Last Day of the Trip

I have a half a day in Chicago, which is half a day too much. You can basically do it in a day if you bypass the museums and old buildings.

I am back at the hotel and just about to get on the shuttle bus to take me to the airport.

Well, what has this trip meant to me. I think I managed to have 'fun', especially going on about 30 roller-coasters. I really enjoyed going to the theatre and meeting some people in the Hostels. But, it wasn't fantastic, and I think the reason is that Rosy wasn't with me. There were some things that I think she would have really enjoyed. I missed her screams on the roller-coasters and the special love that a husband and wife of 21 years can share with each other. One thing though, the poor service levels that usually get me very frustrated, didn't have any effect on me. Interesting!!!

So, overall I think the trip has been great and I am ready to share the Australian touring adventure with Rosy.

Cheers
Stephen

First full day in Chicago

You know, it's not so bad staying at an airport hotel once you get use to the jets taking off and landing. It think they have a curfew of about 3am.

I just basically roamed around Chicago all day. Had a look inside Macy's and Sears. Not much here other than a few bookshops and multitude of food places, a few odd shops and theatres. It was a bit of a disappointment actually.

I did manage to find my way to powell's bookstore on Lincoln Ave, using the train system. It's about 25 miles north of the city.

I managed to get tickets to a musical 'Wicked', which is aparantly coming to Sydney in Summer. I tried to get a ticket in new York, but it was booked out solid. It was cheaper and easier to get into here in Chicago. I also got a ticket to the behind-the-scenes tour, which happens a little before the show. It was quite interesting and was conducted by two cast members. It was a really good show. Lots of good music, props and special effects. But, I still really preferred 'Hairspray'. It has a lot to do with the energy and music level. I found it really hard to hear some of the dialogue in Wicked. It may have had something to do with the accents. Even though the show started at 7:30am I didn't get back to the Hotel at O'Hare until 12:30am. The Airport train is really slow and is pissing some of the natives off a bit.

Cheers
Stephen

Drive to Chicago

All I can say is thank god for the GPS. It wasn't so bad on the 6 hour trip from Cincinatti to Chicago, but once you get into Chicago it is a nightmare. A complete nightmare. Sometimes I think I just shut my eyes and hoped for the best. You should try driving at full pelt on 6 lanes of packed traffic, when you have to get from the left hand lane, all the way over to the right hand land, within 200 feet. Aghhhhh!!!

Anyway, I made it to the Best Western at O'Hare airport in one pice, without any accidents. I will need the rest of the afternoon to get over the drive.

Cheers
Stephen

Off to Kings Island Cincinatti

Made it here in one pice after a four hour drive. Had the afternoon to myself so I decided to go to the park for half a day, as the area was forecasting showers for the next day.

This park has the longest rollercoaster in the world, called the Beast. Its is so big that you can't take any pictures of it as you can't see it amongst the hills and trees. it was a great ride at 4minutes and 20 seconds. The smart allec kid in front of me said that it took 4 minutes to get up the inclines.

The other great ride here is firehawk. This one loads you up in a horizontal position and then when it get;s you up the incline it flips you over so you arms are dangling towards the earth. It is a coaster that makes you feel like you are flying. It was a great experieince. Shame about the slow loading times. It was pretty intricate.

I managed to ride everything that was there, in the afternoon. This means that I can go to Chicago a day earlier and do some touring there for two days, and then it is back to Oz.

Cheers
Stephen

Off to Cedar Point

Well, the first hurdle to overcome was that there were no day bus tours to Cedar Point, which meant I needed to drive there (about 75 miles). The second hurdle was to find a car rental place. They are few and far between. There was one about 4 blocks from where I am staying and they have GPS rentals as well. Thank God!!! Well I made it there in one piece, without incident. I love GPS. She has such a sexy voice (I think I have been travelling too long).

Now about Cedar Point - Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God. Is this the place to be to ride some of the craziest, wildest, fastest, highest coasters all in one location. They all blew me away. There's the one that has a first drop of 320 feet and it was called Millenium force. It went so fast that I could feel my eyelids flapping around in the wind. I can't remember much about the ride, except the waiting time for the queue was 90 minutes.

Then there was top Dragster. Excelerated from 0 to 120 mph in under 4 seconds, lunged up to a height of 420 feet at 90 degrees, then straight down again at 90 degrees with a spiral thown in. Oh my God. The take off was incredible. The waiting line for this ride was 2 hours.

Anyone who thinks they have ridden the best coaster in the world has to definitely come to this place. there are plenty of motels in Sandusky, which is a bit closer than Cleveland. The rides here and the park are the best I have been on so far. Let's see what Kings Island brings up.

Oh, by the way, I haven't had much trouble with driving on the wrong side of the road. The GPS makes it so much easier to get around.

Cheers
Stephen

Getting from NY to Cleveland

Well, once again Amtrak have outdone themselves. I will be certainly writing to them when i get back home to let them know of the terrible way we were dropped off out the back of now where in Cleveland, with no transportation at 3:30am. I ended up walking my luggage through downtown, which I have been told that was not a very wise thing to do. But then, if that is all that is available, then I don't have a choice. I finally get to my hotel and get 4 hours sleep before I head off to Cedar Point in Sandusky Ohio.
Cheers
Stephen

2nd day in New York

Went to Coney Island and rode the world famous "Cyclone" roller coaster. It's not as big as the new fast steel models, but it still packs a punch. I am going to have bruises on my legs and arms from this ride. All the corners are on an angle. They don't flatten out like more traditional coasters. It was made in 1927 and has held up all this time. Astroland itself isn't much to talk about. Just your traditional midway affair with very old amusement rides. It looked like they opened that part to some school kids who were given open tickes. They seemed to be enjoying all the rides there.

It only took about an hour to get out to Coney Island from 42nd Street, using the subway. It only cost $2 each way. Not bad considering the distance.

I roamed around Times Square for the afternoon, then went back to the Hostel to freshen up for another show I went to called "Hairspray" You have probably seen the ad for the recent movie release. I didn't know it at the time, but it was the productions 5th year on broadway the night I went to see it. The show was great, great, great. The band was loud and rock'n and they had everyone bopping up and down in their seats. All the performers were top notch, especially the black cast. Boy could they belt out a melody or two. The storyline is set in 1962 when there were issues in the States about integration. The sets weren't much to look at, but then they didn't need to carry the musical like Mary Poppins did. The guy that played the mother was a hoot. He stole most of the scenes.

Anyway, made my way back to the Hostel and there were a new bunch of guys there. Several of them were from Eastern Sydney. They were working in the US in the Summer Camp. Although, by the fourth week they were ready to kill the little brats. I must say that the moajority of people I meet up with in Hostels are really nice. They are always open to having a chat (the Germans seem to have a problem with this) and swapping annecdates about the travels. It's funny i the morning how all the alarms and mobiles go off intermitantly to wake up the respective owner. You'd think that the fist one would have woken them all up anyway. Everyone is usually up by 9:30am anyway. Not early risers. The Hostel in New York is US$38 per night. It has a room with 4 double bunk beds and an ensuit.

Cheers
Stephen

First full day in New York

I must say that Rosy's Blog put's mine to shame. I guess that's what happens when you have to pay $1 for 5 minutes with a time limit. I just get to write the bare minimum.

Anyway, I'm in a room with 7 other guys. I didn't think I would get much sleep here as we were on a pretty busy road - but as I am walking quite a bit I get to sleep quite quickly.

Last night I saw Disney's live stage production of Mary Poppins. I enjoyed it quite a lot, but the new songs weren't as melodious as the originals, which seemed few and far between. The set reminded me of Sunset Boulevard. It had a full size multi level cut-away section of the house from the story and the roof contained the nursery, which would come down from the top of the stage to ground level. The story was roughly based on the original movie, but this time they concentrated a lot more on Mr and Mrs Banks and the relationship between father and son. When looked in this context it seems obvious to me that Bert symbolises the positive father figure, whilst Mr Banks is the negative - that is until it all switches around when Banks realises that family is more important than work. The lead had a great voice and at the end of the show she flies off the stage and floats up the mezzanine and dress cirlce floors. Quite impressive considering she is about 60 feet off the ground. The new songs were a bit forgetful and they also introduced a new mean nanny, who was Bank's original nanny when he was a child. It explained why he was short of feeling.

Cheers
Stephen

Arrived in NY

Finaslly made it to NY and it hasn't changed much. Although I did get lost and ended up on the wrong side of Centyral park to where the hostel is. Oh well, it wore off the Maccas I had for breakfast. Was able to get into a couple of shows while I am here and I am meeting up ewith my niece Cathie and Joel on Thursday night. Must go now. Off to a show. Cheers
Stephen

Philadelphia

Well, I made it to Philly in one piece, although I didn't expect the hostel to be shut until 4:30pm, which meant I had to cart my bags and backpack around with me for 5 hours. There was no luggage storage in town, so it was a very long day. I was starting to get pissed off with the whole situation and then I was sitting next to a food stall and a young woman had just cut her fingers off with an automatic slicing machine. It sort of put my little problem into perspective. I am in a room with 19 other guys. I can't explain the smell!!!! But it's a bed and most of them slept in. Not so many snored. I keep on bumping into a guy from Russia and we have snippets of conversations.

A new day has begun and I did the Liberty Bell and Independence hall thing and then did the square mile walk, which took in Betsy Ross's house (she was commission by Washington to quilt the first stars and stripes flag), the Benjamin Franklin bridge and an assortment of museums. I only just got back to the hostel, so I have been walking for about 8 hours. My feet are all blistered and red from all this walking I am doing in the heat.

Overall Philly is a nice place with a lot of history. It is much bigger than I thought, although I don't think I will want to come back here. Tomorrow I am off to the big apple with Amtrak. It should only take an hour.

Washington Tour

Got up early today to head for The Capitol building to line up for the free tickets for the tour. I got there about 7:45am (it opens at 9am) and was about 25th in line. By about 8:50am the queue had reached about 500 people. It weaved and doubled itself in no matter of time as bus after bus dropped off hopeful tourists. I got in on the first tour and they make you throw out any liquids you may have on your person. The they scan your bag. Overall the tour was well worth the free admission, in addition to the great views you get. I then got on the Old Trolly Tour bus and did the FDR monument, The Lincoln memorial, and Georgetown (I got a picture of the stairway they used in the Exocist, just outside the Georgetown University). Then I got off the tour and used the subway to get to the National Archive, where I saw the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and the Emancipation proclimation. All great stuff. It's now about 7:45pm and I leave tomorrow for Philadelphia. I haven't been there before so i am curious to see what is there. Bye for now.
Stephen

On my way to Washington

Hi there,
I made it to Washington in one piece, although the train trip with Amtrak was a bit ofa shambles. Firstly, the train was late by 40 minutes due to the heat. They said the trains had to be slowed down. It was a full train, or rather over full (looks like they are copying the airlines). My foot stand was broken, but I found the bolt and put it together again. Then they turned the air conditioning on. OH MY GOD!!! I thought I was back in Antarctica. I had to put on another shirt, then a jumper, then a pair of jeans, then some socks and shoes. it must have been close to zero degrees. I asked the conductor for a pillow and blanket and he came back with just a pillow and then ran away. i later found out that you can purchase the blankets, but not to bother because they sold out of them before getting to orlando, which is where I got on. As I said it was a full trian, mainly big black women with their kids and boy can they talk the ears off a drink man. I took some sleeping pills and went through the night with hourly wake-ups. I got up at about 7am to find that there was no water on board, and that meant none in the toilets - to flush or to wash your hands. But that got rectified when we arrived at the next station in an hours time. Now we have water, but they run out of hand towels to dry yourself. Who runs this organisation????? Anyway, we arrived at Washington 15 minutes late and I got off. i asked the guy next to me if he wanted me to hand down his backpack and he said that he was staying on board. I told him how sorry i was for him.

Now that I am in Washington I got a quick walk in around The Capitol and The White House and Pentagon City Mall. Time to crash out. See ya.
Stephen

Busch Garden Tampa Bay

Well, I think I have found the best amusement park so far. Busch Gardens at Tampa Bay, about an hour away from Kissimee. They four great coasters - a wooden one that shakes your bones and mixes up your brain a little. There are two tracks with two competing trains. One is the Lion and the other the Tiger. Tiger is faster and rougher than the lion, but both will shake the dentures right out of your mouth.

The best is Sheikra. I rode it 3 times. It's the one with the 2oo foot 90 degree drop. It is so out there that when you go down the drop, you freefall and your butt is off the chair. I suppose it would be a bit like parachuting. There is another vertical drop but not so high and a big splash. The carriage sits eight people across and the two outer seats on the left and right have nothing beneath them - nothing but air. I was in the outer seat in the fron row and the last row. The ride blew my mind away and definitely worth the trip over.

Busch Garden is also a working zoo and they have several rides that incorporate the live animals, gorillas, crocodiles, chimpanzes and elephants. The park is also a beautifully manicured garden, so the oldies have something to look at. Even though this park is a bit out of the way, I would say it is better than Universal and Disney for thrills. There are no express passes, but the lines aren't that long and you get on a rollercoaster within 20 minutes. Busch Garden also has a park in Williamsburg, which has the same coaster. It's a little south of Washington, which is where I am heading off to tommorrow by train.

Cheers
Stephen

Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure

today I did the two Universal amusement parks. I thought I would have a tough time doing it, but with the help of a double priced, Express Ticket I was able to basically walk onto every attraction. My head is still spinning, and I rekong these rides are better than Disneys. My favorite was the Duelling Dragons. A roller coaster that has two carriages running simultanously, each going through about seven inversions. I went on it four times - I had to try out the front and back of each track. One was fire and the other water. I think I liked water better.

There was a part in the park where all the water rides were, and I can tell you that I got completely drenched. Not just a little wet, but soaked through to the skin. I was in the fron seat for Jurassic Park and I can't tell you how much water went up and splatted all over me, then I went on Dudley Do Rights Saw Falls and was in the last seat, which got most of the water in it ( a more intense version of Splash Mountain in Disney). I didn't go on the third water ride as i thought I was wet enough. it was one of those big tyre rides. But the best thing was you can get on a bridge over the riders and pay 25 cents to work a water canon and aim it at them. i could have spent all day doing this. it really bought the bad side out of me.

I filmed the whole Jaws ride, even though I don't think I was allowed to. I thought someone was going to take my film away. There was also The Mummy's Revenge. Another dark inside rollercoaster, more intense than the others. Earthquake and Twister were both good shows. And then there was The Hulk roller coaster. Wow, wow, wow. It gets throust up the incline where it starts off with a rolling inversion, then about another 7 inversions. So much to see and do, but i got it all done in one day. Tomorrow I am off to Tampa Bay and Busch's gardens Amusement park where they have a rollercoaster with a 200ft 90 degree drop. got to love Florida (except for the humidity, afternoon thunderstorms and the friggin' heat.

Bye for now.
Stephen

Walt Disney World

Yesterday, I completed Disney World, Again with the help of Fast Passes I was able to complete it in one day. mind you I didn't go into any of the shops or visit any of the hotels. Disney World was pretty much like disneyland. All the same attractions except they were sprawled out. Arrived at 9am and left at 9:30pm. The last bus to the hostel left at 9:45pm.

Oh i forgot, there were two great rides at MGM, The Tower of Terror, which has visitors placed in a lft that thrusts you up 100ft and then back down to the ground again. The other great ride was Aerosmiths Rock'n Roll coaster. This started off in a stading position and blasted you off in complete darkness. I seem to remember there were 3 inversions in the dark.

Cheers
Stephen

Disney World

Sorry it has been a while since my last post. It has been go, go, go since I got here. On 5th Aug i started the day with a 2 day pass with a park hopper. on this day I completed Disney's Animal World, Epcot and Disney's MGM studio, with the help of Fast Passes. These allow you to go and do other things in the park while the ticketing system remembers your place in the queue. My first ride was on the new Expedition Everest. A roller coaster set in the Himalayas with a yeti. Just as the coaster gets going, it stops and then goes backqwards for half of the ride, then it goes straight ahead. Most of the time you are complete darkness. Great ride with a 200ft drop. I really enjoyed a 3d film experieince of "It's not easy being a bug" based on the characters from It's a Bug's life". One of the bugs farts and the smell goes through the whole theatre. And then there is the bug that suirts acid and then liquid is spurted all over the audience.

Epcot remined me pretty much of Expo in 88. Spacehsip Earth, the giant golf ball, was closed for renovations. The best ride was Sorin, where you are hoisted up 40ft in the air and float around while you watch a film that surrounds you about California.

Disney MGM was pretty much like Movie World. No attraction really stands out, but then it was two days ago since I was there.

Cheers
Stephen

Now in LA

Well, a lot has happened since my last blog. I went to the Grand Canyon - appropriately named for its vast size. Took the bus - anyway 15 hours later I got back to the Hostel. Some new people in the room, Jake from Scotland was the most talkative. We had a good chin wag until about midnight and he went out - He didn't make it back by the time I had to check out. That's one thing about hostels - you meet some really interesting people. Shame about the lack of sleep. I think I have had about 10 hours sleep over the past 4 days.

Now in LA for a horrendous day. My bag fell apart during transit, I had to book accom and flight to Florida, book an overnight at the Hilton LAX, go and find a shopping mall to buy a new bag. Not enough time to wash my clothes and have them dry, so bought some more. I ate a piece of fruit at 8am and didn't eat again until 7pm. Aghhhhh!! The joys of unplanned holidays.

More stuff has happened, but my brain is mush at the moment. Need sleep desperately.


Cheers
Stephen

Las Vegas Arrival

Arrived last night and went to pick up bags at carousel No. 2. All passengers went there. All the bags were dropped off. No bag!!! Then I hear one of the passengers say that there are some on carousel 1. Go there all bags arrive no bag!! More bags arrive carousel No. 2. Yippee my bag arrives.

Arrive at the Hostel in Downtown. The booking was wrong and I was meant to arrive for booking at 6am, pity it was 2am. They were able to get me into a room for the night. There are two germans in the room with me. It's pretty quiet. We all get up around 9am. I pack up my bags and go to reception to get my proper room. They tell me I can stay in the same room if I want to. Shame they couldn't have told me this before I packed everything up.

Got down to the strip about 2:30pm. Got a ticket to Ka for tonight. Can't wait. I am currently in MGM Grand using the office computer to send this message. Nice people at the Business Centre. I think I am lost in here. It is sooo big. It would take a person a day just to go through it.

An aussie is now in the hostel room with me. He leaves tomorrow. Nice guy.

Must go now and see some of the sights.

Cheers
Stephen