Open Thread

It's summer time; the kids are out of school. I'm getting nearly daily pleas to go to amusement parks to ride roller coasters, and in Northern California, we have a few different ones from which to choose. Today is the anniversary of the very
By Nicole Belle — June 16, 2011

POD-061611-Coasters.jpg

It's summer time; the kids are out of school. I'm getting nearly daily pleas to go to amusement parks to ride roller coasters, and in Northern California, we have a few different ones from which to choose. Today is the anniversary of the very first roller coaster:

On this day 127 years ago, the first American roller coaster appeared at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. Built by LaMarcus Thompson, the Gravity Pleasure Switchback Railway featured a gentle, wavy hill and traveled at an “invigorating” 6 miles per hour. The coaster car could hold 10 passengers and originally featured sideways seats so riders could enjoy the views. The ride was so popular that the coaster earned $600 daily, at a nickel a ride. It paid for its own construction costs within three weeks.

It's a far cry from today's roller coasters. Check this one out from Six Flags Great Adventures in NJ. It's not even a minute long, but it definitely gets the maximum thrill per second.

Have any fun roller coaster memories?

Open thread below...

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