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An EPIC Adventure - A Live & Interactive trip report

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Ohiopyle photos . see above post.
 
We've had 72 plus hours of rainfall. ten plus inches in many areas. My sister in law is presently at Ohiopyle and she just sent my bro a video. The river is so high that you can't distinguish the Ohiopyle waterfall (see photo's pg. 9) from the river. The photo of the people sitting on the bench on the hill above the river bank (where Mark helped British Ann down the hill) is now part of the Yough River....And if you look at the photos of Pittsburgh on the photo layout after this (page 10 of this trip report), the Point Park Fountain and part of the park is now under the Ohio River and the Parkway highway in another photo has been flooded by the Monongahela River. Good timing by Mark & Sam. They got out of town before the deluge started.
Dang! I hope the water goes down soon. You guys will probably get Florance's left overs. Stay safe, and be careful.
 
Do you get landslides there?
A good number of them in our area yesterday, shutting down roads, especially the river roads that are built up against the hill cliffs. One of the roads shut down due to landslides yesterday was about a half mile down the road from Kennywood. The river valleys here look just like the Rhine River valley in Germany, if you've ever seen pictures of that. The Monongahela, Allegheny & Ohio are exceptionally large and deep rivers (20 to 40 ft. normal), but they'll sometimes end up 20 to 30 feet 'over' flood stages. . The Yough, that's in those Ohiopyle photos, is a smaller river,with much lower water depth river normally, but it floods real high since it gets a lot of mountain stream runoff.
 
Day 14 – Dollywood, Alpine Coaster and yet more moonshine

Dollywood was the third park of this trip and again one we hadn’t visited before, we had heard many good reviews so it was a day we were looking forward to.

Sam and I had a 3 day pass and Bob and Dianne had upgraded to APs as they are visiting again for Christmas, we got our tickets sorted ahead of time so we were all set. Our cabin is a little bit away from the main tourist areas which works well for us, but all the areas attractions are still only a 20 minute drive away at the most. We hit the park bang on opening at 10am.

The car parks were empty and the weather good so we knew it was going to be a good park day. We were through the turnstiles with no wait and this would pretty much be the same for the rides. First impressions were how pretty the park was and how friendly the staffs were. Lots of well kept, colorful flower beds, trees, creeks, water features and rivers all compliment the themed buildings really well. The park also had a fair amount of Halloween decorations which was nice to see.

We decided as it was so quiet to hit the coasters just in case it did get busy later. We made our way over to the newest area of the park to ride Lightening Rod, denied, this was down and would be down for the duration of our stay. This thing has had a rough time since opening which is a real shame, not just because it looks such a fun coaster to ride but also the whole area, which looks fantastic, is done to compliment this troubled woody.

With Lightening Rod being SBNO we hit up Tennessee Tornado. This 1999 Arrow machine was short and sweet, nothing really special but it was a walk on and surprisingly smooth for an old Arrow Dynamics machine. Next onto Wild Eagle, a beautiful looking B&M wing rider which I was looking forward to riding. This was another walk on and such a fun ride which gives stunning views of the surrounding mountains. This is the 4th wing rider I’ve been on and for me its hands down the best, so good I went straight back round to ride the other side.

Right across the way is Fire Chaser Express, from the ground it looked fairly mediocre but I ended up really enjoying the ride. This Gerstlaur has multiple launches, reverse track, some nice theming in the line and decent little show scene at the switch track all of which makes for a fun coaster and once again it was a walk on.

We were on a roll rides wise so decided to do the next coaster. Mystery Mine is another Gerstlaur, I was weary of riding this as it’s the Euro Fighter design like Saw at Thorpe Park back home, Saw is awful to ride, a real rough head banger of a ride hence my anticipation. I need not have worried, Mystery mine is no Saw, in fact it is an excellent ride from start to finish, this is the ride Saw could have been. The ride has a good story and theme which starts in the line and continues throughout the ride, the façade is also really well done. The actual coaster is pretty smooth and has two really neat show scenes, the ride builds as you go round with the second half being really exhilarating, I really enjoyed this ride and it restored my faith in the Gerstlaur Euro Fighter model, oh and it was another walk on to boot.


By this time we were about coastered out and hungry, we decided on Reds Drive – In, a 50s style diner situated in the Lightening Rod are of the park. After my themed diner experience at Cedar I was once again feeling apprehensive and once again this apprehension was dumb founded. Reds was head and shoulders above Cedars version, a large queuing area, clear and simple ordering system and super friendly staff. The food was good and the fixings bar was not only full bit looked appetizing; we all enjoyed our meals here and agreed it was fairly priced.

After lunch we wandered the park looking at all the exhibits and shops. There is plenty here for none riders, lots of craft shops, glass blowing, metal, wood and leather workers all showing off their skills but never too busy to stop and talk, There is also a really neat Eagle exhibit which doubles as care for which cannot be released into the wild due to injuries sustained in the wild. On top of that there are several shows and entertainers around the park; there really is something for everyone here.

They bill themselves as an amusement park but there level of theming although not Disney or Uni standards made me think they were selling themselves short, we all had a really good time here and only left early as we knew we had two more days left on our tickets. Oh and I mustn’t forget the Cinnamon bread, whole loaves baked in store served with apple jelly and icing, we grabbed one to go. I hear our very own @Andy (AKA hatetofly) is a big fan of this bread so we were looking forward to enjoying it back at the cabin later.

We pass by one of Pigeon Forges Alpine Coasters on the way back and these things look so much fun so we decided to stop by on the way back. $15 a ride but look out for the coupons for $2 off. This ride was so much fun even the long slow climb up the lift is fun, up through the mountain to the top once there you push the breaks forward and go, and boy do you, this thing is fast and windy as you travel back down in your single cart. I was laughing and smiling all the way back to the bottom, the ride is a descent length too, well worth the stop off and the $13 paid.

With the Alpine coaster done we headed back to the cabin, as we walked through the door the smell was amazing, Id put in a pork shoulder to slow roast whilst we were out for the day. Rubbed with Jack Daniels Spices and cooked on a trivet of potatoes and garlic. I gave the pork an hour uncovered whilst I reduced the cooking liquors and meat juices for the sauce. It fell off the bone and I had it pulled in no time, served it up with some garlic mash, trail slaw and small Hawaiian rolls. We all enjoyed in with a nice bottle of red wine. We finished up with the Cinnamon bread and @Andy was right, that stuff is delicious.

After dinner we experimented with different Moonshine cocktails, we were all a bit tipsy to say the least. Dianne maintained it was wine and not the moonshine; I’ll leave y’all to decide. We all went to bed a little drunk but satisfied after a fun day and a good feed.
 
Finally caught up on this epic adventure so I’ll just throw out some thoughts and questions without 20 quotes.

I’ve spent all night wondering what to have for dinner without anything sounding appealing but those sandwich photos you took, that’s what I want more than anything in the world right now. They look so good.

You’re so on the money about our driving attitude compared to the US but there’s something very charming and exciting about a 6 hour drive in a foreign country with beautiful scenery. What did you make of the car?

Are these photos really off your phone?

To throw out an apples to oranges question, which park did you like better, Dollywood or Cedar Point?

Loving the updates.

Edit: I also love the Jim Bean tree and it’s nice being able to put a face to @Mad Dog
 
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Finally caught up on this epic adventure so I’ll just throw out some thoughts and questions without 20 quotes.

I’ve spent all night wondering what to have for dinner without anything sounding appealing but those sandwich photos you took, that’s what I want more than anything in the world right now. They look so good.

You’re so on the money about our driving attitude compared to the US but there’s something very charming and exciting about a 6 hour drive in a foreign country with beautiful scenery. What did you make of the car?

Are these photos really off your phone?

To throw out an apples to oranges question, which park did you like better, Dollywood or Cedar Point?

Loving the updates.

Edit: I also love the Jim Bean tree and it’s nice being able to put a face to @Mad Dog

Firstly, thanks for reading along buddy. Before I did this i did wonder if people would actually give two hoots about what I was doing. It really pleases me that people are actually enjoying my travels, photos and reports. I appreciate all the likes and views but Im doing more to give info for fellow travelers and park fans, but I do feel humbled by all the responses.

So On to your questions,

All photos are unedited Samsung galaxy S9 out of phone shots, Id love to edit and improve them but vacation y'all.

I got offered a Nissan but asked for the Hyundai Tucson as Im interested in it as my next ride back home, for the record it was an awesome test drive and I think ill get one.

Cedar is a great car park coaster park. Dollywood has less rides but far more charm, Im a coaster guy but Dollywood won hands down for me.

Jim beam in the tree is such a ciil thing and I hope to add to those two bottles in the future, Have fun buddy and I look forward to shaking your and and sharing a beer on 22.
 
Finally caught up on this epic adventure so I’ll just throw out some thoughts and questions without 20 quotes.

I’ve spent all night wondering what to have for dinner without anything sounding appealing but those sandwich photos you took, that’s what I want more than anything in the world right now. They look so good.

You’re so on the money about our driving attitude compared to the US but there’s something very charming and exciting about a 6 hour drive in a foreign country with beautiful scenery. What did you make of the car?

Are these photos really off your phone?

To throw out an apples to oranges question, which park did you like better, Dollywood or Cedar Point?

Loving the updates.

Edit: I also love the Jim Bean tree and it’s nice being able to put a face to @Mad Dog
I can easily guess the answer to your Dollywood vs. Cedar Point park question, but I'll let Mark answer himself....Primanti sandwiches look great, & even taste better. I think the secret is the coleslaw they pile on with the meat, cheeses, fries, tomatoes etc. . It gives the sandwich a special tang and bit of a bite..... Mark is a genius with his photos. He frames his shots perfectly...... And yes, the Jim Beam tree lives again................Alene & I were just now reminiscing about the visit while we were sitting in the family room watching Frasier (the last two shows of the series had Robbie Coltrane playing one of Daphne's British brothers). Anyway, I've just realized that, short of the time we spent at Kennywood,which Mark says reminds him of Alton Towers/Thorpe Park combination, and the concrete/coaster park Cedar Point, Mark and I never talked about Theme or Amusement Parks. There was just so many other things to chat about with our time. Proof that man does not live by Theme Parks alone. :):thumbsup:
 
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With the Alpine coaster done we headed back to the cabin, as we walked through the door the smell was amazing, Id put in a pork shoulder to slow roast whilst we were out for the day. Rubbed with Jack Daniels Spices and cooked on a trivet of potatoes and garlic. I gave the pork an hour uncovered whilst I reduced the cooking liquors and meat juices for the sauce. It fell off the bone and I had it pulled in no time, served it up with some garlic mash, trail slaw and small Hawaiian rolls. We all enjoyed in with a nice bottle of red wine. We finished up with the Cinnamon bread and @Andy was right, that stuff is delicious.

Umm.. this was my favorite part.
 
@UK-Trigg wait did you see Frinteir Trail or eat anywhere else at CP?
Mark's probably having fun right now, but I can answer your question. Yes, we walked the Frontier Trail, which unfortunately is a shadow of what it was in the past. We were in every nook & cranny of the park, and walked back to the Western Town three or four times to see if the lines were shorter than the app was showing us for SV & Maverick. The app was pretty far off a few rides, most especially Raptor. It showed an hour and 10 minute line but it was actually a walk on. That Coaster restaurant was the only place we ate. Mark was so upset with the chaotic ordering process and cold food he got, he wanted to leave the park earlier than planned so we could get a good meal when we got home. We probably should have eaten at the place you recommended (Melts), but we didn't wander into that area of the park until later. Park wasn't crowded on Labor Day, parking lot was less than half full. We loved Millenium & Top Thrill Dragster (Mark rode that three times, and both of them would be in my top five coasters anywhere) which were just about walk ons when we first got to the park. Then we got beat up bad by a bunch of really bad coasters (I was real disappointed in Magnum since that used to be my favorite coaster, but it's as bad as Mean Streak was, now) and Mark was ready to leave after that, but we decided to stay until GateKeeper lines went down. Twister was a nice surprise though, especially since it was significantly better than it looked. Steel Vengeance and Maverick lines were real long all day though (never dropped under two hours, and higher at times), so we didn't do them. We got there for rope drop and left around 5 or 6. Most of the lines were nearly walk ons when we rode except for those two, since the crowd was fairly small on a 94 degree plus day.
 
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Mark: My niece Rachael, who you met, just sent me photos of the Irish Festival grounds. The Festival is on the riverbank of the Monongahela River, a part of the Sand Castle/Kennywood water park. The Festival grounds comprise 26 acres, in addition to the adjoining water park. I guess the flooding came too quickly to get the huge Festival tents down. The riverbank is about 15 feet higher than the river. But now the river is flowing over the Festival grounds and extending to the very top of the Festival concert tents that are around two plus stories high. Damn, that river is high. Good thing they cancelled Sunday's third Festival day.
 
@UK-Trigg wait did you see Frinteir Trail or eat anywhere else at CP?

We did see the trail, this was one of the nicer areas of the park. Only ate at the one place, was hot that day so we weren't overly hungry as drank so much soda. Like @Mad Dog said, we should have taken your advice and tried melts

Mark is a great chef. And when he prepares the food, he looks like one of those Celebrity Chef shows on TV.
Not that great but ill take the kind words

Dolly and I welcome you to our neck of the woods ya'll! Enjoy your stay :)

Thanks buddy, enjoying it so far, More photos and rreports to come so stay tuned.

Mark: My niece Rachael, who you met, just sent me photos of the Irish Festival grounds. The Festival is on the riverbank of the Monongahela River, a part of the Sand Castle/Kennywood water park. The Festival grounds comprise 26 acres, in addition to the adjoining water park. I guess the flooding came too quickly to get the huge Festival tents down. The riverbank is about 15 feet higher than the river. But now the river is flowing over the Festival grounds and extending to the very top of the Festival concert tents that are around two plus stories high. Damn, that river is high. Good thing they cancelled Sunday's third Festival day.

Not good, and with possibility of more rain from Florence. Stay safe up there.
 
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