Cyclonic

OK, going to go a bit further afield, this time to Iowa.  Adventureland is a cool little park near Des Moines.  I took a detour and stopped for a visit while traveling to Wyoming last June.  I have been wanting to visit this park for some time so I could ride their funky looping coaster, the Dragon.  I am a sucker for the strange, and sometime painful.  It wasn't too bad, but what a great park.  It was not at all crowded, and had some great rides.  I even took in the circus.
 
They also happen to have a campground next to the park.  There were a lot of retirees in the campground, they work part time at the park and can stay in the campground.  The circus performers were even camped there, practicing their acts after the park closed.
 

 
Not as grand as Main Street USA, but nice none the less.  You even enter the park under the railroad station:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The campground was a short walk away from the park entrance, though they had a shuttle too.
 

Thanks everyone. Apparently it was all for naught as I'm a sucker for being close to the boats. We booked a "Preferred" site (thanks JASON!).

I think it looks great, $70 well spent.

And a show:
 

A few more, dinner time:
 

Here are some newer lobby photos:
 

 

 

 

 

 

Forget the Mickey waffle, we know who the star really is here:


 
They even gave Becky a cupcake for her birthday at breakfast:
 

 
We had dinner here too, but I took no photos of the food.  Enjoyed both.

Don't even care what they send me, I am sticking with my Stitch band from now on!
 

While we were camped at the Fort in January a group (of teens, unfortunately) were camped for the weekend in Fort Wilderness rental tents.  I figured I would take some photos after the group left, but before they were taken down by the maintenance staff.  I don't know anything else about them, but figured it would be good to have some nice, clear photos of what they look like.
 

 

 

 
 

One Gloomy Morning...
 

You can find an animated POV of the coaster here:
http://youtu.be/1gK5MWQ__Ns
The coaster is going to meander it's way down the tower, with some interesting elements, like outward banked turns near the top. There has been a lot of talk about this thing for a while, and this may be the first of several, if it gets off the ground.

Get ready for construction "as far as the eye can see..."
 
Not only the crane and the hat, but the central plaza is boarded up all around, including the Walt and Mickey statue, construction on Main Street, the dinning room in the castle, the central section of AK, and the least noticeable, Maelstrom boarded up.
 

Our little bit of heaven:
 

On the trail:
 

Sunrise on the docks:
 

Making you hungry for some breakfast:
 

I still have a couple more, just a little horsing around: