Robert, Peggy & Sam Ulrich (left to right) take a ride on the oldest roller coaster in the world, Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park, Altoona, Pennsylvania
We are
the authors and owners of www.PlayRide.com and an Unofficial
Guide to Six Flags Over Georgia.
We live
in Marietta, Georgia, a suburban community to the northwest of
downtown Atlanta, famous for the Big
Chicken. Robert was born in West Virginia and lived in Columbus,
Ohio, and St. Louis, Missouri. After graduating from the University
of Missouri, he moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, and then returned
to St. Louis. In 1979 he moved to Atlanta and Peggy moved up from
Charleston, South Carolina, after time spent in Vidalia, Georgia,
and Savannah, GA. The two of us met while working at Davison's
department store (now Macy's) where Robert was Advertising Manager
and Peggy was in the accounting department. We both left the store
(Robert to IBM and Peggy to a travel agency) and then got married
in 1984 and moved to Marietta the next year. Sam was born in 1988.
During the courtship both were volunteers on the New Georgia Railroad, a tourist railroad operated by the state and staffed by a mixture of employees and National Railway Histrorical Society volunteers. With the NRHS and NGRR we rode under steam to Americus, Thomasville, Macon, Savannah, Brunswick & Toccoa, Georgia, in addition to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Operating equipment included SOU4901, N&W1218, N&W611, A&WP290 & S&A750, in addition to SOU F-diesels now in operation at Stone Mountain Park. While Peggy floated among various duties, Robert hosted his favorite car on the train - the last one. Sad to say that both NGRR and N&W shut down their steam programs which created a void that was filled by rejoining the American Coaster Enthusiasts when Sam became interested in roller coasters. We enjoy amusement parks and roller coasters. Peggy has Multiple Schlerosis so she often just watches, but loves both dark rides and water rides. Sam has ridden over 300 different roller coasters. Robert is the Regional Representative for the Southeast Region of ACE and hosts events bi-monthly and publishes a newsletter and website, ACESoutheast.org.
Click here for a list of our favorite coasters. We also enjoy railroading, camping and Sam is an Eagle Scout.
Robert's love for roller coasters began with his family at West View Amusement Park, just north of Pittsburgh, PA. The thing he misses most is not being able to ride with his son on The Dips or the Racing Whippet since West View closed in the mid-1970's. This is one of the most memorable moments on The Dips (probably only exceeded by the dark tunnel at the start of the ride).
(If you go there now this is a
shopping center!)