Although ANY roller coaster ride is sure to be a hit, there are some roller coaster rides that are more memorable than others.
Perhaps it’s that FIRST roller coaster ride that sticks in your mind. I can remember riding The Roller Coaster at Joyland in Wichita, KS when I was a child… and being totally terrified.
After many years of NOT riding a roller coaster, I had the opportunity to visit Castles ‘N’ Coasters in Phoenix Arizona and to ride Desert Storm. I clearly remember going up the lift hill on that first roller coaster ride after many years and again… being totally terrified. All I wanted to do was get off before getting to the top of that hill. When it was over, all I wanted to do was to get back on for another ride. My love for roller coasters was re-born.
Top Gun at Paramount’s Great America in Santa Clara, Calif. was the first inverted roller coaster ride I’d done and it was the coolest coaster I’d ridden at that point. The sensation of the inverted configuration is like no other coaster experience. It was this coaster that solidified my fascination with roller coasters and really began my search for the ultimate coaster.
Without a doubt, my all-time favorite roller coaster ride was on Raptor at Cedar Point with its smooth twists and turns while feet dangled below me. I was there as part of a personal 11 day roller coaster ride extravaganza of 29 roller coasters in 6 midwest amusement parks. Cedar Point was hosting CoasterMania for the American Coaster Enthusiasts club and others with lots of ERT (exclusive ride time) on their best roller coasters.
Quite a bit of time has passed since that 11 day roller coaster frenzy, and I haven’t ridden allot of coasters since then. However, my love for the thrill ride has not waned. On a recent trip to Las Vegas I took the opportunity to ride one of it’s most famous coasters located inside the New York New York Hotel and Casino, the Manhattan Express. While not on par with many other coasters I’ve ridden, it was good to get that booster shot of adrenaline as we raced around the Las Vegas steel track.
