My latest coaster trip out west was a definite success. Besides seeing some outstanding pieces of roadside American located in LA, I also had a great time visiting Knotts for about a half a day. The park was totally dead with all rides being walk-ons and half-empty trains the norm for all the coasters. With park closing at 5:30 in preparation for the Haunt, I guess people were simply not willing to pay full price for what amounted to half a day. With our
The trip to Knotts had a three fold purpose. First, I wanted to ride the all new Pony Express to add to the credits. Secondly, I hoped to spend some time on Ghostrider, one of my Top 20 rides out of over 300. Thirdly, I had been staring at the 9 as far as laps go on Xcelerator and was ready to hit double digits on it. Well, two out of three is not bad since Pony Express was running, Ghostrider was virtually empty but Xcelerator was down for maintenance. One of the workers said it would be 2-3 weeks before it would be running again. However, 8 rides on Ghostrider, including one where I was the only rider on the entire train, made up for the lack of Xcelerator. As far as Pony Express goes, it is a family oriented ride. The launch from 0-38 mph was very weak in terms of an adult coaster. However, I was very pleased with the ride because it continued the Knotts trend of building rides that all members of the family can enjoy. It is a unique coaster and I can just see younger kids jumping of the ride and getting straight back in line.
I love to see that excitement and kudos to Knotts for focusing on the younger generation.
In addition to this ride, I got in 8 laps on Ghostrider and 1 on Silver Bullet giving me 20 total rides for the day. Adding in the great lunch we had in Mrs. Knotts kitchen, our time spent here was wonderful. Knotts is one of the few parks I can visit and simply enjoy the ambience of the place without worrying about running around riding coasters. The park itself ranks easily in top 5 with a solid trio of coasters, the best woodie in California despite the complaints of many enthusiasts, and a good overall atmosphere. Pony Express grades out as a 6 which is above average for a family oriented ride.
Take a ride on it below.
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