I just wanted to inform you all (and perhaps brag a bit) about me heading out for the week and leaving this rag in the capable hands of my fellow "raggers". I'm heading out on my yearly trek to Sandusky, OH... Cedar Point to be specific... "America's Roller Coast". It's a yearly trip my best friends and I annually take the entire week before Memorial Day weekend (spells out into a nice 10 day vacation when you add the previous and following weekends into the mix).

... not to mention our it's 4th of July fireworks run as well. Unfortunately, the video of our van full of explosives wouldn't load onto youtube.com, but you can imagine having them sit on your laps, head, and being forced to forget about the rear view mirrors being of any use to you if you're the driver.

It usually ends up being a drunken mess mixed with roller coasters, grilling, more booze and miniature golf... drunk, aggressive, cut throat, trash talking miniature golf... we wouldn't have it any other way:

Cedar Point made it's biggest splash on the public back in 2000 when they introduced to the world the first "giga-coaster", referenced to any coaster that are more than 300 foot in height. At 310 feet and 93 mph, 'Millenium Force' force destroyed 10 world records the first year it was open. I also consider it one of the best in the world, and definately the smoothest coaster I've ever ridden on. Take a ride with me, will you:

We start out each morning with an early entry to the park... a small reward from Cedar Point for choosing one of their many resorts, cottages and campsites to stay overnight in. They let you in one hour before the general public is allowed in, and usually have 2-3 of their best rides up and running. This helps get the rides with the most potential at having an hour plus wait (which still pales in comparison to the wait for most of the crappy rides at Six Flags) to ride and ride and ride until you can't ride anymore.... which for us, usually takes a few days before we're totally burnt out.

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We find that the perfect wake up call is a little ride they like to call "Top Thrill Dragster". Enjoy:

We do this trip every year. We were ultra excited last year to the fact that Cedar Point was opening yet ANOTHER roller coaster to it's flock, the twisting, turning'Maverick'. We'd studied all the blueprints, designs, watched the computer generated graphic video... it looked like it aimed to please. NOT ONLY was it utilizing magnets for the propelling, it was the first ride I'd ever heard of to implement a 95 DEGREE drop. That's 90 degrees (straight down) and then ADD another 5... inwards!! WOW!!! However, that excitement quickly exhaled from our bodies as we slowly passed by the locale of the new ride and dreadfully stared at the site of two Grove cranes getting set into position. Nobody had to tell us, we already knew... there was going to be no riding of Maverick that year. Upon asking as many employees and big wigs as we could encounter, we were eventually informed that one of the twisting turns was pulling out a whopping 6 G's and 3 of the sections had to be removed and replace! Fun for a guy like me, but safety is always a top concern (and rightfully so) at Cedar Point. Ironically, the day we were set to leave, we witnessed the final welds and turns of the giant nuts and bolts. It was quite disappointing... but THIS year... IT's ON:

If any of you are big fans of the Batman ride at Cedar Point (all 25 seconds of it) then you would absolutely LOVE the Raptor. Definately the best suspended roller coaster out there... and I've never had to wait more than 20 minutes to ride. Most times the wait is less than 5 minutes if you go the week before Memorial Day... which of course we are more often prone to do. Enjoy Raptor:

... and 'Mean Streak', another of my own personal favorites! I love these wooden roller coaster, more than my neck and my back do... that I'm certain of.