Our next big event was the weekend after labor day, when we went to Cedar Point and did something I'd never done before. Well, a couple things, one of which was made possible by the other. The thing which made something possible was meeting up with JTV and his family --- his wife included --- for what we originally thought would just be saying hi to one another. We ended up spending nearly the whole day together, separating just a little bit before the park closed at 8 pm. It was a great day for parkgoing, warm and sunny yet not crowded, the way you hope for in what they used to call a Bonus Weekend, between Labor Day and the start of Halloweekends proper. They did have some Halloweekends stuff set up, so we could ponder what a Reo Speedwagon was doing there, but we would have to return a later weekend to have the mystery revealed.
But what meeting up with JTV and his kids made possible was for me to ride the one roller coaster I'd never been on before. This would be Wilderness Run, née Junior Gemini, a small roller coaster that adults are allowed on only to accompany a kid. Even on Roller Coaster Appreciation Night, years ago, when torrential downpours meant this was one of literally twelve rides open at the park, they wouldn't let child-free us on. But this time, we had a kid willing to accompany me. And, in principle, ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bunnyhugger, although since she'd ridden it when she was a kid herself she didn't feel the urge to get the ride herself.
So this was my chance, riding with JTV's son. I admit opening up with a bit of nonsense, asking for example if he had any tips on what seat to hope for, something up front or in the back or in the middle. He wasn't having any of it, explaining (correctly) that they assign you a seat and that's that. Well, I did thank him profusely, before and after, for going on a roller coaster he no longer found interesting enough for his tastes.
Ah, and how is the ride? ... Well, it's okay. It's not, like, your Wacky Worm kind of coaster. Like, it has an actual hill and drops and such, but it's not very big and not very fast and I'm sure as a child I would have found this a thing to ride when the Mine Ride had too long a line. I was a little worried I wouldn't fit under the restraints, or that they would bang my knees into an even worse paste. I squeezed in just enough, and it wasn't nearly so bad on my knees.
As JTV's son warned, they sent us through once, then asked if anyone wanted to get off (no one did, this time) and sent us around a second time. Two circuits is a common enough thing for tiny rides like this, and I'm coming to learn that pausing midway through for a vibe check like that is common too. And, now, finally, I've ridden all the roller coasters at Cedar Point.
The other noteworthy thing about the park that day is they were having some kind of French Fry event, particularly by having special custom fries at the Happy Friar fried-foods stand. They also had a Happy Friar, a guy dressed in your classic Friar Tuck outfit and waving around a fry on the end of a long fork, being all merry and posing for pictures. I'm not sure they've had a literal Happy Friar hanging around the stand before but I am a big supporter of it. It fits well with Cedar Fair's efforts to be a better-balanced, more fun place to hang out, even without rides.
We also learned that JTV's daughter was not just a huge fan of the park's new Wild Mouse coaster, but she's also learned the names of all six mouse characters and what their distinctive traits, as communicated by the audio safety warnings they have recorded, are. We did a little quizzing her on the different mice while waiting for a ride, and she was good at it, so far as we know.
I don't want to sound like I'm only glad to see JTV and his family at parks for the rides it gets us on. But it is fun going to a place we're very familiar with and having a fundamentally different time. And also it's so much fun watching JTV geek out about everything he's learned about whatever park we're at. We should do this sort of thing more.
Finally, back to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk pictures as we approach our first ride on their 99-year-old roller coaster.
More conversation bubbles in the queue for Giant Dipper. I'm sure you all fondly remember Lost Boys, and maybe have a vague memory of Dangerous Minds being a movie that existed. But, man, The Sting 2? Wow. They should have just claimed to be the amusement park from Big, how many people from Rye Playland are going to know and call them out?
Besides movies there were commercials filmed here too, for for companies such as Levi's MTV Sony and for US Air Yahoo.
Nearing the top of the queue, where it doubles back to follow along the path of the roller coaster's return leg. You'll understand in a few more pictures.
And here we are, in the final approach to the station. The roller coaster's going to come back along that track there.
Giant Dipper has a curved loading station, like favorites Rye Playland's Dragon, Waldameer's Comet, and Columbus Zoo's Sea Dragon.
And this picture gives you a good view of the queue lanes. As with classic roller coasters, there's no gates; you have to stand back under penalty of being yelled at by the operator. Note that bunnyhugger is trying to get the same picture.
Trivia: Otis Elevator introduced its Autotronic Elevator in 1948, using electromechanical relays to respond to call buttons in the lift and lobbies. The schedules had to be set mechanically, at different times of day, to meet changing traffic flows. Source: Otis: Giving Rise to the Modern City, Jason Goodwin.
Currently Reading: Comic books.
