Our last trip in June(URC II @ PKI) was so much fun the Reids knew it was time to once again venture out of our wonderland domain. I am in the middle of an Oracle conversion at work and days off are at a premium. We are able to arrange for Thursday and Friday July 13 & 14 as days off. So where do we go? I get out the old trusty Rand McNally TripMaker and start looking at parks along I-90 in upstate New York. Our main goal was to ride the Crystal Beach Comet at Lake George’s Great Escape. So our itinerary was set as follows:

Day 1 Thursday July 13: First drive to SFDL and stay a couple of hours and then drive to SeaBreeze in Rochester on Lake Ontario. Drive over to Lake George.

Day 2 Friday July 15: Up early and be at the Great Escape when it first open and stay until closing.

Day 3 Saturday July 16: Drive to Springfield Mass for SFNE.

Day 4 Sunday July 17: Drive back to Newmarket and stop in at Martin’s Fantasy Island .

Day 1 (SFDL - Darien Center, NY)
The night before a trip is always so hectic. So much preparation to do before you can hop into the mini van and take off. The alarm goes off at 6:15AM we make our normal stop at Tim Horton’s donut shop and finally are under way by 7:30AM. Morning traffic in Toronto like normal is pretty busy and we arrive at SFDL parking lot around 10:15AM.

We are able to get a primo parking spot real close to the entrance. We have to wait a few minutes because the park does not drop the rope until 10:30AM. We head towards S:ROS first and on the way we notice that Predator is open. Our last visit on July 2 Predator was not open. We get into Predator’s queue and notice that they only have the red train running. The other train was no where in sight and not even on the transfer track. We have ridden Predator a few times in our previous three visits this year and felt it was much better than last year and never found it rough. But, I guess I must have always had the front row seat in a car for my rides. This time Donna and Nolan took the front seat while Adam and I took the back seat on about the third car. On the first drop Adam and I put our hands up but quickly put them down to hold on for the rough ride ahead. I asked Donna and Nolan if they found it rough and they said, "No". But Adam and I found it pretty bad for the first half of the ride. Once was enough for Predator especially since they were only running one train.

S:ROS was running both trains so we head over to that area. This is the Reid boys favourite new steel coaster but, mom is not too crazy about it. We think she is still a bit scared of it. We convince mom to ride with us and we are on the platform within 15 minutes. It is fun to watch the people come back into the brake run because they all come back with a big smile on their faces and never an un-enthusiastic look. All the Reids had their hands up on the first drop except for mom. This ride always delivers lots of speed and airtime. Might I dare say that this ride is more exciting than MF? Quite honestly I didn’t find the drop on MF any more exciting than S:ROS’s. Mom could not be convinced to queue up for ride number two.

Would Americans please start using the new $1 coin. Trying to get a dollar bill to work in a pop machine becomes a game of skill and chance. Donna lost her two bucks which is three bucks Canadian. We have not had a $1 in bill in Canada for at least 10 years.

Nolan’s first boomerang was SFDL’s on our last visit. Nolan really likes them and well Dad doesn’t really like them at all. Being the good dad I rode but under one the following conditions. I only ride the back seat and I close my eyes on the trip backwards. So Nolan was happy with his ride and dad didn’t mind it too much. Nolan and dad did the Viper while Mom and Adam did a few flat rides.

Donna still didn’t get her Pepsi so we head over to the campers store at back off the park. Not too many people know of this store probably because of its location. The pop is cheaper than the machines and you can buy things much cheaper there. So on your next visit hunt this store out.

It was around noon so we decide to head out for SeaBreeze which did not open until noon. On the way out I stopped at the front of the park to get a few shoots of S:ROS. Always thinking of our web site when I am at a park. The more we go to SFDL the more this place grows on us. We have elevated its status to being one of our two home parks and it soon will be given "PCW Junkies favourite park status". Wow! How things and opinions can change in a little over a year.

Day 1 (Cont’d) (SeaBreeze – Rochester, NY) click link to the left for the continuation of Day 1 at Seabreeze.