2011 Summer Trip

I agree with that, even not being a car guy in any way, shape, or form. Plus, putting a few thousand miles on a $2,000 car will probably bring its residual value to something close to nothing, so selling it afterward will be worthless.

The other thing is, do you get free entry for life or something if you have a job at Geauga Lake? If I were Cedar Fair, it'd only be for the summer that you're an employee...I'd check that out if I were you. And if I misread it and you're taking this trip the same summer as your job, I have another question to ask: what is your boss going to say when you miss a week and a half of work to go ride roller coasters, especially for free on your company's tab?

Just came back from a KW, HP, SFGAdv., KD, and BGE trip, lol.

Also being 16, I thin you are underestimating how slowly money adds up for unexpected expenses. I used to have the same mindset as you when I was your age, so I'm not trying to be harsh. I remember thinkging "All I have to do is save this amount of money. This much money out of this check and I can do/have so and so." Wrong. It just doesn't work that way. I make 40k a year, live at home, and still have trouble saving money.

Plan small. Plan a trip to hit 2-3 parks, then go from there. Give yourself enough time at each park. It will be a blast. You have so much time to hit all of those parks. What's the hurry? If you get it all done now, you're not going to have much to look forward to.

If you hit 5-10 parks, you're most likely going to be tired of it by the time it's said and done. Parks start to look the same, and rides start to look the same. Think of when you rode your first roller coaster. It was the best roller coaster you had ever ridden. When you get close to 100, each set of rails and each park gets less and less significant. You still love it, but the new coasters just aren't as fun as they used to be.

Next summer I've got the money to hit 20 different parks, if I want to. However, I'm only planning on taking a trip to hit 3. Sometimes it's better to hold yourself back to maintain an interest in what you enjoy.

Good luck.