Category Archive

Until June 30, you can visit 14 French national museums and historic sites without needing to pay anything. Normally most national museums offer one free open-house day a month, but this six-month try out guarantees free entrance to some of the best museums in the country.

In Paris, the museums include the Musée Cluny, the Musée Guimet, Arts et Métiers, the renaissance museum at Ecouen, the national archeology museum of St. Germain-en-Laye, and the Bourget museum of Air and Space. Also, the Pompidou Center offers free entrance for 18-25-year-olds to its contemporary art shows Wednesday evenings, the Orsay is free on Thursday evenings, and the Louvre doesn’t charge on Friday evenings.

Yesterday I was contacted with not so good news. It turned out that the Martinique contest, Vote and Win a Hotel Stay on Martinique, I was asked to join in December only allow entries from bloggers who are U.S. residents. I wish I was informed about that before telling my friends to vote. No problem though. And thanks to everyone who voted for my story! I appreciate it and hope one of you wins the stay at Sofitel Bakoua. Perhaps I will get the opportunity to travel to the West Indies another time. 

I copied my entry below if you’re interested in reading about a fun day at the best amusement park in the U.S. For more info on Cedar Point, check out Favourite Amusement Parks: Liseberg + Cedar Point.

Millenium Force © Peter Hamza

A Thrilling Mini-holiday at Cedar Point 

We fasten our seat belts, take a few deep breaths and stare up towards the red and blue tracks leading to an eighty degree descent. Millennium Force was ranked number one roller coaster in the world during eight years, now it’s our turn to experience the 300 feet vertical drop, the 122-degree overbanked turns and pass through the dark tunnels in this “giga-coaster”. We sit quietly, waiting for the train to pull out of the station. Strangely enough I’m not nervous, only filled with an intense anticipation. 

Our mini-holiday began at The Fowler Center where we worked as Camp Counselors during the summer. After a few hours drive through a rainy Michigan, we crossed the state border into Ohio. Sleeping in tents outside as we had planned was out of the question in that horrible weather. Fortunately we caught side of a Holiday Inn outside Toledo, shared a double room and split the cost in three. A few hours rest and a tasty breakfast buffet later, we were ready to leave. Since it was my birthday my friends surprised me with a delicious chocolate cake and the waitressing staff came to our table singing Happy Birthday. I doubt I could have gotten a better start to the day.  

We reached Cedar Point before noon. The amusement park which is often referred to as the most amazing park on earth is located on a peninsula in Lake Erie, between Cleveland and Toledo, in Sandusky. At the parking lot, we listened to all the screams coming from inside the park. Passing through the entrance, we could smell French fries and funnel cakes and hear the roar of Raptor as it flew by above us. Raptor has a perfect location next to the entrance and we couldn’t resist joining the line to this inverted roller coaster. Sitting in ski-lift style seats with lap belts and shoulder harnesses, our legs dangled free during the ride and we went upside down six times. When Raptor stopped, we ran straight to the line for a second ride.  

I’m a real thrill-seeker and a day at Cedar Point can’t be anything else than fun. If you ask the millions of coaster enthusiasts who come here each year, I bet they will agree. It’s understandable because Cedar Point with its 17 roller coasters and various thrill-rides brings out the kid in us all, creating a carefree, and so-happy-you-want-to-jump feeling. We rushed from one attraction to another - Raptor, Mean Streak, Blue Streak, Magnum, Gemini, Wicked Twister, Power Tower - and absorbed the sounds, smells, and the cheerful atmosphere. While we waited in line to one carousel, a boy dropped his shoe from the top of the ride. It landed one inch from where I stood - almost as startling as the 10-story building tall freefall from Demon Drop.              

When I feel the train pulling out of the station, my mind returns to the present. I get a big silly smile on my face as we move upward. At the top of the ride’s first hill, I look out over Lake Erie and the beach far below. The moment lasts a few seconds; I wish we could stay here an hour, just to admire the incredible view.

I turn backwards and see all first timers - they grasp firmly to their lap bars, avoid looking down. The roller coaster veterans already have their arms in the air. We pretend that we belong to them and when the train plunges toward the ground, we raise our arms.

I would gladly pay $41.95 for another day at America’s roller coast, Cedar Point.

Spinrock at Liseberg Amusement Park

Liseberg Amusement Park in Gothenburg, Sweden, is the biggest amusement park in Scandinavia. Since they year I was 2 I have probably been there about 14 times, or even more. We always begin at the Liseberg Tower offering an amazing view over Gothenburg and end with the House of Mirrors, a maze full of different mirrors which make you taller, shorter, thinner, fatter… I can guarantee you will laugh!

One of my favorite rides is Balder; they call it the biggest wooden coaster in the world, not for people afraid of heights because the first drop is 70 degrees. Another funny ride is Spinrock, the carousel opposite Balder, where you almost ride upside down. Don’t miss the roller coaster Lisebergbanan or the water rides Flumeride and Kållerado. My favourite carousel has always been The Jukebox where you ride in gaudy coloured cars moving and down and round whilst listening to music from the 50s. The new attraction for 2007 is Uppswinget (The Screamin’ Swing). I haven’t tried it yet, but apparently it is the scariest ride in the park.   

To make the most out of Liseberg, stay until they close - often at 11pm. Evenings are better because most people have gone home and the queues are shorter. We always buy the 1-day ride pass for 280 SEK or a 1-day ride pass for 315 SEK including a ticket to the Gasten Ghost Hotel. You can also buy a large ticket book for 225 SEK including 18 ride coupons and 3 wheel-of-fortune tickets, but you will probably gain on buying a 1-day pass with unlimited rides.

The best amusement park outside Europe is, in my opinion, Cedar Point in Ohio. Cedar Point is located on a peninsula in Lake Erie, between Cleveland and Toledo, in Sandusky. We travelled by car from Michigan, arrived around 11am and went to the roller coaster Raptor, near the entrance, at once. After 45-minutes waiting we sat in a ski-lift style seat with lap belts and shoulder harnesses, our legs dangled free during the ride and we went upside down six times.

The best ride at Cedar Point is Millennium Force, one of the fastest and tallest roller coasters in the world, with an 80 degrees descent. We saved this ride till the end because of the extremely long queue during the day. If they weren’t about to close the park we would definitely have gone a second time.

Don’t forget to see the beach before you leave Cedar Point. The two beach entrances are located by Hotel Breakers south of Soak City (the water park).

We paid $41.95 per person for a Cedar Point Funday. Children aged two and under can enter Cedar Point and Soak City free.