The Sports Monitor

Our family has made it an annual event to drive to Cedar Point for their HalloWeekends. This past weekend was cooler than usual, but it was perfect for us to get in the mood for Halloween. The crowds were sparse on Friday night, which allowed my sons to jump in line for practically any ride with a maximum 15-minute wait. The downer was WindSeeker, the park's new ride, being closed for the whole weekend because of -- ironically -- high wind. Otherwise, the rain stayed away and we had a blast. Millennium Force remains my favorite ride in the park. The ride is pure speed and is a smooth ride. Maverick is my second favorite, and the ride from the front is awesome going down the first hill, which is 95 degrees. And I have to mention Top Thrill Dragster and its 120 mph launch. We did a first this year going through the many haunted houses at the Point. The houses are very well done and they offer up scares, as my sons can attest. It was quite a trip this year and we can'...

I took a break this weekend. It was our family's fifth annual trip to Cedar Point for their Halloweekends event. After all my trips to the Point, I'm still in awe driving up to the park. You know you're in for a treat when you see a skyline at an amusement park. Despite our worries, the rain stayed away for the two days we were there, and we rode plenty of roller coasters -- multiple times. I'm convinced our first trip there turned my oldest son into a roller-coaster freak. He seeks out thrill rides and doesn't want the day to end. He loves getting K'nex sets and building coasters. Back to our weekend. We stayed at one of the resort hotels and got in an hour early both days, although we didn't need it to get on the rides we wanted. We rode 16 of the 17 coasters -- we were all too tall for Jr. Gemini. My favorite ride is Millenium Force. If you're not too familiar, it has a 300-foot drop, reaches 93 mph and is a pure adrenalin rush. My second-favorite is...

I got hooked on Cedar Point back in junior high when the Gemini was the top ride and it took nearly two hours to wait in line for the Corkscrew. I went back several years later when the Gemini became an afterthought and riding the Magnum, Mean Streak and Raptor were on the to-do list for each visit. A few more years passed by and I returned to the Point. This time, two kids accompanied me through the park. It's been a two years since my oldest has been tall enough to go on all of the rides, and he's been on all of the major ones there. In fact, he's been on some that I won't even bother. My wife and I swear something happens when you reach a certain age. I'm not sure what the magic number is, and maybe it's different for each individual, but when you hit it, your equilibrium changes. He's got nothing to worry about for a while. He loves his coasters. And rides that spin. Since Cedar Point opens May 16, I asked him for his top rides there. He has them ranked ...