Journey to the other Coast

Decided to drive to the end of my driveway, then reach there & decided to drive to the edge of town, then the edge of the county & continued driving until I reached Ft. Lauderdale. I finally stop at the Xtreme Karts to play pinball. When you have an itch, sometimes you have to scratch. Jeff Palmer from RGP (Rec.Game.Pinball Google Group) told me about the Prime Time Arcade at Xtreme Karts located on the other coast. It really is not a bad drive. Yes, it did take me, one hour & forty minutes to arrive at their door steps, but driving across the Alligator Alley is undemanding & without interruptions. There are only two exit/ overpasses the entire eighty-four miles, so set the cruise control, listen to some music & look for ‘gators. Prime Time Arcade had six Stern pinball machines: World Poker Tour, NASCAR, Grand Prix, The Lord of the Rings, The Sopranos & Elvis. The pinball machines were clean & in good shape. They played well & I did not have any problems with these machines. But, I was disappointed to discover that they did not have Sterns latest & new releases like the Family Guy or Spider-man pinball machines on location. What a missed pinball opportunity. The opportunity to introduce a brand new game(s) & bring new pinball players in the blend or even to keep fresh the enthusiasm & passion that the dedicated pinheads have. It makes me wonder… They have the latest video consoles & extreme racing carts too, but this page is for pinball machines & pinball experiences. You can find the Prime Time Arcade at Xtreme Karts located at 5300 Powerline Rd Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 (954) 491-6265

Have Fun, Dan

Jeff thanks for the information.

The Chicago Pinball Expo

This year is the year for me to journey to the Chicago Pinball Expo. I have never been to a pinball expo or any similar gathering, so I heard that the Chicago Expo is one of the best & I am choosing this location to change that fact. The expo really looks & sounds interesting for not just pinball enthusiasts but anybody that ever walked up & played a ball on a pinball machine. Pinball machines you could not find on your own & that you normally would not have a change to play… set up here for Free Play, sign me up! They have organized this event with seminars & fireside chats with some very interesting speakers that have collected, changed, shaped, designed & manufactured the machines & even owned the companies that produced them. Seminars are offered for those people wanting to learn more from their pinball community about collecting, maintaining, electronics, trouble shooting, & restoration for pinball machines. Also you get to watch Shaggy & Norm in action in their segment: This Old Pinball- The Making of a Disaster tutorial. This Old Pinball videos are film & produced by these two crazy idiots, which make it pretty entertaining yet helpful & informational for the repairing & maintenance of a pinball machine. Be warned that they do have an “R” rating for their humor! The Stern factory tour is an exclusive behind the doors look at the only pinball manufacturing company left in existence. Go to the Stern Pinball manufacturing facility and see the production of machines from beginning to end. This special privilege is only extended to Pinball Expo 2007 Attendees! PLUS, they have Pinbrawl. Pinbrawl is a pinball players’ four person team tournament. Bring the skill or leave it at the house, it does matter they have different levels of competition based you’re your proficiency. You have to register at their Pinbrawl web page to participate in this competition. BUT, the most important thing is: that you can be with people that enjoy pins as much you do. Where else can meet & talk face to face with the other pinheads that you met online, similar to RGPers group with their members that live & come to be here from all over world to be in Chicago for the Pinball Expo. Let me know if you are making plans to the Pinball Expo & I will add your post here. If you having any questions about anything above, try clicking the embedded links on the highlighted words or contact me here & I will try to point you in the right direction. Have fun & hope to see you there! Dan