Silverwood Theme Park Brings Me Out of Corkscrew Retirement

Note: This article includes 4 videos. If you’re reading via e-mail click here to read with videos embedded instead.

If we’re being honest, then honestly this is going to be an incredibly biased review. I’m in love with Idaho and it can do no wrong.

When I toured with The Swellers in July of 2008 I remember driving on I-90 from Montana into Idaho and being overwhelmed with the scenery. I wasn’t sure this would be the case again so I was a bit apprehensive taking this exact same route. First off, it had been raining for over 1,000 miles. Second, 3 years is a long time. Memories can become more than reality. But that wasn’t the case here. Memories were truth.

This photo obviously won’t do it justice, but this is what entering Idaho looks like:

It gets better. I booked a hotel in Post Falls, ID, about 20 miles from Athol, ID and Silverwood Theme Park. I got there about 4:30pm and since it was sunny I decided to explore a bit.

It’s rare that I’m in a city and think “I could live here.” Honestly there are only two other cities in the world that have done that for me. Wroclaw, Poland and Austin, Texas. Toss Post Falls, Idaho into the mix.

This is supposed to be about coasters, right? Well just as important for an all-around coaster experience (to me anyway) is the location.

Post Falls Park:

I know Post Falls isn’t the only city with a nice park. But it was a combination of the mountainous area, the park, the quiet, and the people. When you’re in most places you don’t usually get much of an opinion of the people. Neither good nor bad usually, right? Well the people in Idaho in general (and Post Falls / Couer ‘de Alene specifically) were extraordinarily kind. Nothing in particular happened, but I got a lot of smiles and a lot of hellos and a general feeling of friendliness that I just don’t get in most places. I think I got a bit of that feeling in Chiang Mai, Thailand, but even there it wasn’t quite like this.

I woke up this morning feeling fantastic. After 2 days and 20 hours of driving I was ready for coasters.

I met Shaniqua*, who works at Silverwood, and she took me around the park. This was a first! Usually I’m on my own.

Silverwood is a family run park, which I think is probably pretty rare. No huge companies or conglomerates running things here. Just a family with a vision.

Corkscrew Un-retirement Party!

Our first stop was Corkscrew. I explained to Shaniqua that I had retired from Corkscrews because they just don’t fit me and they hurt my back. She explained that this was the first Corkscrew ever, built in 1970. So we compromised. I’d check it out and see if it looked bigger than others. Surprisingly, it did. The over-the-shoulder restraints didn’t force me to contort my body. 2 loops, 1 minute, and no pain later we were done.

Oh, the best part! Shaniqua and the kind folks at Silverwood let me use my chest-strapped GoPro camera so I’ve got POV footage of all the coasters today.

Corkscrew video:

Next we headed to Tremors, which isn’t named after the movie. :) Tremors is a wooden coaster that has the unique feature of running through the Tremors gift shop. Unfortunately I didn’t take a photo of that.

On the plus side, this:

Tremors video:

After Tremors we headed to check out Aftershock, Silverwood’s newest ride, but it wasn’t running yet. It had rained a bit and they were running it through the motions.

So we went to Timber Terror, a smaller, but just as fun wooden coaster. Quite a few bits of air time on this bad boy.

Interesting how I look forward to wooden coasters now, huh? They’re straight up fun. It helps that when you sit in the front it’s not as bumpy. It also helps that Silverwood’s wooden coasters aren’t as bumpy as a lot can be.

Timber Terror has an extra high back, which makes it an even more comfortable ride. Shaniqua explained that they put the tall back in because during October Silverwood becomes Scarywood (a haunted park) and they turn the wooden coasters around. All rides are backwards!

Timber Terror video:

Aftershocked!

When we went back to Aftershock it was good and ready. I was a little worried about wearing my camera because of the restraints, but as you can see by the video below we made it work out.

Aftershock is similar to V2 at Great America and Steel Venom at ValleyFair, but it’s better. It doesn’t just go in a U formation. It goes up, twisting, turning, through the, never. And then back again backwards.

Aftershock video:

I didn’t want to leave Silverwood or Idaho. I hung around, went on the wooden coasters a few more times, and then took a train ride around the outskirts of the park.

The reason I went on the train was simple. When I was in 4th grade my family went to the Detroit Zoo and the only thing I wanted to do at the zoo was ride the train. That’s it. I didn’t want to see any animals. I didn’t want to eat popcorn. I wanted to ride the train. My Parents refused. (Hi Mama i Tata! – they’re reading this) I don’t know why they refused, but the train ride was not to happen. This was my way of making up for it and extending my stay for 30 minutes. :)

And with that I was off on the road again. I’m now in Washington. Tomorrow I’ll be at Wild Waves!

Lots more Silverwood photos here.

*Name changed for privacy.

Note: Silverwood was kind enough to provide me with complimentary access to the park. And yes I know it seems like a conflict that I was so positive about this visit, but I had a really good time. Thanks Idaho. Thanks Shaniqua. And thank you for understanding that these are just opinions. That said, if you ever swing through Idaho, make your way up to Silverwood. It won’t disappoint.