We arrived in Las Vegas around 6 in the afternoon Pacific time and since we had time before we broke out the bills and gambled, we decided to go ride New York, New York's roller coaster, the Manhatten Express.
After finding the queue line (it's harder to find the bathrooms) we payed the pricey $8 bucks for one ride. The station was well played out as a sort of subway station and the cars look like taxi cabs. The restraints were a bit awkward because you had a lap bar and pull down shoulder harnesses which are pretty uncomfortable. The ride begins with the lift starting behind the hotel and climbing to 203 feet. The first drop is fast and intense but the second drop seems a little larger than the 1st. Then you turn into a loop and into the "heartline twist" element which is very intense. After that we decided to turn in for the night.
The next morning we drove out to Buffalo Bill's Casino, which is about a 1/2 hour drive. There we rode the Desperado which is a very very awesome ride. It was $2 less per ride than the Manhatten Express which was good. The ride in itself was quite a thriller. With all the speed, drops, airtime, and headbangers, Desperado is a ride I won't forget.
Later that day we went to the Sahara Hotel which is about halfway up the Strip. There we rode Speed: The Ride, and man oh man was it a rush!
The ride begins inside the Nascar Cafe inside the hotel. There you load the train where you wait to be launched. The launch was intense and you can't see it coming which adds thrill. The first turn out of the station is a severly overbanked left-hander which narrowly aviods the road in front. From there you go underground and into a loop; then a second set of LIMs boosts your speed further to make the sweeping right and left hand turn to follow. Then you go straight up a 220 ft. tower only to experience a few seconds of weightlessness, and then plummet to the ground and do it all over again! Very much worth the price.
Finally, we ended up on top of the Stratosphere Tower only to ride the highest roller coaster in the world. The ride in itself is a dud. But the fact that you are SO high up makes up for it. The ride is also sickeningly short so you ride twice around. I also went on the Big Shot which is a real jaw-dropper.
In conclusion: The trip was long, but well, well worth it.
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"Grilled Steak Taco from Taco Bell!!"
