What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1090741
Debuted in 2013 — and just as unique in its own way — is Outlaw Run, a wooden coaster that was created to do things wooden roller coasters don't do — offer a double barrel roll, drop 16 stories at 81 degrees, twist upside down three times and travel 68 mph. That's four. The final three coasters are the original, Fire-In-The-Hole; the smallest, the Grand Exposition Coaster; and the one with the best view, Breithaupt says: WildFire. Fire-In-The-Hole, says Breithaupt, is a great coaster for beginners. It has high-speed drops and surprises — plus a storyline about the Baldknobbers — but no inversions. The Grand Exposition Coaster is great for even younger kids with dips and turns compressed into a 262-foot track that rises just over 10 feet into the air at speeds up to 20mph. And WildFire is a high-flying, multi-looping, cobra-rolling coaster that Breithaupt promises will leave riders breathless. Traveling at speeds up to 66 miles per hour, WildFire features five inversions — a half-loop/half-roll (an Immelmann loop, in coaster terms) inversion, vertical loop, cobra roll (counts as two inversions) and a corkscrew. Oddly enough, Breithaupt didn't grow up loving coasters for the sake of coasters. "I was there for the company," he says. And that's what he loves about Silver Dollar City. "It's all over the place," he says about who rides. "It's not just kids, not just dads; you see a lot of moms, a lot of families — and everybody is having a great time!" W hen Big Cedar Lodge adds something new, that attraction has to take its place in a long line. Purchased by Bass Pro Shops' founder Johnny Morris in 1987, Big Cedar Lodge — just 10 miles south of Branson — literally has a list of activities from A to Z, including kayaking, miniature golf, paddle boats and sand volleyball. Big Cedar Lodge started life in the 1920s when two prominent Missourians, Jude Simmons and Harry Worman, built resort homes in the valley. In 1947, their estates were purchased by Dan Norris and became Devil's Pool Guest Ranch, but it was the damming of the White River to create Table Rock Lake in 1958 that set the stage for Big Cedar Lodge. Morris envisioned the lodge as a fishing camp, but it quickly grew in popularity beyond any of his expectations, bringing in "honeymooners, young families, established families, guys' weekend getaways, bachelorette parties — truly across the board," says spokeswoman Janet Glaser. In 2015, an attraction was added that appeals to more of those demographics than one might imagine. The Bass Pro Shops' Outdoor Shooting Academy "is great for individuals, families and group outings," Glaser says. "It's a fun add-on to the experience of Big Cedar Lodge and a 'must try' activity for those who've never visited the Ozarks — and even for those who have." Glaser explains that the Shooting Academy offers instruction sessions, sporting clays, trap, wobble, skeet and five stand and has brought in big-time events. "The Gould Brothers are regulars, and the show they put on with their trick shots is something that if you get to chance to see, you really should," she enthuses. "We also have a national trap shooting champion on staff plus a current collegiate shooter." But, she adds, "this can be a fun day at the range for the whole family. No experience is required, and our guides will be there every step of the way to ensure a safe and fun time for everyone; 14-plus is the typical starting age. "Prices start at $12," she adds, "and will vary based off of variables such as if the guest has their own equipment, how many disciplines they would like to experience and for how many rounds. We suggest at least an hour to get the full experience, but the time you spend out there is completely up to your pleasure." — BECCA MARTIN-BROWN BMARTIN@NWADG.COM MARCH 10-16, 2019 WHAT'S UP! 9 FYI Courtesy Photo The Bass Pro Shops' Outdoor Shooting Academy at Big Cedar Lodge offers instruction sessions, sporting clays, trap, wobble, skeet and five stand. Ask Questions Later Academy lets Big Cedar Lodge visitors shoot first Bass Pro Shops: Shooting Academy Make reservations as part of a trip to Big Cedar Lodge, or walk- ins are welcome during operating hours, which can be found at bigcedar.com or by calling 800-225-6343. "essentially an active billboard for us," he says, situated as it is in the outer front parking lot of Fritz's Adventure. Schenk explains it's the only one like it located outdoors — which has both pluses and minuses. It's seasonal, he says, because no one wants to fly when it's below 50 degrees. But it also comes with more freedom than the "restrictive tube" of an indoor wind tunnel and a view that lets participants "see for miles." Specifications for the Aerodium say flyers must be 4 or older and weight less than 300 pounds. The only ones who can't fly have a history of neck, back or heart problems, a history of shoulder dislocations or are pregnant. Schenk says it's really true that almost anyone can take to the air. "My son, who was 5 at the time, was one of the first flyers," he says. "Everybody goes with a trained flyer, so nobody is by himself." That "flight instructor" is "holding on to you, adjusting your body position to make sure you're comfortable, and then, during the second part of the flight, they'll tandem fly with you up and down," Schenk explains. "You're in a position with your hands out, your back arched and your legs spread out — and you're flying!" The only other requirement, he says, is that the flyer be able to understand the hand signals he's taught before the flight — "because it's too loud to talk!" The Aerodium experience — which is separate from the rest of Fritz's Adventure — starts when a guest makes a reservation, selects a flight time and completes a waiver. Upon arrival, you'll head to Flight School, where you'll learn about the process of the flight, the postures, the safety standards and those hand signals Schenk mentioned. Then it's off to the locker room to don a flight suit — which fits over your clothing — and add earplugs, safety glasses and a helmet. The experience lasts either two minutes — the Maverick — or four minutes — the Top Gun — which might sound like a lot of work for not a lot of payoff, Schenk admits. But then he explains that the drop of a skydive lasts only about 30 seconds before you pull the chute, and a two-minute Aerodium flight is the equivalent of dropping 10,000 feet four times — or eight times for the four-minute option. "It seems like a long ride," he says. Fritz's Continued From Page 8 SDC Continued From Page 8 FAQ Fritz's Aerodium WHEN — Opening in late May; Fritz's Adventure is open year- round WHERE — 1425 W. Missouri 76 in Branson COST — Flight packages are the two-minute Maverick at $65 and the four-minute Top Gun at $85; tickets for Fritz's Adventure run $14.95 to $29.95 INFO — 417-320-6138 or fritzsadventure.com