As soon as I opened my car door at Boomers, I was hit with that typical amusement park music -- a hit from more than a year ago, tinny and completely devoid of bass. This time is was John Mayer's Waiting on the World to Change. Could have been worse.

Boomers, at 1700 NW First St. in Dania Beach, is home to The Hurricane, the wooden roller coaster visible from I-95, which I have silently mocked with every passing. It just seemed slow by modern technological standards, something my mother would have raved about in her poodle-skirt years. However, if you're on a date (like I was) and trying to play it cool (like I was), you'll find yourself hanging on for dear life due to the surprising speed of this coaster. Moms are right; you can't judge a book -- or a ride -- by its cover.

The 27 acres here are filled with video games, air hockey tables, bowling lanes, batting cages, bumper boats, thrill rides, go karts, miniature golf courses and -- of course -- skee ball machines. I didn't have enough tickets to win the three-foot Peter Griffin doll I had my eye on, so I had to settle for a plastic kazoo and paper finger cuffs (which I had to destroy to break free).

The bar, outfitted with four front projection TV screens, serves beer and wine on the weekends. But please heed my stomach's advice: Alcohol, as well as the 40-ounce slushee I slurped down at the snack bar, should be consumed after riding The Hurricane. Boomers is open until 11 p.m. during the week and 1 a.m. on weekends.

If you and your crew are looking for a similar yet more upscale scene, head to the nearby Dave and Buster's (3000 Oakwood Blvd., Hollywood). Although D&B, open until midnight during the week and 1 a.m. on weekends, has a reputation for being an oversized arcade for oversized kids, the front half of this 58,000-square-foot facility is quite elegant. Upon entering, you'll see steps lined with brass handrails that lead to a massive, square bar that seems to have been carved from a solid piece of oak. The bar is stocked with beer, wine and a diverse selection of top-shelf liquors. Pool sharks enjoy table-side service while playing on the 15 handcrafted, meticulously maintained billiards tables.

Drinks are half-price during happy hour from 4:30-7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9-11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. The video games, basketball shoot-out games, electronic simulators and skee ball machines surround another fully stocked but less formal bar in the Midway Room.

Sadly, the bartender there wasn't at all impressed with my kazoo version of Waiting on the World to Change.

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