When I began this blog in the Winter, I was simply collecting my past coaster experiences in written form, to have a body of content for if I ever "launched" it. I was not, and still am not, genuinely seeking readership, and those posts were mostly to give me some inertia, to increase my chances of following through with this blog. I laid out plans for my first summer season as a practicing coaster enthusiast, but I do not think that any of us had a Spring 2020 that went according to plan. The COVID-19 pandemic will likely factor into nearly everything I post in 2020, but I want to first take a moment to touch on an issue that may not.
I do not believe that a travel-hobby blog is the venue for productive discussion or meaningful action in our civic lives, but I think it is important to acknowledge the privilege I wield simply by maintaining a travel-hobby blog in this tumultuous year. Right now, we are witnessing history, as one of the great civil rights movements in the Western world has blossomed to address justice reform in the United States. This will be the only paragraph I dedicate to the topic on this blog. I trust that you will be the change you seek in the world with your words, actions, and resources, and I hope that you put that same trust in me. We may be entering this discussion from many different points in our journey with race and humanity, but I hope that we can universally agree that enfranchisement provides the clearest path to justice in a democracy. If you have feelings of any sort about current events in the United States - and I imagine you do - please visit the Black Voters Matter Fund to make a difference.
We now resume our previously-scheduled travel-hobby blog.
While uncertainty and volatility are the norm this year, as I write this on a slow and balmy Tuesday evening, I am still planning to make something of a 2020 coaster season. I will be following COVID-19 case trends in the news and consulting current expert guidelines and laws at both the state and federal level. While I personally am among those at lowest risk for developing serious complications, some of my loved ones have one or more risk factors, such as age, cardiorespiratory health, and healthcare access. I will make sure that, for any trip I plan, I can avoid close contact with them for two weeks without missing important family events or quality time. For my part, I will assume the most-restrictive park behaviors, carrying hand sanitizer with me, wearing a mask at all times, and diligently practicing social distancing.
Here are my plans as of late June:
June 29: Indiana Beach (Monticello, IN)
I would put the chances of this trip at about 60%, but it feels nice somehow to have a plan on the calendar. Companionship is to be determined. I honestly did not know that this park existed until I began frequenting r/rollercoasters, despite living within day-trip range for most of my life. I am excited to support a park undergoing a renaissance under new ownership, although I will approach with caution. The park has implemented some encouraging precautions and procedures, but stops short of making known best practices mandatory for guests. I am nervous about the enclosed cars on Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain, but otherwise I am planning to ride all of the coasters. I am most looking forward to Cornball Express. I should leave the park with somewhere between 47 and 49 credits, which will make for a perfect milestone setup.
July 7: Kings Island (Mason, OH)
I will break in my brand-new Cedar Fair Platinum Pass with a solo trip to Cincinnati for their passholder-only opening week. I am hoping to make this a day trip, but I live far enough away that it will be a taxing day on the road. I will have a sleeping bag with me just in case, and I may consider making part of the drive on Monday night.
When I took my first-ever trip here in October 2019, I caught some flak on Reddit for skipping The Beast to save it for my 50th credit. As it turns out, the joke is on me, as the park will be running reduced hours this season, so I will not experience the rush of a night ride on The Beast until at least 2021. Depending on how my Indiana Beach trip goes, I may have to first ride Flight of Fear and Orion, both of which I planned to ride regardless. If I opt out of Indiana Beach, I face a dilemma: do I swallow pride and attempt to ride one or more kiddie coasters by myself to save my milestone? Do I ride The Beast "early," meaning I skipped it in vain last year? Or do I skip The Beast for a second time, missing out on an icon for purely arbitrary reasons?
While The Beast has entrenched itself as a coaster enthusiast rite of passage, this trip is mainly oriented around Orion. Expect a review shortly thereafter. Aside from the three new credits, I intend to give Diamondback a second chance, as I got some underwhelming rides in October. Reluctantly, I will be giving The Racer a second chance as well.
July 9 - 26: Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH)
This is not a month-long pilgrimage to America's Roller Coast. (If only.) If I am able to make a reservation, I may try to experience Cedar Point's opening day, probably solo. I will resign myself to the fact that lines will be long and socially-distanced crowds will be fierce, so I am setting the reasonable goal of taking a personal "B&M Day." I love GateKeeper, I have not ridden Raptor in over a decade, I want to give Rougarou a second chance, and I have not yet ridden Valravn, so this would be a productive and enjoyable day for me.
Some time in July, I will be taking a one- or two-day trip with my girlfriend, my colleague, and her husband. My Cedar Point trip last year was a double-date as well. This time, all four of us will be thrill seekers, even if I am the only "enthusiast" among us. My plan is to get my girlfriend on the "big" credits we missed last time - Raptor, Valravn, Maverick, and Top Thrill Dragster. I am sure that she will insist on Millennium Force, and rest assured that I will be insisting on Steel Vengeance. My hope is that we will also be able to fit in laps on Gemini and Magnum XL-200, which are capacity monsters in normal times.
TBD: Michigan's Adventure (Muskegon, MI)
As of this writing, Michigan's Adventure does not appear to have received official guidance to work toward a 2020 opening date. While I am not an expert, I would speculate that Michigan would need to enter Phase 5 or 6 of its Safe Start Plan before the park would be authorized to open. While Michigan's Adventure generates an impressive profit ratio for Cedar Fair, because of its small size and these conditions, I am bracing for the likelihood of the 2020 season being canceled entirely.
Although this park qualifies as my "home park," I have actually never been. While Shivering Timbers is the obvious headline event, I am excited in a strange way for the other four credits I plan to obtain - my first Arrow mouse, my first "standard" Arrow corkscrew model, a Dinn woodie that has some ardent defenders, and even my first Vekoma SLC.
While July stands to be a thrill-packed month (pending Ohio's COVID-19 data), I am selfishly still disappointed that I will not be embarking on a "major" coaster trip this summer. Roller coasters aside, I hope for a vaccine to swiftly and effectively rescue us from the pandemic, but should the 2021 landscape be more optimistic, it should go without saying that I will be "planning big." I will be looking at it as contributing to a recovering economy, and a recovering industry. (If you ever need help rationalizing your impulsive decisions, all you have to do is ask.)
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