lake compounce: 2012

Buffalo Bill's Trip Report and Desperado Update (Also the 1st Coaster Ridden in 2009)

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While most parks are still closed for the winter, there are a few parks in California and Florida that are open year around. Buffalo Bill's Resort and Casino on the California/Nevada border is one of those year around parks that I normally visit on trips to Las Vegas. Using a coupon from the Vegas Entertainment Book, it is possible to ride twice for $7.00 which is about as a deal as one is going to get in the land of eternal sunshine. Julia and myself took a trip out to the resort on January 2nd and had a great time. One of the restaurants inside the resort was running a special on T-Bones for under 8 bucks so we a good meal plus a couple of coaster rides each.

At Buffalo Bills, there are a number of attractions including a log flume (pretty good by itself but better when the laser guns are working.....they were down for repair this last trip), and S and S Supershot launch tower which offers a great view of the surroundings, a Frog Hopper for the kiddies, and c couple of 3D attractions which I normally avoid like the plague due to headaches. The main attraction however is one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters on the planet: The Desperado.

I have reviewed the coaster previously on this site so feel free to scroll down to read it. It is a very fast and intense ride offering different rides based on seat location and how many people are in the train. The main positive is the outstanding view offered of the surrounding desert including the Vegas lights at night and the long line of cars on the freeway. The coaster is simply not placed in an area anyone would think a coaster would be in which makes a fun ride.

At Buffalo Bills, they offer a number of pricing options which can be found on the official website. Wristbands or single ride purchases are possible with discounts for younger children. One warning however. The casino is open 24/7 but the rides have strange hours. Be sure to call before you visit to make sure they are operational. Also, Desperado and the Launch Tower are quickly closed of inclement weather including high winds arise.

In summary, we had another fun trip out to ride one of my special coasters. Too bad I missed the snow (yep snow) on the ground the previous week.

# 2 - The World's Most Famous Roller Coaster

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The Coney Island Cyclone is not simply a roller coaster. It is an American Icon and a total experience that no enthusiast (or common rider for that matter) should ever miss.

Without a doubt, it is one of the most famous coasters of all time located in one of the greatest cities in the world. The experience is like no other ride in the world today. Despite being among the most cloned coasters of all time, the original is still unique and ranked way above the others. You can read my very lengthy and detailed review as one of the first posts on this site. If you want a better account of this ride, I recommend that you go there. However, for the purpose of this post, keep in mind that my solitary ride back on July 3rd of 2008 was one of my best total experiences (not just at theme parks) ever.

I will never forget it.

I'm Slacking Again

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I just can't seem to keep up here. So let me try to give you a quick update of things happening with The Barnes Bunch.

Natalie
Natalie is in the 8th grade now. It has been a bumpy start to the year with her being placed in the wrong classes. I'm still working on getting that all straightened out, hopefully within the coming weeks. But for the most part she's doing well aside from being bored in these unchallenging classes.

Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn started 5th grade this year and so far it has been relatively smooth. She is taking on a lot of responsibility in the school helping out with a lot of the younger grades. She has applied and just interviewed for the school's safety patrol. We don't know yet if she got it, but even if not she'll still continue to help out with getting the younger kids to their class. Which of course includes CJ.

Here teacher has been out for a few weeks and that has been tough on her. She's not crazy about her substitute and I was really hoping to get to talk to him more about what to do for Kaitlyn and middle school next year at conferences, but he won't be there. So I'll have to wait until he comes back to talk to him.

CJ
CJ is in Kindergarten and it has been a tough transition for him. He is one of the youngest in his class though so it's understandable. He was not completing work at school and having to do a lot of extra work at home, but now he's coming home with less incomplete work. His teacher has been great and super receptive about things. We have already discussed CJ a few times and what we can do to help him at home and in school. She has someone who comes into the class and she lets her work one on one with CJ and she has been sending home lots of great resources which we have been working on here at home. Still, teaching him to write the letters of the alphabet has been hard, but in just a few weeks I have been seeing a lot of growth in him already so I think he's settling in and getting used to his 3rd new school in 3 years.

Alyssa
Alyssa is 20 months old now. We went to her 18 month check up a couple of weeks ago. She's still a peanut weighing in at 19 pounds 11 ounces. So close to being 20 pounds. The doctor is a little concerned and wants us back for a weight check. She looked at her and said she doesn't look frail though. So I think she's just going to be a peanut of a thing. But she gets all the good fattening stuff added to her food in the meantime to try to fatten her up. Seriously, this kid is a bottomless pit I don't know how she's not gaining more.

Developmentally she's not doing too bad. There's still really no words from her. And the words she does say usually leave out consonant sounds. She is still getting speech therapy. That's going okay. I think she'll just start talking one day. She completely understands everything that is said to her and she is starting to identify her body parts.

The Barnes Bunch As A Whole
So now here's what we have been up to as a family. There has been apple picking, fairs, and The Big E. Here are some pictures from those adventures.