Return to Carowinds

As much as I like roller coasters, and for all the fun I had working at Carowinds in 1985, you would think I would’ve found time to make the drive from Raleigh to Charlotte for a weekend of fun at the park. For whatever reason, though, I’d never done it. My last visit was in 1994, two years after I moved to Raleigh. Though it went largely unfulfilled, my love for coasters lived on. Now that I’ve got a wife and kids who are old enough to appreciate it I figured it was a good time to make the pilgrimage.

We hit the road a little around 6:45 this morning for the three-hour drive to the park. Traffic was light and the ride was easy. We got there right on time, rolling into the Carowinds lot minutes after the park opened at 10. After some thorough applications of sunscreen we headed for the South Gate, with the new Intimidator ride looming over us.

Carowinds now searches bags and runs its visitors through metal detectors. This was a sign of the times but quite effortless. We handed the attendant our preprinted tickets and made it through the gate with no problems.

In addition to the new Intimidator coaster, the Afterburn ride (formerly called Top Gun) also crowds the South Gate. I eyed it excitedly as we entered, though I didn’t expect to actually get to ride it. Instead we made a beeline for a new coaster (for us): the Flying Ace Aerial Chase. We figured the Ace coaster would be a cakewalk because it was in the kiddie section (now called Planet Snoopy).

Uh, wrong. It was quite a fiesty ride, with passengers hanging below the track and nothing below them but pavement. There were no loops but at times my ears got boxed by the shoulder bar. The kids gave excited thumbs-up signs afterward, so taking that as a good sign we headed over to the next coaster on my list (and second-favorite next to Thunder Road): the Carolina Goldrusher.

The Goldrusher was quite accessible due to the early time, so we waited perhaps for one train before we got seated. As she checked our lap bars, Monique the ride attendant amusedly watched me take pictures. With a smile she asked what I was trying to photograph. I told her how I used to work in the park and wanted some snapshots of the ride. She laughed and continued checking lap bars. We were soon sent on our way under the familiar sign, “no panning while riding.”

Kelly sat with Hallie in the car in front of Travis and me. We cranked up the first hill and soon began our second fiesty ride of the day. Travis’s eyes were wide as he gripped the handle, the ground rushing by as we tilted through turns. The Goldrusher hasn’t lost a step in its old age: it was just as much fun as it was 25 years ago! Kelly emerged with a smiling Hallie, and even Travis gave it thumbs-up as we exited the car.

There were a few reminders that the park has changed since I knew it. I recalled after we headed home that old monorail track used to pass right above the first Goldrusher hill, so close that I always felt like ducking. And the Ace coaster now stands where the old Heritage Arcade used to be, having contained the recording studio where I once worked. The missing monorail and workplace were reminders that the park has changed since I knew it. While I miss the landmarks I once knew, I know the park couldn’t survive without constant reinvention, and I’d much rather have Carowinds survive as a whole.

The kids weren’t keen to start more coasters, so we headed over to a slower ride: the Boo Blasters. This was a haunted house with a twist: a cross between a haunted house ride and a shooting gallery. Riders get to shoot the goblins, racking up points between them. The animated characters didn’t seem to faze the kids at all and we all enjoyed the abundant air conditioning!

Next was the Dodg’Em bumper cars. We all took separate cars and smacked into each other. It was fun but a bit on the tame side. As we exited, I corralled Hallie into joining me for a ride I really wanted to take: Thunder Road! She was totally game for this so we left Kelly and Travis exploring more rides in the Planet Snoopy section while we headed through the short line for Thunder Road.

I’m proud to say Hallie had a proper first ride on Thunder Road: she sat in the back with me! And for some reason I’ve always preferred the North Carolina train to the South Carolina one. That’s where we headed, and I was pleasantly surprised that there was practically no line. While there are newer, flashier coasters at Carowinds, Thunder Road still provides the best bang for the buck. Hallie never looked back once the ride began and she ended it with a huge grin. That’s my girl!

(to be continued)