As you might be aware, I spent the last two and bit weeks travelling around the east & midwest USA and southern Canada with Darren B and ECG. It was probably the most intense coaster trip I've been on. Long drives, loads of parks with "big occasion" coasters and limited sleep.
Day 1 - London To New Jersey
Trip reports usually start with the travel. I can't be arsed to go into detail but after killing six hours at Heathrow airport, Darren and I were on the plane to Newark airport.
An uneventful and boring 10 hours later (including the burden of getting through USA immigration), we were at ECG's ready for the first day of theme parks.
Due to the re-re-re-scheduling of the Goliath (SFGAm) media day, our initial trip had to be altered so those who know the USA parks well might think our trip seems a little skew-whiff in places! Also, because I packed so much in, I might have the ride order mixed up but hey, only Darren and ECG will know/care.
Day 2 - Quassy, SF New England & Canobie Lake Park
Our first park visit was Quassy. Wooden Warrior is critically acclaimed so it was a nice way to kick off the trip. However, it wasn't our first coaster! We met up with the park manager who kindly sat and answered some questions and bought us coffee. I've met a lot of park managers over the years and occasionally there are one or two who shine through. Ron at Quassy was great. He's been with the company for many years, is enthusiastic and does it for the love as well as the money.
With our complementary wristbands on, we hit up our first cred - Little Dipper. It's a kiddie coaster that adults can ride with a child! Hurrah! The ride op obviously saw we were enthusiasts so we only endured one lap!
Ron gave us a geeky tour of Wooden Warrior.
So enough we were on it ready to ride! The park was dead so Darren and I sat on it five times in a row. One back seat, one middle and three front seat rides. What a perfect little ride! It doesn't try to be anything it's not - it's a suitable family wooden coaster that offers enough thrills without too much WHOA!! The tunnel was great. Loved it.
We said our goodbyes then headed to Six Flags New England to buy our season passes and tick off a few creds.
We didn't spend too much time at SFNE. Thankfully. I didn't like the park, it was one of the most soulless Six Flags parks I've visited. No defining themed areas, just rides plonked at each exit from the central plazza. I also didn't take any photos (on this day), so I'll run through the coasters I rode.
Bizarro - I was looking forward to this. It's popular, well ranked and an Intamin air time machine, so we waited for back row. I didn't like it. The restraints dug into the top of my thighs therefore making it an uncomfortable ride experience and I only got a bit of airtime from the first tow hills. The speed around the helices was fun, but that was spoilt by the brutal hill, turn and drop into the tunnel. I was very disappointed. ECG informed me that it was better "when it had blah blah". Tbh, I switched off whenever he informed me of a coaster's past. I was only interested in the ride I that I was experiencing as I have no reference to what it was like before I rode it for the first time. I'm sure it was better before they changed it but from what I rode on that day, it was meh.
Great Chase - A kiddie cred! Plus One & Done.
Flashback - Urgh. This was the first of many boomerangs on the trip. I sat somewhere near the middle, braced myself, felt sick and then we buggered off.
We were heading back to SFNE a few days later so I wasn't too fussed about Bizarro being crap and riding two **** coasters. I knew I had other rides to look forward to.
Another car journey later and we were at Canobie Lake Park. I love that USA parks tend to open until 10pm. Canobie is the prettiest parks I've ever been to. Here's an awful dark photo of the entrance.
The park is neat and tidy. It was so charming. Neat flower beds, lush trees, clean, smooth pathways and a space between the solid line up of attractions.
We did Yankee Canonball which is a bland woodie earmarked as a "ACE Coaster Classic". It seems to me that the criteria for an ACE Coaster Classic was a) be white, b) be named Cyclone, Thunderbolt, Comet and c) be mediocre. Aside from being named something other than Cyclone etc, it was forgettable and white. No doubt it was great in the 1930's when it opened, but not so much nowadays. Although I did get more airtime on YC than Bizarro.
The next stop was Untamed. Wow, if coasters were ranked on looks alone, this woudl be a top 5. So much attention to detail. I loved the bear finials. There was one on every fence post.
Gorgeous station and sexy trains <3
I also thought the decorative supports were fab.
It's just a shame it's a rough Eurofighter. If I had a choice between a Eurofighter and a Boomerang, I'd probably just about opt for the boomerang.
We wandered around the park to the lake - which looked beautiful in the setting sun - and to the third coaster - Corkscrew. Again, it looked lovely. However, it was meh once again.
The other coaster we rode was the Junior Dragon Coaster. It was simply a plus one, although we had some annoying girls on the ride who kept calling it "swag". Oh dear. Groups of teenage American girls were soon to be come the most annoying thing about America.
Before we left, we did the Ghost Train. It was ok, quite long and plenty of **** going on. Probably my favourite ride at the park. Darren also did the log flume.
That ended Day 1. Three parks, all with different personalities. Quassy is worth visiting for Wooden Warrior (there isn't much else there for adult thrill seekers). SFNE is the run of the mill SF park with a disappointing signature ride. Canobie is gorgeous, it simply lacks anything outstanding.
In the next part - Ice Poles, Dinosaur downtime, Excali-bore and Pikey Playland.
Day 1 - London To New Jersey
Trip reports usually start with the travel. I can't be arsed to go into detail but after killing six hours at Heathrow airport, Darren and I were on the plane to Newark airport.
An uneventful and boring 10 hours later (including the burden of getting through USA immigration), we were at ECG's ready for the first day of theme parks.
Due to the re-re-re-scheduling of the Goliath (SFGAm) media day, our initial trip had to be altered so those who know the USA parks well might think our trip seems a little skew-whiff in places! Also, because I packed so much in, I might have the ride order mixed up but hey, only Darren and ECG will know/care.
Day 2 - Quassy, SF New England & Canobie Lake Park
Our first park visit was Quassy. Wooden Warrior is critically acclaimed so it was a nice way to kick off the trip. However, it wasn't our first coaster! We met up with the park manager who kindly sat and answered some questions and bought us coffee. I've met a lot of park managers over the years and occasionally there are one or two who shine through. Ron at Quassy was great. He's been with the company for many years, is enthusiastic and does it for the love as well as the money.
With our complementary wristbands on, we hit up our first cred - Little Dipper. It's a kiddie coaster that adults can ride with a child! Hurrah! The ride op obviously saw we were enthusiasts so we only endured one lap!
Ron gave us a geeky tour of Wooden Warrior.
So enough we were on it ready to ride! The park was dead so Darren and I sat on it five times in a row. One back seat, one middle and three front seat rides. What a perfect little ride! It doesn't try to be anything it's not - it's a suitable family wooden coaster that offers enough thrills without too much WHOA!! The tunnel was great. Loved it.
We said our goodbyes then headed to Six Flags New England to buy our season passes and tick off a few creds.
We didn't spend too much time at SFNE. Thankfully. I didn't like the park, it was one of the most soulless Six Flags parks I've visited. No defining themed areas, just rides plonked at each exit from the central plazza. I also didn't take any photos (on this day), so I'll run through the coasters I rode.
Bizarro - I was looking forward to this. It's popular, well ranked and an Intamin air time machine, so we waited for back row. I didn't like it. The restraints dug into the top of my thighs therefore making it an uncomfortable ride experience and I only got a bit of airtime from the first tow hills. The speed around the helices was fun, but that was spoilt by the brutal hill, turn and drop into the tunnel. I was very disappointed. ECG informed me that it was better "when it had blah blah". Tbh, I switched off whenever he informed me of a coaster's past. I was only interested in the ride I that I was experiencing as I have no reference to what it was like before I rode it for the first time. I'm sure it was better before they changed it but from what I rode on that day, it was meh.
Great Chase - A kiddie cred! Plus One & Done.
Flashback - Urgh. This was the first of many boomerangs on the trip. I sat somewhere near the middle, braced myself, felt sick and then we buggered off.
We were heading back to SFNE a few days later so I wasn't too fussed about Bizarro being crap and riding two **** coasters. I knew I had other rides to look forward to.
Another car journey later and we were at Canobie Lake Park. I love that USA parks tend to open until 10pm. Canobie is the prettiest parks I've ever been to. Here's an awful dark photo of the entrance.
The park is neat and tidy. It was so charming. Neat flower beds, lush trees, clean, smooth pathways and a space between the solid line up of attractions.
We did Yankee Canonball which is a bland woodie earmarked as a "ACE Coaster Classic". It seems to me that the criteria for an ACE Coaster Classic was a) be white, b) be named Cyclone, Thunderbolt, Comet and c) be mediocre. Aside from being named something other than Cyclone etc, it was forgettable and white. No doubt it was great in the 1930's when it opened, but not so much nowadays. Although I did get more airtime on YC than Bizarro.
The next stop was Untamed. Wow, if coasters were ranked on looks alone, this woudl be a top 5. So much attention to detail. I loved the bear finials. There was one on every fence post.
Gorgeous station and sexy trains <3
I also thought the decorative supports were fab.
It's just a shame it's a rough Eurofighter. If I had a choice between a Eurofighter and a Boomerang, I'd probably just about opt for the boomerang.
We wandered around the park to the lake - which looked beautiful in the setting sun - and to the third coaster - Corkscrew. Again, it looked lovely. However, it was meh once again.
The other coaster we rode was the Junior Dragon Coaster. It was simply a plus one, although we had some annoying girls on the ride who kept calling it "swag". Oh dear. Groups of teenage American girls were soon to be come the most annoying thing about America.
Before we left, we did the Ghost Train. It was ok, quite long and plenty of **** going on. Probably my favourite ride at the park. Darren also did the log flume.
That ended Day 1. Three parks, all with different personalities. Quassy is worth visiting for Wooden Warrior (there isn't much else there for adult thrill seekers). SFNE is the run of the mill SF park with a disappointing signature ride. Canobie is gorgeous, it simply lacks anything outstanding.
In the next part - Ice Poles, Dinosaur downtime, Excali-bore and Pikey Playland.
