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World's 'Merriest' Coasters: Xcelerator During Knott's Merry Farm

While plenty of spots across the country are already getting hammered by winter weather, Southern California has remained mostly nice and sunny. The folks at Knott’s Berry Farm have done their best to create a warm version of a winter wonderland at the park, and there’s no need to brave the cold to take in their holiday decorations during Knott’s Merry Farm.

Even though it’s difficult to hang wreaths, lights, and garland from steel beams, you’ll still feel merry during a ride aboard the park’s Xcelerator roller coaster. Sitting within the park’s Boardwalk section, this ride brings back the 1950s with flame-kissed, fin-tailed hot rod cars right on the track. However, even a leather jacket with a popped collar can’t save you from the hydraulic launch—you’ll hit over 80 mph is just 2.3 seconds.

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World's Scariest Roller Coasters: Knott's Berry Farm's Ghostrider During 'Scary Farm'

The fall season isn’t exactly the same in Southern California as it is across much of the country, but that doesn’t mean that theme parks in the area don’t get in on the Halloween fun. Knott’s Berry Farm is all about celebrating the season, and although it might not be as scary as some of its steel cousins, Ghostrider is the perfect coaster for this spooky season.

Ghostrider is an older wooden coaster, so expect the creeks and squeaks to send shivers down your spine. You’ll hope that all the wood has maintained its strength through the years of tourist abuse especially when you descend down the ride’s 100-foot initial drop. There’s no upside-down effects here to get you disorientated—they’re not necessary—as there are plenty of drops, turns, and hills along the almost 5,000-foot long track. Just hold on as you reach speeds of close to 60 miles per hour.

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Why Medieval Times is Ok For 13-Year-Olds and Not 30-Year-Olds

The other month, our friend decided to celebrate her 30-something-ish birthday by having a group of friends load up in a stretch limo and attend the totally random Medieval Times in Buena Park near Disneyland. You may be thinking that our friend is either crazy or having a mid-life crisis about turning 30-something-ish. Truthfully, it was more the former than the latter.

Nevertheless, we signed up for this gig and at $62 per person, ticket and limo ride included, we thought Medieval Times could be fun. We do watch The Tudors after all.

But it was so not.

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2009 Halloween Theme Park Scare Guide: Knott's Scary Farm

It's hard to believe that California could be home to anything labeled "The Oldest" but at Knott's Berry Farm in Anaheim, the theme park's Scary Farm is the world's first haunted theme park attraction in the U.S., having opened in 1973.

Drawing mostly from gory horror movies and crafted by professional "scare-masters", the park fashions itself into a giant haunted house with mazes, scary zones, frightening attractions--like the Slaughterhouse, The Asylum and The Doll Factory--and showing off short horror films.

Additionally, the park sets up "specially employed" monsters throughout the place who sole job is to scare the living bejesus out of you. Fun, right?

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The Best Halloween Theme Parks: Knott's Scary Farm

For the last 35 years, Knott's Berry Farm, in Southern California has been celebrating Halloween with its share of spooky decorations and scary attractions. This year will be no different, as the Knott's Scary Farm kicked off September 25.

The park closes to regular visitors at 5:30 pm and then reopens to scare you silly--or at least try to--at 7 pm, Wednesday-Sunday nights.

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Leo Loves The Screamers in California

Looks like we're not the only ones who enjoy a little roller coaster action. That's Leonardo DiCaprio and his girlfriend, model Bar Rafaeli, on the Xcelerator at Knott's Berry Farm in California.

The star couple may be pleased to know the Xcelerator hasn't made our list of the world's scariest coasters, although it does take lucky riders from 0 to 82 in 2.3 seconds when it launches. Leo could probably afford his own -- the coaster, which opened in 2002, cost Knott's "just" $13 million.

[Photo: Just Jared]