“Grow up!” is a commonly used insult to make fun of childish behavior, urging an adult to act their age. It is society’s way of saying that with the end of adolescence comes a responsibility to straighten up, fly right, and put an end to all childish urges. Along with the pressures of work, taxes, and everything else “adult”, the older we get, the harder it is to hold on to those golden years of childhood… But what about those of us who don’t want to let go? What if we don’t want to completely “grow up” just yet? Luckily, at least one place still exists where any adult can feel like a kid again. Surrounded by all types of roller coasters, games, shows, and thousands of excited faces, I found myself in the midst of this Promised Land last weekend. Throughout my experience at Six Flags Great America, I was not concerned about my career, my responsibilities, or anything else “adult” – I was only concerned about which roller coaster to challenge next.
When I first walked through the turnstile, I immediately got that “kid in a candy store” feeling. I was greeted by a two-story merry-go-round, a cotton candy vendor, and could see countless roller coasters waiting for me above the tree tops. I had no idea where to start. Walking aimlessly, I eventually veered to the left and entered the line for “Superman: The Ultimate Flight.” Once I got strapped in, the harness locked and before I knew it, my body was tilted so that my stomach was parallel to the ground. After taking a steady turn up the first incline, I found myself on a quick descent as I shot through a forward loop, followed by several twists and turns. After the ride was finished, everything that had just happened was merely a blur in my memory. Despite being exasperated, I remember wishing I could go for another spin.
There was no time for that, though. I had other rides to check out. After moseying around the park for a while, I came across “Vertical Velocity.” This coaster is pretty simple in design, but not any less exciting. After getting strapped in, we were cleared for takeoff. In a matter of seconds, I found myself shooting forwards and backwards several times up vertical inclines at speeds up to 70mph. When the ride finally ended and everyone was getting off, I was surrounded by 40 dazed passengers with messy hairdos…after an experience like that; however, nobody seemed to mind.
I then decided to venture a little further until I reached Southwest Territory. Along my journey I passed the entrance of the new “Operation SpyGirl” stunt show where huge crowds of people were exiting. I swerved through the hundreds of happy faces on my way to the rides in Southwest Territory. My first encounter was with the “Giant Drop”, which is a 227-foot tall post with seats attached to it. The way this ride is designed, even the bravest of souls would have their hearts pounding. The harness came down, and I was on the way up. It was tough to keep my composure being that my feet were hanging loose, I was approaching 200 vertical feet, and I could see my own neighborhood off in the distance. Before I knew it, I was hanging on for dear life as I rocketed back down to the bottom almost instantly – an extremely short ride, but worth every second.
After exiting, I only had to walk about 50 feet before I reached the entrance of the infamous “Raging Bull.” Looking up at the steepness of the first drop from down below, I knew it wasn’t going to come easy, but I was energized and ready to go. The steady climb up the first hill was extremely long and suspenseful - I could just feel the excitement building around me for the drop that was soon to follow. After reaching the 207-foot peak, my stomach dropped out of my body as I rocketed down into a tunnel and shot around several twists and sideways turns. After two finals sharp turns at ground level, the coaster came to rest at the gate, and I had conquered another coaster.
Throughout the course of my day at Six Flags, I was able to experience several other amazing rides and attractions. Unfortunately, it would take much too long to describe them all in detail. I left the park that day carrying a huge novelty basketball and a large blue raspberry Icee, feeling satisfied and care-free. I may not be a child anymore, but I sure felt like one that day at Six Flags.
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When I first walked through the turnstile, I immediately got that “kid in a candy store” feeling. I was greeted by a two-story merry-go-round, a cotton candy vendor, and could see countless roller coasters waiting for me above the tree tops. I had no idea where to start. Walking aimlessly, I eventually veered to the left and entered the line for “Superman: The Ultimate Flight.” Once I got strapped in, the harness locked and before I knew it, my body was tilted so that my stomach was parallel to the ground. After taking a steady turn up the first incline, I found myself on a quick descent as I shot through a forward loop, followed by several twists and turns. After the ride was finished, everything that had just happened was merely a blur in my memory. Despite being exasperated, I remember wishing I could go for another spin.
There was no time for that, though. I had other rides to check out. After moseying around the park for a while, I came across “Vertical Velocity.” This coaster is pretty simple in design, but not any less exciting. After getting strapped in, we were cleared for takeoff. In a matter of seconds, I found myself shooting forwards and backwards several times up vertical inclines at speeds up to 70mph. When the ride finally ended and everyone was getting off, I was surrounded by 40 dazed passengers with messy hairdos…after an experience like that; however, nobody seemed to mind.
I then decided to venture a little further until I reached Southwest Territory. Along my journey I passed the entrance of the new “Operation SpyGirl” stunt show where huge crowds of people were exiting. I swerved through the hundreds of happy faces on my way to the rides in Southwest Territory. My first encounter was with the “Giant Drop”, which is a 227-foot tall post with seats attached to it. The way this ride is designed, even the bravest of souls would have their hearts pounding. The harness came down, and I was on the way up. It was tough to keep my composure being that my feet were hanging loose, I was approaching 200 vertical feet, and I could see my own neighborhood off in the distance. Before I knew it, I was hanging on for dear life as I rocketed back down to the bottom almost instantly – an extremely short ride, but worth every second.
After exiting, I only had to walk about 50 feet before I reached the entrance of the infamous “Raging Bull.” Looking up at the steepness of the first drop from down below, I knew it wasn’t going to come easy, but I was energized and ready to go. The steady climb up the first hill was extremely long and suspenseful - I could just feel the excitement building around me for the drop that was soon to follow. After reaching the 207-foot peak, my stomach dropped out of my body as I rocketed down into a tunnel and shot around several twists and sideways turns. After two finals sharp turns at ground level, the coaster came to rest at the gate, and I had conquered another coaster.
Throughout the course of my day at Six Flags, I was able to experience several other amazing rides and attractions. Unfortunately, it would take much too long to describe them all in detail. I left the park that day carrying a huge novelty basketball and a large blue raspberry Icee, feeling satisfied and care-free. I may not be a child anymore, but I sure felt like one that day at Six Flags.
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