The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society

Because the best birthday gifts are the ones that involving going on little adventures and not a physical item... and stuff. <3

Welcome!
Uh, to the Palm Beach Zoo.
Pretty sure it was the final non-panhandle Zoo in Florida for us to visit.

The grand entrance to the zoo features this lovely
"Interactive Play Fountain"
(CLOSES AT 4:30 PM!)

Oh look, a recreation of a Mayan Temple.... Because I just wasn't at one weeks prior to visiting the Zoo :P

Oh hey, it's Coba!
(Been there, done that)

And Chichén Itzá too...
(Yup, been there as well!)

The zoo, while on the smaller side.. Is actually really pretty.
With pathways along side and over streams/lakes... And under tree cover.

Well, almost all under tree cover.

Near the front of the Zoo is a small Carousel
(Bear!)

And a little kiddie train ride

Oh right, and uh... there are a bunch of animals here too!

I mean, it is a Zoo after all.
Hey look, a Spider Monkey.

Shh, its about to be nap time for the Jaguar <3

Hey, Mr Gator.

Ooh, and some fancy Ducks... with a Capybara
:D

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Mardi, the leucistic alligator.

!!!
Sandhill Crane!

Bear!... Uh.. bear bear bear... bear <3
Yeesss!

Uh, nothing to see here, moving on!

<3 Servals having a nap <3

Forbidden Lemur Island!
Sadly, none of the lemurs were visible during our visit.
(Worst birthday, EVER)

And because its Florida.. Uh... this... Flamingo.

Woo woo

That Cobra.... it's Cursed.

Woo, some random construction photos of Busch Gardens Tampa's new Mack spinning coaster, Cobra's Curse. Set to open sometime in the summer of 2016. These photos are a little older now... as the ride is now fully complete and allegedly testing.

Beware? Be sure to put your hand in the box....
(of the 5 people I was at the park with... Only I was ""brave"" enough to do it...)

The ride will start off with this fancy looking 70 foot Elevator Lift. Its bright colors kinda feel out of place alongside Montu and the rest of the Egypt area.. but I'm sure it'll grown on me in time.

After the first part of the ride is completed, the train will enter a secondary, possibly launched lift into this lovely looking drop.

And then right into a number of back to back banked curves like this, while the car is freely spinning.

When it was first announced I kinda blew it off... but after thinking about it a little and seeing it in person, I think Cobra could end up being the sleeper hit of 2016 and unlike the parks past most recent coaster... this time its being marketed properly and since its still somewhat under the radar... could turn out pretty good.

Oh hey... And its uh, that guy... With one of Cobra's cars on display.

And the teaser for Cobra's Cruse from Busch Gardens' YouTube.

Soon?
(....But I'm still more excited for Mako :D)

Mako: Going for a Swim

Hey look, Mako track.... is now being used!

(well, kinda)

So the other day I'm hanging out with Jose on Central Florida getting some lunchums and I look over and see Mako making test runs at SeaWorld Orlando... So, uh, I quickly made my way down to I-Drive and watched the coaster make some 20 or so test cycles! <3

Because... who wouldn't be excited to have a 200 foot tall B&M Hyper Coaster down the street from your house? :D

<3 SOOOOOOOOOON! <3

Also... The park released an On-Ride POV from a test run!

(posted via CoasterForce)

Is it June 10th yet?

2016 Osceola County Fair

Because... rides.. and stuff, uh, like animals.
Even without my beloved Huss Top Spin showing up this year... I had a few hours to waste on a Friday before Deka came into town for our trip starting the next day.... So off to the County Fair I went!

Yay.

 Woo, the 2016 Osceola County Fair!

We got to the fair about an hour before the rides opened, so we made a lap around the grounds and saw the non-amusement County Fair.... things.

 Like the Country Bumpkin Band

(uhh....)

 And this giant inflatable Cow!

 Hello Mr. Turkey.

 <3 Quack Quack! <3

 Moo?!

 And... this sheep.

 Baby trees? And stuff.

 OH NO!

#Totaled

(Cow down, cow doowwwnnnn)

 ...Ditsy

Uh, the clown.

 Oh man! And there were Pig Races!!!

(And we might have watched two different showings...)

<3 <3 <3

 New this year at the fair was this Technical Park built 22 meter wheel.
(Dreamland debuted it at State Fair and Jeff and I were the *first* riders on it!) 

It may not look so nice in the daytime... but at night, its covered in LED and even the cars themselves glow!

 Strates Giant Wheel.

For now, the largest portable wheel on the East Coast...

 Overview of the ride midway from the wheel, woo.

 Oh hey, and you can see Mako at SeaWorld!

(and Kraken... and Manta)

 And the little Wacky Worm... that we skipped.

(but had ridden in the past <3)

Sadly, Strates failed to bring their adult coaster this year.

 We gave the Musik Express a pity ride.. and it was playing some awful sounding country song.. The Op looked at me and questioned if I liked the song.. and said he'd put on something better.

Yeah, I don't really think Kid Rock was much of an improvement :P

 Haunted House... thing

 Scary stuff, I tell you.

 New (for us at least) this year, was this ollddd kinda beat-up Chance Casino!

I'd never seen one down here before! So we took it for a ride, but the cycle was pretty lackluster and no real changes.

(Sam Pino used to tear it up with theirs in the 90's)

 Also new for me.. 
My first time encountering the Watkins Hustler!

(although I've been on many-a-Tempest)

Same basic ride, but the Hustler isn't on an angle.

(It was fun :) )

I don't think this, or the Casino were owned by Strates Shows but rather booked in by them...

 I also thought this take on the Rock Wall was rather neat. All 3 sides offered different climbs

(the non visible side was like.. a bunch of pipes)

 KMG Fireball!

Ugh... why bring such a fantastic ride... If you're just gonna run it in bitch mode?

Its almost amazing how BAD you can cycle some of these rides :(

 Thankfully.. This was located next door...

Mmm, Chance Zipper...

 With iPhone securely put away.... We took it for a ride :D
(#NeverForget)

 Oh.. and we did a quick lap on the Ring of Fire.. or as Six Flags would tell you, this AMAZING NEW ROLLER COASTER!!!!! (lololol)

And most excitingly of all...... 

ENTERPRISE!
My first time getting to see/ride Strates' Huss Enterprise. I've been to 11 or 12 of their stops since moving here in 09, never saw it... and was beginning to believe the ride didn't actually exist, despite still being listed on their website.

And with a silly 'No Single Riders' rule in place... 2 grown-ass-adults squeezed into a single car... 
while the other 19 remained empty.

Woo, Enterprise!
After making our second lap around the fair and getting another ride in on the Enterprise we made our way to what is typically our last ride at a fair. Anyone who reads these posts by now should know what it is too...

Yup, a Swing Tower... This one being a Zamp built Sky Flyer.

Woo, swings... and stuff.

(Oh, and a Sea Ray we skipped)

Yup, the 2016 Osceola County Fair and Kissimmee Valley Livestock Show at the Osceola Heritage Park

Other stuffs... and stuff.

Sky Flyer video (via Vine) - Video

An extra Enterprise photo - Photo

Woo