“Welcome folks, this is Coaster Ed broadcating from the entrance of Joe Holland’s incredible Sandia Peak Amusement Park where we will begin our Odyssey of thrills in search of the perfect theme park. The temperature is a comfortable 73° F and the forecast is for clear skies, ideal conditions for maximum theme park enjoyment. The car ride to get here in my beat up sedan was rather long and miserable as the stingy NE management wouldn’t allow me to use the company Mercedes. I suspect Grinch took it joyriding but you didn’t hear that from me. In any case, the wonderful southwestern architecture style of this entry area has raised my spirits some and I’m excited to see what Mr. Holland has in store for us as I’m sure all of you are as well. So let’s not waste any time, into the gates we go.”

“It’s important for any theme park to provide a pleasant entry space to introduce guests to the park and give them a home base from which to embark on the many adventures and thrills arrayed around it. Holland has chosen to center this plaza around a wonderful flower garden in the shape of the park’s signature sunburst symbol. For those who can’t wait to eat (you know who you are) the Route 66 Diner and Comet Burger themed restaurants serve up suitably clean and fun dining experiences. Remember theme park fans, plan your meals carefully or you may be leaving a little souvenir of your own for the parks janitorial staff. Speaking of souvenirs, there’s a great collection of Sandia Peak merchandise in The Emporium none of which, I might add, come with the smell of gastric acid. But we came here for thrills not mugs and overpriced T-shirts, so I’ll skip the shopping and trek right on through into the refreshing shade of a traditional frontier town.”

“Well it seems we have entered an entirely new world within an amusement park. The trees seclude this section from the rest of the park and for a moment it feels like we truly have stepped back to a simpler time. I can’t resist a peek inside of the J. Holland General Store for a moment to see if we might meet Mr. Holland himself….well I have just been informed by the store manager that Mr. Holland has an important meeting with Walter and Claude but sends his regards. This sounds like good news for the future of Sandia Peak. I’ll just buy this pack of official ‘Joe Holland Spearmint Gum’ and be on my way. Well I don’t know about you folks, but I’m itching to ride a coaster. It looks like Diamond Back will be our first ride of the day.”

“Welcome back folks. I’ve just come off my first coaster of the day and I’ve got to tell the sudden rush of adrenaline feels great. I’ve never been a big fan of the slow and bumpy feeling these Arrow looping coasters have, but they do score points for speed and intensity. It’s actually quite exhilarating to feel the trees flying by as the coaster loops and corkscrews through the forest. After the brutal one, two, three punch of the vertical loops the batwing and corkscrew are a bit of a let down though. It’s actually more fun to watch the trains corkscrewing overhead than it is to ride them but that may just be my opinion. While I wish the coaster had more speed at the end, the opening loops through the forest floor are great fun and the ride is so well situated in the environment that I’m going to give it the stamp of approval anyway.”

“To Mr. Holland’s credit, there is quite a bit to do in this area. A dinner show plays at scheduled times throughout the day in the Sundance Theater and there are two flatrides to boost the thrill factor: a top spin and a swinging ship. The more casual theme park patrons among you will be delighted to explore the old northwest with the Smokey Bear Campground and Rio Bonita Canoes as well as re-enactments of the frontier lifestyle at Stanton Fort and the replica Lincoln County Court House. I’m a little impatient to see what other thrills and adventures we can discover, but you can see some more of this lovely section in the Sandia Peak Gallery at the end of the program.”

“I stand now in the middle of a traditional Mexican Villa surrounded by the sights, sounds, and thankfully even the smells, of a Mexican fiesta. This is truly unique and a good example of how Joe Holland uses his own personal influences in park design. The new Vekoma Invertigo coaster ‘Salsa’ looks absolutely stunning amidst the trees, flowers, and brightly colored banners. I quite enjoy these Invertigo coasters personally. They feel smoother than most Vekoma coaster designs and the familiar layout somehow feels more exciting from a suspended postition. These coasters are an excellent addition to any park but with the elaborate and beautiful theming, Salsa is really elevated to a new level of excitement. It’s almost as thrilling to watch as it is to ride. I’ll definitely give a stamp of approval here.”

“It’s cooled off a bit now, but I can’t resist a ride on the Conquistador log flume anyway. Holland has really outdone himself with this one. The brilliantly designed missionary style station building definitely calls attention to itself and demands at least one ride. It seems I’m not the only one who feels this way. You can’t tell but I’ve been waiting in line here for about 90 minutes.”

“Alas, like any ride it was over too quickly. I did get a little wet on that last drop but as you can see I’m certainly not soaked. When it comes to water rides I tend to think that wetter is most definitely better but even if the drops on Conquistador weren’t all that big, the ride is just so beautifully themed that I just can’t stop smiling. So far we’ve toured two sections and ridden 3 rides and all have been excellent but I have a feeling the best is yet to come. I’m a nut for Mexican food so the Old Mexico Grill looks like the best bet for lunch. It’s also a good excuse to walk through this section again and gawk at the beauty of it all.”

“This little colorful little area you see behind seems especially built for the young ones and features a junior rollercoaster, the park’s only carousel, and a bright yellow ferris-wheel. None of this especially appeals to me but please direct your gaze upward to the wonderful cliffs overlooking us. What a wonderful setting for an amusement park this is. This might be a good place to dry off after the log ride but I see a rapids ride in front of me and there’s no sense drying off twice.”

“Well now I’m truly impressed. The quality of this section is a large step up from the already excellent areas we toured already. A small trail runs up into the mountains to a ski lift and a few small alpine buildings. Off in the distance some rock formations peak out of the forested mountainside revealing a ribbon of wooden coaster track roping its way up and down the mountainside. Directly in front of me a raft ride winds down a rocky slope concluding with a huge plunge to the icy river below. The sign says ‘Box Canyon Rapids’ and I don’t need any further enticement. See you all in a bit, it’s time to get wet my friends!”

“Boy that ride was even more fun than it looks! You can’t tell from down here at the base of the mountain, but hidden in that jagged hillside are more unexpected drops and waterfalls than you can shake a stick at. Unless of course you can shake a stick better than I can but I highly doubt that. Most importantly, that ride was dripping wet! I’d better go find some way to dry off. I’d give two stamps of approval if I could but suffice it to say this is one raft ride you do not want to miss!”

“I’m continually amazed at the high quality of this park’s terrain. That cliff face was amazing and the wonderful ravine that runs through this area is also a very nice touch. Say what you will about artificial theming, but nature can be even more impressive when used as well as it is here. I just took a ride on ‘Mine Scramble’ hoping to dry off but it didn’t do the trick. It does spin frighteningly close to the edge of that ravine though. The hypercoaster ‘Ghost Train’ is sure to dry me off, so I’ll ride that one next. Go fix yourself a sandwich or something.”

“Welcome back to the program. If you’re just joining us, today I’m touring Joe Holland's Sandia Peak Amusement Park. I just got off of ‘Ghost Train’ the park’s hypercoaster and it was a lot of fun. Holland doesn’t waste time with twisted figure eights or tunnels on this design, this coaster is nonstop airtime from start to finish and the best rush of pure thrills I’ve experienced so far. The double drop right before the block brake is just unbelievable. I swear I was out of the seat for a good 8 seconds there but it’s hard to keep accurate count. There wasn’t really any theming on this ride, a bit disappointing given the quality theming of everything so far but hypercoasters are about big drops, lots of steel, and nonstop speed all of which are here in spades. Another elated stamp of approval for this park.”

“It has actually started to rain, so much for weather forecasters. Here I am in my shorts and T-shirt still wet from that awesome ride on Box Canyon Rapids and it’s actually raining on me. Well it isn’t raining very hard I suppose, not enough to close any rides yet anyway so I was able to ride Rocky Mountain Rush. Pardon the cliché, but it really was quite a rush. I thought Ghost Train was fast but this ride feels even faster! Well that’s the lovely thing about wooden coasters. They always feel much faster than they really are especially when they’re as expertly tucked into the trees as this one is. I haven’t had the chance to ride Boulder Dash but it’s hard to imagine a better terrain woody than this. To be fair there are a few annoying slow bits in the middle but not enough to ruin the ride. Add this to Box Canyon as the park’s second must ride attraction.”

“I’m still annoyed by this light drizzle and the squish my socks make with each step. I thought the weather was going to be perfect but I suppose I can’t have everything my way. I’ll put my frustrations behind me for a moment because the area you see behind me is just jaw-droppingly gorgeous. An Aztec village has been transplanted here in the middle of Sandia Peaks complete with Adobe buildings, crops sprouting alongside the pathway, and a magnificent white B&M inverted coaster. Okay so maybe the last Aztec villages you visited didn’t have inverted coasters in them, but this one fits so well that maybe they should. I already blew my money on some zesty chicken enchiladas at the Old Mexican Grill (two thumbs up for the food) so I don’t have any left for the Indian casino but the Grand Kiva Auditorium is free and it looks like they have another showing of traditional dances starting in five minutes.”

“Well the show wasn’t exactly riveting, but it was a nice relief from the relentless rain which has made the skies all grey and gloomy. Luckily many of the park’s patrons are fleeing the rain so I was able to ride the ‘Apache Star’ three times without any waiting at all. No trip to a theme park is complete without the pure thrill of a freefall drop ride. And yet, no matter how many times I ride these freefall rides my body still tenses up the second the cars begin to drop. It must be some kind of useless survival instinct as if tightening my muscles is going to save me when I hit the ground from 250 feet up. After that first second though, I always relax and the rest of the trip down is pure glee. I got a great view of those cliffs as well which are even more stunning when viewed from above. I really think this is one of the most beautiful themed areas of any theme park I’ve visited. The combination of the cliff face, Aztec architecture, and authentic plantlife is perfect. There’s just one more ride on the agenda today. It’s called Thunderbird and I’ve waited long enough already.”

“Unbelievable! There’s nothing else to say, this coaster is flawless! The first drop is huge and so is the vertical loop which brings new meaning to the term “walk the sky”. Walter and Claude are truly the masters of thrills and they are at their best when constructing inverted coasters. This coaster alone is worth the meager $25 admission price. I’m gonna have to make myself a stamp of sheer ecstasy because approval just doesn’t cut it. The sooner you ride this coaster the better!” “Well I’m cold and tired and a long miserable car ride lies ahead of me but I have nothing but good feelings about this gem of an amusement park. Wonderful creative theming, some top notch rides, and heaps of atmosphere. Thunderbird was certainly the highlight of the day but Box Canyon Rapids and Rocky Mountain Rush were strong runner-ups. I hope you folks will find time to visit this park sometime soon, you won’t be disappointed.”

Sandia Peak Gallery

“While I’m recuperating, the quest for the perfect theme park will continue next week when one of my fellow thrill seekers, Chauncey Gardner or PyroPenguin, will tour another exciting park in the ever expanding world of RCT. I hope you found the program enjoyable and until next week, please join us all in the forums where a good time will no doubt be had by all. This is Coaster Ed bidding you so long for now coaster fans.”Coaster Ed Sandia Peak Amusement Park