Six Flags Magic Mountain

I never thought rollercoasting for grown-ups could be so much fun. On a business trip, my colleague - a long time rollercoaster aficionado - took me on a two-day trip rollercoasting experience at Magic Mountain.

We went at the end of the season, a perfect time to go. The weather was pleasant, around 68F. The queues were sporadic and not very long. Before Christmas, the team parks have weekends of free admission if you donate a toy to charity. We got a couple of nice toys for around $10 each - and in exchange got two full days of up and down pleasure.

The only downside was that the special effects weren't tip top - strobe lights that weren't turned on, the season staff was gloomy and tired, and so on. But hey - who cares, as long as the rides are good fun!