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A trip south of Logan proper doesn't have to stop at Maceys. For those who make it past the tracks and Rendezvous Park heading left down 800 West, there is a new attraction.
The S&S Fun Park is now open for business. The park is located at 1907 S. 800 West in Logan, but lost park-goers can just look for the big towers, many may have already noticed rising high into the sky over the past months. The manager of the park and Checketts' "right-hand man," Javier Romaro, said the park is open as a test, but it is open to anyone who wants to check it out.
Cache Valley residents can now get the feel and thrill of some of the biggest amusement park rides in the world, right here in Logan.
Stan Checketts, CEO of S&S Power and a resident of Providence, decided to bring his work home. He manufactures rides for amusement parks all over the world. Now he has built his own amusement park in Logan.
The park features the tallest drop ride in the world, the Sonic Boom, which slowly takes riders 360 feet to the top and drops them 100 miles per hour to the bottom. Romaro said a helicopter had to come in to put the top on the ride because there wasn't a crane tall enough.
If that isn't enough, riders can head over to the Sky Sling where they will be strapped in and flung into the air between three flexible towers. If riders are sitting in the right seats, they will tip over on the way down so they are falling face first to the ground.
Then there is the Screaming Swing, which was named "Best New Ride" for amusements in family fun centers, Romaro said. The swing is 50 feet tall, but riders swing about 65 feet off the ground, giving them a fantastic view of Cache Valley's bordering mountains as they rush back and forth.
After riding the Screaming Swing, Nate Zucher, 12, said. "It was completely awesome."
For the less adventurous, there is a spacious 18-hole miniature golf course with a terracing "man-made mountain" and a stream winding through the holes lit at night by old fashioned kerosene lamp look-a-likes.
On the north side, there are two go-cart tracks. One is called Cache Valley Speedway and the other is a slick track that is "like driving on ice," Romaro said. Drivers must be 16 years old to ride on the slick track.
Romaro said computers run the rides, which is why all of the rides are so smooth and safe. None of the rides use bungee cords, which makes them safer.
"The most important thing is to be safe," Romaro said. The park is built to accommodate everyone. Everywhere in the park is wheelchair and stroller accessible.
One noticeable feature of the park is the tallest flagpole in the Western United States. The pole, located in the center of the park, is 260 feet tall.
The flag isn't up yet, but Romaro said it will be 85 feet by 60 feet and each stripe will be 3 feet tall.
By the time of the grand opening in May of 2006, the park will be much bigger, Romaro said. They have started building the Sky Coaster, another large swing.
There will be a building added onto the west side of the park to put a snack bar, a course for soft play and room for kid's parties. In the building there will also be a climbing wall and climbing palm trees where climbers can race each other to get coconuts at the top.
There are plans for an upscale restaurant on the south side of the park. Romaro said Coppermill Restaurant has shown interest in coming.
Other rides being built in the park are a Frog Hopper, which is a scaled-down version of the larger rides, bumper cars, bumper boats and Snow Shot, which will allow riders to race snowmobiles on a track.
Taylor Rendon, 13, said, "It's the best place in Cache Valley."
Checketts manufactures rides and sells them to amusement parks all over the world. Romaro said they have rides in England and at Knott's Berry Farm, as well as the Big Shot at the top of the Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas.
"Come check us out," Romaro said, "and then come back next year to see how we develop everything. Every year we will add something new."
The S&S Fun Park is open Monday and Friday from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. For now it is closed Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday. All rides are $5, except for the Sonic Boom, which is $10.
-hollyadams@cc.usu.edu
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