A winter workload: Cedar Point remains busy during offseason

Editor's note: Justin Dietz represents a Cedar Point food blog, (CPFoodBlog.com, @CPFoodBlog on Twitter). He recently visited the amusement park to understand how workers, during the wintertime, prepare for the upcoming season.SANDUSKY — Winter officially is underway this week in the Northern Hemisphere, and in Ohio, we have already seen an abundance of snow.While we all sit around the fireplace waiting for warmer weather, Cedar Point employees are feverishly working behind the scenes to prep the park for opening day May 6, 2017.During the off-season, rides are taken apart and inspected per manufacturer recommendations. Others get wrapped and covered to wait out the winter hibernation. By the time spring arrives, ride vehicles will start being placed back onto tracks and soon preparations will be made for opening day.Already announced Cedar Point improvements for the 2017 season include a revamped water park, Cedar Point Shores, debuting May 27. A platinum pass holder preview is scheduled for May 26.In addition, the former Breakers Express will debut completely renovated as Cedar Point's Express Hotel.Still to be determined is the fate of Mean Streak, which saw its own burial back in September. The area surrounding Mean Streak is under tight security to prevent eavesdroppers from sneaking a peek into the progression of work.In the meantime, your favorite rides will wait out winter in preparation for your return. While visiting in a T-shirt and flip-flops is the best way to enjoy the park, seeing Cedar Point covered in snow invokes a sense of wonder for spring when everything comes alive.What are you most excited about for 2017 at Cedar Point? Let me know in the comments below.