Cedar Point

How did you spend your long weekend?

I spent mine by taking a 3-day trip down to Cedar Point with my friend Dominique and her mom. The forecast had called for a threat of thunder storms for each of the days, but they barely materialized, and the down time for rides while we were there was minimal.

We started out on Saturday, bought some Starlight tickets at 5pm and got a walk-on to the Demon Drop, which was a good omen for the rest of our trip. The crowds were the smallest I've ever seen at the park, which made for some heavy duty riding.

The last time I was at Cedar Point was 2 years ago. That time, I was really looking forward to riding the Millennium Force for the first time. Unfortunately, back then, I weighed somewhere around 260lbs and wasn't able to squeeze into the seats. This was one of my main reasons for starting Weight Watchers last year. Now that I've lost about 37lbs I fit quite easily into the seats, which felt really good. There's still a long ways to go, but that was a great reward for the work I've done so far.

Anyway, back to the trip... We went to the park on the Saturday night, on Sunday and on Monday. We pretty much hit every ride at least once (except for the water rides and kiddie rides). Among the notables, I rode the Millennium and Top Thrill 3 times, and Raptor, Magnum and Wicked Twister twice. Also, I rode front row on the Raptor, Millennium Force, and Top Thrill Dragster.

The only drawback I would say is that I wouldn't stay at the Breakers Express again. The showers were not warm and it was less than convenient if we wanted to leave the park in the middle of the day. The only bonus to staying there is the early entrance... which we never took advantage of (seriously, we were there for 2.5 days... we were there plenty without getting that extra hour in). Even though it's a bit more expensive, Hotel Breakers is a great choice to make. If you're going to stay offsite, you may as well find an unaffilliated motel in Sandusky. That's my travellers tip of the day.

But I don't want to end on a bad note, so I'll end with my favourite rides. By far, my favourite ride was Millennium Force. It was high, it was fast, and it was surprisingly smooth. Maverick was a really fun ride... not the tallest or fastest, but it was quick and random. Skyhawk was my favourite thrill ride as I loved the feeling of staring right down at the sidewalk below. The only problem with it is that it's too short. Raptor in the front row is an all-time favourite of mine, and it still is great. And if you've never experienced the sheer accelleration that is Top Thrill Dragster, you owe it to yourself to do it at some point.

And the Mean Streak still hurts like hell.