Mark's Postcard Paradise

One of the fairly big news stories this past week was finally hearing that the long dormant coaster, Cliff Hanger, at Ghost Town in the Sky was reopening. Well it did reopen with riders at least for a little while. It seems to be down again at the moment while undergoing some technical refinements, so let's hope the park can get the bugs worked out for this very unique ride. Here's a postcard featuring an aerial view of Cliff Hanger and the rest of the park built high on a mountain top in North Carolina.

Cliff Hanger (sporting its former red and white colors when it was named Red Devil)

In celebration of the TPR Deep South trip having begun, here's a postcard of my personal fav inverted coaster, Top Gun - The Jet Coaster (aka Afterburn), at Carowinds.

Welcome to the South and have a great time on the trip y'all!

Hey what is up with that postcard???? Did they repaint the track or is that a photo enhancement? The track was originally silver.

Good eye Shane! I'm not sure if it's a photo "enhancement" or not. All of the pics on RCDB and in the TPR park index show it with silver track. Anyone know for sure if it ever actually had blue track?

It still has it's original paint scheme. The blue has been flaking off the supports and needs to be redone. I'll be riding it about an hour. Yayyy for me.

I'm so jealous Scott! You'll have to let us know how it's running.

It's time to heat things up a little bit this week, and join the TPR Oven the State...oops I mean Texas...trip with a look at Sea World San Antonio's Great White and Steel Eel. When I visited in 2007, Sea World was packed wall to wall with kids in strollers. I have never seen more strollers in my life! Needless to say it was not an easy day of getting around the park. Also, the operations were honestly pretty bad, especially at the food service places. I would almost rather go back to Fuji Q than Sea World. Hopefully TPR has a much better experience!

Also...BONUS POSTCARD! I've been to Texas quite a lot over the years, and everytime I go, it seems like something crazy, wacky, or really unusual occurs. For example, back in my indie rock band touring days, we were driving from New Orleans to Houston when just as we crossed the state line and saw the "Welcome to Texas" sign, a huge chunk of metal flew off the truck/trailer driving next to our tour van and crashed through our windshield! Although we tried catching up with him, the driver never slowed down or noticed, but sped up and kept going. It was a seriously scary moment. You definitely don't mess with Oven the State!

or else you will totally BAKE in Oven the State!

Noted!

Eel-ectrifying lol. Can you find Nemo?

Both coasters have pretty cool logos!

I did some digging back in the Paradise archives for this next postcard from Virginia's Buckroe Beach, a defunct park you never really hear much about anymore. I really have no idea how I acquired this card since I've never been to Buckroe, but it has been in my collection as far back as I can remember. According to RCDB, the park closed in 1985. This view shows the 1920's John Miller built Dips woodie with its station in the foreground. I've always loved how Miller's drops were built only inches from the ground. It appears there was a pretty good double down on this coaster too.

Did anyone here ever get to visit Buckroe and ride Dips?

Hi Larry...a new entry for the TPR Park Index

Funky Scrambler lights. Can you dig on those hot pants and high heels?

This postcard should get all you peeps going to the Bay Area Bash this Friday even a little more excited. It's Medusa at Six Flags Marine World...err Discovery Kingdom. Enjoy your floorless ERT!!!

The park name change was already in motion with the price mark down of this card. Could this be the next Bizarro "extreme home makeover" coaster?

Look at all that dangling action!

August is turning into "follow along with the TPR West Coast trip" month, so today I'll post a card from Great America when it was owned by Paramount. Here's Drop Zone Stunt Tower. Did CF change the name to just Drop Ride I wonder?

Oh and does anyone notice something a little odd about this photo? Find it, and win a ducky prize from Big Mike! Just kidding, but you can certainly email Dan about it.

Hi TPR West Coast trippers! How was your ride?

Find the ducky!

If you look carefully at the Top Gun postcard the track and ties on the running side of the track are Silver, it would appear to be some photo editing maybe for aesthetic reasons on the postcard?

LOL! Do the advertisements on the carriage say Paramount Carowinds? I better email Dan about this.

Great stuff Mark!

Yes it is the Drop Zone at Paramount's Carowinds...You can tell by two things, first and most obvious is the sticker that says Paramount's Carowinds...

Second, for those of you with a sharp eye you will notice that the first two seasons of Drop Zone at Carowinds there was not the checker patern between the color changes it simply went from green to yellow. The checkers were added later.

There is one other way to confirm this is Carowinds'...anyone know???

I can't think of another way to confirm, but here is what appears to be the original picture

I didn't realize there was more than one ducky in this view of Drop Zone. Big Mike would be proud!

Hmmm...I think I know the other distinguishing feature, but maybe someone else can take a stab at it.

I am thinking that the Great America Drop Tower has 5 sides to it, whereas this one clearly only has 4.

Mostly a Guess as I haven't actually been to either park, this is going by photos I have seen of the rides.

^ Well that's not exactly what I was thinking of about the 5 sides but maybe someone can verify.

My guess was going to be about the top of the tower and the paint scheme.

I think I'll probably have to use a lifeline and call in Shane to officially confirm.

Well...you would both be kind of both right. PGA's Drop Zone actually features 6 cars and because there is so much more mechanical stuff in the top there are much more checkers on PGA's.

Nice job guys...don't you just love my little bits of trivia?

Mark are you going to China or Japan???

Woo...Shane has officially answered the Drop Zone trivia question as my lifeline, so it looks like I'll get to advance to the next level on TPR Deal or No TPR Deal! How exciting!! And also congrats to Scottish Steve as well as andyuk200523 for rocking out the correct answers! Hopefully you've all enjoyed playing this round and will tune in again next time.

Shane unfortunately no I will not be going on the China or Japan trips...this time that is. Hopefully when I make it to the top of TPR Deal or No TPR Deal and rake in all the winnings, I can go again. I think I saw you mention somewhere you are doing both?

Here's another postcard for all you TPR West Coast trippers...this time at DCA. I just love how California Screamin' feels so Schwarzkopfy!

Best steel in California?

I could be wrong, but I believe something is amiss about this view now. What is it? Hmmmm.

I have a couple of old postcards that I've been too lazy to scan. When I can get to it, I'll definitely post them here, but here's a picture of them for now. All of these postcards are from the mid to late 90s and both the Sea World and USF postcards belong to my sister.

The Centre Island one could be rare.

^ Looks like you have some cool postcards. I'd love for you to post them here!

Here's one for all you TPR peeps who went with Robb and Elissa to Vegas last week. I picked this postcard up in the Vegas airport gift shop during my 2 hour layover there 3 years ago. I'm not sure I'm sad or really happy I didn't have enough time to ride The Roller Coaster (Manhattan Express was such a better name!) though I could see it from the airport windows.

Lots of places to steal all your money.

Fabulous! Well maybe not so much The Roller Coaster.

B is for birthday...and also for Balder!

It's hard to believe a whole year has gone by since I started this thread. That's right...it's our one year anniversary here in the Paradise. So in lieu of no birthday cake, we'll celebrate with something better...Balder! This woodie is simply amazing...fast, very smooth, lots of airtime, great headchoppers, pacing, tunnels, etc., etc. The fact that it's located in an awesome Swedish park, Liseberg, is icing on the birthday cake. Our night ERT rides on Balder during the TPR Scandi trip this summer were INSANE!!!

Thank you Liseberg for your incredible hospitality and awesome ERT while TPR visited this summer (oh and might I add your meatballs are the best on the planet!), and thanks again everybody for checking out this thread over the past year!

I'll have another slice of cake please.

Mmmmmm...Balder tastes so good!