The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers

(especially Karen Duquette)
enjoyed Six Flags New England
in Agawam, Massachusetts
May 29, 2008

history book Six Flags New England, or SFNE, is a theme park in the Six Flags chain of parks, named for the New England region in which it is located. Six Flags New England is located in greater Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby town of Agawam. Like most other Six Flags parks, Six Flags New England is divided into two sections: the amusement park, which includes major attractions such as Superman - Ride of Steel, Mind Eraser and Batman: The Ride, and the water park, named Hurricane Harbor.

Technically speaking, it is the oldest of the Six Flags parks, though it did not originally open as such. Six Flags New England used to be Riverside Park. It started out as a picnic grove called Gallops Grove in 1840. It eventually was renamed to Riverside Grove, then Riverside Park.

Riverside was a trolley park owned by the Springfield Street Railway. In the early 1900s a few mechanical rides and a carousel were added. In 1942, the park acquired its first roller coaster, a wooden roller coaster called the Thunderbolt which still operates today (2008). The park continued to be known as "Riverside: The Great Escape" until the end of the 1999 season. Riverside, like many Premier Parks was "flagged" or re-branded as a Six Flags Park.

Riverside Park was a favorite place of Karen Duquette's beloved Aunt Hazel Brink.

Roller Coaster: Superman - Ride Of Steel
Amusement Park: Six Flags New England (Agawam, Massachusetts)
Classification: Roller Coaster
Type: Steel - Sit Down
Status: Operating since 5/5/2000
Make / Model: Intamin AG / Mega Coaster
Designer: Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH

Length: 5400'
Height: 208'
Drop: 221'
Inversions: 0
Speed: 77 mph
Duration: 2:35
Elements: Tunnel

Karen Duquette rode the Superman roller coaster three times on this day.

Karen Duquette rode Batman - The Dark Knight - This coaster climbs 117 feet in the air and will speed you along more than 2,600 feet of track at 55 mph in just 140 seconds.

Below: Karen Duquette is in the second row with an orange shirt on

Below Photos above: Superman on left of photo and Batman on right in each photo)

Mind Eraser: Length: 2260' 6"
Height: 109' 3"
Inversions: 5
Speed: 49.7 mph
Duration: 1:36
Elements: Roll Over
Sidewinder
Double In-Line Twist (Double Spin)

Trains: 2 trains with 10 cars per train. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 20 riders per train.
Riders must be between 52" and 80" to ride.

Below: Lee Duquette thought the name of this ride was Tornado, but he was not sure -
It spun around in a circle, while tilting vertically and going higher and higher. Lee did not ride it, but Karen Duquette did.

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The two RV Gypsies in New England - 8 sections
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Six Flags New England (this page)

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Below: Karen Duquette in line to ride the Superman roller coaster. Superman: Ride of Steel is a steel megacoaster. It boasts a 208 foot lift, 221 foot drop, and just over a mile of track.

Roller Coaster: Superman - Ride Of Steel Amusement Park: Six Flags New England (Agawam, Massachusetts) Classification: Roller Coaster Type: Steel - Sit Down Status: Operating since 5/5/2000 Make / Model: Intamin AG / Mega Coaster Designer: Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH Length: 5400' Height: 208' Drop: 221' Inversions: 0 Speed: 77 mph Duration: 2:35 Elements: Tunnel
	Trains: 2 trains with 9 cars per train. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 36 riders per train. Riders must be between 54" and 76" to ride.

Karen Duquette rode the Superman roller coaster three times on this day.


Karen Duquette with Superman in the far background -- this helps show the height of the ride

Note: The two RV Gypsies returned to Six Flags New England on August 3, 2011. Superman: Ride of Steel was re-done and became Bizarro, the peculiar creature from Htrae where inhabitants believe in doing the opposite of Earthly things. Since Lee Duquette was under doctors orders at this time, he was not able to ride roller coasters. So Karen Duquette rode Bizarro several times alone on this date. In Karen's opinion, it is the only roller coaster worth riding here. Karen feels this way because in July 2011, the two RV Gypsies went to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio and Karen rode Top Speed Dragster (see video and photos in the USA 2011 RV tour). After riding Top Speed Dragster, Karen feels that most roller coasters are lame. This is only a personal opinion.

Karen Duquette rode Batman - The Dark Knight - This coaster climbs 117 feet in the air and will speed you along more than 2,600 feet of track at 55 mph in just 140 seconds.
Batman the ride Length: 2600' Height: 117' 10" Inversions: 5 Speed: 55 mph Duration: 2:20 Elements: Loop Dive Loop Zero-G Roll (Camelback) Interlocking Corkscrews (Interlocking Flat Spins)
	Trains: 2 trains with 7 cars per train. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 28 riders per train.
Below: Karen Duquette is in the second row with an orange shirt on

Below Photos above: Superman on left of photo and Batman on right in each photo)


Mind Eraser: Length: 2260' 6" Height: 109' 3" Inversions: 5 Speed: 49.7 mph Duration: 1:36 Elements: Roll Over Sidewinder Double In-Line Twist (Double Spin) Trains: 2 trains with 10 cars per train. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 20 riders per train. Riders must be between 52" and 80" to ride.	Karen Duquette also rode the "Mind Eraser" Roller Coaster THAT'S THREE ROLLER COASTERS, THREE TIMES EACH IN ONE DAY --- YOU GO GIRL!

Below: Lee Duquette thought the name of this ride was Tornado, but he was not sure - It spun around in a circle, while tilting vertically and going higher and higher. Lee did not ride it, but Karen Duquette did.




Below: Karen Duquette returning to earth - and yes, she also rode this ride three times in a row.

Please scroll all the way to the bottom of this page, because there are a lot more travel options
The two RV Gypsies in New England - 8 sections These sections can be viewed in any order you choose. The page you are on is grayed out and cannot be chosen from here.
Stew Leonard's	Buttermilk Falls, Terryville CT
Mystic Seaport	Six Flags New England (this page)
Family and Friends	Stratford, CT
Branch Brook Campground in Thomaston	Hancock Brook Lake

Please scroll all the way to the bottom of this page, because there are a lot more travel options

The two RV Gypsies in New England - 8 sections These sections can be viewed in any order you choose. The page you are on is grayed out and cannot be chosen from here.

Stratford, CT

Branch Brook Campground in Thomaston

AFTER you have viewed all 8 New England sections above, please continue on for photos from Pennsylvania

Continue on in order of travel in 2008 to Pennsylvania

OR

you may want to see Six Flags, Georgia in 2011 (there will be a link at the bottom that page to return to this 2008 New England menu).

OR Continue navigation of this large website via the buttons below.

OR - - Click here for maps and descriptions of travel BY YEAR

The two RV Gypsies in New England - 8 sections
These sections can be viewed in any order you choose.
The page you are on is grayed out and cannot be chosen from here.

Branch Brook Campground
in Thomaston

you may want to see Six Flags, Georgia in 2011
(there will be a link at the bottom that page to return to this 2008 New England menu).