So, a few weeks before I had to start work, I decided to take a week long road trip. I wrote up some of my thoughts as I went, and others after the fact, and I will present them here.
day 0:
8 hours of driving, woot. Aso, Indiana likes labeling phantom workzones.
day 1:
Holiday World -- where Christmas music can bug you year round! Also, safety is a priority, and that's why we cross the tracks with the ride in operation (with auto-accept on, too)!
After I got bored of the three coasters, it was 8 hours of more driving. (Well, 7, plus losing an hour).
Arrived at Cedar Point with 10 minutes to spare. Get to Top Thrill Dragster just in time. Ride's out of order at that point, and from what I could gather, it had a failed launch. So, I wait 15 minutes until they get it going again. After getting off, the last train has empty seats, so I get a reride. Sweet. Hair blown back, and it's time for more sleep.
day 2:
Cedar Point -- one, owww, the sun is hot and causes a nasty case of sunburn. I look something like a racoon, and I didn't even have sunglasses on. First thing to do after walking back into my room was to strip down and take a cold shower. All the rides were great--as it should be expected, Arrow Dynamics rides tend to cause the most headache, and all the Intamin rides provided the most fun to me--Dragster, Millenium Force, and as a real surprise, Maverick. Okay, Maverick isn't smooth in the banked curves, and shakes you up pretty good, but it does it in a really fun way (and unlike Arrow, it's meant to). Also, when I first arrived at the park and rode Raptor, I could've sworn I saw someone in the queue wearing a collar. I thought that was funny, said to myself, "lol, furry," and brushed it off. At the end of the night, just as I'm about to go to my last ride on Maverick, said guy stops and points at me, just saying "that shirt... FurAfinity?" So, we get to talking, he's on his senior trip, and didn't expect to run into a furry at Cedar Point. Quite frankly, I figured I might run into one or two (hence wearing the shirt), but didn't think I'd actually get to know any. Really cool ending to the day, to say the least. Up for tomorrow? A long drive to Maryland ahead, then Six Flags Great Adventure and FA:U await.
day 3:
More endless driving. This time, it comes with about $20 in tolls. Wonderful, but I make it to Baltimore by dinnertime. I figure I'm not terribly tired, so I see if I can move my hotel reservation forward a day in New Jersey, and decide to continue on with my friends in tow (RyuRabbit and Alukit). We get there sometime around 10pm, with pretty chilly weather outside, and also happen to see some nice weather on the way. Settled into the hotel room, it's time for sleep, as Six Flags is tomorrow.
day 4:
On to pick up another friend (Mex) and my sister (after getting lost in jughandle hell while trying to eat breakfast), we then make our way to Six Flags Great Adventure. Overall impression of the day is, Great Adventure has the money for some pretty good rides, but has perhaps the worst management of any of the parks I've been to. For one, they prevent a friend from buying a $3 bottle of water because he can't show his driver's license (against Visa rules). Also, getting squished while someone can't pass the metal detector which is IMMEDIATELY after the turnstyle was a bit uncomfortable. That said, El Toro is a rather unusual (and fun) wooden roller coaster with pre-fabricated track--using the lift style of Millennium Force, too. Also had some good B&M coasters (Batman, Bizarro, and Superman). Of course, there's also Kingda Ka. Rolling Thunder was perhaps the most painful of the day--despite being designed by the same people who built Screamin' Eagle (and a few years newer), it's in far worse shape. Finish off the day with the wonderful Rai Rai Ramen #3 (on my sister's recommendation), and get back to the hotel late that evening.
day 5:
First day at FA:U. I see a lot more of my friends--Nybble had already come down the previous night from NY for the day, also find BlakDrgn, Zero, and CrayWolf are all wandering around working. I also find Bobskunk and say hello, and see CeriseWlf, but don't really say anything. Also meet quite a few new people, including Voltage and V-Smok, and ultimately have a great time just hanging out. I've been addicted to Wawa by this point, and figure I have to get my fix in before it's too late. Concert and performance by Matthew Ebel and 2 Gryphon are both excellent (though something akin to what I had seen at FWA). I also get a drink mixed from the wonderful bartender--he agrees to experiment and make a Baltimore Zoo, even though he's missing amaretto. Doesn't turn out terribly bad, at least.
day 6:
Last day of the con, I get my Wawa fix in, and hang out with everyone until the absolute last minute. We originally planned on staying until closing ceremonies, but after the ceremonies, I decide to grab a bite to eat with BlakDrgn and RyuRabbit, making the trek up north for one last stop at Rai Rai Ramen. Everyone loves it, and even though Alukit couldn't make it, we bring some ramen back for him. We leave kinda later than I had expected, but make it back to Maryland safely, where I promptly pass out.
day 7:
I'm up bright and early, spending just a little bit of time playing IIDX before I have to get on the road again. Goal is to make it about half-way, somewhere in Ohio. I succeed, and find perhaps the dirtiest motel I've been in for the entire trip (but also the cheapest at $40/night). I survive.
day 8:
One last day of driving, and it's a doozie. 11 hours of driving, one time zone change. I make it back to Kansas City in time for dinner, and also manage to stop at Flatbranch again to pick up a pretzel to go. It was totally worth it (any time I head east on I-70, I make it a point to stop there--the food's too good to pass up). Overall, I'm worn out, but the trip was excellent.
