Boston, you're my home

Growing up in the Northeast, one thing I can tell you is that for a roller coaster lover, weather is definitely a factor. Not that there are no good amusement parks in the Northeast - there are - but the climate limits their schedules and how many months out of the year they can operate. I imagine it is far more profitable for a Six Flags, SeaWorld Parks or Universal to build their park in a warm vacation destination where people visit year-round, which might explain why there are so many theme parks in Florida and California. In the winter this leaves us Northerners to either pay for airfare in order to ride or wait patiently for spring. But for those few nice weather months when we can go to our parks without traveling hundreds of miles, here are a few of my go-to parks for the thrill-seeking Northerners.

1) Six Flags New England, Agawam, Massachusetts

Top pick for New England theme park is Six Flags New England. This park currently has 12 coasters to ride, from the tradition wooden Thunderbolt, to the highly ranked Superman the Ride, one of my favorites and most ridden coasters of any on my list. A 2-hour ride from Boston, this park is well worth the drive as it has something for everyone and will keep you entertained for the full day and night. The youngest of coaster fans can check out the Great Chase or Cat Woman's Whip until they reach the 48 inch height. After that, Batman the Dark Knight, Wicked Cyclone, Goliath, and Superman the Ride awaits. I'll spotlight Superman, the 77mph steel hypercoaster as the main reason to visit this park. With a 221 ft drop, this coaster is smooth as they come as far as rides go, and the track twists and turns simulating the flight of a superhero. It seems longer than the 1 minute 30 second ride it's timed to be, that might be because you were holding your breath the entire time!

2) Canobie Lake Park, Salem, New Hampshire

Canobie Lake Park is ranked second on this list because of its affordability, accessibility and basically, I don't anyone in the Boston area who didn't grow up going to this park. Whether it was with family or a school field trip, almost everyone I know has been to Canobie at least once. It's definitely not the biggest park with the most thrilling rides, but with the reasonable daily ticket price and free parking, you'll spend about half the money attending this park than you would the larger Six Flags Parks. It's also located right on the MA/NH border, less than 1 hour drive from Boston so making a day trip or a fun night out to Canobie easy to do. Their traditional old woodie, Yankee Cannonball and the newer Untamed offer at least something for the coaster enthusiast. Fortunately, they shut down the steel Corkscrew, which was nothing more than a painful head banging earache, and hopefully they'll put something good in that spot as a replacement. Canobie Lake Park is a great park for younger or less adventurous riders, and it has plenty of fun rides for those in between. Most memorable for me, the Dragon Coaster, one of my first real coasters. For this, Canobie will always be a special place for me.

3) Six Flags Great Escape, Lake George, NY

If you live in Vermont, Western Massachusetts or upstate New York, lucky you! If not, get ready for a bit of a drive. Six Flags Great Escape is definitely worth the trek though. Although not as good as its relative in Agawam, this Six Flags does have a few notable coasters worth checking out. First is the Alpine Bobsled, an original that is not quite like the other coasters. It doesn't have a track. True to its name, the Alpine Bobsled is a unique ride that is like riding the bobsled race in the Olympics. At a speed of 35mph, you feel like you are going much faster. Maybe it's because of the way the sled sways inside the (fake) snow covered course making you wonder if you are going to fly out of it. At 2 1/2 minutes, it's also a longer ride than most, a tradeoff for the long wait time. Once you're done with that, check out classic Comet, a traditional and historic woody, as well at two steel loop coasters, Steamin' Demon and Greezed Lightening. Another good point is if you do have to travel far to see this park, it's located in the Lake George area, which is a vacation area with other attractions and things to do as well.