimed by nature yet and then bail and never speak of Conneaut Lake again.

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As far as suggestions for excursions and activities, there are actually fantastic ruins of the old Six Flags Ohio that are still around. I've heard that they are very fun to visit, and will provide an exhileration like none other. I've heard great things, and not really heard of anything negative about this idea. Its not everyday that you are afforded the opportunity to explore wonderful ruins that haven't been developed into something boring yet.

 

I might be wrong, but I think that Geauga Lake is fenced out and is not accessible to the public. Doubt that the land owners would welcome people to wander around on their private property given that everyone is so sue happy these days.

 

In terms of the OP's itinerary, it sounds pretty solid as you are giving yourself plenty of time at the major parks. I like that you have your priorities straight with the beer, food, bourbon, etc. My kind of enthusiast!

 

I also made the same mistake as Bill on the toll roads in Toronto...just know that if you're using GPS and you have it set on fastest route, the ETR is likely going to be the first freeway that it's going to try and direct you towards!

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Day 9: Sunday, May 27: Drive 2 hours to Waldameer, check that out for a few hours. Then Conneaut for a few hours. Then make my way back to MD. Option to extend trip into Monday (Memorial Day) if we’re tired.

 

If rain is in the forecast, don't even bother going to Conneaut. They were quick to close with rain in the forecast last summer when I tried to visit. But if they are open, definitely stop in since that park always seems to be on the chopping block.

 

I loved Waldameer. It was a quaint, beautiful park and I was glad to have a full day there. They only have one elite coaster in Ravine Flyer II, but they have an awesome flume, some cool dark rides, one of the best drop towers, and some other solid rides.

 

I see your drive home would take you right past Pittsburgh. I'd recommend spending most of the Sunday at Waldameer and then stopping into Kennywood on either Sunday night or Monday since you'd be passing it anyway. I believe they have a twilight ticket.

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After Cedar Point, consider taking Ohio State Route 2 to Toledo instead of the turnpike. Saves a little cash and it's a (slightly) more interesting drive. If you go that way, you could hop over to the Marblehead lighthouse first thing in the morning if that sort of thing interests you.

 

Mexicantown in Detroit is cool (Taqueria Lupita's and the La Gloria Bakery are great, but others swear by some of the other restaurants in the area too). Downtown is an interesting mix of redeveloped and gritty -- DirkFunk already covered the highlights there. Belle Isle is a really nice park just upstream on the Detroit River. And since you're heading up I-94 to Port Huron, if you're into that sort of thing, you'll be passing right by CJ Barrymore's -- which has a looping pinfari credit. Again, only if you're into that sort of thing, in which case -- I repeat, looping pinfari -- you might be crazy.

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After Cedar Point, consider taking Ohio State Route 2 to Toledo instead of the turnpike. Saves a little cash and it's a (slightly) more interesting drive. If you go that way, you could hop over to the Marblehead lighthouse first thing in the morning if that sort of thing interests you.

 

Yeah this is a good tip IMO. Just stopping in at the Birding Center is justification enough if the place is open.

 

Mexicantown in Detroit is cool (Taqueria Lupita's and the La Gloria Bakery are great, but others swear by some of the other restaurants in the area too). Downtown is an interesting mix of redeveloped and gritty -- DirkFunk already covered the highlights there. Belle Isle is a really nice park just upstream on the Detroit River. And since you're heading up I-94 to Port Huron, if you're into that sort of thing, you'll be passing right by CJ Barrymore's -- which has a looping pinfari credit. Again, only if you're into that sort of thing, in which case -- I repeat, looping pinfari -- you might be crazy.

 

Los Galanes is really good in the center of Mexicantown, and El Rancho (which has a really good mole) and Xochimilco are solid too. But like, if you want to eat something distinctly Detroit and you're on a budget, there's Coney Island Lafayette. American Coney Island is next door, but that's for posers. Don't eat there. Not that anything in Detroit is crazy expensive except entrees at Cliff Bells or The Whitney.

 

As far as the dude talking about the cost of driving - like, sure, the federal mileage per diem is 0.54/mile and if you drive 1200 miles, that's like $600+ bucks, but like, you own a car for the purpose of driving it. At least that's how I look at it. Plus those are easy miles - mostly flat, may not even need A/C given the time of the year, lots of freeway driving where you set the cruise and forget it. Anyways, what I'm getting at is that its pedantic and doesn't even matter because homeboy's girl need the car.

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Detroit - In Midtown, you have Jolly Pumpkin, Motor City Brew Works, and Traffic Jam all on the same street in view of one another. All also serve food. Plus there's the Shinola store and Third Man Records (and some other places too). That's about the easiest bar hop in the history of bar hops. The Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit Historical Museum (free), and Charles H Wright African American Museum are just a couple of blocks away. If you head Downtown, you can do a solid architecture run with the Guardian Building, Renaissance Center (and GM showspace on the first floor), Hart Plaza, Spirit of Detroit Statue, Joe Louis Monument, and a loop on the Peoplemover. If you want to drink there, Grand Trunk Pub and the Whiskey Parlor are steps away. You go further into the middle of downtown and you can hit Standby, Punch Bowl Social, Rusted Crow, Cliff Bell's, Cafe D'Mongos, and more. There's some really good stuff in Corktown and Mexicantown too, but with such limited time, you're better off concentrating on those areas IMO.

 

Toronto - The lazy thing to do is to head to Roundhouse park and drink at Steam Whistle, visit the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium, and do a Rogers Center (Skydome) tour or see an event there if something is occurring. The slightly less lazy thing to do is to take a boat across to Centreville Island if it's open and snag the coaster credit and ride the awesome old dark ride at the amusement park, then grab a beer in the bar there. I personally wind up on West Dundas when I'm out there more often than not because I know folks that way, and there's a preposterous number of places to do at all hours: Bandit Brewery is absolutely tops, but if you head up to Dundas and Keele, that's where there's a ton of action. There's architecture everywhere that's cool from the Art Gallery of Ontario to the library at UT. If you want hipster juice there's Kensington Square. The Sharetea location near Yonge-Dundas Square (AKA Canada's Times Square) is where I'd told the best pudding tea in the city is - yeah, it's a chain, but it's a Taiwanese chain first and foremost, OK? Sneaky Dee's is also real and probably has a wait unless you show up at 1AM like I do. Honest Ed's was real but they closed it; Koreatown and the section of Bloor it's by is still cool though and has a great documentary only movie theater.

 

If you never leave the 'burbs because that's where CW is and that's where you stay, Brampton has the best indian food probably on the continent. Vaughan Mills is near the park and it's a gigantic mall with a food court that has circus acts in it from time to time. Master Steaks in Mississauga is a throw back to 50 years ago - counter service cheap steak dinners in the middle of an industrial park. As far as the ETR goes, if you have an unlocked phone, grab a SIM chip at PetroCanada and get the cheapest package so you can have some data when traveling. The 400 can become a horrible, horrible slog. Yeah, the 407 is expensive as hell, but it never, ever has traffic on it. I'm willing to spend $20 USD to not spend a half hour or 45 minutes in traffic.

 

BTW: I've heard good things about Myrtle's Punch House in Cinci and I know there's a pile of decent bars in Covington across the river (hey, it's walkable).

 

Also, there's a bunch of not hideous coasters or parks on the route you're missing (Martin's Fantasy Island, Marineland, Idlewild, Kennywood, Coney Island Cincinnati, aformentioned Centreville). Not sure if you care or not but I might as well bring them up.

 

Thank you so much! Amazing stuff in there. If you're telling I can get the best Indian food in North America, then I'm definitely going to have to do that. Like I said, time is gonna be really limited in these cities, and either just in an afternoon or night, so I'll only be able to pick one or two, but I've got a lot to work with here! I'm also going to have to check out those smaller parks and see if maybe we can work them in, since we do have a fair amount of potential extra time. We've been to Kennywood, and I'm not worried about it for this trip.

 

 

After Cedar Point, consider taking Ohio State Route 2 to Toledo instead of the turnpike. Saves a little cash and it's a (slightly) more interesting drive. If you go that way, you could hop over to the Marblehead lighthouse first thing in the morning if that sort of thing interests you.

 

Mexicantown in Detroit is cool (Taqueria Lupita's and the La Gloria Bakery are great, but others swear by some of the other restaurants in the area too). Downtown is an interesting mix of redeveloped and gritty -- DirkFunk already covered the highlights there. Belle Isle is a really nice park just upstream on the Detroit River. And since you're heading up I-94 to Port Huron, if you're into that sort of thing, you'll be passing right by CJ Barrymore's -- which has a looping pinfari credit. Again, only if you're into that sort of thing, in which case -- I repeat, looping pinfari -- you might be crazy.

 

Thank you. Also that coaster is called "Loop Roller Coaster." What a f*cking name!

 

I like that you have your priorities straight with the beer, food, bourbon, etc. My kind of enthusiast!

 

Just not coasters and bourbon at the same time! Also, if your name is Phil, then we share the same name. Maybe that has something to do with it haha

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As far as suggestions for excursions and activities, there are actually fantastic ruins of the old Six Flags Ohio that are still around. I've heard that they are very fun to visit, and will provide an exhileration like none other. I've heard great things, and not really heard of anything negative about this idea. Its not everyday that you are afforded the opportunity to explore wonderful ruins that haven't been developed into something boring yet.

 

I might be wrong, but I think that Geauga Lake is fenced out and is not accessible to the public. Doubt that the land owners would welcome people to wander around on their private property given that everyone is so sue happy these days.

 

In terms of the OP's itinerary, it sounds pretty solid as you are giving yourself plenty of time at the major parks. I like that you have your priorities straight with the beer, food, bourbon, etc. My kind of enthusiast!

 

I also made the same mistake as Bill on the toll roads in Toronto...just know that if you're using GPS and you have it set on fastest route, the ETR is likely going to be the first freeway that it's going to try and direct you towards!

 

That is quite disturbing news indeed. Its always great to explore fascinating ruins.

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After Cedar Point, consider taking Ohio State Route 2 to Toledo instead of the turnpike. Saves a little cash and it's a (slightly) more interesting drive. If you go that way, you could hop over to the Marblehead lighthouse first thing in the morning if that sort of thing interests you.

 

Yeah this is a good tip IMO. Just stopping in at the Birding Center is justification enough if the place is open.

 

Mexicantown in Detroit is cool (Taqueria Lupita's and the La Gloria Bakery are great, but others swear by some of the other restaurants in the area too). Downtown is an interesting mix of redeveloped and gritty -- DirkFunk already covered the highlights there. Belle Isle is a really nice park just upstream on the Detroit River. And since you're heading up I-94 to Port Huron, if you're into that sort of thing, you'll be passing right by CJ Barrymore's -- which has a looping pinfari credit. Again, only if you're into that sort of thing, in which case -- I repeat, looping pinfari -- you might be crazy.

 

Los Galanes is really good in the center of Mexicantown, and El Rancho (which has a really good mole) and Xochimilco are solid too. But like, if you want to eat something distinctly Detroit and you're on a budget, there's Coney Island Lafayette. American Coney Island is next door, but that's for posers. Don't eat there. Not that anything in Detroit is crazy expensive except entrees at Cliff Bells or The Whitney.

 

As far as the dude talking about the cost of driving - like, sure, the federal mileage per diem is 0.54/mile and if you drive 1200 miles, that's like $600+ bucks, but like, you own a car for the purpose of driving it. At least that's how I look at it. Plus those are easy miles - mostly flat, may not even need A/C given the time of the year, lots of freeway driving where you set the cruise and forget it. Anyways, what I'm getting at is that its pedantic and doesn't even matter because homeboy's girl need the car.

 

Well, I think that many people like to rent cars when they do road trips.

 

1. If you're going with a group, it makes it cleaner and easier to split up expenses, as people usually tend to underestimate the cost of driving and stick the bill with the driver.

 

2. a. If you have a non-fun car, you can a fun car to spruce up the trip, and enjoy the open road in style.

b. If you own a car fun that isn't practical, you can rent a cheaper car and the put the miles on that one, and get an option that's more cost effective.

 

3. You can get the number of seats that are appropriate for the trip, and the requisite space for the cargo.

 

4. It allows you to vary where you start and finish your trip, enabling you to fly to your destination to minimize travel time, and maximize happiness.

 

5. If you're planning an elaborate, expensive, and/or time sensitive trip, if your own car breaks down or has trouble, you might be out a few days. If you rent, its the agency's issue, and you can trade it in for a workable one.

 

6. If your car is a stickshift, or you have certain insurance restrictions prohibiting other people from driving, you might be stuck driving the whole trip by yourself. Getting a more universal car allows you to fairly split up driving duties.

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Is this person a troll or are they just insane?

 

Yes.

 

 

That said, I always rent a car on long trips because my pickup has 210,000 miles on it and gets around 18 mpg on the highway. Using Hotwire with enough notice I can usually get a compact car that gets 35+ mpg for $20-25 a day (fees and taxes included). I usually end up spending less than I would on gas in my vehicle depending on the trip.

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Is this person a troll or are they just insane?

 

Yes.

 

 

That said, I always rent a car on long trips because my pickup has 210,000 miles on it and gets around 18 mpg on the highway. Using Hotwire with enough notice I can usually get a compact car that gets 35+ mpg for $20-25 a day (fees and taxes included). I usually end up spending less than I would on gas in my vehicle depending on the trip.

 

So how is what I said trolling, but what you said wasn't? Only difference was that I used bullet points.

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Conneaut is definitely worth a look if you have the time. Yes, it's decrepit and scary in places (i.e.- just look at the lift hill of Blue Streak), but last year the crowds were much larger than the usual 7 people in the park at any given time and it was much less depressing to visit. As others have said, be sure to try the dark ride (credit? ) and Tumble Bug. The Train and Flyers are also worth a spin.

 

And as much as I enjoy coasterbill's comments on here, I will disagree with him on the use of the 407 ETR in Toronto. Living in Cleveland, I have made several trips to Toronto over the past few years and have used the ETR every time. Yes, the price is exorbitant (a round trip I made last year from QEW to Whitby cost me $94 CDN), but since I usually travel solo, I can't make use of the QEW's HOV lanes legally, so I often end up sitting in traffic between Hamilton and downtown. Using the 407 as sort of a "FastLane", I bypass all of that and speed right on up to Vaughan with minimal hassle. But hey, that's just me... the same guy that spent $50 on a NEXUS card to use as a "FastLane" at the border. Can you tell I'm impatient?

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Just not coasters and bourbon at the same time! Also, if your name is Phil, then we share the same name. Maybe that has something to do with it haha

 

Maybe not exactly at the same time, Phil...but I can attest that a couple of bourbon Manhattan's before going on coasters is a ton of fun!

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Conneaut is definitely worth a look if you have the time. Yes, it's decrepit and scary in places (i.e.- just look at the lift hill of Blue Streak), but last year the crowds were much larger than the usual 7 people in the park at any given time and it was much less depressing to visit. As others have said, be sure to try the dark ride (credit? ) and Tumble Bug. The Train and Flyers are also worth a spin.

 

And as much as I enjoy coasterbill's comments on here, I will disagree with him on the use of the 407 ETR in Toronto. Living in Cleveland, I have made several trips to Toronto over the past few years and have used the ETR every time. Yes, the price is exorbitant (a round trip I made last year from QEW to Whitby cost me $94 CDN), but since I usually travel solo, I can't make use of the QEW's HOV lanes legally, so I often end up sitting in traffic between Hamilton and downtown. Using the 407 as sort of a "FastLane", I bypass all of that and speed right on up to Vaughan with minimal hassle. But hey, that's just me... the same guy that spent $50 on a NEXUS card to use as a "FastLane" at the border. Can you tell I'm impatient?

 

Interesting way to look at it! LOL. I guess the 407 is the "fastlane" to Wonderland. It's only neccessary during rush hour and I believe the OP will be coming through later than that, and as you mentioned, with 2 or more occopants, the HOV Lane is available almost all the way (QEW then 403) to hwy 400.

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I'm surprised in the Niagara Falls/Buffalo NY area, no one's yet mentioned Clifton Hill, a mind boggling assortment of tourist traps that has to be seen to be believed (especially the figure of Frankenstein eating a hamburger). And if you are a haunt fan, there's many to do... although most of them are not much more than elaborate home haunts with "off the shelf" gags and little to no live actors, Nightmares is quite the standout, and not to be missed if that's your sort of thing.

 

Also very near Cedar Point is Ghostly Manor, another year round haunt is actually pretty good.

 

I did a very similar trip. I actually didn't mind Conneaut. But it is very small, and I agree it's all about Blue Streak and the Devil's Den. Across the street in their lawn parking lot sits a rusting Tobbagan (on it's side, not even close to operational) that you can get super close to (it's not fenced off), and was fun to explore up close and take pics of.

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