ACE North Central: ACE Conquers Arnolds

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originally posted on 8/21/2020 12:59:40 PM

All photos by Tom Nickeson. View full-sized image.

On Sunday August 2, a small group of 10 ACEers converged on a little park in Arnold Park, Iowa with one goal in mind: ACE Conquers Arnolds. It was a beautiful day for coasters and friends. The 10 members on hand were in for a real treat that day. For five of them, it was their first visit ever to Arnolds Park (the park and town share the same name). For another, this was the first visit there in 10 years.

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Arnolds Park delivered hospitality above what was expected. Arnolds Park raised the bar for ACE from the second attendees walked into the park. The day was supposed to start with an hour of ERT on the ACE Roller Coaster Landmark The Legend. After a few group photos, ACE ascended into the park for ERT. To the surprise of attendees, ERT was not on just The Legend but on all three coasters, which also included Little Coaster and Wild Mouse. Also during this time, attendees were able to have one-on-one conversations with maintenance and park executives.

All three coasters were included in ERT, even with the small group.
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After ERT, ACE went over to the Arnolds Park Museum (one of three different museums on property), which featured a new Vintage Pinball exhibit this year. Attendees had a Q&A session with Arnolds’ own “Pinball Wizard,” Trevor Flandrena. He shared his passion and expertise regarding his 27 vintage pinball machines there, including many tidbits of information such as the fact that pinball was once considered a gambling device. With all of Flandrena’s knowledge, it was almost like talking to a roller coaster enthusiast but on a different subject. Attendees learned about different models, different features and different traits. He talked about pinball machines the way ACEers talk about credit counts, manufacturers and styles of coasters. “His enthusiasm is contagious,” said one ACE member. Of course, everyone also got to play the pinball machines.

Trevor Flandrena shared his knowledge of pinball with attendees.
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The Raceway, a go kart track, was next on the agenda. ACE had a very heated go kart battle. But like all races, there can only be one winner. After the race, attendees enjoyed the park at leisure. Many snapped pictures or took rides on Arnolds’ collection of nostalgic rides and enjoyed a nice day in the park. Arnolds gave all attendees a $20 park card to use on food or games.

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To wrap up the day, attendees jumped aboard the Queen II and took a cruise around the lake. A perfect ending to a perfect day. This little park in Iowa is one everyone should visit. It has a personality all its own, with nostalgia being an important element on its side.

Please follow ACE North Central and Arnolds Park on Facebook for updates on how you can donate to keep this park a classic.

— Tom Nickerson, ACE North Central Regional Representative