Cedar Point Trip

If you are not from Ohio or the surrounding states you may not be familiar with Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH. Cedar Point sits on a 365 acre peninsula on Lake Erie. The park first opened in 1870 and is the second oldest operating amusement park in America. Cedar Point is the flagship park chain owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, one of two parks in Ohio (the other is Kings Island in Mason, Oh, near Cincinnati). It is known affectionately as “America’s Roller Coast” and features one of the largest collections of roller coasters in America. Besides the primary park, Cedar Point also has Challenge Park with putt putt golf, bungie coasters, go carts etc. . ., Soak City Water Park, two marinas, a one mile long white sand beach, a historic hotel; The Hotel Breakers, a campground, two other on site hotel/cabin accommodations and a indoor water park, Castaway Bay (off the main peninsula).

I have been going to Cedar Point since I was little and it’s family tradition for most Ohioans.  People come from all around Ohio and the country to visit. Anyone who is a thrill seeker usually visit Cedar Point for the mega coasters.

I have been pretty busy this summer, well actually all year, and I hadn’t made it up yet. I have a season pass even. Horrible I know. But, Saturday I finally made it up. It’s only about a hour and half away from me, my pass also has parking included as well so all I need is a bit of gas and food money. I am a thrill rider and I will ride anything. My mom will ride anything unless it goes up-side-down. Though I wanted to ride everything, I took it easy and just meandered around with mom and did a bit of this and a bit of that. Some of which, we had never done before or hadn’t done in a long time. There is always something new and different things to see at Cedar Point. Whether it be live shows, gift shops,new rides, attractions, food stalls or updates to attractions. Cedar Point also celebrates Halloween with Halloweekends in September and October which includes funhouses, haunts, parades and more.

I do not think I have ever started my Cedar Point day off with riding The Sky Ride but Saturday, we did. Next we went to The Iron Dragon, a steel, suspended coaster. After grabbing a bite to eat and checking out the newly converted coaster, Rougarou, we walked along the Frontier Trail. The trail is a shaded trail with an old western theme that runs into water rides, shops, and a petting zoo. We wandered over to The Mean Streak, a wooden coaster that is near the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railway, a couple of saloons, and caddy-cornered from the steel coaster, The Maverick. The Mean Streak really rocks and rolls you as a typical wooden coaster does. It is fast, has tight turns and I love it. There is something about a wooden coaster that is just special. After the Streak we walked to The Cedar Creek Mine Ride. This is a smaller, older coaster with charm. It is designed with a mine car feel and will surprise you with tight turns and quick but small drops. The Gemini is the first big coaster I rode when I was 12 years old. I was too tall to ride the Jr. Gemini (which is now The Woodstock Express in Snoopy Town). I was ready to ride it but my mom wasn’t ready for me to ride but I won that day. I’ve been hooked ever since. The Gemini is a wooden, racing coaster. One train red and one train blue. It’s a classic coaster and always a fun time! While we were in line we heard someone say that the line for The Magnum XL 200 was about an hour. That coaster was the first “giga-coaster” and first coaster to break the 200 foot mark. The Magnum is a great coaster as well. It’s a typic “out and back” coaster but has something special besides that “long” chain trip up the hill. The wait was only about a half hour but it would’t have mattered to me or mom. We can’t goto Cedar Point and not ride The Magnum.

Since we were taking things slow Saturday we decided to go over to The Hotel Breakers after the Magnum and check out the updates they made to the lobby and in general. The hotel was always beautiful but they like to keep things freshly updated. The hotel was built in 1905 so it has that rich history and is a wonderful place to stay. The original section of the hotel is popular and fills up fast. I have only stayed in the hotel twice. Once in the original before the renovation in 1997 and once after in the newer towers. Each is very nice accommodations with great views of Lake Erie and Cedar Point. The lobby was changed to incorporate old carousel horses from the original carousel rides in the park (1925 models). The lobby runs into a large atrium with a circular tower and then out the doors you have direct and quick access to the beach. We relaxed out on the beach for a bit and then went to Perkins back inside the hotel. After we walked back to the park and did some shopping, grabbed some salt water taffy and cotton candy from the new Candy Shoppe on the midway and left early. I hate leaving early but we were taking things slow today. I plan on going back up on Labor Day with some more family and I can ride more rides.

Trip to South Carolina – July 21-26, 2015

A friend of mine from work asked me to go with her to SC very spear of the moment for for her daughters softball tournament. Luckily I was able to switch my vacation and go with her. Her daughter plays softball and she did not want to drive alone. I had not been to SC since June of 1995! We packed up on Monday night and left early Tuesday morning. Three girls and two adults in a sedan car for about 13 hours. fun, cramped and silly. The other girls were sisters and the daughters of another softball mom my friend knows. Their mom could not drive down until Friday

We made good time and arrived in Florence, SC that evening. The next day, Wednesday,  I drove us to Myrtle Beach for the day. That was much needed beach time for me. We waded in the water (yes mindful of sharks due to the recent and prevalent attacks in NC and SC) and I took pictures, some of the girls took pictures. I grabbed some sand and shells for my collection also. We wandered on the boardwalk, shopped, rode the Sky Wheel, ate, visited the pier and shopped some more. The girls all got selfie sticks and had a good time using those. We had a memorable experience with a weird guy on the beach (laughing out loud!!)

I could have spent more time at the beach but I was content for what time I did get. I definetly started my tan while at the beach. We drove home, hung out at the pool at the hotel, had pizza and finally fell asleep.

We spent Thursday in and around the pool at the hotel. There were other members of the softball team staying there and they set up a tent and cooked out almost every night. Our room was really close to the pool. That afternoon, well evening I suppose, we headed to the softball fields for opening ceremonies and the activities. They had a HR derby, fastest runner, land ongest toss games for the teams. It stormed a tad bit but nothing too horrible. A large group of us ate at Ruby Tuesday after the opening ceremonies. It rained the rest of the night but that was the only day it rained. Florence was a nice place and pretty easy to navigate as well.

Friday the softball tournament started. The girls lost the first game but came back and won the second. Saturday they beat the number one seed and they were a SC team. They did not take it with good sports like attitude. The team or at least some of them were staying in the same hotel and they broke a light in the pool on Friday night. when we came back from the park Saturday the pool was still being filled. we chilled, grilled out, teased and joked around while that team caused havok while waiting for the pool to open.

Sunday, the final day of the tournament and the girls were doing well. They had to play the other team I mentioned and lets just say the tourament officials did not want an OHIO team winning. The girls had the bases loaded with 2 out, down by 3, batter foul tips out of catchers glove, rolls to backstop and batter goes to first un-challenged (catcher never made an attempt tp throw to first, run scores. Umpire says nope, batter out and game over. Oh there was an uproar let me tell you. It was a bad call and a horrible thing to do to the girls who would have at least tied if nnot gotten the lead. One parent got tossed. The girls got 3rd place and a plqque. We stayed to watch a bit of the next game between the winners out our game and the other team. It was already about 4pm and we needed t get on the road to make our way home. The last we heard from parents who stayed was the other team playing that team was winning, I hope they lost.

Columbus Crew Sc vs NYCFC

My travels took me down to Columbus (CBus as we call it) today for a Crew SC match (soccer/fútbol). I’m a season ticket holder so I’ve been down to the matches frequently this season. This game though I’ve been looking forward to the most all season.

When I was a young girl in grade school I loved soccer but I had an injury and I left the sport. After my first trip to Barcelona in 2009, I rediscovered fútbol (soccer). I discovered FC Barcelona. David Villa Sánchez started playing for them at some point and he quickly became a favorite of mine (other than Messi and Xavi.)

David moved from Spain to start in the inagural season for NYC FC a expansion team for MLS. Tonight The Crew met them for a match for the first time at MAPFRE Stadium. Of course I snapped pics. He ended up getting a yellow card when he collided with goalie, Steve Clark. He didn’t score (good and bad) but I had a great time. We had a lightening delay and ended up leaving early but it ended in a 2-2 draw.

  

I met so many people tonight. A man from the UK, a Albania family (Barca fans), and a couple from Brooklyn. Then the rain came and along with it lightening. They delay when that happens after someone was struck last year. But I chose to leave and head back home early.

Portsmouth, Ohio – Celebrating Roy Rogers

Saturday August 8, 2015

I went down to Portsmouth to the Roy Rogers Festival with my family on August, 8 for my birthday. My mom grew up with his TV shows and movies and used to come down to Portsmouth a lot when she was a youth. There are some family somewhere in the hills and in Sciotoville and Lucasville. My mom’s birthday is July 28th so the last few years we have combined our birthdays as far as activities go.

She had been wanting to go down to Portsmouth for a while even besides the festival so I made it happen. The trip is about 2hrs give or take.

The drive is pretty. My town is a bit flat and southern Ohio is hilly. We found the Holiday Inn where the festival was being held pretty easy. It faces the south and the Ohio River. The conference room in the hotel was full of vendors and some of the celebrities who came to the festival. This was the last day of the festival and dress up day. There was a man dressed like John Wayne and Tonto and among others as well.  We bought our dinner tickets to the evening banquet with the stars and then wandered around the vendor area. We spoke with Steve Connors, the son of Chuck Connors (Lucas McCain). Chuck was the star of The TV show The Rifleman (1958-1963). He was such a nice man and humbled by the out pouring of love everyone’s bowed towards his father. Johnny Crawford, (Mark McCain/The Rifleman – also a former Mouseketier) had been at the festival earlier in the week but had to leave for a concert performance with his Band (the Johnny Crawford Orcestra). A lady there with Steve showed us a picture of him from the other day.

After we looked at the vendors we left the hotel and took a drive to the Murals along the Ohio River. Sometime after the river flooded in 1937 they built the flood walls. Rather than just have plain walls they put murals on the walls to commemorate Portsmouth’s  and Ohio history. It’s done very nicely and a site to see to be sure. I bought mom a Roy Rogers ornament in the Vistors Bureau.

   The flood wall depicting Ohio’s famous Indian, Tecumseh who was from the area. In Chillicothe, there is an outdoor drama performed in the summer months telling the story of Tecumseh.

We ate at Penn Station (our first time actually) and did some antique shopping in downtown Portsmouth. Since it was my birthday she bought me a few things as well. I’m not picky and I like a vast number of things. So, I ended up with a Clint Eastwood photo, a Joe Nuxhall baseball card, a bracelet and NKOTB trading cards. Some combo huh.

After we shopped we headed back to the hotel lobby, looked around and relaxed. We had dinner in the conference room. They introduced the stars, and had an auction. We left before that was completely finished since it was 9:30.

We had a nice, peaceful day and it was beautiful weather as well.

  Steve Connors

 The Ohio River