Yesterday we headed back out to Knott's for the 10th Annual Knott's Coaster Run. I had previously done this event 3 years ago and I have to say this years event was great, some things better, some things not so much (which we'll get into below). 

We also have some Iron Reef pics from our visit last Wednesday. 

Our Sunday morning started about 2 1/2 hours after our Saturday ended. Due to the time change we were up way too early with too little sleep. 

The start line at about 6:00am

After getting our bibs, hanging out a bit, seeing some of you who came out, we started to get in our corrals. And this was the one big issue of the day. 

The corrals made no sense. 

Usually corrals are sorted by your projected finish time. Now, I'll be honest, I can't remember if I put in a time when we registered, but I don't think we did. It seemed that the corrals were sorted by registration date, which makes NO sense. 

Hanging out in Wave 6, behind walkers and people with strollers. 

Even the people behind me were confused, or they were confused at how tired I looked. LOL. 

Now I'll admit, I'm not the fastest runner, usually around 10:30 per mile on my normal runs, but I admit it and will always put myself in an appropriate corral/wave/whatever. My wife walked the 5k and stated in the back, as it should be. 

Corral issues aside though, I will admit, that there was enough gap between waves that it really wasn't as big of an issue as it could have been. But catching up to the previous waves walker 3-4 minutes after the race started was kind of weird. 

Headed into the park

And here is the BIGGEST improvement over the last time we did the Coaster Run, actually running through the park. The last time we did it we ran around the park, but never in it. So this was awesome. 

Beware of Boomerang supports

Log ride looks awesome in the morning

Running through Ghost Town

Lines for character pictures weren't that long at all

Fog Alley

Heading out of the park

Looping around the Marketplace, through the tunnel and into Soak City

Believe it or not, this was actually my first time in Soak City. We'll certainly be checking it out this summer. 

The 5k/10k split. If you did the 5k, your course was entirely on Knott's Property (which is awesome). For the 10k the 2nd half of our race was on nearby streets, which was totally fine. Lots of great staff out to cheer you on. 

I ended up finishing the 10k in 1:03:46 and a pace of 10:07 per mile. Not my best, not my worst by a long shot. The 2nd half of the race was faster due to not having to dodge strollers and walkers.

And of course, no day at Knott's would be complete without some Boysenberry Pie. 

After a tasty breakfast at Mrs. Knott's, a post race selfie, showing off the medal in a theme park. =)

Overall, I'd give this race about a 8 out of 10, it's well organized, the course is great and the minor weirdness regarding the corral placement aside, we had an absolute blast. 

I would suggest having people with strollers at the very least start in the back next year. If you are pushing a stroller and can pass me more power to ya. But we'll certainly be back next year. 

Moving on to Knott's Iron Reef construction, they are starting to work on the outside of the building now. 

And apparently the ride vehicles have shown up at the park as well. 

The station is receiving a bulk of the work

Ground work for the building

An overview of the work area, looks like the brick is staying. 

Not sure what they are doing on this end yet

A peek inside

Around the rest of the park, is this thing ever open anymore? 

Jaguar was closed for a brief refurb, but was back open over the weekend. 

Montezooma's Revenge just returned from it's rehab and is running great as always. 

Lastly, not sure when these were replaced (probably been awhile) but they look great. I don't normally go into Camp Snoopy, just always find it weird when I'm without kids. =)

Alright, that's going to wrap it up for this update, we hope you enjoyed it. 

We'll be back at the park on the 28th for the Boysenberry Festival. Looking forward to trying out lots of great food. 

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One of our favorite events of the year is coming back later this month, the Knott's Boysenberry Festival is returning on March 28th. 
Below you'll see a tease of the Food and entertainment you can enjoy at the park as well as the opportunity to buy some of "The Sauce". 

Click the link to see our review of last years Boysenberry Festival. 

BUENA PARK, CA (February 2015) – This spring, celebrate Knott’s delicious roots during its Boysenberry Festival harvested in the theme park’s historic Ghost Town. The 16-day festival returns with an unforgettable lineup of exquisite Boysenberry Bites, dazzling entertainment, gourmet food and the Wine and Craft Brew Tasting Garden, plus the limited time return of the classic Bear-y Tales characters in a pie making kitchen, and more! 

In the 1930s Walter Knott harvested the boysenberry, a cross between a loganberry, red raspberry and blackberry, and named the new berry after its originator Rudolph Boysen.  Today, all boysenberries in the world can trace their roots back to Knott’s Berry Farm. The Park will once again make delicious history with the debut of its very own farm-made Berry Market™ Boysenberry BBQ Sauce during the widely acclaimed Boysenberry Festival. During the food fest, the tangy, finger lickin’ good sauce will add the perfect flavor to ribs, BBQ chicken, chicken wings, and more. Other must try Boysenberry Bites include fried cheese curds paired with a spicy boysenberry dipping sauce, fish and chips sandwich with boysenberry tartar sauce, Boysenberry ICEE Floats, Boysenberry Frappuccino and Latte (served at the new Gourmet Coffee Hut which proudly serves Starbucks drinks), and more charbroiled treats cooked on open-air barbeques throughout the streets of the festival. Additional fee for tastings. Guests who want to take home the exquisite sauce can do so by stopping by the Berry Market, General Store in Ghost Town or by visiting knotts.com.

In honor of the delectable berry, guests can wine, dine, dance, and buy boysenberry inspired products throughout the winding streets of the Old West.  Festival entrances will feature rustic banners and oversized boysenberries, just ripe for taking that special photo. 

Eat Your Way Through The Boysenberry With:

-          Deep Fried Alligator Pieces & Fries with Boysenberry Aioli
-          Fried Cheese Curds paired with a Spicy Boysenberry Dipping Sauce
-          Craft Beer and Wine Vendors – boysenberry wine and Belgium boysenberry beer
-          Boysenberry Trifle (vanilla cake piece, frozen boysenberry, soft serve ice cream, and whipped cream)
-          Boysenberry Frappuccino & Latte
-          Berry Market™ Boysenberry BBQ Sauce smothered on an assortment of other delectable treats (an original Knott’s Berry Farm creation)
-          And more

The Boysenberry Festival also features an extensive line up of live entertainment from sun up to sun down. At the heart of all of the excitement is Birdcage Square, located in front of the famous Birdcage Theatre. Here, a stage will be set for daily contests like pie eating, a pie walk, and Grandpa’s Boysenberry PJs Contest, where guests will race to stuff the oversized long johns with balloons. In the evening, the Square will have guests kicking up their heels with vine dancing, a down home jug band and dueling fiddlers and banjos!  At night, just inside of the Birdcage Theatre, things get krazy when Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies mount their toe tappin’, knee-slappin’, gut-bustin’ country comedy show that will have audiences clamoring for more! 

New for 2015, right up the road from Birdcage Square, kids can join the classic Bear-y Tales characters in their very own pie making kitchen inside of Ghost Town’s Craft Barn. With the help of Razz Bear-y, Boysen Bear-y and the other Bear-y family members, each beautifully painted scene will follow the world famous boysenberry from field to blue ribbon winning pie! The pint sized chefs can also make their very own delightfully sweet boysenberry tarts complete with a crumble topping. Additional cost applies for tart making.

Festival Entertainment From Sun Up To Sun Down:

-          Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies
-          Daily pie eating contests
-          Dueling Fiddlers
-          Dueling Banjos
-          Peanuts Party in the Park
-          Jammin’ in the Dark (nighttime dance party)
-          Salsa dancing
-          And more

The iconic Charleston Circle fountain transforms into a beautiful floral fountain, adorned with colorful flowers and boysenberries creating an iconic centerpiece for the celebration.  Located in the Boardwalk area, the stunning monument will serve as a dramatic backdrop for two spectacular interactive shows.  Peanuts Party in the Park celebrates spring in a big way with infectious music, vibrant set design, and an invitation for the audience to be a part of the show! After sundown, Jammin’ in the Dark will transform the blooming circle into an immersive dance party complete with illuminated boysenberries, vines and LED lighting effects affixed to the Charleston fountain; DJ HowLy will spin the hottest dance music for all ages. The boysenberry celebration is almost too much fun to stomach!

While strolling the bustling streets of Ghost Town, guests can capture the moment and the memories at boysenberry themed stand-in cutouts, like wanted posters, a boysenberry farming family and more.  Festivalgoers can also watch special demonstrations including a chainsaw wood sculpting, glass blowing and blacksmithing.  While enjoying the festival, guests may meet Ghost Town’s mayor, Mayor Desmond Ryder and his lovely wife, Josephine.  From day to night, Ghost Town has never looked so lively.

Springtime fun has also taken root in Camp Snoopy, Fiesta Village and Boardwalk. During the limited-time event, the whole family can meet the Easter Beagle in his new home, blooming with colorful springtime décor, nestled inside of the recently rejuvenated Camp Snoopy area. The meet and greet location is the perfect place for shareable moments with the boisterous beagle and his friends – Charlie Brown, Lucy, Sally and Linus. In Camp Snoopy Theatre, Lucy’s Really BIG Spring Show will showcase the Peanuts pals singing, dancing, and celebrating springtime. The theater will be filled with the sweet sound of little ones as they singing-along to the to the show’s cheerful tunes! Guests don’t have to be experts at the cha-cha-cha to enjoy Salsa Dancing in Fiesta Village, where everyone can to take to the floor to the rhythmic beat of popular Latin dance music. 

The Boysenberry Festival is included with admission to Knott’s Berry Farm, additional cost for food tasting experiences within the event, which also offers a full day of thrilling coasters and family fun rides, like the beautifully restored Calico Mine ride and the rejuvenated six-acre Camp Snoopy featuring three new rides.  Knott’s has extended hours from 10am to 10pm during the Festival March 28 – April 12, 2015 allowing guests extra time to take advantage of all of the limited-time offerings. For affordable year-round fun for everyone and to explore the all the Festival fun, Season Passes can be purchased online at knotts.com starting at $84 or with six easy installment payments of $14 now until April 12, 2015.

Join the conversation and share your day of boysenberry fun by using #KnottsSpring on Twitter and Instagram. For information about the day you plan to visit and available discounts, visit www.knotts.com, call (714) 220-5200, or download the Knott’s Berry Farm mobile app for your smartphone.

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Knott's Berry Farm invited members of the online and other media outlets to the park today for a special behind the scenes tour of both Camp Snoopy and the Calico Mine Ride. In addition, we were told all new details about both additions as well as an anticipated re-opening date for the Mine Ride. 





Before we continue we want to send a special thanks to the entire staff at Knott's for having us out today. We are still pretty amazed at the generosity bestowed upon us sometimes. For such a new site it's truly an honor to even be included with the group that was there today. 

The update will contain both pictures taken today and some great photos provided by the park. 

We'll start off with the Calico Mine Ride. Not only did we get a special treat when Bill and Garner from Garner Holt Productions presented some details about the refurbishment, but we also got a walk-through of a portion of the attraction. 

Safety first!!! 

Garner and Bill speaking to the assembled guests

Below is some concept art that was provided by the park, truly remarkable. 

They also provided us with some historical pictures of the mine ride including this one of the ride under construction

One of my favorites featuring Bud Hurlbut on one of the trains in 1960

We even got a sneak peek at some of the animatronics Garner Holt Productions is working on. As you'll recall, they did the Timber Mountain Log Ride animatronics last year and we all know how awesome that turned out. 

Calico Mine Ride Animatronics > The entirety of the new Robocop movie

Once the presentation was complete we were led over to the Mine for our tour

The work being done both inside and outside the mine is staggering.

Portions of the exterior have been completely sandblasted and repainted

They also had one of the refurbished and repainted trains out for us to see

Time to head into the mine

Our tour guide Kelley. Like most people at Knott's you can tell he loves his job. 

We got to see the first cavern and long time fans of the ride are going to be quite happy. After a long absence, the steam in this room is back. And you can feel it thanks to an all new boiler. 

A peek down the track towards the maintenance bay

And lastly, a look at some of the guys working on the Glory Hole (insert joke here)

The tentative date for the Calico Mine Ride is June 14. Once the reopening is officially announced we will be sure to let you know. 

Next, lets take a look at what's coming to Camp Snoopy. The area is getting a complete overhaul and it's going to look better than ever. The park is taking the time to turn the area back into it's original theme which was High Sierra. So gone are the race cars and giant skateboards because, as the park said, what's so High Sierra about that? 

Just like with the Mine Ride, the park has provided some great artwork and history of Camp Snoopy. The picture below might be one of my all-time favorite pictures. It's Charles Schulz with Marion and Virginia Knott. 

And Charles Schulz with Snoopy 30 years ago. 

There's so much going on in Camp Snoopy right now, hopefully I'll be able to place all the pictures with the proper artwork from Knott's. 
The first thing that really makes the refurbishment of the area stand out is all new signs for the attractions. Gone are printed signs and in their place are all-new hand made and hand painted ones. 

I think this one was my favorite. Snoopy looks fat and tired after working out, kind of like me. =)

GR8 Sk8 has been removed and in it's place will be a complete meet and greet area for the Peanuts Characters. Great idea!!! 

In addition to the new rides, the Grizzly Creek Lodge is getting a complete makeover for the first time since it opened. 

Below is what Grizzly Creek Lodge looked like 30 years ago

Let's take a look at the other improvements for Camp Snoopy and the three new rides

The biggest news from today was that the Grand Sierra Railroad is going to feature Peanuts characters and will be narrated by none other the Linus. We got to catch a bit of the new narration and there were smiles all around. 

A look at the Franklin, Sally and Woodstock figures. The big circle things they are holding will be butterfly nets. These are also being created by Garner Holt Productions. 

Let's take a look at where the three new rides are going, starting with Linus Launcher. I'm going to be 100% honest, I'm not sure what exactly is going where but I think this is a pretty good guess. 

In addition to the new ride in this area a new ADA ramp is being made for the Balloon Race. 

The construction area for Pig Pens Mud Buggies and Charlie Brown's Kite Flight

Lastly, Lucy's Tugboat has lost it's tugboat theme (because what's so High Sierra about a Tugboat) and has been renamed Rapid River Run. Looks great!! 

I have to admit, even though my children are far older than the target demographic for Camp Snoopy I'm truly excited about the amount of love and care is going into this project. I can't wait to see everything done this summer!!!

Just a couple of pictures completing our Berry Bloom coverage from Monday. We spent so much time eating we missed a couple of things. 

Great Boysenberry Festival shirts!! 

A look at some of the other merchandise available. I thought I was buying a magnet, turns out it was a coaster (I thought it seemed kind of heavy). Now I have a new coaster for my desk!!! 

I wish I could take credit for this, but it's all Dan from Westcoaster. I did ask for permission to steal the idea. ;)

Apparently there are giant topiary's at the topiary wine tasting garden. ;)

Lastly, the Bumper Cars have been renamed to Bumper Bugs for the spring, cute idea. 

That's going to wrap it up for this update. Thanks again to Knott's for inviting us to their event. We are hoping to make it out to Berry Bloom one last time before the even is over, but don't forget, the event runs only until April 27, so make sure you go!!!

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