Buglovers Coaster Cruise 2007

So far this was the biggest and most spectacular trip ever put together by Buglovers. Only eight of us went but we had enough fun for 16. The trip started out with a planned departure for early Monday morning with all supplies being staged by Saturday night. When one of our members, who couldn't leave until Monday morning, dropped out we realized we could leave by Sunday night. Well that turned into Sun morning instead.
	Our first stop was for three nights camping at Stone Mountain Georgia. This was a great stop. The hike up to the mountain summit was interesting and the view from the top was great. There are a lot of interesting shops and shows in the park and the fireworks/laser show was definitely worth seeing. It would be a great place to spend more time then we did but alas we had places to go and people to see.
On the way to our next destination we stopped to enjoy the hiking trails around Rock City Georgia. The fact that it rained on and off during most of our hiking did little if anything to dampen our spirits. The views and rock formations were nothing less than amazing. After this detour we drove towards Cincinnati and one of our big goals for this trip. To avoid setting up tents for a single night, this was our first hotel stop of the trip.
	After a continental breakfast we made our way to King's Island in Cincinnati Ohio. Probably the second biggest coaster park in the US if not the world. After hitting a couple of rides we ended up spending most of the day dodging rain drops by visiting indoor attractions and shops. The rain eventually let up, by which time so many people had left that the lines were short and we got to ride all the coasters we wanted. With 14 coaster and a number of thrill rides we had our work cut out for us.
Finishing up late at King's Island we stayed a second night in a hotel. The morning was a slow start. We took advantage of facilities and took care of a few loads of laundry. We really got some strange looks when we were spotted setting up tents in the parking lot. Afterwards we had our traditional meal in a local Waffle House. Our driver needed to get his waffle fix or the trip would come to an abrupt end (LOL).
	Our next stop was Sandusky Ohio. The Bayshore Estates Campground was perfect for our needs. It was only a couple of minutes from Cedar Point and a short drive from the downtown historical water district where we spent a day wondering around and taking pictures. The one feature I missed out on was the Buffalo burgers served at a small downtown restaurant. Oh well, maybe next time.
During our stay in Sandusky we spent one day in Cedar Point, one of the the main Goals behind this trip. With 17 roller coasters it's easy to see why this park was designated "The Roller Coaster Capital of the World". Let me tell you, there was a couple of rides that even I was a little nervous getting on. But even an hour and half wait for a 17 second ride was worth the wait. Accelerating from zero to 120 miles per hour in about 4 seconds was the ride of a lifetime.
	Leaving Sandusky we started our trip back towards Florida, thus time taking I-77 through West Virginia and Virginia. this is definitely a route to be enjoyed by driving during daylight hours. The mountains were spectacular. As we neared our primary stopover on the trip home, it once again started to rain so we stopped a little early and spent the night in a hotel. I hate setting up camp at night and especially while it is raining. Beside we would have missed some great views if we had driven the next section of road after dark.
We then spend two nights in Stone Mountain State Park in North Carolina. This was a great camp ground. The park has several hiking trails that are worth doing. We only hiked the main loop trail, which lead to a water fall worth seeing. It was a beautiful hike. In this park we saw a variety of animals from deer to wild turkeys. The RV sites are standard but the tent sits are somewhat secluded and spread out. Once again we got our share of rain but that didn't even slow us down. No wet whiners on this trip.
	The last big event was a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway on the way home. Leave plenty of time if you decide to drive this road. There are numerous scenic stops along the way. and trust me you are going to want to stop. There are also a number of hiking trails that branch off the main road and some views along these trail just can't be experienced from the road. We used 2 days to travel a mere 100 miles of this road and could have used more time. The hikes we did, were worth the time and the hikes we missed may have been better. One day I will plan a trip to do nothing but travel the entire 450 miles of this road.

Alas, All good things must come to an end. As soon as we crossed the border between South Georgia and North Florida the humidity and heat set in. I would really like to do this whole trip all over again but it is going to have to wait. Everyone was so pleased with this trip I have been given instructions to start planning "Buglovers Canyon Cruise 2009". So I guess it's back to the map software for me. At least I have 2 years to get ready......