Las Vegas and Adventure Dome - March 2014

[zombieninja]

I must admit, this off-season has been both exciting and depressing for me at the same time. I cannot wait for Kings Island to open this year, but I am getting a serious case of the winter blues. This trip came at just the right time. There was more my wife zombiejane and I have done in Las Vegas, but that would require a rather large trip report... and some things are best left in Vegas.

If you ever visit, don't forget Fremont Street! It is well worth the cab fare.

The first roller coaster we've rode for the year was The Roller Coaster, at New York-New York Hotel. I felt sorry I did this to myself later. It is the bumpiest, roughest, most awkward moving steel coaster I have ever been on. Only the most curious or masochistic roller coaster enthusiast should ride it. This is the third most painful ride experience I have ever had, with The Hurler and Berserker at Kings Dominion being the first two. Even if the ride was much more bearable, the track layout still seems strange to me. Not to mention a very awkward twist-then-dive maneuver.

The next day we spent some time in the Adventuredome theme park at Circus Circus. Adventuredome is much bigger than you might expect, and turned out to be much nicer than my expectations. The staff there are very friendly and it is kept pretty clean. I thought the canyon theme would make it cheesy, but that is far from the truth. The hilly terrain inside adds nicely to the experience and gives it a good sense of exploration - much needed and welcome for a park this size.

I always wanted to ride one of these, and I finally got my wish. It was a very good ride experience

There are two fantastic roller coasters in Adventuredome. The better of them, in my opinion, is Canyon Blaster. Like many smaller coasters, pictures and video do not do it justice! This is one of the best coasters you will ever ride. Canyon Blaster is much, much more than your standard looping Arrow coaster. It has an insane sense of speed, tight turns, a corkscrew that doesn't make you feel like you're just hanging upside-down, and two really good pops of airtime. If you ever travel to Las Vegas do not miss it!

Canyon Blaster makes very good use of the terrain.

You might be astonished.

....and some things that seem the same - really aren't.

Even more unique than Canyon Blaster, El Loco also delivered thrills well beyond what I had anticipated. It packs a huge punch in a very compact size, and moves in an almost acrobatic fashion along the track. When you ride it, you will experience gravity in ways you wouldn't normally associate with a roller coaster. The outward banked turn and two moments of hang-time were the most memorable for me. The seats are among the most comfortable of any ride. There is on-board audio, as well, but it is appropriately done and fits the ride experience.

I love this part. It leans left, then twists 180 degrees the other way into hang-time and drops onto the brakes.

El Loco draws a lot of spectators. Most choose not to ride

I also took a ridiculous amount of pictures of High Roller while I was in Las Vegas. Perhaps no other object has ever gained so much attention from me in such a short amount of time. The sheer size and amount of steel in front of you is mesmerizing. I wonder if my wife counted the minutes lost to me staring at it....

"Wow, that's a big Ferris whe.... oh that's right, we're getting our picture taken."

Another reason to ride the monorail.

[faeriewench]

Canyon Blaster certainly earned its special spot with me. It's such a fun little Arrow!

[flightoffear1996]

This city looks so amazing. I need to get there soon.

[sikkinixx99]

Looks like so much fun!! Glad you had a great trip!!

[Tuskin]

Vegas is absolutely stunning. It has so much to do, and so many hidden gems. I highly recommend it.