Explosions can be fun. It’s a simple truth that helped push the show Mythbusters through more than a decade of decent ratings and draws millions of people to watch fireworks displays every year.
Explosions can also be very dangerous. This is why many weapons are allowed for use only by the military or by people who have spent months or even years filing for approval from local authorities, and why being on hand as they are fired is possible only for law enforcement and some film crews.
Or, you know, those people who have gone to Texas.
DriveTanks (found on the web at DriveTanks.com) is located at the OX Hunting Ranch in Uvalde, Texas, a town located about sixty miles west of San Antonio. They provide a wide variety of packages for people wishing to get hands-on experience with military weaponry, even if much of the weaponry involved was originally constructed during the 1940s. There are tanks for people to drive (or purchase), machine guns to fire, artillery rounds to launch and explosives to detonate.
There are experienced staffers ready to help with the equipment, waivers to sign, and none of this comes cheaply… it’s the closest thing that may exist to a more expensive theme park than Disney, even if the focus is on early 20th century weaponry. But for those who just want to drive a tank without having to risk one’s life in a war zone, they have their dream destination.
Question of the night: What’s your favorite tourist site?
