Kings Dominion (September 19, 2010)

Yesterday I experienced some great flying, today I got to experience some altitude and the sensation of flying at Kings Dominion, just up I-95 some 20 miles North of Richmond, VA. My first trip there, but sort of a sense of "been there/done that" with the fact that I have been to the sister parks of Kings Island in Ohio, and Carowinds in North Carolina. Of course some new things there this year, now that the parks are no longer owned by Paramount (though have lost all the cool Star Trek and Top Gun ride names) they have made up for it with some really neat new rides. This photo at left is not really a ride, it is the Eiffel Tower replica at the park (also have the same replica in Ohio) but a great view of the area. The tower is a 1/3 replica of the real deal in Paris, France and is somewhat over 300 feet. The observation deck is just a bit under 300 feet (according to the elevator guy, who gave us some neat information on the tower) which I believe was built back in 1975 after being constructed in Austria, shipped here and put together on the site.
Nothing like seeing a coaster as the birds see it. They had a lot of really good coasters at the park, including some really good wooden ones. No real lines, so getting on was pretty easy today..heck, getting another ride was really no problem either. I rode a few of them of a few times in a row. I like coaster and have always been a big fan of them. The steel coasters tend to be really smooth and really big, but wooden coasters tend to be really interesting too. I love the sound and the feel of a wooden roller coaster, the speed and the fury and the effects of a steel one. Along with motorcycling, I think few things give the effects of flying like a good steel roller coaster.
Course this bad boy at left is the biggest and baddest in the park, the Intimidator 305. This also gives a good idea of where the park is, out in the distance you can see...pretty much nothing. No cities were in view; pretty much just open countryside. Course its not just coasters there, there were rides for all people. In fact one ride I enjoyed a lot was a rather mild ride called "Flying Ace, which elevated to some 80 feet, and circled around a pole. Flew along pretty good, and I thought it was fun. Nice stores there to wander around (though pricey like the food, though the food was good) and just a neat place to be on a pleasant Virginia Sunday.
When it comes to big coasters though; this is the mack daddy at Kings Dominion. This is the view walking up to the big ride. It is relatively long but the ride up the big hill is quick as is the drop. Told it was 90 mph near the bottom of the 305 foot drop (I figure the reason you can look down at this ride from the Eiffel Tower replica which is either slightly shorter or a hair taller..not sure for sure...is an elevation difference in the land) but this is a big roller coaster. Thing that is remarkable is that there are bigger ones out there. Main park of the company that owns the three parks has some coasters at Cedar Point near Sandusky, Ohio that are staggering indeed. I am also aware that there are some even bigger coasters around the world (Japan seems to be in real competition in that regard).
At any case, a great ending to a really action packed weekend. Always fun to do some new things, and Richmond and the surrounding region still has after a year and a half a great many things to offer, and more to come.