Up to this point, I haven’t written blog previewing any upcoming amusement park trips. This Friday’s planned adventure to Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW), however, deserves one. Add in the fact that it’s calling for an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms, and I’m worried we might not even make it. We are keeping our fingers crossed, though!
Truth be told, I wasn’t even planning on going to BGW in 2020. Well, I was way back before Covid-19, mainly due to Pantheon’s opening. With 2020 being what it was and BGW not even opening until last month at a very limited capacity, I didn’t see it being in the cards. With the 1,000 visitor limit, four hour operation blocks, and a handful of coasters not running, I didn’t think I would be making a 3.5 hour drive down to Williamsburg this year. That was before Sam and Greg got me pumped up, that is.
You see, Chris D. started telling me how he’s booked every Friday at the park for the rest of the season. He has been going to the park with his daughter, Carrie, on a weekly bases. Sam and I already met up with the two of them back in July during a visit to Six Flags America (SFA). So when I told Sam and Greg how things have been for Chis, they wanted to go. I shared with the both of them how Chris has been able to ride some of the rides four or five times each with the 1,000 visitor limit, that’s all they needed to know. It was a done deal at that point for them. That’s when I said to myself, “Why not?”
I booked our tickets and told Chris we’d meet him and Carrie down there on Friday, September 11. I needed to give Sam and Greg time to put in to be off work, but I didn’t want to wait too long, selfishly. Sam is really looking forward to riding Griffon, and Verbolten, and especially Alpengeist. As for Greg, he’s always up for some coasters, especially ones he hasn’t experienced. His only BGW credit is Big Bad Wolf, back when he was a kid. Sam, who also went to BGW as a kid, did so before she was tall enough, or brave enough, to ride any of the coasters.
It’s really not bothering them much at all to miss out on Apollo’s Chariot, and Tempesto during this visit. They have all been closed this entire season. Then there is Loch Ness Monster, which was running for their Coasters and Craft Brews event in August, but is not part of the line up for September’s Taste of Busch Gardens event. Why? Who knows. That’s one Arrow coaster I’d really want Sam to experience. I mean, I’m sure they’d prefer all the coasters to be open, but even without them, they are excited nonetheless!
Just seeing these three wingmen be so pumped for this event, regardless of all the limitations, made me realize sometimes it’s just about having fun and riding some coasters. I guess I was more worried that Sam and Greg feeling like they are missing out. I couldn’t have been anymore wrong. Both pretty much just said that it will give them reason to go back next year when things are hopefully up and running 100 percent. Add in Patheon and yeah, it’s not a bad plan.
Since we booked the 5-9 p.m. shift of Taste of Busch Gardens to meet up with Chis and Carrie, I decided to look into sweetening the drive to the park for Sam, Greg, and myself. Last year, Elaina and I made a stop at Fun Land of Fredericksburg (FLF) to pick up the Twist N Shout SBF Visa Group spinning coaster on our way to BGW. She also found Go-Karts Plus in Williamsburg, but we did not stop for that credit since we were getting to BGW when it opened and staying all day.
On this trip, however, we have time to kill before 5 p.m. Python Pit will become my newest credit, if all goes according to plan. Such a world class credit for yours truly! Hey, it’ll inch me closer to 400 credits, so I’ll take it. I know Greg and Sam will take it too. They aren’t too proud. Not after the three of us, along with Renee, all piled on Woodstock Express at Dorney Park. Chris and Carrie aren’t too proud either, since they joined Sam on Great Chase at SFA. They won’t be joining us for Python Pit, however. They already have the credit.
Well, we have a couple of days here to see if the weather will change. Greg has his hopes set high, reminding all of us that this is what the weather looked like for our August 13 visits to Camelback Mountain Adventures (CMA) and Dorney Park. That is true, so the best we can do right now is to just keep our fingers crossed!
Should we luck out and you find yourself at FLF, Go-Karts Plus, or BGW on Friday…
You can be my wingman anytime! (Top Gun, 1986)
Patrick
