CBS
Where do you go when you want to get away from the stress of daily life? For many ,the answer is Las Vegas, where a new form of entertainment called Dig This is giving ordinary folks the chance to gamble with a whole new kind of adrenaline rush: by operating full-size construction equipment.
CBS
Each year, more than 40 million visitors descend upon the adult playground of Las Vegas in pursuit of an exciting experience built to last. Some find it at the gaming tables, others in a theater. But others can now find that experience in the city's dirt.
Kim Keith/Dig This
Colorado resident Ed Mumm is the creator of America's first heavy equipment "playground," called Dig This. Inside his five-acre theme park, adults live out the construction fantasies they acted out as kids. That's how inspiration struck Mumm. In 2004, the former fencing contractor rented an excavator for a do-it-himself project, and quickly realized he'd unearthed a great idea.
Mumm said, "I thought to myself, if I'm having this much fun, imagine the amount of people who don't get the opportunity to do this stuff."
Kim Keith/Dig This
Two bulldozers, three excavators, and a giant obstacle course await participants who'll spend three hours digging trenches, scooping basketballs, and tossing tires. This is a photo from the former Dig This location in Colorado.
CBS
As the city of Las Vegas built itself into one of the world's premiere party destinations, construction zones became commonplace as developers raced to create the next big thing. But now, a construction zone is the main attraction. Dig This is the next big thing for the industrial-minded looking for a thrill.
CBS
Dig This costs $400 per three-hour session behind the controls of one of the giant machines. "Early Show" Contributor Taryn Winter Brill reported anyone 14 or older is welcome, regardless of ability.
CBS
Instead of a therapeutic day inside a spa, Sheryl discovered an afternoon behind the wheel of a bulldozer delivers the dose of relaxation she needs.
She said, "I'm a girl who likes to be challenged, so it was great for me."
When asked if she would do it again, she replied, "Absolutely, I want to do the excavator next."
Kim Keith/Dig This
Ed Crylen, a Dig This customer (not pictured), said, "You feel the earth move under you. You're picking up this mass of dirt and the whole machine is moving, and it's a sense of power."
