The Story of I Ron Ore - 5

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The best way to describe this ride would be like a merry-go-round where at the end, was a corkscrew that picked us off the merry-go-round and gently dropped us into another feed chute type ride. From this chute we were deposited onto another series of belt rides, dropping from one to the other and having a great old time. Eventually we came to an area where we had to make a choice, we could either go to the concentrate load-out or we could go to the pellet plant. Another human misnomer, because we didn't even have time to think let alone concentrate!

We gave a big wave to the family members who decided they wanted to go to the concentrate load-out. After a long, high-speed belt ride, they gathered in something known as a silo. I wasn't ready for the excitement to end, so I jumped on the moving sidewalk that would take us to the pellet plant area of the amusement park. Eventually we tumbled down into a holding area to await the next segment of our journey. This holding area contained fourteen places to line up for the next ride. We overheard some humans talking and found out these were also called silos. Sliding down the inside of a silo we landed on what looked like a phonograph record (CD's to you young people). The disc was traveling in a circular direction and we all were having a difficult time staying on this ride. After traveling just over halfway around this disc, we came to a barricade that directed us to the next belt ride. After traveling to the end of this ride, we were deposited into what looked like a drum. Once inside, we discovered the drum was moving and we were bounced back and forth until we traveled the length of the drum and emerged at the opposite end. We drop from the lip of the drum into a large container. Here another suction machine sent us careening wildly through a dark tunnel into another holding area.

This next ride reminded me of a huge washing machine drum complete with agitator, only it didn't fill with water. While we were getting bounced around a sticky mixture was added to the drum. We discovered this mixture was an integral part in making I. Ron Ore pellets. After we were thoroughly mixed with this additive, we were the consistency of chocolate cake mix. We were giggling and wondering if we could go visit Betty Crocker and see if she could turn us into a birthday cake. After mixing, we were again deposited into a large container where another cyclone pump ride took us through another long, dark tunnel. When that ride was over, we were deposited into another large container with what looked like a dinner plate on its edge sticking up on the other end. This plate was moving around in a circle and as we watched it move, we felt ourselves being drawn toward it. We seemed to defy gravity as the plate lifted us higher and higher until we were lifted out of the holding tank. As the plate continued to turn, most of the moisture we had been mixed with was removed. After getting to the top of the plate, a strong wind, surely caused by a huge wind tunnel, whisked me off the plate. Once free of the plate's hold, we landed on another short moving sidewalk.

The next ride was shaped like a 45-gallon drum on its side, only it was much larger. Getting closer, I saw it was actually more like a gerbil's exercise wheel only sloped. We all rushed headlong into this ride. As it went around and around, family members started to stick together and roll towards the other end. That sticky mixture added earlier really worked because when we emerged at the other end, numerous members of my family were stuck together in what looked like dog kibbles. At this point, we were referred to as "greenballs"; another one of those human misnomers since we weren't green at all. After the exercise wheel, we rode a conveyor that felt like an earthquake. As we moved, the vibration spread us out over the width of the belt. Boy did it tickle and we were all laughing and giggling. My personal opinion, at the time, was that no other ride would be able to compare with this. Boy, was I wrong.