fun – Insider Irene

Screaming my head off at the Roller Coaster Capitol of the World in Sandusky, OH (Part 2)

Published on July 10, 2019July 14, 2019 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

Earlier this year I purchased a Platinum Knotts Berry Farm Annual Pass to help with my workout regime (to which I attribute a part of losing 12 lbs – post here) and also to visit Cedar Point as it was one of the participating theme parks. I had seen so many videos and articles highlighting Cedar Point’s intense roller coasters and as an adrenaline junkie I had to test it out myself.

After extensive research I found out that there were 17 roller coasters and since I was only going to be at the park for one day I decided to splurge on the Fast Lane Plus (you get a discount with your Platinum pass) to maximize my time at the park and ride EVERYTHING! It was absolutely worth the investment and I rode every big coaster at least once (except for Millennium Force – which unfortunately was closed for repairs), and several other rides more family friendly rides. To my surprise one of my FAVORITE rides wasn’t a coaster and you can read about it in the Part 1 Post.

My friend and I arrived at the park around 10:15am and rode the following coasters: Windseeker, Wicked Twister, Gatekeeper, Gondola Ride, Raptor, Blue Streak, Valravin, Rougarou, Corkscrew, Magnum XL-200, Top Thrill Dragster, Maverick (x2), and Steel Vengeance (x2). Among these Maverick was my favorite followed by Steel Vengeance (the longest line – my friend and I waited 20 minutes even with our Fast Lane Pass, but it was so worth it!) and Top Thrill Dragster, which is the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth with speeds of 120 mph in 3.8 seconds!

If I’m traveling from a way away I don’t usually visit any location twice, but I would certainly welcome another opportunity to come back to Cedar Point, and hopefully ride the award winning Millennium Force!

What’s your favorite ride of all time (either at Cedar Point or somewhere else)

XOXO,

Rockstar

Cedar Point
1 Cedar Dr, Sandusky, OH 44870
(419) 627-2350

Hours
Months: May – October (See Ticket Website for Dates Open)

First time visiting THE best theme park in the USA – Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH

Published on July 3, 2019July 14, 2019 by Insider Irene3 Comments

Over the past few months I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my weekly visits to Knott’s Berry Farm – 1) because it’s close to home and I can complete my 10k steps and 2) everyone loves Snoopy! So when summer started and I prepared for my Midwest Trip I was immensely curious on how Knott’s sister park, Cedar Point, would compare.

On my visit I got to see both Schroeder and Snoopy in the Camp Snoopy Meet and Greet, and take tons of funny photos throughout the park. However, the sheer size of the park plus the variety of rides is on another level and while I came primarily for the rollers coasters (see Cedar Point Part 2 next week!), there were a number of attractions that I loved including the Horse Racing Carousel. My gawd! How ingenious! and it actually goes pretty fast! There was also a barnyard with camels, horses, pigs, goats and other farm critters. Many of the locals and tourists alike were taking selfies with Samuel and Camel. lol And for those of you aren’t afraid of heights Winkdseeker has the most uh-mazing view of the park and lake. This swing set goes up 301 feet giving you a birds eye view of the park in it’s glory and extends out at a 45 degree angle.

Would you be brave enough to see the entire park up that high?

XOXO.

Rockstar

Cedar Point
1 Cedar Dr, Sandusky, OH 44870
(419) 627-2350

Hours
Months: May – October (See Ticket Website for Dates Open)

Reliving the Wild Wild West at Knotts Berry Farms Ghost Town Alive Event in Buena Park, CA

Published on June 12, 2019June 1, 2019 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

My investment in the Knott’s Berry Farm Season Pass has been a worthwhile one as I’ve been a regular guest since the beginning of 2019. I’ve already visited several time for the Boysenberry Festival (Post Here), Peanut Celebration (Post Here), and even lost 12 lbs through my weekly walks (Post Here). Over Memorial Day weekend Knotts began their newest series – Ghost Town Alive, where guests can roam Ghost Town and see re-enactments before their eyes. I went during the opening weekend and had a blast! As you wander through the town you’ll pick up the paper with a “Founders Day” headline detailing the activities going on in town. There were several competitions including a pony race, bean bag toss, among others and guests can visit different shops to learn about the people who live there. I recommend you start your day at the Town Hall then check out the school-house next door for lessons. However, my absolute favorite part of the day was when they hosted the hoe-down! There was live music, a ringleader to lead us in the different routines and many adults and children alike participating.Ghost Town Alive runs daily from May 24th through to August 11th, then weekends only beginning on August 17th through September 1st. Gallop on over before it becomes a Ghost Town.

What role would you want to take? Sheriff? Teacher? Bank Teller? Comment below.

XOXO,

Rockstar

Boy! Oh Boy! Tasting BERRY yummy treats at the Annual Boysenberry Festival at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA

Published on April 19, 2019April 16, 2019 by Insider Irene2 Comments

Some of you know that I am a Knott’s Berry Farm Season Pass Holder (Knott’s Celebration Post) and one of the prime reasons for this year’s membership was to check-out the Annual Boysenberry Festival! Photos usually surface during this time of year and the vibrant purple hue paired with unique park food and wine always makes a bold statement, so I took the plunge and wanted to see for myself what the festival was all about. So strap your boots, we’re going for a ride! Yee-ha!

Held in the Spring for a little over a month the Boysenberry Festival features a wide array of seasonal goodies splashed with boysenberry. They have everything from Alligator Fries with Boysenberry Aioli, to Boysenberry Wine, and everything in between. The majority of the seasonal items could be found in Ghost Town, but virtually every part of the park featured some type of Boysenberry treat. I had heard some great things about the Jerk Chicken Wings with Boysenberry BBQ sauce and holy cow that Boysenberry Sauce is MONEY!! I kept dousing my chicken in the sauce and licked my fingers clean. You can buy the sauce in a bottle to take home or check out the Jerk Chicken Stand located Ghostrider. (Pro Tip: Yes the Season Pass Discounts applied for food & drinks – Cha Ching!)

While walking around the park I noticed a few people with mason jars of purple liquid. Initially I thought it was the boysenberry lemonade with basil, but later found that it was the Calico Soda found in the Calico Theater. It’s a Cream Soda with Boysenberry syrup. I don’t typically drink soda, but enjoyed the beverage and would recommend that over the boysenberry lemonade. And! it comes in a reusable container 😀

The festival is coming to an end on April 28 and there’s still so many things to try! Boysenberry Coffee?! Boysenberry Funnel Cake? What would you try?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Hogs and Kisses from Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights, CA

Published on February 27, 2019February 21, 2019 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

It’s the Year of the Pig and it is lit at the Hsi Lai Temple (3456 Glenmark Dr, Hacienda Heights, CA). Decked out in all things Red and Gold the usually calm and serene Buddhist Temple is a site to see during the weeks of the Lunar New Year. There’s various lanterns strung throughout the temple, and an assortment of pig and zodiac displays for tourists to photograph and enjoy. While I’m not Buddhist I can appreciate the festive and celebratory decorations and the sanctuary is free for all to roam around. My friend also informed me that the temple has a very affordable vegetarian buffet for $8 that’s open to the public. I came after a late dinner, so I’ll definitely need to come back to check it out and hopefully be inspired by other vegetarian options to incorporate into my diet. After all 2019 is the year for a healthy body, mind, and soul.

What kind of changes are you making in 2019?

XOXO,

Rockstar

“Gotta Catch ‘Em All” at Anime Los Angeles in Ontario, CA

Published on January 23, 2019January 23, 2019 by Insider Irene1 Comment

Geek conventions are a great place to buy merchandise, watch panels, and see amazing cosplay! But one thing that differentiates Anime Los Angeles (ALA) from the other nerd gatherings is ribbon trading, an activity where you complete a task or trivial and in exchange get a ribbon to add to your badge.

Anyone can participate in the ribbon trading and there are certain groups of individuals who work collectively to make the ribbon trading activity a scavenger hunt. One of the best groups is the Pokemon Group and this year they focused on Team Rocket Recruitment. Attendees would checkin at the “Pokemon Center” and be given a starter Pokemon (their first Pokemon ribbon). I started with Larvitar, a Rock/Ground Pokemon and needed to find other Gym Leaders (individuals with the Red and White Pokemon Button) to “battle” and collect more ribbons.

Once you collect at least 14 of the 18 Pokemon types, you can see “The Boss” and collect the last badge – Pokemon 2019 Champion! It’s a fun activity to take part-in and it’s makes for a really cool souvenir.

Who would be your starter Pokemon?

XOXO,

Rockstar

Me, Myself and Irene – 2017 in Review

Published on December 31, 2017December 31, 2017 by Insider IreneLeave a comment

When I was first thinking about this post I thought to myself – man… I totally bombed the “will write a blog post every-week” goal, I “should” be making more money, I “should” be blah blah blah.. but as I looked through my rolo-dex of photos I realized that I had so many cool moments and while I didn’t meet all the goals I set out – I did achieve quite a bit and “should” remember those! This was definitely the year of “Me, Myself, and Irene” from my “Diary of a Beauty Queen’s Food and Travel Adventures (Instagram)” to opening up to my readers with my alias as @TheGeekyGuide (Instagram) to launching my College Consulting By Yu Youtube channel (website), I’m three people in one!

As @yurockstar I finished my term as Miss Taiwanese World Queen and passed the torch (blog entry), and visited so many cool restaurants – the Exchange Restaurant being my favorite this year! (blog entry) – and festivals as media including the LA Food and Wine Festival (blog entry 1; blog entry 2; blog entry 3) where I got to meet Tyler Florence and Brian Malarky. I also got to be a guest on Gordon Ramsay’s “The F Word” and critiqued the competitors dishes. 2017 was also the year when I got to visit San Diego Comic Con (blog entry) for the first time and hear Disney Legend Alan Menkin perform his classic hits at D23 (blog entry)! I also bought an annual pass to Six Flags Magic Mountain (blog entry) and convinced four of my friends to go on roller coasters with me. On a totally random note – I also won a mattress from an Instagram contest through yelp, woot!

To be honest, I was kind of a closet cosplayer and nervous about cosplaying one of my childhood idols. The live action Wonder Woman movie debuted earlier this year and I felt very conscientious about wearing a corset, let alone portray such an iconic character. I was selected as one of Game Spot’s Best DC Cosplay at SDCC and WonderCon, and featured on the LA Time’s “Why Cosplay as Wonder Woman” video. But more importantly, I loved when kids came up to me to ask for a photo opt – just to see them smile made me feel that that 2 hours it took to do my hair and make-up all the worthwhile.

I also debuted Chun Li this year and was invited to join a Street Fighter group! Everyone does such a great job in portraying their character, and they inspired me to revisit and brush-up on my martial arts and dance techniques. I also upgraded some of my Sailor Mars uniform and had a blast with various photoshoots with the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask! I’ve made so many awesome friends through cosplay and it’s always awesome to see familiar faces portraying different heros and villians.

@Yucollege/ College Consulting By Yu Video Thumbnails

And yes, if you can believe it this was also the year that I decided to share my counseling knowledge through youtube. It’s been on my heart for a while so I finally bit the bullet and launched the channel: College Consulting Youtube Channel (Instagram). I created 10 videos ranging from Survive a School Shooting to the Common App Tutorial, and boy you can definitely see improvements from video 1-10. There’s still much work to be done, and my goal next year is to do 40 more! Won’t you come and watch? (youtube link) 😉

I’ve learned that no matter what goal you’ve set yourself up for that if you didn’t meet it today, tomorrow is always a new day. My Resolution is to make each day count. What’s yours?

XOXO,
Rockstar

Checking out the NEW Justice League Ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA

Published on September 22, 2017September 19, 2017 by Insider Irene2 Comments

Over the Labor Day weekend I came across a ridiculously awesome Flash Sale for a Six Flags Annual Pass. During that promotion I was able to get an upgraded Gold Pass with admission for the rest of 2017 and all of 2018, free parking, plus bonus “Holiday in the Park” ticket for a friend for just $80! Seemed like an amazing deal and since it’s been ages since I lasted visited Six Flags Magic Mountain I thought it’d be a great to revisit a theme park with my favorite DC characters and thrilling roller coasters!

I was completely thrilled at how they marketed their rides and restaurants. They had rides dedicated for Green Lantern, Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, you name it! And if you’re a Flash fan, they have a “Big Belly Burger” – the best burgers across the universe according to Barry Allen.

img_1394-1 — Cyborg at the Hall of Justice & the Bat Signal

Recently, they added a new family friendly ride called “Justice League: Battle for Metropolois” – held inside of “The Hall of Justice.” The interactive 4D ride allows guests (known as the “Justice League Reserves”) to shoot for points to rescue members of the Justice League captured by Lex Luther and The Joker. At the end of the ride, guests can view points earned and their shooting accuracy. If you love videos games, you’ll definitely love this ride!

My friend and I went on an incredibly hot day, so we can’t wait to go back during the winter season when it cools down. We stayed mainly in the DC area, but there are many other sections with some really cool coasters. Their season passes are also very reasonably priced and if you go twice it pays for itself.

Who’s your favorite DC superhero?

XOXO,

Rockstar