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Day 12 -- Cedar Point (Day Three)

Saturday, August 10, 2013

 

Lesson of the Day: Be a good ambassador for TPR and for the enthusiast community as a whole. Our tour shirts and TPR name badges were easy conversation starters with other people at the parks, especially when waiting in line for rides. There were plenty of opportunities to share stories about the fun of our hobby, the distances some people traveled to participate, and the place on the internet we call home. I know there are a lot of people who like to separate a dichotomy between enthusiasts and the general public. While I'm not a huge fan of that distinction, we -- as the big-time park tourists -- absolutely had the chance to make a good impression on the everyday visitors. Hopefully we were all successful.

 

Scorecard:

 

Cedar Point and Lake Erie Railroad (Full)

Power Tower Space Shot (x2)

Blue Streak

Raptor

Gemini (Red)

Millennium Force (Front) (Exit Pass)

Blue Streak

Raptor

Top Thrill Dragster

 

Day 12 -- Cedar Point (most of Day Three)

 

It was difficult to wake up on the last park day of the trip! I knew that Friday -- with 17 unique coasters and 13 rides on Millennium Force -- would be impossible to top. With no specific goals for Saturday, I opted to take it easy, especially after a pretty late night. I didn't even get out of Hotel Breakers until 1145 AM.

 

Saturday was sort of a difficult day in a few respects. Half of the TPR group had already departed for Cleveland, ready to catch flights to their home destinations. The 40-ish TPR members still remaining were tougher to locate among the huge Saturday crowds. Attendance was indeed the largest I'd ever seen at Cedar Point, though it had been a very long time since I went on a Saturday in the middle of the summer. Because of the crowds, Fast Lane was not as effective -- turning completely impossible lines on the major coasters into waits that were still pretty bad. I did start to wonder if perhaps they had sold a few too many. Finally, it was far and away the coolest day of the entire trip, with temperatures only peaking out in the mid 70s. I had considered taking Saturday as an opportunity to finally visit Soak City, but despite the light crowds in the water park due to the cool conditions, I opted to stay dry.

 

I first met up with Bas and Werner for some photography at the front gate and marina. After that, I headed to the south end of the beach for some different angles of GateKeeper and Wicked Twister. As rain started to look like a possibility, I decided to catch a ride on the train, which I knew would be one of few attractions still in operation. As I made a complete lap from the front station, the rain did come down, with the large crowds unable to cycle through the park's roller coasters.

 

My train ride finished at 315 PM, as the weather had begun to improve. I went for a walk along the frontier trail, exploring all of the shops and buildings, and taking some pictures along the way. I ran into one of the short Frontier Folks shows near the southeast end of the trail, with three performers acting a short skit. I was also impressed that the three actors stayed in character before and after the show, as they continued to interact with park guests.

 

I was on the frontier trail when Tony Clark announced he'd soon be holding a Tweetup for a few prizes, which I certainly hoped to get in on. I was perusing the Town Hall Museum at 425 PM when Tony hinted that the meeting would be held near the front of the park. I quickly headed out and started walking in that direction, learning shortly thereafter that he was at Hurricane Hannah's next to the front gate -- a full mile from the museum in Frontiertown! I arrived at 443 PM and was just in time for the Tweetup. I was also the only person to show the winning tweet as a text message on an ancient flip-phone! For my knee-busting walk across the entire length of Cedar Point, I was rewarded with a few items.

 

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The standard prize for all Tweetups in 2013 was this commemorative coin. It measures two inches in diameter.

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Here's the back of the coin, which celebrates the introduction of GateKeeper in 2013.

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The coins are very special, with only 500 created, and each one individually numbered. My coin is #216. The coins were, as far as I know, not available for sale anywhere in the park.

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Tony also passed out skip-the-line passes for several coasters. When Millennium Force -- my favorite coaster -- was offered up, how could I say no?

Thank you, Tony!

 

Needing a short break, I went back to the hotel just after 5 PM. I headed back to the park and went on Power Tower (Space Shot) twice, Blue Streak, and Raptor -- all with minimal waits, thanks to Fast Lane. I decided to try Pink's for dinner, but wasn't particularly impressed. I've never been a fan of places that throw the kitchen sink on a simple item (like a hot dog), emphasizing style and excess over actually being able to eat the thing. The sunset made for some outstanding colors in the sky, so I headed to the beach at about 8 PM to take advantage of an outstanding photo opportunity.

 

I'll stop here to get caught up on pictures. My next post -- which will be the last one -- will include the rest of the Saturday report, in addition to a few items from Sunday and a brief review of the two weeks as a whole.

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Pictures from (most of) Day 12

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A waterfall in Planet Snoopy.

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Joe Cool Cafe -- remember when this was Macaroni's?

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Cedar Point is an old place with a lot of history. Helen Keller even has a connection.

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This is one of the park's most historic structures -- the Cedar Point Coliseum. It was built in 1906. The first floor houses an arcade.

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The second floor of the Coliseum is a large ballroom, which was almost completely empty at the time I walked through.

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The Coliseum is on the National Register of Historic Places.

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A recent Cedar Point logo painted on the wood floor.

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The art deco styling of the Coliseum ballroom is pretty awesome.

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The south second-floor exit offers a nice view of the Kiddieland Carousel.

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Cedar Point has three carousels, all of which with rich history.

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This one was built in the mid-1920s. It first operated at Hunting Park in Pennsylvania, and was acquired by Cedar Point for the 1968 season.

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The Cedar Downs Racing Derby is perhaps the park's best-known carousel, and it really moves quick.

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This one began its operational life at a park near Cleveland, before moving to Cedar Point in 1967.

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M. Balming and Assoc. -- HalloWeekends advertising on the main midway.

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Let's check out some wait times -- two hours for Raptor? Welcome to Saturday in early August.

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I met up with Bas and Werner for some shots of the vastly-revamped front gate area. This view to the northeast has changed completely since my last visit!

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The new Guest Services building straddles both sides of the front gate. Just behind it to the left is the ancient storage/restroom building that hasn't changed since I first started coming to the park in the 1990s.

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This, of course, is the most striking of the many differences at the front gate.

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Keyholing over the entrance is a brilliant design move. My complaints about the ride aside, they hit a home run with the aesthetics.

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People head into the already-crowded park.

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This building (just left of the entry plaza when facing the front gate) is also completely new, replacing the old restrooms and season pass area.

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Keyholing again.

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Flipping through the tower.

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This is the key shot with all of the new elements -- the orange-tile buildings, the LED board, the new blue sign, and a brand-new B&M barreling through the towers. It's hard to even envision what this place used to look like.

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As I saw someone else point out, the wall styling on these buildings and the Banshee station is virtually identical -- only the colors are different.

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Welcome to Cedar Point.

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No birds on the new blue sign!

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Here's a view of the revamped ticket-scanning area. Yes, the "pit crew" was hard at work on Dragster, as we had just seen the night before. They got it running well before the end of the day!

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Happy park guests on GateKeeper.

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Werner's got the camera ready.

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One more keyhole shot.

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A look back at the new entry plaza from the front gate.

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Zoomed in on the LED board.

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Cedar Point: "The Queen of American Watering Places."

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Kiddy Kingdom is easily one of the most dated sections of the park.

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I have to admit -- I miss the spherical fountain that used to be here! I know it moved to another park, but I can't remember where.

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Driver's ed.

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Raptor through the trees.

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Time to head out on the marina pier for some more photography.

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First, let's check the weather forecast.

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Millennium Force rises over the boats.

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Four coasters in one shot, two of which in operation -- not that it's tough to do that at Cedar Point.

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WindSeeker high above Famous Dave's.

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A couple boats head out of the sheltered marina.

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The sign says "Have a Safe Day Boating." How safe can you be on one of those tiny motorized rafts?

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Heading out to the other side of the park to catch a launch on Wicked Twister.

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Spiral up...

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...spiral down.

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Time for a walk on the beach...

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...or a launch up a 200-plus-foot twisted spike.

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It makes sense, since it was early in the day on Saturday, that these were the longest lines for GateKeeper that I saw during our three-day stay at Cedar Point.

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Coming out of the Immelmann.

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It almost looks like a big pretzel.

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The inverted drop looks so strange, but it's not as intense or interesting an element as I was hoping.

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Heading further south on the beach to switch up the angles a bit.

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Coasters reflecting in the water.

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Not exactly a perfect beach day, but still some interesting views.

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Good timing on this one -- Wicked Twister, GateKeeper, WindSeeker, and Magnum are all in operation.

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Here's the view further south on the beach. Yes, there was a bit of wind, so the waves were coming in.

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A view north toward the breakwater.

Edited by The Great Zo
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Pictures from (most of) Day 12 ...continued

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Back in the park and preparing for a ride on the train (Myron H., to be specific).

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Here's why -- the rain was just starting, and most of the rest of the park was shutting down.

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A huge line for Millennium Force turned into a huge stopped line, thanks to the rain.

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The rain forced the temporary closure of Millennium Force, and yes, they stopped a train 20 feet outside of the station. I don't know why they opted to hold them on the lift hill, but they all got a good soaking.

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A view of the awesome first drop from the train.

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Looking out over Sandusky Bay.

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Downtown Sandusky from the train.

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A straight-on angle of Maverick's first drop and launch tunnel exit.

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Maverick was also on a brief hiatus.

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Mean Streak had temporarily closed as well, and this may be the most ridiculous picture I took on the entire trip. Those people are all standing around outside of Mean Streak, waiting for it to re-open at some undetermined time in the future, so they can wait in line for another 45 minutes, and then ride Mean Streak. I can't believe I just typed that.

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You Are Dead. Ha ha ha.

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Nice view of TTD from near Camp Snoopy on the train tracks.

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Millennium Force and Shoot the Rapids from a similar vantage point.

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Our Thursday evening photo tour took us past these props near Mantis, but from the train ride, I got a chance to see them in action.

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Off the train now -- how long is the wait for Millennium Force? Two hours.

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Here's the park's oldest engine, Albert. It's on display near Millennium Force.

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There are still plenty of craftsmen and craftswomen on the frontier trail. In addition to the blacksmith, there are people working with leather, wood, candles, and plenty more.

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Irons in the fire.

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Fort Sandusky on the frontier trail.

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The Frontier Folks put on a show...

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...in which a bumbling moron gets shot.

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Myron H. heads past the frontier trail.

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Millennium Force was about to resume operations -- here's the yellow train shooting blanks.

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A view over the petting farm area, which I believe has been significantly improved for 2014.

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Chicken.

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Cedar Point is one of just a few amusement parks in the country certified as Storm Ready by the National Weather Service. I am always happy to see large venues with well-marked storm shelters.

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A water wheel at the far end of the frontier trail.

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Bottles in the wall.

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Snake River Falls -- a classic splash boat with no shortage of water.

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Unfortunately, they wouldn't let any non-riders on the bridge or deck areas, so my photo opportunities were limited.

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So much water that the boat can't even be seen.

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That's a pretty big wave.

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Next up -- a tour of the Town Hall Museum in Frontiertown. Or, the Post Office of Miller City, Ohio -- established July 18, 1883. Miller City is a small village about 50 miles southwest of Toledo.

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Tons of old artifacts set up in the General Store area of the Town Hall Museum.

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Cedar Point has won a few Golden Tickets.

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Here's the winning K'Nex roller coaster from Cedar Point's Math and Science Week. It's called "Sinuous," and it was designed by Riverview Community High School (Grade 9) in Riverview, Michigan (near Detroit).

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The museum has scale models of several rides, including Blue Streak.

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They also have a model of the "New for 1982" White Water Landing, built by Arrow/Huss. I miss the ride, but I'm certainly not upset at what replaced its physical location. I'm more upset at what they built to replace its slot in the park's lineup.

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The Automatic Wonder -- Steinle's Sandusky Clock. 12 feet high, 9 feet wide, 2000 pounds. Over 40 animated figures, and built in 1897.

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American LaFrance's Steam Fire Engine #496.

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The Armored Horse from the Denzel Kiddieland Carousel. This is part of a small display set up through the Merry-Go-Round Museum in downtown Sandusky.

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I love maps, and there were several old maps in the Town Hall Museum. My favorite was a topographic map from 1900, but it was tough to photograph. I also found this one -- a detailed Ohio Inspection Bureau plot of the park from 1935. This is the southeast section of the park, and it looks like the Coliseum is the only remaining structure. The coaster labeled "Cyclone" is in the spot now occupied by GateKeeper.

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Hotel Breakers still looks fairly similar to the plot shown here. The "Bon-Air Inn" section is where we stayed on this trip, and it was obvious it was one of the oldest parts of the structure. The lobby and the rotunda have changed very little, but several of the surrounding structures were removed or altered significantly.

Edited by The Great Zo
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Pictures from (most of) Day 12 ...continued

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After my quick walk to the front of the park for the Tweetup, I headed back to the hotel, stopping to get this classic WindSeeker shot on the way. I know it's not an uncommon thing, but it's still amusing.

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Not a bad view from a hotel room bed, is it?

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Much fewer people in the water today.

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Cloudy skies and temperatures in the 70s will do that.

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Oh, look what's running again!

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Blurred...

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...or not blurred.

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Do they still use that "Race for the Sky" tagline?

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A word of advice -- keeping your mouth wide open on a fast Cedar Point coaster is sometimes not a good idea. Ride TTD or MF in the front row at night and you'll know why.

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It's pretty exciting, though.

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Coming down from the tower.

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Heading for the finish line in a one-vehicle race.

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Another group survives!

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Oh, there's also this coaster just behind it. There has to be a better use for that plot of land.

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Corkscrew had a 45 minute wait. Corkscrew.

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Power Tower on Fast Lane, however, had no wait.

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Interesting angles under the tower.

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Aesthetically speaking, this is the S&S tower to which all other S&S towers are compared.

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Raptor heads into the second half of the course.

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Raptor's vertical loop. Vertical loops are fun. Much better than cobra rolls.

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Even with Fast Lane, the three big Intamins were still long waits. Not so for Raptor, which was usually just a couple cycles.

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Blue Streak was also a quick trip to the station platform with Fast Lane, though the line was short even without it.

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Take a look at the picture in the Blue Streak logo letters...

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Disaster Transport survives another day! Long live Dick Kinzel's shoe size!

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No long line for Blue Streak, but it was running quite well.

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Hands up.

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Blue Streak's station in all its simplicity.

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GateKeeper as the light begins to fade.

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The Wicked Twister sign, as sunset approaches.

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I probably spent too much time taking pictures on the beach already, but the colors were pretty awesome.

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Cresting the second hill on Magnum.

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WindSeeker flipped its lights on.

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Hotel Breakers in the sunset.

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TTD is on fire.

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Sunset over the hotel.

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The best picture of any TGI Friday's ever.

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Magnum in the sky.

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The south end of the hotel.

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A line in the water.

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Orange, red, and blue.

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Still a few people out in the waves.

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Very, very orange.

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Almost purple.

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Another view north.

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Would have been an awesome time for a ride on Magnum.

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Bright towers at the south end of the park.

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The Hotel Breakers rotunda.

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The view from my hotel room window just keeps getting better.

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Gemini station.

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Magnum station.

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One more shot of TTD to close this "most of the day" photo set. The final batch from the trip will be posted this weekend!

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Great pictures!

A word of advice -- keeping your mouth wide open on a fast Cedar Point coaster is sometimes not a good idea. Ride TTD or MF in the front row at night and you'll know why.

Haha! My last ride of the day (on the day I left CP last summer) was TTD in the front and, well, all I can say is that my t-shirt still has the marks, my dad even took a mosquito in one of his teeth.

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Chicken.

This was quite funny as I had no idea Cedar Point had a farm area so I was pretty surprised when I saw a chicken crossing our path. I hadn't seen one in a long time and it's quite strange now because if you ask me when was the last time I saw one the answer would be: "Last August in Cedar Point" which sounds a bit odd.

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That Saturday at CP was probably the busiest amusement park I've ever seen. I just ended up walking around, napping, eating with friends, etc... I think I only rode Raptor and Blue Streak. Would've ridden TTD, but Robb jinxed it and it broke down.

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Haha! My last ride of the day (on the day I left CP last summer) was TTD in the front and, well, all I can say is that my t-shirt still has the marks, my dad even took a mosquito in one of his teeth.

 

My "favorite" part is thin film of liquid residue. Just wash it off and try not to think too hard about it.

 

That Saturday at CP was probably the busiest amusement park I've ever seen. I just ended up walking around, napping, eating with friends, etc... I think I only rode Raptor and Blue Streak. Would've ridden TTD, but Robb jinxed it and it broke down.

 

I rode both of those twice. Blue Streak had a short line in general, and Fast Lane helped a ton on Raptor. The major attractions were 30-45 minutes even with Fast Lane, and I think saw a 60 at one point on TTD (a couple hours after it opened). Taking it easy that day was definitely the best choice.

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Day 12 -- Cedar Point (Final Night)

Saturday, August 10, 2013

 

This report -- my final segment from Cedar Point -- picks up where I left off on Saturday evening.

 

I had just finished a short photo set from the beach at sunset, and was still armed with two exit passes for Millennium Force. After another quick stop at the hotel shortly after 8 PM, I went into the park for my final run of rides and pictures. I met up with Brett and offered him the use of my second Millennium Force pass. We made our way around the back of the park, riding Gemini Red, and then headed up to Millennium Force. This was a first-time experience for both of us -- entering through the exit and being those guys already in the front row as the train pulls into the station. The ride op at the exit warned us in advance about the bugs, but we gladly accepted of our fate as human windshields. It did, unfortunately, require a bit of cleaning up after the ride.

 

Brett and I took some pictures from the dock of the marina, then got in our last rides on Blue Streak and Raptor before splitting up. I had two more photography subjects I wanted to cover near the front of the park -- GateKeeper's keyholes and WindSeeker. Between the two, I stopped at Toft's for some of the best ice cream at Cedar Point. Toft's isn't too hard on the wallet, either.

 

Thursday night ended on Maverick, and Friday night ended on Millennium Force. It seemed fitting that the final ride on Saturday -- the last ride of the trip -- should be on Top Thrill Dragster. I met up with Brett again, and we got in line for the front row about 15 minutes before midnight. The line was a little too long, unfortunately, so the timing didn't quite work out. We ended up being relocated to the middle of the third-to-last train of the night. It was still a great way to end the trip, while still leaving just a little more to be desired -- just one more little hook that will keep me coming back to Cedar Point in the future!

 

Now well past midnight, we ended things again at TGI Friday's, though admittedly it was a smaller and quieter crowd than the past two nights. Steps away from the dark of the Lake Erie beach, we headed off to prepare for the trip home.

 

Pictures from (the night of) Day 12

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The evening photo set began again in Frontiertown, where Maverick was doing what it does best.

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Maverick makes the dive over the swan boat pond.

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Heading past the water cannon and into the rocks.

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Millennium Force rises over the trees.

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Snake River Falls was quiet at night.

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The Glass Blowing Theater is well-lit.

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Heading out toward the marina, Millennium Force dominates the skyline.

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Walking past Famous Dave's on the main pier at the marina.

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Boats and reflections on the water.

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Nice view of the southern section of the park over the water.

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A closer look at the Raptor and Blue Streak lift hills.

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Heading further out on the pier to get a better view to the north.

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Millennium Force shines over the outdoor seating area.

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Awesome reflections from the colored lights on the Millennium Force lift hill.

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An array of colors on Millennium Force.

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Millennium Force and a gas pump.

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A smoky sky at Cedar Point.

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A closer view of the rainbow color scheme on the lift hill.

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Millennium Force in brilliant green.

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A wider view of the reflection between the docks.

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Several other tall Cedar Point attractions are also visible from the docks.

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Power Tower looks like it's glowing.

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It was good timing to be set up for pictures, because Luminosity was just beginning!

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The sky begins to light up.

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Lights, smoke, and some interesting reflections.

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Fireworks in the air near Power Tower.

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More colorful explosions.

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The rockets' red glare.

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The bombs bursting in air.

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Unfortunately, Mantis was still there.

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Now for a look off to the southwest, with the lights of Sandusky in the distance.

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Green light for outgoing boats.

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One more view of the south end of the park from the docks.

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Getting ready for one last ride on Blue Streak.

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Nearby, Raptor goes through the zero-g roll.

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Raptor on the return leg.

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Raptor flips through the vertical loop.

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GateKeeper looks stunning at night. Even if there were issues with a few lights on the trains not working correctly, the effects generated by long exposures were still incredibly effective.

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GateKeeper goes past the front gate on the return leg.

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As much a signature shot of GateKeeper as any picture could be.

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Flipping back past the gate.

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Inverting beyond the towers.

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Towers and lights.

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Keyholing at night!

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Is there a catchy name for the almost-keyholing on the return trip?

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Green lights and red lights at the front gate.

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Another GateKeeper view over the gate from outside the park.

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HalloWeekends advertising already?

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A quiet crowd on the plaza outside of the front gate.

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The big flip through the turnaround near Blue Streak.

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I usually close out a Cedar Point trip with a stop at Toft's.

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Maxair and the Giant Wheel in action.

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GateKeeper swings through the Immelmann.

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Compared to the Banshee station, it's striking just how big the GateKeeper station has to be in order to accommodate the wide trains.

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Couldn't pass up a chance for a couple more shots of the Giant Wheel in motion.

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The colors simply look fantastic.

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The real reason I came over to the southeast side of the park was to get some similar shots of WindSeeker in operation.

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Even at ground level, the glow of the lighting package is pretty nice.

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It's not just the ride arms, either -- the sign changes colors as well.

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There's no question that Cedar Point is a more colorful place at night than it was when I last visited in 2008.

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WindSeeker looks like a buzz saw as it heads up the tower.

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Very bright and pink.

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The lights on the bottom of each seat create curved streaks through the sky.

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A wider view of WindSeeker at its highest point.

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Turning blue as it comes back down the tower.

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Reliability concerns aside, don't these rides look awesome?

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A slightly shorter exposures gives a bit of a stair-step zig-zag appearance.

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Even when a ride cycle is not running, the top of the tower remains lit in multiple colors.

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Intentional blur as the next cycle begins.

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It almost looks like a bright pink lamp.

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Too many colors to count!

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Before, I was seeing a multi-colored checkerboard. Now, I'm seeing Tetris.

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Bright blue and purple at the top of the cycle.

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I think it's watching us.

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It looks like an eye, doesn't it?

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Starting back down the tower.

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Not sure how to even describe this pattern.

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A green buzz saw near the bottom of the tower.

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Light yellow and pink as the ride cycle comes to a close.

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How about a few Dragster shots to close out the night? This one looks like an explosion.

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Another train launches up the tower.

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The Christmas tree lights up the night sky...

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...and a train crests the top hat.

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Streaks of light as a Dragster train launches.

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Pulling up to the staging area...

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...and launching to 120 MPH.

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A blurred train launches forward.

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Another launch cycle begins.

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It's short, but it's easily one of my favorite coasters anywhere.

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How anyone could call it a "bad investment" is beyond my ability to comprehend. The enthusiast community generally seems to like the ride, and more importantly, it's a monumental hit for the average park guest. People still stop in their tracks on the midway to watch a train launch up the tower.

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Time to close down TGI Friday's one more time.

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Magnum stays well-lit into the early morning hours.

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Ghosts outside the hotel.

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One more shot of the WindSeeker tower.

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Very dark out on the beach -- the brightest light is from the lighthouse at the end of the breakwater.

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The beach is lit only from the hotel, with distant lights way off over the water.

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The distant orange glow in the sky appears to be from far enough away that it could be Cleveland.

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Stars over Lake Erie in the early morning sky.

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That's it.

Edited by The Great Zo
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Day 13 -- The End of the Trip

Sunday, August 11, 2013

 

Waking up on the last day of the trip was even harder than the day before, but unless we wanted to be stranded at Cedar Point -- I can think of worse fates -- we had one last early morning to get through. Despite that, a few of us had time for a breakfast gathering at the Perkins in the Hotel Breakers lobby. Suitcases tend to get in the way of the narrow walking paths in a restaurant.

 

Our bus pulled out of the Hotel Breakers parking lot at 900 AM sharp, arriving at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport just over an hour later. Over the next eight hours, the count of TPR members at the airport would slowly tick away one-by-one, as the tour participants made their way back home. Despite traveling a shorter distance by air than anyone else on the tour (I was heading to see family in Detroit), I had the second-latest flight out. Only Yin's first leg to the west coast (and eventually onward to China) had a later departure. I had plenty of time to see off several new friends in their last few hours of vacation, before finally boarding the plane myself, with wheels off the ground at about 630 PM.

 

At 800 PM, as I walked out of Detroit Metro Airport, my TPR trip came to an end -- roughly 15 days and 13 hours after it had begun.

 

Pictures from Day 13

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One last view from the hotel room window. The clouds made an interesting angle with the Magnum lift hill.

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Packing up at the front of Hotel Breakers.

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Unfortunately, it was time to leave Cedar Point.

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Power Tower and its smaller, patriotic counterpart in front of the hotel.

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I never got my front-row ride at night. Another day, TTD. Another day.

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Welcome to Cleveland!

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There it is -- the big one is the Key Tower, the tallest building in Ohio.

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The main passenger area at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

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A new control tower under construction over the west end of the airport property.

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To the right is NASA's John Glenn Research Center. To the left is the radar tower used by the National Weather Service -- that's the one with the closest view of Cedar Point.

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Does Ian Hunter get royalty payments every time this phrase is used?

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Hey, who else remembers this awesome contraption in one of the airport terminals? I should have taken video of it! It's part of a display for Akron Children's Hospital.

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Fly Paper.

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The giant paper airplanes are in the entrances to the tunnel between Terminal C and Terminal D.

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Reflections from the windows, as the hours of waiting for my flight to Detroit continue on.

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A scene from the rejected Soarin' Over Cleveland.

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Downtown Cleveland from many miles away. I was on the correct side of the plane for that, and got some great views of southern Ontario. However, had I been on the left side of the plane, I likely would have seen Cedar Point as my flight headed west.

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Just about anyone who has flown through Detroit has been here -- the incredible light tunnel between the two sections of the McNamara Terminal.

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Cedar Point's many colors at night have nothing on this acid trip!

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It's an overwhelming barrage of changing colors, synchronized to an original score.

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The panels change colors and animate as the music plays on. It's really quite bizarre.

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For most people, ultimately, it's still just a way to get from point A to point B.

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At the center of the main terminal is a fountain designed by WET Design.

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If it looks Disney-ish, that's because it is -- the same people designed fountains at Epcot.

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I know at least one or two people took pictures of this fountain on their inbound trip through Detroit before the TPR tour began. Oh, and see the train on the second level, two pictures up?

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Time for one last ride and report! Here's a station shot from Detroit Metro Airport's mile-long ExpressTram.

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They even have an electronic sign for wait times, but Fast Pass was not available.

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POV shot!

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Reverse POV shot! Great, the trip's been done for less than a day and I'm already having coaster withdrawal.

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Time to head back to reality -- a welcome to my original home state of Michigan.

Edited by The Great Zo
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Final Thoughts

 

I have TPR emails in my archives from as early as February 2006, but back then, I doubt I could have imagined I'd go on a trip with the group seven years later. When I decided to join the Texas/Midwest tour for 2013, I came in as an outsider. I had no connection to the theme park industry. I had never been to a TPR event before. I knew nobody on the trip (minus one meeting at a hockey game, you rotten Pittsburgh fan). Was this really the right choice for someone who usually travels solo?

 

Now that I'm on the other side of the trip, I can say that I've not only answered that question, but reversed it. Traveling with the TPR group now feels like the right way to visit a park. What a way to have fun while riding roller coasters, or to make fun even when the situations aren't ideal. This was a really accepting group that was very easy to get along with, even with its size (over 90 people were on the tour). With just a tiny bit of effort, it was easy to make friends, and meet people from all around the world.

 

TPR trips are so fast-paced that there's little time to rest, but that's one part of the tour that did align with the way I usually travel. Did the itinerary work out for me? Absolutely! I picked up credit #100, then hit credit #150 six days later. I learned how to reasonably control myself on a FlowRider. I had my internal organs re-arranged on the 10-story shoe slide at City Museum, then had them re-arranged again two days later on Hades 360. I said "hi" to an umbrella cockatoo named Susie. I gained a new favorite wooden coaster in Outlaw Run. I watched a deity carve Texas out of a quarry wall with lasers. I got up close and personal with the LIMs on Mr. Freeze, and the hydraulic motor on Top Thrill Dragster. I got two tiny bites of cinnamon bread, and two is greater than zero. I rode a Ferris wheel on the roof of a high-rise building in downtown St. Louis. I soared 400 feet over the north Texas landscape on chain-connected swings. I remembered the Alamo. I overindulged on candy from New Zealand and Germany. I had 13 rides in 65 minutes -- at night -- on my favorite roller coaster on the planet.

 

It's not an exaggeration that these were two of the most entertaining weeks of my life. Simply visiting these parks by myself wouldn't have been nearly as fun. Could I have done the trip on my own, and for a lower cost? Sure, but that's just not the same -- it's a different experience entirely. TPR trips are a premium product, and you easily get what you pay for. The schedule is packed from top to bottom. The planning is meticulous. The work to set everything up is very thorough, and the effort to amend the agenda for unplanned adjustments is equally painstaking. Obviously, the perks we received at the parks are a huge part of the reason to do a trip, but the TPR crowd is just as much an aspect of why they're so successful. Overall, it was an experience that was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.

 

Thank you to everyone who made this trip (and trip report) possible. First and foremost to Robb and Elissa for, well, basically the entire thing! To the rest of the crew at the front of the buses, who helped keep everything organized through the journey. To those I borrowed pictures from for the report -- Robb, Elissa, Andrew, Chris M, Marcel, Neil, and others. To Stacy G, Neil, and James H for rescuing me at the airport and an awesome first two days in San Antonio. To my Q-Bot group of Victor, Stacy H, and Tim K, for making the most out of our days at the Six Flags Parks. To kiwi Matt and kiwi Andrew for the white chocolate, to Kristen for the Jr. Gemini credit, and to Yin for being the last person I saw before my departure. Thanks to you and to everyone else for contributing to the experience!

 

This trip was so much fun that it almost felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience...

 

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...it's too bad I have to wait a whole four days to start another one.

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Wow you can seriously write a book about this trip! Love everything on your TR so much! Those pictures are some of the best I've ever seen. Thank you for bringing back the memory of the awesome trip.

Thank you! Thanks for your contributions. I should have sub-titled the final section "the last cinnamon roll."

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