That was a Saturday trip, with a temperature in the mid 80's, and a fair amount of humidity. We got there a little late (around 11:30 AM). We had a large group, and if you've ever gone with a bunch of people you know how hard it is to get everyone mobilized quickly. We pulled into the parking lot, and both sides were nearly full. Not a good sign.

Because of the heat, we hit the Splashin Safari side first. I've never seen so many people in SS as I did that day. I heard later that they actually closed admission to SS because they had maxed out at about 14,000 people in there. I can believe it too. The wave pool was essentially wall to wall people. The slides were all about 25-30 minute waits. The congo river ride was jammed with people. We even had to wait about 15 minutes just to rent a locker. It was incredibly crowded, especially for Holiday World.

Around 4:00 PM we left the Splashin Safari and headed for the Raven. The wait wasn't too bad at 30 minutes. We hit the front seat first, even though the back is far better in my opinion. It was a typical good ride, but was over a bit too quickly. Next stop, the Legend. The queue earlier in the day was actually up the stairs and along the fence for about another 75 feet. At the time we went, it was at the bottom of the stairs and all the way to the end of the queue before the first turn. From there we waited about 75 minutes. Again, sitting in the front seat. If you've never ridden a wooden twister, it's simply a must. It's a very intense ride if you sit on the right side of the train, and slightly less so on the left side. It provides a totally different experience than Raven, but both prove to be very good rides. I love the first drop on the Legend, and from the first tunnel on it doesn't let up and just seems to get faster and faster until you finally hit the brakes before the station.

As it got later and later the lengths of the lines never really decreased, unfortunately. After getting some free Pepsi products we headed back to the Raven. The wait was about 30 minutes again, but we hit the back seat this time. If you're going to ride the Raven for the first time I'd recommend the front. BEFORE YOU LEAVE however, make SURE you ride it in the back. Ride with the seat belt as loose as it will go and the lab bar only down about 2 notches. You'll be amazed by the air you get on the first drop, and at the speed at which it hits. The Raven doesn't disappoint in the back. A great ride. I'm not sure if I would qualify it as #1 woodie in the world, but it's definately top 5 material.

Unfortunately by this time it was nearing sunset, and I (in a fit of stupidity) had given my regular glasses to people who were leaving, and continued to wear my sunglasses. Obviously it would be very difficult for me to drive in the dark if I was wearing my sunglasses. We were camping at the Ferdinand State Forest about 15 minutes away, and the road going there is VERY twisty, with plenty of blind curves. Because of that, we had to cut short the trip, but still plenty of fun and plenty of sunburn was had by all.