HIT THE PARKS!

The car sped down the highway, music blared on the speakers and Chandan Bhatia and his friends yelled at the top of their lungs. Finals were over and they were on their way to spend a day relaxing at Paramount's Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio. \n"We were on the top of the world," says Bhatia, an accounting major at IU. \nIn a friend's classy convertible, Bhatia and his friends were bound for a day of fun riding every ride possible at Kings Island. He says they managed to catch every ride in Boomerang Bay and Kings Island's waterpark within about three hours. \n"My definition of chilling is going to an amusement park, staying the night and having a good road trip back," Bhatia says. \nMany IU students choose to travel to regional amusement parks when they need to unwind. There are several parks within a few hours drive from Bloomington that are rated highly by Amusement Today, a magazine devoted to amusement parks. \nThe park's spokesperson, Maureen Boothe, says Paramount's Kings Island contends every year for the honor of being named Amusement Today's "Best Amusement Park in the World" with another Ohio park, Cedar Point. \nParamount's Kings Island has over 80 rides, shows and attractions. Two well-known rollercoasters are the Beast and the Son of the Beast. \nBoothe says the Beast is the longest wooden roller coaster in the world, measuring 7,359 feet, and the Son of the Beast is the tallest, fastest and only looping wooden coaster on the planet. \nPicture this. You walk up to the rollercoaster entrance and all you see are coaster cars and tracks going off into the woods in both directions. The Beast lays hidden. All you can see is the station where the trains come to pick up passengers and its first hill. \n"It is like you're outside the park when you are riding it," Boothe says. \nBhatia says he bought a picture of him riding the Beast so he could have an memento of the experience. \n"The freefall on the Beast is just amazing. It is almost as tall as Eigenmann Hall," Bhatia says. \nFor all you freefall addicts, Kings Island has the Drop Zone, which is the tallest gyro drop in the world at 26 stories tall, according to their Web site. If loops are more your thing, Kings Island's Web site also boasts that the Vortex is the first coaster in the world to have six inversions. \nAccording to Bloomington resident Bob Robins, rollercoasters may be fun, but they should also be feared and respected. \n"You're there to have fun, but you must not do anything stupid," Robins says. "The bottom line is you are risking your life." \nAs long as you don't get out of your seat, people can safely ride these machines. Most coasters have two independent restraining systems. For example, the Raven at Holiday World in Indiana has seatbelts and a lap bar. \nThere are other types of thrill rides for the longtime coaster rider who is finding rollercoasters monotonous. Challenge Park, which is adjacent to Cedar Point, has the X-Treme Trampoline and the Ripcord Skycoaster. Paramount's Kings Island has Tomb Raider: The Ride where people are hurtled upsidedown through the darkness of a cave dodging lava pits and sharp stalactites. \nHowever, do not try to drive home after a day of amusement park fun. Mike Gaudzels, a business student at IU, says he started swerving on the road while he was driving back from a day at Paramount's Kings Island. \n"My friends and I were really tired … so we decided to stay the night at my friend's cousin's place," Gaudzels says. \nRobins says he and his friends were exhausted after their day at Cedar Point, so they stayed in a hotel. Robins also recommends camping. \n"Camping is especially fun if you have a lot of people. You can sit around the fire and play guitar," Robins says.\nParks draw students because they can get a day of thrills for a fairly low cost. Admission to most parks costs around $45. \n"It's like when you can't afford to go on a real (trip), you drive over with your friends for the day and you feel like you've been on a vacation," says Cinda Godwin, an elementary education major at IU. \nIU student Alexis Shields and Robins were on a road trip coming back from Boston when they visited Cedar Point in the town of Sandusky, Ohio. \n"My main interest is the roller coasters. I like loops," Robins says. "It's all about good times, taking it to the limit and pushing the G forces." \nHang on tight. Cedar Point has the Top Thrill Dragster, which is the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in the world. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this coaster is 420 feet high and speeds passengers along the track at 120 mph. It has a drag strip theme complete with a starting light, engine sound effects and elongated train cars that look like dragsters. \nDon't be shocked at the sticker prices when you get hungry. Shields says the prices at Cedar Point for food are high but the selection is great. \n"There were all kinds of carnival foods like cotton candy and caramel apples," Shields says. According to Shields, you can get $10 off admission coupons at gas stations in the town. \nRobins recommends bringing a lot of water because it can get hot in the afternoon. \nHowever, you don't have to worry about drinks at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind. At this amusement park, visitors get free drinks all day. People are not even required to purchase and carry around a cup, because the cost of this perk is part of the ticket price. Holiday World even offers free sun-screen and free inner-tube usage in its attached water park called Splashin' Safari. This part of the park has ZOOMbabwe, the world's largest enclosed waterslide at 102 feet tall and 887 feet long, according to the Holiday World Web site. \nDania Ng, a junior biology major at IU, says she has gone to Holiday World every year with her family since she was 12-years-old. \n"My favorite part is that (Splashin' Safari) is really clean. I haven't seen gross stuff floating in the water," Ng says. \nIf you don't like to wait in line and fight the crowds, Sundays are a good day to visit an amusement park. \nPaula Werne, director of public relations at Holiday World says July and August are traditionally busier times because of families going on summer vacations. She encourages people come to Holiday World during the week or on a Sunday, since Saturdays are their busiest day. \n"There are a lot of good tips on the Web site for how to avoid long lines at Holiday World and Splashin' Safari," Werne says. She says lines are short in the afternoon at Holiday World because many people don't go to the waterpark after lunch. \nIndiana Beach, the largest amusement resort in Indiana, is located along Lake Schafer about midway between Indianapolis and Chicago. In addition to beach and water-related activities, it has 27 amusement rides for adults and nine rides for kids.\nThe Hoosier Hurricane roller coaster is known for its spectacular view of the lake and its sudden drop under a suspension bridge. The Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain is a gravity-driven train that was built on the structure of the park's old mountain ride and has tight turns, steep drops and bunny hops.\nIndiana Beach is divided into the Boardwalk Funway, the Water Park and the Sand Beach Swimming Area, which is an enclosed 750,000 gallon swimming pool with a large sand beach along the lakefront.\nThe water park has six tube slides including the "Black Hole," in which people make a trip through darkness. The Aqua Theater on the Boardwalk Funway offers ski and water shows four times a day during the summer. Visitors can also take a ride on the Shafer Queen, Indiana's largest regularly scheduled paddle wheel vessel.