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Here's a photo you'll only get to take on Media Day, the sun rising off Lake Erie near GateKeeper!!! |
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Taken shortly after sunrise, GateKeeper descends down its first drop! The TV antenna in the foreground was from one of many TV
stations there to cover the Media Day events!
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This is how you are welcomed to the best amusement park in the known universe!!! GateKeeper runs through 2 keyhole towers over
the newly constructed front entrance gates. This is something you really have to experience for yourself!
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This is the far west end of the ride after passing over the front entrance gates. The coaster in the background is Blue Streak which
opened in 1964 and is the oldest coaster in the park!
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LEFT: GateKeeper's train twisting its way through the first of two keyhole towers. RIGHT: The same train on the way back! |
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A view from the parking lot of this incredible coaster! |
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A closer view of the keyhole towers! |
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GateKeeper's awesome signage near the ride's entrance. |
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I decided to take a walk out to the Cedar Point Beach on Lake Erie for some photos. Here we have the lift hill. |
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Another view of the lift hill with double-impulse coaster "Wicked Twister" in the background along with Giant Wheel and Windseeker
in this super wide-angle view. A polarizer filter on the camera lens was a must today with this beautiful blue sky!!!
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One of GateKeeper's four inversions as seen from the beach. |
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This coaster truly is in a class by itself! |
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Fast-forward to Saturday, May 11th, Opening Day. This is the first "revenue run" to put a passenger railroad term in this description.
Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate much with temps a good 30 degrees cooler and light rain, but that wouldn't dampen the
spirits of the thousands of people who came to ride this incredible coaster on Opening Day!
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On the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad, this "New" steam locomotive was in their yard. The railroad will celebrate its 50th Anniversary
this year and the identity of this new locomotive will be revealed...in a future travelogue!!!
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LEFT: GateKeeper passing through the second of two keyhole towers. RIGHT: Are you ready to ride??? |
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I hope you enjoyed these photos as this was an event that I'm still trying to find the words to describe! One coaster buff I talked to said this was "Bucket List Quality" and I have to agree! Well, in between Media Day and Opening Day, I went to do some railfanning of the "lower-speed rail" variety. I would make the drive out to Deshler, OH to go railfanning on CSX as well as take another side trip to Lima, OH as well to see the beautiful former Pennsylvania Railroad passenger depot that was a station stop on the Pennsylvania's (and later Amtrak's) Broadway Limited. So let's take a drive out to Deshler for the next set of photos from this awesome trip!
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