USA day 13 - Cedar Point

03 Jul - After having a night rest at Hotel Breakers, which is located next to Cedar Point itself, we woke up early in the morning to make use of the "Early Entry" exclusive perk made available for overnight guests at Hotel Breakers. This perk basically allows guests into the park to experience selected rides ONE HOUR before the general public! How awesome is that! To top it off, we purchase the Fast Lane Plus ticket, which allows us to enjoy all of the Fast Lane attractions (without going through the normal queue) PLUS, unlimited rides on GateKeeper and Top Thrill Dragster.  

FAST LANE PLUS - Enjoy all of the Fast Lane attractions (without going through the normal queue) PLUS, unlimited rides on GateKeeper and Top Thrill Dragster!

An empty Midway, 1 hour before the park opens to public

Flower decoration with Raptor in the background

Introducing the GateKeeper - the tallest, fastest and longest wing roller coaster in the world, just newly opened in 2013! Soar on the wings of Cedar Point's guardian of the front gate when you climb 170 feet and perform a wing-over drop maneuver, sending you on a 2-minute, 20-second adrenaline rush!

GateKeeper's giant towers that now is part of the main entrance, providing guests a stunning first impression as they enter the park.

Overview of the GateKeeper

Raptor - Get ready to catch some big air: when you ride Raptor the only thing under your feet is sky

MaXair - A blast of blue sky, then something flashes by, where exactly am I? Before you know it you’re getting swirling views of the park from 140 feet in the air

Giant Wheel with Wicked Twister in the background

Power Tower - It’s 300 feet of steel rising into the sky, and a choice: you can rocket 240 feet up to the top at incredible speed, or you can start at the top and thrust downward faster than a free fall.

WindSeeker - Swing in a chair as it take you 301 feet into the sky with NOTHING below your chair but air!

Blue Streak - Cedar Point’s classic wooden roller coaster, completed in 1964

Top Thrill Dragster - Zero to 120 MPH in less than 4 seconds. A few seconds later, you’re 420 feet in the air.

Simply awesome!

Magnum XL-200 - Accelerating down its incredible first hill, Magnum reaches a top speed of 72 MPH, while rocketing you over multiple hills, 3 tunnels, and a signature “pretzel” turnaround

Camp Snoopy icon

Beagle Bay

Full of cute Snoopy

Gemini - A wild racing roller coaster that broke height and speed records when it was introduced

Maverick - Saddle up and get ready for more twists, turns and airtime than a rodeo. Plus you’ll go through a “twisted horseshoe roll” and 400-foot-long speed launch through a pitch black tunnel.

Maverick with Mean Streak in the background

Mean Streak - The meanest wooden coaster in the park!

Snake River Falls - The ride that lifts you up an 82 foot mountain of water, then, seconds later, you drop.

Millennium Force -  The 310 foot giga-coaster, 93 MPH record-breaking monster of a thrill ride

Sunset in the park by the Sky Ride

Night show - Luminosity: full of lights, pyrotechnics, singing and dancing

USA day 12 - Bypassing Pennsylvania, Entering Ohio and finally back to the Point!

02 Jul - Today marks another landmark in our holiday journey where we will spend most of the time on road, touching three states and finally reaching the Point where we are all looking forward to. We woke up early in the morning to meet our chauffeur for our trip back to Buffalo Airport to pick up our rented car. After all administration is taken care off, we are on our way.

Pit Stop - Pennsylvania Highway Visitor Center

Beautiful day with a lovely vineyard

Pit Stop - Ohio Highway Visitor Center

At last, something familiar - Sandusky Mall

The mall that we will probably never forgets. We spent almost 3 months visiting this place weekly for our grocery shopping.

Yes, we are reaching the Point!!!

Another landmark in Sandusky that we should never miss

Toft's Ice-cream Factory - For their serving of gigantic ice-cream scoops

Target Grocery Mall

Best Buy electronic store

We are finally back to the Point where our journey begins =)

Do you recognize this place? So nostalgic. =) This was where we lived for 3 months - Cedar Point Employee Accommodations.

USA day 11 part 2 - Niagara Falls (Canada) & Fireworks

01 Jul - After visiting the Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks, we spent some time walking around the Canada Niagara streets. The lines of beautifully decorated shops attracting tourists almost remind me of similar shops last seen in Los Angeles Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 

MGM Studios Plaza - Allows you to experience a four dimensional motion theatre rides & movie which features Dino Island II: Escape from Dino Island & Deep Sea

The Great Midway with Ripley's believe it or not in the background

Upside Down House

Niagara Sky Wheel - Soaring 175 feet above Niagara Falls for the most spectacular view you will ever experienced.

Even Frankenstein promotes Burger King!

Ripley's believe it or not Museum

Bridal Falls with Horseshoe Falls in the background - Seen from the Canadian side

Horseshoe Falls

Horseshoe Falls from another angle

Canadian Niagara attraction - View from Portal behind the fall

Journey Behind the Falls

Schematic view of the location of the portal 

Gift Shop - Cute Bears Galore

Horse Carriages

As night falls, it is time for the Canada Day Long Weekend Fireworks!

Having visited both the USA and Canada Niagara attractions, I feel each country has their own strength. USA, on one side offers more exciting close up experience of the fall such as the Cave of the Wind, where you can stand under the fall and feel the might of the Niagara raging down on you. Canada, on the other side, offers a more spectacular view of the Bridal and Horseshoe falls.

 

By the time the fireworks are finished, it was already past 11pm. We dragged our tired body back over to the USA side, preparing to leave Niagara Falls tomorrow first thing in the morning for Cedar Point.