A Thrill A Minute

Being that Los Angeles is a widespread metropolitan area rather than a densely packed metropolis like either New York or San Francisco, sometimes you have to travel pretty far to see some of the main attractions our city has to offer. One of these is Six Flags Magic Mountain all the freaking way out in Valencia. The trek though, is quite worth it as it happens to be one house some of the largest and fastest roller coasters in all of Southern California. Knott's Berry Farm, eat your heart out.

I'm a huge fan of coasters. Wooden, steel, old school, or incredibly innovative, I get a kick out of the rush you get from the mere almost 2 minutes you're strapped into the steel harness. Some may argue that the sick feeling they get from drops and turns is enough to keep them off of a coaster, but I tend to be one who's more turned off by spinning around like crazy until you puke, therefore, a 20 foot vertical drop really isn't a big deal. The more corkscrews and hairpin turns they throw into a coaster, the better.

There's a couple of really impressive rides over there, and it's depressing that I haven't been able to ride more because of the HUGE lines. The first being my favorite of all time, Batman the Ride. Designed with numerous corkscrews and loops, this suspended coaster replicates the feeling of flying through a huge city, and always, ALWAYS makes me walk out the exit a bit wobbly. It's fairly low to the ground, and moves swiftly from one side of the track to the next, but the highlight for me has to be the final whipping corkscrew.

The other ride of note is the notorious X. Boasting a sprawling orange track and an even longer line, the cars on X are mobile and spin while the train itself hurtles through spin, drop, and turn. You know you're really in for it when first traveling up the initial climb and the seats carry you up lying on your back and facing backwards. From there, the seats flip over, and you are literally flying face-first into a completely vertical drop. In Sane. Any coaster enthusiast HAS to experience this for themselves.

Only one other ride had me as terrified, Great America's now-extinct flying Dutchman style coaster, Stealth. Removed to make way for a new water park attraction, Stealth's cars were suspended with the rider facing downwards as if they were Superman. I've only been completely horrified on a ride as I was on this one for some reason, but it was great! Too bad they moved it to the Carolinas.

Now if only I tried out Riddler's Revenge this time around.