Rock n Roller 17: Knotts Berry Farm

We kicked off the 2017 Rock n Roller coaster tour after a red-eye flight down to Los Angeles from Alaska. It seems that every affordable flight from Alaska to the Lower 48 or what we call “outside” to those who don’t live here. We scored an amazing deal on Kayak.com and found a one-way ticket for just 29 bucks. How is that even possible? All those airline junk fees and taxes should be more than that right?

Exhausted we grabbed our rental car, a Hyundai Veloster and hit the road for the hour long trip south to Knott’s Berry Farm. Michele snoozed as I swerved in and out of the fast LA traffic like a boss. We arrived early and grabbed a quick breakfast at IHOP.

The gates to Knott’s opened at 10 and we were one of the first ones through. It was going to be a hot day and with lots of people. Knott’s is the park that Michele has her earliest memories of. She grew up in California and her family used to make an annual trip down to this park each summer.

We made our way to the back of the park. This is a little tip I learned at the last coaster conference I attened. I know, I am a coaster nerd… We jumped in line for the first coaster of the day, Silver Bullet and then over to Sierra Sidewinder and then over to my favorite coaster in the park, GhostRider.

The crowds were in full force by this time and we waited for a long time to ride this woodie. It did not disappoint! It was fast with plenty of air time and a ridiculous 108 foot drop and a 450 degree downward helix.

We then headed over to the Pony Express which is the first time we have ridden a coaster like this. You are sitting on a horse, of course, and the restraints hold you in from the front and the back. Its a quick out and back ride but fun.

Next up was the tried and true Wild Mouse inspired, Coast Rider before we headed into a ultra cheesy but air conditioned Voyage to the Iron Reef. We grabbed a quick lunch and snack before waiting for more than an hour and a half for the log flume. It was worth it. Michele loves these rides and it is nice to get a little soaked in the hot California sun. We headed across the lot to a cool ride, Timberline Twister. It had a cheesy story but for a coaster it was unique.

One coaster that we should have skipped was Jaguar. even though it had an ultra-cool layout that took the track around a large section of the park, the wait was absolutely awful! It was so crowded and hot (and smelly) it was not worth the wait at all. It was what Michele calls a concision ride, an old coaster that smacks you around and the restraints give you a headache but it was coaster credit none-the-less.

We left by 4 and headed north to the famous Santa Monica Pier for a nightcap!

Up Next: Santa Monica Pier

Coasters to date on the tour: 6

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