Roadtripping

Legoland: Beach balls in the air

Celebrating the opening of its water park last month, Legoland Florida gathered people and beach balls in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the most people keeping beach balls in the air.  Thursday, Legoland announced that Guinness had made it official: There were 1,294 bouncing beach balls at the May 24 event, far surpassing the previous record of 401. The refurbished water park, which existed as Splash Island at Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, opened on May 26.

Photo credit: Chip Litherland/Legoland

 

Dollywood roller coaster: Fly like an eagle

I’ve been reading about the new Wild Eagle coaster at Dollywood and I have to admit: It’s seducing me.

The wing coaster was the first of its kind in the U.S. when it opened in March at Dolly Parton’s theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., although another has opened since then at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Ill.

Look at the photo above and you’ll see why Dollywood calls it the Wild Eagle: the “body” of the eagle rides atop the track, but the seats are on the “wings,” which are atop … nothing. It reminds me of SheiKra at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, where the riders in the outside seats are over nothing, but the new wing coaster takes it a step or three further.

I may be forced to detour through eastern Tennessee on my road trip to Asheville, N.C., this fall.

Photo credit: Dollywood