New At Oshkosh This Year, The Ford Ferris Wheel And Racing Track

By Maria Morrison

For Great Views And Cooler Temperatures, Come Down To The New Ford Ferris Wheel.

The new Ford Ferris wheel, called the Great Escape, is a wonderful way to view Oshkosh. Lifting you about 40 feet in the air, the Great Escape Ferris wheel has 12 carts that can seat one to three people each. Passengers go around almost eleven times, getting a great view of the airshow on the way. For those who can’t afford to, or don’t want to go on a helicopter ride, this Ferris wheel is a great substitute.

The views are spectacular, but the thing that I really noticed was how much cooler it is at the top than it is on the ground. Getting air conditioning while doing something fun is great! Rides are free and available to anyone. Kids have to be 36” or taller to ride with an adult, and more than 48” to ride alone. The Ford Ferris wheel is located at the Ford Cruising Legends. I would recommend getting a ride to anyone, but even though there is a rule against rocking the carts, watch out for motion sickness on hot days.

Another great activity for everyone is the remote controlled car race track at the Ford tent. Four people at a time choose a car and grab the remote to go with it. The cars are the same type, but you can get blue, red, silver, or black. When the lights turn green, players squeeze the handle and the cars shoot off. Up mountains, down hills, and around curves the cars go, but it is a bit more complicated than just pushing down a button. People have to control their speed around tight curves so they don’t fly off. The scenery of the track looks nice and realistic, but you don’t want the car to end up there. The RC track is great as a quick thing to try for anyone.

Little tip: If you have the blue car, go slow on the sharp downhill turn; the track gets bumpy and if you hit it too fast, the other drivers apparently have no problem with running over your little mustang.

FMI: www.ford.com