Mac Daddy and the Mini Macs' Mega Trip Report '08

[xalesa]

[QUOTE=Mac Daddy;2974582]

Xalesa - It's very nice to meet you. I hope you made it through the Spring OK as my sister was telling me that some tornados had gone through just South of them. Do you live down by Fayetteville?
QUOTE]

Yes, I survived the Spring just fine; I live just north of Fayetteville in Springdale; most of the really bad storms either went north or south of Springdale.

Next time you make a trip to Arkansas, let me know; I'd love to meet you!

[Armadillo4]

Mac Daddy, congratulations on conquering Cedar Point! Even some of the "smaller" coasters would have been too much for me. LOL! This is a great trip report. Thank you so much!

Oh, and those photos of the sun setting over Lake Erie are just stunning. The G9 takes pretty good pictures too. After all, you're behind the lens.

[Hakuna Makarla]

Amazing!!! Please keep this going, I am so thrilled with all you saw and did. More more more !!!!!!!!! ( and do not skimp on the pictures !!!

[Legally Brunette]

Wonderful trip report! I was getting car sick just reading about all the places you guys have been driving around to. I just can't do long car trips so I'm loving every minute of living this trip vicariously through you and the MiniMacs

[Ginarella]

I would have held your hand on Top Thrill Dragster

Awesome photos of the coasters. I have yet to visit Cedar Point.

[penguinsoda]

Well if nothing else this report has enlightened me to the fact that... I never need bother go to Cedar Point in my lifetime... ever. I'd be paying to walk around all day and look at things. Heck, I can do that at home for free!

Loving it so far!! Looking forward to the rest of the story!

[KWood]

We went to Cedar Point a few years ago and rode Millenium Force. I was scared to death. I don't like heights anyway and it seemed like it took forever to get to the top. Then I spent the rest of the ride with my eyes closed clutching the handles to hang on. My daughter (the rollar coaster enthustiast) loved it of course.

I'm really enjoying your trip report! Can't wait to hear more about your trip!

[Wendygirl]

Well, as I am fast approaching 60 I think my days of riding these kind of coasters are over. I looked for a barfing smilie and this was the closest I could come

How brave of you to tell your kids you would go on any that they did! Those are some great pictures.

[arielchica]

Terrific trip report! Keep it coming!!

[CinderellaPrincess]

Amazing Report!
Awesome Pics!
I Love It!

[Mac Daddy]

Part IV - Gettysburg, Bird In Hand PA and New York

We were up early the next day as we had to drive to Pittsburgh in order to stay
on our schedule. Here's the sun coming up over Lake Erie...




and our hotel pool...




There was quite a bit of wildlife on the beach next to our hotel...




The neat thing about the beach area is that the coasters are built right up next to the sand...




It makes for a noisy evening on that side of the hotel, but the park closes at 10 pm.


One final shot with the gorillapod on the beach...




...and we were off.


We spent most of the day driving to Pennsylvania, and found our hotel just outside of Pittsburgh.

After a Starbucks run, we headed just South of Pittsburgh to Canonsburg, which was my
mom's home town. Here's a shot of the house my grandfather built after immigrating to
the US from Hungary in the early 1900's:




The next day we set off to see some Amish Country, but on our way we stopped at Gettysburg.
Here is a merged shot of the main battlefield:




And here's us...







The memorial behind us was dedicated on the eve of World War II...




I thought it was very cool that veterans of the Civil War were still around to shake hands 60 something years after the conclusion of the war:




After the sobriety of Gettysburg, we went 180 degrees in the opposite direction as we stopped
off in Hershey, PA. Having just come from Cedar Point, we didn't feel the need to go into
Hershey Park itself, but we did stop by for some chocolate...and for the World of Chocolate Tour...




And after this tour, I hereby pledge never to complain about It's A Small World Again....ever.
Yes ladies and gentlemen, it's...the singing cows!










After the singing cows, the tour let's you out in a gift shop. (Wonder where they got THAT idea...)

Except THIS gift shop featured more chocolate than I've ever seen in one place at one time in my life...




After gaining another 50 pounds and heading back to the van, we headed off for our inn at
Bird In Hand. Our time in this little out-of-the-way town was easily one of the highlights of
our trip. I was hoping to find a place near Amish country, but this place seemed to be in the
HEART of Ahmish country. There were horses and buggies everywhere you looked. And our inn...



...was right in the middle of it all. This is the view from one of our windows...



And the view looking out to the front of our inn...







To top it off, we were upgraded to a full sized suite! The kids and I had never been in a
suite that large before.




Needless to say, the boys put the jacuzzi tub to good use...




There's not much to see in this shot, but the fields behind the inn were SEETHING with fireflies. Thousands of them.

I had seen fireflies before, but not like this. As you looked out across the acres of farmland,
it was like looking at a rippling carpet of light. Amazing. Sadly, I couldn't
quite figure out how to get them to show up, even with a gorillapod and slow shutter speed.




The next day was probably the most stark contrast available in our country in terms of culture
and way of life. We left the Amish buggies of Eastern Pennsylvania and drove through New
Jersey up to....

New York!




Click here for Part V (New York)

[Hakuna Makarla]

this would have scared me to death!!! wow that was a great looking park!!!

this trip report is the best I have seen in a while. please keep it coming!!! I hope you got lots of the big apple!! and your family is adorable!! and I finally get to see your handsome face!!!

[Wendygirl]

That house that your Grandfather built looks very similar to the house my husband grew up in in Redlands. It was built by his Uncle in the early 1900's. It's gone now and is a parking lot for McDonalds

I loved Amish Country when I was there two and half years ago. We went to Bird In Hand also and we also had dinner in an Amish home. Loved it.

And can I just say ... yum ... CHOCOLATE!

[pratt55]

I am so loving this report. What a great family.

[Alice's Wonderland]

Beautiful!