117 coasters and counting!

2009 was another great year for roller coaster riding.  I started with Diamondback, my 102nd coaster on May 2nd at Kings Island.   Next was Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana on June 10th with 4 more coasters.  Then it was on to Indiana Beach in Monticello, Indiana on June 12th racking up 5 more coasters.  On August 9th I was scored two more coasters at at Stricker's Grove in Ross, Ohio.  And finally on August 27th 4 more coasters at Waldameer in Erie, Pennsylvania.  That's a total of 117.

My top coasters ever...

Cedar Point

My first visit to the roller coaster capital of the world was in 1977.  At that time, with just five coasters, CP didn't make that claim.  They were "The Amazement Park".  I was there with my mom, step-dad Jeff and my brother Joey.  Putting it mildly, I wasn't a big coaster fan on that day.  When looking back on that day, Jeff has a hard time believing that I have become such a huge coaster fanatic.  How things change!

Avalanche Run/Disaster Transport

I have ridden this coaster in both of it's incarnations.  It's not the greatest coaster in the world, but I think it's better than a lot of people give it credit for.  I like it much better in it's latest theming.

Blue Streak

The perfect woodie.  Great airtime.  A lot of wooden coasters are too big or have too many twists and turns.  Not Blue Steak.  Perfect.

Cedar Creek Mine Ride

Not the biggest, tallest or the fastest.  But I always make sure I take a ride each time I visit CP.  Every time ...going back all the way to the 1970's.

Corkscrew

My first looping coaster.  A must ride each time I return at Cedar Point.

Gemini

I have always said that the first drop on Gemini is the best first hill of any coaster.  And now over twenty years later I still believe it.  The seat belts that have been added take a bit away from it.  Blue side is the best train to ride to get the full effect of the "head-chopper".

Iron Dragon

Not the mega ride it was intended to be.  It has become a great family coaster.  It's a great feeling swinging through the tree tops.  I especially like the high-G's through the mist.

Magnum XL-200

Love it!  Love it!  I used to hate the bunny hops that make up all of the second half of the ride.  As I ride Magnum more and more I'm beginning to enjoy the entire ride much more.  Hey CP ...can we loose the trim breaks?

Mantis

Just like Magnum, I love the first half of Mantis.  The rest is a Headbanger's Ball.  The only B&M that isn't just pure perfection.

Maverick

Like nothing else I've ever ridden.  Variety of elements and quick transitions.  Maybe too quick.  CP needs to re-time the water cannons.  I didn't get a drop on me.  Not one.

Mean Streak

I have a love/hate relationship with Mean Streak.  If I'm in the mood to be beaten up, I love it.  If not ...well you know the rest.

Millennium Force

Absolutely the best roller coaster on the planet!  Love the first drop.  The third hill has the best airtime.  Lightning fast, right up to the end.  And soooo smooth.  Love the magnetic breaks.  Even the ride up the lift hill is thrilling.

Raptor

My first ride on this great inverted B&M was 1994, the year it opened.  This was the first time I had ever seen or ridden an inverted coaster.  During my first ride, the train was stopped at the mid-course brake run for over ten minutes.  When we finally returned to the station we were allowed to get back into the front of the line and ride again.  Two for one sale, I guess.

Top Thrill Dragster

What a rush!  Seventeen seconds of WOW!  My fourth favorite coaster in the world.  I first rode Top Thrill Dragster when it had the original wheels, engine and wing theming, back in the first half of 2003.

Wicked Twister

Great acceleration. Zero G's.  Such short lines for such a great ride.

Wildcat

This is a coaster that I first rode in the 1980's.  But then I avoided it for years and years, thinking it was too small or too boring.  When I took Sarah to Cedar Point for the first time in May of 2006 and I fell in love all over again.  Smooth.  Fast turns.  Great dips.

Woodstock Express

A surprisingly thrilling family coaster.  I first rode this coaster in 2006 with Sarah.  Be sure to watch for the breaks at the end.

Kings Island

In 1975 my dad took my brother Joey and I on our first trip to an amusement park.  Kings Island was in just it's fourth season and had only three coasters.  We rode them all.  Little did anyone know what a crazed fan I would become.

Adventure Express

The best mine ride of them all.  Terrain coaster!  Great theming and a long ride (two lifts).

Bat

I'm glad to say that I was one of those people to have been able to ride Bat before it's premature end.  No dips or airtime, but plenty of twists and turns.  I remember just when I had though I had become accustomed to the turns and began to relax suddenly there was unexpected turn.  Fun!

Bavarian Beetle

I only rode this coaster once and I don't remember much about it.  What I do remember is the smooth, fast helix.  I'm sure I was scared to death.  But I think deep down inside I loved it.

Diamondback

Without question, the best coaster at Kings Island.  B&M perfection that combines lots of airtime hills into a terrain coaster through the woods.

Face Off/Invertigo

It's a new twist on the standard Vekoma boomerang.  But it still doesn't answer the lingering question ...is it three or six inversions?

Flight of Fear

Great theming plus a dark ride plus a launch equals a truly great ride.  It's a blast.  I even enjoy the que.  Love that UFO.

Italian Job Stunt Track/Backlot Stunt Coaster

This is a great themed ride.  Unique.  Fast.  I like it.

King Cobra

The first time I had ever ridden a standup coaster I kept thinking that I should have tightened my show laces more.  The loop was a no-brainer, every standup has to have one.  The high banked helix and lean-over were great elements.  I miss King Cobra.

Racer

Racer was my first wooden coaster.  A rough ride that I'm trying to love more and more.  The white monster is a beauty.

Rugrats Runaway Reptar

A fun family coaster.

Scooby Doo/Beastie/Fairly Odd Coaster

I have riden this coaster in all three of it's personifications.  Good family coaster.  Nice layout.

Scooby's Ghoster Coaster

This coaster is had the most gentle ride ever.  Too gentle.  One long downhill slope with a few sweeping turns.  It's not hard to see why they removed it.

Screamin' Demon

This was my first shuttle coaster.  I remember it being a lot higher that it appears in the photos.  Too bad it's not around any longer for me to ride again and see for myself.

Son of Beast

Very rough.  This is the only coaster to ever give me a headache.  And now that they have replaced the trains and removed the loop, I have ridden it again and I like it a bit more.  Although it is still the roughest coaster I have even been on.

The Beast

This is the coaster that made me fall in love with all coasters.  It scared the crap out of me.  So much so, that the first time I was on it I didn't realize there was a turn at the bottom of the first hill.  So the second time I rode I had another surprise.  Unfortunately, it has become such a rough coaster that I hate to ride it any longer.

Top Gun/Flight Deck

The very best suspended coaster.  Fast.  Good drops.  Good G-forces.  Good theming.

Vortex

The largest Arrow coaster I've ever been on.  Fast and six inversions.  If I remember correctly, Vortex was the first coaster I saw that offered on-ride photo.  Every single black & white picture was printed and them places on clipboards.  Can you say global warming?

Geauga Lake

June 9th 2004 was my first visit to this grand park with over a hundred years of tradition.  2007 was very likely my final visit, now that the rides have been removed and the park has become exclusively a water park.  Most of the coasters were walk-ons or had very short lines every time I visited.  When you consider the price of admission, number of coasters and the short lines, I think Geauga Lake was the very best value in amusement parks.

Beaver Land Mine Ride

This is a nice family coaster with a double figure eight payout.  It's a good coaster for first-timers.  Plus you get to do two laps.  Yay!

Big Dipper

This wooden classic - the oldest roller coaster in Ohio - has a simple out and back layout.  For a medium sized woodie it's a bit on the rough side.  I love the classic trains though.

Dominator

My fifth favorite roller coaster also has my favorite loop.  It seems like forever reaching the top of that loop.  Great airtime.  Dominator was also my first floorless coaster.  A must ride!

Double Loop

This Arrow coaster has a straight forward design ...drop, hill, two consecutive loops and a helix.  A fun ride.  This was Sarah's very first coaster.

Head Spin

Three inversions you get twice.  Once forward and once in reverse.  With a little roughness thrown in just for good measure.

Raging Wolf Bobs

Twisted design, lots of great turns, rough and fun.

Steel Venom

Launch coasters are always an adrenaline rush.  Steel Venom didn't disappoint.  I actually prefer it's rear spike with it's breaks over Wicked Twister's twisting spike.  I'm sorry to see it go.

Thunderhawk

Lots of action in a small space.  A thrilling drop, five inversions, banked turns and great G-forces.  Thunderhawk was my first Vekoma coaster.

Villian

This is the first coaster I've seen with a wooden track and a steel stucture.  Villian is big, fast and rough.  It has only the second lean-over I've seen.  It happens so fast it's actually very rough.

X-Flight

My first flying coaster was a blast!  It's like nothing else I've ever ridden.  What is my favorite element?  Horseshoe.  Dual in-line twists.  Helix.  I'm not sure.  My only request would be ...more flying and less lying.

Kennywood

Some friends, Sarah and I visited this traditional park on August 3rd 2004.  This old classic park is filled with beautiful fountains, green trees and great rides.  The park is a truly timeless and enduring.

Exterminator

A classic dark-ride on steroids!  And as if this weren't enough ...spinning cars too!  Very original theming.  A power plant over-run with rats.

Jack Rabbit

This smooth woodie has a simple oval layout with a great double-down.  A fun ride for all.  It's oldest coaster I've ever ridden (1921).

Phantom's Revenge

The first drop is huge.  The second drop is ...well, huger.  This is a great twisting Arrow hyper coaster.  In spite of all the great things this coaster has and it's impressive size, for some reason it just doesn't seem to be bigger than Magnum at CP.

Racer

Great ride and great design.  A fun ride and not very rough at all.  Am I the only person that knows the meaning of the word 'Mobius'?

Thunderbolt

I had my eyes closed for the entire ride.  Not because I was scared or anything like that.  But because of the pounding rain that hit just as we left the station.  So now I don't have much of an opinion on this coaster.  I get the feeling it's a great ride.  And I don't seem to remember that it was too rough.  I'll give it a thumbs up anyway.

Silver Dollar City

I visited this park with my family in 1981.  Located just outside the Smokey Mountains in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee this family-friendly park featured many arts and crafts, shows as well as a good collection of rides.  The park is now known as Dollywood.

Blazing Fury

What at first appears to be a scenic ride through several animatronic scenes is actually a long electrically powered incline.  This is then followed by a series of three drops with powered sections in between.  The first drop is quite a surprise as you plunge through a burning covered bridge as it collapses.  The remaining drops are equally thrilling.  The theming of this ride is outstanding!

Marine World

A friend and I spent July 14th 2005 in the summer heat of Vallejo, California.  This animal and marine park has a nice collection of coasters.  It is always a plus when you can squeeze in a few coasters on any vacation.

Boomerang

A standard Vekoma looping shuttle.  Always a fun ride.  Is it three or six inversions?

Kong

Five quick inversions in a compact design.  Ya gotta love it!

Medusa

Fantastic B&M floorless coaster.  Thrilling first drop and huge inversions.  How about busting up that old parking lot below and putting down some sod?  Wake up and lose the asphalt.

Roar

This is the most twisted wooden coaster I've ever been on.  Twists, turns, hills, dives in every direction.  All this and it's still amazingly smooth for a woodie.  Obviously, millennium flyer trains are the way to go.

Vertical Velocity

It's the most unusual impulse coaster I've seen.  The 45 degree spike is one of a kind.  And I can't help but love those launches.  Great fun.

Dorney Park

On June 26th 2006 I took Sarah to Allentown, Pennsylvania for a day of rides, fun and coasters.  Dorney is a beautiful park with grand old tradition and great new rides.  A great setting and short lines too!

Hydra: The Revenge

The low speed heartline roll right out of the station is a blast!  Totally original.   Great inversions, great elements and great airtime.  The best coaster in the park.

Laser

A very good compact double-looper.  Twists.  Turns.  Breaks!

Steel Force

It's a clone of CP's Magnum.  The first drop isn't as thrilling, but I do perfer it's helix turn-around over Magnum's pretzel turn.  The double-up is a great change up in the bunny hops.

Talon

A smooth, fast, thrilling ride, like all B&M inverted coasters.  Non-stop excitement thanks mostly due to the absence of a mid-course break run.  Great G-forces.  It leaves you wanting more (e.i.- it could stand to be a little longer).

Thunderhawk

A great classic woodie.  Rough and fun.

Wild Mouse

This was my first ever wild mouse.  It really did seem as if you'd fly right off the track in the turns.  Breaks!

Kings Dominion

Sarah and I had two consecutive days of fun and coasters in Virginia.  We had great weather on June 4 & 5, 2007 for our extended road trip.  Great park ...great rides, lots of trees, good design and layout, great themed areas and a great water park too.  Tomb Raider: Firefall was a truly great surprise!  Flames bursting up through pools of water!  It is as much fun to watch as it is to ride.

Anaconda

What a great first drop into the underwater tunnel.  Multiple inversions and a variety of elements... gotta love all that.  There was a surprisingly rough spot in the middle of the spaghetti bowl that caught me off guard.  I could ride it again and again.

Avalanche

A fun ride.  Only my second bobsled coaster ever.  Theming is OK.

Grizzly

The great wooded setting was reminiscent of The Beast at Kings Island.  Although it is a good ride, it lacks the thrills and speed of The Beast.  It does rival The Beast with it's roughness.

Hurler

Theming sucks.  The high-speed, high-banked turns were surprisingly not as rough as I thought it might be.  Different design.  Fun ride.

Hypersonic XLC

Great launch and first hill!  The rest of the short ride was bouncing side to side.  I was really looking forward to a great smooth ride on the pneumatic wheels.  This is the only coaster in America that I know of that has them.  Apparently it was only a good idea on paper and not in the real world.

Italian Job Turbo Coaster

If this is the Italian Job Turbo Coaster, then why does the billboard read "Italian Job Stunt Track" just like the one at Kings Island?  Still, a great themed ride.

Rebel Yell

Fast.  Good airtime.  Not too rough.

Ricochet

Yet another wild mouse.  These coasters all seem to be about the same.  But I would have to say this is the best.  Only because of it's unusual layout.  Not like all the other wild mice I've been on.

Scooby-Doo's Ghoster Coaster

John Allen's family coasters are always fun.  What more can I say?

Shockwave

I was really looking forward to this ride.  Hoping to relive my memories of King Cobra at Kings Island.  It didn't disappoint.  Although it is missing the "lean-over" maneuver.  Breaks!

Volano, The Blast Coaster

Fast with great inversions.  The blast out of the top of the volcano is fantastic.  Very unique layout and heavily themed which adds to the ride.  Two thumbs up!

Carowinds

On June 6 & 7th, 2007 Sarah and I continued our coaster marathon.  The North Carolina - South Carolina state lines runs through the center of this great park.  We took advantage of the water park in the extreme heat.  The Flying Super Saturator was a great way to cool off too.  Great fun in the deep south.

BORG Assimilator

Love flying coasters.  Assimilator felt a good bit roughter than X-Flight at Geauga Lake and definately had longer load times with it's single loading platform.  I still had a great flight.

Carolina Cyclone

A good arrow looper.  But like so many of these from the 1980's, not long enough.

Carolina Goldrusher

Good theming, but seemed as if it was all lifts and very little ride time.

Fairly Odd Coaster

Just like the family woodies at Kings Island and Kings Dominion.

Flying Super Saturator

Major fun!  Dropping water on the people below, while being hit with water cannons, water guns and waterfalls.  I'm surprised that there aren't more of thses coasters around.  Either at amusement parks or at water parks.

Hurler

Just like it's twin I rode the day before at Kings Dominion in Virginia.

Ricochet

What can I say?  Another wild mouse coaster.

Rugrats Runaway Reptar

A fun family coaster.

Thunder Road

Good airtime.  Fast.  Not too rough.

Top Gun - The Jet Coaster

The third best coaster I've ever been on.  Smooth.  Fast.  G-forces.  Great elements.  Tunnel.  Mist.  No mid-course break run.  Great fun.

Vortex

Possibly the best standup coaster I've been on.  Vortex doesn't try to over do it with too many twists or crazy elements.  Very long load time.  The Intamin standup seats are not as good as B&M's.

Michigan's Adventure

Sarah and I spent June 9th and 10th 2008 at this small park in Muskegon, Michigan.  We had cool temperatures, small crowds and big fun.  Almost all of the rides were walk-on and often didn't run a full-load.  Michigan's Adventure is definitely an amusement park and not a theme park.  The park is clean, well designed and has a lot of potential for the future.

Big Dipper

A kiddie coaster.  But I still had to ride it.

Corkscrew

A good arrow looper.  A simple double corkscrew.  But like so many of these from the 1980's, not long enough.

Mad Mouse

I've said it before.  Every park should have a wild mouse coaster.

Shivering Timbers

The very best wooden coaster.  It has great airtime.  Hill after hill after hill.  A double-up hill.  And finishes with a high-G helix.  I love this coaster.

Wolverine Wildcat

This is truly great wooden coaster.  It's the first coaster I've riden that has a double-up/double-down hill.  Unique.  I love it.

Zach's Zoomer

What else can I say?  The same layout as several other wooden family coasters that I have been on.

Canada's Wonderland

On June 11 & 12th, 2008 Sarah and I continued our quest for more coasters.  Located in Toronto, Ontario, this beautiful theme park has a great collection of rides.  Only Cedar Point has more roller coasters.  Great fun in the great white north.

Backlot Stunt Coaster

It has a great launch, theme, effects and pyro.  But it could use a better name though.

Bat

Yet another Vekoma shuttle.  Still fun to ride.

Behemoth

The second best coaster I have ever been on.  A great first drop, a ton of perfect airtime hills, very fast and so very smooth.  I Love it.  It alone is worth the price of admission.

Dragon Fire

It has the same elements as Carolina Cyclone (double loop, double corkscrew and helix), but it just seems like a much better ride.

Flight Deck

It's the best themed inverted Vekoma I've ridden.  A better name would do wonders too.

Fly

A good wild mouse ride, just like Ricohet at Kings Dominion.  This one has a beautiful setting amongst the trees.

Mighty Canadian Minebuster

The best woodie in the park.  Good layout and airtime.  The G-forces aren't out of control, the helix is good and it's not too rough.

Scooby's Gasping Ghoster Coaster

A copy of the family wood coaster I've ridden at several other parks.  Always a fun ride.

Silver Streak

A fun family inverted coaster.

Skyrider

I was looking forward to riding this coaster because it is an exact copy of the now defunct King Cobra at Kings Island.  It was fun reliving those old memories of my first standup coaster.

Thunder Run

A good surprise.  A family coaster built mostly inside a manmade mountain.  It was my first powered coaster ever.  The twists and turn in the darkened tunnels with flashing lights really make the most of this small coaster making it a fun and unique experience.

Time Warp

It has a unique loading station and spiral lift.  But that's about the only good things I can say about this coaster.  I don't like the restraint system and the ride is rough and way too short.

Vortex

This coaster has the same design as Flight Deck at Kings Island, but has a more beautiful setting.  The green grass, the pond and Wonder Mountain.  Great ride as well.  High-G's and good speed.

Wild Beast

The same design as Grizzly at Kings Dominion.  And just as rough too.  It's an OK ride.

Holiday World

Sarah and I spent June 10th 2009 at this beautiful theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana.  We had a great time in the clean and friendly park with it's free soft drinks and sunscreen.  Great fun in the southern Indiana.

Howler

It's a cool family coaster featuring the park's mascot "Holidog".

Legend

A wild helix, lost of changes in direction and plenty of twists and turns.

Raven

It's a fantastic ride throught the trees and over the lake.  I only wish it was longer.

Voyage

A great ride through the woods on the most intense wooden coaster I've ever been on.  Fast, non-stop action and 90 degree banking.  This was my first coaster designed by The Gavity Group.

Indiana Beach

On June 12th, 2009 Sarah and I added five more coasters to our lists.  Located on the shores of Lake Shafer in Monticello, Indiana, this compact park with lots of retro charm, a nice collection of rides and a great boardwalk.

Cornball Express

This twisting wooden coaster packs quite a wallop for it's size.  Built entirely above the midway and kiddie rides, this thrill ride has a great helix near the end.

Galaxi

This coaster has some amazing airtime, especially in the back seats.  I was really looking forward to riding this coaster because it is an exact copy of Bavarian Beetle that was once at Kings Island.  Great fun.

Hoosier Hurricane

The coaster travels nearly the length of this small park, has a lot of great airtime, a smooth ride and is beautiful to look at too.

Steel Hawg

This conpact steel S&S coaster has some great elemnts, including a 111 degree drop and a drive loop with great hang time.

Tig'rr

This was the first coaster I've ever been on that features in-line seating.  Quick, high speed turns and a smooth ride.

Stricker's Grove

Sarah and I traveled to Ross, Ohio northwest of Cincinnati to this family owned private amusement park on August 9th 2009.  This clean, friendly and quaint park can be rented out to businesses, churches and other groups for company picnics, weddings, family reunions and other events.  We were there on just one of the four days the park was open to the public in 2009.

Teddy Bear

A small wooden kiddie coaster.  It is possibly the smallest woodie I've been on.

Tornado

This red and white wooden coaster sits along the road at the front of the park and is a blast.  Great fun.

Waldameer

On August 27th 2009 Sarah and I continued our quest for more coasters at Waldameer in Erie, Pennsylvania.  This clean, and old-fashion park sits on the shores of Lake Erie and is filled with old trees and great rides.

Comet

A small wooden family coaster.  Built in 1951 this coaster is completely engulfed with old trees and is still operated with hand brakes.

Ravine Flyer II

This coaster in the highlight of the park.  This fast and twisting coaster crosses over a state highway and back and is designed by The Gravity Group.  It's a complete blast to ride.  One of the best wooden coasters in the world.

Ravine Flyer 3

A small kiddie coaster.  The unique feature of this ride is that it is completely over water.

Steel Dragon

This twisting steel monster spins too.  Great fun.