#hollywood park race track

[mxtantrights]

famous dc!au (dick's version)

TRACK FOUR - LOVE GROWS

It was causal. Or at least that’s what Dick said it was supposed to be. But you can’t really feel casual about meeting up with the heartthrob of Hollywood to hang out. 

Your mind was racing with questions. Why you? Sure he had flirted with you on set of his music video, but maybe that was just how he is? Who knows what’s going on here, you for sure don’t!

Standing outside the Bludhaven aquarium waiting for Dick Grayson? That sounded like delusion in its finest form.

You take out your phone and unlock it. Maybe he was running late. You open your message app and click on his contact. How weird was that, you could just pull up his information. Like you were old friends. 

Just as you’re about to type out something a call flashes across your screen. It’s Dick.

You pick up the call, raising the phone to your ear.

“Hey, I’m here.” you say.

“I just parked my car, I’m walking up to the front now. I think I see you.” he says.

You turn around thinking he might be behind you. And there he is. In a black jacket and a fitted baseball cap and jeans. Wow. You didn’t think he could look any more attractive and he’s wearing anti-paparazzi gear.

You hang up the call and wave at him. He waves right back at you. When he finally closes the distance between the two of you you can see him clearly. He’s smiling. 

“Dick Grayson, can I ask why you invited me to the aquarium to hangout?” you ask.

He laughs and holds out his arm. You take it and he walks the both of you inside. You think you’ll have to pay for tickets for entry but the booth operator seems to know Dick. And with a simple nod and a wave you two are inside.

“I just wanted to hang out somewhere simple.” he answers. 

The darkness encloses the both of you. You could barely see him if you weren’t this close. Ah. 

It’s then that it hits you. Simple. That’s what he wanted, what he craved. He can’t go anywhere without getting his picture taken or being swarmed by fans. Going out to a restaurant, going to a club would be too much.

But an aquarium? Who would think to look for Dick Grayson at an aquarium? It's either crowded or empty and almost always dark.

You two walk through the fish tanks first with light conversation. He asked about what made you want to be in music videos. And you asked him what was the first song he heard that made him want to be a musician. 

The conversation goes on like this easily until you get to the jellyfish exhibit. The last time you were at an aquarium was probably during a school trip. So seeing the majestic creatures just floating around in the vast blue water captured you instantly. 

You stare with your mouth slightly agape.

“This is one of them.” Dick says.

You turn to him in confusion, “What?” 

“One of the greater sights.” 

You nod and then think yourself about how quickly he got inside and how the employee seemed to know him.

“How many times have you seen this exhibit?” you ask.

He shrugs his shoulders at you, “More than I can count.” 

You remember his answer from the last time you asked that question. It’s the same wording. You wonder if there is any place he hasn’t seen. If there is any place that made Dick Grayson just stand there in complete wonder and awestruck.

“Maybe the next time we hang out I’ll take you some place you haven’t been.” you say.

“It’s a da—deal.” he smiles. 

You smile back.

-

You didn’t think you would be his first call. Not at all. Truthfully you two just met and yes you hit it off really well, there are surely people he could call for things like this. Surely you weren’t on the top of his list.

“Dick, can you just—say it again.” 

“I have a plus one to this event thing, and I wanted to see if you’d come with me.” he says.

“The Grammys. You have a plus one to the biggest night in music.” you add on.

“Yeah that would be the one.” he speaks.

“I know I said we could hangout again but I didn’t think we’d do it at the Grammys.” you joke.

You can hear him laugh on the other end. You’d heard it over and over since you’ve met him, which is weird. Weird because when you read about him and see videos of him online he laughs differently, like it’s a performance. When he laughs with you, as delusional as it comes off, it sounds real. 

“It’s no pressure. You’re the first person I wanted to ask.” he says.

Your eyes widen at his words. The first person he wanted to ask was you? Out of everyone he knows? And he knows Barbra Gordon and Kori Anders and Donna Troy. And Artemis Crock. 

You voice cracks a bit and you have to clear your throat to speak again.

“Don’t people plan these things months in advance?” you ask.

Dick laughs again, “Yes that’s true. And I’m only giving you one month’s notice but I think you can pull off anything.” 

You can’t help the big smile that grows on your face. He’s infectious. He’s kind. And most of all he flirts the best when he isn’t trying. You switch the phone from your left to your right ear.

“I mean I think I can make it work.“ you start.

“Good! I can get you a fitting next week, anytime you want.” he cuts you off.

“A fitting like for a custom made outfit? Oh Dick I can’t afford that.” You put sadly.

“Nonsense it’s on me since I’m inconveniencing you by asking you to come to the Grammys with me.” he jokes.

You try to stop the laugh that tumbles out of your mouth but you can’t. And you know on the other end Dick is happy he got a laugh out of you.

“I don’t think being anywhere with you is an inconvenience.” you say.

You hear him laugh on the end of the line. It makes you smile.

“Okay, I’m gonna end this call before I say something too cheesy.” he says.

“Yeah save it for when I’m trying on clothes and you have to vote on then.” 

[d-criss-news]

Darren Criss and Cat Cohen Will Lend Voices to GWYNETH GOES SKIING in Edinburgh and Utah

Gwyneth Goes Skiing is headed to Edinburgh Fringe this August, and will also make its international premiere in Utah.

Darren Criss will provide the singing voice of Terry Sanderson alongisde Edinburgh Comedy Award Winning comedian, actress and singer Cat Cohen, who will lend her voice  as Gwyneth Paltrow on the vocal track with hits including I Wish You Well and See You In Court. 

Darren Criss is best known for playing the role of Blaine Anderson in Glee (alongside the real  Gwyneth Paltrow!). In 2018, he was awarded Emmy and Golden Globe acting awards for his  leading role in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Criss has also starred  on Broadway in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hedwig and the Angry  Inch. 

Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner Cat Cohen’s live comedy performances combine stand-up  comedy with cabaret-style songs. The comedian, actress, and singer’s first Netflix comedy  special, The Twist...? She's Gorgeous, was released in 2022. As an actress, she has appeared on  comedy series such as High Maintenance, Broad City, Search Party, and What We Do in the  Shadows.

Criss and Cohen digitally join Trixie Mattel who makes a special on-screen appearance as  Gwyneth Paltrow’s mother, Blythe Danner. They are seen alongside the original Gwyneth Goes  Skiing cast - Linus Karp as the Goop-founding, Door-Sliding, Shakespeare-In-Loving, consciously uncoupling Hollywood superstar Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Martin as her nemesis, Terry  Sanderson, a retired Optometrist from Utah.  

The world debut of Darren and Cat’s voices will be back where it all began, Park City, Utah. The  now-infamous location of Terry Sanderson and Gwyneth Paltrow’s collision in 2016 will play  host to the US transfer of Awkward Productions and Pleasance Theatre’s runaway hit. Gwyneth  Goes Skiing’s transfer to The Egyptian Theatre marks the first international transfer for Awkward  Productions’ work. 

Gwyneth Goes Skiing, which is a co-production between Awkward Productions  and the Pleasance Theatre, returns to the slopes after two sold-out and critically-acclaimed runs  in London. This silly play-with-music marks Awkward Productions’ return to the Fringe  after Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story had a sold-out run in 2023. 

Gwyneth Goes Skiing recounts the collision in 2016 on the slopes of Deer Valley and the court  case seven years later that enthralled the world. This very silly story of justice, betrayal and  optometry makes the audience the jury, asking them to decide who's guilty and who's gooped.  Gwyneth Goes Skiing features a whole lot of fiction, a sprinkling of verbatim lines from court  transcripts and delightfully catchy original music by Leland (RuPaul’s Drag Race; Cher’s  Christmas; Troye Sivan’s Something To Give Each Other). 

Performance Information The Egyptian Theatre, Utah  Thursday 16th – Sunday 26th May 2024  328 Main Street, Park City, Utah 84060 https://parkcityshows.com

[graciedragonet23]

Hola Hola todos!! Gracie here again! In a random burst of motivation, I thought what would Lightning McQueen look like if he was in FNAF and boom this was created! I based Lightning's designs on the IRL Lightning McQueen animatronic from Disney world in Hollywood Studios and the withered animatronics from FNAF 2 and Security Breach Ruin.

I made two designs for Lightning, the first one being if he was in proper working condition and the second being if he was left to rot and withered for many years. You guys could let me know which one is your favorite!

Little lore about FNAF universe Lightning:

* Lightning McQueen is an animatronic race car who loves children.

* He is located in Disneyland California Adventure in Cars Land along with his best friend Tow Mater and his protege Cruz Ramirez.

* He is known to do meet-and-greets in front of his girlfriend's office at the Cozy Cone Motel.

* He tends to take children on little joyrides around a small race track where other children and guests can race him in their own go-karts. Of course, he doesn't go to his full max speed for safety regulations, but he still loves the thrill and the screams of joy of his guests.

* Lightning is equipped with a real V8 hybrid engine and has the ability to drive around on his own. And he can talk with a voice box built inside. He also has a jaw and teeth to properly speak. Lightning instead of needing to drink gas like in his movies, he instead is electric. He has an electric station for him to be charged at night when the park closes. He regularly gets maintenance checkups and paint job touches. Around holidays or special occasions, Disney's cast members give him and Mater new paint jobs. His eyes is a computer windshield with cameras that give Lightning the ability to see like in the films.

Lore about Withered Lightning:

* After many years without incidents, Lightning slowly becomes unnaturally aggressive and easily angry with guests. To the point, where cast members have to constantly supervise him, in case he becomes aggressive and has to be contained.

* Unfortunately, there have been incidents where Lightning has stepped on a father's feet intentionally after the father disregarded him and disrespected his son. The cast members have become concerned that Lightning might react worse and intentionally try to run someone over. They knew that it was unnatural for Lightning, since Lightning was programmed to be cool and relaxed.

* Several technicians had to come and check on Lightning, in hopes of finding out what was causing Lightning's radical behavior. But unfortunately, they couldn't find an answer or reason.

* After much debate, the Disney higher-ups decided to take Lightning away from the public eye and to be replaced by a remote controlled drive-around life-sized robot version of Lightning. When Lightning found out, he was furious. He nearly attacked a nearby cast member before he was shut down. Lightning was unfortunately scraped and taken apart for parts to be put on a newer animatronic version of Lightning.

* Lightning was locked away in a Disney parts warehouse far away from the parks where other animatronics don't work anymore. He hasn't been turned on, since...until now...

And that is it so far, I haven't really come up with Lightning's full fnaf lore, because I don't want to imagine him attacking and unliving security guards... I will leave it up to the audience to see what could be the reason why Lightning became aggressive in the first place! But that is all for now and I'll see y'all later! Adios!

[horsesarecreatures]

“This is an original 1960 photo of Bald Eagle and Sam the Flamingo at Hialeah Race Track. Bald Eagle was owned and bred by Captain Harry F. Guggenheim and his Cain Hoy Stable. He was by Nasrullah out of Siama, who was the 1960 Broodmare of the Year, by Tiger, a stakes winning son of Bull Dog. Bald Eagle was a full brother to One-Eyed King, the winner of the 1959 and the 1960 Donn Handicap; and a half brother to: Dead Ahead, the winner of the 1962 Roamer Handicap; and to the unraced Whistle a Tune who produced Batucada, the Mexican Champion Two Year Old Filly; the Mexican Champion Three Year Old Filly and the Two-Time Mexican Horse of the Year. Bald Eagle made 29 starts with 12 wins 5 seconds 4 thirds earning $689,556. At two in 1957 in England, he won the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes. At three in 1958 in England, Bald Eagle won: the Dante Stakes; the Craven Stakes over Nagami, the winner of the 1959 Coronation Cup, and Pinched, the winner of the 1957 Royal Lodge Stakes. He finished third in the St. James's Palace Stakes behind Major Portion and Guersillus. At four in 1959 in the United States, Bald Eagle won: the Suburban Handicap over Talent Show, the winner of the 1959 Boardwalk Handicap, and Plion, the winner of the 1959 Whitney Stakes; the Washington D. C. International Stakes over Midnight Sun, the winner of the 1959 Prix Lupin; and Tudor Era, the winner of the 1959 Hialeah Turf Cup; the Gallant Fox Handicap, while setting a new track record, over Whodunit, the winner of the 1959 Sunset Handicap, and Whitley, the winner of the 1959 Excelsior Handicap; and the Saratoga Handicap over Grey Monarch, the winner of the 1959 Eclipse Handicap, and Amerigo, the winner of the 1957 Coventry Stakes. He finished second: in the Aqueduct Handicap to Hillsdale and ahead of Tick Tock, the winner of the 1957 Sport Page Handicap; and in the Manhattan Handicap to Round Table and ahead of Coloneast, the winner of the 1958 King Philip Handicap. Bald Eagle was third in the Massachusetts Handicap behind Air Pilot and Day Court, the winner of the 1959 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap. At five in 1960, he won: the Washington D. C. International Stakes over Harmonizing, the winner of the 1960 Man O’ War Stakes, and Zabeg, the winner of the Russian Derby; the Gulfstream Park Handicap over Amerigo and On-and-On, the winner of the 1959 Ohio Derby, with Sword Dancer finishing fourth; the Metropolitan Handicap, while setting a new track record, over First Landing and Talent Show; the Widener Handicap, while setting a new new track record, over On-and-On and Talent Show with Sword Dancer finishing seventh; the Aqueduct Handicap, while setting a new stakes record, over Intentionally, the 1959 Champion Sprinter, and Warhead. Bald Eagle was second: in the Man o' War Stakes to Harmonizing and ahead of Sword Dancer; and in the McLennan Handicap to On-and-On and ahead of Tudor Era. He was third: in the Jockey Club Gold Cup behind Kelso and Don Poggio, the winner of the 1960 Gallant Fox Handicap; and in the Woodward Stakes behind Sword Dancer and Dotted Swiss, the winner of the 1960 Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap. Bald Eagle was named the 1960 Champion Handicap Horse. He began his stud career in Kentucky and then stood stud in France from 1971 until his death in 1977. At stud his best were: San San: the 1972 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Too Bald: the winner of the 1986 Bed O’ Roses Handicap and who was the 1986 Broodmare of the Year and the dam of Exceller and top sire Capote. Barely Once: the winner of the 1969 St. Louis Derby”

- Horse racing Legends

[papermoonloveslucy]

HELLS LUCY!

Lucy & Motorcycles

Lucille Ball was a motorcyle fan. She owned Hondas, Suzukis, and a Harley Davidson. In her personal ife, she rode on the back of Clark Gable's motorcycle. Lucy reluctantly gave up motorcycling after she hit a curb and her bike fell on her.

A GIrl, a Guy, and a Gob (1941) ~ Dot (Lucille Ball) disapproves of ‘Coffee Cup’ (George Murphy) riding a motorcyle. 

DOT: That’s how angels are made. 

“Liz the Matchmaker” (1949) ~ In this episode of Lucille Ball’s radio series “My Favorite Husband” Liz (Lucille Ball) is worried about her maid Katie’s romance with Mr. Negley, the postman (Jay Novello), because he always takes her to a drive-in theater on a motorcycle.

“The Sleigh Ride” (1949) ~ Mr. Negley decides to use his motorcycle to pull the holiday sleigh, but the load proves to much and the milkman’s old horse is pressed into service. 

“Safe Driving Week” (1950) ~ Liz and Marge (Elvia Allman) are pulled over by a motorcycle cop for driving too close to the curb. The policeman insists on driving their car away from the curb, but runs over his own motorcycle in the process!  Marge and Liz drive away, leaving the motorcycle cop in tears, clutching only his handlebars. 

This visual gag was brought to life on “I Love Lucy” in....

“Ricky Sells the Car” (1955) ~ Doubtful that Ricky will spring for their train fare home, Fred purchases an antique motorcycle. He weighs it down with all their belongings, just like the Pontiac in “California, Here We Come!”  The Mertzes are even attired in vintage leather riding outfits!  Viewers who know their motorbikes guess that it is a Harley-Davidson Model DL 750cc from about 1929.

LUCY: Ethel, are you seriously considering going all the way to New York on a motorcycle?  ETHEL: Well, Fred gave me a choice and this beats hitchhiking.

Oops! The sound of the motorcycle crashing happens before it is even off the screen. Also, Fred’s dialogue in this scene has been noticeably re-recorded because of the noise from the crash. In the above screen shot you can see the wire that pulled the motorcycle backward.  

“Lucy Hunts Uranium” (1958) ~ The Ricardos and Fred MacMurray get pulled over for speeding by a morotcycle cop. 

“Lucy Drives a Dump Truck” (1963) ~ And this policeman (Richard Reeves) drives a three-wheeled motorbike. 

“Lucy the Meter Maid” (1964) ~ A hybrid vehicle, Lucy drives a Cushman Minute Miser Truckster. These vehicles were especially created for traffic police who checked meters. 

“Mr. and Mrs. aka The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour” (1964) ~ Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon travel across the German border driving a Vespa motor scooter searching for Bob Hope. 

“Lucy in the Music World” (1965) ~ Lucy’s neighbor Mel Tinker (Mel Torme) keeps his 1962 Honda Dream motorcycle indoors. The question is - how did he get it up the stairs?

“Lucy Goes to a Hollywood Premiere” (1966) ~  A motorcycle zooms by Lucy Carmichael selling maps to the movie stars homes. This time it is the driver who is old, not the motorcycle.  As the old lady races off, Lucy shouts “Say hello to Steve McQueen!”  Two of McQueen’s favorite things were racing and motorcycles. He famously rode a motorcycle in 1963’s The Great Escape.

“Lucy in London” (1966) ~ Lucy Carmichael and Anthony Newley get around mod London any way they can - including motorcycle and rocket-shaped side-car.

The special was shot on location in London. Ball and Newley did the driving themselves! 

“Viv Visits Lucy” (1967) ~ Trying to track down a Danfield boy, they go down to the Sunset Strip dressed as ‘hippies’ and go into a biker bar.  The Police Officer’s motorcycle is a 1958 Harley-Davidson Duo Glide. 

Several other motorcycles are also parked on the street during the scene. Hamburger Hovel is home of the ‘Biker Burger’!  

“Lucy Gets Involved” (1968) ~ Tommy Watkins (Phil Vandervoort) rides a white 1962 Honda Dream motorcycle. It was previously seen parked inside Mel Tinker’s apartment in “Lucy in the Music World”.  

Yours, Mine & Ours (1968) ~ In the Lucille Ball / Henry Fonda film, the neighbor boy’s motorcycle is run over by the Beardsley’s station wagon.  

“Lucy and the Diamond Cutter” (1970) ~ Craig talks to Steve on the telephone about a part for his motorcycle. It turns out to be an air horn. Motorcycles don’t usually have air horns! Oops!

“Lucy the Skydiver” (1970) ~ Craig takes up spear fishing while Kim joins a motorcycle club. When Lucy sees her daughter in a motorcycle helmet she asks if she’s playing for the Rams football team. Lucy says she doesn’t want Kim to be another Steve McQueen.

“Circus of the Stars II” (1977) ~ Lucille Ball is the ringmaster and Peter Fonda performs a daredevil motorcycle stunt on a high wire. 

In a taped segment singer / songwriter Paul Williams goes skydiving. Once he alights (just outside his circus ring target) Williams and a dozen men waiting for him on the ground mount motorbikes and zoom away through the desert.

“Lucy Moves to NBC” (1980) ~ Scotty Plummer (Scotty Coogan) wants a motorcycle for his 18th birthday. He even tries to pawn his prized banjo to buy one. 

1999 ~ Postage stamps from Republic of Turkmenistan feature Lucille Ball in a diner with Carmen Miranda and Humphrey Bogart, looking at Marilyn Monroe standing outside next to a motorcycle. 

2020 ~ A Lucille Ball impersonator at Universal Studios Hollywood poses in the sidecar of a Royal Enfield motorcycle. The Royal Enfield brandis the oldest global motorcycle brand in continuous production.

[parksaversnews]

Disney World's Largest Expansion Coming to Magic Kingdom!

The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is set to undergo its largest expansion in history, promising to bring new thrills, adventures, and experiences to visitors from around the globe. This monumental project, revealed at the D23 Expo, is part of Disney's ambitious $60 billion investment in its parks, cruises, and experiences over the next decade. The expansion will introduce new lands and attractions, including areas themed around Pixar's Cars and Disney Villains, marking a significant transformation in the park's landscape.

The Vision Behind the Expansion

Disney's vision for the Magic Kingdom expansion is to create immersive experiences that resonate with guests of all ages. The expansion will cover approximately 12-14 acres, making it even larger than the New Fantasyland expansion. This ambitious project aims to enhance the storytelling and adventure that Disney parks are renowned for, offering visitors a chance to explore new worlds and meet beloved characters in innovative ways.

Cars Land in Frontierland

One of the most exciting additions is the transformation of a section of Frontierland into a Cars-themed area. This new land will feature two major attractions, including a thrilling rally race through mountain trails, geysers, and mudholes, reminiscent of the popular Radiator Springs Racers at Disneyland. The second attraction will cater to families, ensuring fun for guests of all ages. The reimagining of Frontierland will also involve the transformation of the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island into a vast landscape inspired by the Cars universe.

Disney Villains Land

Beyond Big Thunder Mountain, a new land dedicated to Disney Villains will emerge, bringing a darker and more mysterious atmosphere to the Magic Kingdom. This area will feature two major attractions, dining, and shopping experiences themed around iconic villains such as Maleficent, the Evil Queen, and Dr. Facilier. The Villains land aims to push creative boundaries, offering guests a unique and thrilling experience that celebrates the darker side of Disney storytelling.

Additional Enhancements and Attractions

Walt Disney World is on the brink of a transformative era, with a slew of new attractions and enhancements set to debut across its parks. These developments promise to elevate the guest experience, offering fresh adventures and immersive storytelling. Here’s a detailed look at what’s coming to Disney World in the near future. Monsters, Inc. Land at Hollywood Studios A new space dedicated to the beloved characters from Monsters, Inc. is set to open at Hollywood Studios. This area will invite guests to join Sulley, Mike, and other characters in a laughter-filled adventure. It's designed to be a fun and engaging experience for families, capturing the humor and heart of the original film.

Reimagined Test Track at EPCOT EPCOT's Test Track, presented by Chevrolet, is undergoing a significant transformation. The reimagined attraction will celebrate the past, present, and future of automation. This update aims to provide guests with a thrilling and educational experience, showcasing the evolution of automotive technology.

Tropical Americas at Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's Animal Kingdom is set to introduce a new land called Tropical Americas, featuring attractions themed around Indiana Jones and Encanto. This area will offer unique experiences that blend adventure with cultural storytelling. The Indiana Jones attraction promises to be unlike any other, while the Encanto ride will immerse guests in the magical world of the Madrigal family. Zootopia: Better Zoogether A new show titled Zootopia: Better Zoogether will debut at the Tree of Life Theater in Disney's Animal Kingdom. This production will feature characters like Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, bringing the vibrant world of Zootopia to life through engaging performances and storytelling.

New Nighttime Parade at Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom will introduce a new nighttime parade, offering a spectacular end to a magical day at the park. This parade will feature state-of-the-art technology and beloved Disney characters, creating a dazzling display that guests of all ages will enjoy. Other Notable Enhancements - New Missions for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will see the addition of new missions featuring Mando and Grogu, providing an exciting new adventure for fans of the franchise. - Two New Lounge Spaces: In 2025, new lounges will open in Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. A Pirates Lounge will offer a themed experience in Magic Kingdom, while a Spaceship Earth lounge will provide a zen space for families to gather and enjoy refreshments. The Impact of the Expansion This expansion is not just about adding new attractions; it's about enhancing the overall guest experience and keeping Disney parks at the forefront of innovation and entertainment. With Universal Orlando Resort's Epic Universe set to open in 2025, Disney's expansion is seen as a strategic move to maintain its competitive edge and continue to attract visitors worldwide.

Final Thoughts

The largest expansion in Magic Kingdom's history promises to redefine the park's landscape, offering new adventures and experiences that will captivate the imagination of visitors for years to come. As Disney continues to push the boundaries of creativity and storytelling, guests can look forward to a future filled with magic, excitement, and unforgettable memories. Whether you're racing through the mountains with Lightning McQueen or exploring the dark realms of Disney Villains, the Magic Kingdom's expansion is set to deliver an unparalleled experience that celebrates the wonder and adventure of Disney. Be sure and check out MainStreet Travel for all the latest travel discounts! Read the full article

[kentuckygentlemen55]

FEATHERS IN THEIR CAPS

BY DAN LIEBMAN

Much was written this spring about the 50-year anniversary of the 1957 Kentucky Derby, which many believe featured the greatest field to ever contest the Run for the Roses.

With Bold Ruler, Gallant Man, Round Table, and Iron Liege, it is easy to see why. Back in the day, the top fillies in the land all ran against each other, too. And, it is also the 50-year anniversary of just such a race-the 1957 Delaware Handicap.

What makes the field of 19 fillies and mares that went postward at Delaware Park June 29, 1957 (before a crowd of 22,679), so special is not just that it contained outstanding runners,

but that it contained just as many future outstanding producers.

Many of the distaffers from that stellar field are household names to those old enough to remember them on the track, and their names and those of their progeny are equally as recognizable to persons familiar with pedigrees and sale catalogs.

At the finish of the '57 Del Cap, Princess Turia beats Pucker Up, with Little Pache third and Rare Treat fourth

It is not surprising the 1 1/4-mile race attracted the runners it did, considering it was the richest race of the year for fillies and mares, up a six-length advantage after six furlongs in 1:11, but Princess Turia and jockey Bill Hartack were hot on her heels, having closed carrying a gross purse of $164,625.

There were 12 betting interests including a seven-horse mutuel field, with slight favoritism ($3.70) going to Ada L. Rice's Pucker Up, who was coming off a win in an overnight handicap at Hollywood Park. Pucker Up was favored despite never having previously run farther than 1 1/6 miles.

The field included Princess Turia and Bayou, who had won Delaware Park's two other top races for females, the New Castle Stakes and Delaware Oaks, respectively. Princess Turia and her Calumet Farm stablemate Amoret were the $3.90-1 second choice.

Pucker Up, under Bill Shoemaker, made an easy lead after disposing of Happy Princess in the first turn. Pucker Up had opened up a 6 length advantage after 6 furlongs in 1:11, but Princess Turia with Bill Hartack were on her heels, having closed to within a half length at the eighth pole. Pucker Up would not go down easily, but Hartack urged Princess Turia on for a well-fought half length score. Longshot Little Pache ran third, finishing a neck ahead of Rare Treat, who closed from well back.

Interestingly, in the report of the race in The Blood-Horse, 4- year-old Princess Turia's trainer, H.A. "Jimmy" Jones, recounted how he did not think highly of the daughter of Heliopolis--Blue Delight, by Blue Larkspur, as a young horse.

"We used to go down to the farm every couple of weeks or so to get acquainted with the yearlings, make notes on them," Jones said. "looked at this filly, thought she was a cripple, never would be sound, she toed in so badly in front.

That filly that toed in so badly was one of the best of her generation. Though she didn't win a championship, at 3 Princess Turia won the Kentucky 0aks, Black-Eyed Susan, Acorn, and Cleopatra Handicap, finished second in the Coaching Club American Oaks and Oaks Prep, and ran third in the Delaware Oaks and Jersey Belle Stakes.

On The Bood-Horse Handicap, she was assigned 117 pounds, two fewer than champion Doubledogdare.

By the time their racing careers were over, this group of 19 fllies and mares would contain three champions (Pucker Up, Nasrina, and Bayou), and 17 would forever be known as stakes winners. The other two were both stakes-placed multiple times.

THE FIELD...AS RUNNERS

• Pucker Up-A winner of half of her 32 1lifetime starts, she was the champion older mare in 1957 when she won the $100,000 Washington Park Handicap as well as the Beldame and Arlington Matron. She finished second in the Spinster, Milady, and Delaware Handicap and ran third in the Columbiana and Suwannee River.

• Nasrina She won two stakes as a juvenile in 1955, enough to earn her championship honors. Those two races, the Frizette and Gardenia, would be her only stakes victories in 36 starts.

•Bayou The same year Pucker Up was the champion older mare, Bayou was champion 3-year-old filly, She made 17 starts as a 3-year-old, winning the Acorn, Gazelle, Maskette, and Delaware Oaks

• Rare Treat-Five-time stakes winner over three seasons, her scores included the Vineland and Ladies Handicaps,

• Levee She won the Selima Stakes at 2 and the following season took the Coaching Club American Oaks, Beldame Handicap, and Monmouth Oaks.

• Happy Princess--though she faded to finish last in the Delaware Handicap, she won five stakes, including the Regret and consecutive runnings of the Distaff Handicap.

One clear testament to the quality of this group is the number of its members that have races named after them: Pucker Up (run at Arlington), Bayou Breeders' Cup (Fair Grounds), Floral Park (at Belmont), and Rare Treat (discontinued, formerly run at Aqueduct).

Remembering that this was in the 1950s, when purses were obviously considerably lower than today it should be noted that 12 of the Phillies and mayors earned more than $100,000, led by five time stakes winner Dotted Line $324,159, part of debt earned by defeating males in the division of the 1959 Man o’ War Handicap. Collectively, they earned $2,800,234 on the racetrack.

FIELD…..AS PRODUCERS

It is hard to know where to start, because this group, as accomplished as it was on the racetrack, was more impressive in the breeding shed. Some of the finest female families still seen on catalog pages today descend from these mares.

While the aforementioned Derby runners, Bold Ruler, Gallant Man, and Round Table, all were later enshrined in the Hall of Fame, none of the 19 runners in the '57 Del Cap received the same honor. But consider these startling facts: Of the 19 members of this field, 14 went on to produce at least one stakes winner, four became the dams of champions, and two are forever known for producing Derby winners (one Kentucky, one Epsom).

Think of all the mares over the years that never threw a stakes winner and then contemplate that 74% of the runners in this one race became the dams of stakes winners, and 21% produced a champion. Three members of the field are also themselves out of champions, and two have champion granddams.

The obvious place to begin is with the four dams of champions, but Princess Turia did win the race, so in this case, first to the wire also earns the right to be first to be discussed.

* There are many fine Calumet Farm families, one of them certainly including Princess Turia, Her dam is six time stakes winner Blue Delight (by Blue Larkspur), who in turn produced two-time champion Real Delight (Bull Lea), This is the family of champions Our Mims (Herbager) and Christmas Past (Grey Dawn Il) as well as Triple Crown runne-up Alydar (Raise a Native). Princess Turia, who won the Kentucky Oaks when it was considered a classic, did produce a classic winner in 1968 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner and champion Forward Pass.

* Champion Bayou (Hill Prince) is the dam of Alluvial (Buckpasser), who in turn is the dam of champion Slew o' Gold (Seattle Slew) and Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Coastal (Majestic Prince), and granddam of gradel winners Aptitude (A.P. Indy) and Sleep Easy (Seattle Slew). Bayou is also the granddam of grade I winner Slew's Exceller (Exceller) and fourth dam of grade I winners River Flyer (Riverman) and Victory Ride (Seeking the Gold). This is the family of such well-known names as five-time stakes producer Delta (Nasrullah), Broodmare of the Year Levee (Hill Prince) and her two-time champion Shuvee (Nashua), champion Sacahuista (Raja Baba), champion Talking Picture (Speak John) and her champion offspring Easy to Copy and Trusted Partner (both by Affirmed), and champion Smart Deb (Dedicate). Levee, of course, was also in the field.

• This year's Kentucky Oaks (gr.) and Belmont winner Rags to Riches is from the family of Stolen Hour (Mr. Busher), who is out of champion Late Date (Hourless). Stolen Hour is the dam of Broodmare of the Year Best in Show (Traffic Judge), who produced Irish champion Malinowski and Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride, she the granddam of Rags to Riches and Bel- mont Stakes winner Jazil. Blush With Pride's half-sister, Mon- roe, is the dam of European champion Xaar. This is the family of, among others, champions El Gran Senor, Try My Best, and Chimes of Freedom.

• Out of stakes winner Rare Perfume (Eight Thirty), Rare Treat is a half-sister to champion and Belmont Stakes winner Jaipur (Nasrullah). Rare Treat is the dam of champion What a Treat (Tudor Minstrel), who is the dam of group winner and leading English sire Be My Guest (Northern Dancer) and granddam of grade I winner Ida Delia (Graustark). Rare Treat is also the dam of Exotic Treat (Vaguely Noble), who produced English and Irish champion and Epsom Derby (Eng) winner Golden Fleece (Nijinsky II).

• Floral Park (Alibhai) is from one of the top Darby Dan Farm families, being a full sister to Delaware Handicap winner Flower Bowl, who produced two-time champion Bowl of Flowers (Sailor) and the stakes-winning full brothers and top sires Graustark and His Majesty (Ribot). This is the family of three-time champion Gallant Bloom (Gallant Man), and Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner Majestic Prince and his full brother, champion Crowned Prince (Raise a Native). Floral Park did not produce a stakes win ner, but much black type descends from her daughters, includíng grade I winner Rootentootenwooten (Diesis), Italían champion Prorutori (Providential), and grade II winner Ivanavinalot (West Acre).

• Amoret (Bull Lea) is another from a top female family. Her first two dams, Mar-Kell (Blenheim II) and Nellie Flag (American Flag), are both champions. This is the family of three-tíme Horse of the Year Forego (Forli), champion and Kentucky Derby/Belmont Stakes winner Bold Forbes (Irish Castle), Kentucky Oaks winner Nellie L. (Blenheim II), and grade I winners Life At the Top (Seattle Slew) and Saratoga Six (Alydar). Amoret produced Florida Derby winner Eastern Fleet (Fleet Nasrullah) and stakes winner Another Love (Tudor Minstrel). Another Love is the dam of stakes winner Rulers Mistress (Bold Ruler), who in turn produced Japanese group I winner Shadai Sophia (Northern Taste). Interestingly, another of Amoret's daughters, Brazen (a full sister to Rulers Mistress), is the third dam of Japanese champion Vega

(Tony Bin).

• Attica (Mr. Trouble) produced only one stakes winner, but that was Sir Ivor (Sir Gaylord), who won the Epsom Derby, was Horse of the Year in England, a champion in Ireland, and later a top sire and broodmare sire. This is the family of Test, Alabama, and Monmouth 0aks winner Firm Policy (Princequillo) as well as Hollywood Gold Cup winner Pleasure Seeker (Ambiorix) and San Felipe winner Raise a Man (Raise a Native).

THE FIELD...IN RETROSPECT

When fillies and mares run against each other, we can easily gauge their accomplishmnents on the racetrack. That all but two members of this 19 member field were stakes winners and three were champions is all that needs to be said in that regard. It takes considerably more time to gauge success not just as a broodmare but as one who influences the breed. It could be

through a mare's daughters or granddaughters; it could be as the dam or granddam of a great sire.

This group brought great thrills when racing, but today, 50 years after the Delaware Handicap of 1957, it is for their exploits in the breeding shed that they are most often remembered. O

🏇🏻🏇🏻🏇🏻🏇🏻🏇🏻

BLOOD-NORSE LIBRARY

[deehollowaywrites]

Readers Up #20: On Swift Horses

I decided to post some of my old newsletter, since it's been in a holding pattern for some time now--some favorites, now and then, as I turn over whether I want to revive it or take it in some different direction. This one is about On Swift Horses by Shannon Pufahl.

...

From the liner notes to my ongoing collaborative art concept with Jessica Chapel, The Secret Life of the American Racegoer: “[The term terrain vague] made me think of you and the Stretch and racetracks as potential spaces and places within racetracks that have form but no longer function.”

Can I get a holler from my fellow psychogeographers? For place obsessives like myself, racetracks are not only a treasure trove of living (sometimes calcified) history, but also the map to the hoard. Depending on your aims, a map is often more fascinating than gold. Consider Suffolk Downs, now defunct; imagine a day-drunk Bostonian lecturing all who will listen on the wave-like dips and hills of the concrete, his hand moving sinuously to mimic the rushed construction job. Consider the Stretch at Saratoga, supplanting much-mourned sections X-Z, and in the process attempting to streamline the Spa experience into something marketable and above all moneymaking. Consider Hollywood Park, not just defunct but destroyed: Citation’s million-dollar win has no basis in material reality, only in memory and media--notoriously unreliable formats. 

American racing resists popular narrative, and American narratives typically have little interest in racing unless a bow-wrapped happily-ever-after is available. It’s hard to imagine Seabiscuit getting greenlit these days; anyway, the true proving ground of any medium is ubiquity, not singularity. In this way, Shannon Pufahl’s debut novel On Swift Horses arrived as a stunning gust of fresh air. The Del Mar of the mid-1950s is both central and tangential to the book, at one point the fulcrum on which the plot turns and elsewhere an everyday backdrop. Not all secrets are illicit, and protagonist Muriel’s gradual absorption into the racetrack embraces the notion of the private life, the fundamentally solitary nature of railbirds, the quiet bestowed on the solo racegoer among a packed apron of screaming bettors. To a reader not born to the track, the way Muriel learns and moves feels like a gift. The eavesdropping, the cadence mimicked after people who know what they’re about have moved out of earshot; the matching of gleaned knowledge to physical evidence, the half-fearful thrill of the first brush through the turnstile, first drink, first bet. Muriel’s experience in 1956 mirrors mine in 2015, the discovery of a gate to forbidden country and then the discovery that there are no gatekeepers. 

The first time is a transgression, Pufahl writes. The second is a strategy. Her novel is many things, but above all a story of essential gambles, sleight of hand and betting against the house and handicapping from every angle and snatching information both hidden and plain as day, all of it necessary to queer women and men in the not-so-distant past. Protagonist Julius’s perspective is an inverse of Muriel’s, yet both halves of the story employ gambles and the peculiar codes of cards and horses as analogy, poetry, and plot drivers in pursuit of the true self. If we can learn the new language of the racing form, what other languages might be out there for the speaking? Muriel’s bildungsroman refers to itself throughout: the cloaked bywords used by queer men in San Francisco call back to the horsemen’s vocabulary she picks up at her waitressing job. The celebratory kiss she receives from a fellow female horseplayer at the track foretells her affair with a lone homesteading woman neighbor. As in another classic of belated coming-of-age, On Swift Horses is concerned not only with the moment of awakening, but the reality that we never stop awakening. 

A treasure map leads from point A to the final X, marking the spot of reward. Julius and Muriel’s stories are deeply concerned with maps, as Julius drifts across borders in search of his fled beloved and Muriel follows the inadvertent trail laid by the horsemen who frequent her workplace. All great California writing is place-writing; Didion and Babitz, Steinbeck and Solnit all understood the state as a map continually rewritten, the sort of Borgesian map that is to scale with its uncharted emotional territory. Julius breaks his own ground, seeding the earth from Nevada to California to Mexico with clues that he hopes might come back to him. Muriel’s map is written across bodies--her own and her husband’s, those of the men who dance with her in the Chester Hotel and the women whose lives portend something her own might become-- and its treasures are those which hide in plain sight. Wealth is knowledge, in love as in racing, passed between those with shared language. As we say in libraries, sometimes seriously, information wants to be free. The flow of love in a cellar where Julius meets a man he knows and doesn’t nestles against the flow of luck in which Muriel swims at Del Mar. The physical evidence of men’s love shows itself in graffiti, names and hearts, while luck appears in green stacks with near-endless utility. To be recognized, to have words to describe experience, is to be rich. The culmination of Julius and Muriel’s treasure-seeking is a life writ larger, more real, closer to exact, nearer the divine.

Seeing the racetrack and its denizens serve a larger story is rewarding, as Pufahl is concerned less with one singular big-ticket affair than with the mosaic and continuous. I’ll always err on the side of the mundane, versus the stellar. Seabiscuit was one in a million, Citation the first to crack a million, but around the country races go on every day. Racing is a micro-sport which is at its most beneficent and rich when experienced through the macro. When you get down to it, luck can’t be bucked; the joy of handicapping is in its endless permutations, or maybe in fooling yourself, but in either case there is always something larger at work, impassive as evolution. The great joy of Saratoga sections X-Z was their formlessness, their potential to be shaped to each racegoer’s inclinations, a terra nullius waiting for its cartographers. On Swift Horses is an echo of American racetracks as civic and integral, a love letter to finding new words for old impressions, groundbreaking, intimate, and hopeful.

[thelensofyashunews]

Bktherula Makes Her Mark With “Crayon,” Announces Her Upcoming Project

Known for her signature swagger and mesmerizing lyricism, Atlanta rapper Bktherula is quickly rising to the top of the rap game. Today, the breakout star officially announces LVL5 P2, her upcoming project, releasing on March 8th. The highly anticipated album is an embodiment of Bk’s new style of rap psychedelia, blending distorted and chaotic soundscapes with unapologetic flows and ethereal melodies. LVL5 P2 is the follow-up to her acclaimed 2023 album LVL5 P1. 

Along with the album announcement, Bktherula shares her new single “Crayon.” Keeping her composure as she repeats unbothered flexes, Bk makes a statement on the track, affirming that this is her year: “And that b*tch talk so much shit but she ain’t gon’ say nun’…If you wanna race me up to the top then b*itch put the Tay-K on,” Bk spits over a hypotonic synth melody and abrasive yet addicting drums. In the video, Bk recruits a crew of creatives to New York, as she explores the city and experiments with her favorite Crayola colors.

“Crayon” arrives a month after the release of Bk's “It Wasn’t Me (Freestyle)” via On The Radar, which was preceded by “TATTI” and “CRAZY GIRL 2” featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again — a remix of “CRAZY GIRL” from last year’s LVL5 P1. Prior to LVL5 P1, she released her EP Love Nirvana (Acoustic), featuring original and newly stripped-down versions of beloved tracks, including “UH HUH,” “Tweakin’ Together” and “Summer.” 

The new single, as well as the rest of her new tunes, will receive a warm welcome when Bk joins PinkPantheress on her "Capable of Love Tour," which will be trekking all over the U.S. this April. Click HERE to buy tickets and see tour dates.

Recently named to Forbes' annual 30 Under 30 list, Bk has built a devoted following by releasing tracks that showcase her raw emotions. Now, with “Crayon,” she’s done it again — delivering a track that’s as unique as it is captivating.

CAPABLE OF LOVE TOUR 2024 NORTH AMERICA DATES: Sat Apr 06 – Detroit, MI– Saint Andrew's Hall ^ Sun Apr 07 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall ^ Wed Apr 10 – Montreal, QC – Théâtre Beanfield ^ Fri Apr 12 – Boston, MA – Royale ^ Sun Apr 14 – New York, NY – Brooklyn Paramount ^ Wed Apr 17 – Chicago, IL – Metro * ^ Sat Apr 20 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl Nashville + Mon Apr 22 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues Dallas + Wed Apr 24 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall + Thu Apr 25 – Austin, TX – Emo's Austin + Sun Apr 28 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park + Tue Apr 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium +

^ With Bktherula + With Kanii 

[muskokafarm]

Muskoka Farm - World Class Breaking and Pre Training Facility

A world class horse breaking and pre training facility in Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales has been put up for sale. It's a scarcely believable offering.

The 280 acre property has five stable barns with 58 stables, 27 day yards and 10 large fully fenced spelling paddocks. It also features three tracks (1000m sand, 2900m crusher dust and 2400m turf), a fail safe water supply and private, government compliant quarantine facilities. To know more about pre training, visit the Muskoka Farm website or call (02)45663106.

The Thoroughbred breeding industry makes a significant contribution to Australia’s regional economy and supports thousands of jobs. A world class facility for breaking, pre training, spelling and agistment, Muskoka Farm has long held a renowned reputation as a breeding and preparation establishment with a proven track record of success.

A two-hour drive north of Sydney, the 280-acre property is home to state-of-the-art thoroughbred training facilities that are unparalleled in Australia. It is capable of accommodating up to 200 horses with a total of five stable barns and 58 stables, a 2000m crusher dust track and 10 large fully-fenced paddocks, as well as a high speed treadmill and a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

The property also features a beautiful four-bedroom double-storey main homestead overlooking the arresting Hawkesbury River, complete with a private jetty/pontoon, large outdoor pool and helipad. There are also two-bedroom guest houses and a facility manager’s cottage.

In addition to its state-of-the-art spelling and training facility, Muskoka Farm offers a variety of other facilities. This includes a high-speed treadmill, private pontoon and a large outdoor pool. In addition, the property has dozens of day yards and five stable barns.

Horse breaking is an important part of a thoroughbred's development. It teaches them to become comfortable in a bridle and under saddle, which can help prevent behavioural problems down the road. It is also a good way to get a horse ready for racing.

The farm is located in Gunderman, New South Wales, and has a number of top-of-the-line facilities for preparing race horses. Its ten large, fully-fenced paddocks and 2.4-kilometre crusher dust track make it a favorite with trainers around the country. The property is also equipped with a 24-hour helipad and a veterinary clinic. The 240 hectares of land at Muskoka Farm are surrounded by natural bushland. The facility can handle up to 200 horses.

If you are looking for a place to train your horse, consider Muskoka Farm. This facility is state of the art and provides everything you need for a thoroughbred training experience. It is also very close to the racetrack, making it easy for you to visit your horse during races.

The facility has a reputation for producing the nation’s top gallopers. It has been home to Emancipation, Marauding, Bint Marscay, Circles Of Gold, Dance Hero, Grand Armed and Might And Power among others.

It has an extensive list of clients, including Hollywood celebrities and sports stars. In addition to racing, it hosts numerous events and weddings. It is also a popular cottaging destination. Some of the best cottaging spots are located along the shores of Muskoka’s many lakes. Some of these include Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau, and Lake Joseph. In recent years, a number of celebrity couples have built retreats in the area. These include Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Martin Short.

The thoroughbred breeding industry makes a significant contribution to Australia’s regional economy. Its stallion fees, sales profits and racehorses themselves contribute to thousands of jobs. Located in Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales, the Muskoka Farm is a world class spelling and training facility that offers breaking, pre-training and agistment.

The 280-acre property is surrounded by national parks and is constantly evolving its approach to horse care. It has a state-of-the-art training center, including a 2400m crusher dust track and a two-kilometer grass track for pace work. It also features a high speed treadmill and an equine pool. To know more about pre training, visit the Muskoka Farm website or call (02)45663106.

Natalie is the managing director of the spell and agistment facility, which is owned by Australian businessman David Boehm. She grew up riding horses and has been involved in the racing industry since 1983. She worked for the British Bloodstock Agency in London and Newmarket, and for 8 years with Racehorse Securities as a Scientific Officer. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Sciences and a Graduate Diploma in Equine Management from Macquarie University.

[sohannabarberaesque]

With Top Cat's clowder at no less than the Farmer's Market at 3rd and Fairfax, Hollywood

[Mise en scene: Du-Par's, having one of their storied early-morning breakfasts, when the following scene transpires--]

CHESSIE THE AUTOGRAPH HOUND, as obnoxious as ever: HI!! Can I have your auto--

TOP CAT, interrupting: Number one, we're not interested; number two, you're probably in the wrong flicktoon; and number three, your own sick mother runs on a wet track at Thistledown!

[Thankfully, Chessie flees the scene, sensing what was up. Meanwhile--]

CHOO-CHOO, with the usual glibness: Well, that certainly gave her the brush off, TC!

TOP CAT: I admit, boys, it's alright we get sincere and good faith autograph and selfie requests from legitimate fans and tourists, but believe you me, Chessie and suchlike "stage-door Janes" are just pains-in-the-butt!

BENNY THE BALL: Jeez, TC, the way you gave that rather obnoxious Chessie the brushoff was one for the books!

TOP CAT: Point taken, Benny, point taken!

BRAIN: Uh, TC, where's this "Thistledown" you spoke about in giving Chessie the runaround?

TOP CAT: Thistledown's a racetrack outside Cleveland, Brain, and what's more, it was probably the first racecourse as poppsed into my mind ... would it have been any different if I had referenced the likes of, say, Latonia? Oaklawn? Monmouth Park? Narragansett? Evangeline Downs? Canterbury--

FANCY-FANCY: So what's your interest with horse racing as a way of taking Chessie the Autograph Hound down a peg?

[TC, at any rate, looks confused to the point of double take, which becomes good for a laugh--and more, especially among the early tourist crowds and Hollywood types spotting the celebrated clowder over brekkie and requests autographs, &c.]

[wizteamincil]

Attractions and Places To See around Lake Zurich Lake Zurich, Illinois

Lake Zurich, Illinois has many landmarks and places to visit in your spare time. There are two major casinos around Lake Zurich, the Grand Victoria Casino and Hollywood Casino. Both have slot machines, poker tables, and table games. There's also a horse race track, Hollywood Park Racetrack, for spectators to watch horse races. A few yards away from the casino is an arcade with games of skill or chance. Each of these landmarks has its own fun things to do.

North Barrington

The North Barrington Park District offers many activities for people of all ages. You can choose from 14 different parks, which include an aquatic center, playgrounds, ball fields, and more. The park district also has two golf courses that are open year-round.

North Barrington was largely rural until the late 1960s when developers began to build residential subdivisions on former farmland. In 1972 it was incorporated as a village after residents voted to separate from Barrington Township; it remained an unincorporated area until then because residents were concerned about increased taxes and traffic congestion if they incorporated into a municipality.

Echo Lake

Echo Lake is a great place to visit in the spring, summer, and fall. The lake is located in Chicago's northwest suburbs and is a popular spot for boating, fishing, camping, and swimming. It's also home to an amusement park that features rides for kids of all ages.

Echo Lake Park has been around since the early 1900s when it was known as Wilder Park. The park was renamed Echo Lake after World War II when it became a popular spot for families looking for entertainment.

Old Orchard Country Club

This is a small area along the south side of Lake Zurich that is perfect for fishing and relaxing. There are two public boat launches near this area, as well as plenty of parking for vehicles. This is also a great place to launch your own boat from as well, especially if you want to take a ride on the navigable waters of Lake Zurich.

Lake County Fairgrounds

The Lake County Fairgrounds is located in Grayslake, Illinois, about 20 miles north of Chicago. The Fairgrounds is the oldest county fair in Illinois and has been a tradition in Lake County since 1852. It runs from late July through early August every year with more than 200 events over the course of eight days. The fairgrounds host many different types of entertainment including live music, carnival rides, livestock shows and competitions, demolition derby races and more. There are also plenty of food options available at the fairgrounds including a variety of concession stands selling hamburgers, hot dogs, and other snacks.

Long Grove Historic Village

The Long Grove Historic Village is an outdoor museum that recreates life in the early 20th-century town of Long Grove, Illinois. Many of the buildings are original structures moved there from other locations around Lake County; others were built specifically for use at Long Grove Historic Village by local craftsmen using traditional building methods and materials such as wood or brick.

Takeaway: Here are a few things to do while you are in the area if you are interested in exploring a little bit. Some of these places are just around the corner and some require a short drive or bike ride, but all of them should be worthwhile visits.

Are You Looking for a hard surface cleaning near me in Lake Zurich, Illinois?

If you are looking for a hard surface cleaning near me in Lake Zurich, Illinois, then look no further than Wiz Team Inc. Our maids are the most professional and trusted house cleaning service in the Chicago land area. We offer a wide range of services including full room cleanings, deep cleans, weekly cleaning plans, and much more!

Wiz Team Inc. 490 Telser Rd, Lake Zurich, IL 60047 (847) 526-6060

[laresearchette]

Sunday, December 04, 2022 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: MERRY TEXTMAS (Lifetime Canada) 8:00pm UNDERCOVER HOLIDAY (W Network) 8:00pm HOME TOWN (HGTV Canada) 8:00pm FIT FOR CHRISTMAS (Global) 8:30pm GEORGE & TAMMY (Crave) 9:00pm THE REBELLIOUS LIFE OF MRS. ROSA PARKS (MSNBC) 10:00pm THE L WORD: GENERATION Q (Crave) 11:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT: HOUSEBROKEN (FOX Feed) B&B MERRY (Premiering on December 11 on CTV Life at 8:00pm)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

CBC GEM W1A (Season 1)

CRAVE TV A CHRISTMAS PRESENT GEORGE & TAMMY (Season 1, Episode 1)

NETFLIX CANADA THE BLIND SIDE SPACE JAM (1996)

FIFA WORLD CUP SOCCER (TSN3/TSN4) 9:45am: Round of 16: France vs. Poland (TSN4) 1:45pm: Round of 16: England vs. Senegal

NFL FOOTBALL (TSN) 1:00pm: Commanders vs. Giants (TSN) 4:00pm: Dolphins vs. 49ers (TSN/TSN3/TSN5) 8:15pm: Colts vs. Cowboys

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 3:00pm: Wild vs. Stars (TSN3) 3:00pm: Ducks vs. Jets (SN) 7:00pm: Sharks vs. Sabres

NBA BASKETBALL (SN1) 3:30pm: Nuggets vs. Pelicans (SN Now) 6:00pm: Lakers vs. Wizards (SN1) 6:00pm: Celtics vs. Nets (SN1) 9:00pm: Pacers vs. Trail Blazers

A HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS (Crave) 5:00pm: Jessica is an up-and-coming filmmaker who's made a name for herself by directing Christmas movies. However, when a network executive threatens to halt production on her latest film, she finds herself juggling all the classic tropes of Hollywood.

LONG LOST CHRISTMAS (W Network) 6:00pm:  Hayley is an interior designer who plans to surprise her recently widowed mother with the perfect holiday present -- the extended family she knows her mom yearns for.

HEARTLAND (CBC) 7:00pm: Amy and Lou go on a road trip to stop a Miracle Girl imposter; Tim puts on a rodeo school showcase, but a series of mysterious events threaten the show; Amy questions if she should visit Finn...AND THE HORSIES!

FRIDAY NIGHT THUNDER (APTN) 7:30pm: The drivers head to Brockville for the final weekend of the Action Sprint Tour, but there's some nasty weather brewing that threatens to interfere with the championship. The wet track makes driving slow and difficult. Will the drivers get to race?

A MERRY CHRISTMAS WISH (Super Channel Heart & Home) 7:30pm: An NYC advertising executive returns to her hometown to sell the family farm but instead reconnects with her childhood friend and gets involved with organizing the yearly Winter Wonderland, which takes place on the property.

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (CBC) 8:00pm:  Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding invite the stars from the drama "It's a Sin" to join them in the white tent to celebrate Christmas.

THE BIG BAKE (Food Network Canada) 8:00pm: During the festive season, Santa Paws delivers presents to the best-behaved creatures. The baking teams hop to it by creating a cake featuring an animal kingdom Santa that won't ruffle judges Ron Ben-Israel, Eddie Jackson and Danni Rose's feathers.

STEPPIN’ INTO THE HOLIDAY (CTV Life) 8:00pm: Sparks fly between a former Broadway star and the owner of a dance studio as they work together to revive a traditional Christmas Eve show.

AUSSIE GOLD HUNTERS (Discovery Canada) 9:00pm

KENTUCKY MURDER MYSTERY: THE TRIALS OF ANTHONY GRAY (Investigation Discovery) 9:00pm:  After James and Vivian Gray are found shot to death in their home in 2007, their only son, Anthony, is put on trial for the crime.

OUTBACK OPAL HUNTERS (Discovery Canada) 10:00pm:  The Bushmen's new claim turns dangerous; Pete and Sam's vision takes shape.

THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND (History Canada) 10:00pm: Armed with more evidence that the garden shaft is connected to a possible series of tunnels in the Money Pit, the team begins the arduous work necessary to get a team member underground.

GOT IDENTITY (APTN) 11:30pm: Nelson asks his brother about that time he wore 'brown face' for Halloween, later Nelson sits down with the director of the show to chat about his family's connection to the most famous fake Indigenous person the world had ever seen, Grey Owl.

[black-john-lennon-archive]

@notenoughtogivebread you mentioned that i may have met a few Coopers. Yes I have. And i have these headcanons.

Cooper will mansplain LA geography to an LA native though he’s never been anywhere except West Hollywood, The Valley, Silverlake, Beverly Hills and he was a block into Culver City because that’s where Sony is. He only started going to Downtown LA ane Echo Park after they gentrified.

He has tried every trendy food imaginable. Sushirito? Check. Charcoal ice cream? Check. Gentrified PB&J which is basically an Overpriced Uncrustable? Check (and that’s a real thing)

He will go to the opening of an envelope if he thinks he can get his picture taken. He went to see Beyonce at The Rose Bowl and didn’t even stay to the end.

He once shared an apartment with six guys because it was in the New neighborhood and was $3500 a month for two bedrooms.

He has a karaoke bar he goes too when he needs an ego boost. He goes at 11:30 on a Friday when it’s busiest, sings a song he knows he can slay (Usually something 80’s) and feeds off the applause. Unfortunately this is also a habit Blaine picked up. Only difference is Cooper spends the night with girls hanging all over him.

When Cooper first moved to LA he worked at Structure. Then at Diesel. He took classes at Santa Monica College. He quit retail and school when he got the free credit check commercial.

[tommyspeakycap]

Hi love, I adore your writing so much! And as you just asked for some ideas/concepts here’s mine for Jack Grealish from prompts list 2: fluff #11 where he’s asking her (she’s his best friend) to go for a walk cause there’s so much going on in his life and he just needs to talk. fluff #36, angst #31 and a happy ending please? Basically a Best friends to lovers thing as I’m a sap for that…thank you!! xx

Fluff #11; “I know it’s 2 in the morning but do you want to…”

Fluff #36; “because I fell for you, isn’t it obvious?”

hope I did this justice for you!

Fell for you

“Jesus god,” you grumbled with hands aimlessly palming across the mattress for the blaring sound of your phone from its place charging somewhere on the bed. Your next move is an elongated “Ahhhhh,” sound, fatigue still holding tightly onto your body in a way that seals your eyes shut even as you try to shut off the sound your phone was deafening your with. In a wakened state, you might’ve noticed that it was your ringtone that had interrupted your sleep. However as tired as you were you ruled it as your alarm right away and moved yourself into seated position with the duvet still wrapped tight around you and your eyes still shut.

You were suspended in that space between being asleep and being awake, still sitting up when the offensive sound came screaming through your phone once again.

This time, your eyes snapped open in fright and the fatigue-blurred letters of Jack Grealish’s name popped up across the top of your screen.

“How is it morning already?” You protest down the line, a heavy sigh passing your lips to follow. Jack’s chuckle can be heard through the line, “It’s not.” He replies simply, prompting you to pull your phone away from your ear to hold out in front if your face.

02:17am

“Then why on earth am I up?” You mumble, a question more posed to yourself than the man on the other end. “Wait, why are you up? And why are you calling so early?”

“I’m outside your door.”

“You’re what?!” You throw back your duvet and swing your legs over the side of the bed. You’ve hung up the phone already by the time you reach the front door at a tired shuffle. His hair is tousled when you see him, like he’s been running his hands through it over and over, you imagine that he has. He does that when he’s stressed. You have to squint against the street lights and his car headlights outside, still on as it sits running on the street. “Can we go somewhere?” He asks, his voice as desperate as his eyes look when he speaks, begging you to agree. Not that he would need to beg. You’d do anything for that man. Even if it did mean dragging yourself from your bed at 2 in the morning.

“Course.”

No question, no pressure. He loves that from you. He knows you’ll ask him later and when the time is right you’ll force him to tell you of course. Now is not that time yet and you’re nowhere near awake enough to do so much anyway. “Let me just grab my-“

“I have a hoodie in the car and your shoes in my boot.” He cuts in, tugging your arm gently out the door of your house. He knows you better than any other person in this world, so he knows full and well that there’s not much you are going to do in the way of protesting when you’re so soon out of sleep. He’d often teased with layers of worry deeper beneath that he genuinely worried for you living on your own. You open the door to people far too easily, and he will not fail to bring that up sometime tomorrow. For now, he steps into your doorway where you had stood moments before, grabs your keys from the cabinet and pulls the door closed behind him with a click of the latch locking behind him.

The cold paving stones beneath your feet make you shine in protest, shifting your weight between each one to ease the chill. In was in that cold that you look down and make the realisation, or rather come to remember the fact that you don’t have any pyjama bottoms on. “Jack!” You yelp, “I’m not wearing trousers!” You suddenly feel very exposed and rightly so, standing outside your home suddenly very awake in only a long claret and blue shirt that only extended down to the middle of your thighs. “Eh?” He whips around, “You what?”

It’s only now he really takes you in with rosy cheeks from embarrassment, your hair messed up from your sleep. His frantic eyes soften and his heart stops thundering in his chest finally. The sight of you there calms him. You’re there. Right there. His (y/n) is right there in front of him.

“What’s the rush, Jack? Is everything okay?”

Your gentle words and tired eyes bring him back to the ground, the flurry of his racing thoughts only now finally calmed. He often acts on impulse, but you are always able to slow his brain down a few paces. His sits heavily, "I know it's two am but...do you think we could go somewhere. My heads fuckin'... I don't even know." He dips back down to run that hand through his hair once again. His words stoke a bit of a worry in you, head tilted to the side in question. Jack doesn't tend to be the kind who gets himself panicked and all wound up like he has right now. That's more your half of the friendship. You did the worrying, he did the easygoing.

"It's okay, Jack. Of course. Come on then, let's go." You nod your head and he goes around the back of the car to get the shoes and socks he promised you. You very nearly choked up a lung when he presented you with a brand new Balenciaga box. "What the fuck, Jack?" You all but wheeze out, head whipping towards him climbing into the passenger seat.

"Got you a present 'cause I'm leaving soon." He shrugs with a jaw-dropping ease. You list open the lid and inside sit a pair of sliders that cost nearly £400. You physically gawp. "Oh my god."

"What?" Jack asks, drawing out of his parking spot on the street, "Heard you telling your mum you needed new sliders for the summer, do you not like 'em?"

His nerves would be clear in his voice if you hadn't been in such a ferocious level of shock. You're glad you weren't eating anything because it surely would have choked you to death. Of course you had seen Jack wearing brands like Balenciaga, Gucci, Versace and the likes, but you had never owned such an expensive piece of clothing. "I mean of course I love them, J but I meant from Primark or bloody amazon, you shouldn't have spent al that money on me." You protested, but Jack really pays it no mind. In fact, the suggestion that you don't deserve everything luxurious that this world has to offer offends him more than it does anything else. You should know that you deserve everything good that this world can give and he has the means to actually give that to you. He'd count himself an absolute fool not to.

"Gonna pretend you didn't say that." He mutters, eyes kept carefully on the empty road ahead of his car. Your eyebrows are furrowed, a part of you brain still very much trying to a) wake up and b) process the expensive of the gift he handed to you so casually. "Not arguing about it either." His voice cuts you off the second you open your mouth to speak, shutting down your protest before it even leaves you.

As the fatigue of your sleep wears off, your mind continues to be just as boggled as it had been the moment his name popped up on your screen at 2am, if not more boggled now.

"You're acting so weird, Jack. What the hell is going on with you today?" Your insistence is careful with your pressure. It's enough to try to open him up but not enough to make it sound like a confrontation. Neither you nor Jack like confrontation especially with each other. The words make him chew on his lip as he careens the large white range rover through a turn that leads up a gravel road that crunches beneath his tires. The stops when he's met with a with a large gate that prevents cars but a little slot for people to walk through. Jack leaves his door open when he leaves the car with a curtly mumbled "Stay here" as he does. He pushes open the gate with ease before he gets back in the car and follows the path up the hill further.

He stop abruptly in a very small gravel car park without any parking lines to abide and steps out, slamming his door behind him like he absolutely always does; you swear that man couldn't be quiet if his life depended on it. Which was another reason why you were so surprised by his silence. You clamber out after him with that same fear of falling flat on your face that always fills your mind each and every time you leave his car. But Jack is where he has been every time you step out the Range Rover since the first day he got it; standing by your door to hold your hand so you can jump out without a trip onto the gravel beneath. He shuts the door behind you and hands you a spare pair of his loose fitting track pants.

On an average day you might've teased the reason he hasn't worn them was because they wouldn't have squeezed the life out his legs. Today wasn't one of those days, so you slip them on without a word. Followed up by his way too big for you socks and the brand new black slides. Even wide awake, this confuses you to no end. Jack was never quiet and never elusive. He was boisterous, loud, open and confident.

The second you turn around, you realise why he brought you here.

The view of the stars, the sky completely clear. There wasn't a street lamp in sight. The moon provided the kind of spotlight hue that you kind of thought only existed in the enhancement of Hollywood movies. "Woah," you breathe, words stolen by its beauty.

"Yeah," Jack laughs, "Now you know how I feel every time I look at you."

You head turns to him so fast it sends your head spinning a little, or maybe that's just the shock of his words. You couldn't tell.

"What?"

He shrugs his shoulders, scuffing his feet along the gravel to meet up with where you stand. But he freezes before he gets the chance.

"Why are you wearing that?" He asks, a very sudden cold change in his tone that actually makes your body feel colder. "Wearing what? This?" You gesture to the claret and blue shirt you had thrown on in a haste to get to him standing at your front door a short while ago. You turn to see his unhappy scowl and the firm discontented cross of his strong arms. "Yeah that," he grumbles, "And where'd you even get it." He adds with a flare of his nostrils. He looks adorable angry like this, like he's trying so hard to look angry when his emotions lie truly elsewhere.

You look down at the shirt with furrowed brows, before you shift your shoulder forward, crane your neck and pull the material around to view the back as best you could. "What's wrong with it?" You ask finally, attempts to defy the natural state of your body failing to allow you to see your back.

"It's Ginny's." Jack states as if its the most obvious thing in the world. You just look at him bewildered. "And?"

He huffs as he takes a few more heavy steps up to you, looking like he had a lot of things to say without any way of being able to get them to coordinate from his brain to his lips. "Why do you have Ginny's shirt though?"

You breathe a little bit of laughter at him, shaking your head softly. "it was just a joke. I saw him after a match waiting for you so I jumped out at him and pretended to be a fan for a video and he signed it and gave to me as a joke. I just threw it on when you showed up at my door in the middle of the night. Wasn't exactly a fashion statement."

Jack still grunts in dissatisfaction at your answer, refusing to meet your eyes. "You have plenty of mine to wear though, don't need his." His argues in a disgruntled grumble. You raise and drop your arms down by your side with a sigh. He was really testing your patience now. "Hm, last time I checked you couldn't give me yours anymore because your ex didn't like it." You protest with a wag of your finger, making him turn his head downwards with something like a shudder running through him at the mention of her name. "Yeah well there's a reason she's my ex innit." He mutters under his breath.

"What the hell is the problem with you today Jack?" You exclaim, his eyes jolting to you in surprise. You don't often snap.

"First you show up at my door in the middle of the night and drag me out of my house and then you won't actually speak to me and now you're picking a fight about John M fucking Ginn?" You snap, the anger and confusion he had stirred up showing in your emphatic hand gestures that only come out when you're telling him a passionate story or going off your head at him. "He's your best mate, why would that even bother you?!"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"I'm not done, Jack!" You yell, holding out a hand. "You haven't even spoken to me all week. I found out you made the England call up on fucking twitter Jack, twitter! And your mum told me about you dumping your girl and I can't even get through to you and now you're buying me gifts and bringing me here? I don't know if I'm coming or going here Jack, you have to give me something. We're meant to be friends." You voice breaks on the last syllable and a lump forms in Jack's throat that he can't just swallow away. Any pain, any hurt and any slight sadness of emotion that appears in you shatters his heart. He thought that was a normal reaction until two weeks ago when he realised it only happens to him when its your upset he witnesses.

"I'm sorry." He says, his voice thick and wavering with the same level of emotion. "I really, really am." He stands right in front of you now, so close you're basically chest to chest, faces merely inches apart.

"And I'm scared." He admits, sending a pang through your already aching heart. "Scared because I'm leaving and I can't take you with me." His words tickle your lips as they leave his, clouds of air puffing above the two of you as his hot breath meets the cold night air. "You've done it before, J. It'll be fine." You soothe, hands gently raising to reach up and brush the hair out of his face. His let's forth a content sigh of relief at the feeling of your touch. "That was before though." He confesses with a slight shrug. He watches that furrow sow itself back into your brows.

"Before what?"

"Dance with me?" He suggests, his arms finding their way around you with ease, much less fumbley than you remember from your high school prom. Your head tilts in that adorable confused way that makes a grin form on his cold lips.

"Why?" You query, eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion. He laughs softly. "Because the music is slow and the sky is gorgeous and because I love you."

Before you get the chance to recognise, process or even understand what he said, he's swaying you around the gravel under the stars.

"Because you what?" You squeak, your eyes desperately searching his as you look for any reason this might be some kind of a joke or one of pranks that makes you want to throttle him. He just smiles at you with those crinkled eyes and the love shining right there in his eyes for you to see. Your stomach flutters like the teenager you were when you fell in love with him. His lips dip down to capture yours in the best kiss that your being has ever felt, his hands ringing your hair, stroking down over your cheeks with those warm hands of his.

"Because I've fell for you, isn't it obvious?"

[parksaversnews]

10 Most Thrilling Rides at Universal Studios Orlando

Get ready for the ultimate adrenaline rush at Universal Studios Orlando! This world-renowned theme park is home to some of the most thrilling, heart-pounding rides on the planet. From soaring roller coasters to immersive dark rides, there's no shortage of excitement around every corner. In this article, we'll count down the 10 craziest rides at Universal Studios Orlando, giving you an in-depth look at what makes each one so exhilarating. We'll cover key details like the thrill level, ride duration, height requirements, location within the park, and the popular characters and themes that bring these attractions to life. By the end, you'll be ready to tackle Universal's most extreme adventures on your next visit. Let's dive in!

10. Revenge of the Mummy Kicking off our list is Revenge of the Mummy, an intense indoor roller coaster located in the New York section of Universal Studios Florida. This high-speed thrill ride launches you through dark passageways and fiery special effects as you try to escape the wrath of the evil mummy Imhotep. - Thrill Level: 7 out of 10 - Ride Duration: 3 minutes - Height Requirement: 48 inches - Location: New York, Universal Studios Florida - Popular Characters/Themes: The Mummy film franchise, ancient Egyptian curses Revenge of the Mummy packs several thrilling elements into its compact layout, including a 39-foot drop in total darkness and swarms of insects and scarab beetles projected all around you. The coaster reaches speeds of 45 mph and features sudden launches and stops that will leave your heart racing. It's an ideal first "big" coaster for thrill-seekers in training.

9. Doctor Doom's Fearfall Next up is Doctor Doom's Fearfall, a thrilling drop tower ride located in the Marvel Super Hero Island at Islands of Adventure. This attraction blasts riders 185 feet straight up in the air before sending them plummeting back down to earth. - Thrill Level: 5 out of 10 - Ride Duration: 1 minute - Height Requirement: 52 inches - Location: Marvel Super Hero Island, Islands of Adventure - Popular Characters/Themes: Marvel's Doctor Doom villain Doctor Doom's Fearfall is not for the faint of heart, especially if you have a fear of heights. After rising to the top of the imposing tower, you'll dangle for a few suspenseful seconds before free-falling back down at speeds of 40 mph. The sensation of negative G-forces is incredibly intense. If you love the butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling of defying gravity, this one's for you.

8. Jurassic World VelociCoaster Jurassic World VelociCoaster is the newest headlining thrill ride at Islands of Adventure, having opened in 2021. This extreme roller coaster is themed to the Jurassic World film franchise and features several close encounters with the vicious velociraptors. - Thrill Level: 9 out of 10 - Ride Duration: 2 minutes - Height Requirement: 51 inches - Location: Jurassic Park, Islands of Adventure - Popular Characters/Themes: Jurassic World movies, velociraptors VelociCoaster is hands-down the most intense roller coaster at Universal Orlando. It features two high-speed launches, four inversions, a 155-foot tall top hat element, and a zero-gravity stall that sends riders upside down across 100 feet of track. You'll experience up to 5 Gs of force as you race through the raptor paddock at 70 mph. Definitely not for the timid!

7. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is the signature roller coaster at Universal Studios Florida, famous for allowing riders to select their own soundtrack to jam out to during the ride. This thrilling coaster is located at the front of the park and features several exciting elements. - Thrill Level: 8 out of 10 - Ride Duration: 1 minute 45 seconds - Height Requirement: 51 inches - Location: Production Central, Universal Studios Florida - Popular Characters/Themes: Music, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit starts with a dramatic 90-degree vertical lift that pulls you straight up 17 stories before releasing you into the ride's first drop. You'll plunge down at a 65-degree angle, reaching speeds of 65 mph. The coaster includes several overbanked turns, gliding inversions, and a non-inverting loop. It's one of the most exhilarating musical journeys you can take!

6. The Incredible Hulk Coaster Keeping the thrills going strong is The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Islands of Adventure. This intense launched roller coaster is themed to Marvel's iconic green superhero and packs quite the punch. - Thrill Level: 8 out of 10 - Ride Duration: 2 minutes 15 seconds - Height Requirement: 54 inches - Location: Marvel Super Hero Island, Islands of Adventure - Popular Characters/Themes: The Incredible Hulk, Marvel Comics The Incredible Hulk Coaster starts with a powerful launch that accelerates riders from 0 to 40 mph in just 2 seconds. You'll immediately enter a zero-G roll and corkscrew high above the park before diving into a series of high-speed turns and loops. The coaster reaches a top speed of 67 mph and includes a total of 7 inversions. You'll definitely feel like a superhero after conquering this beast!

5. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is a highly-themed story coaster located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure. This innovative ride puts you in the sidecar or on the driver's seat of Hagrid's enchanted motorbike as you fly deep into the Forbidden Forest. - Thrill Level: 6 out of 10 - Ride Duration: 3 minutes 25 seconds - Height Requirement: 48 inches - Location: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade, Islands of Adventure - Popular Characters/Themes: Harry Potter series, magical creatures Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure features seven total launches, the most of any roller coaster in the world. You'll catapult up to 50 mph through mysterious ruins, past towering trees, and into dark caves inhabited by blast-ended skrewts, centaurs, and even Fluffy the three-headed dog. With a backwards section and a thrilling free-fall vertical drop, this coaster is full of surprises.

4. Jurassic Park River Adventure Jurassic Park River Adventure is a classic water ride that has been thrilling guests at Islands of Adventure since opening day. This highly immersive attraction takes you through the world of Jurassic Park with realistic dinosaur animatronics before culminating in an intense final plunge. - Thrill Level: 6 out of 10 - Ride Duration: 6 minutes - Height Requirement: 42 inches - Location: Jurassic Park, Islands of Adventure - Popular Characters/Themes: Jurassic Park film franchise, dinosaurs Your adventure starts peacefully enough as you board a scenic river raft and float past a 100-foot tall brachiosaurus and other docile dinosaurs. But things quickly take a turn when you enter a restricted containment area and come face-to-face with a hungry T-Rex. Your only escape is down an 85-foot near-vertical drop in total darkness that ends with a gigantic splash. You will get soaked!

3. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is the flagship attraction inside Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida. This groundbreaking 3D dark ride seamlessly blends roller coaster thrills with immersive storytelling and incredible special effects. - Thrill Level: 5 out of 10 - Ride Duration: 5 minutes - Height Requirement: 42 inches - Location: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, Universal Studios Florida - Popular Characters/Themes: Harry Potter series, Gringotts Bank Escape from Gringotts places you in the middle of an exciting adventure alongside Harry, Ron, and Hermione as you navigate the underground vaults of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. You'll encounter villains like Bellatrix Lestrange and Voldemort, get caught in the middle of a wizard battle, and plunge down a 30-foot drop. The ride vehicles pivot and spin to direct your attention to the action happening all around you. It's an unforgettable journey into the Harry Potter films.

2. Transformers: The Ride 3D Transformers: The Ride 3D is another cutting-edge dark ride that uses roving motion-base vehicles, giant screens, and 3D media to transport you into the world of the Transformers films. Located in the Production Central area of Universal Studios Florida, this intense attraction recruits you into the Autobot ranks for an epic battle against the Decepticons. - Thrill Level: 7 out of 10 - Ride Duration: 4 minutes - Height Requirement: 40 inches - Location: Production Central, Universal Studios Florida - Popular Characters/Themes: Transformers film franchise, Autobots vs Decepticons Transformers: The Ride uses a sophisticated ride system that spins, tilts, and jostles you in sync with the action happening on the screens, creating a highly realistic experience. You'll careen through city streets at up to 60 mph, narrowly dodging attacks and explosions as you fight alongside Optimus Prime and Bumblebee to protect the AllSpark from the Decepticons. With life-size Transformer animatronics, heat and water effects, and masterful storytelling, this ride is unmatched in immersion.

1. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man Topping our list of the craziest rides at Universal Orlando is The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, located at Islands of Adventure. This revolutionary dark ride has been wowing guests since 1999 with its perfect blend of 3D projection, practical sets, animatronics, and motion simulation. It's widely considered one of the best theme park rides in the world. - Thrill Level: 6 out of 10 - Ride Duration: 5 minutes - Height Requirement: 40 inches - Location: Marvel Super Hero Island, Islands of Adventure - Popular Characters/Themes: Marvel's Spider-Man The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man puts you in the middle of an action-packed mission to save the Statue of Liberty from a sinister group of supervillains. You'll don 3D glasses and board a Daily Bugle news vehicle that gets caught up in Spider-Man's web-slinging chase through the city. The ride uses a roving motion base similar to Transformers, but the action unfolds across massive wrap-around screens that fully envelop you. You'll scale 400-foot skyscrapers, nosedive off a bridge, and even come face-to-face with the villains in stunning 3D. The combination of physical sets, animatronics, heat and water effects, and high-definition 3D animation is stunningly seamless and realistic. Over 20 years later, Spider-Man still delivers a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat experience from start to finish.

Conclusion Universal Studios Orlando is a must-visit destination for thrill-seekers and theme park enthusiasts. With 10 of the craziest, most exhilarating rides in the world, there's no shortage of excitement around every corner. But it's not just about the rides. Universal Orlando offers a complete vacation experience with three amazing theme parks, immersive lands like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, incredible dining options, vibrant nightlife at CityWalk, and much more. It's the perfect destination for families, couples, and friends looking for non-stop fun and adventure. So what are you waiting for? If you're ready to take your theme park thrills to the next level, Universal Studios Orlando is the place to be. With some of the most innovative, immersive, and pulse-pounding attractions in the world, it's no wonder millions of guests flock to this incredible resort each year. Start planning your trip today and get ready for the ride of your life at Universal Orlando! Read the full article