The Tea Cups, a P.T.C. Crazy Daisy, were fun, but looked to be missing a few cups on the circle.  The Tilt-a-Whirl also have a great ride and I flew around many a turn…unlike Whalom and Canobie where I was lucky to get one revolution.  Then I took a ride on the Cosmotron, an in-the-dark Himalaya (but looked to have a different manufacturer than most Himalayas).

          I took a break, got some Cesari’s and a drink (something like $4.50), sat and watched the Phoenix as the sun began to dip into the mountains. 

          The Power Surge ate another $1.20 (and the lighting package at night is GREAT), then I took a train ride through the beautiful woods, took a ride in the bizarre ferris wheel, and the Merry Mixer Scrambler.  Then it was over to 1001 Nacht, which is a falling star-style ride where the riders face each other instead of sitting side-to-side.  The restraints on this thing make the Top Spin look comfortable...do not ride unless you are female or do not mind a crushing pain down south.  It is interesting that the name is 1001 Nacht (German), the ride has a Middle-Eastern theme and the operator calls it 1001 Nights…a cultural potpourri. 

          The Twister and Phoenix took on new personas at night and transformed from fun rides into coasters which gave vicious laterals and vicious airtime respectively.  I liked Twister a lot more as I spent the rest of my rides in the 2^nd seat in the first car.  The Phoenix was simply incredible and was ejecting into my bar on every hill and the Twister threw me around like a rag doll.  Both of these coasters I would describe as great, but there were just a few minute things missing.  I think the Phoenix is the best ride it could be, but was expecting a little more out of Twister.  The first two drops and the helix are great, but it seems to fizzle out afterwards.  I think it would help if the u-turn after you leave the 2^nd helix led into some bunny hops…it would give the ride a little more airtime and round-out the ride.  It almost seems like it wants to be the Raven but can’t quite finish as strong.  Don’t get me wrong, both of these rides are some of the best out there, they just did not have enough to catapult them to the very top of my list. 

          Aside from how good the design of the coasters are, these two rides would track no where near as well as they do if this park did not give them amazing TLC.  It boggles my mind that the Phoenix tracks like a new coaster…since it was first built in the late 40’s.  Also, it has what I have found to be some of the most finicky coaster cars out there, P.T.C. three bench cars.  On coasters which are loved (Phoenix, the Yankee Cannonball this year after an off-season rehab), these trains track great.  It is almost as if they live and breathe with the coaster and become an extension of the track.  On the other hand, 3-bench cars track amazingly bad on coasters which are not kept up to snuff.  All-in-all, it will be so depressing to go from this back to the Screaming Eagle later this summer after getting these great rides in.

Sunday:

          I started the day by grabbing a ride on my first real bumper cars…because after riding these cars, everything else has become tapper cars.  These Lusse cars are stunning and bring artistry to a ride which is so often relegated today to having ugly fiberglass bodies.  Usually I avoid bumper cars because I do not enjoy them…but I had to ride these.  The smell of graphite is in the air and these cars are fun and ride better than any other ride like it out there. 

          Throughout the day I grabbed a ride on the Phoenix, the Twister (both after a brief rain shower), the fast and fun flume, enjoyed the great museum, the High Speed Thrill Coaster, the Flying Skooters (where my back was quite sore) and grabbed two more rides on (or in) the Haunted Mansion. 

          The most fun I had at Knoebels was arriving at 10 and wondering around the park come alive to open at 11.  If you have never done this, and enjoy getting a unique view of a park which cannot be achieved at many other parks, drop by at 9 or 9:30.  It is one of the most moving things I have done at a park…it is so neat to feel like you are the only one at a park, especially one you love like Knoebels.  Aside from being there by yourself, it is great to watch because the quiet park appears to come to life around you.   

           All-in-all I loved Knoebels and cannot wait to go back.  This place has something which, like Canobie and Holiday World, makes you want to get one more ride in the moment you head out of the parking lot.  It is not just the coasters, not just the food, not just the employees who were all friendly…it was the atmosphere.  This place just does something to you which cannot be explained…all I know is that it is one of those parks which made me feel like I was a kid at Disneyland, except I think this may be the happiest place on earth.

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Adam Sandy, Copyright 2001.