Monday, June 4, 2007

Day 13: The Return of the Rollercoasters!!!

Day 13 – Return of the Coasters

Odometer Reading – 5938

Alright!!!! After three days of driving across the country, it was time to get back to what this tour is all about: Rollercoasters

We were in St. Louis. It is the home of the St. Louis Rams, Cardinals and a good portion of the Dnomlas clan. It was sky was filled with dark clouds and the pavement was wet from the previous night’s rainstorm. We almost skipped this park due to the weather but we figured we were already here…we can handle a little drizzling rain.

Check the video:




We left the park satisfied and headed south to Sikeston. Sikeston is home to Lambert’s CafĂ© (http://www.throwedrolls.com/). One of the best restaurants I have ever dined at. The portions were huge. The side dishes kept coming. It was almost like family dinner at your Grandma’s house where the food fills the table. They used Travel Mugs as their glasses. This place is tied with the Big Texan for the best restaurant we visited on the Tour.

Check the video:




We made it to Memphis around 7:00 PM that evening. I have a friend from college who lives there I call Moe. She works for a prominent law firm in downtown Memphis and she, along with her folks, were kind enough to open their beautiful home to us, the weary road warriors. We caught up on old times and discussed our BBQ options for the next day.

One other item worth mentioning…Da MF Man met his match in cigarette smoking. Moe matched him round for round while we were in Memphis. Go Figure!!!


Another thing worth mentioning...this was the first park where I have ever seen Marvin the Martian out for everyone to see.


Sunday, June 3, 2007

Day 12 - St. Louis (or St. Boogie)

Day 12 – Play Ball

Odometer Reading – 5639.1

Da MF Man is a baseball fan. He can quote stats about the Chicago White Sox at the drop of a hat. I pay attention to baseball during the World Series and the snippets I catch on ESPN. On this day, we went across town to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.





I had some knowledge about this part of baseball history but I had no idea how about the number of teams, the depth of the stories, and the true significance of the Negro Leagues. It was amazing, inspiring, and downright awesome. I left the museum with a newfound respect for the game. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside the museum so…here are a few shots from outside:





After the museum, we headed towards St. Louis. The drive was relatively quick. We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. Out of all the places we stayed at on this tour, this hotel gave us the best customer service. We got a discount on the room. They called inside of an hour to be certain we had everything we needed. And the continental breakfast….NICE!!!

Tomorrow…Six Flags over St. Louis (More roller coasters!!!)

Day 10 - 11: Mountains, Mountains Everywhere The Eye Can See!!

Day 10 – 11: Six States + Two Guys = Boring!!!

Final odometer reading – 5392.5

When Da MF Man and I decided we were going to take this road trip, we discussed the route we were going to take numerous times. We were excited about the prospect of driving from state to state, riding roller coasters. That got old once we drove from Nevada, through Utah and Wyoming, and ending in Colorado. As the video shows, we finally got a real continental breakfast in Elko, Nevada but by then, I had lost track of the day number when I went through my opening line to start the video:



I should not say that the ride was boring. I did watch two DVD's on my laptop somewhere between Salt Lake City and Cheyenne. I also played a few rounds of The Sims 2 and Pirates Gold, two PC games. Outside of seeing the a few Mormons and the actual Salt Lake of Salt Lake City, there was nothing else to get too excited about. Not a big day for pictures or videos. Once we reached our hotel in Ft. Collins, CO., we were glad to only have one more round of all day driving.

Day 11

We drove through Denver, CO., all of Kansas (The Kansas state troopers have five different versions of their squad cars: Kind of makes it difficult to keep track of which vehicles could be trying to pull us over - Thank Goodness for "Road Dogs), and finally made it to Kansas City, MO. The hotel was fine. We went to a BBQ joint called Grady's. Great BBQ!!! I admit the picture is very dark but...it was a last minute decision to get a picture of the place.


Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Day 9 - Getting The Hell Out of Cali!!!

Day 9 – Knott’s Great America & Elko, NV

Final Odometer Reading – 4003.4

We were at the park at 9:30 am. The theme park layout is the same as Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL so Da MF Man and I knew how to bypass all the touristy, baby rides. Straight to the coasters: The Invertigo, Demon, Top Gun, and the Grizzly. I was feeling nostalgic because I haven’t been to the Six Flags in my hometown since I moved to Atlanta nine years ago. We finished the park in good time (Under two hours as the videon states) and ate at this burger joint called Taxi’s.



The plan was to continue north on the 101 into San Francisco, go across the Golden Gate bridge, then head to Elko, Nevada. Why Elko? Because it was four hours away from Reno, Nevada and I knew we would be tired by then. What we did not know was how long it would ultimately take us to get out of the state of California.

I’m from Chicago. I live in Atlanta. I know what traffic is. Northern California has their own version of traffic that is downright maddening. We would get stuck in congestion for about a half an hour then speed up for 15 minutes only to repeat the cycle. Having to cut through the city to get to the bridge only made it worse. MF Man did get great pictures of the bridge with the fog, clouds, and the like. I was happy just to get some sort of forward progress. What should have only taken us seven hours stretched to nine before we reached the hotel. California, a nice place to visit, but I am done with that state for a while.

After gassing the Smokin’ Monkey Mobile, and watching the cops rustle the homeless guys at the gas station in Reno, we headed towards Elko. Driving at night is not one of my favorite things. Driving at night in the mountains where the sides of the roads are really the edges of the cliffs raised my anxiety levels. I do not like edges. Never had…Never will. We did see make it to the Best Western safe and sound. Now, we only have a day and a half of mountain driving to go.

Why didn’t we fly again?!?

Friday, May 25, 2007

Day 8: The Long Road to Santa Clara

Day 8 – Heading to the Santa Clara, CA

Odometer reading –

Today is our casual day. Since we have been pushing ourselves across the country, Da MF Man decided to take it a little easy and take a scenic route to the San Francisco area. For us that means taking a drive up the Sunset Strip (Sunset Blvd) in Los Angeles, then head north on the 101 until we reach our destination. Since we are driving up the coast, we would have an opportunity to “dip our toes” in the Pacific Ocean. So with our bellies full with breakfast, we hit the Strip.



California is a land filled with gorgeous homes, expensive cars, and beautiful people. The weather was perfect and for a moment, I almost wanted to extend our time here. That moment passed when we hit traffic. From Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Lompoc to San Luis Obispo, we were snarled in traffic every 30 minutes. I know Da MF Man was getting ticked because he would clutch the steering wheel that much tighter once we cleared a “bottleneck” area. We did take a moment to dip our toes just outside of Ventura. There was a group of surfers riding the waves, enjoying themselves. As the video shows, it was a little too cold for swimming as far as I was concerned but these folks seem to know what they are doing.



Our “Scenic Route” finally ended when we reached Santa Clara. It took us just under nine hours to get here. We did stop to “smell the roses,” got stuck in a number of traffic jams, and one trip to Target (I ran out of contact lens solution). We’re a couple miles away from the park at a Ramada Inn. No continental breakfast but free wireless internet so we’re happy.

Tomorrow…Great America!
Then…Golden Gate Bridge
Then…Heading East for who know where!?!

Later!!!!

Day 7: On Top of Magic Mountain

Day 7 – Six Flags Magic Mountain

Odometer Reading – 3008

Unlike some people leaving Las Vegas, Da MF Man and I left town with our wallets intact, refreshed and we didn’t pawn the rental car. We were off to Six Flags Magic Mountain, the largest of all the Six Flags parks. Da MF Man has been talking about this place for the past 3-4 years.

We got to the park around Noon local time and worked out our plan. Note our excitement:



We only had six hours before the park closed and there were so many coasters to ride (10 roller coasters to ride). We rode them all inside of four and a half hours (You can’t touch the professionals).



Time to check-in to the Best Western, gas up the Smokin’ Monkey Mobile and get some dinner. Tonight – We dine at Denny’s!!! My favorite thing about Denny’s is you can get pancakes at any time of the day…and if you know me, you know I enjoy a good stack of pancakes. Another reason my belly is so big but that’s another topic for another blog. The pancakes were great. The service was fantastic. The only thing left was to relax at the hotel hot tub.

Tonight on Celebrity Hot Tub

You know you are getting old when riding roller coasters causes aches and pains in your lower back, legs, and feet. We were blessed to find a hotel with a working hot tub. The heat from the water worked out the kinks in our bones and relaxed our minds. We had reached the halfway point of our journey and were amazed by what we had accomplished in the past week. All of those parks…all of those coasters…This is truly a vacation to top many of the vacations I have taken in the past.



Today’s guests on Celebrity Hot Tub…

We did have a few visitors while in the tub. A San Diego mother, her 17 year old daughter and their two friends from Minnesota joined us. Waitaminit….I know what you’re thinking…Get your mind out of the gutter!!! This was a group of adults just talking about whatever come to mind, enjoying the soothing jets of the hot tub. Two other guys did stop by the tub but they didn’t stay long. I think they realized that there were not going to get any type of action from the ladies so they went to their rooms.

Let me say this…a little vodka, cranberry juice, and soda will have anyone telling their life stories to any Tom, Dick and Harry that will listen. Da MF Man and I are great listeners, especially when we’re sober. After three hours in the tub, not only do I know their names, jobs, how much they are paying on their mortgages, when their spouses/parents passed away, which ones were in abusive homes as a child, that the daughter had a few raging parties at her home while her mom was away, and so much more…It was like an primetime episode of Oprah, Jenny Jones, and Dr. Phil all at once. We almost had a “Jerry Springer” moment but the two friends did not get to swinging when they had their argument. Don’t know how much they remembered of the past night but they did say hello when we saw them at Denny’s for breakfast.

All in all, Magic Mountain was great. We’re on the West Coast and things are going smoothly. Tomorrow, we take the scenic route north to the San Francisco area. Knott’s Great America has a few coasters with our names on them.

Later!!!

Day 5 & 6: Vegas, Baby! Vegas!!!

Day 5 & 6 – On The Road to Vegas

Odometer reading - 2438 (Grand Canyon National Park)
Final reading of the day – 2703 (Las Vegas)

The day started a little early for us. Emily had to get ready for school and Susan was kind enough to make breakfast. Days Inn has nothing on Susan when it comes to Scrambled Eggs & Ham. We gave our good-bye hugs and farewell sayings and headed west on I-40. As the video will show, nothing but desert to keep us company. I don’t know how Da MF Man would have made this trip solo as he originally planned. I can see him barreling down the highway, a cigarette in his hand, crushed cans of Jolt cola littering the floor. Something straight out of a scene from “The Road Warrior.”



We made it to Arizona in record time…and yes…more desert!

We did make a detour once we passed Flagstaff. Since we were so close, we decided to go the Grand Canyon National Park. The Grand Canyon has been on my list of “Things to Do Before I Die…” since 1990. That movie with Kevin Kline and Danny Glover inspired me. So after paying the entrance fee ($25.00 – It does cost a little scratch to see the largest hole in the ground), finding a place to park, and hiking 4/10 of a mile, I was able to see one of the most awesome sights to behold. Check the video:



That’s another thing this trip is all about. Being semi-spontaneous!!! Being able to just get up and go across the country, rolling with whatever comes our way, a person can truly feel free.

After the boredom that the desert offered, we reached the Hoover Dam. I don’t believe that I’m a typical tourist. I don’t take a lot of pictures while I’m on vacation. I don’t race to historical landmarks nor do I like to stand in line to visit celebrity homes. I was content to just drive right through Hoover Dam but Da MF Man had a different idea in mind:



Finally…we made it to Vegas. We stayed at the Excalibur Hotel at the south end of the strip and what they say is true: Vegas never sleeps and neither will you if you go all out. Now…I can’t tell you everything that happened to us down there. You know the saying: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!” I will say this though…In the first five minutes of our arrival, we were invited to the Excalibur VIP Services room for an upgrade to our room; The Strip is hella long if you are fool enough to walk one end to the other (Yes…we did); The happy people in the Vegas commercials are not the ones gambling their rent checks at the slot machines; The monorail is the best invention Vegas has to offer (There was no way we were going to walk back to the Excalibur); Louie Anderson is really that big; and the kicker – if you do not intend to gamble when you are in Vegas, What the hell are you there for?!?

I was going to provide a video montage of our adventure in Vegas but I think this one sums it up:



Elvis is in the building!!!

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Day 4 - Albuquerque, NM

Day 4 – Albuquerque, NM

Odometer Reading – 2011

Family Day with The Andersons

After a hearty breakfast at the Big Texan, we packed our gear and headed west for New Mexico. Here's a few photos of the place:

The Big Texan



Dnomlas & The Great Cow


The weather was fair, a little windy but the time just flew by. We reached Albuquerque in four hours and were greeted by my aunt, Susan. Susan is one of the coolest people I know and she graciously welcomed us into her home with open arms. Her daughter, Emily, is my second youngest cousin on my mother’s side. She recently got her driver’s license and I could not get over the fact that she was no longer the little girl I use to play with oh so long ago. She’s a full-fledged teenager with all the fun, drama, and angst that come with job. It felt good to be there, watch them interact, and I even got to see Susan’s grand-daughter, Joey. She is absolutely adorable. It took her a minute to warm up to me but…before the night was over, we were playing the “Peek-a-Boo” game and everything.


After an embarrassing round of X-Box Dance Revolution, booking our hotels for Vegas and L.A., and watching some crazy video on Emily’s MySpace page, I called it a night. Albuquerque is a great place and Susan and Emily were fantastic hosts.

Thanks again, Susan & Em!!! We had a great time and appreciated the hospitality.


Next post – Vegas, Baby!!!

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Day 3 - Six Flags Over Texas

Day 3 – Arlington, TX (Between Dallas & Ft. Worth)

Odometer Reading – 1376.6 (To the park)

Theme Park – Six Flags Over Texas

I woke up this morning with a smile on my face. No, I didn’t have that dream with Salma Hayek, Thandie Newton and a hot tub filled with warm Jell-O again. I was smiling because I knew that we were going to begin Day Three of the Smokin’ Monkey Coaster Tour. The Heritage Inn served its purpose last night and they provided Krispy Kreme donuts with their continental breakfast. The Orange Juice did taste like 1970’s Tang but Whatchugonnado?!?!

We got to the park at 9:30 AM. The parking lot was relatively empty. The roller coasters sparkled in the sunlight. Check this video for a summary of the day’s event:



That’s what I’m talking about!!! In and out in record time. No long lines, No crowds, everyone has the same goal: Having a good time at the park. The video shows the grades Da MF Man and I gave the rides but I’m giving an additional 500 bonus points due to all the park characters that were out for pictures. Even though it was early in the day, it was still over 75 degrees. The kids stuck in those costumes should get hazard pay due to heat exhaustion. Check out the pictures:


Yes…Even I decided to get out from behind the camera for one pose myself. I wasn’t a fan of Scooby-Doo when I was a child. Something about talking dogs and Shaggy eating dog biscuits (Scooby Snax) just didn’t sit right with me back then. But, I never saw them at a park before so…here’s your photo:



After refueling the Smokin’ Monkey-Mobile at the Quik Trip and grabbing a burger (no fries) from the Sonic Drive-Thru, we headed northwest for Amarillo, TX. We have reservations (Yes, reservations this time) at the Big Texan restaurant and motel. The Big Texan is famous for its 72 oz steak dinner that is free if you can eat the entire meal inside of an hour. If not, it costs $72.00. Neither one of us are going to attempt that feat. I was having problems with the last burrito I got a Moe’s the other day. The last time I was area was around 25 years ago when my family drove to Albuquerque, NM to visit my uncles Edwin, Don, and Clifford. Now as an adult, I return to this part of the country.

Overall, it was a much better day for roller coasters. Two parks down, too many more to go.

That's enough for now. Catch us on the next episode of Tales From The Smokin' Monkey Coaster Tour...
Same Smokin’ Monkey Time.
Same Smokin’ Monkey Channel.

Day 2 - San Antonio, TX

Day 2 – San Antonio, TX

Mileage – 1072

Theme Park: Six Flags Fiesta Texas

The day started far too early: 6:30 AM. Unfortunately, we had to get up that early to accomplish the goals of the day. The nightlife of Galveston left a lot to be desired so as far as we were concerned, everything was going to be great. We grabbed a little nourishment from the hotel lobby, checked out of the hotel, and headed for the Gulf of Mexico

Side note: Apparently, my definition of “Continental Breakfast” and what these hotels want to provide are two different things. I know not to expect waffles, pancakes, and eggs benedict but…you can’t call it breakfast if you only put out Orange Juice, Coffee, a toaster for the English muffins (no jelly), three muffins, and two mini Danish pastries. That’s breakfast at my house when I forget to go to Publix. End Side note

This video explains why I wanted to go to the Gulf.



Time for a three-hour ride to San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas – Woo Man!!!

We stopped for some real breakfast at the Sonic Drive-Thru. Da MF Man likes their tater tots. They make a good Strawberry Smoothie also. We also made a detour by the Alamo in San Antonio. Da MF man wanted to re-enact a scene made famous by Ozzy Osbourne where Ozzy made a “liquid deposit” on the walls of the Alamo. Don’t worry, friends. He just took pictures. By the time we made it to the park, it was 1:00 PM and the place was packed.

Fiesta Texas has six roller coasters (Poltergeist, Tony Hawk’s Big Spin, Superman Krypton Coaster, Rattler, and The Boomerang). Since we got there so later, every coaster was averaging 50-65 minutes before we could ride. But you get the condensed version with this video medley.



After 5+ hours of long lines, heat, and watching people find creative ways to get to the front of the queue line, it was time to head north to Dallas, TX (about four hours away). Yes….this was a day of driving. We stopped at Bill Miller Bar-B-Q for some grub and the local Wal-Mart to buy some batteries and help the local economy.

Around midnight, the Smokin’ Monkey-Mobile got us to Arlington, TX. Now…it’s time for a new game, “Which hotel has a vacancy?!?” No, we did not make reservations for this part of the trip. We thought we could roll up and find a spot. Holiday Inn Express – Booked; Comfort Inn – No vacancy; Heritage Inn – We have a winner!!! The beds were clean but we were not able to watch the Sopranos. The TV had a problem picking up certain channels.

All in all, the day was good. This leg of the trip was more about driving then anything else. We both got to visit places that had a bit of nostalgia with us. The coasters were great when we got on them. Not a bad start to the roller coaster portion of the Smokin’ Monkey Coaster Tour.

On the next episode of Tales of the Smokin Monkey….

Day Three – Six Flags Over Texas

Now we show you how it’s done!!!

Friday, May 18, 2007

Day 1 - Galveston, TX

Miles traveled – 825

We survived the first leg of the Smokin’ Monkey Coaster Tour and we will rest in Galveston, TX. The Monkey-Mobile only needed two stops for gas and with an average mpg of 30.4, we are very pleased with our vehicle selection. That doesn’t mean that the price for gas has not caused screams of pain from my wallet. As you can see, gas prices are no better here in the Lone Star State. Got to get those profits from that oil!!!

I did not realize how many bridges one would have to cross in this part of the country. It seemed like every 30 minutes some bridge was crossing some river with a name that could not be pronounced.

Here's my first attempt of chronicling this trip with video. Don't really know what city we were in at the time but...at least I got to stretch:



You have to remember. We are on vacation. A time to step outside our comfort zone, take a few risks and unleash the mischievous alter ego that resides in all of us. Our alter ego is known as “Ivan.” We’ll tell his story in another post. We can't take ourselves to seriously and this and other videos will capture that - I hope.

We ended the night with dinner at Chico’s Paradise – A Mexican bar & grill. The drinks were strong yet needed just a bit more flavor. The food – I doubt I’ll eat anything before Noon tomorrow. Galveston may be a happening island but things were dead for us. Don't know if we have to visit during Spring Break season but the streets were empty.

Tomorrow, we head to San Antonio and the Six Flags Fiesta theme park. Right after I dip my toes in the Gulf of Mexico!!!

That's enough for now. Later!!!

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

...It all started here!!!

Day 1 - Mt. Olympus

Miles - 0000

...It always starts with a drink!!!

So...

If you're reading this, either you got an email from me saying we were on the road or you clicked on the "Next Blog" link on someone else's blog and found your way here.

Welcome to the "Smokin' Monkey Coaster Tour" blog. It's 6:54 am EST and Da MF Man and I are packing the "Smokin' Monkey-Mobile," getting ready to hit the road. We're heading southwest towards Galveston, TX and it should take about twelve hours (even with my driving). I've been looking forward to this trip for the last month and it's finally here.


I intend to post pictures, videos, and random thoughts on this blog to memoralize this event. It's our way to stay in touch with you, share our adventure, and if we're lucky, it will also be the supporting documentation that we will submit to the Travel Channel & Maxim magazine for a chance at our "15 minutes of Fame"

If you have any suggestions of what we should see, do, or if you want us to get you a souvenir: Leave a comment or send an email. Each hotel/home/rest stop we're staying at should have internet access. Technology - the things you can do now. Back in my youth, it was a road map, a stack of comics in the back seat, and the hope that my folks will stop at the next McDonald's.


Last thing...each post will begin with the day, town, and miles traveled. National, the car rental agency, may have wanted to ask a few more questions about our destination before they handed us the keys. Unlimited mileage - we'll truly find out what that means.
Later!!!!