Thrill Rides of Las Vegas: Roller Coasters

First, I have to admit that I have never been on a roller coaster in my life and I don't plan to be!! Yeah, I know, I'm a big chicken. However, when my kids were teenagers, you could not keep them off all the "thrill" rides, so I have let each of them pick out their favorite roller coaster in Las Vegas.

April's favorite was the Speed at the Sahara. Its track is unique because it does not have a circular track It comes around the first curve at 35 mph and plummets through a mist-filled tunnel 25 feet below ground, climbs a 72 foot high loop and a 224 foot tower, then, true to it's name, it accelerates from zero to 70 mph in four seconds. A great time to flash those pearly whites would be as the coaster exits the loop because a souvenir photo is taken for you at this point. And just when you think the ride is coming to an end, they do it all over again......backwards!! The ride costs $10 and you must be 54 inches tall.

Brandy's favorite is the Canyon Blaster at Circus Circus's Adventuredome. It is the only indoor roller coaster with a double loop and double corkscrew on the planet! (Probably why she likes it so much!) It has a 90 foot drop and hits speeds of 55 mph over a 2,000 foot long track. It only lasts 1 minute and 45 seconds, but well worth the cost just for being able to say, "I rode it". It is $7 per ride and you must be 48 inches tall to ride.

Cody's favorite is the Manhattan Express at the New York New York casino. I think he likes it because it is the longest track and it lasts longer than all the other roller coasters in Vegas. What keeps everyone coming back for more is the crazy 540 degree spiral and the unique 180 degree heartline spiral with speeds topping 67 mph. It also has combinations of corkscrews, hills and loops with the biggest drop being 144 feet. Rides are $14 per person and you must be 54 inches tall to ride.

John's favorite is the Desperado at Buffalo Bill's. Now I know this one isn't actually in Las Vegas, but it is only a 40 minute ride away at the California/ Nevada state line. There is a shuttle available to Buffalo Bills from New York New York. The shuttle is free for casino guests and $10 for non-guests. I thought it was important to mention this one because if you are a roller coaster fanatic, this is a "must ride" one. It is one of the tallest roller coasters in North America. The track is over a mile long and speeds top out at 80 mph. You start off with a 225 foot drop down a 55 degree hill to a tunnel burrowing into the desert and end up with a high-speed upward spiral through a man-made mountain. Rides are $8 and you must be 48 inches tall.

All of them loved the one on top of the Stratosphere, the High Roller. It was relatively mild as far as roller coasters go, but being that high up added its on kind of thrill to the ride. To their great sorrow, it was dismantled in 2006. Oh, well, that's one less scary thing for them to try to get me on!!!