The trip from Wisconsin to Ohio was fast and furious, our last chance to make it to Cedar Point was Labor Day, and we didn't want to miss out on all the adrenaline goodness! We did have a chance to stop in Grand Rapids Michigan on the way to spend an evening with Cherilyn and Stephen, good friends who hosted us with a most delicious meal and some even better company!
We arrived at Cedar Point just in time for opening! Our plan was simple. Hit the biggest, baddest coasters first, and work our way around the park trying out any and all that we found to our liking! Let me just tell you, there were plenty that we found to our liking!
The first coaster we stopped at was the brand new Valravn coaster! This coaster features a full vertical first drop, and plenty of action thereafter! It is over 200' high and riders reach speeds of 75mph. Definitely a good way to start. But that wasn't the end!
The next coaster we went to is the tallest in the park. The Top Thrill Dragster. Riders are seated in cars and strapped in tight, then a hydraulic launch system accelerates any and all who happen to be on the ride to 120 mph in under 4 seconds, the cars then turn and go straight up 400', then back down the other side to complete the ride! Just as we arrived at the gate, disaster struck... the ride was shut down due to a mechanical issue. Now, some back story, Paul had been to this park once before, and just as he arrived at the coaster entrance it was shut down due to a mechanical issue... so there was some weeping and gnashing of teeth at this repeat occurrence. This coaster is definitely one of the most exciting around, so we decided to wait it out. People began to leave in droves, but not us steadfast adventurers! As people streamed past us we just patiently moved closer and closer to the prize! We could see the intrepid guardians of adrenaline working to fix the coaster! Finally! They declared it fixed and the first car loaded! We who had remained steadfast rushed forward, into the cars, and prepared for a wild ride! And what a wild ride it was! If you were to be dropped from high enough you would accelerate at about 22 mph every second. That means it would take approximately 6 seconds to reach 120 mph. We reached it in under 4 seconds! The whole world seemed to elongate and shrink down into a point in front of us on the track, and then we were blasting upwards toward the sky, hanging on the top of the ride, then plummeting back down towards the ground! Oh man! The whole ride lasts 17 seconds or so, but those 17 seconds are just unreal! As we got off the coaster we checked the line... still short after everyone had left for the mechanical failure! We ran back towards the entrance, through the waiting lines, and back to the start of the ride. As we got there one of the attendants stopped Paul to ask how tall he was (not an unusual event) and he responded that he is 6'7". Then, we got some tragic news... the maximum height on the ride is 6'6". Paul was not allowed on the ride. This came as a bit of a shock since we had just ridden it, but apparently with all the drama involved in a mechanical repair he had slipped through the cracks. Sadly, we made our way back through the waiting lines, and out. Never to return... (feel free to shed a tear at this point in the story.)
But! Never fear! There are more coasters to be ridden! Time for tears and sadness is over! From the ill-fated Top Thrill Dragster we made our way over to the Millenium Force! This coaster is over 300' high and reaches a speed of over 90 mph! The ride is over 2 minutes long, and is absolutely fantastic. Climbing slowly to the top of the first 300' drop, looking down on the ground and the lake below, the adrenaline starts to build. And build! AND BUILD! Until finally you reach the top and start down! The drop is 85 degrees, so essentially you feel like you are heading straight down towards the ground, and then just before you reach it you pull up and head into the rest of the wild and crazy and amazing ride! This coaster is just fantastic!
We spent the rest of the day meandering around the park, riding the other coasters (which had shorter lines and less stringent height limitations) until finally it was time to leave. It was indeed a day of adrenaline.
After leaving the theme park we took a short nap, then headed over to see some friends of Paul's who live nearby, the Bridgetts! They were having a Labor Day cookout and invited us to come and spend some time with them that evening! It was nice to sit down to some home cooked food, chat with friends, and enjoy a cool evening chilling outside. They are truly good friends and awesome people.
Our next stop was the Vixies, they invited us to spend a few nights with them after our strenuous time at Cedar Point, and we decided that we would be wise to take them up on it! Definitely a fine thing to sleep in a real bed, eat more home cooked food, catch up with some good friends, swim in a pool, and enjoy some real showers! (We may or may not have taken multiple showers daily while we were there... I mean, when you get out the pool it is nice to take a shower, it makes perfect sense.) They hosted us for a couple days, which we appreciated greatly, but eventually we set off for our next destination, Cuyahoga Valley National Park! We are back on the road again! (Cue Willy Nelson!)
Yay you got to see Cherilyn and Stephen! So fun!
ReplyDeleteI had no idea they had height limits 😢 That's the tear I shed for you, Paul. I'm glad you snuck by the first time though!!