Rides:
Adventuredome:
Canyon Blaster--I rode this one the most (around 4-5 times) and found it to be quite enjoyable! I was going into it thinking the ride would just be an indoor version of Demon, but i was pleasantly surprised. It went a lot higher up than i thought it would and there was no headbanging whatsoever. In addition, the greatest aspect of the ride (also it's flaw when riding further back), is that it's faster than anyone could imagine going through the elements. I got airtime in between the loops and the corkscrew and quite a few Gs on some of those in the canyon turns. Overall, fairly decent ride and exceeded my hopes
Inverter--I rode this once, mainly because i've never ridden one. I found it to be quite nausiating, which is odd since i normally don't get sick on flippy rides. Oh well, it's one more flat i can say i've been on
Overall, while i didn't really ride much, i enjoyed my time here. The place is rather large and other than Rim Runner (their SWF), everything was open and running with little to no waits. They also still have a Chaos here!!!!
Sahara Hotel:
Speed--All i can say about this one is that the name is not an exaggeration! You are launched out of that station before you even know the ride had started! After the launch you are thrown into a tunnel, into a vertical loop, then into a second launch track which shoots you around the car turnaround and up the tower. Then backwards through the whole thing. The ride is similar to Mr. Freeze, but with a different layout. If the ride wasn't over so fast, i'd say it was an incredible ride. You DEFINITELY get your speed fix in, and it definitely belongs there at the Nascar Cafe, but i found it too be too short for the 10 dollars it cost to ride, and definitely to fast to enjoy for any length of time.
New York, New York Hotel:
Manhatten Express--Needless to say, your advice was all correct, i did everyone in my group a favor by kicking a support post on this ride on the way out. For a ride with such an interesting first couple of drops around the casino and such a neat inversion on it, this ride truely sucked! One of the worst coasters i've ever been on and it has no excuse to be. There are only 2 inversions, so to get headbanging from going through turns and drops is just ridiculous. What's worse is the 15 dollar cost to ride the stupid thing!
Stratosphere Hotel:
EASILY the best set of rides on the strip...HANDS DOWN!
X-Scream---My new favorite flat ride, which propels riders OVER the edge of the stratosphere! I rode this thing over 10 times and it never got any worse. The first time riding was probably the scariest feeling i've gotten on a ride since my first experience on Raging Bull. Definitely the coolest ride up there and my last couple of rides were at night so it had an incredible view!
Big Shot---I love space shot rides, so needless to say this ride is the best tower ride i've been on! The view is incredible and the onride photos are priceless!
Insanity---I liked the ride, but i had some issues with how fast it was spinning. For starters, it was definitely the easiest ride to photograph and the most taunting to get the nerves to ride. The face down view looking down was awesome, but at the same time, i had a hard time enjoying it without getting dizzy from the spinning. The other issue i had with this one was the downtime. I was on X-Scream in the pouring rain and Big Shot in high winds, but this thing closed every time the wind was blowing over 3mph (exageration, but you get the point). I almost thought, as the night progressed, that it wouldn't be open long enough in the day to ride, but i eventually got on it.
Overall, the roof up there is spectacular. It has a great view of the strip and downtown Vegas, it has plenty of room to take pictures, shops to buy souvies, drink stands to quench your thirst, and look out areas to watch the rides above you run over the edge. The outdoor deck where the rides are was EXTREMELY windy because of the height, but right next to both rides to watch them and worry over riding them. The Big Shot is on a patio of it's own, which made you feel even more alone and high up. The other cool thing was that everyone was too scared to ride these things. I had to beg my friends to ride with me and there was never anyone in line, everyone was just like "heck no, not that thing". Definitely the best place for thrills on the strip!!!!
Hotels:
I'd have to say i was most impressed with the Wynn and Venetian in terms of interiors. All of the hotels had something to do that was free or relatively cheap, which was nice for someone on a budget who isn't 21 yet. Overall, me and the guys had an awesome time, i beat the professors at an arcade game, saw Ashley Simpson at LAX Night Club, and enjoyed the 75 degree weather!
Pictures:
Here's my flickr account for my best pictures...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21304031@N07/
Any others can be found on facebook so feel free to friend me if you wanna check out the albums. I would upload them here, but there are way too many and i don't necessarily know how (Director Guy, we need to have you send me a tutorial to do a TR like you)
