Coney Island

This guide to the Cyclone at Coney Island opens on a coal miner named Emilio Franco, who had never spoken a word in his life, settling into a car for his first ride in 1948. It doubles back to the roller coaster's 1927 opening and a line Charles Lindbergh reportedly gave it after riding at speed. Listen for what the boardwalk's oldest wooden coaster still does to first-time riders today.