You might be surprised to hear that a priest vacationed in Las Vegas. I went for the shows (Sting and America’s Got Talent Live Show), but I also planned to ride rides.
The Rides at the Strat At the Strat in Las Vegas…I got SkyPod access (it’s the name of the tower) plus 3 thrill rides for $39. I rode Insanity first since I came across it’s entrance before Big Shot. This was the one that I heard was the most thrilling…and it lived up to it! I was the only one on it, which added to the thrill. First the gates on the tower come down and then the ride is brought out over the edge of the tower with nothing between my feet and the ground way below. It was probably the most nervous I’ve been for a ride since riding Superman at Magic Mountain for the first time. If it hadn’t been 1000 feet up, it wouldn’t be a major thrill, but it was somewhat dizzying as the arm spun me around (with some other forces, too). I next rode Big Shot, which is essentially a launch tower (and not a huge one at that), but starting at about 1100 feet! I wasn’t as nervous for this one. The best part wasn’t the very top but shortly after when I came out of my chair. It was a short ride but a good experience. Once again, I was the only one on it. I was debating whether to ride X-Scream (a 36-foot long coaster track that sends the trains off the edge of the tower 4 times) or to re-ride Insanity. As I was hearing some people say that X-Scream was pretty intense, I decided for it. I rode this one with the two people I taken the elevator with up the tower. With only the warning of “bye” from the staff person, we were off on the first slide! I should have probably taken the front seat since it wasn’t as intense not seeing where I was going (and because the women I was with didn’t really know what they were getting themselves into), but it was still thrilling as the coaster came to a quick stop. I rode these all during the day, so it would be neat to try them at night. But overall not a bad deal for some rides that you can’t really do anywhere else! AdventureDome at Circus Circus When I decided I was going to Las Vegas (to see Sting and AGT Live), I thought this might be the opportunity to experience the AdventureDome at Circus Circus Casino/Hotel. It’s sort of known as the most family-friendly resort on the Las Vegas Strip (and according to Screamscape, it sounds like they might be going all-in on that going forward). As you enter the Casino, up on the second floor are free circus acts (I didn’t look at the schedule closely enough to make it work with my schedule) and a bunch of arcade canes. At the back of the complex is the AdventureDome, which has a reddish/pink glass bubble as it’s ceiling. The daily wristband costs $40 and covers the rides but does not include laser tag (although the Lazer Blast was included, I believe), the Midway carnival games, arcade games, Pirate’s Bounty mini golf, rock climbing, and bungee jumping. The park reminds me a bit of Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America, although it looks more aged. Most of the rides in the park are flat rides. Inverter was closed down. The other ones were pretty good (and some like Nebulaz rotating orbital sphere was unique for me), although I only rode them once. There are other family style and kid rides. There used to be a water ride (you can see the abandoned track from Canyon Blaster). There are also two theaters. The 4-D Special FX Theater rotates between Scoob and Ice Age; both were good. The Extreme Ride Theater housed Angry Birds, which was alright. The two main rides are the coasters, which I rode each 4 times. Canyon Blaster is the original one. It features a double loop and a double corkscrew plus a couple of tunnels. Overall it was quite fun and pretty smooth (a little rough near the end). El Loco is the newer one (4 person trains), and it is quite intense! It features a 90 degree drop and two dive loops. These coasters are probably better than the one at New York New York (although I have not ridden that one in about 20 years). So if you’re looking to ride rides in Las Vegas, the AdventureDome will fit the bill. I think you’ll find the coasters quite enjoyable. Plus the wait was so short—I kept just getting back in line! Pinball Hall of Fame Although not technically rides, pinball machines are the closest I’ll get to gambling! The Pinball Hall of Fame is a new building that is on Las Vegas Boulevard but a little south of the main casinos (it’s not far from Mandalay Bay). It’s a little bit of a misnomer—it’s basically a giant arcade of pinball machines (old and new) as well as other arcade games. The machines cost whatever they did when they came out. So for about $6, I was able to play a lot of machines, including a lot of the old ones. Other Sites The Conservatory at the Bellagio is beautifully themed. The Mirage puts on a 5-minute volcano show on the hour during the evening. I went to the Flamingo Habitat at the Flamingo twice (once to pray) during my trip.
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