Belmont Park
This seaside amusement park was opened in 1925 by business tycoon John D. Spreckels. No, it wasn't quite the magnanimous gesture it seems; it was actually a real estate scheme to lure people to what was then a scarcely populated area. Today, Belmont Park's star attraction is the Giant Dipper roller coaster, one of two surviving fixtures from the original park and a registered National Historic Landmark; the other holdover is The Plunge, Southern California's largest (175 ft.) indoor swimming pool. There are a variety of carnie-style rides at Belmont Park, but something more unique awaits next door at the Wave House (tel. 858/228-9317; www.wavehousesandiego.com). This self-described "royal palace of youth culture" features FlowBarrel, a wave machine designed to create stand-up rides on a 10-foot wave, and FlowRider, which provides a less gnarly wave-riding experience for beginners. You must qualify on FlowRider before attempting the FlowBarrel. Note: As of this writing Belmont Park has declared bankruptcy over a lease dispute with the city. It's unknown how this will play out, but operation of the Giant Dipper will be unaffected by the proceedings.
This seaside amusement park was opened in 1925 by business tycoon John D. Spreckels. No, it wasn't quite the magnanimous gesture it seems; it was actually a real estate scheme to lure people to what was then a scarcely populated area. Today, Belmont Park's star attraction is the Giant Dipper roller coaster, one of two surviving fixtures from the original park and a registered National Historic Landmark; the other holdover is The Plunge, Southern California's largest (175 ft.) indoor swimming pool. There are a variety of carnie-style rides at Belmont Park, but something more unique awaits next door at the Wave House (tel. 858/228-9317; www.wavehousesandiego.com). This self-described "royal palace of youth culture" features FlowBarrel, a wave machine designed to create stand-up rides on a 10-foot wave, and FlowRider, which provides a less gnarly wave-riding experience for beginners. You must qualify on FlowRider before attempting the FlowBarrel. Note: As of this writing Belmont Park has declared bankruptcy over a lease dispute with the city. It's unknown how this will play out, but operation of the Giant Dipper will be unaffected by the proceedings.
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