Favorite Rides Outside of Theme Parks
There are a handful of attractions outside major theme parks. What are some of your favorites?
What are your favorite rides or attractions not in a major theme park? There used to be coaster sprinkled around at boarkwalks or parks, or fair grounds. Some things still exist and are rare. Sometimes these things don't get the love that they deserve on any theme park or coaster blog.
For example y favorite wooden coaster is the Boardwalk bullet at the Kemah Boardwalk. The coaster is a little giant. Built in an incredibly small space, the track crosses itself 42 times, way more than any other coaster.
http://youtu.be/YbepNtZlc90
The coaster has survived a hurricane. There are no zoning laws in Texas, especially Houston, so the coaster is 15 feet away from a private residence. Also, the coaster makes Dollywood's fly-by load look like child's play because there is track above, below and all around the station. Unfortunately it doesn't qualify for many awards because it's not in a park.
Stats
-96' tall wooden coaster
-Exhilarating first vertical drop – 92 feet
-Reaches speeds of 51mph
3.5x G-force
3,236 feet long
-5 feet away from the water's edge
of Galveston Bay
-24 riders per train
-Texas Gulf Coast's only rollercoaster – wooden or steel
-800 passengers per hour
-Constructed with pressure-treated southern yellow pine
-Designed by The Gravity Group, LLC
-Constructed by Martin & Vleminckx Rides, LLC and Landry's Development
I've always heard and read good things about Boardwalk Bullet. In a similar vein, The Great White, a wooden coaster, is a gem on one of the Wildwood, NJ ocean piers owned By Morey's. It dips under the boardwalk/go-kart track, and offers a spectacular view of the vast Wildwood Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.
If what I'm reading and hearing is true..it (and the boardwalk) may, in the not-too-distant future, not be the only WOOD in WildWOOD...:)
The Great White sounds pretty awesome. Must be a local gem.
My favorite is Wicked at my home park Lagoon. It carries a small footprint but packs a punch with its launch 110 ft. vertically and into a series of twists and turns. It is one of the most original coasters out there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCVJaZ1zrT4
Wow, Wicked looks impressive! And you're right, what a tiny footprint. I'm always impressed when a good coaster is fitted in a tight space.
I would like to add the Texas Star to this list. It's just a Ferris wheel, but America's largest. Also some of the old coasters in Vegas are fun as well.
Adam,
There's a project in New Jersey that's had more stops and starts than a Jersey shore weekend summer traffic jam. It may or may not be called Xanadu. If it's ever completed, one of the components is expected to be a Ferris Wheel which will become the largest in the US..287 feet tall.
I've read about that, but I have my doubts that it might happen. Also, there was a copy of the London Eye proposed for I drive in Orlando, but that project is having trouble too. Until then, Texas Star is the Ferris wheel king.
Skipper Adam said: "I've read about that, but I have my doubts that it might happen. "
You and half the population of New Jersey. The project has been troubled from the start. There's another thread here about "eyesores"...drive past Xanadu on the Jersey Turnpike..now THAT's an eyesore!
It's sad when things like that fall through, it's a wast of everything.
The roller coaster through New York, New York in Vegas. Not the best coaster, but going around the Vegas strip is awesome. (Haven't been on the Stratosphere ones yet, they look good though)
I've been to Kemah, but haven't ridden the Boardwalk Bullet. Wanted to, my friend did not. I will have to hit that up this summer though.
Having said that, and speaking of Houston, my favorite ride outside of a theme park is the drive from my apartment to work on the 610 Loop. LOL!
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