SFoG
Saturday September 2nd 2006
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Traveled to Atlanta on Saturday September 2nd. Robert drove all the way from Leesburg FL, a 6 hour drive. Robert figured there would be big crowds since it was the holiday weekend. So Robert wrote SF a note asking them to open ALL rides on time. Seems the note helped, because most of them were running at opening. Not only that, but the park was open at 09:30am. This is unbelievable. Only the parks in Orlando do this. What, could SF actually be listening to fans and open the parks early? Yes, they can. Batman and Acrophobia were down, and that was displayed on the sign out front. No Problem, all the other coasters were up and running.
So let's take a look at the ATL and SFoG.
First up, this is the house I lived in 30 years ago, and that's the elementary school I went too.
I drove for 6 hours starting at 1am. There's Goliath as I walk up to the park. There's the Georgia Cyclone, a copy of the Coney Island coaster I rode a month ago in NY. There's the main entrance. It's 09:30am and the gates are open.
I rode the Georgia Scorcher and took a few pictures of Goliath going thru the helix. Goliath makes the scorcher look like a kiddie coaster. So what was the ride like? It was amazing. Fast, with plenty of air time over each hill.
Wanna take a ride on Goliath? Right click the link below and then Save As to your hard drive. Or just click the link and it should play in Windows Media Player.
http://www.quatraine3.com/videos2006/Goliath.MPG (90 megs)
Even Deju-Vu was working. This was the first time I had rode this coaster. It was alright after waiting 5 years to get my first ride.
The Georgia Scream Machine, brings back memories. I had rode this coaster 30 years ago as a kid. Back then it was the biggest thing in the world. Now it seems like a kiddie ride.
So I went on all the coasters and it brought back the memories, especially the mine train ride.
Next up on the trip, Stone Mountain, located about 30 minutes north east of Atlanta.
There's a walking trail that goes up the side of the mountain. It's a 1.4 mile walk. You can't really see it in the pictures, but it's a steep grade. If you're a mountain climbing fan, or want a challenge, this is it.
Half way up the mountain is this steep climb. There are hand rails to help people get up the slope. I keep walking and finally make it to the top. I was dripping with sweat. There's a fence that keeps people from falling off the mountain. I like the sign in the last picture. I don't think being prosecuted will be a problem if you go on the other side of the fence.
If you can't walk up the mountain, there's a tram ride that takes visitors to the top. As you can see, it's packed. At the top there is a snack bar, and many people selling flavored ice cups from snack carts. It was very hot at the top, I drank a ton of water from the fountain. What goes up must come down. I walked down the side of the mountain following the yellow line. Walking down the mountain is easier, but it's still tuff on the knees. I made it back down and felt like I accomplished something.
End of Report. Thanks for reading.
Email me at nogodforme@bellsouth.net.