2011 GA Outpost Trips

[dkny6363]

We just started getting chili's here.

About ocboulderfest... Is Lake Compounce a full day kind of park, or could you juggle it with SFNE? I'm proably looking at doing SFNE on the Sunday if I go, but I thought I'd ask anyways.

[AV Matt]

If you like to do flats, it's an all-day park (and/or the water rides and water park). The water rides are great and the 25-minute sky ride trip up and back down the mountain is fantastic, but the sky ride closes at the threat of unfavorable weather and is closed later in the fall, but may be open still that time of the year. Boulder Dash is all about the night rides and seems to take all day to break in, except when you catch it freshly greased, so day time rides will likely be disappointing for you after hearing so much hype from me about it. But it's nice being able to see where you're going once or twice at the end of the day before it gets dark and the ride is almost broken in.

Quassy ends its season around that weekend, so check to see if it's open. A couple of hours there would be a good add-on for the day with its new GG woodie. I would save SFNE for Sunday if possible. You can do both in a day, but you might regret not getting to spend enough time at the Lake. And heck, you may wish you had more time at SFNE as well.

[dkny6363]

I was going to mention Quassy but couldn't remember the name. How far is that from LC. It's closer to SFNE than it is to LC is it not? Something to consider. Really I should go during the summer so I could do all 3 plus Canobie as well but then I miss out on Ocboulderfest. If i'm not mistaken night rides are scarce during the summer as well. Why is it that Holiday world, as well as Lake Compounce recognize their coaster kill it at night but then almost never open in the dark? I never understood that.

[AV Matt]

Because they cater to families instead of teenagers.

If I recall, Quassy is like 30-45 minutes from LC. I believe it's south of LC, so not closer to SFNE. While in the area of LC, go to Ted's Restaurant for a steamed cheeseburger. DELISH!

Save Canobie for a time when you can spend a full day open to close. It's an enchanting old park with a great woodie and tons of old charm. It tends to get crazy busy too, so you may need at least a day to ride everything.

I forget, but have you been to SFNE yet?

[dkny6363]

I guess but weekends maybe open till 10 instead of 8:30 or 9 whatever it is. I believe one of the 2 stays open till 9:30 on saturday.

Yeah I just looked on Coasterdatabase and Quassy is only 14 miles SW of LC. I thought it was 45 min north of SFNE. Not sure why.

No I haven't been to SFNE.

[AV Matt]

LC is open until 10 on weekends in the busy season. And open until 10+ during the Haunted Graveyard weekends in October.

Holiday World closes at 9:30 on Saturdays in the busy season is otherwise not open passed 8:30 now. The time zone confusion of Indiana made Holiday World think opening a half hour earlier and thus closing a half hour earlier was a good compromise for the eastern and central time zone visitors. Uhhh huh.

[dkny6363]

I forgot about the time change making a bit of a difference.

I'm hoping Ocboulderfest is on sat. the 10th this year and not the 17th. SFNE is closed sun the 18th this year for a private event. Most years the event is the sat. after Labour day, but I noticed not all the time. Once it was on Sept. 20th.

Encouraged to see Quassy offers Pay per ride. $3.50 per ride.

[AV Matt]

I wouldn't rule that Sunday out just yet for SFNE. Those buyouts sometimes get cancelled and enough in advance to plan a visit, but after the official schedule was posted so light crowds show up.

Looking at the LC calendar for 2011. There are no park hours after Sunday, September 11th until October 1st. So I'd bet on OcBoulderFest 2011 being on Saturday, September 10th.

[dkny6363]

I was thinking the same thing about the 10th. Unless it's like PPP where it doesn't exactly show up as an operating day on the calender.

Quassy is a half hour from LC according to Google Maps.

Dissapointed to see my trip on the I90 will cost me about $17/direction. Could be worse, if it was the same price/mile as the 407 in Toronto it would cost approx a grand. LOL. Not even joking on the amount.

[AV Matt]

Ouch! Almost as bad as getting caught going 200 KPH on the free roads up there. After seeing the billboard that says they'll take your car away, Bubba slowed down a bit.

[dkny6363]

Believe it or not speeding is much more leniant up here. When the limit is 100(60mph aprox) you can easily get away with going 130 (80+ mph).

I think I know the signs you speak of... On the 401 montreal bound... I think it 150 kph gets you an automatic suspention, as well as a $50,000 fine??? Probably end up getting a $1000 fine and some points. It's a scare tactic due to the fact the 401 often has deaths occur due to high speeds. The trick is to follow a Quebec plate, cuz a cop always pulls over the french guy first. Now i'm not sure where americans rank on this list but for sure quebec before ontario for pullovers.

[AV Matt]

Somehow I think the yanks have a bigger blip on the radar.

In England they have signs that say "high fatality rate ahead". And they say how many people have died on them in the last two years or so. 

[B-mac]

Germany lets you on the "special" parts of the autobahn if you have a special license from them. Most people in America who say they've driven on the autobahn probably haven't gone faster than 75 mph.

[dkny6363]

In Western New York there is a saying "if your at 9 your fine, if your 10 you're mine!" Meaning 10 over is a ticket.

[ChuckR]

Germany lets you on the "special" parts of the autobahn if you have a special license from them. Most people in America who say they've driven on the autobahn probably haven't gone faster than 75 mph.

I've hit 220 KPH on the Autobahn in Germany, I thought my car was going to fall apart.

[B-mac]

Most production cars aren't built to go that kind of speed. Even though you were only going around 100 mph, most cars don't get the privelege to go that fast in their lifetime. My car, a ford taurus, just went a buck fifteen on the parkway last week for the first time in its life.

[AV Matt]

My truck is governed at about 92mph.

Oh yeah something else interesting about England.... although they use the metric system, the road related stuff is still in miles and miles per hour.

[ChuckR]

That's strange, you won't find that in mainland Europe.

[AV Matt]

I know. It shocked me when we got there. I was expecting everything to be in KM/KPH. It made driving on the wrong side of the car/road a little less painful for Bubba.

[Ogolo]

Flights for HWN are looking rather pricey!

[AV Matt]

Cheapest option I've found is Nashville on Southwest for about $260 round trip. Would be a good option for stopping at Beech Bend on the way to Holiday World, then we can take our time heading back on Sunday after the late night activities and lack of sleep.

Bubba suggested driving though.

[Bubba Z]

are you doing a cabin Matt,  or Santa's Lodge?  What is everyone else doing ?

[AV Matt]

I think I'm going with the deluxe queen bed option at Santa's again like last year. I'm a sucker for a comfy bed on vacation.

[Ogolo]

Even Nashville is over $400.

If I go it will be Santa's Lodge in the newer wing.

[AV Matt]

Found a $220 combination on Travelocity for Philly to Louisville Fri-Sun.