The whole reason we went to Galena for Girls Weekend was so Stacy could ride the Mountain Coaster. Since it was on my bucket list, it was a no brainer.
Chestnut Mountain Resort is just south of Galena and offers year round outdoor fun. There's the alpine slide, zip line, hiking, and biking in the warmer months and skiing in winter. It all includes views of the river.
To ride the alpine slide/mountain coaster, it required a ticket. You could buy a single ride ($15), 5 rides ($65), 8 rides ($99) or a combo ticket ($67). The combo ticket included 2 tickets for the alpine slide, 2 tickets for the zip line, and 2 tickets for mini golf. We opted fora single ride. We weren't overly thrilled with the zip line idea. Buying online saves you $2/ticket.
After picking up our ticket, we headed over to the slide. We grabbed slides and waited in a short line. The operator gave a short safety talk and then we got on the slide. There were dual slides so we both go at the same time.
There is a hand brake to control your speed. The last time I was on an alpine slide/mountain coaster, I was still in high school. Controlling my own destiny on this thing kind of freaked me out. I was told you can fall out. Yeah, that would probably be me.
The person behind me was probably getting annoyed with me as I rode the brake most of the way down especially around corners. I had no need for speed.
The ride took several minutes. I have to admit it was fun and I probably should have gone faster but I was afraid of getting hurt.
At the end you take the chair lift back up to the top of the mountain. Since I've skied before, chair lifts don't both me all that much especially ones with safety bars.
If you are in Galena, definitely check out the alpine slide and the other activities they offer. The mini golf did look kind of cheesy though. And don't be afraid to go fast.
