der kids rode them of course but not us! I remember thinking who in their right mind would ride something like that. And remember folks, the coasters then couldn't hold a candle to the ones out today. Kings Dominion had The Rebel Yell and the Super Duper Looper. Hersey Park had the Lightning Loops twin track coasters and The Comet. Great Adventures big one was The Great American Scream Machine. We would watch other people ride but no thanks, we would pass. Fast forward a few years and me and my family all decided to take a trip to Williamsburg Virginia for a few days. We visited the po
ttery there. We went to the colonial part. Then we went for the day to Busch Gardens. This was a park I had never been to. I remember I was struck as we all entered by how pretty and well landscaped the place was. It was hilly and the walking paths were surrounded by trees and flowers. Old medieval music played and the employees were dressed as old English town folks. We all picked up maps and we were walking, talking about the different sections of the park and what everyone wanted to do when
suddenly we all stopped. And stared. Straight ahead of us was the meanest and scariest looking thing I had ever seen. It was a looping, entwined monster of steel and track. It was The Loch Ness Monster, the first inter looping coaster ever. It was terrifying just to look at! As one of the cars finally made it to the top of the seemly endless climb up to the top of the big hill, the people on board started screaming their heads off. And they continued to scream through out the entire ride. I got we
ak in the knees just watching. "Lets go!' shouted my oldest brother Greg and he and the older ones took of to ride. "I'll pass" I told my mom and the few others that didn't ride. Soon, Greg and the others came back, hooping and hollering. It was the best ride ever! They loved it! They gotta go again! Come on Ren, you'll love it! No, I was quite sure I wouldn't love it. I was pretty sure I would hate it. Now I think if my memory serves me right I was 14 at that time. I didn't like heights. I didn't like wild rides so I knew I wouldn't be riding that ride. As the day went on we enjoyed the rest of the park offerings when suddenly we ended back by where the Loch Ness was. "Why don't you and me ride that ride, just the two of us", my brother Greg says to me. "Nope, no way", was my reply. "Come on", he said. "No, don't want to", I quickly countered. This went on for a couple minutes back and forth when suddenly he grabs my arm and says "Come on, your riding it!" I tried to pull away but he sank his fingers deeper and harder into my non muscular 14 year old arm and started marching me to the ride entrance. I started panicking! "No, No, NO!!, I'm NOT riding it!!!" I told him. He just kept walking, squeezing my arm all the much harder. Well, unfortunately there wasn't a big line so we got up near the load area pretty quick. I was in a panic! Some other people had gotten in the line after us so they were right behind us now that we had come to a stand still so that kind of interfered with me screaming at the top of my lungs at my brother for trying to do what he was doing. I talked quietly to him. "Greg, I cannot ride this ride. I don't like roller coasters, do you understand?" Apparently he didn't because he refused to acknowledge me talking at all. I starting assessing my situation. I didn't want to appear too upset because the people in line behind me weren't that much older then me. I could make a break for it and jump over the rail and land below but I decided that might not be to good a idea since we were at least 50 maybe 60 feet above the ground. I would certainly break many bones AND probably be lucky to survive. Here I was. Trapped and about to ride one of the things that scared me more then anything in the world. I could only stare at my brother with smoldering anger. I WOULD get back at him for this I swore to myself, if it was the last thing I did. Soon it was our turn to board. As I walked up to that awaiting car I felt like a condemned man walking to the gallows. My legs had turned to jelly. My heart was racing at a all time record pace. I was sweating profusely. My mouth was cotton. I couldn't talk. I had no spittle in my mouth. I tried to curse my brother but all that came out was dry, raspy gasps. As I settled into the car one of the attendants walked by and slammed the big harness down over me, increasing the difficulty I was already having trying to breathe. I think I prayed "Dear Lord, just take me now!" Greg looked over at me and laughed. "Here we go," he shouted and I wanted to kill him. Probably would when we got home. Wait until he was least expecting it and drop the hammer down on him. THEN we would see who would be laughing! Finally the car started and we left the station. We curved around and there was the bottom of the drop hill right in front of us. As our car caught on the chain that would pull us to the top I started praying for forgiveness for all the wrong things I had done in much short life. This was it. This was how I was gonna die. Kid hyperventilates and dies going up the hill of the Loch Ness Monster roller coaster. Story at 11:00. Ten minutes later we were about half way up the hill. All I could hear was that wretched clanging of the chain pulling us up that blasted hill. I looked over and my brother looked like the devil himself. Head back, laughing non stop at me and my fear. Finally, the car leveled out. When I looked to the side and I saw we were above the trees, that's when I lost it. I clenched my eyes closed as tight as possible and curled into a ball the best I could. Soon we were racing down the hill, back up again and then racing through the loops. Hey I thought! I made it! I'm alive! It really wasn't that bad! And these loops are pretty cool! Soon, I had my head back laughing. I was riding a roller coaster! And I was liking it. Soon we came back into the station and came to a stop. "W
ell, how did you like it?" asked Greg. "It was great! Lets go again!", I answered. After that day I thanked my brother for making me get over that hurdle I might not never had attempted to get over if someone hadn't forced me to do it. Is that right to do that? I don't know if it is or isn't. But I do know this, every time I ride a coaster and I'm slowly going up that first hill I think of my brother Greg and that first ride on the Loch Ness Monster. And although it's pretty tame compared to the beasts that are out today I still love that ride and love to go to Busch Gardens to ride it. If you have never rode it or you have rode it and love it like I do then check out the youtube clip of it Ive added here.
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