Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
outdoor route and the swiftness with which it reaches top velocity—a head-spin-
ning 2 seconds from 35 mph up to 70 mph.
Stats:
The entire ride takes just
45 seconds. Its peak is that 224-foot climb, and as I said before its top speed is
70mph.
Note:
Please turn to p. 137 for information on the Sahara's race-car sim-
ulation ride.
Adventuredome
555
(in Circus Circus;
$
7 for “premium” rides,
$
4 for all
others, all-day adult pass
$
23, all-day kids' pass
$
15; Mon-Thurs 11am-6pm, Fri-
Sat 10am-midnight, Sun 10am-9pm; AE, DISC, MC, V),
at 5.5 acres, is the largest
indoor amusement park in the United States. While none of its rides can be
touted as the most scary on the Strip, the grouping of so many in one place, ride-
able on a pass that's no more expensive than the single-ride, full-day passes at
other properties, makes it tops for value. Families will also enjoy their visits here
because along with the thrill rides, are tamer options for the little ones and circus
shows (see p. 138, our review for the kids section). Among the offerings is the
Canyon Blaster,
a roller coaster that hits speeds of 55mph and is notable for its
double loop and double corkscrew (time on ride is 1
3
⁄
4
min.; riders must be 48 in.
tall);
Chaos,
which is one of those madly tilting Ferris wheels that has the addi-
tional scare factor of having the roller coaster zoom by within inches of riders
(time on ride is 2 min.; height minimum 48 in.); the
Rim Runner,
which is a
soak-you-to-the-bone flume ride, featuring a 60-foot drop (2-min. ride; 48-in.
height restriction); and the
Sling Shot,
which is just what it sounds like—a ride
that launches riders up 100 ft. with four G's of force (that's 1 G more than a
rocket blast), and down so fast you'll feel like an astronaut floating in space. This
last one lasts just 1 minute (height restriction 48 in.). Of the four, the only one I
can't recommend is the Rim Runner because the level of air-conditioning within
the dome makes it pretty uncomfortable once you're wet. For kids too small or
scared for the rides, there's a first-class circus show on the hour that my kids
absolutely loved.
If height equals fright, then nothing compares with the thrill rides at the
Stratosphere
55
(
%
702/380
-
7777; www.stratospherehotel.com; Sun-Thurs
10am-midnight, Fri-Sat 10am-1am; multiride passes are available, but if you
decide to go for just one ride or the view, know that you'll pay
$
9.95 just to get
to the top of the tower, with each ride running
$
8; AE, DISC, MC, V).
Set at the
top of the tallest structure in the West, these rides hold the record as the highest
thrill rides on the planet. Best of the lot is the
Big Shot,
which is basically the
same ride as the Sling Shot at Circus Circus (see above) but has the added ben-
efit of awesome views of the Vegas Strip (if you can open your eyes and stop
screaming long enough to look). You'll get the same G-forces and the same feel-
ing of your body floating up while your stomach crashes down. The two other
rides up here, the X-Scream and Insanity: the Ride, zoom you over the edge or
whip you around over it. Because both of them have broken down in the past few
years, leaving passengers stranded for quite some time dangling over the void, I
decided not to try them. I plead the Katie Couric defense on that one: I have
small children, and there are only so many risks I'll take in the name of journal-
ism (not that I'm saying they're dangerous, but they sure felt like they might be).
