Closing Weekend 2001
Saturday was Jeff and Stephanie day, our first anniversary. Champaign in the room, best table at Bay Harbor Inn for dinner. We checked into Breakers Tower at about 5:30. First thing I noticed is that apparently the old portions of the building do not have heat. I guess there's no reason they would, but it was strange taking the walk down that long entrance way like it was outside.
First time in the tower section, oddly enough. We generally end up in the east wing. The suite layout is pretty much the same, with the screened in porch off the sitting room. One thing universal is that the beds all suck, in every section. It's like they got a good deal on mattresses or something, but they're all in terrible shape, and these were only three years old. Middle sinkers. Ugh. It was about 42 according to the thermometer in the Camry, so we were in no hurry to hit the park. Off to our 7:00 reservation.
Bay Harbor Inn is a nice restaurant, the kind of place you can sniff the cork and taste the wine. It's the most silly and pretentious practice I've ever seen in "fine dining." Anyway, the first bottle of wine was gone in no time. The second bottle came just after we got our food. I had this amazing peppercorn steak. My mouth still waters just thinking about it. Very good stuff.
We drove over from the hotel, and after all that wine on an otherwise empty stomach, driving back was not an option with one tied on. We entered the park through the marina gate and headed toward the trail in search of beer to extend the effect of the wine. Red Garter was a zoo, so we kept on moving toward the Fright Zone.
I've been telling people that the Fright Zone is fun when you're 14, or behind a group of 14-year old girls. Add to those conditions some level of intoxication. When your reaction time is slow, the spooks are far more effective.
We eventually made it to Lusty Lil's where two guys were standing there bored out of their skulls. With nothing back there but Mean Streak (running only one train), it was a ghost town (pun intended). We purchased a couple of Canadians and headed up toward Magnum.
At Magnum, we knew that if we waited long enough, we'd run into Dan, and sure enough, we did. We had him snap a photo. Mindy showed up to meet him, and the four of us jumped on Magnum.
Generally speaking, I don't like to ride buzzed because I fear the outcome. Since Magnum is up and down, not upside down, I figured it was safe. The 40 degree weather (probably a wind chill in the teens) would certainly sober me up a bit too.
Wow, it was crazy. It was damn cold. Normally I notice the trims, but I assume they were off with the headwind and temperature. In the second tunnel my brain was trying to catch up my body, feeling somewhere still in the pretzel. By the time we got to the on-ride photo, I finally met up with my body, which was somehow in the natural on-ride photo pose.
That was enough riding for me for the evening. Steph felt the same way. We headed toward the front of the park to catch an elephant ear, then exit the front gate which was pretty close to our car in the Bay Harbor parking lot.
On the way, we ran into Natlie and Jeff (Mantomatic). Nat mentioned Raptor was closed because the track had cracked. Interesting.
We finished the night off with champaign, a dip in the hot tub (where some moronic "aquatic technician" poured chlorine into the water three feet from where I was sitting) and called it a night. Saw my friend Gretchen anchor the 11 o'clock news for one of the Toldeo TV stations. Good to see one of my fellow Ashland alumni making it in broadcast.
I woke up surprisingly not hung-over, but dehydrated as expected. With the extra hour of sleep and all for daylight savings, we expected to go to Friday's for the breakfast buffet, but it never happened.
The plan was to get a few rides, get a spiffy Millennium Force jacket, check the construction and get out. It was about 52, much nicer. We headed to the construction site on the beach and got nice snaps of the Impulse footers. Now they're looking like a ride! We chatted with a couple of nice enthusiasts, the non-20-something appreciates every ride types, and headed to get some fries for lunch. While sitting in the area in the midway, Raptror roaring about, I saw Dick Kinzel on his Sunday walk. He was sporting that very cool Ghostrider jacket that I can't imagine anyone in SoCal would have much use for.
On the way into Raptor, Hooper and Raptor Jo jumped in line behind us, and they explained the track crack was welded, but not smoothly. So I sat on the left side, and wow could you feel it. After we got off, I could spot it on the left rail. It was right at section joint, apparently just on the one section at the point the tie connects to the rail. I'm sure they'll smooth it out and cycle it to death tomorrow.
After that, on to Millennium Force, where we found Jeff marathoning and Natalie on crowd control. We put the park to bed in grand style with that ride. As usual, it was outstanding. It was my last CP ride for the season, but Orlando and IAAPA were just a few weeks away.
We looped around the trail, finally saw the Gemini station in the light (yuck), and headed home.
What I liked so much about the trip was just getting away from reality (namely unemployment) and being with my wife on our anniversary. It's instances like these where you realize that, for many of us, the rides are just a backdrop. The real importance is the place itself, where we share good times and memories. Here's to another great year of them.
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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP
"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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http://www.msu.edu/~armbrus9/cp.html
mf laps = 100! No More No Less!!
Wheres the Electricity!
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Gemini 100 - 35
Gemini 100 cheering section coordinator
Jeff said:
It's instances like these where you realize that, for many of us, the rides are just a backdrop. The real importance is the place itself, where we share good times and memories.
Truer words have never been spoken on this site Jeff..
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One of us.. One of us..
MF total - 480 laps
VertiGo Launches - 82
June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
Special thanks to RGR (for sparing me), Anne(for the laughter), Hooper (for not eating MY hair), Dan (for signing my sis's Scooby), Jo (even if you can't remember my name ;) ), KicksTheSky (for being my favorite riding partner), Joe E. (well.. for being Joe), Adam (for being gimpy), Jeff (for creating this community) and any others that I forgot, it was nice meeting you and thanks for a season of memories. See ya'll next year!!
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My life is worth less than a $5 cup 'o beer.
I'm a FREAK?
MF count: dunno
Magnum count: I touched Dan's shirt!
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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP
"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"
Was nice running into you and Stephanie, Jeff. The marathoning on MF was pretty fun, seeing as the line didn't get longer than 20 minutes. I didn't even count how many times I rode, I'd imagine somewhere between 10 and 15 times, including the last train(S) of the season! (Thanks Richie!)
And another thanks to the whole crew on MF, you guys all rule. Thanks for putting up with me on my trips up to visit Natalie when all I did was ride your ride all day :o) I'm sure I'll see those of you who are up here at MSU around sometime.
The weekend was certainly fun, was nice meeting you Jo, too bad we didn't get more rides together! Also rode with Dan, Mindy and Scott on Saturday too. Had a great time, but don't think I'll be back nearly as much in 2002 as this season, where I was in the park 12 times!
That's all from me!
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Jeff Tobe
tobejeff@pilot.msu.edu
Formerly "Mantomatic"
You just can't explain to most people what it means to many of us!
Jerry
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http://www.magnummania.com
jerry@magnummania.com
nice report
I will be posting my first trip report sometime in may02
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computer "access denied"
evan "now ill never know what cp is getting"
"wait here is my new password cracker"
computer"access granted ô¿ô oh its a .....transmission lost www.cp.com
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One of us.. One of us..
"MIKE WAZOWSKI!!!!"
"Call me mint jelly, because I'm on the lamb.."
June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
*** This post was edited by Red Garter Rob on 11/13/2001. ***
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