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Nothing But Roller Coasters!
December 19th, 2007 categories: Tampa Real Estate, Things To Do In Tampa
I’m a roller coaster enthusiast to the extent that I just love riding the darn things. I can’t say that I’ve ridden that many, but when the opportunity presents itself, I usually hop on for a ride.
So after a doctor’s appointment in Temple Terrace yesterday, I noticed the sign pointing the way to Busch Gardens. Being the week before Christmas, I had no other appointments for the day, and got to thinking about that Busch Gardens Fun Card in my wallet. I had been previously suckered in to the FLORIDA RESIDENTS: PAY FOR A DAY AND COME BACK ALL YEAR IN 2007! ad. So I decided, this was the time to go back.
I have always wanted to go and just ride all the coasters in the same day. My almost 9 year old son hasn’t really taken to riding them yet, so when we’re there as a family, the coasters don’t get much love. So, off I went for some adventure. Busch Gardens Tampa has to have one of the better coaster collections in the USA. And if you’re a coaster fan, you’ve got all you can handle within 100 miles of Tampa.
The parking lot was pretty empty relative to when I’m usually there in mid-summer. Great, no lines. First up, and just inside the gates was Gwazi, a double wooden roller coaster that will appeal to the traditionalists. Gwazi is a rough and tumble ride, what you’d expect from a wooden coaster. I rode solo in the front car, with no wait. Check out the Gwazi video.
Next up was Sheikra, a coaster that Busch Gardens claims was the nation’s first “dive-coaster”. And dive it did, twice in fact. Certainly the first coaster that’s ever given me that OH SH*#! feeling. Sheikra is like riding in a big 1975 Coupe De Ville, that gets to a cliff edge and hangs there before dropping 90 degrees straight down for 200 feet. It’s a smooth, fast ride, but on the short side time-wise. The floors disappear just before you take off, a new feature added summer of 2007. Rode this one twice, in the third (last) row. Check out Sheikra.
On to Kumba, my personal favorite and a Busch Gardens coaster since about 1995. Kumba seems to have more twist and loops (combined) than any of the others, and while I’m no physicist, the g-forces on this baby seem to beat all the others. I rode Kumba twice as well, with no wait.
Adjacent to The Congo, home of Kumba, is Timbuktu, home of Scorpion. Scorpion is a much smaller metal track coaster that is more geared to younger enthusiasts. But Scorpion does have a 60 foot drop and 360 degree loop that keeps things exciting. One ride on Scorpion and away I went.
The final coaster that I wanted to ride, one I’d never ridden, was Montu. Montu is isolated at the other side of the park near the entrance. A brief stop for my second complimentary Anheuser-Busch adult beverage, and I was off to the Egyptian themed area of the Park. But passing Gwazi again, I noticed there was no line, and I took a quick second ride on this one.
Off to Egypt. There was no line here either, and I hopped right on to the last row of Montu. Montu is one of those inverted coasters, with the track over your head, your feet dangling in the open space below. This was my least favorite of all the Busch Gardens coasters. The last row is not the place to be on this one. I like to see where I’m headed and all I could see were the backs of the individuals in the car ahead of me. It was a smooth ride with many loops, but this one was disappointing for me. Montu video.
After 8 rides, I figured enough is enough for a while. If you like roller coasters, Busch Gardens Tampa is a must see. If you’re visiting Tampa, and/or considering buying or selling residential real estate in Tampa, give us a call.
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