New Arrival (6)

The circle of life continues at Cedar Point. The Radisson Harbor Inn surrendered to the operating table in 2003, and the $22 million result is Castaway Bay, the park's first year-round attraction. The Sandusky amusement park has gone all out with its wintertime oasis. Besides the obligatory wave pools, slides and play zone, the five-story, 38,000-square-foot, indoor water park features — you guessed it — a water coaster. "Keeping with Cedar Point's commitment to roller coasters, there was never any doubt that we had to introduce this rare water-coaster technology at Castaway Bay," says construction manager Gary Gast. The coaster, a 35-foot-tall, 520-foot-long behemoth, pushes riders' rafts up the first hill using jets of water to simulate the nerve-wracking upward journey of typical coasters. The Caribbean-themed water world is scheduled to open Nov. 5, with room rates starting at $231 per night (cheaper than a flight for four to Cancun anyway).