Featured Photo #7 – Roller Coasters As Memorials
Today’s Daytona 500 marks the 10th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash. With his enormous success and signature aggressive racing style, the legendary racer left an undeniable mark on one of America’s most popular sports, NASCAR. In 2010, Carowinds opened a new roller coaster with the aim of thrilling guests with its height and speed while also paying tribute to Earnhardt...[Read More]
Featured Photo #6 – At Least It’s Photogenic
Anyone who’s ridden Mind Eraser or one of its many clones knows the rough head banging and ear boxing ride it subjects you to. At least I got a pretty good picture of it on this visit to Six Flags America years ago. Mind Eraser’s not a bad looking coaster with its compact layout and arsenal of ‘should be fun’ elements, but as the saying goes you can’t judge a book by ...[Read More]
Featured Photo #5 – Carolina’s Former World Record Holder
I took this photo of the Carolina Cyclone spiraling over the midway on my first trip to Carowinds back in 2004. Years later I used it as part of the header of the first version of my blog (seen here). And after that, I ended up moving my family down to Charlotte, making Carowinds my home park. Carolina Cyclone was built during the looping coaster boom and its record setting four loops (two vertica...[Read More]
Featured Photo #4 – The Best Currently Defunct Coaster on the Planet?
This great Bolliger & Mabillard looping roller coaster, formerly known as the Led Zeppelin Roller Coaster and The Time Machine, has to be one of the best defunct roller coasters anywhere. It was the marquee roller coaster at Hard Rock Park when it opened in 2008. It was a pretty photogenic coaster with its zeppelin shaped station and white steel track partially situated over a pond. I took thi...[Read More]
Featured Photo #3 – The Best Thing to See at a Theme Park
This is a photo of Magnum XL-200’s queue one weekday morning back in the Spring of 2006. The ride was a focal point of my trip to the Cedar Point (AKA the Coaster Capital). Almost like a programmed response of some kind, when I look at this photo I have an urge to start sprinting. Or, at least speed walking. The funny thing is, there’s no need to run. Maybe the difference between a rea...[Read More]
Featured Photo #2 – Timber!
When I visited Dollywood in 2006, I finally rode the popular GCI woodie Thunderhead. That year, Timber Tower opened near the ride. It’s an 18 meter tall (about 60 feet) topple tower from Huss. The 40-person ride rotates slowly as it rocks back and forth. Dollywood added fountains to enhance the experience. Unfortunately, my wife and I skipped Timber Tower, but I wish we would’ve ridden...[Read More]
Featured Photo #1 – My Favorite Coaster Photo
For my first Photo of the Week, I thought I'd share my personal favorite roller coaster photo from all of my years of theme park trips. After riding, and loving, Storm Runner at Hersheypark I took this photo from a walking path beneath the ride.