Page 13 - FlipBook

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park
Santa Cruz, California
Coney Island
Brooklyn, New York
Steel Pier Amusement Park
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Coney Island
Brooklyn, New York
A wonder of the world when electric
light was new, Brooklyn’s Coney Island still draws the crowds for boardwalk honky-tonk—750,000 for the outrageous, arty Mermaid Parade alone (June 21 in 2014). Sideshows by the Seashore is one
of the country’s last venues for sword swallowers, fire-eaters, contortionists
and snake charmers. The legendary 1927 Cyclone roller coaster, the swinging
cars of the 150-foot Wonder Wheel and
the refurbished circa 1906 carousel has some steep competition with the sleek new Thunderbolt, a modern-day steel looping coaster with corkscrew turns and a stomach-tossing 125-foot drop. coneyisland.com; book of 40 tickets, AU$46 (number of tickets per ride varies)
Steel Pier Amusement Park
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Grab a pair of wraparound shades and head for the Jersey Shore, where $23 million
in recent improvements to the Steel Pier Amusement Park has brought the iconic 116-year-old attraction into the present day. Extending 1,000 feet into the ocean, the pier features two dozen rides, from such kiddie classics as Beach Buggies and the double- decker carousel to daredevils’ favourites, like the Slingshot, the Mix and the Freedom Flyer, all aglow in retro colors at night. steelpier.com; book of 35 tickets for AU$40 (number of tickets per ride varies)
Massanutten Waterpark
McGaheysville, Virginia
It’s all about H2O at Massanutten’s Waterpark, part of the four-season Massanutten Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains. From Memorial Day to Labour Day, outdoor attractions like the Rockingham Racer, a competitive four-person downhill slide, join year-round rides like Skyline Falls-250 feet of sharp turns and sudden drops. The Massanutten Meltdown, a bit
of everything from water cannons and waterfalls to a giant tipping bucket, is a sure thrill as well. There’s the Frog Pond for the little ones and tubing at Peak Splash and the Blue Ridge Rapids, and the surf ’s always up at the popular Pipeline.
massresort.com; adults AU$50, kids AU$34
Busch Gardens
Tampa, Florida
The jewel-spangled land of Pantopia, a celebration of ancient lore and fantastical architecture, debuted at Busch Gardens Tampa in 2014. Its centerpiece: Falcon’s Fury, North America’s tallest freestanding drop tower. Riders will pivot in midair
into a facedown dive earthward at 60 miles an hour. This is also the site of one of the country’s largest zoos, famed for its 65-acre Serengeti Plain®, where you’ll find endangered Grévy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes and Malayan tiger cubs. buschgardens.com; adults AU$107, kids AU$100
Six Flags Fiesta
San Antonio, Texas
Is a six-story free-fall your idea of a good
time? Then you’ll love Bahama Blaster, the new waterslide with a trap-door launching pad at Six Flags Fiesta. After the floor drops out beneath you, you’ll race in a clear capsule through twists, loops and coils before ending with a splash. And the year-old Iron Rattler is a high-tech marvel of a roller coaster, combining a wooden support structure with a steel track and rails for ultra-smooth turns, inversions, flips and barrel rolls.
sixflags.com/fiestatexas; adults AU$85, kids AU$68
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park
Santa Cruz, California
Familiar to film buffs (The Lost Boys, Sudden Impact, Harold and Maude) and renowned for its stunning Pacific Ocean backdrop, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park is home to the 1924 Giant Dipper roller coaster as well as the handcarved 1911 Looff Carousel, one of a handful of vintage merry-go-rounds anywhere with a working ring dispenser
and an original Victorian pipe organ. Old- fashioned carnival games line the boardwalk, while a 300-game arcade offers nostalgic throwbacks, like Pac-Man and Space Invaders, as well as the latest in video games. beachboardwalk.com; one day of unlimited rides, AU$4
ENDLESS VACATION 11