Roller Coaster Road Trip 2017: A New Adventure Awaits

Back in 2014, just three years ago, my pals Rich and Eddie and I took our second ever Roller Coaster Road Trip, venturing out to Louisville, Kentucky, Nashville, Tennessee, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Richmond, Virginia.  It was our second such trip, and a great one at that, riding many great coasters at Holiday World, Kentucky Kingdom, King's Island, and Dollywood, as well as exploring Mammoth Cave National Park, all the sites in Nashville, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and more.

OSU

Our third trip will not include Eddie, sadly, but our pal Gary, one of the most intense roller coaster enthusiasts I know, will be joining Rich and I instead.  This time we're hitting King's Island again in Mason, Ohio, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, Niagara Falls, and finishing up in the city of Toronto, including a day trip to Canada's Wonderland.  Cool, right?

Eater

As the clock ticks down towards our adventure, I'm getting more and more excited.  It'll be our first Roller Coaster Road Trip in three years!  I can't promise any regular posts during the trip, but I do hereby promise to get all the way to the end this time (On our last trip, I only covered up until the first part of Nashville.)  So stay tuned...

niagarafallslive

The Beast Celebrates 35 Years of Thrills

The first time I ever saw The Beast, it was on an old roller coaster video I had bought years ago, and I remember wanting to ride that thing so bad.  It looked so cool, especially when it reached the second lift hill and then dove down with ever-increasing speed, spiraling downward in a helix, and heading towards a tunnel at the bottom.  Woof! What a ride!  I finally got my chance to ride The Beast almost four years ago in the summer of 2010 and it was all I expected and more.

It was 35 years ago this April 14th that The Beast, located at King's Island near Cincinnati, Ohio, first opened to the public.  At the time it broke records as the tallest, fastest and longest wooden roller coaster in the world, the latter record which it still holds.  The ride is still one of the main attractions at the park, and has given over 45 million riders the best of thrills since 1979.

visitkingsisland

coastergallery

To ride The Beast is both thrilling and breathtaking, as it glides along more than 7,000 feet of track through wooded splendor, with great hills, nice speeds, twists and turns, tunnels, and my favorite part, that second lift hill.  It's like two rides in one!  In celebration of the 35th Anniversary of The Beast, I invite you to take a ride, a virtual one, at least, and enjoy!