Too much fun. . .

Yesterday was the long anticipated trip to Valleyfair with my girls (the girls I work with at church). I was all for a day of fun, fun rides, fun food, fun company. . . sounded like a blast. However, today I'm barely functioning. I did have a great time and always enjoy the time that I spend with them. I'm just realizing that I am a lot older than they are and I can't always keep up with them. I always say that working with the YW makes me feel young or old, depending on the activity. . . today I'm feeling old.



The following are two of the scariest/fun rides in the park, in my opinion. I pulled these pictures and facts off the valleyfair website.





Power Tower Fact Sheet
Location:
The ominous tower soars high above all other attractions at Valleyfair, on the island in the center of the Park formerly occupied by Tot Town.
Opening:
May 2000
Design:
Three-connected 250-foot-tall white steel towers with a pyramidal top featuring the Valleyfair logo.
Color Scheme:
White with blue, red and yellow accents.
Builder:
S&S Power, Inc., Logan, Utah.
Speed:
Rides reach speeds exceeding 50 mph in 3 seconds
Velocity:
50 mph
Seconds of Weightlessness:
More than three
Height Requirement:
52"
Vehicle Design:
Riders are secured by over-the-shoulder restraints and seat belts in modular, outward-facing open-air seats that leaves their legs dangling freely in the air.
Believe It or Not:
Taller by 75 feet than Valleyfair's number-one rated ride -- Wild Thing. Only FAA height regulations from Flying Cloud Airport prevented Power Tower from being even taller



On the Power Tower I learned that I can scream MUCH louder than I previously thought. My throat still hurts today!

Steel Venom Facts and Figures
Physical Dimensions:
Height of track: 185 feet
Length of drop: 175 feet
Track length: 2,600 feet
Angle of track: 90 degrees
Angle of twist: 360 degrees
Top speed: 68 mph
Design:


Model: Single twist impulse coaster
Structure: U-shaped steel tubular track
Features: 360-degree vertical twist Linear induction motor (LIM)
Color scheme: Periwinkle columns, bright yellow track
Speed & Capacity:
Speed:
First launch (forward) - approximately 55 mph
Second launch (backward) - approximately 55 mph
Third launch (forward) - approximately 68 mph
Fourth launch (backward) - approximately 68 mph
Fifth launch (forward) - approximately 62 mph

This was the last ride that my poor stomach could handle. And it was terrifying! Who thinks of these things. . . 68 mph, holy cow. And when you are going backwards to the top of one tower on the last swing, you just hang there for a few seconds before you drop back toward the ground. Wow. . . I'm still feeling the effects today. And getting home at approximately 1 a.m. didn't help!