Knott's Berry Farm

It's time to talk about something more uplifting, my trip yesterday to Knott's Berry Farm. I hadn't been there in over 15 years, and this was the first time I had been to Knott's around Halloween time, when it is decorated for Knott's scary Farm. It was a perfect day weather-wise, abundant sunshine and warm enough to wear shorts. Plus, free passes into the park! I remember going to Knott's when I was young, and seeing some of the old rides and attractions brought back memories. The last time I went was the first time I rode the rollercoasters, like Montezooma's Revenge.

There were many new rides for me to experience, as well as the classics. I rode: Timber Mountain Log Ride, Calico Mine Ride, Jaguar, Montezooma's Revenge, Bigfoot Rapids, Hat Dance and GhostRider. Some rides, like the mine train, were decorated for Halloween. The miners were replaced by ghosts, zombies and the Grim Reaper, which added a new twist to the ride. However, these creatures weren't animated - I get the feeling that they save the good stuff for the Knott's Scary Farm event after dark.

My favorite ride was GhostRider. This is a newer ride, and had the longest wait. It is a wooden coaster, like Colossus at Magic Mountain, but has many more sharp turns and twists. I got a little beat-up on the ride but it was worth it. I was laughing the whole time. Laughing in fear! There were a few attractions that were closed for the day. Some were only open for the nighttime event.

For lunch I ate a chicken meal at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant. This is the first time I remember eating here. As a kid, I never wanted to eat there - I wanted hotdogs instead. The chicken was excellent, as well as the biscuits and apple pie. Since most of the lines for the rides were so short, after 5 hours I was ready to go home. It was a great day that wasn't quite over. I ended up at the Karl Strauss brewery in Carlsbad, drinking pints of beer and watching the World Series. I slept well last night.