We all have that one friend who is a die-hard adrenaline junkie who loves to discover their next greatest adventure. That friend is me…

This feature is all about uncovering Lake Nona and Orlando’s greatest activities, especially if you enjoy living life on the edge! This month, I grabbed my boyfriend and attended Andretti Indoor Karting and Games, because what’s more fun than some smacktalk and a bit of friendly competition? Andretti is located on Universal Boulevard right after the Orange County Convention Center and right before the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye. The grand opening for Andretti was on Sept. 28.

The minute you pull up to it, the massive building takes your breath away. Once I entered the doors, I felt like a kid rushing into a candy store. Immediately, my eyes fell on the arcade and ropes course they had suspended from the ceiling. As I scanned the room (I should really say warehouse because it’s that huge), I noticed the winery/restaurant, the bar and even a bowling alley. For a moment, I forgot Andretti is known for indoor go-karting.

The colossal warehouse is 150,000 square feet, and there are 10 different ways to play under the one roof, according to Andretti:

-Multi-level indoor karting                          -Six virtual reality racing simulators

-Full-service restaurant and bar                  -7D dark ride motion theater

-12 lanes of boutique bowling                    -Extreme ropes course and curved rail zip line

-120+ arcade and prize games                    -10,000 square feet of event space

-Two-level laser tag                                    -100+ HD TVs for sports viewing

First stop: We checked out the main bar, which is located directly in front of you as you proceed through the entrance. Andretti offers an extensive drink menu featuring racing-themed cocktails and a fully-stocked bar.

Next, we toured the 12 lanes of boutique bowling, where guests pass Michael Andretti’s actual Formula One car. Pretty cool! The bowling is unique because the pins are attached to strings, which makes the pin resetting much quicker, but you don’t even notice the strings. The bowling alley is conveniently located right next to the main bar.

My senses got the best of me, and I was pulled closer to the bright, flickering lights and the dings and chimes. We passed through the extensive arcade with more than 120 games that lit up the surrounding area and made our way to laser tag. This is the first two-story laser tag area I’ve ever seen, and I could tell immediately I’d get carried away with how much I’d embrace my inner wannabe SWAT officer. I knew my weakness would be those shooting at me from above. The theme was consistent with the overall Andretti brand of racing, with the laser tag venue decked out as a substantial engine with pistons and spark plugs galore. There are lots of corners to hide behind, and there are even zones that deduct or add points when you walk through them. Fog machines hinder your vision even more in the darkness but add to the whole experience.

We moved on to the 7D dark ride motion theater, and, in my opinion, this was the best part. Before this, I had never heard of any ride being more than 4D, so it piqued my curiosity for sure. Entering the theater with those infamous 3D glasses, I noticed there were toy guns attached to each chair. I had never been more prepared for anything! There are 10 total story options, and we were surprised with the Werewolf theme. Boy, it didn’t disappoint! The video began with a carnival style shooting game as a warm-up, but I had no idea it was a warm-up until the actual story began. A cold breeze came across the theater, and our chairs began to move. We were thrown into what seemed like a Colonial-era English town, and all of a sudden people started turning into werewolves! They were everywhere, and we had to help save the town and stop the epidemic. I couldn’t stop laughing because I was having so much fun! Be warned, though – if you scare easily with things popping out at you, this story might not be the one for you. Be prepared to laugh at yourself, too, as the theater takes pictures of you throughout the duration of the ride, particularly when things pop out for the classic scarecam reaction. The ride lasted about four minutes. The other story options consisted of zombies, aliens and pirates, to name a few.

On to the obstacle course, which is about 20 feet above the arcade. You have 10 minutes to do as much or as little as you’d like. If you’re scared of heights, this might not be much fun for you, but for someone like me who loves heights and adventure and practically grew up on rock walls, this is everything your heart desires! Did I mention there’s a zip line?! There are actually 10 obstacles on the course, including the zip line, but what beats a zip line? Nothing! I think I zipped about five times. It curves slightly toward a beam, making you believe for a split second that you might just crash into it. The obstacles varied in difficulty, but the most difficult one they had was a rolling pin with ropes hanging about two to three feet apart. I felt like I was on an episode of Wipeout or American Ninja Warrior as I was slowly but surely conquering it. Part of me was hoping I’d just spin right off of the log like in a cartoon so I could laugh at myself.

All of this fun and we still haven’t go-karted yet. Don’t worry – the time has come! We suited up in our head socks and helmets and hit up track three, which is described as “a road-course style track with multiple banked turns and long straightaways” on the second floor. Track three leads racers right past the Sky Bar, which has an all-glass ceiling to give you the feeling of being, well…in the sky! The electric go-karts have a top speed of about 35 mph. Our race was roughly eight minutes long, consisting of eight laps and guess who came in first place? Yours truly! The multiple curves allowed me to drift, which is hands down my favorite part of the go-karting experience. If you’re a daredevil like me, you might find yourself wishing the karts went even faster, but I think with all of the twists and turns, there had to be a limit to prevent you from hurting yourself by flying into a turn too quickly. There are two other tracks: track one described as “a road-course style single level track for junior drivers (minimum 48 inches tall)” and track two is “a multi-level track with elevation changes and a view of Universal Blvd.” To participate in an adult race, drivers must have a valid driver’s license or permit and be at least 54 inches tall. Otherwise, there are the intermediate (minimum 54 inches tall and between the ages of 12-15 years old) and junior races available. These three tracks have the most elevation changes and banked turns in the world and were designed specifically for the Orlando venue!

Before we made a pit stop for some food, we experienced the VR Formula One race simulator, which was extremely difficult. The headset places you directly into your choice of supercar and makes you the racer, in the full racecar getup. I chose to race an Audi R8, and let’s be honest, I flew into the turns at top speed every time and spent most of the race crashing into walls. I swear I’m a much better driver in person! I also felt pretty sick during the race as simulators aren’t really my friend. Those who get motion sickness easily, take it lightly.

Finally, we entered the Andretti Grill, where we fueled up on an appetizer called the Cowboy Stack and the often talked-about entrée called the BBQ Pork Parfait (yes, you read that right). The Cowboy Stack consists of sweet potato waffle fries, homemade queso, pico de gallo, and jalapenos and is garnished with BBQ sauce and sour cream. We added pulled chicken, but your other options are ground beef or pulled pork. The BBQ Pork Parfait is made with layers of mashed potatoes, BBQ pulled pork, mac n’ cheese, shredded cheddar, BBQ sauce, and scallions and is garnished with a St. Louis rib. It’s served in a giant parfait glass with tri-colored tortilla chips. Both were tasty, but I preferred the Cowboy Stack because of all the vibrant flavors.

You might be wondering what sets Andretti apart from other indoor go-karting venues, and the answer is simple: There are 10 ways to play under one very enormous roof. Don’t feel up to racing? Play some skeeball or air hockey. Not up for the arcade? Check out the boutique bowling. Tired of getting gutter balls? Grab some food and drinks at the grill or two bars and watch one of the many sports on one of the 100+ HD TVs. There’s something for everyone in one massive area.

So there you have it, Nonaventure tears up the tracks at Andretti Indoor Karting and Games. Now it’s up to you to decide if your need for speed is enough in what we consider the thrills of Orlando entertainment. Have a suggestion? Fill out our Adventure column form at http://nonahood.to/nonaventure. What do you want to see me review next?