We went on a free tour of Sally Dark Rides this morning. They build and install rides and attractions at amusement parks. It was both entertaining and educational. The business was started by a dentist after he did a project at dentistry school. He built a working model of a head with moving parts for his demonstration of a surgical procedure. That head that he named Sally has turned into a world wide animatronics business.
They build creatures both large (like dinosaurs) and small (like little birds). The artistry and talent of the designers and builders was amazing. We even got to participate in a small interactive video game at the start of the tour. We were shooting at bad guys in a mock up of a Scooby Doo cemetery.
If you ever plan to be in Jacksonville, Florida, book a free tour of their site. It is a wonderful tour.
Our second tour was not free, but it was worth the price of admission. Daytona International Speedway is a great place to visit, even if you are not a racing enthusiast.
The size of the track, the technology, and the history all make for a great tour. There is more here than just stock cars.
Obviously, the track is the main event of the tour. As the guide said, we were racing around the track at almost 200 miles an hour slower than the race cars. It was still an exciting ride. The track is not at all flat. In fact, it is quite steep. We had to ride along at the bottom of the track because we could not go fast enough to keep from sliding off the track.
The banking of the track varies from 18 degrees to 31 degrees. We got to climb up the 18 degree part of the track. It is quite steep. Most hills are less than 10 degrees. You really need to pay attention when walking on such a steep incline. The large picture shows the 18 degree incline. The smaller photos show what 31 degree banks look like. Imagine 3 cars next to each other between the wall and the yellow lines that are racing at speeds above 190 miles per hour!
There is even technology in the painting of the stands. The chairs are painted several different colors in a more or less random pattern to make the seats look full. You can see the effect in the distance photo of the stands. The grandstand alone is the same size as the largest football stadiums in America.
Here is a 360 degree view of the track from the grandstand.
In addition to the track, there are cars on display everywhere. Most are the actual cars and other vehicles raced at Daytona. One of the displays shows you what several cars in a pack would look like as they raced down the track.
Only a few people who pay big bucks to attend get to see victory lane on race day. We got to see victory lane as part of our tour. We could also see the rubber burned into victory lane recently by the winner of a motorcycle race.
Two great tours in a single day was a great experience. Tomorrow we will begin our three day visit at Walt Disney World in Orlando.