X-Scream

Las Vegas; July 21, 2004: After a good night's sleep, I had an entire day to explore Las Vegas. The high temperature reached 109 degrees, and the smart thing would have been to stay indoors and play blackjack. Well, I often choose the fun thing instead of the smart thing, and I decided to go to the top of the Stratosphere and ride the rides. This is the X-Scream, which basically dangles the riders over the edge of the building to stimulate the fear of falling. Also at the Stratosphere are the High Roller (a roller coaster that goes around the top of the tower) and the Big Shot (a launcher ride that sends seated riders straight up into the air at high speeds).