Relocation Day
Total Timber Tour Blog Day 18
8 hour drive from hotel in Logan, Utah, north through Idaho and into Montana. Hotel for night in Missoula, MT. Today’ road trip was just amazing – empty Interstates and beautiful, ever changing scenery.
With just a driving day, and only 2 parks to do, we thought we’d use today’s blog space to summarise the ups and downs (pun intended) of the trip so far, along with some photographs which never made the other days’ blogs.
Day 01 Keansburg & Clementon
Even though Clementon was top of the plan, Keansburg turned out to be a real surprise – wrapped in atmosphere. Our first coaster of the trip cost us ‘9 tickets each to ride’.
Check out the brakes on HellCat!Day 02 GCIi & Knoebel's
Obviously disappointed about Flying Turns not being open, but it’s been many decades since this type of ride has ever been built, and there can’t be that many people living who remember riding the originals. We wish the park well in getting it up and running before too long.
Tour Transport Version 2!
Adrian is obviously disappointed that Flying Turns has yet to open.
No wonder they're having problems - there's a lot of 'bits' left over!
That's why we use so many memory cards! (me, and my shaaaddoow)Day 03 Waldameer
Since our first visit a couple of years ago, the atmosphere and people in the park have gone from totally alien to very friendly, and the Ravine Flyer surpassed our expectations. The top coaster of the tour?
Day 04 Holiday World
Legend had got better. Voyage turnaround rougher then previous visits. Raven as good as ever. The park has lost its ‘family run’ feel.
A 'typical' nativity scene.
Even more typical merchandise!
Every Christmas tree should have one!?Day 05 Six Flags St. Louis
Being recognised by a ride op on Tony Hawks because of this website. Evil Knievel last hour a real blast. Superman drop tower seemed tame. A great day at the park as ever.
Wonder Woman pulls!Day 06 Six Flags Great America, Little Amerricka and Mt. Olympus
Queues and lack of riding at Six Flags with limited time. Little Amerricka another surprise and a great small park with some of the most friendly staff anywhere. Hades tunnels still as stunning as ever, but second half rougher than previously and Cyclops closed.
8 flags over Six Flags!
Our candy-floss-less carousel shot - is the horse posing too?.
When in Rome.... (Chicago)......
Busy Busy BusyDay 07 Timber Falls & Mt. Olympus
Timber Falls - limited ‘unlimited’ ride passes? Mt Olympus – back seat on Zeus absolutely dreadful. Hades smoking up the lift hill and no staff particularly bothered.
At least they were trying to make things better...Day 08 Valleyfair!
First rain of the trip but only for an hour. Wild thing as smooth as ever. Park nice & quite and padding and trims removed all airtime on High Roller. Superb last 90 minutes on Renegade and the best 2 coaster ride ops of the trip. Amazing rain at night at hotel.
Can you spot Adrian in the Renegade line?Day 09 Nickelodeon Universe
More friendly and relaxed about photography than we thought they were going to be. Great way to start a day for a couple of hours.
Smoking area IN the car park?Day 10 Worlds of Fun / Jeremy Reid's Coaster
Amazing setting for cabins in new park village at Worlds of Fun. Jeremy and the whole family treated us so special and it’s great to meet a fellow enthusiast who shows such passion in his creation, and deservedly so.
No, we're not lost, we have the technology (just a problem using it!)Day 11 Six Flags Over Texas
Good first and last hour on Titan. Texas Giant just awful. Park quieter than expected – this was a Saturday! – probably because of the heat, or the ride reliability, or the rude spitting teens, or the less than enthusiastic staff, or a combo of all of it. Great hospitality shown to us though.
Phew - it's HOT!
Waiting for it to be completely re-tracked!
Professional show then. School on Saturday?
The alternative to a closed rapids ride.Day 12 Kemah Boardwalk
The day we realised our ride at Waterville was not going to happen because of Hurricane Gustav and the goal to ride ‘all the woodies’ was off. Idyllic setting, coaster an odd mix of fast and slow, with an unnecessary delay in the return to the station. Birthday celebrations on the coaster delayed the start of our riding and we weren’t invited! Staff would not accept the tour certificate for whatever reason (we’ve since received a thank you email from the park).
We didn't see anyone choking on it!Day 13 Sea World San Antonio
A last-minute storm-avoiding addition to the trip and a very rideable Steel Eel. Park was, again, unexpectedly empty but ride operations too ‘mechanical’ and no soul here.
We asked a park employee if they would mind taking our picture - all we got was a grunt, so we asked another park goer in the end!Day 14 Photo Op at Joyland, Lubbock
8 hours driving and still in the same State, Texas!
Woody installed into the replacement car. Looks happy enough.
After a few attempts, Ian finally got the hang of driving on the other side of the road.Day 15 Photo Op at Wonderland
Very cold day, a shock to the system after the heat of the Labor Day weekend.
Intensive farming - anyone for a burger?Day 16 Royal Gorge
Stunning location surpassed all expectations with a stunning Skycoaster. Other attractions were also very good. Best ‘home-made’ milkshakes of the trip.
This was used to advertise the ride when it opened.
Well, it's heavy!Day 17 Park City & Celebration Centre
Park City very rough and ready, but a great stop off. Zip line looks better than it rides, mountain slide trough’s full of bugs, Alpine coaster better and faster than expected. Celebration Centre just amazing. Everything we had anticipated and them some, and then some more.
Adrian completes the last 15 feet of the zip line manually!
Ian shows off his brown head.The trip, even with missing Waterville USA, has been everything we have dreamed of. We’ve both said our first visits to the States were ‘holidays of a lifetime’, but this one truly was. It was great to be such an integral part of the national interstate re-building / re-surfacing program too!
Those Twinkies are something else! (well, they are now!) Sorry Carol.It’s ‘living the dream’ to do a road trip across the USA, riding coasters as we go.