whootah.com

Hopefully the class(es) I am taking next summer will be available in the second summer session. If not, then I may be screwed for this trip.

Here's what we know so far:

-HoliWood Nights at Holiday World is Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27
-Indiana Beach has not released their 2006 schedule yet, but this year they started daily operation on May 20, so they will probably be open daily the week before the Holiday World event. It is possible that they will host a coaster enthusiasts event that weekend as well.
-Beech Bend is hosting an event on Sunday the 28th called RUMBLEFEST. We can make this event then return home on the 29th.
-Looking at the schedule, it would not be far out of our way to pass by Lake Winnie on the way home. Since Lake Winnie is pretty much near nothing any of us regularly visit, this would be a fine opportunity for a quick visit. Definitely optional, though.
-We shouldn't rule out hitting Dollywood on the way back as another option.
-Other parks of note in the area include Kings Island and Kentucky Kingdom though less likely to spend our time at these.

Random Driving Times
-Approx 13 hours from Raleigh to Indiana Beach
-Approx 5.5-6 hours from Indiana Beach to Beech Bend
-Approx 5 hours from Indiana Beach to Holiday World
-Approx 2 hours from Beech Bend to Holiday World
-Approx 11 hours from Holiday World to Raleigh
-Approx 10 hours from Beech Bend to Raleigh
-Approx 3.5 hours from Beech Bend to Lake Winnie
-Approx 8 hours from Lake Winnie to Raleigh
-Approx 5.5 hours from Holiday World to Lake Winnie

Just to get us started on the planning, here is a proposal:

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 (travel day)
-Drive 9.4 hours to Louisville, KY
-Stay at hotel in Louisville (you could even get one near Kentucky Kingdom and take a look at it from the outside )

Thursday, May 25, 2006 (Indiana Beach)
-Drive 3.7 hours to Monticello, IN
-Visit Indiana Beach (most likely open 11 AM - 7 PM)
-Drive 3.7 hours and stay at the same hotel in Louisville, Kentucky

Friday, May 26, 2006 (Beech Bend and Holiday World)
-Drive 2 hours to Bowling Green, Kentucky
-Visit Beech Bend morning and afternoon
-Drive 2 hours to Holiday World for HoliWood Nights that evening
-Hotel in Santa Claus, Indiana that night

Saturday, May 27, 2006 (Holiday World)
-HoliWood Nights all day
-Hotel in Santa Claus, Indiana that night

Sunday, May 28, 2006 (optional Lake Winnie or Dollywood day)
-drive 5.5 hours to Rossville, Georgia
-short stop at Lake Winnie
-drive 8 hours to Raleigh
*OR*
-drive 11 hours to Raleigh

I tried to make that reasonable for whoever is driving, but I don't really know what other people consider reasonable. I would be happy to help drive, and I am always up for crazy stuff like driving through the night to save $$$

This is just something a whipped up in a few minutes, and obviously we can't really start planning this thing until we start seeing more details about events and park schedules. Here are some of the costs that would be associated with this trip:

-4 nights hotel
-Indiana Beach admission
-Beech Bend admission
-Holiday World event registration
-Lake Winnie admission (optional)
-12 meals (with breakfast), 8 (without breakfast)
-gas for probably 35 hours of driving
-random souvenirs and such

If you are hesitant about such a trip, here is why you should go:
-regardless of the rides, the parks, the politics, etc etc etc, we will have a blast travelling together and getting into trouble
-awesomefied wooden coasters: Cornball Express, Hoosier Hurricane, Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain, Raven, Legend, Cannonball (maybe)
-potentially awesomefied wooden coasters: The Voyage, Kentucky Rumbler
-HoliWood Nights is THE time to go to Holiday World. If you don't like the idea of big crowds and lots of scary coaster enthusiasts, take it from someone who has been to the park for Stark Raven Mad and to the park on a regular day: THEY DO NOT COMPARE. The pitch black darkness with hundreds of crazy fools all around you is the only way to ride the Holiday World coasters. Yes, there will probably be lines during ERT, especially for Voyage (Raven and Legend may not be too bad), but it's not like you'll be by yourself. WHOOTAH MUTHAS!

Just edited it a little bit. If we just drove to Louisville the first day, the drive would not be so bad. Then, we could stay in the hotel in Louisville (this does not have to be Louisville it could be some other place; Louisville was just a convenient location) two times, and the hotel in Santa Claus two times, so we would only have to change hotels once.

That schedule looks fine to me! I like the revision better as it breaks the driving up into shorter blocks as well as saving the need to book more hotels.

We will have to play the Lake Winnie thing by ear... depends on how we feel I guess. We should consider DW in there too as Phil hasn't ridden TH yet.

Is this open to everyone?

The only thing for me is it would be kind of crazy to drive 2.5 hours to Raleigh and then pass through Charlotte on the way back from Lake Winnie. lol

EDIT

Just a thought, but what about doing Six Flags Great America instead of Lake Winnie?

GAM is like 2 hours or so from Indian Beach. Seems like less driving for more coasters. Plus I've never been to that park.

bgwfreak777 wrote:Is this open to everyone?

The only thing for me is it would be kind of crazy to drive 2.5 hours to Raleigh and then pass through Charlotte on the way back from Lake Winnie. lol

Sure thing Wes. I'm sure we could work something out so that you wouldn't have to drive out of your way. It would be kind of crazy for you to pass right by only to have to drive back. We'll have to talk about that a bit once we nail down the dates for certain.

Sounds like a good plan, I think that is the weekend I am planning to go out to Kansas City. I would tag along if I change the KC trip, but I would skip the Holiday World event.

I'm asking off for the 23rd as well. Maybe I can just drive up that day and crash on someone's couch for the night? That way you're not waiting on me to get there to start out for KY.

Does someone have a van? I'm just wondering how many vehicles we'll need.

So I guess SFGreat America is out then?

http://www.holidayworld.com/clubs/

There is the information on the event at Holiday World. It's looking about 50/50 for me going right now; unfortunately, I won't know for sure for a while.

it.

I am planning on going.

Just an FYI the Holiwood nights event include 2 meals.

coasterdave wrote:Have decided that I will go to this event at Holiday World. So who is going?

I am definitely going to this event! I hope that we can make it part of the plan that Jonathan developed above! WHOOTAH!!!!!

So apparantley only 3 of us are going

bgwfreak777 wrote:So apparantley only 3 of us are going

Well, John and Phil might go. John almost for certain.

While I'm not going on this trip for obvious reasons, thought yall might like to know that Beech Bend is doing their own event the day after Holiwood Nights.

Details here:
http://www.coasterbuzz.com/forum.aspx?m ... icID=43889