8/6/08 SFGADV w the Girls of Summer!

**Leo C** · #1 08-12-2008, 11:53 PM

I was itching to return to SFGADV. The last time I went was mid June. It's become my new habit to go April/May/early June and return September and October. Some nasty summer weekend visits in year's past shaped my pattern. With the state of things in 2008 I felt things were dragging, my staying away I could not avoid any longer. I had to get back to my homepark. I arrived by 11 last Wednesday morning. Apparently security doesn't like my keychain flashlight. I didn't mind throwing it away. Next time I won't bring my USB drive keychain either.

In a real change of pace I did the non local approach of entering the park. This time I turned left and headed towards El Toro. The line was only in the first switchback. A Flashpass User walked by and seemed to showboat. Why should I care if my line was just in the first switchback? I was on within 20-25 minutes so nice try jerk. It's funny that I've never noticed the effects of the first drop and notice the rest of the hills instead. This time in the next to the last row I totally felt the first drop and didn't notice the following hills as much. Weird. Still the extreme we all know, don't worry about that. It was completely smooth. If anyhing I could feel the wheels cross the gaps of the connecting metal rails. That was just a few clicks I felt. I love the first turnaround, responding like a human shock absorber or sway bar. I just adjust myself to go with the flow. Totally loving it. So smooth. The airtime hill over Rolling Thunder I think is always the most extreme. After my favorite s-turns another classic El Toro ride ended with racing Rolling Thunder trains falling through the first drop right next to me on the brake run. Sweet!

Next up I went on the right side of Rolling Thunder. I have not been on it all year. For some reason the right side only ran one train, while the left ran two. It seems similar to 2007 with train use. There was a bigger crowd on the left side. Sitting in the front row, my RT ride was really smooth. I had a classic Rolling Thunder ride with shuffling and smashing into the corner in the turnarounds. The left and right side tracks gallop by each other on the way back to the station. This design element wih alternating hills is fun. I just wish the track was greased and there was real airtime. I had one of my better and perhaps smoothest RT run ever.

Next I walked towards Medusa. The fence under El Toro was closed. There was no access to the bridge between Toro and Medusa/Runaway Mine Train. Did I see debris or a rough piece of planking on the closed bridge?

Medusa surprised me by running three trains. It seemed that the B&M belt clapping on the final brake run has come East Coast from SFMM and become a mainstay. As usual I screamed "G-roll!" in the roll. Another fun and flying cycle through the course. Perhaps the rides run smoother, faster with the summer sun?

Afterwards I made my way through Frontier Adventures to the Lakefront. I was able to quickly ride the ever dependable, short wait Blackbeard's Treasure Train. Now that I understand the line since the adjustment to the 2 cycle run and riders not being allowed to the airgate while the train runs it's back to be a must ride every visit.

Approaching 2 pm I made my way towards NITRO. On Evolution's old pad there was an Army virtual Experience blow up attraction. The line to do the attraction was long so I breezed by towards NITRO. It probably was much cooler than the Michael Vick Experience (Remember the Nike commercial).

NITRO was just a 20 minute wait and I was fortunate to have a train full of riders that howled the whole way through. It was fun and another run I could almost do in my sleep. The floating air was apparent again this run through.

Walking throughout the park all day long I realized I forgot what the summer season was like in the park. I got used to my off peak visits. The Jersey girls of summer were indeed out in their summer wear. I left after 2 after having a good 3 hours in the park. See you in September SFGADV (during the EAGLES away game Sundays pregame?).

rjholla2003 · #2 08-13-2008, 11:23 AM

Ah, the girls of summer. Gotta love the scenery. I'll probably have my last visit of the summer today. Probably won't ride much, but I'll enjoy as much as I can. I work too hard there not to get my last thrills of the summer.