Can you say VACAY?

It feels like this summer has taken almost 100 years to arrive. We have no doubt had one of the toughest past couple years the world has seen in a long time. As the vaccines roll out, hope to seems to be on the horizon for getting the world back to more of a normal. Tourist destinations and vacation spots are slowly starting to return to what they once were pre-pandemic. And with that, I am excited to be taking some actual trips this summer. My first planned one is coming up in a few weeks. My two friends and I are going to spend a couple days in the Cincinnati area, visiting places like Jungle Jim’s, Raising Cane’s, Newport Aquarium, and none other than the Ohio landmark: Kings Island. With the travel bug in my head, here are some of the thrills and sights I've seen on trips.

Millenium Force

I no doubt love riding rollercoasters, especially the tall and fast ones. That's exactly why Millenium Force had to appear on this list. Located in the northwest corner of Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH), this coaster boasts a jaw-dropping 310-foot tall drop! You reach speeds of up to 93 MPH while enjoying two tunnels, three overbanked turns, and four hills.

I personally have enjoyed this 100% every single time I have visited Cedar Point. My favorite experience was riding it in the very first row with one of my good friends. Absolutely worth the wait. Now I must admit I was mildly terrified seeing nothing but air instead of rows of people in front of me, but that heightened the thrill and made that particular ride on Millenium one to remember.

Rock n' Rollercoaster

This musically themed ride is tucked in the southeast corner of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, located in Orlando, Florida. You’re inside the studio of legendary band Aerosmith where they’ve just finished a recording session. When their manager tells them they’re late for a concert across town, you’re invited to ride along!

I definitely give this ride some heavy praise for creating an amazing atmosphere. It really feels like you are transported right into a rock n' roll fantasy. The cars you ride in even look like actual cars! Just as you’re about to take off, that LED screen gives you a countdown before you are rocketed off into the darkness from 0 to 60 mph in 2 seconds. The entirety of the ride is filled with Aerosmith classics such as Sweet Emotion and Back In the Saddle. One caveat is their song “Love in an Elevator” is even changed to “Love in a Rollercoaster” just for the ride’s sake. How cool is that?

If you ever find yourself in Disneyworld, I highly recommend giving this one a chance. It’s pretty sweet.

Steel Vengeance

This ultimate hybrid coaster took over what was once Mean Streak at Cedar Point. It's actually the longest hybrid coaster in the world with 5,740 feet of track! That's not the only record it breaks, it also holds the world record for the most amount of airtime on a roller coaster at 30 seconds. The initial drop is 205 feet, sending you off into a top speed of 74 mph for the entire 2 minute and 30 second ride. It definitely feels like a wild day at the rodeo, or at least that's how I would describe it. I back this one with my personal recommendation, you should definitely ride it!

Zipline at Fremont Street

This famous zipline located on the strip in Las Vegas offers two ways to ride: sitting at 7 stories and flying like Superman at 11 stories. Right away, I chose to fly like a super hero (plus the ride was 5 blocks long instead of 2). I couldn’t resist purchasing this picture after getting off. Check out that hair! And that facial expression! I was definitely 110% enjoying myself.

Grand Canyon

I don't enjoy just the thrill rides, but I also enjoy just taking in different sights. During my Las Vegas trip, my group drove out to the Grand Canyon. Now while I do recommend seeing this at least once in your lifetime, I personally don't think it has enough excitement to warrant a 4-hour car ride every time you visit Las Vegas. But why should you get yourself out here at least once? The gorgeous, scenic views. There are several miles in which you can traverse, but I recommend that for the athletically enabled. My group and I walked just enough to grab some memorable photos (like the one you see above) and we were ready to head back to our hotel.

Newport Aquarium

Not too long after returning from Vegas (about a month later I believe), I remember calling up one of my best friends and basically saying "Hey, you're coming over here and we are going on an adventure". I planned zero details beforehand and we drove 3 hours down to Newport, Kentucky. There we visited their decent-sized aquarium. Now the photo you see here was one taken just at the end of the visit. There was a small pool and at the side was a small tunnel you could crawl through. At the end of that tunnel was a tube you could stand up in. Now when I say that tunnel was small, I do not exaggerate. You had to get on your hands and knees to crawl through this carpeted area. I'm a bit overweight, but I did not care and really wanted this picture. The end result and smile was all worth it!

Eiffel Tower (Las Vegas)

Ah, yet another purchase I happily tacked onto my credit card: riding up the Eiffel Tower at the Paris in Las Vegas. The construction broke for this hotel on April 18, 1997, where plans to build a full-scale model of the Eiffel Tower were included. Unfortunately, this would have interfered with the McCarran International Airport and therefore the replica is only half the original size. You have the option of purchasing a ticket to ride to the top and enjoy the scenic view. Well, by this point you know me and key photo opportunities so I for sure was not going to pass this one up. Once at the top, I snapped pictures at every angle I could.

What do you think? I've probably given you the travelling bug I imagine. No worries, I gave it to myself when I was inserting all of the pictures for this article. And after the state the world has been in, I think we all could use a good vacation.

Sources Used

https://www.cedarpoint.com/rides-experiences/steel-vengeance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Force

https://vegasexperience.com/fremont-zipline-slotzilla/?gclid=CjwKCAjwkN6EBhBNEiwADVfya7pKK4sxXPv9Ar0BCAy6MP8Zp-mJL2-qPZRFNGwxhoNdEBN_REag_BoC3mYQAvD_BwE

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Las_Vegas