USA 2010 - The Hot Tracks Tour Day 1 - Sunday 25th July 2010 Trip Report from Michigan's Adventure

The hot tracks tour has started, some members flew out to Chicago on the Friday to soak up some of the sites of the windy city with the remainder of the group arriving on Saturday. The coaster riding started at 8AM on Sunday when we departed our hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan for an hours drive down to Michigan's Adventure.

We started with a customary group photo in front of the park's entrance. Shortly after this we were given our tickets and we headed straight over to the brilliant woodie Shivering Timbers for our first ERS of the tour. We got under way with many of this year's trip attendees having their very first ride on Shivering Timbers and what a way to start. I had the same experience in 1999 when this woodie was my first coaster on a USA Trip. A brilliant way to start the tour.

As part of the park was still closed after the ERS we had to take the Timbertown Railway to our next coaster Thunderhawk. Wobbly Bob, the phoenix coach driver got in the drivers seat of the train for a photo before we headed over to the coaster. A standard Vekoma SLC, this was surprisingly smooth and many members had a few goes. The park soon opened to the public so we all had some free time to try out their other coasters including 2 more woodies, Zach's Zoomer and Wolverine Wildcat. The park also has a Corkscrew, Steel Big Dipper & a Mad Mouse for the steelie fans amongst us. As well as the coasters the park has many other rides including the Giant Gondola Wheel.

At 12.30 the park provided us with an "All You Can Eat" buffet of Burgers, Chicken, Hot Dogs & for Ryan normal Baked Beans in the Mary Lynn's Group Catering Pavilion. After lunch we re-rentered the park to do some more riding with many members taking in the park's Water Park to try out the Tidal Wave Pool, The Snake Pit and Funnel of Fear. I went up the Giant Gondola Wheel to get some aerial photo's of the park. At 4PM we had to be back on the coach for our journey to Indiana in readiness for our day in Indiana Beach tomorrow. Before we left the park Camille Jourden, the park's general manager came onto our coach to thank us for our visit. All in all a great first park to kick off The Hot Tracks Tour. Nev did the normal survey on the coach to see what we liked the best, and as you can guess Shivering Timbers came out best. He went on to say it's because it's wood and what is wood? We all replied "Flamable!" Anyway as I write we are en-route to our next hotel in Indiana to wind down ready for Day 2 of the tour and more coasters including 3 woodies.

Please Note: All on ride photographs were taken WITH PERMISSION of the theme park and ride management. Under no circumstances should any member of the public or club member attempt to take photographs on rides without express permission from the theme park. Safety comes first - follow the rules!