Tuesday, 6 December 2016

Canada's Wonderland- March 1st, 2016

Here is a small report from my first visit to Canada's Wonderland during the off-season. It was a cold and blowing late Winter's day. I was there with a couple of group members to conduct an interview with a staff member at the park in regards of the new installations for 2016, (Skyhawk and Flying Eagles) for a college project. It was definitely an interesting experience seeing the rides standing idle, waiting for the Spring thaw, which interestingly came later than usual. I suppose that's because the beginning of Winter was unusually warm. Below are some photos that I had captured on that cold snowy day!


Here is Dragon Fire on a cold March day!
Here is a further away shot of Dragon Fire and Leviathan waiting for opening day!
Here is Drop Tower looking down a snow covered employee pathway.
Here is a view of Drop Tower and Leviathan facing a snowy morning!
Here's Leviathan's first drop standing 306 feet tall!
Here is Wild Beast as seen from in front of the maintenance shop.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my photos of Canada's Wonderland from March 1st, 2016! Please be sure to check back for more trip reports from over the past couple of years!

Monday, 17 October 2016

Canada's Wonderland- October 15th, 2016

On Saturday, I had made my 12th and final visit of the season to Canada's Wonderland. The day was beautiful and quite enjoyable as Scott and I were able to ride many rides, even some more than once! We arrived at 9:20am and left around 4:30pm. The park was also decorated very nicely as Halloween Haunt happens on weekends up until Halloween from 7pm-12am. Today was definitely a great day to end my season of thrills!

We arrived at the park shortly after 9:20am on this slightly cool and beautiful day!
This is still an amazing view to begin your day at Canada's Wonderland especially with the Halloween Haunt decorations out in front of the Royal Fountains. 
Here is a broken coffin with a head being eaten by a cat!
Here is a monument which is located within the graveyard at the front of the park.
Here is a view of the rest of the graveyard where the floral Canadian flag resides throughout the majority of the season.
This is an almost ground view of some bodies crawling along the ground!
Here's the keeper of the graveyard! He proudly stands tall over his graveyard as eerie music plays!
Here are some more coffins and dead "trees" which litter the graveyard. I believe the park had gathered many leaves and some dead saplings from the White Water Canyon section to create a completely dead feeling for the graveyard!
Here is a really freaky gravestone monument!
Some of these characters who roamed the graveyard looked more lively than others!
After catching many rides throughout the morning, we decided to get a bite to eat. But, before we had, I had captured this shot which is a view of Dragon Fire's corkscrews looking through the employee gate. It happened to be open due to a Halloween Haunt maze which is located back there.
Across from Vortex, nearing the White Water Canyon section of the park, there were these small houses set up. Each house was decorated differently and had it's own unique doorbell sound when the doorbell was pressed.
Here's a shack where it appears that the owner has since long gone but, has never left! ;-)
Here's another one where bones blow in the wind!
It doesn't look like this television has been used in years!
Near the International Marketplace Buffet located in Medieval Faire, there was a cart full of bodies.
I believe someone had gotten a little carried away and personally involved at this burning!
Here's the ogre who guards the Medieval Faire bridge!
Even in Action Zone there were Halloween Haunt displays set up!
I imagine these are rather spooky experiences once night rolls around!
After riding many rides, Scott and I lined up for Orbiter. Here is a shot of some of the trees which had reddened leaves.
Here is another Halloween Haunt monument which can be found nearby Time Warp in Action Zone.

Here is Scott, our Mom, and I standing in front of the International Street graveyard just before we left for the day and the season. :-)
Just as we were leaving, I had captured one last shot of the front gates. I must say that the 2016 season was an amazing one at Canada's Wonderland as I had made 12 visits and greatly enjoyed each visit! It'll be a long and cold six and a half months until I return for the 2017 season but, I'll have all these wonderful memories to cherish as the days get dark and cold.

I thank you for coming along on this journey during these wonderful six months. Be sure to check back soon for flashback photos from vacations I had taken to Kings Island and Dorney Park over the past couple of years! :-)

Saturday, 8 October 2016

Erin Fall Fall- October 7th, 2016

I had visited the Erin Fall Fair with my brother Scott and our Mom for the first time. Our mom hadn't been in years so, it was really a day of her reliving old memories and creating new ones. Since there wasn't much at the fair when we had visited, the main focus of this report is of the midway which was supplied by Robertson Amusements of Orangeville, Ontario. They had an offer of $25 for unlimited rides on Friday, so how could we pass up such a deal? To my delight, the rides were well maintained and the ride operators were very friendly and kind. Now, let's get on to those photos!

Once the rides opened shortly after 11:30am, we ventured into the Mardi Gras fun house. It's just a basic glass maze with some mirrors at top but, it still is fun!
Here's a view of the Avalanche which became quite popular as the day continued.
Here's the super fast Gondola Wheel. For some strange reason it moved faster than any other gondola wheel I've been on!
Here's one of the many games that was on the midway which is the Whac-A-Mole. 
Here's a photo of the very fun family coaster, the Looney Lagoon! It may appear tame but, once those cars (barrels) begin to spin as the train goes around the track, be sure to hold on for a wild ride! This coaster had more spinning than the Crazy Mouse at The Ex! I was quite impressed with this coaster made by Wisdom Rides!
Here is a view of some of Robertson Amusements' midway from atop the Mardi Gras fun house.
Here's another view of more of the midway with the Gondola Wheel standing tall.
While Scott and I were taking a spin on the Avalanche, our mom decided to capture some photos.
As the Avalanche begins to move fast, the ride operator sounds a horn!
Here is Scott and I just as the ride is coming to a halt.
Here is a photo of the Ali Baba. This ride is quite similar to the Avalanche except it soars high into the sky giving riders quite the view before the swoop towards the ground! 
Here is a closeup shot of the Gondola Wheel.
Here is Robertson Amusements' Guest Services as it stood on the main midway. 
Here is a photo looking towards the back of the midway. 
Here is one of the many games which can be found on the midway at the Erin Fall Fair.
Here are the Skee-ball machines which you don't really see on midways anymore.
Here are some rabbits. The one on the left was cleaning itself like a cat! It kept on cleaning itself while we were in the tent. It was rather hilarious!
Here is a view of the Gondola Wheel looking up while Scott and I were waiting in line for a ride.
Here is a view of the empty midway on the Friday afternoon. I am quite sure that the midway will be packed throughout the rest of the weekend, especially with the nice weather that is in store!
Here is a view of the Gondola Wheel as seen from the vendors' tent area.
If you had forgotten where we were, we're at the Erin Fair!
Here is the Extreme, which is a Tivoli Remix. It's a variant of the Orbiter ride featured at many fairs. This features floor-less cars which restrain riders with a shoulder restraint.
Here is the other coaster on the midway, the Dragon Wagon. It is definitely a coaster that will get the little ones introduced to coasters!
Here is a variant of the Berry-Go-Round, which is known as Tea Time.
Here is possibly the best looking Berry-Go-Round I have seen! The berries were very shiny and well maintained as they were easy to spin! 
Here is the Scooter bumper cars! These ones are by far the best bumper cars I have come across at any fair! The real bump as the cars move fast! Scott and I had taken a couple of rides on them throughout the day.
Here is one last view of the midway just before leaving for the day!
But, just before we left, we decided to take a look at some large vegetables! Here are some long gourds!
Here is the largest pumpkin at the Erin Fall Fair!
Here's the prettiest pumpkin!
Here's a large pumpkin cut open and gutted! 
Here are some large jack-o-lanterns!
Here are some extremely large turnips!
Here are some large Marrow. They look like a large cucumber crossed with a watermelon! ;-)
Here is a large Kohlrabi!
Here's a large Bushel Gourd!
Here's an old stage coach that once traveled between Erin and Guelph with some carved pumpkins in front of it.
Here's a side view of the same stage coach! I hope you enjoyed looking at my photos of my first visit to the Erin Fall Fair! :-)