BNSF1995
Goods Engine
Tell me, Lost Little Red-Cent, have you ever experienced THE ALMIGHTY THREE-SHOE BEATING?!
Posts: 205
|
Post by BNSF1995 on Aug 6, 2018 2:16:48 GMT
Again, hope I'm not breaking any rules. Thought I'd just come by with a BNSF1995 TRIP REPORT * Wednesday: It was time for yet another trip to Lake Tahoe, this time with my brother and parents. Departing at 11 AM (one hour later than we wanted), our route took us over Altamont Pass once again, but without Grant Line Rd., instead taking I-5 to Sacramento and then getting on US-50 there. Lunch was in Folsom at that same ol' Chili's by the light rail tracks. Catch of the day: the rear-end of a UP manifest on the Fresno Sub south of Stockton. While passing Shingle Springs: We saw a freshly-ignited fire, later named the Bumper Fire. Air tankers (which were jokingly referred to as the national bird of California instead of the quail) were swarming the area planning their attack. Upon arrival in Tahoe, we went to the Raley's at the Y, as usual, to get things for the next few days. After hanging around at the cabin for a short bit, we ventured down to Stateline, and parked at the Hard Rock Hotel because Harrah's was charging $20 for parking. We first did a spot of gambling at Hard Rock, where I started with $10 and won $55.10 on a Buffalo machine (those Aristocrat-made machines have a history of being kind to me, unlike the Konami machines). After a small dinner at the Harrah's food court (I had fries and a Mist Twist, the fries were some of the best I've ever had), me and my brother went down to the arcade. My brother didn't accomplish much because he didn't have much cash, and Chase banks in the area are scarce (and using a non-Chase ATM means having to pay a $3 fee, essentially punishing you for not using a competitors' ATM). Meanwhile: I hit the jackpot on Monster Drop by pure chance, winning approx. 3,700 tickets (yes, I know I look stupid, I was caught in the moment). I ended the night with over 4,000 tickets, my all-time high for ANY arcade in the continental United States. Afterwards, we headed back to the cabin. * Thursday: On this day, we went to Heavenly Mountain Resort near Stateline. Heavenly is the biggest ski resort in the entire Tahoe area, and the most popular. Our destination: the top of the mountain on Heavenly's gondola system (built by Dopplmayr in, I think, the late 90s). Our first stop on the gondola was the observation deck, only served by up gondolas. After that, we got off at the main activity area, where we did the Ridge Rider Alpine Coaster (SO MUCH FUN). After lunch at the 9160 Smokehouse (named after the elevation of 9,160 feet above sea level; I've been higher, to 14,110 feet on Pike's Peak in Colorado in 2004), we went on the Tamarack Express (a chairlift also built by Dopplmayr) up even higher to around 9,600 feet, getting fantastic views of both Tahoe and the Carson Valley (just as the smoke was starting to drift back into the basin). You may be asking what the significance of this picture is. Well, in 1998, Sonny Bono (of Sonny and Cher) was skiing on the Orion slope, when he hit a tree and died of his injuries. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 44th district at the time, and his wife Mary carried out the rest of his term, before serving seven additional terms until being defeated by John Campbell in 2012. Back at ground level, we had Cold Stone before walking over to Harvey's to do a bit more gambling, where I lost $10, but it didn't matter, as I had initially spent $10 the night before. I then went down to the arcade and got an additional 200 or so tickets. But I didn't get anything. On the contrary, I'm saving them for the fall when I inevitably go back up with my mom and aunt, when candy will be more plentiful. Afterwards, we went back to the cabin. * Friday: Our Virginia City day, and the one I had anticipated the most. Rather than driving to Virginia City, we instead drove to Eastgate Depot on the outskirts of Carson City to catch the Virginia and Truckee there. Our power was #29, a locomotive I had only ridden behind once in 2001 just before she was red-tagged by the FRA and underwent a seven-year restoration. It was a nice trip up, made even better when some elderly gentlemen noticed I was a railfan, and one of them was ecstatic that someone as young as me was a railfan, keeping the hobby alive. Here's #29 just after arrival in Virginia City. D-3, a GE 44-tonner purchased from the embargoed Yuma Valley Railway in 2013, was working the Gold Hill trains. Turns out we made the right call taking the train, as the main drag through town was completely shut down for a Hot August Nights event. Classic cars were lining the streets. Lunch was at the Palace restaurant, and we then did some gambling at the Mark Twain Saloon (I lost $20, but was still up by $35). After browsing Grant's General Store, we walked around a little before getting ice cream from Grandma's Fudge. The return trip was equally enjoyable. #29 after arriving back at Eastgate. Much to my surprise, D-1, a GE 80-tonner acquired from the army in 2003, had run light up to Eastgate while we were in town. She was most likely brought down in preparation for the Westworld-themed wine train that ran yesterday. After stopping at a pretty nice gas station minimart, we returned home. * Saturday: Our hang-around-Tahoe day. My dad and brother went hiking near Emerald Bay, while me and my mom took Uber to the Lakeside Inn & Casino (past Stateline). Here I lost another $5, then a further $20, but I still came out ahead at $10 (that's the problem of winning huge at the beginning of a trip). Dinner was at the Lakeside's restaurant. Overall, an uneventful day. * Sunday: We left an hour later than planned, and as a result, hit a ton of traffic in the form of cars coming back from Tahoe. The only train I saw was on the UP Sacramento Sub (just the headlights). Late lunch/early dinner was at a Denny's in Travis (we were originally going to go to an IHOP, only to find it was long-shuttered and the signs on I-80 were outdated). We got home about an hour ago. The only trip I know for certain I'm going on next is our Central Florida trip on Thanksgiving week, involving Universal and Disney.
|
|
|
Post by Rusty Red Scrap Iron on Oct 3, 2018 20:32:04 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Sleeper Agent on Oct 3, 2018 20:39:58 GMT
Tragic as it and other horrific cases are I'm against these kind of day-to-day security points in Britain. Putting it simply it is an infringement on freedom and while the reasoning is obvious it's hardly going to stop extremists carrying out similar acts such as at on open bus stop or near a busy shopping centre, you simply can't police the world on that kind of level.
|
|
|
Post by lbsce21914 on Nov 7, 2018 19:13:59 GMT
Are all the audio books for the ERS available on this forum?
|
|
|
Post by Rusty Red Scrap Iron on Nov 12, 2018 21:30:51 GMT
|
|
BNSF1995
Goods Engine
Tell me, Lost Little Red-Cent, have you ever experienced THE ALMIGHTY THREE-SHOE BEATING?!
Posts: 205
|
Post by BNSF1995 on Nov 27, 2018 0:16:59 GMT
I'm back at it again, folks. It's time for another BNSF1995 TRIP REPORT Strap yourselves in, folks. This is gonna be a long one. * Thursday, November 15: Woke up around 10-ish (I think) to take an Uber to San Jose International Airport for a noon flight on Southwest. Our plane was a Boeing 737-800 (I really wanted one of the new MAX models, but looking back, they may be grounded after the Lion Air Flight 610 incident. While waiting for our plane to come in from Spokane, we saw what I consider a whale: an All-Nippon Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the first time I'd seen a Dreamliner up close. ANA flies 787s on transpacific flights to Tokyo Narita (apparently, I had it wrong, Narita is bigger than Haneda; I figured that since Haneda was attacked by Varan, it was the bigger one, but no, it's a domestic airport whereas Narita is the international airport). You may have heard about the fires we've been having here in California. This was the view on the way out: smoke, smoke, and more smoke. We didn't fly direct to our destination, rather having a two-hour layover at McCarren International Airport in Las Vegas. Here we had lunch (I had two pretzels from Pretzelmaker, while my parents got sandwiches), and also played the slots (yes, they have slots in this airport). These are the tighest slots I've ever seen, as I wasn't getting anything good, ending up $25 in the hole. No wonder this airport is nicer than others; they use gambling profits instead of federal subsidies to fund improvements. Our second flight to our destination was on what I consider a dinosaur: a Boeing 737-700. This model is the oldest in the Southwest fleet (the -300 model was retired last year, and the -500 model in 2016). As we took off, I was barely able to get this photo. Direct your attention to the far left. That plane is one of the Janet airliners, a large and highly-classified fleet of aircraft that transports military and contractor employees to various military installations, mainly the Nevada National Security Site, which includes Homey Airport (AKA Area 51) and the Tonapah Test Range, as well as installations in California (such as Edwards AFB, Air Force Plant 42, and China Lake), Utah (Hill AFB), and even as far as Ohio (Wright-Patterson AFB). After a roughly four-hour flight, we reached our destination: Orlando. This is where the problems began. For one, one of our flight attendants was late getting to the plane in Las Vegas, which delayed the boarding process. Then, when we arrived in Orlando, all of the gates were occupied because we were late, leaving us sitting on the tarmac for a good 10-15 minutes. After getting off the plane, baggage claim was an absolute hassle, since one carousel had luggage from four or five different flights, including ours. After about half an hour or so, an announcement was made that the bags from the Vegas flight would be coming at the next carousel down. Having finally gotten our luggage, we went outside (it was actually cold) and got in a cab. That driver was...shifty. Not only did he take a bunch of side roads to pad the trip and drive the fare up, he was blatantly speeding (he was doing 60 in a 35 zone within the airport itself). Finally, at around 1:30 AM, we arrived at the hotel, Best Western Universal. We immediately went to bed. * Friday, November 16: Our first day in Orlando was spent waiting for my brother to fly up from Miami (remember, he's a sophmore at the University of Miami). So, me and my parents went to a nearby attraction known as ICON Orlando, owned by Merlin Entertainments (who also owns and operates SeaWorld, Legoland, Madame Tussauds, Alton Towers, among many, many other attractions and parks). It's an observation wheel just like the London Eye (in fact, it was sponsored by Coca-Cola like its London counterpart from 2016 until this past March). It's not just a wheel, though, as there's a whole complex of attractions, including a Madame Tussauds location, an aquarium, a skeleton museum, several restaurants such as a Portugese place and the restaurant we ate at, Sugar Factory, and the Orlando StarFlyer, a ride similar to Six Flags' SkyScreamer and Cedar Fair's WindSeeker rides, only it's taller than all of them, going to a height of 450 feet. We didn't do the StarFlyer, but we did do the ICON. Also in the complex was Arcade City, which is...an arcade. It wasn't the best, but I still managed to walk away with a bag of candy. The Mario Kart Arcade GP DX machine I played had a malfunctioning gas pedal, but it didn't matter thanks to the auto-accelerate feature the devs made to help little kids who can't reach the pedals. All I had to do was work the brake pedal to powerslide and get mini-turbos, steer, and use the item button. That night, we went to Universal to scout out the Royal Pacific Resort (where my brother and dad would stay one night so we could get the Express Pass), then took the Water Taxi to CityWalk, where we scouted the park entrances and had dinner (my parents got food I don't remember anything about, while I got Auntie Anne's; I LOVE PRETZELS). I was able to watch most the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season finale from Miami (Brett Moffitt won the race and the championship). My brother arrived at the hotel later that night. * Saturday, November 17: Our first of two days at the Universal started at Islands of Adventure, which had early entry for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE made a beeline for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, one of many dark ride/simulator hybrids at Universal. After that, we hit almost every ride in the park, all except the Jurassic Park rides, the spinner in Seuss Landing, and Dr. Doom's Death Drop. The Spider-Man ride had a memorial for the recently-deceased Stan Lee in the first room of the queue, with flowers and cards left by fans. Next door was a fantastic arcade, which, much like the Harrah's Lake Tahoe arcade, still uses tokens and paper tickets. I didn't get anything with those tickets, despite winning well over 2,000 or so (I won the 1,000 ticket jackpot on Big Bass Wheel on my first try), but I did win a plush Boo the Dog in a claw machine. This arcade had ALOT of games, including Fast & Furious Super Cars (one of my all-time favorites), several coin pushers, and even Dragon's Lair (I failed miserably). After we had done just about everything at Islands of Adventure, we went over to Universal Studios Florida, the original park built here (the Studios park, which used to be a functioning studio, mainly Nickelodeon programs, opened in 1990, while Islands of Adventure opened in 1999; neither of the grand openings went smoothly). Again, we did most of the rides, including Transformers, Men in Black (which I feel will close soon due to feeling very dated and technologically unsound), Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, and my dad and brother did Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. We returned to Islands of Adventure via the Hogwarts Express (which is a Doppelmayr peoplemover designed to look like the repainted Olton Hall pulling three maroon BR Mk1 carriages). After getting pretzels and an ICEE, me and my mom returned to the hotel while my dad and brother stayed behind to go to the Royal Pacific. * Sunday, November 18: Our second and final day at Universal saw us do almost all the rides at Universal Studios Florida we didn't do, including Minion Mayhem, Jimmy Fallon's Race Through New York, The Simpsons Ride, Fast and Furious: Supercharged (opened this past June), Revenge of the Mummy, and ET Adventure (the last opening day attraction; it was going to removed like its counterparts in California and Japan, but Steven Spielberg demanded the Orlando version be kept open or he'd never direct a Universal film ever again; they complied). After eating at the NBC Sports Grill and Brew (formerly the NASCAR Cafe), my mom took me back to the hotel, as I was burned out on Universal. There I stayed to watch the Cup Series finale. Sadly, I slept through the final laps (jetlag), but I woke up in time to see Joey Logano celebrate winning both the race and the championship, slaying the Big Three (these being Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr., who won pretty much every race in the first half of the season; the only other winners in that timeframe were Austin Dillon, Clint Bowyer, and Logano; when the second half came, more drivers won, including first-time winners Erik Jones and Chase Elliott, as well as Brad Keselowski, who won three races in a row including the Brickyard 400, Ryan Blaney, who won thanks to Jimmie Johnson and Truex both spinning coming off the final chicane at the Charlotte Roval, and Aric Almirola, who got his second career win, and first with Stewart-Haas Racing, his first being in the legendary 43 car at Daytona in July 2014). * Monday, November 19: On this day, we departed the Universal area for Walt Disney World. Our resort: The B Resort just on the edge of Disney property, near Disney Springs (which was created by merging and rebuilding Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island). After leaving our stuff in the room, we took one of the Disney Springs Resorts buses to Epcot, where we did almost every ride in Future World. On this trip, we applied for the Disabilities Access Services, since I cannot standing waiting in lines with tight spaces (really, I just don't like waiting in long lines, period; my flat feet means standing in one place for long periods of time makes them really, really start to hurt, eventually affecting my upper joints and temper; we thought they were gonna ask what my issue is, but they gave me the DAS benefits without question); DAS effectively serves as a virtual queue, kinda like an extras FastPass (Disney World uses the FastPass+ system, which entails having to get FastPasses online 60 days in advance of your first park day, 30 if you don't stay at a Disney resort; the Disney Springs resorts aren't owned and operated by Disney, but we still got 60-day FastPasses thanks to a pilot program recently introduced; Disneyland, meanwhile, doesn't have FastPass+, and still uses the traditional tickets; there's also MaxPass, which allows you to get FastPasses using the Disneyland app on your phone). Lunch was at the Electric Umbrella, which was our first experience with the recently-implemented mobile ordering. The most interesting part was Mission SPACE. Me and my dad opted to do the Green Mission (which is now an Earth orbital flight...AGAINST the Earth's rotation in a violation of all known orbital mechanics), while my brother did the Orange Mission (still the flight to Mars, but with the same mission control staff as the Green Mission; both have Gina Torres now instead of Gary Sinise from Apollo 13 and Mission to Mars). The Orange Mission wait took longer than anticipated (I think someone hurled in one of the cabins). Meanwhile, me and my dad's crew had someone take the chicken ramp, leaving us with a three-man crew (well, two men and one woman). After my brother got out, my mom had located a wild bunny. Other things of note included looking at the construction for the new Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster replacing Universe of Energy. Now, The B Resort. I can only describe the living arrangements as Spartan, at best. They never gave us enough towels (let alone wash cloths or even a bathmat), and me and brother slept in bunkbeds (I took the bottom bunk because I hate climbing ladders), which were never made; they essentially FORCED me and my brother to make our own beds! And the shower, OH THE SHOWER! Worst. Hotel shower. EVER. For one, the showerhead was way up high, more suited for tall people like LeBron James or Dolph Lundgren. Fortunately, it was a handheld nozzle you could take off and bring down, but the water pressure was insufficient, and in fiddling with it in a desperate attempt to get more pressure, somehow managed to disassemble the cheap thing. At least the channel lineup was good, and we were on the first floor just down the hall from the lobby and little cafe. After spending half the day at Epcot, we took a bus to Disney Springs and looked around, before getting dinner (I got Wetzel's Pretzels, founded by Rick Wetzel, a former Disneyland Jungle Cruise skipper). Rather than taking an Uber back to the hotel, we walked since my parents reasoned it was close by. For me, it was a death march. * Tuesday, November 20: Our focus today was Disney's Hollywood Studios, a park in transition, much like EPCOT. Right now, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is being constructed like at Disneyland, as are transportation improvements (chiefly the new Disney Skyliner system, which will essentially be an updated version of the old Skyway that will serve Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Carribbean Beach Resort, Art of Animation Resort, Pop Century Resort, where we stayed at in 2006, and the new Riviera Resort slated to open next fall with the system). The big draw was the new Toy Story Land, featuring Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers, and the newly-reconfigured Toy Story Midway Mania. We had to DAS Slinky Dog Dash, and had FastPasses for Mania, Tower of Tower, and Rock n Roller Coaster (I didn't go on the latter two because I don't like the g's associated with drop towers, and Rock n Roller Coaster has loops, which, though I've never gone through one, scare me. We also had to DAS Star Tours. Lunch was at the ABC Commissary. This day was also my dad's birthday. Me and my mom took a bus to the Riverside section of Port Orleans Resort, which is so big and has so many bus stops, it has its own deticated intra-resort bus. We had dinner in the food court there before Ubering back to the B. * Wednesday, November 21: Day 3 of our WDW exploits were at the first park opened in the resort, Magic Kingdom, described by my mom as "Disneyland on steroids" (I personally like Disneyland more). Our Uber driver dropped us off at the Contemporary Resort, and we walked the rest of the way. For a crowded day, we got alot done, hitting almost every ride in the park (every ride that was open, that is; all Rivers of America attractions are closed for refurbishment, but are scheduled to reopen in a week or so). The morning was filled with uncertainty since half of Tomorrowland was malfunctioning: Space Mountain suffered a bad breakdown, and so much work had to be done, it shut down the PeopleMover. Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress broke down at the same time for unrelated reasons in a perfect storm of Murphy's Law. When we did ride Space Mountain, I believed my brother when he said the ride needed new track, as it actually tweaked my back. The speedramp at the exit was removed just days before we came and replaced by a regular carpeted floor, which I HATE. Lunch was at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, which features Sonny Eclipse, an animatronic alien lounge singer installed in 1995. The big draw at Magic Kingdom right now is Seven Dwarves Mine Train, a roller coaster with a dark ride section. Also of note is construction beyond the railroad tracks in Tomorrowland that recently started for the TRON Light Cycle Power Run, a clone of the roller coaster at Shanghai Disneyland. Speaking of the railroad, we rode a lap around from Fantasyland on this day behind #4 Roy O. Disney (all three locomotives currently on property were operating; the fourth, #1 Walter E. Disney, is being overhauled at the Strasburg Rail Road in Pennsylvania). Dinner was at the Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge (we had eaten here in 2006), which has an...interesting way of doing things. For one thing, if you want ketchup, the waiters make you shout "WE WANT KETCHUP!", and before you know it, another table is piling bottles of ketchup on you; we bypassed that nonsense by asking the next table over if they could just sneak one of the bottles over without alerting the waiters, as I was in no mood for such tomfoolery (let's just say I've grown alot more cynical in those 12 years thanks to the internet opening my eyes to the dreadful state of the world; who knew stepping outside of websites with Flash games like UGotGames and The Candystand and reading Wikipedia would enlighten me? And I just checked, The Candystand is now PCH Games, owned by Publishers Clearing House, of all people). For another, they're literal-minded about drinks: if you say you want more soda, they bring it to you in a jar. If you say you want a little more, they bring it in a shot glass; the former happened to me and forced me to link two straws together just to drink it, while the latter happened to my mom; I managed to finish half the jar, at least. They also have periodic "horse races" where guests use those stick ponies to ride around the restaurant. I participated in this back in 2006, but with my expanded knowledge since then, if I were to participate in this, I'd be way too aggressive, treating the whole thing as if it were the Daytona 500. * Thursday, November 22: Yup, we spent Thanksgiving at Disneyland. Animal Kingdom, to be exact. The big draw here right now is Pandora - The World of Avatar, featuring a simulator and a boat ride. The simulator (Flight of Passage) is so spectacular, I think Universal is in severe trouble. The boat ride is mostly projections, but it features the most advanced Audio-Animatronic ever made. Once again, we hit the major rides, including Kilamanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest, Flight of Passage (twice), and my brother did Kali River Rapids alone, they all did Dinosaur while I waited, did the same for Finding Nemo: The Musical, and we all saw Festival of the Lion King in its new theater (the old theater was in Camp Minnie-Mickey, which was going to be Beastly Kingdom, and is now Pandora). The one ride I really wanted to do, the Wildlife Express, was closed for refurbishment (Rafiki's Planet Watch as a whole has been through alot lately; it was closed for refurbishment, then it was announced it was closing permanently, then it got a reprieve and is once again simply under refurbishment). Late lunch-early dinner was at the Yak and Yeti Restaurant, where I simply had a plate of fries and some vanilla ice cream for dessert; this was also my first encounter with paper straws EVER, and so far, I prefer plastic straws. Me and my mom took a bus to the Animal Kingdom Lodge to pick up an Uber there, but we looked outside to find some animals first (we did; there are giraffes, wildebeest, antellopes, even a few bunnies). It was after dinner that I got a bit of a sore throat, which I initially assumed was just the ice cream coating my throat. I was wrong. So horribly wrong. * Friday, November 23: Day 5 saw us returning to Epcot, this time visiting World Showcase (as well as doing the last few rides we hadn't done in Future World, these being Living with the Land and The Seas with Nemo and Friends, which I consider to be a poor man's version of Disneyland's Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage). When I woke up, it was with a cold. We hadn't a thermometer to take my temperature, but I went anyway. Breakfast was at the Ale & Compass Restaurant at the Yacht Club Resort, then we walked to Epcot. We the two boat rides on the World Showcase (Frozen Ever After and Grand Fiesta Tour), as well as The American Adventure (which has been updated once again since our 2013 visit); we opted to skip the CircleVision films in China and Canada, as well as the film in France (which is getting a Ratatouille dark ride currently under construction). The focus of the day was the Candlelight Processional at the American Garden Theater in the American pavilion, across the walkway from The American Adventure. The show, a tradition started by Walt Disney at Disneyland in 1958, features a full orchestra, a full choir, and a guest narrator. Said narrator is always a celebrity, and this night, it was the one and only Chita Rivera! When we came in 2006, we glimpsed the show, and according to my mom, the narrator that night was Kirk Cameron from Growing Pains. I was really excited to look inside Mitsukoshi, the store in the Japan pavilion (I'm a closeted otaku), with the hope of finding and buying a reissued G1 Optimus Prime toy. Alas, the store had been remodeled since 2013 (I remembered there being a bunch of display cases, one of which had Kato N scale trains, and another which housed a Hatsune Miku wig), and all they had in the way of Transformers toys were Rodimus Prime and Cindersaur from the Power of the Primes line (recently superceded by War for Cybertron: Siege), though they did have plenty of Gundam models and Miyazaki merchandise (unsurprising, considering Disney has been the North American distributor for Studio Ghibli films since the 90s). My dad and brother once again stayed behind to see what Future World rides they could get on, while me and my mom, both with colds, took a Friendship Boat to the Boardwalk Resort to catch an Uber. * Saturday, November 24: Our final day was spent at Magic Kingdom. My brother left for the park early to do what he could, while the rest of us slept in. I felt a bit better after a good night's sleep, but still sick. We started by taking an Uber to Epcot, where we boarded the monorail (as we hadn't rode it yet) to the TTC, then took a bus the rest of the way to the park entrance. We did the last few rides we wanted to do (including Dumbo and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin), plus the four animatronic shows (Carousel of Progress, Country Bear Jamboree, Hall of Presidents, and Enchanted Tiki Room). The lyrics in some of the Country Bear songs are alot more racy than I remember (the song sung by the Sun Bonnett trio doesn't seem especially appropriate for Disney parks anymore), while Hall of Presidents now has two uniformed security guards posted inside the theater due to the new Donald Trump animatronic (I will say no more on that topic to avoid getting political). We also did a one and half laps on the WDWRR, this time behind #3 Roger E. Broggie (#2 is named Lilly Belle). On the second go-around, we were stopped by red signals outside of Fantasyland and Main Street stations, and during the stop before Fantastyland, a real deer was spotted. Passengers were unsure if it was real or an animatronic. Typical naive guests. After dinner at Pinocchio's Village Haus (which has a window overlooking the load area for it's a small world, and we were joking that they were being sacrificed to the creepy dolls), me and my mom left the park and took the ferry back over to the TTC and caught the Disney Springs Resort bus back to the B. * Sunday, November 25: Departure day. I was still feeling under the weather, and it was like that the whole way home. My brother left the hotel before us, but we ran into him again at the airport because his gate was right next to ours. Lunch was at the airport, where my parents got Jersey Mike's for the plane, while I had a "picnic" in the waiting area of our gate consisting of my standard McDonald's order (10 nuggets, large fries, large Sprite, no sauce, lots of ketchup). Our plane was once again one of the dinosaurs, a Boeing 737-700. Southwest, being a low-cost carrier, doesn't have seatback TVs like United or Delta do, but they do have free TV and movie streaming on the AirTime Player app, through which you can also buy WiFi for $8; my mom got it for me both ways, and it certainly made a long flight alot less boring. Upon landing in San Jose, I spotted another 787, this one belonging to British Airways (they fly nonstop to London using these). My aunt picked us up and took us home, where I watched a rerun of the final Formula One race of the season (not that the outcome was in doubt since Lewis Hamilton had clinched the championship several weeks ago; seriously, that man is UNSTOPPABLE, a regular Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher). I'm still sick today with a 99.5 degree fever. My next trip will most likely be back to Miami in the spring to visit my brother at college. In the meantime, he'll be back home for winter break in three weeks.
|
|
|
Post by ImprovedDirector on Dec 24, 2018 4:02:49 GMT
Does anybody know how to upload video to a forum post from Imgur?
|
|
BNSF1995
Goods Engine
Tell me, Lost Little Red-Cent, have you ever experienced THE ALMIGHTY THREE-SHOE BEATING?!
Posts: 205
|
Post by BNSF1995 on Dec 25, 2018 19:55:12 GMT
Merry Bloody Cold Gift-Giving Day--I mean, Christmas!
It's a nice, partly cloudy day here in San Jose, and the presents have been opened at our house. This year, I got:
* A new hoodie * A new jacket * A new train calendar with European (mainly British) trains * Super Mario Party * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate * $70 for Steam * $50 for Amazon * New socks * My brother gave me and my dad this Star Wars picture book in which the narrator tries to scare Darth Vader
It's not over yet. We'll be going over to my grandparents' house soon, and staying there for dinner, too. This Christmas has been a bit wonky thanks to all the stuff surrounding our family.
Because we'll be staying for dinner, I won't be able to report what I got at my grandparents' house until later tonight.
EDIT: Here’s my haul from my grandparents’ house:
* Xenoblade Chronicles 2 * $150 in Steam gift cards * $100 in Amazon gift cards * $500 actual cash * Tickets for CATS when it comes to San Jose in February
There’s one more present from my aforementioned great uncle that’s late.
|
|
|
Post by Parker Productions on Jan 13, 2019 21:34:26 GMT
|
|
|
Post by stuart7 on Jan 19, 2019 18:46:37 GMT
Some sad news for fans of the classic BBC sitcom 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum': www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/8232357/windsor-davies-dead-it-aint-half-hot-mum-actor-dies-aged-88/I was introduced to this series one Christmas when I was a teenager, and it soon grew on me, with the Indian staff of Deolali camp trying to help the Concert Party, and hinder Battery Sergeant Major 'Shut Up' Williams's attempts to get the Concert Party posted 'up the jungle'. A brilliant series, hilarious, the best thing Jimmy Perry and David Croft produced alongside 'Dad's Army'. R.I.P, Windsor Davies - gone, but never forgotten. Stuart.
|
|
BNSF1995
Goods Engine
Tell me, Lost Little Red-Cent, have you ever experienced THE ALMIGHTY THREE-SHOE BEATING?!
Posts: 205
|
Post by BNSF1995 on Feb 25, 2019 3:19:00 GMT
Don't mind me, I'm just here with another BNSF1995 Trip Report Here we go with the first trip report of 2019! It isn't spring like I said it would be in the WDW report, but it might as well have been given the climate of Miami, even in the winter (it's not as bad as it was in August 2017, but still). * Wednesday, February 20: Woke up around nine-ish to drive to my aunt's house to drop off our bunny, Biscotti, and pick up an Uber from there, as my aunt was coming with us. Once again, we took Southwest Airlines, and like in November, I was kept occupied by the $8 wifi. Our connecting flight was at Houston-Hobby, which we arrived at early. Our plane for the first flight was a 737-700 (one of the dinosaurs, in the process of being retired), while the second flight was aboard a 737-800 with the Boeing Sky Interior (the reason we've never had a MAX is because they're still being delivered; at time of writing, they only have 63 in service). Leaving was another matter entirely; for those who haven't been keeping up with the news (or otherwise don't live in the US), Southwest Airlines has been having alot of maintenance issues as of late, causing over 400 planes to be grounded due to mechanical defects, all of which can be traced back to a historically-troublesome mechanics' union. Our flight was delayed by an hour, which allowed us to have dinner at a Buffalo Wild Wings near our gate, and we landed in Fort Lauderdale after midnight. Our rental car this time was a Ford Explorer. Rather than stay in a hotel, we rented an Airbnb near the University of Miami, a small, one-story, three-bedroom, two-bathroom duplex on Ponce de Leon Blvd, right next to the MetroRail line. The living arrangements were spartan like the B Resort, but at least I wasn't forced to make my own bed. Furnishings were sparse aside from a kitchen table with some transluscent plastic chairs, a couch that becomes a bed, two chairs, a minimally-equipped kitchen with a fridge/freeze that lacked any ice or water, and most egregious of all, no coffee-maker, and the only decoration the place had was a single painting of Marilyn Monroe. At least the air-conditioning worked, the beds were comfortable, the televisions worked (they had AT&T U-Verse, with thousands of channels including MAV TV, a channel I can usually only watch at my grandparents' house since they have DirecTV and I have Xfinity, which doesn't carry MAV), and there was always a pleasant fruit smell in the house. We arrived at this duplex around 2 AM, and went to bed. * Thursday, February 21: We woke up around 11 AM, and met my brother at the university for lunch in their food court (I had bacon on footlong white bread, though I wanted nine-grain wheat). After walking around the campus a bit, me and my aunt went back to the duplex, where jetlag hit me like a brick wall. Later that night, before the opening of the play my brother was in (a Shakespearian farce), me and my aunt joined them at a Denny's across the street from the campus (I had french toast and bacon), then I was taken back to the duplex. * Friday, February 22: On this day, we went to the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami. Created by Cuban exiles, it features restaurants, stores, and a museum about the Bay of Pigs invasion. Lunch was at a famous restaurant called Versailles (which confused me since Versailles is a French word, one I associate with the treaty that had a hand in starting World War II). I had fries, which weren't very good, so me and my mom walked to the nearby McDonald's so I wouldn't go hungry. My parents went to see my brother's play again, while me and my aunt stayed at the duplex and Doordashed Cheesecake Factory. * Saturday, February 23: We woke up early, and went to Bayside Marketplace down by the water to catch a tour bus to Everglades National Park. There were quite a few cruise ships in yesterday, including ships from Royal Carribbean, Carnival, MSC, Celebrity, and even Regent Seven Seas (whose headquarters are in Miami). Our bus took us to Everglades Safari Park, where we took an airboat tour (those things go FAST). The main draw here is alligators, of which we saw at least six wild ones (one by the loading dock, one sitting in front of the slip for the drydock, one in an open area, two sunning themselves lazily, and one that I spotted and pointed out), as well as over 40 captive gators. After we returned to Miami, we walked around Bayside a bit, before going back to rest at the duplex for a bit and then headed back out to The Shops at Sunset Place. My parents and aunt went to the Barnes and Noble, while I went back to the GameTime arcade. Much to my surprise and delight, my data on Fast & Furious: Super Cars was still there. I did moderately well in regards to tickets, but I didn't get anything (I did win two rubber duckies from a claw machine that already had credits in it). After that, we went back to the duplex. * Sunday, February 24: Departure day saw us leave the duplex at 5:30 AM to make our 8:20 AM flight. Aboard a 737-800, we left on time and arrived to Dallas Love Field early. That's when things started going to hell. We were supposed to only have an hour in the airport before our connecting flight the rest of the way to San Jose, but our gate was occupied and we arrived late. We thought we were under the gun to get to our connection. We weren't. Our original plane was taken out of service due to a broken windshield (most likely a birdstrike), which did allow me time to get Auntie Ann's and Baskin-Robbins. Our flight left almost two hours late, and during the flight, the wifi cut out for a bit (right in the middle of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta, I might add; by the way, Brad Keselowski won...while dealing with stomach flu). We arrived back to San Jose late (but in time to see a British Airways 787 arrive), got our luggage, got an Uber to my aunt's house, picked up Biscotti (he was NOT happy that we abandoned him), took Biscotti to my grandparents' house to visit my grandpa (as well as give him some key lime cookies bought at the Dallas airport), and then, FINALLY, got home, just in time for the Oscars. Our next trip will be a daytrip to Sacramento to meet up with my brother and his new girlfriend (this is the fourth one he's had), and have breakfast at Denny's, plus do something else (I wanna do the Sacramento RiverTrain, which is running the day we go, March 10), plus another daytrip to an as-of-yet undecided locale before my brother goes back to Miami. We're also looking into a trip to the Pacific Northwest in July, including Portland, Seattle, the zoo in Port Defiance, the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad, and travelling from Portland to Seattle on the Cascades. That, and the regular Tahoe trip(s).
|
|
The Vicar
Passenger Engine
Formerly known as TheRyanCarMan on YouTube.
Posts: 915
|
Post by The Vicar on May 4, 2019 2:58:17 GMT
General question for all UK and Irish members,
What is the policy for indoor smoking in pubs? Where I live, smoking has been illegal at indoor establishments since I was 4, though I believe Europe is much less strict. Do people smoke in pubs? Is it frowned upon or is it normal? If you answer, please tell me where you’re from. I plan on making a trip once I graduate uni next year. I don’t smoke myself, though I’ve always been around it growing up with my family, so I don’t mind it at all.
|
|
|
Post by Chris on May 4, 2019 9:31:31 GMT
It's been illegal to smoke in enclosed work places (pubs, cafés and such fall under this) in the UK since 2006/7. Ireland introduced it even earlier in 2004. You might find this list helpful with regards to other places in Europe: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans
|
|
The Hymek
Shunting Engine
"You're not on fire?"
Posts: 57
|
Post by The Hymek on May 5, 2019 2:56:04 GMT
Currently trying to work on a Godzilla video for my non-thomas related youtube channel and the movie I'm focusing on in the video (Gareth Edward's Godzilla from 2014) is so dry and hard to sit through that I'm actually putting off making the video lol. Still have a ways to go, half the movie left. And I started it last Sunday too!
Anyone else ever have a similar experience with something? Having to analyze something for a project and found themselves falling asleep? I've had it happen for school projects years ago but those at least had a deadline! I can make my project whenever of course, so I don't have that urgency driving me at all.
|
|
BNSF1995
Goods Engine
Tell me, Lost Little Red-Cent, have you ever experienced THE ALMIGHTY THREE-SHOE BEATING?!
Posts: 205
|
Post by BNSF1995 on Jul 29, 2019 9:01:40 GMT
Tonight, I had my long-deferred birthday party (my birthday was on July 9). Pizza was had, cake was had, and presents were had (though festivities were a bit subdued since we were watching coverage of the Gilroy Garlic Festival shootings; I live 32 miles away from Gilroy).
For my birthday, I got:
* The obligatory renewals on my subscriptions to Trains and Model Railroader magazines (with my new address) * $100 for Steam * $380 real cash
In addition, we were also celebrating my uncle's birthday, which was one month ago. He got new work pants (he's a self-employed locksmith), and an Amazon gift card. My parents also got a card and some money as a housewarming gift, and my brother got a card and $20 for pinch-hitting in a local production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" (or just simply "Spelling Bee"). Earlier in the day, my aunt informed me she won a raffle at a work function for two tickets to Roaring Camp Railroads, so she and I will be going on a coming weekend.
As for the $380 cash, a small portion of it will be going towards gambling and arcade tokens. And you know what that means...
Stay tuned for a new BNSF1995 Trip Report next Sunday!
|
|
BNSF1995
Goods Engine
Tell me, Lost Little Red-Cent, have you ever experienced THE ALMIGHTY THREE-SHOE BEATING?!
Posts: 205
|
Post by BNSF1995 on Aug 5, 2019 3:11:17 GMT
BNSF1995 Trip Report
What would've been a Lake Tahoe trip report was completely changed when I had the wool pulled over. * Wednesday, July 31: We departed a little after 9 AM, under the assumption that we were going to South Lake Tahoe. Upon reaching the 280-680-101 interchange, though, my dad said he didn't feel like going to Tahoe. At first, my brother assured me he was being sarcastic, only for us to turn onto 101 going southbound, rather than staying on 280/680, at which point my mom whipped out some Disneyland tickets printed the night before. Since my dad just got a job with the US Census Bureau (he got laid off from his last job because his entire department was outsourced to Serbia, precluding the Pacific Northwest trip I had mentioned in the last report), my parents decided to go to Disneyland instead of Tahoe. My brother was onboard, but I myself, not receptive to sudden changes, was halfway to crying, not out of happiness, but despair. Lunch was at a Denny's in Kettleman City. That was where the problems began. Catch of the day: a Metrolink equipment move out of the ex-SP Taylor Yard made up of several trainsets lashed together, probably heading for Union Station. Waze took us hither and yon to get around the infamous LA traffic, but 'twas for naught, as we still got caught in a bad traffic jam. Our hotel was the Grand Legacy Resort on Harbor Blvd. (formerly the Ramada Main Gate); we had stayed at this resort on several prior occassions, including November 2011 for my dad's 50th birthday. After getting to our room on the fourth floor, we walked over to Downtown Disney for dinner (I had Wetzel's Pretzels). That night was one of the worst I ever weathered, as my GI tract once again went postal. * Thursday, August 1: My dad and brother went to Disneyland for our Magic Morning (7 AM entry instead of 8) ahead of us while me and my mom got ready, and I continued dealing with my digestive system, which sorted itself out by early afternoon. Me and my mom's first ride of the morning was Snow White's Scary Adventure, then we rendevouzed with my dad and brother for ropedrop and the mass exodus to the park's newest addition, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. We spent some time ogling all of the details, before riding Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. It's a simulator ride with a twist: it's also a video game. Developed in partnership with ILMxLAB, Nvidia, and Epic Games, six guests enter a faithful recreation of the Millennium Falcon's cockpit to take on a mission for fan-favorite character Hondo Ohnaka from the Clone Wars and Rebels cartoons, who has tasked you with various missions; right now, there's only one mission involving stealing a shipment of coaxium from the First Order to bring to the Resistance (and since the events depicted in Galaxy's Edge take place between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, the Resistance can use all the help it can get). There are six positions: two pilots (the left pilot controls left and right, and has control of the ship's boosters and brakes, while the right pilot controls up and down, and is in control of the hyperdrive), two gunners (shoots at enemies), and two engineers (fires the harpoon cables to grab the containers with the coaxium, and also fixes the pilots' mistakes), and all must work together as a team. Other things in Galaxy's Edge including Savi's Workshop (which is like the "Build-A-Lightsaber" kiosk in Star Trader in Tomorrowland, but much more involved and costing $200 instead of something to the effect of $21; also, the Savi lightsabers are higher-quality, while the Star Trader lightsabers are like the ones Hasbro has been making for years, the irony being the Savi sabers have reportedly been malfunctioning after a month, whereas the Hasbro sabers, despite being cheaper, will probably last longer), the Droid Depot (where you can build a little astromech droid, either an R-series droid or a BB-series droid, with tons of customization options and even components that give them different personalities), Oga's Cantina (a small, reservation-only cantina that serves unique drinks both alcoholic and not, plus the standard Coca-Cola brand soft drinks; also present is DJ R3X, AKA Captain Rex from the original 1987 version of Star Tours, having now become a DJ; just about the only thing that hasn't changed is his bungling and being voiced by Paul Reubens; there's a neat thing where the hyperdrive powering the cantina "breaks down", causing Rex to shut down and the servers to drop what they're doing to perform percussive maintenance on it; guests can only spend 45 minutes inside the cantina due to limited seating capacity, at which point they're shown the door, and they're limited to two specialty drinks; there are no limits on soft drinks), Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities (a shop run by an Ithorian that sells merchandise themed to the non-Disney trilogies), the Black Market (a row of shops that's the central shopping location for the entire land), Ronto Roasters (a quick-service restaurant serving meat), Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo (another quick-service restaurant inspired by the Japanese Tsukiji Fish Market), and the Milk Stand (a stand that sells the memetic blue and green milk, neither of which are actually dairy-based). Alot more was planned for the land, including a dinner theatre, droids and bounty hunters roaming the land, fights between Rey and stormtroopers, and interactive performers. Unfortunately, the current chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, Bob Chapek, is a tight-wad. He cancelled all of this to save money, and he's slashing maintenance and entertainment budgets all over the resort, while aggressively pushing merchandising, all because he just doesn't get that the parks are a show, not elaborate outdoor shopping malls. It's a repeat of when Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss were in charge of the resort in the 90s and early 2000s; at least nothing's closed yet and maintenance isn't being neglected to the point it starts presenting a danger to guests, but if this is going to be Bob Iger's successor, I fear for the future of not just Disneyland, but the entire Walt Disney company. One thing that can't be laid at Chapek's feet is Rise of the Resistance. This elaborate dark ride was delayed multiple times, and is now slated to open in January; I've also heard word that Chapek is panicking over the lukewarm attendance to Galaxy's Edge, and is poised to approve the dinner theater just to rebuild the dike. Aside from GE, we also hit the big rides in the park. En route to Tomorrowland, me and my mom took the Disneyland Railroad, riding the Excursion Train pulled by #4 "Ernest S. Marsh". That night, me and my mom had just boarded Dumbo, when the attraction was powered down for fireworks. And we sat there in our elephant, watching fireworks go off all around us; it was an experience I never could've imagined. Earlier in the day, we were stopped on Haunted Mansion at the load because of a medical emergency; we never heard the exact details, but we were thankful for the rest. * Friday, August 2: Our second day was spent entirely at Disney California Adventure (we didn't get Park Hoppers). We hit all the major attractions that day, and looked around Pixar Pier (which was created by partitioning Paradise Pier into Pixar Pier and Paradise Garden Park). Right now, the rather-mediocre Soarin' Around the World has been replaced by the superior film it replaced, Soarin' Over California. It's here for the summer, but I feel that it'll stay since it's relevant to the state, while Around the World is more relevant to the installations at Epcot, Tokyo DisneySea, and Shanghai Disneyland. Also at DCA right now is Mickey's PhilharMagic, showing in the theater that once housed Muppet*Vision 3D. This film from the Magic Kingdom was meant to be put in this space years ago, but the theater was too small to present the film in its original aspect ratio, but eventually, Disney put it in anyway, and worked around the aspect ratio issue by showing the outer bands of the film on the walls. One attraction not open right now is the Red Car Trolley, which is closed because its maintenance area and stop by Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission Breakout, have been overtaken by construction for a new Marvel area. * Saturday, August 3: Our third and final day was at Disneyland. We once again hit the major attractions. The highlight of the day was a breakdown on Hyperspace Mountain (Space Mountain with a Star Wars overlay); sadly for me, it occurred before we were to unload, and I've always wanted to get stuck on Space Mountain and see it with the lights on. Me and my mom also did another lap on the Disneyland Railroad, once again riding on the Excursion Train pulled by Ernest S. Marsh (#1 CK Holliday was pulling the Holiday Blue set with the Lilly Belle parlor car, #5 Ward Kimball had the Holiday Green set, #3 Fred Gurley was in the enginehouse with the Holiday Red set, AKA the old freight train from 1955, and #2 EP Ripley is still at the back of the enginehouse, with no concrete answer as to what is going on with her). We also rode the monorail, which until September, is shut down from 11 AM to 6 PM (again, Chapek's budget cuts at work). * Sunday, August 4: Departure day. Waze once again took us hither and yon over numerous highways, some of which I had never been on before. Lunch was an informal affair; we stopped for fast food in Lost Hills, with me getting my standard McDonald's order of chicken nuggets and fries, my brother getting Wendys, and my parents getting Subway. Catch of the day: a Union Pacific local doing switching work out near Norwalk. We arrived home at about 6:20 PM. My next trip will be to Tahoe in two weeks' time. And in November, I'll be returning to Miami over Thanksgiving break.
|
|
BNSF1995
Goods Engine
Tell me, Lost Little Red-Cent, have you ever experienced THE ALMIGHTY THREE-SHOE BEATING?!
Posts: 205
|
Post by BNSF1995 on Aug 19, 2019 3:45:27 GMT
Double-posting once again, but what can you do? Besides, I have another. BNSF1995 Trip Report The trip deferred two weeks ago in favor of Disneyland finally fired off. And boy, was it something. * Thursday, August 15: Me and my mom left around noon-ish for South Lake Tahoe, taking the normal route over the Benicia Bridge. Catch of the day: a southbound Capitol Corridor on the Yolo Causeway pulled by an F59PHi. Lunch was, where else, the Chili's in Folsom, where it was 105 degrees, which meant walking to and from the car was liking walking through an oven; on the plus side, though, a few light rails did come by. We made good time into Tahoe, aside from a flagman just past Echo Summit, not to mention the US-50/SR-89 intersection now has a roundabout as part of a project CalTrans started in April to reduce the amount of collisions. My aunt had been in Tahoe since the prior Saturday, and met us at the cabin. After bringing our luggage in, we had dinner at Coldwater Brewery at Sierra Blvd. (which we couldn't use this trip because most of the street had been torn up for utility work) and US-50, followed by shopping at the Safeway by the lake, before settling in for the night. * Friday, August 16: The obligatory Virginia City day. As usual, we rode the 1:20 PM train on the Viriginia and Truckee Railroad, this time behind D-3, the GE 44-tonner acquired from the embargoed Yuma Valley Railway in 2013. #29, our power last year, was working the Mound House trains as usual (they call it Carson City Eastgate or simply Carson City since it's technically in Carson City limits due to the commission's supposed dislike of Lyon County). The only major change, besides the second 44-tonner they acquired last year being moved to a different siding (I was able to get a better look at it; it's numbered 1606, and has an Operation Lifesaver paint scheme, but its reporting marks were scratched out, making it impossible to assertain its origins), was the addition of a third signal at the F Street grade crossing. The Virginia City Depot still stocks the 2018 Thomas Wood product, with none of the 2019 product in stock, and a single Wooden Railway Stafford sticking out in a sea of ill-advised penny-pinching. Lunch was at Virginia City Joe's (formerly Mustang Ranch Steakhouse, and yes, the naming was intentional, if you know what I mean), followed by a stop at Grant's General Store, and gambling at the Mark Twain Saloon (I won $3.5-odd, but the woman in charge gave me four quarters because they were apparently out of pennies, so I ended up winning $4), then going to Grandma's Fudge for ice cream, and driving back to Carson City to look for new blinds at the Lowe's across the street from the Nevada State Railroad Museum. We drove back into South Lake Tahoe, and turned in (my mom and aunt Doordashed a restaurant I can't remember, while I just ate Pirate's Booty). * Saturday, August 17: Our hang-around Tahoe day. My aunt left for San Jose around 2 PM, while me and my mom drove down to Stateline (after stopping at the Rite-Aid at US-50 and Al Tahoe Blvd. to get some stuff for the cabin). I blew $20 at Hard Rock, before me and my mom had lunch at Alpine Union. We then walked to a new addition to Heavenly Village across the street from the main village, which was nothing special. After walking through the main village, we arrived at Harrah's, where I blew another $20, putting me $36 in the hole, before departing for the arcade. Harrah's Arcade has seen great upheaval since I last visited last August. For one, it finally joined the 21st Century and switched from metal tokens and paper tickets to an all-in-one magnetic card, like most other arcades are doing. And games that once cost two tokens now cost the equivalent of four. I ended up burning through $30 in that arcade, but still managed to get over 1,000 points. New additions include a Nerf-themed game that reminds me greatly of Toy Story Midway Mania (with the voice of, I believe, Ian James Corlett), as well as some new claw machines (one that gives you points by grabbing rolls of their surplus tickets, one with Pikachu plushes, one with Deadpool plushes, among others), and the Injustice fighting game, moved over from the Harvey's Arcade. The SpongeBob coin pusher is sadly gone, at Star Wars Trilogy Arcade, which had been suffering from lack of maintenance for several years now, wasn't even available to play, but at least Cruis'n Blast and Mario Kart Arcade GP DX are still there (and the one Cruis'n Blast machine with my data still has it), and I'm still able to win the hardest track on Mario Kart Arcade GP DX without breaking a sweat. I had brought my ticket receipts from last year, and to my delight, they put those on my card; you may recall I won approx. 4,000 tickets last year, and after adding them to my card, my total is now approx. 5,100. I'm STILL saving them for the next time I come, most likely later in the fall with my aunt. Me and my mom then got out of there before the Lionel Ritchie concert began at Harvey's, and returned to the cabin for the night. * Sunday, August 18: Departure day. It took me and my mom seven hours to get home, having left at 12:32 PM, due to all of the homeward-bound traffic. Late lunch/early dinner was at an Applebee's in Vacaville. I managed to catch glimpes of two Capitol Corridors (one near UC Davis, the other near Dixon). I only got home one hour ago, no thanks to the aforementioned traffic. My next trip for sure will be to Miami the week before Thanksgiving. I'll also being going on a day trip to Kerman, CA, a town I haven't visited since October 2012 (this was where my great uncle, who died this past January, lived).
|
|
BNSF1995
Goods Engine
Tell me, Lost Little Red-Cent, have you ever experienced THE ALMIGHTY THREE-SHOE BEATING?!
Posts: 205
|
Post by BNSF1995 on Sept 22, 2019 21:53:45 GMT
Yes, I'm triple-posting, but this is too important. RIP My Grandpa 1925-2019 Here he is with me at Dave & Busters celebrating my 20th birthday on July 13, 2015.
|
|
|
Post by stuart7 on Nov 12, 2019 19:16:35 GMT
Is anyone having a problem with YouTube on their iPads/iPods? The 'Full Screen' function seems to be working OK on my computer and mobile phone, but not on my iPad. Every time I try to access 'Full Screen' mode on the iPad, the screen enlarges, and then freezes, with the word 'Done' appearing on the top left hand corner, for some reason. Is anyone else experiencing this problem?
Stuart
|
|
The Vicar
Passenger Engine
Formerly known as TheRyanCarMan on YouTube.
Posts: 915
|
Post by The Vicar on Nov 15, 2019 18:08:43 GMT
Hello UK members,
I realize this is not a travel agency, however, I'm looking for help. I'm planning my trip to the UK next spring, and I've had quite a tough time navigating bus websites, especially those in Wales. Is there a website I can go to where I can easily look at bus schedules, tickets, etc.? For example, I want to go from Cardiff to Gower and back in a day. I know I must take a train from Cardiff to Swansea, and a bus from Swansea to Gower (specifically the Clyne Golf Club). The only reason I know that is the fellow from the golf club helped direct me.
Is there any where I can put in my point A destination, my point B destination, and it will show me the appropriate list of trains/buses to take?
Much appreciated!
|
|