Friday, Apr. 25, 2008

Kicks! takes a walk in The (Hard Rock) Park

A common sight these days is the long strings of earbuds trailing from the ears of everyone from teens to seniors, as they listen to their favorite tunes. Whether they’re at the gym, the supermarket or out with friends, it seems like everyone’s tuning in.

But at the Hard Rock Park off U.S. 501 in Myrtle Beach, there are no earbuds required. Throughout the grounds, there’s music _ Everlast as you stroll through the British Invasion, the Doors as you watch the nesting swans below Led Zeppelin _ The Ride. The rides themselves either play what the park is playing or are set to certain songs. Rock is definitely on the menu at this place.

We checked out the park on a Thursday evening. The first thing visitors need to know is that parking is not free. It starts at $10 and goes up if you want a better spot. Then you pay the ticket fee to enter the park. Through May 8, the park is still featuring its “Sound Check” admission price _ $40, which also includes a $10 food voucher. The vendors won’t give change for the vouchers, though, so make them count. A soft drink and an entree should just about hit the $10.

After the grand opening, the park will cost $50 to enter, plus the cost of parking. Annual passholders can park for free, so even with a $150 price tag, this actually seems like a pretty good deal if you plan to visit the park frequently.

The Bear Metal Family met visitors at the park’s gate. A girl bear with a pink bow blew me kisses while I paid for my ticket and gave out hugs to the younger visitors. The bears appear in sections of the park during its operating hours, so don’t worry if you miss them at the gate, they’ll be around.

Photographers are waiting to take your picture as you walk through the gate, and you’ll see the first of many gift shops scattered throughout the park. Photos can be picked up at the end of your park experience.

Also beginning at the gate, you’ll see the attention to detail that’s carried through the park. A ceiling features a re-creation of Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” in the Sistine Chapel with Adam holding a guitar and the words “Let There Be Rock.”

The first thing we did was head for Led Zeppelin _ The Ride, situated in the Rock’N Roll Heaven section of the park. We walked past Reggae River Falls, a spot where visitors can play on water features, as well as two theaters, and then entered the ride. In the waiting area, there are panels featuring facts about the band, but the line for the ride wasn’t long, so we breezed past these. Once in the main waiting area, people wishing to ride in the front of the rollercoaster are put in a certain line, while others are arranged according to seat numbers. A fake Wayne and Garth from “Wayne’s World” _ these guys should have studied some old “SNL” reruns _ are featured on flat screen TVs. After being tortured by the bad acting, it was a relief to enter the doors into the theater. Riders are shown a five minute video about Led Zeppelin, which includes some PG-13 shots of Robert Plant’s exceptionally tight pants, as he sings “Whole Lotta Love.” The details are good here again. The theater is dark and filled with cut-out concertgoers. At one point, tiny yellow lights glow all around you, mimicking a stadium filled with lighters. Then the doors open and you board the ride.

The wait is worth it. “Whole Lotta Love” plays through speakers while the train climbs, and Plant is wailing as you fly down the first hill and into the inversions. I loved that my favorite part of the song coordinated perfectly with the turns of the train. We got off with wobbly legs, but were eager to go again. The exit has a viewing stand where you can see the picture taken of the train on the way down the big hill and, of course, there’s a gift shop. We wandered past the shop and paused at a water fountain that dripped in the shape of guitar strings. If you put your hand on a “string,” the fountain plays a note of “Stairway to Heaven.”

We headed across a bridge to the British Invasion, watching some guys pull kites on a personal watercraft. The British section is also full of details, with the streets reversing so everyone’s on the left and plenty of references to famous spots like Carnaby Street and British food, like fish-n-chips.

We were disappointed to see the Maximum RPM ride wasn’t open, though it was noted on our map that it was “coming soon.” This ride has a rollercoaster track with an intriguing wheel in the middle of it. I’m not sure how the cars go through the wheel, but I’m dying to find out.

Other rides included the London Cab Ride, a fast, scrambler type ride, which looked kind of slow and staid from the outside, but was really fun once you climbed aboard. The Magic Mushroom Garden also featured a scrambler-type ride and some mushrooms, which seemed to intrigue one little boy.

Nights in White Satin The Trip was a fun diversion. It’s located indoors, so if the weather is hot, this is a nice break. The waiting area is filled with glowing items behind glass. In the ride area, you’re given 3D glasses, but you have to take an “Alice in Wonderland” type journey before boarding the cars. Black lights make tiny glowing colors dotting the hallway pop. A vortex of swirling colors can throw you off balance if you don’t remember to keep moving forward.

The ride is set to the Moody Blues’ hit song “Nights in White Satin” _ the extended version with the spoken word portion _ and the coordination of the ride to the song is well done. The cars spin and move slowly, allowing riders to experience the dreamy nature of the song, while cool shapes, colors and effects swirl around you. The only hiccup came at the end, when our car didn’t move for a long time, but since the park is newly opened, it’s to be expected.

Arcade games, a bouncy pit, a carousel and a stunt show are also included in the British Invasion section of the park. An amphitheatre and a smaller stage were empty, but I assume they’ll feature live music and shows after the grand opening.

We strolled into Born in the U.S.A. and past some rides for children, including the “Shake Rattle and Rollercoaster,” a small train and “Kids Rock State Park,” which featured a rock climbing wall and a ropes course that looked like fun. Both the wall and the course cost extra.

We were bummed again when we came to the Slippery When Wet ride. It was closed, and that hadn’t been noted on our park map. Park staff appeared to be checking the cars, but the ride never opened in the four hours we were at the park. The ride features a hanging car that slides down a twisty, water-filled course. A stand at the side of the ride lets passersby shoot water guns at the cars.

We moved on to the Eagles Life in the Fast Lane rollercoaster near the Cool Country section of the park. As we moved up the ramp, people were coming back, and said there was a delay with the ride. We continued and saw a minor line of people waiting to board. The train was stuck on the lift hill, but the staff got the ride going about 10 minutes later. Flat screen TVs showed the Eagles live in concert playing “Hotel California.” If you have to wait, you might as well listen to Don Henley while you do it. Turns out, that was the best thing about the ride for me.

As we came down the first hill, which was really a slight incline, one rider commented “Life in the fast lane? More like life in the slow lane.” I agreed. I was hoping for thrills, but this ride definitely didn’t deliver. Maybe younger kids not tall enough to ride the Zeppelin coaster would get a kick out of this one. This also ends in a gift shop, but there were three aquarium tanks that caught my eye amid the sea of souvenirs. Two snakes and some scorpions were contained in the tanks, but they didn’t move. I couldn’t tell if they were stuffed or just really mellow.

The kids were in full force on the Just A Swingin’ ride, as the canopy rose and the swingers swung in a large circle. A theater and the Cool Country stage were also included in this section of the park. A live band was performing on the stage and several visitors sat on log benches and enjoyed the music.

We circled through to the Zeppelin ride again. This really is the highlight of the park, and if individual ride tickets were sold, I would spend them all on this rollercoaster. The only drawback to our return ride was the wait. The film wasn’t playing correctly and staff were working to fix it, so we had to endure three cycles of the Wayne’s World wannabes.

I also found I had no interest in the film a second time. I just wanted to ride. We finally got into the boarding area and onto the ride. I was surprised to find it was even better the second time.

Hard Rock Park

Where | Hard Rock Park, 211 George Bishop Parkway, Myrtle Beach

When | 4-10 p.m. daily through May 8

How much | Admission is $40 through May 8, $50 after. Parking starts at $10.

236-7625 or www.hardrockpark.com