Some weeks I really look forward to writing this blog. I really enjoy writing and it is fun to think back on the highlights of the week. This week, however, I’m just not in the mood, so I’m sorry if this all seems sort of disjointed and boring. Also, I don’t really have pictures for this week. Anyway, here we go…
Cedar Point, the second oldest amusement park in America, has earned the designation as “Best amusement park in the world” for 12 years running. It also holds the world records for the most rollercoasters at any single amusement park, most rollercoasters over 200 feet (some are more than twice that high), and most rides on the “Top ten rides in the world” list (it has three- no other amusement park has more than one).
It also happens to be located just an hour from our house. Needless to say, we had to go. We have been looking for an opportunity to make this a reality for some time, and finally we were able to go this last weekend. We left our three beautiful children with a babysitter that probably didn’t know what they were getting into and we never looked back. Our day was wonderful!
It actually started out looking sort of dismal. On the way there it rained. We were pretty bummed out about this, but decided to make the best of the day by going to nearby Marblehead and browsing the fun shops they had there. When the weather cleared up we went back to Cedar point and paid the admission and had nonstop fun until about 9:00 that evening. We rode most of the rollercoasters, saw a few shows, checked out a few shops, and did a lot of talking and holding hands. This last bit was especially nice since it has been quite a while since we were able to be together for a full day without interruptions from kids. Finally, we finished off the day with a nice dinner at Olive Garden. Happy Anniversary, Rachel. I sure love you!
So, just a few other random facts about Cedar Point:
When the rollercoaster Mean Streak opened in 1991 it was the largest and fastest wooden rollercoaster in the world. If you were to lay out all of the boards used in its construction it would reach from Sacramento to Washington DC just over three times. It is also a bumpy, painful, headache-inducing ride.
When the coaster Millennium Force opened in 2000 it broke 7 world records for things such as fastest, steepest, etc. To this day it remains the longest steel rollercoaster in existence, and has been ranked as one of the top two roller coasters of all time every year since its induction. It is really, really fun. I dubbed this ride “Big Scary.”
Mantis, a stand-up rollercoaster, holds the world records for tallest, fastest, steepest, and most inverted stand-up rollercoaster of all time. Yes, it is pretty intense.
Top Thrill Dragster, with a total ride time of 17 seconds, launches you from 0-120 in just 3.8 of those seconds. It has held several records, including fastest, tallest, and steepest rollercoaster ever. This thing needs strobe lights at the top just to warn airplanes not to hit it! Oh, and the wait time is totally worth the 17 second ride. This was our favorite ride there. The feeling of pure acceleration is something I had not really experienced before.
Just as a side note: A real top fuel drag racer goes from 0-100 in .7 seconds, and can reach up to three hundred mph in just 4. If these cars go for more than just 10 seconds with their engines at full throttle they will overheat and possibly explode- that is a lot of power. 12,000hp to be exact.
So it is clear that Cedar Point pretty much eclipses everything else that happened this week. But it really was a pretty great week even without the weekend included. On Wednesday evening we went to “Wade Oval Wednesday,” a weekly concert-in-the-park type event that is held not too far from our house. It was relaxing and had a very fun family sort of atmosphere that makes us want to incorporate this into our normal weekly schedule.
Jackson is starting to get some teeth. Man, I am glad I don’t remember when my teeth came in! He is handling it pretty well though, and to quote The Who, “they couldn’t prevent Jack from being happy.” He is a good sport.
Well, that’s about all that I am going to write. We have the missionaries and possibly some other people coming to dinner tonight as well, so I need to start getting ready for their arrival. Hooray for the BBQ- there is nothing easier than sticking some chicken and steaks on the grill, and and this summer fare is almost universally loved. Nothing beats it for cooking for a small group of people.
Have a good week.
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