Amazing weekend at Holiday World

The CoasterBuzz Club Fall Affair at Holiday World might have been the single greatest event I've been to. It was great for a lot of reasons.

First of all, this was the first time in ages that I've really had a weekend entirely for me. I did whatever I wanted to do and didn't have to worry about pleasing anyone beyond giving out tickets. Considering all of the time I spend trying to make people happy while coaching, this was a very welcome change.

Second, I got to hang out with people I was really looking forward to seeing. Mike and Artemisa from Chicago are one of my favorite couples, and Mike might even be a bigger computer geek than me. Rob and Tomoko came in from Seattle and it was really cool just to meet her and see him for the first time in two years. Kara got to be my marketing intern, roommate and riding pal all weekend (including the drive), and it was a lot of fun getting to know each other.

Next, it's freakin' Holiday World! I don't think there's another amusement park in the world that is as friendly and family like anywhere. It might be in the middle of nowhere, but they really make you feel like you're part of their family.

Late in the afternoon we got to do a walking tour of the construction site for their next coaster, The Voyage. What an amazing piece of work that's going to be. The topography alone promises an interesting ride, and the actual design will be insane. I'm not as coaster geeky as I used to be, but I have to admit that I can't wait to ride this one in the spring.

Of course there were the coasters, The Raven and The Legend, and they are still two of the best rides anywhere. Because the number of people at the event was relatively small, they were doing double, and even triple rides. Understand that these are two of the most aggressive and physical coasters out there, so this is a serious big deal. After something like seven laps on Raven and nine on Legend (including three laps without getting up to close out the night), I felt like someone beat the crap out of me. But it was a good pain... really good pain like what you feel after a workout.

We rented an RV in the campground next door with the Chicagoans, so that's where the big party was. It was interesting to see a lot of people, and especially the folks I was looking forward to seeing. And wow did I drink a lot. My body can't handle all that abuse in one night, but it was so worth it. Good times.

I feel generally good about myself and came to grips with a few things about my life. I recharged my emotional batteries. I have the sore back to remember it all. Awesome weekend.

Here are a few photos...