Last summer my family and a bunch of friends traveled to Chicago to check out the Willis Tower’s new glass cube attraction. The Ledge juts out from the 103rd floor Skydeck of the former Sears Tower, and allows you to look straight down to the city below from 1,353 feet in the air. I could barely look at the glass case, never mind about climbing in. Conversely, my then 5-year-old had a field day on The Ledge, sprawling across the floor and posing for photos while sitting pretzel-legged against the back wall, so it appears as though she is floating in mid-air.
So, yeah, I am a chicken when it comes to heights, dips, dives, high speeds and just about every other adrenaline-pumping adventure. However, if you are looking for some high-octane fun this summer, there is no shortage of options to choose from, including these new high-flying attractions:
Untamed
Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire, is the place to be this summer if you are a serious thrill seeker. The amusement park, which is located just north of Boston, is getting ready to unveil “Untamed” next month. The massive grizzly bear-themed steel roller coaster features a unique vertical lift hill and beyond-vertical drop. It’s only the fourth of its kind in the United States. After dropping 97 degrees riders are rocketed through a wilderness-themed layout, complete with a vertical loop, zero-G roll and a vertical U-turn maneuver known as an “Immelmann.”
Dare Devil Dive
A summer trip to Atlanta would not be complete without stopping at Six Flags Over Georgia. The 100-acre theme park is going all out this season by debuting Dare Devil Dive. The thrill ride sends guests 100 feet up a vertical tower, then plunges them back down at a beyond-vertical pitch of 95 degrees. The ride tops speeds of 52 mph, and includes a series of hair-raising twists, along with three inversions and a zero-gravity hill.
WindSeeker
What’s a WindSeeker? Think traditional swing ride on steroids. The 301-foot ride spins guests in two-person swings that hit speeds of 30 mph and flares out at up to 45 degrees. At least six parks are adding them to their ride collection this summer, including Cedar Point, Kings Island, Knott’s Berry Farm and Canada’s Wonderland.
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