This post won't mean much to anyone who hasn't been there or lives close enough to know about it. The company I work for gives us two free day passes every year to go to Silver Dollar City which is a theme park with an 1890-ish setting.
This year we decided to upgrade our tickets to a season pass since there was a special discount for our company on those too. We've been 6 times since September and you'd think it would get old, but it doesn't. There are tons of things to do and see there. Back on Monday we went for our last time for this year. And I already can't wait for next year. I love the water rides, the artisan's shops, the train tour, the cave tour, and the good food and hot chocolate when it's cold. But, the thing I find I miss most is the roller coasters.
Especially Wildfire. Until a few years ago when we went to Silver Dollar City on a whim (not as part of my work's promotion) we decided to try roller coasters. Up til this point I'd been terrified of them and my husband had never been on one with inversions so we were both nervous. But, I guess we've both reached our "life's too short" point and we ended up loving this one. This is Wildfire. It is elegant and smooth. Like flying on winged Pegasus. It is the best roller coaster in the world as per my limited experience. I love it and I miss it already knowing I can't just swing by next month, lol. If they give us a good deal on renewing the season passes we may do it before we get our free day passes in September of next year and go all spring and summer.
It took me several trips this year to become desensitized to the steep drops and sharp turns of roller coasters, but after a while I realized that we were sort of becoming adrenaline junkies. What really changed things for me and the way I feel about roller coasters was deciding to try the front seat. We'd been to the park several times and we now liked riding roller coasters, so we decided to brave the front seat on them all. I can't help but laugh when I say "brave" now... Getting on the front seat is what finally finished off any fear I ever had of roller coasters. I'm more comfortable in front than anywhere and I happily wait the extra few minutes to get the front seat now. The thing that used to scare me most of all was the steep drop at the beginnings of the coasters. This one above, Powder Keg, is nothing but drops. And I'm finally okay with that. For some reason, I'm more comfortable seeing the track directly in front of me than I am seeing other cars and people.
I had to get a POV view of this ride because it's very well hidden in the brush. Apart from Powder Keg and Wildfire, they actually hide these coasters pretty good which I think adds to the experience. You can't see what you're getting into so you have to try it to find out. Thunderation is more of a kid's ride. The only thing I can equate it to is the Mine ride at Six Flags. It's better than that, but it's pretty tame compared to all the other coasters in the park. It's still fun to get on it when you need a break. Lol. They're all fun.
I had to choose the POV angle on Outlaw Run as well, but the camera used takes away all the jumping of the picture so you can see what's going on. It took me the longest to get used to this one. It's very fast and very disorienting... until I got in the front seat, of course. Then it all made sense. Monday was the first day I wasn't a little scared by the first drop, which is extremely steep. This was a record breaking coaster for a short while... I'm pretty sure it was the first wooden coaster with inversions for a few months until it was done again somewhere else. I think that's pretty cool. It's not as majestic as Wildfire, but it's a lot of fun.
Now that I love roller coasters I want to go back to Six Flags and see why I used to be so terrified of the Ninja. I bet it's not even scary now. But Six Flags charges for parking, so we'll have to see if we want to put some money back for a day pass there.
They're building another coaster in 2017 for Silver Dollar City and I can't wait to see it. I miss my Wildfire terribly already, but I know it'll be there waiting for me next year.
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