Seasons End

Well folks, unfortunately it is November 3rd and that means to all of us that call seasonal parks home, coaster season is no more. Its never a fun part of the year, but one when we can all look back on the great memories made in the season gone by and prep for the offseason. Here are some of my favorite memories from the 08 season:

#300
It was Saturday in September at Six Flags St. Louis when I climbed to an all new level of nerd status and rode Evel Knevel, my 300th roller coaster. Thats a pretty big milestone and I can't even believe I have been on that many. Well heres to the next 300!!

SFGAdv with the fam
Now that I graduated college and am out in the real world and half way across the country from home, it made this latest of the hundred times I been to Six Flags Great Adventure specail. I don't get to see my mom/dad/brother very often so it was nice to spend a day hanging out together in one of the premier coaster parks in the country. Mom & Dad haven't been to the park in forever and actually really enjoyed El Toro (so smooth, so smooth).

The Final Hoopla
Probably my most memorable weekend I had this season was when Pleasure Island & The Adventurers Club shut it doors for the last time. The weekend was packed full of specail moments at a true one of a kind place. The folks at the Adv Club did a great job on the final night and made sure that anyone in the building wouldn't soon forget that evening. Kungaloosh.

The Unique Wisconsin Dells
I spent my first weekend ever in Wisconsin Dells and that is one unique little place. A true tourist trap town, but one I enjoyed thouroughly. The big name coasters of Hades & Avalanche lived up to the hype. The touristy trap stuff also lived up to what you would expect from the cool (Wizard Quest) to the awful (the Looney Bin) to the have to seen to be believed odd (Top Secret).

This Is Halloween (4X)
I got the chance to check out four different parks halloween events this year: Magic Kingdom's Mickey Not So Scary Halloween Party, Six Flags Great America's Fright Fest, Cedar Point's Halloweekends and Busch Gardens Europe's Hallowscream. I have good memories from all of the events like walking around the magic kingdom in full costume trick or treating and the incredible Boo To You parade, the always enjoyable Love At First Fright Show, walking around a pirate themed Millenium Force island, to the awesome Monster Stomp show and haunted houses of BGE. I think Not So Scary was my favorite, pretty much cause I am a big wuss and don't enjoy haunted houses, but also it gave a real feeling of being a kid again walking around in costume stopping around the park filling the bag with candy.

So 2008 has been a lot of fun (and its not over quite yet, check out the blog on Tuesday to see where I am going in December, hint it rhymes with HouseBest). The offseason could be an interesting one with some big stories to watch like: how the faltering economy will effect the parks, the construction of the 2009 'Big 3' (Manta, Rip Ride Rockit & Dimondback) and the million dollar question of what will become of Hard Rock Park. Should be a fun offseason after an blast in 2008.