4-day trip - Sunday, June 16 (meet day)
"Hello my friend, we meet again. It's been a while, where should we begin?"
And so at 7:10 AM, Creed was playing on the alarm clock to wake us up. Weird how that happened to be what was on to start the day, since later this afternoon is the famed FDRGM (Father's Day Red Garter Meet) and I'd have the pleasure again of seeing friends that I haven't seen since last year (again, getting ahead of myself).
All four of us were excited to hit the park early, since this is the first day that we would have the opportunity to do the early entry. As usual, I was the first one up and about, so I hit the coffee shop for coffee and the gift shop for some Krispy Kremes for Kathey. I'm not a doughnut eater, but she likes them and until recently you couldn't get them here in central PA. Kathey is originally from Birmingham, Alabama (I have to get to Visionland one of these days) and they are apparently big time stuff down there.
By 8:40 the four of us headed out of the Breakers (seems nobody else in our 22-member group wanted to wake up particularly early) and saw a long long line at the Oceana entrance to the park. Upon closer inspection though, it was only one line. There were probably 150 people waiting, but not a single soul in the season pass line. I inquired to make sure that they were indeed running a second line, and they were. Once I asked and the girls joined me, the ticket booth workers yelled out that this line was for season pass holders. 25 people from the first line filed in behind us. It's good to be in the know.
It was 9:05 according to the park clocks before the Star Spangled Banner was played. As the "home of the brave" ended, we passed through the turnstile and began the Millennium Dash. A couple of high school kids and many of the Marina gate denizens got to the Blue Monster ahead of us, but we managed to hit the second train of the morning.
Like the early ride yesterday, MF wasn't at its fastest for our first ride (1.2 for no particular reason). At its conclusion, we went directly back into line and had our second ride of the morning within 15 minutes. Seat 5.1 (my personal favorite) and Millie had begun to warm up. The air I got on this ride began just before we crested the first hill to the island and didn't end until we began to pull out at the bottom. I wish I'd had my stopwatch with me, but it felt like a full 5-7 seconds. Unreal! We also pulled some great air on the return hill and the camelback. Forget the G's at the pullout of the first hill - the neg G's on these hills are where it's at!
A third circuit would have required a 45 minute wait, so we headed back to the hotel to see who else was finally up and moving from our group.
While at the hotel, Lexi went down to the car to get a mystery package that I hadn't been allowed to see before now. Duh, today is Father's Day... I opened my gift and it was a very cool pencil drawing of her taken from her 7th grade school picture. A friend of Kathey's did it, and this puppy is suitable for framing. A very very cool Dads day gift.
By 10:30, the late-nighters from last night were ready to hit the park, so a group of ten of us made our way into the Magnum entrance and walked onto Maggie. It wasn't as chilly as yesterday, but it wasn't real toasty warm yet either. While today was the annual CP gay day, the park looked like your typical Sunday to this point. I had remarked in another thread in General Forums that I suspected several of the more militant members of that bunch would show up at the park in dresses to protest the cross dresser being tossed last year. If they did, security got them at the gates, because there was none of it in the park. In fact, except for a few of the more... uh... "flamboyant" guys (and a few disturbing T-shirt slogans) you likely wouldn't have noticed the "event" this year if you weren't looking for it.
We took another spin on Gemini, and my side won again -- this time in the red train. Weird. I was on a roll. Once again, Kathey and I left the kids with the rest of the group and went off on our own to experience what many would call the more "mundane" facets of the park.
Before we hiked the Frontier Trail, I convinced Kathey that she wouldn't get wet on White Water Landing. And for the most part, I didn't! She however, got it pretty good coming down the final drop. It would have been worse, but the people in front of us took the brunt of it. I had a great idea for drying off though -- a couple of games of skeeball in the arcade! (I'm still ready to take on Haverlock if he ever shows his face on this board again).
After skeeball, we leisurely toured Town Hall. I know, I know. Boring. And there are parts where I'd have to agree with you. I'd much prefer that the entire building were dedicated to Cedar Point history, since I'm very much into that stuff. [unpaid advertisement] CP sells a video called A Summertime Tradition that has some phenomenal pictures and footage dating back to the late 1800's. It's 20 bucks. Buy it if you're into the history of the park. Excellent supplement to the "Queen of American Watering Places" book.[/unpaid advertisement]
Next we took a quick ride on the Antique Cars, if for no other reason than I haven't been on them for several years. That, and after I drove the entire round trip, it was an opportunity to let Kathey behind the wheel:) . There are several geese who have made their home inside the confines of the ride, and more than once a ride op had to chase a stray goose from the track. Me? I don't like any kind of bird, so if I'd had the opportunity... let's just say that the ASPCA would be calling me about now.
We wanted to check out the glass-blowing exhibition, but they were closed. We hit a few other shops on the trail, but neither of us seemed to be in the mood to shop at the moment. I was ready to change into a more comfortable pair of shoes. U-turn and back toward the Hotel (did I mention how convenient its location is?)
Gemini was still a short line, so Kathey and I hopped on again. This time she won. And I had been doing so well up until now. We made a bet on this ride, the details of which I won't discuss here (kids read this stuff) but suffice it to say that it involved more than the fries she wanted me to buy her afterwards.
The Gazebo is my favorite fry stand in the park, so how could I refuse that request? I noticed that CP now has "garlic fries" on the menu, so I figured I'd give them a shot. Not bad, but not great. They pour a garlic oil onto the fries when they've finished cooking. It adds a slight garlic taste, but mostly it just makes the fries greasy.
As I found a seat, I thought I heard someone at the food stand call my name. I turned, but didn't see anyone I knew. Besides, who at Cedar Point knows me besides the group I came with. Again, "Hey Duane". This time I realized that the call came from my right, and looking over I saw Old Timer Tim with his family -- finishing their "fry break". We chatted briefly (even though he said he couldn't "officially" talk to me until 5:30) before he, Lois, Hannah and Andrew (how'd I do?) took off to continue their own park adventure.
When we got back to the Breakers, I was ready for a rest. It was too cold for swimming outside, and the indoor pool is filled with 78% Clorox and 22% water, so it's unacceptable. It does however, turn your skin a lovely white Michael Jackson shade of pale. With no water entertainment, I just stretched out on the bed for a quick one-hour nap while Kathey visited with my mom and my sister in law.
I woke up refreshed and called the girls on the cell phone to make sure they were ok. We agreed to meet at the Chuck Wagon Inn at 4:00 pm for dinner.
At 3:45, we left the Breakers and went to the Chuck Wagon. At 4:00, Lexi called to inform me that they had Melanie with them, and would it be OK to bring her? And oh, by the way, we're running late (as evidenced by the fact that it was 4:00 and they were calling me from the Wildcat). I told them to bring Mel, and take the train to Frontier Town. Kathey and I went in to get our food, and the girls were there less than 10 minutes later.
There are two things I really like about the Chuck Wagon Inn. First is the food. It's good, down-home comfort food, and the portions are pretty generous. Secondly, the walls are adorned with signage from CP past. It's fun to go in there and see how many you can identify. The piece that caught my eye though was a framed painting of a train hanging on the back wall. Not so much for the painting itself, but one of my all-time favorite pictures at Cedar Point was taken in 1990 at the Silver Dollar. We were there for breakfast, and Lexi was 15 months old. She loved trains, and that same painting hung on the Silver Dollar wall. I have a picture of me holding her with her stretched out as far as she could, trying to reach the painting. And here is that same painting now at the Chuck Wagon. Way cool. Wonder if they'd sell it to me...
"Hey Lexi, recognize that painting?"
"That's the same one in the picture!"
I also thought it was pretty cool that she recognized it. The Red Garter meet notwithstanding, this was the highlight of my trip. Did I mention that I wonder if they'd sell it to me?
Kathey and I walked up the Frontier Trail once again, stopping at a few shops on the way, but it was now pushing 5:30 and time for the meet. When I got to the Red Garter, Old Timer Tim was waiting on the porch with his two kids. Soon, Gemini came up and Red Garter Rob stopped by. We stood on the porch for another few minutes chatting and waiting to see who else would show, then went inside where Pete and Lois were saving our table.
We ordered up the first round of beverages, but Rob (who was on duty) informed us that he wasn't going to stay and watch us drink when he couldn't partake. Miraculously, he then got a call to go check out some techinical thing. Somewhere. For some reason. Coincidence? You decide.
The discussion varied from Pete's boat to Area 51 to recent GTTP posts to the virtues of Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland.
At 6:00, the America Rocks show began. Fantastic show. Good mix of tunes, enthusiastic performers, and a better than average bass player (who couldn't figure out how to button his shirt straight).
At some point during the show, Lexi called Kathey and she went outside to see her about something. During the 10 minutes that she was gone, one of the gals in the show came down into the audience and decided that I needed to be serenaded. I probably turned 4 or 5 shades of red, but the lights were low so you couldn't tell. At least I think you couldn't. At any rate, I scored my second "Guest Star" button in as many years at CP. What am I going to do with a second one of these? Did someone say "eBay"?
After the show, they announced karaoke would begin. At one point when Pete left the table for the rest room, the rest of us decided that he'd LOVE to sing "Livin' La Vida Loca". Kathey turned in the slip with the instructions "he just doesn't want to be first".
Well, first was a guy whose choice was... you guessed it... La Vida Loca. It was bad. Very bad. His friends seemed to like it though, and cheered him on. (Come to think of it, all the beginning acts were bad, but they got better as we drank more).
After a couple of rounds, Walt (who wasn't drinking -- so the karaoke stayed bad) had to leave us, but first took Hannah with him to ride the Magnum. [sidebar] This is another reason CP is so cool. Tim's daughter is 10(?), yet in a place like this, you can trust her to walk back alone from the Magnum and not worry that anything will happen [/sidebar]
Pete's turn finally came for karaoke, and while I don't remember his first number at this point (Tim? help? :) ) he did a mean Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places" later on that night. In fact, it was so good that we all sang along. Loudly. Boisterously. Enough that the bartender cut us off. I've never been cut off in my life!
We did manage to convince the waitress to serve one more round because we promised that we were done after that and were leaving anyway. Despite that, Pete insisted on going to the bar for yet another after our "last round". I apparently agreed when he asked if he could get me another, because next thing I knew, I was showing the bartender my ID (one beer per person).
As we returned to the table, Lois had obviously talked some sense into Tim, since they were getting up to leave. We said our goodbyes, and Pete and I finished our last drink. OK, I finished my last drink. I'm not sure about Pete. He still had a half-glass when I left and a glazed look in his eye. He said that he was going to finish up, then go over to TGI Fridays. We were going to the Summer Spectacular, so I told him I'd meet him at Friday's. That was the last I saw of Pete.
I've never been a big fan of the laser show, but I seem to make time to see it most years. This year (could it have been the beer?) I was singing along with everything they played. I liked it. It was fun. Several people around me got into it as well and it was a real good time.
Afterwards, I headed back to the hotel, checked into Friday's and waited a half hour for my no-show. When it was obvious he wasn't going to make it, I headed upstairs, drank a big glass of water, downed two Advil and went to bed.
The only question in my mind as I spent all of 17 seconds drifting off to sleep was "How am I going to wake up at 7:00 in the morning?"
--
Duane Cahill
It is very dangerous to wave to people you don't know, because what if they don't have a hand? They'll think you're cocky. "Look what I got sucker, this thing is useful...I'm gonna go pick something up"
Actually, even though I knew she could make it, I did end up walking her back. Maybe it's the "new dad" instinct ;)
you can trust her to walk back alone from the Magnum and not worry that anything will happen
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Virtual Midway
http://www.virtualmidway.com
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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"
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It's very hard to drink all day...
Unless you start first thing in the morning.
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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"
Must be PETE's influence, I NEVER would encourage drinking and riding;)
OTT
Pour Me, Pour Me, Pour Me:)
Now it is time to comment on the trip reports...DBCahill you have out done yourself again. I can feel the love for your trip to CP in the thread. Again, it was great to see you and Kathey, sorry we had to sit through Pete butchering TWO songs...BTW, his first selection was Livin La Vida Loca... Same time next year? I figure I can collect on my BET at that time;)
Not one to upset the apple cart but you stated,
The Gazebo is my favorite fry stand in the park, so how could I refuse that request?
If you bought fries at the Gazebo, I think that would be a CP first;) The GAZEBO is the stand on the Oceana Midway, next to the spinning lady ride (like I can spell that one;))
Your "favorite stand, across from the GEMINI is The Happy Friar...Just wanted to clear that up;)
See you next year, unless you can make a trip for Halloweekends.
OTT
The Baltimore Ravens = the only thing worse than Pete's singing.
Incidentally, I just found out that Father's Day doesn't quite coincide with my trip next year. Due to a quirk in the calendar, the third Sunday of the month of June follows the SECOND Saturday. We'll be there the week after Father's Day (on the 3rd Saturday/4th Sunday)
Finally, I'm not done out-doing myself yet. You have another day and a half to sit through when I get them written. And I'll try not to make any stupid errors on the next one...
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Duane Cahill
I type 101 words per minute, but it's in my own language.
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When you visit CP, visit my Mill, est. 1835
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