Belmont Park
San Diego, California
February 2001
Page One




You're driving down the coast through parks and neighborhoods and you come upon a vision...the Belmont Park Giant Dipper.  One of the few remaining seaside coasters.  There are a few out east and there are a few in California (Pacific Park and Santa Cruz) and they are wonderful!  There's just something about looking off to the side of a coaster and seeing the ocean that's just perfect.



Belmont Park used to be a big seaside amusement area with multiple coasters and other rides that spanned the beach in San Diego but by the late 1970's it was pretty much dead.  The park closed and the Giant Dipper sat dormant until the early 1990's when a developer decided to put a mall on the site.  The great thing is that they wanted the coaster to stay and they were going to add a few rides as well.



The Giant Dipper was restored and rebuilt and it's been thrilling people ever since!  It is a nice twisty double out and back coaster that was built by the famous coaster designers Prior and Church back in the 1920's.   I have really developed an love for the few coasters left over from that time.   There's something about them that I can't describe that sets them apart from the coasters of today.   There's just something magical about them.



I love the Giant Dipper's station.  Everything on this coaster down to the hardwood floors are immaculately taken care of.  They really take pride in their coaster and have fun with it!  I wish I lived in Southern California because it would have been super to take a date to Belmont Park on a nice summer evening.



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Paul B. Drabek