…I don’t know where my love of speed came from but it set in when I was a pretty young youngster. My first recollection was running. I loved to run, alone or being chased or chasing someone. If someone raced me I would try to win but the fun was always the running. Next came riding my bike down a hill, belly flopping on a sled and flying down a hill or off a ramp, even better. Loved when on ice skates being the tail end of a whip and flying across the ice. Better yet in high school my boyfriend and his father built and ice boat. A boat with runners and a sail. I have no idea how fast that boat went but with a good wind you would fly. A problem, that didn’t seem to bother us, was it had no brakes. That did not deter the fun as it would always stop when we ran out of ice into walls, rocks, trees and luckily sometimes weeds and grass. As I entered my senior year in high school and with many more friends driving, we discovered Palisades Amusement Park and the roller coaster. I loved the roller coaster and everyone knew it. Whenever anyone got bored they knew they could call me to see if I wanted to go to Palisades Park and ride it, and I never said no. Coney Island and Playland in Rye NY had roller coasters but I never got to go to either park. If you can imagine Palisades Park Amusement Park was opened in 1898. Located in Fort Lee and Cliffside Park, NJ on 38 acres overlooking the New York City skyline. It started as a picnic grove and was advertised as an attraction by a local trolley company to increase ridership on the weekends. It had tables and benches, concession stands and a breathtaking view of NYC. In 1908 a carousel was added and in 1913 the largest outdoor salt water pool was built. Their rival was Coney Island on the Long Island Sound, so the pool was added. It had an open air theater where top entertainers performed. Over the next 50 years more rides and attractions were added. It was inevitable that 38 acres, high on the Palisade cliffs overlooking the city became the perfect piece of real estate for developers to build condominiums, and build they did. In 1971 the park was sold. I have to wonder if, at that time, did the general public become more aware of safety issues with the rides. I couldn’t help but notice when watching the roller coaster in the 50’s there were no seat belts or anything to hold you in. When I was looking for things to amuse myself I thought I used to love roller coasters, why not a virtual ride. On you tube I recommend “10 Craziest Roller Coasters in the World” and scroll down to “Palisade Park, Freddie Boom Boom Cannon”. I might mention that the roller coaster at Busch Garden’s in Tampa is one of the 10 craziest ones and it has a small spot in my heart. It is not because I rode on it, but I sat on a bench underneath it for quite a long time as my 13 year old grandson rode it, and rode it and rode it again and again and again. I don’t run anymore and you could not get me on a roller coaster but for awhile that day at Busch Gardens, sitting on that bench I understood his passion as I relived my own.