Last weekend marked my sixth trip to the point in three years and it did not dissapoint. Everytime I go to a park I have visited before, whether it is my home park or another, I try to discover or experience something new or something that I haven't noticed before. This trip was no exception because I was travelling from MO to OH solo this time! I have never been to a theme park by myself before and I was nervous about doing that, but I found out that even when arrive at a theme park solo, you are never alone and there are great advantages to being a single rider!

I made it to CP around 6:00pm on Friday. The crowds are thin at that time since it is Friday evening and people are just getting off of work. The limited ride availability doesn't hurt either. The excitement of driving up the causeway and seeing all of the coasters and the strange new addition of a huge yellow tower overpowered any anxiety that I had from traveling solo. Let me tell you that the yellow tower is impressive from the causeway. I was very surprised at the height from that view.

The weather on Friday night was probably the most comfortable all weekend. Not to windy, but there was a light sprinkle. The best part of going solo is getting to go whereever you want. There is no "Do you want to ride that?" or "Do you want to go again?" You can do what you want. I decided to be different and ride Magnum first. (The real reason I chose Magnum as my first ride was so I could see the construction up close!)

Magnum is one of my all time faves and it did not dissapoint. I ride all coaster with hands in the air if I can manage, but on Magnum, you have to hold on during the turnaround or you suffer some severe whiplash! I did get good air without the "stapling" affect on the bunny hills in the home stretch.

After Magnum, I headed up front to the Power Tower and rode the down side a couple times. Both times, I rode with some very nervous women and that was great. I like to exaggerate how scary something is so you can see their reaction. That ride is one of the few that still gives me butterflies. It is the best you are sitting at the top of the tower waiting to blast downward!

Wicked Twister was down early in the evening, but was open later. This is a good ride to be a single rider on b/c you can get on the ride quickly with little wait. I was surprised at the number of single riders. I rode in both the front and the back and I prefer the front. In the front, you feel the acceleration better than the back, plus seeing the end of the spiral fast approaching is a rush! Riding three or four rows back from the front is good because you get more twisting and you still feel the acceleration as you speed through the station.

I rode MF several times that night and had a blast. The longest I waited on Friday was 30 minutes. While waiting for one trip on MF, I was behind a drunk guy from Michigan. He would just stand there when the line would move so there would be a huge space between us and the people ahead of us in line. That is my biggest pet peeve. When that would happen I would start to walk and the dude would move. About the fifth time this happens, the dude starts talking to me. It turns out, he was supposed to be riding MF with his buddy, but he has lost him in the line! How drunk do you have to be to loose your friend in line for a coaster?? Anyway, back to MF... my rollercoaster tolerance has increased b/c MF doesn't pack the punch that it used to. The first hill is still the best on any coaster ever, but I know where the coaster will turn next and where the photo spot is.

The longest line that night was for Raptor. They have added (or I have just noticed) strobe type light around the cobra roll. As you are getting flipped around, light flash around and you loose a bit of your orientation.

I met a coworker, her two daughters and one of their boyfriends on Saturday. We started our day at 11:30. We got inside early since I stayed at the Breakers Express. If you stay at a CP hotel, take advantage of the pass b/c it is well worth it.

We rode MF several times Saturday. Mantis was very painful and I have the on-ride photo to proove it! Good news for Mantis lovers is that the ride is starting to get its paint job. The queues wrapping around the station have been painted as well as portions of the station itself. We also rode Magnum, Mean Streak, DT, WT and PT on Saturday.


I had the most fun Saturday evening before we left. We played around in the Blue Streak courtyard and surrounding area. Before we headed to this area, the five of us shared two elephant ears and saw the magic show. This was just enough time for the sugar to rush through the 7th graders system! As soon as one ride stopped, she would be out and in line at another before we could even get off of the platform! We started off riding the classic Cadillacs. I sat in the back as one of the girls drove. I kept screaming for her to "WATCH OUT!" and "SLOW DOWN!" It was loads of fun. We then raced horses on Cedar Downs and had a blast (My horse won!). In the Blue Streak courtyard, we rode the Corvettes, the scrambler type thing and of course, Blue Streak.

I really like woodies and Blue Streak is great. That little coaster probably has more airtime on it than any other coaster at CP! There is nothing better than riding good wood at night in the cold! I rode Blue Streak about five times that night. I love it!

I was solo again on Sunday. I only had a few hours since I had a plane to catch. This time I took advantage of my early admission pass again, but I arrived at 11:00am. I headed straight to MF and rode it three times in 30 minutes! I could have rode it for a fourth time, but Sunday was all about no lines and the MF line was not walk on by my fourth go around so I skipped. Mantis was not open yet so I headed to Mean Streak.

Mean Streak is another of my faves and I usually only get to ride it once because when I am not solo, my group never wants to go again. I made it to MS before it opened so I waited for 10 minutes or so. I was the first in the station and rode in the back. I got some good snapshots from the lift hill of the MF and Lake Erie! Yes, this coaster is trimmed to the max, but it is loud, fast, shaky and cold! Just the way I like it. I didn't get an inch of airtime, but I had a blast. I ended up riding MS two more times all in the back, hands up all of the way!

I closed Sunday out with a trip on Magnum and on DT. The lines on both were nothing. DT is such a fun little ride. I didn't really notice any improvement to the scenery or anything, but the ride is still a fast, fun little coaster. You twist and turn all over the place, but it is finished way too fast.

I had a great weekend at CP. Just what I needed to recharge my batteries and to hold me over the winter months til my next trip in May! I could write pages more, but I am exhausted. Until next time...

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I don't want the world. I just want your half.