Historic Highway 99 Association Meeting

For more information about the Association:

https://historic99.org

From the Historic Highway 99 Association of California:

Greetings All!

We are hosting a meeting on our Palm and Pine project as well as an update on the status of the highway widening project. There will be a short presentation followed by a question and answer period. If you’d like to get involved or learn more about the project, I recommend attending. The meeting will be held on Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 6 pm via Zoom. If you are unable to attend, we are planning to record the meeting, which will be posted to our YouTube channel soon afterward.

We look forward to seeing you all there! Join us and Learn More!

Register for the Meeting using the link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApdO6qrT8jEtMNgU24vCpy3RUTeAQZUKjQ

Highway 99 Design Contest

From the Historic Highway 99 Association of California:

NOTE: Please go to their website for more details and to submit your entry.

Greetings All!

We are looking for volunteers to help create a design for a Pine and Palm shirt and stickers to help promote and spread awareness of the historic landmark before it goes away in early 2026. The design should incorporate both trees, a US 99 shield, and something to the affect of “Where the Palm Meets the Pine”, “Heart of California”, and “Historic Highway 99 Association of California”. As it will be your design, feel free to include some sort of signature or initials on the design to mark them as from you. If you have a different idea, let us know! We look forward to seeing what you all come up with.

Your design should be submitted by September 15, 2024. The winner will be chosen by members of the Association by October 1, 2024. The winner will receive a $30 gift card to the Historic Saugus Cafe in Santa Clarita and the Second Place winner will receive a $5 gift card to the Saugus Cafe. Both will receive a free one-year membership to the Association.

All submissions should be in either JPG or similar format. Please don’t submit proprietary file formats.

Good Luck and Thank you for your continued support! We can’t do this without you! Use the form below to submit your e-mail address to send your submission to us.

Pine and Palm Update

The Historic Highway 99 Association of California is working to save and mark the historic Pine and Palm in Madera County along Highway 99. They posted an update on their project today. Contact them for more information or if you’d like to get involved with their project.

Greetings All!

I wanted to give some updates on the Pine and Palm. I recently had a meeting with Caltrans District 6 to discuss the project and what our intentions are for the landmark trees.

Signage

We explained that, while we appreciated and liked their idea of planting more trees along the southbound side of the roadway, we would like to see a marker or sign placed in both directions to help commemorate the site and increase public awareness of the landmark itself. They agreed this would be a good idea in concept but were uncertain if it could gain approval as the signs as proposed may not be MUTCD compliant. The main issue was with the graphics of the pine and palm itself, as they are not standard for signage. Should the sign be approved, that portion of the sign would likely have to be removed. There is precedent for such a sign in Oregon which marks the 45th Parallel along I-5. The Pine and Palm are similar in nature, though not as specific, so that should help us in our quest for approval. We look forward to finding a way to make this happen.

Median Barrier

Caltrans also is looking into putting something on the median barrier itself, which has been done in many other locations through the state. These, in addition to the signs and new trees, should help mark the site and its significance. We are confident we can make something happen at the Pine and Palm site, even if it takes longer than construction.

Existing Trees

The existing trees may not likely survive, unfortunately, due to the problems of moving such plants. If they are moved, those accepting the trees may have to bear the costs of the move, which can be prohibitive to some. Their disposition isn’t likely to be known for a while and we will try to keep everyone informed as to where they end up. For now, we have until early 2026 before they are torn down, so make sure to enjoy them while they last.

Design Help

As a side note, we are looking for an artist to design a “Pine and Palm” logo for placement on t-shirts and stickers which we’d like to sell. Let us know if you’re interested in helping us with this project. We are looking to get things started soon.

Six Flags Magic Mountain Tips and Tricks

Six Flags Magic Mountain is the best park for rollercoasters in California. There are 20 coasters to ride (19 for those over 54″ high), which can be a lot for a day unless you are prepared. This post will help guide you through from parking to rides. It will be updated as time permits, so revisit for additional information.

For park rules and policies, please go to the Six Flags Magic Mountain official website.

Arrive Early!

The park gets busy and parking can fill up quickly. Try to arrive 30 minutes early if possible. There is a shuttle that runs from the lot to the entrance but it doesn’t always work. Plan on a long walk from the lot unless you see the shuttles running. As a side note, solar panels have been installed over the parking lot, which makes for a much shadier and cooler lot.

At the Entrance Plaza

The entrance plaza, near opening, can be very confusing. Magic Mountain is to the left and Hurricane Harbor is to the right. Basic rule is Diamond / Prestige pass entrance is to the left marked by the red carpet and separate stanchions. Diamond / Prestige pass holders will be allowed to enter the park early but only to the temporary gates just within the park. The general line is to the right and those gates open at park opening.

Food / Drinks

Ace of Clubs

  • Great place for BBQ. Not always open and tends to open later. Seating is outdoors with shaded benches. Nearest restroom is across the path near

Food Etc

  • Wide selection. Dole Whips, Beef Bowls, and Mexican food. Has A/C and indoor seating in the lower area. Restrooms in back (small).

Katy’s Kettle

  • Best place for burgers in the park. Outdoor seating, mostly shady. Views of Tatsu and Revolution. Can get busy, so use mobile ordering if you can.

Twin Charged Tacos

  • Best place for tacos, nachos, and quesadillas in the park. Seating is across the path adjacent to West Coast Racers. Sit, eat, and watch the trains go by. If you have a drink plan, there is an easy refill on the right side. This place does close a little early, just FYI.

Drink Refills

  • These are spread out in the park. Most don’t open until 1 hour after the park opens. The two best ones are located near Full Throttle and at the bottom of the hill near Apocalypse. Refills can also be at all food service locations but those tend to have longer lines.

Special Ride Notes: Most rides have cubbies/shelves for your loose articles. There are no drink holders and some containers may be wet 🙁 from spills. Two rides – Justice League: Battle for Metropolis and West Coast Racers, do not allow drinks in the bins at the ride.

Ride Tips
(Not all rides included)

This park is open year-round. They have 60 or so trains to maintain which get rehabilitated every three years. You may encounter “single-train ops” during off-peak times as a result. This is the price we pay to ride rollercoasters in winter. The price is still worth it.

Apocalypse

  • Wooden coaster opened in 2009 and built by GCI. This is a one-train operation and can be a slow loader. The ride is fairly mild for Magic Mountain but still packs a decent punch. Best seats are toward the back.

Batman: The Ride

A sleeper of a ride. The rear right seat is the “whippiest” of the train.

Ninja

  • Arrow Dynamics suspended coaster from 1988. This one will surprise you if you sit in the right car – which is Car 3. This one seems to have more swing than the others. As a side note for this ride, the station was formerly the upper station for “Dragon” which was a people mover closed in 1981.

Riddler’s Revenge

  • B&M stand-up coaster from 1998. This is one of the last of this type and is a lot of fun. Best advice for riding is to first pull down the over-the-shoulder harness after boarding and lower the seat so you can sit comfortably before they lock. Watch for the “head bang” at the end of the mid-course brake run.

Roaring Rapids

  • You will get wet, you may get soaked. It is really the spin of the roulette wheel on this one. Plan on being wet. There are no lockers and no dry bags either. Plan accordingly.

Scream

  • A hidden gem in the back of the park. It gets lost here but would be a standout ride in any other park. Built by B&M in 2003, this floorless ride is a real treat. Great views of the surrounding area from the lift hill and a possibility of a “re-ride” depending on how busy it is. When running two trains, the line goes quickly. The back edge seats are the best. For views and some different airtime, sit up front.

Tatsu

  • This is the best B&M Flying Coaster in the US. The ride glides along the treetops and well above the surrounding terrain. I highly recommend this for a night ride. Beware of “single-train ops” which can dramatically slow queue times. As of this writing, it is two-train and goes fairly smoothly.

Twisted Colossus

  • Formerly Colossus, not Twisted Colossus, an RMC hybrid (wood/steel) conversion from 2015, is a ride not to be missed. Back row is best. When the ride “duels”, which is when two trains are out on the tracks “racing” each other, this is like no other. Do your part to help – “If you wish to race, you must pick up the pace” is the slogan some ride ops say. Quickly put away your stuff, sit down, buckle up, and DON’T PULL THE LAPBAR DOWN! They will do that part for you.

If you can, a night ride is something special. This is a great coaster to close the park with.

Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage

  • Newest coaster at Magic Mountain, having opened in 2022 and built by RMC (same as Twisted Colossus). This the tallest and fastest “single rail” coaster in the world. Lockers are MANDATORY here, unlike other rides as the train doesn’t stop in the station. You will be loading and unloading while it is slowly moving. Don’t worry, you won’t miss the train. You won’t get a choice for seats on this one. All seats are good regardless. The back will get the most “airtime” and pull off the hills.

Special Note: The station for this ride does not have air conditioning or fans. It can get hot and stifling on many days. If you don’t have Flash Pass, ride early or late on hot days.

Viper

  • The last great Arrow Dynamics Mega Looper which has 7 inversions with 3 of those being loops with two of them being in a row. Arrow is sadly well known for having “janky” transitions, meaning where the track goes from one element to another. This is easy to handle if you ride it right. Sit all the way back and sit upright. That’s it. Rows 8 and 10 are best on this coaster.

    NOTE: This ride may be closed on weekdays.

X2

  • The last coaster built by Arrow Dynamics (their first was Matterhorn at Disneyland), though later slightly modified to become X2 by S&S Sansei. This is truly unique as only three exist in the world and the only in North America. The queue can be the longest in the park, so plan accordingly. There are no bathrooms or drinking fountains in the area. The nearest water (outside of the in-line vending machines) and bathrooms are near the carousel at the bottom of the hill. It is not for the “faint of heart” and is tough to describe. X2 is a “4D coaster” meaning that, in addition to the normal movements, your seat also rotates. Not a “free spin”, this one moves the same every time.

Now, to describe the ride itself… I will just give the first part. You start off facing backward heading out of the station. You’ll stay that way on the lift hill. Once you start down (don’t forget the “pre-drop”), your seat will be rotated where you’ll be facing the ground some 200 feet below you and begin to drop facing that ground. It gets crazier from there. The photo is after the first loop where you’ll be facing forward again.

Best seats are Train 1 Row 7 (rear) on the far side of the station (right side of the station). If you want a smoother ride, stay toward the front and side on the inside seat.

A night ride when the flames are going is a must for those brave enough to conquer X2.

Do you have any ride tips? Let us know in the comments below!

Amusement Parks Site Addition

This website is expanding! A new section on Amusement Parks is coming soon which will cover all parks in Southern California with a minimum of one flat ride. The page will focus on rollercoasters, which are one of my interests.

Park Tips and Tricks for you to get a better experience as well as learn about some of the interesting history of the parks will be included.

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