Back to the Point

You know, I'm not a huge fan of long bus rides, I'm not a huge fan of roller coasters, and I'm definitely not a huge fan of Ohio, but somehow these annual Cedar Point trips are among my favorite things we do in the 8th grade at my school.

This was my third year chaperoning three hundred-some teenagers down there, and - like in 2017 and 2018 - it was a hell of a lot of fun.  Got some serious sun, walked about 20,000 or more steps per day, and got paid to not be stuck in a classroom.  No complaints here.

I didn't tackle the Gatekeeper this year (the park's third-lamest roller coaster), but I did ride the Mine Ride (the lamest) and the Iron Dragon (the second-lamest,) much to the amusement of my students.  Maybe next year I'll man up and ride the 'Keeper. . .  if only to keep pace with all the little 9-year-old girls who were doing so.

I hate roller coasters.

Anyway, here's a slideshow of random stuff from my two days at Cedar Point this year.  Enjoy. . .

Ohio - like much of the interior of the Midwest - has seen a crap-load of rain and flooding in recent weeks.  Here our bus driver says 'f*** it' and decides to ford the river.  Something that Oregon Trail has shown us is a perilous endeavor indeed.

Fording the stream. . .

Four hours after leaving our school, we're finally ready to hit the rides (or, in my case, sit on a bench and read a book while catching some sun.)

The Work Wives (along with our AmeriCorps volunteer, Michaela.)

That blue roller coaster you see here is the Gatekeeper (as it's the first roller coaster you come to, right over the gates of the park entrance.)  I chickened out this year - maybe next year I'll do it. . 

While I helped a student get back on to our charter bus in order to retrieve her money and phone, all of my coworkers posed for this picture.  Thanks for waiting for me, guys. . .

A cloudy start to Day One in the park (it cleared up eventually, thank God.)

Benkert, Priem and Bryant - the Work Wives.

Cedar Point's Frontierland (or whatever the hell it's called) is one of my favorite places to walk through, but we didn't do much stop-and-shopping this year.  Once you're at the point where you go to this place every year, you stop wanting to duck into every, last shop to check stuff out.  Still, this particular building would've been awesome to check out, if I do say so myself. . .

 

A stockade fort.  It's strategic importance to the defense of the park is questionable.

 

The Work Wives take a page from the ol' Social Studies Department. . .

Ms. Bryant holds a student's huge-ass plush duck while she rides a coaster. . .

The team opted to drive the ole-timey cars once Benkert and Priem had a few rides in under their belts.  As the sole man on the team, I was obviously the best choice for driver. . .

Headed for a tunnel. . .

I drove the shit out of this car.

Hands down, my favorite ride at Cedar Point.

Waiting in line for the Mine Ride (technical difficulties created an actual wait for this, if you can believe that - you can usually just walk right on.)

After the Mine Ride, Bryant and I headed over to the Breakers Hotel - Cedar's Point's adjoining historic hotel - in order to check in and collect all the room keys ahead of time (seeing how neither of us were really riding anything crazy anyway.)  Last year's congestion had taught us that it'd be wise to iron out all the logistics of getting 300-plus teenagers their room keys - and telling them what floors their rooms were on - before getting off the charter buses.  Live and learn, folks.

Livin' the dream.

After we got the room keys, maps, and rooming lists from the hotel, we met up with the rest of the teachers at a nearby Henna kiosk.  Here Benkert has her house sigil - an owl - done on her arm.

And Priem got her sigil, a deer.

Valravyn.  Hell nope.

Temporarily leaving Cedar Point for the neighboring Famous Dave's - our annual dinner spot.

We hit this place up every year - awesome food, within walking distance of the park.

Settling the bill after a nearly two-hour meal.

The sun dips as we draw closer to the end of Day One. . .

I frickin' LOVE historic markers. . .

After corralling all of our 8th graders at the front entrance, we headed back to the buses. . .

Back at the Breakers.

Headed around the back of the hotel to a rear staircase in order to reach our floors.  Bryant and I had devised a way for students to get up to our room without cluttering up the front lobby like they had the previous year.  I like to think it worked out pretty damn well.

The hotel pool.  That neither we, nor our students, were allowed to use.  Kids seriously checked into their rooms and had, like, two hours before a strict no-noise policy was enforced on their floors (we hire out local law enforcement to do floor patrols throughout the night.)  Definitely gives you peace of mind, that's for sure.

This year only Wincent and I shared a room, so we each got our own bed - hell yes.  Of all the teachers that go on these annual trips, only three are males, and we usually end up having to cram into a single room like this, so one of us always has to take a roll-away.

 

Sunset over Cedar Point.

After the cops took over the halls, we adults got to go downstairs and hang out by the beach like normal people.

Sunrise over scenic (pfft) Lake Erie, the next morning.

Walking to breakfast, after getting all of the students ready for the day and checked out of their hotel rooms. . .

Day Two was supposed to be way sunnier.

This year, instead of eating outside under the hotel dining pavilion, we were placed indoors.  Way nicer, if you ask me.

After breakfast, it was time for Day Two in the park. . .

I have no idea what the hell this thing is called, but I had no frickin' part of it.  I can assure you.

The Raptor.  I rode it once in the early 90s.  I'm good now.

Valravyn and the Raptor (I was sitting on a bench, reading a book and tanning, while watching my Work Wives' purses while they rode these.)

I seriously don't see how people think this is fun. . .

Riding the train around the park.

They had a bunch of monster trucks on hand.  I forget why, I wasn't paying attention.

In line for the Iron Dragon.

Day Two draws to a close.  I didn't take as many pictures this time around.  Spent a lot of time reading and bronzing, for which I'm definitely not complaining.

Leaving Cedar Point, the last stragglers having been collected and forced to the buses.

While I was boarding a bus bound for Saginaw, Kris had a few friends over for some drinks in our backyard.  Wives at first, but then their husbands made it over as well.

Mitch sent me this picture of his foot, enjoying my backyard (and a beer) while I was stuck on a bus with sixty-some teenagers, somewhere around the Flint neck of the woods. . .

Both of our girls decided to have a sleepover with the same friends Kris had taken out to Tiki Pineapple (if you'll be so good to remember from the other post - this was the same day that Alayna graduated from Elementary School.)  They decided they'd have a camp-out in the backyard, and so began setting up tents.

Of course neither Kris nor either of our girls bothered looking for the tent's rainfly.  Hell, that's not important, right?

Soon, the guys lit a bonfire. . .

While they were lighting aforementioned fire, Yours Truly had just docked at my school in Saginaw.  I high-tailed it back to Midland, about twenty-five minutes later.

I had been saving this one for a special occasion.  This seemed evening seemed as appropriate as any.

So the remainder of my evening was spent hanging around this fire, enjoying some much-needed craft beers alongside fellow adults, without a single teenager in sight.  Huzzah.

- Brian