Aerial Antics: Castles 'n' Coasters

Arizona is a state of few amusement parks and very few coasters, only a handful in fact.  The two largest ones are both located at Castles 'n' Coasters, a small park that sits adjacent to a huge mall in Phoenix.

Here is a view of the whole park from the sky.  The upper left is the start of that large mall I mentioned above.  The park derives its name from having a large building that is, well, a castle and also the two roller coasters that can be found here.  There's also some elaborate mini-golf courses, a log flume, zip-line, and a few other flat rides including a free fall.

Of the two coasters offered the more family oriented one is named the Patriot.  It was designed by Hopkins and features a layout that is similar to a Vekoma roller skater but not the same.  It's a perfect started coaster for those still waiting on trying out bigger rides.

The second coaster is Desert Storm - and this one features two vertical loops and a unique lift hill support structure to make room for the log flume underneath.  The track also has a couple large helices thrown in for good measure!

The park is a bit out of the way for coaster fans, seeing as the state doesn't have much to offer - so you don't really hear much about these rides.  Both opened in 1992 (the names make more sense, considering that fact) and are still going strong.

To check out the aerials on Google, click here.