Tag: Ohio

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Cedar Point – Amazing Park for Roller Coasters

 If you like roller coasters and live anywhere near Ohio, you know of Cedar Point, an amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, right on the shores of Lake Erie. The second-oldest amusement park in North America, Cedar Point boasts 72 rides, including 18 roller coasters. Yes, 18! (according to the Cedar Point website)

I’ve always lived in NE Ohio, within a reasonable drive to Cedar Point, so I’ve been going there since I was small. (Funny side note: This is where we went on our honeymoon! We only had Sunday to do anything since my husband started a new job that Monday.*) Jump ahead few years and we took our kids. Once my kids were grown, it wasn’t a place I thought about much until recently. Because of Cedar Point’s Gold (season) Pass special for their 150th year, I bought passes for my husband and myself. I wanted to see the decade of changes I’d missed and try out roller coasters I hadn’t experienced yet.  Add the idea of taking our granddaughters, now old enough to bring along for an occasional fun day, and it made buying the passes a no-brainer!

*Don’t worry. We took a real honeymoon later. We went to Disney for a week. (Hmmm. Seems like an amusement park trend going there.)

Season Passes

The Gold Passes were a great purchase! We have loved watching my granddaughters (ages 4 and 6) discover Cedar Point for the first time. This park has two areas with just kid rides. My husband and I have been enjoying time together exploring the park, riding old favorites, and finding new ones (to us).

FYI – Cedar Point has brought back their Gold Pass for the 2022 season. It’s $99 if you buy it through their website by September 6, 2021. If you attend twice, you’ve covered the season pass cost. Any additional days are free bonuses! This price includes parking and discounts on most food and merchandise. Click this link if you’re interested. Adding on the all-season cup refill is well worth it if you plan on returning over and over with a season pass.

The Best Coaster (My Opinion)

So why write about Cedar Point now? I have two words for you roller coaster enthusiasts – Steel Vengeance*. This coaster isn’t brand new (it opened in 2018), but this summer was my first time on it. I like coasters. I wouldn’t say I love them, until Steel Vengeance. It is the best coaster I’ve been on.

You may remember it as The Mean Streak. Cedar Point totally revamped the old coaster creating something unique and so much better. It’s the first ever hyper-hybrid coaster:  hyper meaning it’s at least 200 feet tall and hybrid meaning it has wooden supports with steel track.  Steel Vengeance is definitely impressive to look at, but come on, that’s not what patrons come for. It’s the ride experience!

The first hill is intimidating with a 200 foot fall at 90 degrees immediately followed by two more large hills.   Riders have a seat belt but their legs are also clamped in with an unusual bar that fits snugly around each thigh. I felt secure on the twists, turns, and four inversions. At 74 miles per hour, it’s definitely fast which keeps the thrills coming in quick sequence. The almost 30 seconds of airtime – the most airtime on ANY roller coaster in the world (according to Cedar Point) – was absolutely a rush. The ride is smooth so I didn’t come off it with a whiplash or headache like some coasters. At 5,740 feet long the ride takes 2 minutes and 30 seconds, much longer than many coasters I’ve been on.  It isn’t unusual to wait in line for 90 minutes for this one, but between the ride design and the length of the ride, I’d say it’s worth it.

*Note: Make sure you put everything in a locker before getting in line for Steel Vengeance. If you don’t, they will insist you put items in a last chance mini-sized locker inside the structure – including phones. Then you go through a metal detector. They really don’t want you to lose anything on this coaster. I’m sure it’s to protect the riders and the those in line below. It’s that intense of a ride!

Add Your Opinion

What’s your favorite coaster at Cedar Point? What are you favorite coasters at other parks? If you’re not a coaster fan, what kind of ride is your favorite?

 

After watching the video below, I have to say – video can’t capture the true thrill and speed of Steel Vengeance  in person, but if you’d like an idea of the ride, I’ve attached the official Cedar Point video below. Enjoy!

 

 

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Brrr!

What’s with this weather? I live in northeast Ohio near Lake Erie. Granted, I expect cold winters with snow, but this week we were colder than Alaska! Seriously. We were. Temperatures were below zero and the wind chill was -35 here. I love living in Ohio and being near the lake. I’ve endured living in the snow belt for many, many years, but I didn’t sign up for this kind of cold! Sorry, winter lovers.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

While I tried to stay inside wrapped up in blankets as much as possible, I was amused by what others were doing out in this cold. I’m not talking the typical winter activities of building a snowman or going skiing or sledding. I’m talking about truly creative uses of this extreme cold. (By the way, whatever you do in this cold, don’t forget how dangerous it can be! Stay safe.)

So here’s one example: Have you ever tried to make your own snow? People have been throwing near boiling water from a pot into the air outside in these frigid temps. It immediately turns to snow. It’s awesome to watch! Search for it on YouTube. Just make sure it is truly cold enough if you try it. Safety here. It is HOT water.

Another creative example I saw this year is a new fad. Have you heard of the frozen pants challenge? Well, I guess it’s not new new, but it was new to me. People are soaking their pants in water and taking them outside (not while wearing them, duh). As the pants begin to freeze, they sculpt them to make them look like someone is wearing them – posing them in different positions and in interesting locations. Some have taken it to the next level with freezing police uniforms, karate uniforms, and complete tuxedos. I loved the pants family – it included the dad jeans, mom jeans, and two children-sized jeans. I didn’t want to use a photo without permission on my blog, so you’ll just have to check it out yourself. It’ll give you something to do since you’re already on the internet. Gotta love the search bar!

By the way, it’s supposed to be 50 degrees on Monday. I’m sure somebody will have on their shorts and flip flops.