Coney Island

It should be stated that I love amusement parks. And because of a venture out West that I took with a friend a few years ago with Campus Crusade for Christ, boardwalk parks have a special place in my heart. So when the opportunity came to go to New York, Coney Island was on the top of my to-do list.

The main ride that I wanted to experience was the Cyclone, which was built back in the early 1920's. In 1968, it was declared a New York City landmark and in 1991 it was placed on the National Registrer of Historic Places.

There is a legend that speaks of a coal miner who had aphonia (which means he couldn't talk). Even though he hadn't spoken in years, he screamed on the way down the coaster's first drop. As the train returned to the station, he said, "I feel sick" and promptly fainted at the realization that he had spoken.

Coney Island is also the home of the Polar Bear Clubs, those crazy people who jump into freezing waters. Why do they do it? For health reasons. Many people who have tried this say that they haven't been sick since. They believe that swimming in cold water at least once a week will strengthen the immune system and make them stronger.

Fact or fiction: feel free to decide for yourself.

photo by voigti fox behind the lens