The final instalment is here! It was time to plan another trip and it came to our attention that there were a few things in the midlands area that we hadn't done or needed mopping up, so off we went!
Dudley Zoo and Castle {+1}
In case you weren't aware by now, I am a fan of interesting and historical tourist attractions, as well as rides. I am also an animal nerd. Turns out being nerdy about one thing often means you are a nerd about many things. Who knew!
Anyway, Dudley Zoo and Castle delivers on all of the above points and had been on my bucket list for about a decade (no joke!) so it was time to finally go! Hooray!
Back in the 1930s the zoo enlisted the famous modernist architects of the Tecton group to design 12 buildings, including a number of enclosures for the zoo. All 12 of these structures are now listed, being cited as key and unique examples of modernistic architecture from this period in the UK (and beyond) and, in my opinion, are quite a spectacle to see! The buildings radiate of a sense of grandeur and aspiration from times gone by and as there are so many of them that are spread out around the zoo you'll find them around almost every corner! If you're into this kind of thing you will love it as I certainly did! As well as the obvious collection of rare and quirky animals, positive conservation work and all-round wholesome animal content, the zoo is also home to a castle! Yes, a proper 11th century castle! Due to the current climate we couldn't go inside the keep but there is a lovely courtyard and old manor house up at the top of the hill that the whole zoo is based around and an interesting animal and history exhibit inside what must have been the cellar or dungeons of the house! Just when you thought that was enough, there's also a vintage 1950s chairlift up the hillside which in itself is quite a spectacle to behold! This wasn't operational due to the restrictions but it looked terrifying from the top! Last but not least there was the small funfair near the entrance that contained an array of pleasant looking kiddie rides, including the caterpillar credit we wanted for a minimal extra fee. There is really something for everyone here so I'd really recommend people to visit for a nice, varied day out!
Snazzy modernist kiosk!
The park has loads of historical photos and drawings on display so you can see what the Tecton structures were originally intended to be like!
Closed, saving us all from a fright!
The coveted +1, number 599!
Merry Hill Fun Fair {+2}
Now sitting at 599, I had a choice. Wait for something slightly more substantial at WMSP or nab a couple of kiddie creds at a local fair. Well, if 2020 has taught us anything it's that you shouldn't take things for granted so we decided to make the most of our trip and head to the fair! I couldn't resist taking my friends on the hilarious Tagada to see their reactions!
The fair had a decent selection of rides and two credits! One was a standard wacky worm and the other a strange frozen themed circular cred, also for kids. Naturally I picked the more unusual of the two to become my 600th coaster, because why not!
Ta-dah! Mission accomplished! A weird cred for a weird year!
(I'll make a better sign if I get to 700, I promise!)
Although I have reached 600, I will finish reviewing the trip as that's what this blog is all about! First post-600 cred was the classic caterpillar. Obviously starting off strong here! My friends did the rotor ride which proceeded to give them quite a wobble as they disembarked! Then it was time for one of the weirdest rides in the world, the Tagada! These rides are banned in the US and Australia due to their higher risk of causing injury from their lack of restraints than some other, more conventional rides. Below is an offride video I shot on the day that shows the madness!
As you can see it's pretty mental and you have to really hang on otherwise you could end up on a strangers' lap or flopping across the floor! I dragged 3 of my friends onto it (all of who had never done one before, and we were laughing from the start of the pretty long cycle right to the finish! We did a couple of other rides which were decent and agreed that this bonus stop off was definitely worth worth the effort!
West Midland Safari Park {+2}
The next day we headed to West Midland Safari Park, a park I had done before but was missing a couple of creds from. I had really enjoyed my previous visit so was happy to revisit as this is one of those parks that is always a good time. We decided to do the rides first and safari later to avoid the crowds and rode every bigger ride plus a couple of others. Notable moments included an unusually themed ghost train, a very soggy rapids, an intense-for-it's size drop tower and the rhino themed trains on the Vekoma junior coaster.
This Fabbri drop tower is quite forceful for a small drop tower!
Treasure Island {+1}
On the way home we nabbed a cheeky +1 at Treasure Island in Stourport. They had an interesting collection of plastic models that was unlike anything we'd seen! 😂
So there you have it, a milestone has been reached! At the start of the season I really didn't think I would be getting any new credits this year but with a bit of improvisation and silliness with good friends the target has been reached! Hope you enjoyed reading my blog series about the journey!
In 2020 I posted a list of 7 weird bucket list coasters that I wanted to ride. Since then I've ridden one of them (Tyrolean Tub Twist, yay!) but there are many more weird coasters that I'd like to ride out there. Let's see what else is on my "strange to-do list". Magic Mountain Travelling Source: Rowan Peeters on Youtube No, this doesn't have anything to-do with Six Flags and it probably rides horribly (I mean it looks gross!) but there's something weirdly compelling about a unique-looking, weird, travelling coaster of substantial height. I had no idea this thing existed until recently and what a layout for a travelling ride! Complete with multiple track styles, arrow-like angular turns and a lift hill with a bizarre change of angle, this coaster is quite the specimen. If I ever get to ride this ride I will likely regret it but it's made the list because I just can't not be curious about it. Tranan Skara Sommarland Source: CoasterForce on You
I entered 2020 with 563 rollercoaster credits and had big plans for this year's trips. I should have been to Germany (again), LA/SoCal and Finland (both for the first times) by now and would have hit 600 easily a few weeks back somewhere between Matterhorn Bobsleds and Taiga. Yeah; meh. Obviously the first priority in a global pandemic is to stay safe but those of us theme park inclined people are going to wonder what 2020 means in terms of our great hobby which lead me to the thought..... Was it still possible for me to reach 600 credits this year? Well....one can try! Consider the challenge accepted! Here is part 1 of my "Road to 600" chronicles! Whilst most UK enthusiasts were booking slots at Alton Towers in mid July, a couple of friends and I looked at a nearer option. Mainland Europe. Yes, indeed it was actually closer to get to France than Alton Towers! The covid levels were lower than the UK at this time an
Enjoying theme park food has always been something I look forward to when I visit parks with good food and of course the Disney parks in Japan would not be an exception. They're known to have some exclusive culinary options and the local cuisine influence makes for some really interesting food offerings. This my my first Asian Disney resort visit so I was really excited to see what food and drink options I would find. Tokyo DisneySea When I entered the park I naturally headed straight for the legendary Mysterious Island area. You know, that steampunk area that you've seen in all the photos. Well, I can tell you it lives up to the hype in real life but that's another blog post...this one is about food! I found myself in need of some food so opted to try the area's sit-down restaurant, Vulcania because it was quiet and right infront of me. The inside is as great as the outside! As the restaurant was pretty empty so I took the opportunity to grab a load of food to fuel up
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