Fall Amtrak Vacation Trip 2006 |
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My Annual Visit To Cedar Point Amusement Park |
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Friday Night & Saturday - September 22nd-23rd, 2006 |
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I woke up around 2pm and walked over to the local Enterprise Rent-A-Car location in Sandusky which was about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. Yes, I’m sure they would have picked me up but I figured I could use the exercise! I was given a choice of a Ford Taurus or a Mitsubishi Galant. Considering I just got rid of my Taurus, I chose the Galant, as I had a Full-Size car rented and those were what was available. After signing the necessary paperwork, I headed for just outside Elyria, OH on Rte. 2 to go have lunch, I figured I was on vacation and felt like taking a drive! After lunch (I love them KFC Crispy Strips!!!) and a quick stop at a local Giant Eagle grocery store to pick up some bottled water and Diet Pepsi, I drove back to Sandusky and headed for Cedar Point. This year’s HalloWeekends event is big for CP as it’s their 10th year. Among this year’s features were the ever popular Fright Zone, along with CarnEvil, Fear Faire, Undertaker U, and Pharaoh’s Secret. The park was incredible as always. This year’s new attraction is Skyhawk, a huge swinging ride in Frontiertown. Even though this ride was the “Big Attraction” for 2006, I think the even “BIGGER” attraction this year was a new roller coaster that isn’t even open yet! “Maverick”, the park’s 17th coaster is under construction with a full view of the coaster available this year to guests. I took a ton of slides of it! This coaster will be nothing short of awesome, and will more or less guarantee my 16th visit to the park next year! I also spent all day Saturday at the park as well. The photos I took this year are featured here. Although the weather flat out didn't cooperate, I still found opportunities to take several photos while at the park, just had to dodge the rain drops, enjoy...
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 The Main Entrance to Cedar Point featuring this year's new attraction "Skyhawk". |
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 The official Cedar Point CarnEvil bus. I'm not so sure I'd want a ride in that thing! |
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 Was this hearse featured on one of those cable shows that restores old cars? A spoiler and hood scoop on a hearse, only at HalloWeekends!!! |
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 One of the many Main Midway Halloween displays waiting for you. And if you're in the mood for a Calypso Chicken Wrap or an Island Steak Burger, then Hurricane Hannah's (in the left side of the above photo) has you covered! |
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 Fear Faire, one of this year's haunted attractions will really scare you...after dark! |
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 Another Halloween display complimented by Raptor, an absolutely World-Class coaster!!! |
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Above Left: That's the biggest beagle I've ever seen in my life! Good Old Snoopy greets children near "Camp Spooky", a special area just for the younger generation of thrill-seekers! Above Right: MaxAir, Cedar Point's new attraction from 2005, a thrill ride nothing short of amazing. This ride was built by Huss in Germany. |
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 Even the "dead" need intermodal surface transportation!!! |
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 Maverick, Cedar Point's 17th, yes, 17th roller coaster will open in May 2007. Guests had the unique opportunity throughout the 2006 season to watch this coaster be built right before their eyes as most of the construction area was visible (and Cedar Point also had a web cam set up as well). Above is the sign at the construction site that explains the new coaster's elements and layout. |
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 One of Maverick's banked and inverted curves. This ride is gonna be awesome, I can't wait to get back to the park in 2007!!! |
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 Another looping element of this new coaster. |
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 A rather unique view of Mean Streak as seen from Maverick's construction zone. Built in 1991, it's one of the biggest and best wooden roller coasters in the world!!! |
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Two views of Cedar Point's new ride for 2006. Skyhawk is a swinging pendulum ride located in Frontiertown. At the peak of the ride's swing, you'll be swung 125 feet in the air and get a nice bird's-eye view of the ground below, then be swung the other way and on a clear day maybe see the International Space Station!!! (Just Kidding, but the view is amazing, you'll love it!!!) |
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 In this view (taken from the Space Spiral ride) you can see a total of six roller coasters!!! From left to right, they are Millennium Force, Mantis, Iron Dragon, Corkscrew, Mean Streak and that big tower on the far right goes to none other than CP's tallest coaster, Top Thrill Dragster!!! |
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 An overhead view of MaxAir. |
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 Wicked Twister (New in 2002) seen in this overhead view with the Giant Wheel in front of it and Lake Erie in the background. |
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 Wide-Angle View of Raptor, with Blue Streak hiding behind it. You have to ride Raptor to truly appreciate how incredible of a coaster it is. |
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 One more view of the park from the Space Spiral. The big blue tower is Demon Drop, built in 1983, it gives you the illusion of free-falling for a split second. And somewhere in that huge parking lot in the background is my rental car! |
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| As they have done in years past, Cedar Point once again lived up to its title of "Best Amusement Park In The World". This place is truly World Class. I have now visited CP for 15 straight years. It's because of Cedar Point that I was able to complete my college education thanks to the excellent Internship I did there in 2001. Something just keeps me coming back here every year. There isn't an amusement park anywhere in the world that matches what this place has to offer. Make sure to check out Cedar Point's official web site in the link below and also please follow along, there's lots more in the travelogue. See ya next year CP!!! |
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