Thrillography Goes to Blue Bayou and Dixie Landin' Trip Report

Hello :}

Back at it again. :} :}

Look where our totally random travels have taken us! We've spontaneously appeared in Baton Rouge!

Welcome to Dixie Landin' and Blue Bayou! It's a fairly obscure park with a nice little collection of steel coasters.

They include a Miler family coaster, an SDC Galaxi, and a Maurer Söhne spinner.

Oh, and this. 

This shockingly smooth Boomerang is still rockin' that Arrow train! 

WHAAAAAT! A HUSS RAINBOW?? I thought these were all retired??? 

Dixie Landin' is in quite a pleasant setting and has an equally pleasant collection of flat rides. :}

They've got one of those ancient Paratroopers that loads like a Ferris Wheel. 

What have we here??? Looks like some old ride vehicles in storage... 

Blue Bayou time! This impressive waterpark has a rich mix of old-school and new-school slides!

I'd never ridden one of these golden-oldie skid slides before, but they were totally awesome! There was a time when this was as wild as a water park could get!

Such a cool, underrated attraction that you don't see much anymore.

This nifty new ProSlide Behemoth Bowl and bight kiddie area really amp up the contrast from the park's older attractions. 

Here we have some traditional style body slides. The Black Anacondas on the left gave a surprisingly smooth ride!

A large shipwreck-themed water play area may be status quo, but this one looks particularly nice. 

Due to excessive crowds (it was a Saturday in June, after all), the lazy river had quite the line. Everyone was limited to just one ride around. 

Next to the wave pool is a nice-looking pair of 90s era toboggan slides. 

The wave pool is hoppin'!

Here we've got some mat racers and traditional speed slides, and a ProSlide Tornado hiding in the background.

All of Blue Bayou's classics are really holding up over time. These gave a great ride, too!

Oh no.

Apparently Blue Bayou isn't messing around. They have FOUR AquaLoops!

Yes, I rode one. Yes I was terrified. 

And yes, it was awesome! Way more comfortable than the dropout slides at Six Flags New England

First AquaLoop: Achieved! And what a great ride!

Here's a better look at the Black Anacondas looming over Blue Bayou!

Time to dry off and head back into Dixie Landin'! There's still plenty to see!

One last look at some of Blue Bayou's old-school slides. 

Waterparks are fun and all, but let's not lose sight of what's truly important. 

Like every other coaster at Dixie Landin', Gilbeau's Galaxi is a 2nd hand coaster.

This oldie actually began its life at New Orleans' famed Pontchartrain Beach in the early 70s, but was sent to Baton Rouge's Fun Fair Park in 1978. The vehicles are pushed by hand from the unloading area to the loading area. :}

Fun Fair Park closed in 1999, picked up all their rides, and moved next door the existing Blue Bayou waterpark. It reopened as Dixie Landin' in 2001. Fun Fair Park's other coaster, a Schiff Wild Mouse, is said to be in storage somewhere in Dixie Landin'. :}

You guys. This Scrambler is called "Jambalaya." x}

Still shocked this is here. The only other one I can think of that's still in operation is Lake Winnie's Conestoga. 

Dixie Landin' wins the award for strangest log flume name. 

Strange name or no, it's a fine specimen indeed!

The second drop is a nice size, but that first drop will get you soaked.

Loading was kind of rough on this thing, but that gave me a lot of time with this nice view!

Btw, Rajun' Cajun may have the slowest lift I have ever seen. It goes so slowly up the initial incline that at first glance it looks like it broke down. 

I'm assuming the log flume was brought in from another park (like every other major ride here), but I'm not sure from where. 

The boats on the right side of the station are totally filled with water. Can't say I've ever seen flume logs just chillin' all capsized in a station like this. 

The sun is setting on our time in Baton Rouge!

So. Wet.

Flying Tigers. Great looking Huss Enterprise!

Rajin' Cajun began its life in Wales back in 1987, at some place called "Hafan y Môr Holiday Park."


Yeah, I don't know.

Xtreme lasted two years at Drievliet Family Park in The Netherlands following a stint in the Germain Fair Circuit. It came to Dixie Landin' in 2007.

The park's only unique coaster, Loco Loco, also came to Baton Rouge a mere two years after its previous home. Formerly known by its trade name, Harvest Express, this quirky tractor-themed coaster served as a short-lived anchor to Vacaville, CA's "Nut Tree Park."

It's honestly a great ride. Sort of like Miler's answer to a Vekoma Roller Skater, but with individual lap bars!!! 

Dixie Landin's charming kiddie area is almost completely covered. Very smart for a park that has a climate akin to the fiery oceans of Hell. 

Oh look! A Delta plane ride! ;} 

Our last stop was on this particularly large S&S tower. In fact, this may be the tallest solo S&S tower that I've seen. Most of the tall ones are in pairs of two or three! (Or four if you're Cedar Point)

Best picture of the day. ;}

That's all, folks! 

Tune in next week for a short-and-sweet visit to one of my favorite places in the world: Las Vegas!