National Roller Coaster Day: A Tribute to Terror and Thrill 🎢

Posted on August 16, 2025August 16, 2025 by Dusty Roads

National Roller Coaster Day: A Tribute to Terror and Thrill 🎢

Who would have thought those mechanical monsters would have a day of their own?

I have a love/hate relationship with roller coasters. I love them—but I haven’t set foot on one since I passed out on the old wooden coaster at Nantasket Beach. (Yes, Nantasket—not Nantucket. Easy mix-up, but one has lobster rolls and the other had a rickety thrill machine that stole my consciousness.) That coaster is long gone now. Torn down. All that remains is a memory—splintered wood, the scent of salt air, and the echo of my teenage bravado.

Nantasket Beach Roller Coasters | News | collectorsjournal.com

Stock photo

But the new coasters? They’re breathtaking. Literally. I watch the loops and whirls and upside-down spins with a cocktail of fear and jealousy. Fear, because I know my nerves would never survive the launch. Jealousy, because deep down, I wish I were brave enough to fly.

National Roller Coaster Day: A Tribute to Terror and Thrill 🎢

Loop Coaster Universal , Orlando Fl 2012- photo credit Deb Neumann

There’s something poetic about roller coasters. They mimic life in the most dramatic way: the slow climb of anticipation, the sudden drop into chaos, the twists you never saw coming, and the moment you finally catch your breath—laughing, screaming, or both.

I stand at the edge of the platform, watching others strap in. Their faces are lit with adrenaline and joy. Mine? A wistful smile and a silent cheer from the sidelines. Maybe one day I’ll ride again. Maybe not. But today, I celebrate the wild ride—whether from the front seat or the fence line.

Nitro at 6 Flags – Stock Photo

Happy National Roller Coaster Day, you glorious beasts of steel and speed. You terrify me. And I love you for it.

Thrill Rides at Six Flags New England in Springfield

6 Flags – stock photo

Oh the Places You’ll Go

Posted on March 14, 2018March 13, 2018 by Dusty Roads | 4 Comments

What Places need a visit?

I’ve been some great places and had some amazing adventures. But where do I want to go next. I haven’t made it to all 50 states but I’m finding that I’m not interested in seeing every state any more. I’ve developed some favorite places and I like returning. There’s Florida and Hawaii to name two. I’m pretty sure I’ll continue to visit both of those states.

Go West, Young Man, Go West

I’ll need to rephrase that famous line. How about go west old lady go west? I like Wyoming. I’m tentatively going back again to finish visiting Yellowstone. I’d prefer to get accomodations in Idaho as it’s closer to the West Entrance but if that doesn’t pan out I can go back to Jackson. That was a really good vacation.

Moulton Barn with Tetons in the background

Red Rocks of Sedona

Sedona was nice too. The red rocks are beautiful. I took my first helicopter ride there. Sedona was my base camp when I made both visits to the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is truly amazing. Everyone should see it at least once. The first time it’s almost overwhelming. My mind kept telling me it wasn’t real!

Mount Rushmore

What’s in South Dakota

What’s in South Dakota was the question I got and asked when my sister and I planned our trip. Everyone knows about Mount Rushmore but it turned out that there was a lot more to see and experience. We visited a real dinosaur dig, observed wild mustangs running free, were surrounded by bison in Custer State Park.

Alaska, The Great Land

We cruised to Alaska. Unfortunately we did it in the rainy, cold spring. I want to go back. I want to see the bears at Brooks Camp during the salmon run. I’d like to cruise past the glaciers again and even experience the midnight sun. Maybe I need two trips because I’d like to see the Aurora Borealis, aka the Northern lights and those are in the fall and winter. Ugh…cold.

Any Suggestions?

So my friends, family and loyal readers, where do you want me to go? What adventure would you like me to experience and write about? The only stipulation is that it must be in the USA. I’m not ready for international travel yet. Maybe someday.

Pandora After Dark

Posted on October 11, 2017October 8, 2017 by Dusty Roads

Disney’s Pandora at Night

I returned to Pandora on my last night in Orlando. This was the big test. Pandora at night. I met up with Jr for a dusk Safari. Disney leaves nothing to chance. They even have a fake sunset over the savanna. But that was just the first act. Pandora was the headliner. We passed the Tree of Life, barely slowing down to see the “Awakenings”.

This centerpiece of the Animal Kingdom has been endowed with a wondrous nighttime show. It runs every 10 minutes so there’s plenty of opportunity to take it in.

The River of Light

The reason for the rush was that we wanted good seats for the River of Light Show. This is a fusion of lights, color and water. Images play on the sails of the ships and fountains burst from the floating lilies. Animals of light play across the the dark, splashing orcas, racing cheetahs. This is a celebration of life in light. Watch closely as you are transported across Asian jungles and tropical oceans to African savannas and North American mountains.

The Sound is Overwhelming

As if the imagery were not enough the music is loud. Very LOUD. That was one thing that I found distracting. The images were mesmerizing but the music was overwhelming. Its just my opinion but the sound was not in balance with the visual effects.

I made it my challenge

Capturing some of the brilliant scenes on camera became my focus. My favorite things were the floating Lilly pads. The show is only 15 minutes but it will totally immerse you. When the show ended it was time to check out “Pandora at Night.”

Last stop, The World of Avatar at Night

As you approach Pandora at night you begin to see the sparkling luminescence on the tree trunks. But there’s more when you approach than when you get inside the world. The walk ways do not light up as you walk as described in the Disney promo. It’s obvious that much of the effects are black lights, so 1960’s. The Na’Vi River Journey is interesting but that’s about all I can say about it. We only waited about 5 minutes for the last ride of the evening. I wouldn’t wait in line an hour. It isn’t worth it. We didn’t get to take the Flight of Passage. There was still a long line. That ride might have been worth the wait. But it will have to wait for next time.

Is Pandora worth the Hype?

My opinion? Fun, interesting but just as good in daylight as the dark. Not up to Disney Standards.

Mystic Dunes Resort

Posted on October 9, 2017October 8, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Mystic Dunes Resort and Golf Club

Mystic Dunes is a family resort in Orlando Fl. I’m creating this post for my sister. Sandy always wants to see what the resorts are like and where I stay when I travel. Since I am a Timeshare owner through Diamond Resorts International I’ve always found the resorts to be top notch.

Mystic Dunes is no exception. Its located close to all the family attractions, Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld. If you try to squeeze everything in you’ll be singing “And I Had The Time of my Life”.

Mystic Dunes and Hurricane Irma

My scheduled trip coincided with Hurricane Irma’s visit to Florida. With the Orlando Airport closed it was clear my trip was on hold. A few phone calls later my new dates were 2 days after Irma. I had no idea what to expect. Was I headed to a disaster area? The Golf course was closed but not because of the hurricane. It was just getting a face lift.

My home away from home at Mystic Dunes

No Phone, no Cable, no Internet

Living area of the condo at Mystic Dunes

The first thing I noticed when I arrived was that reception had no air conditioning. The second was the large hole in the ceiling. But the resort personnel were intrepid. They sat at card tables with lap tops checking in the guests. My unit had A/C. in fact it was downright cold but the tables and chairs for the deck were in the corner of the living room. The phones, cable and internet were down but expected to be back on sometime before I left.

Amenities

I didn’t spend much time at the resort but I made a check of the grounds to see what damage there was. A few trees were down. Grounds keepers were busy cutting them up and repairing the decorative fountains. The club house restaurant, Kenzie’s, was open for business.

The pool was clean and waters flowing. Even the grill area was all set up and ready to go. By the time my brief vacation wrapped up, the hole in the ceiling at the reception area was repaired and the A/C was on for them. They were still on generators but it was business as usual. Kudos to the dedicated staff. They made sure the hardships of Hurricane Irma never touched their guests.

Safari trumps Zoo

Posted on October 7, 2017October 7, 2017 by Dusty Roads

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Safari

Going on a safari Disney style is better than going to the zoo. The attraction imitates an open-sided safari ride through the savanna of East Africa. It may be bumpy but that’s to make it feel authentic. They used to do this whole “catch the poachers” routine to raise awareness. That was gone on this trip. I think it was much better without that.

Passing through the Birds of Asia

Leaving Pandora, JR suggested going through Asia to get to Africa and the safari. I was happy to go along with that. Usually we get to see the tigers but they were all hiding. Another section of the trail has loads of exotic birds. Best to wear a hat when you pass through here. I always enjoy that section even if one must beware of bombs from above.

The Harambe Wildlife Reserve

The Kilimanjaro Safari takes place in the fictional Harambe Wildlife Reserve. Everyone is loaded into the trucks. I prefer the left side if possible because the lions are usually on the left. Still there seem to be more animals on the right side. Like this curious giraffe that practically posed for his picture.

If we were in a zoo there would be fences and cages to distract from the viewing. Here you not only get to ride, but you get to see the animals un-caged and acting like wild animals. Don’t get me wrong. The animals are separated so the lions can’t eat the gazelles but the fences and moats are very carefully hidden.

Wild Africa Trek

If the Kilimanjaro Safari is too tame for you Disney has just the thing. It’s a privately guided VIP expedition at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park! You’ll walk along a grassland path, cross a rope bridge and ride in a rugged safari vehicle over an open savanna. I haven’t done this but you can see some of the trail while you are doing your safari. I found it very tempting.

Category Archives: Orlando

National Roller Coaster Day: A Tribute to Terror and Thrill 🎢