Roller Coaster Road Trip 2014: Kentucky Kingdom and the Louisville Highlands

There are a couple more things I wanted to talk about concerning Louisville.  It was our home base for four-plus days and it was chosen because it was where Kentucky Kingdom, the former Six Flags park, had just reopened, and it was also centrally located to all of the parks we wanted to visit, including Kings Island and Holiday World.  Like everyplace we go on a road trip, we always try to find things to do in the area, local attractions or places that we think might be cool, and so Louisville definitely had some of that, including the Big Four Bridge, the Mega Cavern and a couple more cool spots we got to enjoy.  I wanted to share these with you in case you ever find yourself in Louisville and are looking for something to do...

Kentucky Kingdom

Kentucky Kingdom first opened in May 2007 and provided great amusements for locals for the better part of 22 years.  Its most recent owner, Six Flags, decided to close the park in 2009 and it remained that way for the next five years.  When I'd heard they were reopening this year, the news was what jump started this year's road trip.

Kentucky Kingdom is not a large park at all.  It was even smaller than Holiday World and we only needed a couple of hours to get through it all.  There were only two roller coasters, well three really, but one of them won't open until next season.  The two that were open were pretty good, actually.  There was a steel one called Lightning Run and a woodie, Thunder Run, which I liked very much.  In fact, take a look below and catch a ride...it's not that bad, especially on video...

All in all, Kentucky Kingdom is a fun place.  The water park area of the joint looked pretty cool and there were plenty of non-coaster rides to go around, as well.  If I lived in the area, I could see myself buying a season pass for those summer nights when there's nothing to do.  Here are a few pics from the place...

The Highlands

One night Rich, Eddie and myself found that we had some free time.  It was right after we'd walked the Big Four Bridge and I was looking online for something to do when I found the Highlands.  In short, the Highlands is a neighborhood that's hip, artsy, neighborhood with lots of cool shops (used record and CD stores, too!) and restaurants.  It was just what we needed to pass the evening away with shopping and dining.  Again, if you ever find yourself in Louisville and are looking for something to do, check out the Highlands.

Here are some photos I took there...

Roller Coaster Road Trip 2014: Zip-lining at Louisville Mega Cavern

One of the most daring things Rich, Eddie and I did on our trip was zip-lining at the Louisville Mega Cavern. Now the three of us had zip-lined before, on our last trip, but that was in a camp in Ohio, and it was outside. This one seemed way different...zip-lining in a cave.  I was intrigued!

The Louisville Mega Cavern is an old mine under the roadways of Louisville, Kentucky that's been transformed into a tourist attraction, and a cool one at that.  I'd find out later in our trip that this whole area of the country is full of caves (It's also prime sinkhole country, too!), and since there aren't many...any...caves here on Long Island, I definitely wanted to check some out.  The attraction is made up of over 17 miles of underground corridors and offers not only zip-lining, but tram tours and an aerial ropes challenge called Mega Quest.  Though we would've liked to have taken the tram tour, we only had time for one thing and it was the zip-line.

When I was researching things to do and I saw that this Mega Cavern had zip-lining, I quickly called my pals to see if they'd both be interested.  They were and reservations were made.  We got to the cavern 15 minutes early, as we were asked to do, and the butterflies were already kicking in.  Once we signed in, we had to wait for our guides in the Mega Quest area (which was hella cool), and before you knew it, we were gearing up for our adventure.

Once we were all dressed for our adventure, it was off to a quick practice run on a 'bunny zip,' which was located right there in the staging area.  Since the three of us, and most of the 10 or so people in our group, had zip-lined before, this was a piece of cake and eased at least my mind going into the first of 6 zips on the course.  That didn't last long, though, as our first zip-line was called 'Devil's Drop.' 

Now I know it's hard to make out in this picture, but this photo was taken at the top of Devil's Drop.  Those are little red lights waaaayyyy down there within the darkest reaches of the cavern and there's the line across the bottom.  Though I'd zipped before, those butterflies were fluttering oh so wildly in my stomach as I stepped to the jumping off platform.  I have to say, though, that once you jumped, it was nothing but a pure adrenaline rush, as were the rest of the zip-lines on the course.  

Our guides, Joe and Mallory, were awesome, friendly and knowledgeable, and the others in our group, an Aussie couple in particular, were great companions, as well.  In addition to the zip-lines, there were two 'challenge bridges,' which I hadn't worried about until I was actually on them.  Joe told us that people usually love them or hate them and I definitely did not like them.   Even though we were hooked on to lines overhead, it was terrifying to walk across the weak-looking scaffolds perched way above the darkened depths below. Picture Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom.

Joe and Mallory took a selfie with my camera, lol

All in all, zip-lining in a cave was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.  I highly recommend the Louisville Mega Cavern, especially for the zip-lining, but even just to check out via tram.  It's definitely one of the coolest attractions in Louisville.  In the meantime, check out some of the other things we did on our Roller Coaster Road Trip 2014 below and stay tuned for more...

Hitting the Roller Coaster Road...and then some!

New States

Kings Island and The Beast

The Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster: Hella Cool!

Holiday World

The Coasters of Holiday World

The Big Four Bridge and Waterfront Park

Roller Coaster Road Trip 2014: Louisville, Kentucky - The Big Four Bridge and Waterfront Park

One of the best things about these roller coaster road trips is getting to visit places and do things you wouldn't ordinarily do on a vacation.  Every time my friends and I take a road trip to ride coasters, we always try to see and do things that are nearby, and it's always good.  One of our home bases for this year's trip was Louisville, Kentucky, a place that I'd never dreamed of visiting, but I'm glad I did.

  

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If you're from the Northeast and you ever visit virtually any Midwestern city, at least the ones I've been to, the first thing that'll strike you is that it seems as if not many people actually live in the cities.  All of these big buildings and the streets are empty.  I first noticed it on our last road trip when we visited Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati is a fairly large-sized city, but the one night we spent there it seemed like a ghost town.  No one around.  That's a far cry from New York City, where I'm from, where the streets are teeming with people virtually 24/7.  

Louisville is one of those Midwestern cities that seem almost deserted.  It's not as large as Cincy, but it does have a skyline and even though we were there at the beginning of the work week, it was still pretty empty at the time we were there. Though Louisville may not be a vacation destination for many of you out there, there are some pretty cool places to see and things to do here.

TripAdvisor lists 78 attractions in Louisville, and like attractions in any city, some are not for everybody. There are places there that many would love to visit, I'm sure, like the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory or Churchill Downs.  Then there's the Mohammed Ali Center and the Louisville Zoo. Well, we didn't do any of these things, but we did get to see some cool stuff anyway.   

The Big Four Bridge

One of the coolest things we did in Louisville was visit The Big Four Bridge and Waterfront Park.  I love bridges.  They fascinate me.  So when I saw the listing for the bridge and park in downtown Louisville, this was one of the places I wanted to see.  The edifice is a former railroad truss bridge first built in 1895 and refurbished in 1929.  The bridge spans Louisville and neighboring Jeffersonville, Indiana and is today simply a pedestrian bridge, and a beautiful one at that!  The three of us took a walk across the span and it was awesome.  The bridge offers great views of Louisville, as well as some good exercise.  Take a look at some photos...

Waterfront Park

Waterfront Park is indeed that, a waterfront park.  Nestled under the Big Four Bridge, this spot offers spectacular views and a nice place to sit and relax.  There's a playground, complete with sprinklers and barbecues and swings and such.  

Pretty cool, huh?  If you ever find yourself in the Louisville area, be sure to check out The Big Four Bridge and Waterfront Park for a relaxing afternoon, with some great exercise and spectacular views.  In the meantime, stay tuned for more of our Roller Coaster Road Trip 2014 and Louisville, Kentucky! 

Roller Coaster Road Trip 2014: Kings Island and The Beast

So far this Roller Coaster Road Trip 2014 has been awesome, and even though there's lots to tell, including zip-lining in a cave, great Louisville neighborhoods, Brazilian food, Kentucky Kingdom and the like, there was one event yesterday that epitomized this trip, and my love for roller coasters.  You see, four years ago, Rich, Eddie and I visited King's Park in Mason, Ohio for the first time.  This amusement park was one that I'd always wanted to visit, mainly because it is home to The Beast, the world's longest wooden roller coaster and one which I salivated over the first time I ever saw it on a video.

Well in 2010, my dream to ride The Beast finally came true and from what I remembered, it was all the great fun I had expected it to be.  We rode the monster several times that day, including the last ride of the night (an entirely radical experience!).  After that trip, I'd never envisioned myself returning to King's Island, but when this trip came up and I saw that Kings Island, is not too far from Louisville, and so I included it in our itinerary, much to the agreement of Rich and Eddie.

So yesterday was our return to Kings Island and once again The Beast (celebrating 35 years in 2014) reminded exactly why I love roller coasters. It's not the newest or the baddest roller coaster in town (see the new Banshee or Diamondback), nor is it the tallest (110 feet) or the fastest (65 mph), but it certainly packs a punch.  This ride is the ultimate replica of a real runaway mine train, taking off at breakneck speeds through thick, wooded terrain and navigating sharp twists and turns (and tunnels!) as it flies through its circuit.

The coaster has not one, but two lift hills, each with a different feel.  The train begins its ascent up the first hill slowly, giving riders a sense of relaxation that the impending drop is still some time away, but somewhere towards the middle of that lift hill, the train picks up speed, ultimately hurtling riders down a 140 foot drop and on into the first part of its wicked wicked ride. Only a few minutes (a precious eternity for any roller coaster!) into the train's wild ride through the forest comes the second lift hill, and my favorite moment on any coaster anywhere.

themeparkreview

As the train crests the top of this second lift hill, riders are greeted not by a steep drop, but by a leftward arcing hill that sweeps slowly downward, causing the train to accelerate to its highest speeds as it dives furiously towards a makeshift mine shaft.  Disorientation runs rampant here, especially during a night ride, and a double-helix, complete with two turns in complete darkness, give this ride a wild finish that leaves riders enthusiastically wanting more.  What a rush!

Take a virtual ride on The Beast below to see what I'm talking about, and if you ever find yourself in the Greater Cincinnati Area, be sure to head on over to Kings Island and ride my favorite coaster in the world...

Roller Coaster Road Trip 2014: New States

Well, I am back in our hotel room after the first three, long days of this trip.  So far it's been amazing, exactly what I love to do when I travel.  Though riding roller coasters is the backbone of this trip, it isn't the only thing cool about it.  No, I love visiting new places, checking out all they have to offer and whatever else that fancies me that comes across my path.  That's what life is all about, isn't it?  So far, this trip has been very cool, and I got to spend time in new places...

New States

One thing on my bucket list is to see all fifty states during my lifetime.  So far, I've only seen about eighteen. Now I can add another two to my list.  Well, at least one...

On our last roller coaster road trip in 2010, Rich, Eddie and I actually slept in Kentucky... Covington more precisely...but that was just because it was across the river from Cincinnati, the place where we were really spending our time. For this trip, Louisville is our first destination, our first home base, and so now I can say with honesty that I now know a little more about the place than I did before.

A view from the highway in Louisville, KY

Kentucky, and Louisville itself, is absolutely beautiful and not what I expected it to be (more on that another time!).  With shopping malls, busy thoroughfares, and lots of Mickey D's, the place rings quite familiar, though the people here seem much, much nicer!  So far, the three of us have spent time in Louisville's dining district, crossed the Four Bridges Bridge, and visited Kentucky Kingdom and The Highlands, a very cool Bohemian neighborhood on the outskirts of the city.

Welcome to Indiana

Yesterday, we went to Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana.  (Yes, there's a town actually called Santa Claus. Who knew, right?)  Though we only crossed the southeastern portion of the state, it was yet another state ticked off in my list. We crossed a time zone, too, there for a couple of hours. Indianans, much like their neighbors to the east, are very friendly, almost always giving smiles and saying hello, something that we New Yorkers are not used to.

Anyway, check out some Louisville scenery and stay tuned for more from our Roller Coaster Road Trip 2014...