Roller coasters

After our long day at the beach on Thursday we visited Belmont Park to ride the Giant Dipper, which is one of the first wooden roller coasters in America.

I was a little nervous about going on this roller coaster because I found the Desperado at Buffalo Bill's was absolutely terrifying. I could hardly move after the ride was over--my knuckles were white from gripping the handle bars. Andrew almost had to pry me out of the seat.

I haven't had many other opportunities to ride roller coasters, having never really been to an amusement park before. I rode the roller coaster at Disney's California Adventure, but that was back in high school. I think I remember enjoying it...but it was quite a few years ago.

Other than that I've just been on the dinky rides at Legoland and Disneyland. And as much as Jenna may disagree, Pirates of the Caribean doesn't really count as a roller coaster, even with the little "whoosh" in the middle.

So, having very little else to compare roller coasters to, I had no choice but to assume that all roller coasters were as terrifying and life-threatening as the Desperado.

But this is not so! The Giant Dipper was actually pretty fun. It went fast, it gave my stomach butterflies multiple times, and it had plenty of twists and turns. But I didn't feel like I was freefalling to my death. This is a roller coaster I'd ride again.