Tar Heel Camper

A fun Valentine's poem

2012-02-14T08:45:00.000-05:00

This Valentines, my heart will show,
is for a special friend you know.

She's full of thrills, she'll make you laugh,
with thirty thousand feet of track.

Up high above the ole' midway,
you'll soar with her all livelong day.

When mother nature brings the heat,
she has cool spots to rest your feet.

If hunger strikes, you'll not despair,
She's ready with a meal to spare.

Her games are fun, her staff sincere,
She'll keep you smiling ear to ear.

So who is she, you ask, my friends?
The fun and only Carowinds!

Help support KOA Care Camps and camp for free

2012-02-10T08:40:00.004-05:00

For the ninth straight year, KOA is having a Kamp & Care With Us Weekend. This year it will be held on Friday, May 11, 2012 and Saturday, May 12, 2012. Guests who pay to stay on Friday, May 11th at participating campgrounds, receive a free night of camping on Saturday, May 12th. There are no catches or gimmicks.

During the weekend, campers will be given the ability to donate to KOA Care Camps through numerous events and activities. If you are unable to participate in the activities, you are welcome to drop a donation directly in the collection station located in the camp store.

Proceeds go to benefit KOA Care Camps, a summer camp experience for children with cancer, as well as their siblings.

For more information on Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend, please see KOA.com.

Happy Camping!

Mountain snow tubing

2012-02-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

Are you suffering from a case of the winter blues? Is your RV winterized and in storage until spring? If so, why not consider taking a winter day trip?

We took off a Saturday, recently, and headed to one of our favorite places: the mountains. Not far from Morganton, NC, nestled between Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell in the Blue Ridge Mountains is the small town of Jonas Ridge, NC. There you will find a family friendly snow tubing operation, Jonas Ridge Snow Tubing.

There you won't find the fastest or the longest snow tube runs. However, you will find a friendly staff with six different runs, from milder ones that will surely excite the youngest in your group, to a couple of steeper and faster runs that are sure to please the thrill seekers in your party. If you think the weather isn't right, you should check them out anyway, as their snow machines maintain a deep base of snow allowing you to enjoy this attraction all winter long.

Sessions run for two hours with the maximum rate of $25 per person which includes your tube. They have a 'magic carpet' running which allows you to safely and easily get back to the top of the slope at no additional charge. This conveyor belt saves you from spending most of your time trudging up the hill after each fun-filled slide to the bottom.

If you get cold during your adventure, you can head back to the on-site lodge and relax around the warm fire place. Basic snacks and drinks are available for an additional charge.

So, don't be blue while your RV is hibernating for the winter. Get in your car and enjoy a great day trip with your family!

Happy camping!

Bringing in the new year at the beach

2012-01-11T08:30:00.000-05:00

We usually spend New Years at home, enjoying family time together, and staying sheltered from the winter chill. This year we ventured for a weekend trip to Myrtle Beach to bring in the new year a different way.

As the beach is not very busy for New Years, rates are at the lowest point of the year and we were able to get a great camping spot at Ocean Lakes Family Campground. This was our first trip to Ocean Lakes, which is a well maintained campground.

Everywhere we turned, there was great landscaping and well maintained facilities. No wonder they continue to win awards every year.

The campground, like most beachfront campgrounds, sits right on the other side of the protective dunes.

Unlike most campgrounds that we've been to, the arcade was well maintained, clean, and all the games were functioning properly. It's a great place for the kids to hang out, with a snack bar nearby and is sandwiched between the outdoor and indoor pool. The indoor pool is open year round so don't forget to bring your bathing suits!

Broadway at the Beach was our main destination, though, as they had a free fireworks celebration at 8:00 PM. If you are ever in the Myrtle Beach area, we highly recommend going to Broadway at the Beach at least once. It is unlike most shopping experiences you have had.

It is filled with shops, restaurants, theaters, and fun for the entire family, all surrounding a lake with boardwalks that cross the lake, enabling you to easily feed the fish and ducks, at a small price, of course.

Our choice for dinner was Margaritaville, with great service, great staff, and a fun and friendly atmosphere. The wait is often 1-2 hours for a seat, but with proper planning we were seated in less than 30 minutes. The food prices are average for a sit-down dinner at the beach and the food was good.

Also located here is Pavillion Nostalgia Park. It is a selection of kid's rides with a few family rides that were relocated from the former Pavillion in downtown Myrtle Beach. Many of the locals are still saddened that it was torn down but a lot of improvements are being made to the formerly defunct downtown area to revitalize it.

In a building nearby, you can find memories of a bygone era from the old Pavillion park.

The fireworks will be set off from this barge in the middle of the lake. The anticipation is building as daylight turns into night.

The colorful lights brighten up the night sky and add a sense of warmth to the chilly New Years Eve air.

As 8:00 approaches, the crowds gather in anticipation of the fireworks. Young and old are here to experience it together.

Please enjoy the video highlights we have put together with plenty of coverage of the fireworks! Note: To see it in high definition, click on it once it's playing to view it in YouTube, then change the resolution from 360p to 1080p.

Happy camping!

Christmas Town, A Busch Gardens Celebration 2011

2011-12-22T15:56:00.000-05:00

Join us in a trip around Christmas Town, A Busch Gardens Celebration, that we visited this holiday season.

http://www.thrillnetwork.com/content/journey-through-christmas-town-2951/

Fall Trip 2011

2011-10-14T20:30:00.001-04:00

When we purchased our first RV in 2005, we started a tradition of taking a Fall trip in October. Usually it's a smaller trip to the mountains or somewhere else we are interested in exploring. This year, however, we decided to take a larger road trip to explore three different types of amusement parks. That would also give us the opportunity to enjoy the fall beauty of the Appalachians in the Eastern United States.

Our trip was a rather daunting one to complete in just four days. We would be traveling through seven states for a distance of over 1300 miles.

Our journey began on a crisp, Fall morning. The trees in the mountains of Virginia were just starting to get their fall colors.

I always love this view. The peak of the mountain range up ahead is the West Virginia state line and in this view it's interesting to see how the Interstate disappears. That's because you will soon be traveling through a tunnel and you emerge from it in West Virginia.

After about six hours of traveling, we arrived at our first destination, the Huntington/Fire Fox KOA. I'm glad we made reservations because it was filled to capacity. Little did we know, the WestVirginia Pumpkin Festival was in full swing for the weekend.

The campground was well maintained and well decorated for the holidays.

The staff was very friendly and extra helpful. They were happily able to help us print out discount coupons to our final destination for the night, Camden Park.

For information about our trip to Camden Park, please check out our report and video located here.

After a great night at Camden Park, we left before sunrise to make the three hour trek to our next destination, Kings Island, outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information about our fantastic trip to Kings Island, please check out our report and video located here.

We kept our Motor home in the RV parking at Kings Island all day and headed out of there around 11:00 PM. Since we only needed some sleep overnight, we drove for about an hour and then stayed at a truck stop for the night.

We awoke just before sunrise and headed west towards Santa Claus, Indiana.

Sunrise around Louisville, Kentucky was remarkable. These pictures don't do it justice.

As we headed into Indiana, we enjoyed great views of the fall colors. While the colors don't appear as brilliant as they are some years, they were great, nonetheless.

Finally, we were getting close to our final stop of the weekend, Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana.

We were staying at Lake Rudolph Campground, a campground adjacent to Holiday world. The campground is reasonably priced and well maintained.

Even the stop signs had Rudolph's friendly smile (and red nose).

We setup camp and enjoyed a great day at Holiday World. For more information on that trip, see our report here.

Since it was the last day of the season for Holiday World, they closed early at 5:30 leaving time for us to drive around the small town of Santa Claus. Here's a view of the Town Hall.

A place you will want to stop is the Christmas Store. It's open year round and has all kinds of decorations and Christmas items. It's owned by the people who own Lake Rudolph Campground.

Even the Post Office is ready for Santa year round. (Do you sense a recurring theme?)

After a good night's sleep, it was time to start the journey back home.

Once again the sunrise was amazing. I recommend that everybody do a trip similar to this. While we love staying at campgrounds, there is something to be said about experiencing life on the open road.

Soon, we were back in Louisville. It is a great looking city.

It looks like it took a lot of work to build the Interstate through here.

We kept seeing signs for Acres of Land Winery. It never said how many, so I'm guessing two…

I never thought about it, but I guess it makes sense that KFC was born in Kentucky. It's not often that you hear of a birthplace for a business, though.

As we continued Southeast, we saw a lot of great views.

Driving through Eastern Tennessee is always a delight with the views of the mountains in all directions.

Even the clouds were looking interesting.

Looking off into the distance, we could tell we were getting close to North Carolina.

Yeah! We're back in our home state. While we love traveling and visiting other places, it's always nice to come back home.

The mountains of western North Carolina were starting to get their fall colors.

We had a few tunnels to go through. My son loves tunnels although I'm sure he'd get bored with it if our entire trip were through a tunnel.

Even out of the mountains the trees were showing off their fall splendor.

We had a big motor home following us for awhile. We'll be happy to take donations… ;-)

Finally we were back in Charlotte, NC. Despite the traffic, it's great to be home! Thank you for taking the trip with us!

Happy Camping!

Scarowinds 2011

2011-09-24T12:10:00.000-04:00

Fall conjures up many images; bright colored leaves, cooler temperatures, and screams of kids being chased by chainsaws. Many of us fondly remember local haunted houses sponsored by civic clubs and local businesses that brought on the Halloween spirit.

While many of those local haunted houses are still around, some amusement parks have stepped up now offer haunts of their own. For the price of just a couple of individual haunts, the amusement parks offer half a dozen or more haunted houses, mazes, and other scares. If you find enjoyment in being startled and aren't appalled by some blood and gore, they are well worth your time and money.

Carowinds is no exception. They go all out to make this an exciting experience.

Their name lends well to easily transforming the park into Scarowinds with lots of scares and excitement while maintaining their traditional character.

Even before the sun sets, you start to settle into the mood of what is to come and there is a lot to see. It's actually better to get there right when Scarowinds opens so you can enjoy the atmosphere.

The makeup artists and costumers do a great job with the actors. Getting there during daylight allows you to see more of them than you do after dark.

It's not all about scares. There are quality shows that get you in the spirit.

With that being said, there are plenty of scares to be had. We found The Asylum to be the scariest and most disturbing of all the haunts that we went to.

As darkness falls, the atmosphere changes into something ghoulish. Fog lingers from machines strategically placed around the park and the addition of lights from Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular really adds to the effect.

Even the Skytower is not immune to being transformed into something creepy.

You need to take in the whole park (Planet Snoopy is closed - this isn't a kiddie event) to get the full effect. Around every corner is something interesting.

There are 8 mazes and haunted attractions to choose from as well as 3 scare zones. Some are more frightening than others but all of them are fun and provide a nice balance to your night.

You should take your time strolling around the park because there is a lot to see. Enjoy the moment, more so than this guy who periodically gets electrocuted.

Rushing around can cause you to miss some of the décor that the staff has painstakingly put in place.

If haunts aren't for you, there is still a reason to come. Many of the rides are still open and riding in the dark brings a whole new perspective to the experience if you haven't tried it yet.

If you are thirsty or hungry, there is plenty of food and drinks to be found.

Even the entrance plaza takes on a new look and feel. Beware, though, that you can only enter Scarowinds once per night. Once you leave there is no coming back.

The hearse outside the entrance serves as a reminder.

If you enjoy an occasional startle and some mild to moderate scares, you should mark a trip to Scarowinds on your calendar. It is open through Halloween and is sure to please!

Wild Eagle - Dollywood 2012

2011-09-07T08:07:00.000-04:00

I was invited to attend the announcement of Dollywood's new roller coaster for 2012 at Boomsday in Knoxville, TN. Here's the article that I wrote about it.

http://www.thrillnetwork.com/content/dollywood-2012-wild-eagle-2828/

Boone, NC and Grandfather Mountain

2011-09-02T15:37:00.000-04:00

It has been a tremendously hot summer here in the Piedmont of North Carolina. In light of that, we took a trip to Boone, NC for some much needed relief from the heat. It is the highest KOA in the eastern U.S. at a height of nearly 4,000 feet with a relaxed, rural setting.

A trip to Boone is never complete without eating a meal at the Dan'l Boone Inn. They serve their meals family style and have the best country ham biscuits that can be found anywhere.

Not only is the food great, the entire atmosphere is inviting. This bear along the walkway appears to have been carved on site from a tree in that same location..

The beautiful flowers are welcoming and abundant.

Not far away, towering at nearly 6,000 feet is Grandfather Mountain. It gets it's name from what looks to be the facial profile of an old man.

While entrance to the mountain is not free, the fee that is collected goes to a non-profit foundation that helps preserve the mountain and its facilities. We were pleased with the audio CD that was included with our admission. It gives you a self-guided tour of the mountain. One of the facilities on the mountain is the Nature Museum. It has over two dozen exhibits that educate visitors to the history of the mountain and the surrounding area. Also in the building is a gift shop and a snack bar.

Next to the Nature Museum are the wildlife habitats in natural settings along a paved walking trail. The exhibits include eagles, cougars, deer, and river otters.

They also include bears. Watching the bears was the highlight of our trip.

This bear has a tongue that would make Gene Simmons jealous.

This one appeared to be recovering from a long night of whatever bears do at night.

The views of the surrounding areas are remarkable from the various observation areas throughout the mountain.

At the top of the paved road is a parking lot and a walking path that takes you to the famous Mile High Swinging Bridge. As you can see, the crowds can be heavy at times. We got a later start and had to deal with some crowds and it was only getting busier as we were leaving.

Did I say Mile High Swinging Bridge? Perhaps they should rename it to Almost Mile High Swinging Bridge.

The views from the rocks at the far side of the bridge are remarkable. Fortunately it was a relatively clear day which gave us great views.

At heights like this, the clouds and mist can come in quickly.

Yes there is a Grandmother Mountain.

This is the actual peak of Grandfather Mountain. I look forward to returning so I can hike to the top of it.

On the way back to Boone, a side trip to Valle Crucis is well worth the time. Not only is this a beautiful rural community, it is also home to the original Mast General Store that has been there since 1883.

Not far down the road is the Mast General Store Annex

In addition to providing additional clothing and other items to what is available in the original store, my favorite part is the candy store with a huge selection of candy, many of which I haven't seen anywhere else in a long time.

If you like shopping, you can find some in nearby Blowing Rock at the Tanger Outlets.

Back at the KOA you can visit and feed the animals.

There are many other things to do in the area in addition to what we did this trip. We'll be sure to cover more of them in our next trip.

Happy Camping!

Dorney Park

2011-08-30T14:51:00.000-04:00

We recently took a trip to a great, classic amusement park in Eastern PA. Here is a report of our experiences.

http://www.thrillnetwork.com/parks-travel-tips-3/91690-tr-dorney-park.html#post854547

Behind the scenes at Carowinds' 2012 announcement

2011-08-25T11:59:00.000-04:00

I was given the opportunity to assist with the lead-up to Carowinds' announcement for what is new in 2012. You can read my behind the scenes report here:

http://www.thrillnetwork.com/content/carowinds-announces-windseeker-2012-2809/

I hope you enjoy and I look forward to the new thrill ride next year!

Myrtle Beach Trip 2011

2011-08-16T15:56:00.000-04:00

Nearly every year we take a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. We normally stay at one of the mega campgrounds located at the southern end of Myrtle Beach but wanted to try a campground closer to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The Myrtle Beach KOA is located near the downtown area and less than 10 minutes from the Convention Center.

It is a well maintained park with lots of shade, a modern pool and great splash pad. You can rent a golf cart from them at a reasonable rate or bring your own. Speaking of golf carts, you can see that golf carts are popular at the beach.

The campground is close to the new Myrtle Beach boardwalk although it's not an easy walking distance. You can barely see the new SkyWheel in the distance.

Here's a closeup look at the new SkyWheel that opened in May. It's located on the northern end of the boardwalk. We didn't ride it this trip but plan to in the future. If you are going to go to the boardwalk, make sure you take some change for the parking meters or pay a one-time daily fee at the nearby parking garage.

The Myrtle Beach KOA is also located close to Jungle Lagoon Miniature Golf and Family Kingdom Amusement Park. See our Family Kingdom Blog Post for more information on the park.

You can see how close the KOA is to Jungle Lagoon Mini-Golf and Highway 17.

Jungle Lagoon is a well maintained miniature golf course with two 18-hole courses, the Lagoon Course and the Jungle Course.

Both are equally nice and the views create a great playing atmosphere with plenty of available shade.

If you want to go to the beach, you can catch the free KOA shuttle that operates daily during the peak season.

The beach is close enough to walk to although you have to cross Highway 17. You can see many improvements that have been done to areas of downtown Myrtle Beach.

There is nothing like a walk on the beach during a clear day.

For a unique shopping experience, you should stop by Broadway at the Beach. It is a short 10 minute drive from the campground and offers free parking. The new attraction, Wonder Works recently opened there. Due to the long line, we decided to check this out some other time.

Senor Frogs is a fun place to eat. To really enjoy the place you need a good sense of humor or a yard-long margarita.

No trip is complete without getting a picture with Crabby Jack. Or not.

For good diner style food, Johnny Rockets is always a fun choice. The staff puts on a dance every so often and they maintain a nice family atmosphere.

All in all, it was a fun trip and we look forward to our next trip.

Happy Camping!

Family Kingdom in Myrtle Beach

2011-08-09T16:20:00.000-04:00

Heading down Kings Highway on the Grand Strand, you will quickly pass by a small amusement park called Family Kingdom. Many people pass by it without a second look. Why is that? One reason could be because it is usually only open in the evenings from April through October so most of the day it appears empty.

As you approach the park, you will see that the area is freshly painted, nicely landscaped, and well maintained. The view from Kings Highway is intriguing, inviting you to explore more.

Admission to the park is free. There are no gates or turnstiles, you simply walk right into the park. You only pay for the rides you want to by purchasing tickets but can also purchase an unlimited ride wristband. Bright, cheerful colors abound, creating an inviting atmosphere.

One feature that stands out is the classic wooden coaster, Swamp Fox. It provides a great ride for the entire family and the quality of the ride is something that you don't expect to find in a park this size.

One ride you don't want to miss is the dark ride, Viva Pistolero. It is themed well and adds a nice touch to the assortment of rides.

For some extra excitement, try out Sling Shot. The ride shoots you up over 100 feet, then gives you a controlled free fall back to the platform.

As the sun sets the colorful lights start glowing setting a great atmosphere for a fun family evening.

The area really lights up as day turns into night.

Family Kingdom is very close to the beach. The view from the beach walkway is intriguing with the Ferris Wheel standing out in the skyline.

We had a great time and found Family Kingdom to be a good value and fun for the entire family!

Carowinds' CoasterStock 2011

2011-08-04T08:53:00.001-04:00

The thermometer has risen, school is out for the summer, the smell of funnel cake is all around, and the sound of kid's screams fills the air. That can only mean one thing. It's summer in the south and time for the third annual CoasterStock at Carowinds, the Thrill Capital of the Southeast!

CoasterStock is an event for coaster enthusiasts that is run by the park and includes exclusive ride time (ERT) on some of the rides at special times as well as other events throughout the day. Enthusiasts were on hand from all over the country to experience this event (including a few from England).

The event began with registration and a continental breakfast. At 8:00 AM we were allowed access to the northern section of the park where a few rides were open for ERT.

A first for CoasterStock, attendees were given early morning rides on Xtreme Skyflyer before the park opened. It was my first time riding a Skycoaster and was as thrilling as I expected.

The biggest coaster in the northern end of the park is Hurler. It is Carowinds' third wooden coaster which opened in 1994 and is in the middle of renovations to make the ride experience better. Hurler was included in the early morning ERT as well as their wild mouse ride, Ricochet, and their classic looping corkscrew coaster, Carolina Cyclone. The picture below is the first drop on Hurler.

After the park opened to the public, some of us headed over to Planet Snoopy to battle it out on Woodstock Gliders. This is a classic 70 year old ride that continues to thrill people today.

The goal of the battle is to get your glider to go the highest and the people in line vote for the winner. The winner gets to stay on the ride for the next cycle. Some of the CoasterStock attendees are 'master glider pilots' and won the top honors a few times while we were there.

Survey stakes showed up a couple of places around the park just in time for CoasterStock. It is not clear right now if the wording on the stakes provides clues to what's coming in 2012 or if this was done by park officials to help keep the 2012 announcement a surprise. Those stakes all conveniently disappeared the day after the event. You can follow or join the discussion at Carowinds Connection. The official announcement for what's coming in 2012 will be made on August 24th.

For lunch, one of the pavilions was reserved for attendees and we were treated to a great, light, refreshing lunch.

During lunch, we were joined by park General Manager, Bart, and the VP of Operations, Jerry. They provided us some insight into the future of Carowinds but were tight-lipped about any specific upcoming plans. All we really know for certain is that there are future growth plans for Carowinds, so the next decade should be very exciting for the southeastern U.S.

After lunch, the Photo Hunt began. We were given four pages of photographs taken from around the park that we had to find. Many were relatively simple, but there were a few tricky photos that made it a real challenge. By this time the park was getting pretty busy.

Later in the afternoon, we met in one of the pavilions for a great dinner! Carowinds went all out to make sure we had great food. After dinner, we met up with Carowinds' utility manager, Steve, who walked us through details on the new Snoopy Starlight Spectacular sound and light show. He was highly involved in the planning and installation of this new 2011 experience.

Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular runs from May 28th to September 4th at 9:00 PM on all nights that the park is open until 10:00 PM. When it is not running, Snoopy sleeps here.

After Steve finished his walk-through, we were taken to the Carowinds Theatre where saw the live show, Snoopy Rocks on Ice. The show was well done and your entire family should find it entertaining.

After the show, we played a Carowinds-specific version of the classic game, Jeopardy, and saw the winning video in the Carowinds Video Competition. Then it was time to experience Nights of Fire, the new nightly fireworks show that runs from July 1 to August 7. The show was just the right length and a nice way to wrap up a summer day at Carowinds.

After the park closed, they turned Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular back on for us to enjoy.

We were guided through it on our way to experience night time ERT on Intimidator and Nighthawk until midnight. With all three trains running on Intimidator, unless you were in the front or back row, you could usually stay on and ride it as many times as you wanted.

I had a lot of fun that day and will certainly attend future events. Thank you, Carowinds, for continuing to host CoasterStock and making every trip to your park a great experience!

Cherokee, NC and Great Smoky Mountains National Park

2011-07-28T20:00:00.002-04:00

My favorite place to go to is the mountains. Recently we took a trip to the Cherokee, NC area. We have been there in the past and really like the Cherokee KOA. It is a great base camp with a central location to help you enjoy the surrounding area. They are located in a great setting and have plenty of amenities and activities.

They are nestled in the mountains with lots of peace and quiet and relaxation.

As you may know, the Cherokee Indian Tribe settled in the southern Appalachian mountains where they were eventually forced to move west in the early 19th century by the government. It's great to see the rebirth of their language and culture in Appalachia.

The campground is convenient to the entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the country. You'll drive through the park and up and over Newfound Gap on highway 441 to experience Gatlinburg, TN. While in Gatlinburg, you should stop and visit the Ole Smoky Distillery and sample their Tennessee Moonshine, if you are so inclined. It is a beautiful 30+ mile drive through Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

In Gatlinburg, TN, I recommend a drive through the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. There are a lot of great sights along the newly repaved road although you should note that RVs are not allowed on this road. This is a one-way road, so allow yourself at least an hour driving through here because once you start, you can't turn back.

Houses from the area have been relocated along the trail so you can step back in time to experience life in this area from a couple of centuries ago.

Before you head over the mountain to Gatlinburg, you'll want to keep your eyes on the open file by the Oconaluftee Visitors' Center. You never know what you'll see grazing in the field. Thanks to efforts by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, you may be able to watch an elk grazing in the field since they were reintroduced to the area nearly a decade ago.

At the visitor's center, there is a Mountain Farm Museum that helps tell the story of early European settlement life in this area.

At the peak of the mountain along highway 441, you can branch off and drive a few miles to the observation tower at Clingman's Dome, the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 6,643 feet in elevation. It is a somewhat exerting half-mile hike from the parking lot to the observation tower so you should be prepared for this. There are plenty of benches that provide rest along the way.

Be prepared, because at these heights, you never know when fog and/or clouds are going to roll in.

The KOA campground is also near the southern entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Keep your eyes open because you never know what is going to be around the next bend when traveling that great road.

If you are feeling adventurous, you may want to drive around Balsam Mountain. It is up the parkway to milepost 458. After another eight miles along mile-high Heintooga Ridge Road you will come to a picnic area. At the far end you can take the seasonal one-lane, one-way Balsam Mountain Road for 18 miles back to Cherokee. While passenger cars can traverse this road, you should note that it is an unpaved mountain road. Leave yourself at least an hour to go the 18 miles. We did spot a bear along this road but were not quick enough with the camera to get a picture of it. I'm not sure who was more startled, the bear or us.

Back in Cherokee, one of our favorite shopping destinations is Saunooke's Mill as well as the other shops in that area.

It is still a functioning mill as well as a store.

This is a small sampling of all the things to do in the area. We hope you enjoy your next trip to Western NC as much as we have enjoyed our trips.

Happy camping!

CoasterMania 2011

2011-06-22T17:27:00.004-04:00

It's late spring in northern Ohio. The leaves are fresh on the trees, the grass is green, and the aroma of funnel cake is in the air. That can only mean one thing - it's time for the 23rd annual CoasterMania at Cedar Point! This is a park sponsored event for coaster enthusiasts who are members of a club recognized by Cedar Point.

CoasterMania began Friday morning and we arrived in at Campers Village after a long trip from North Carolina. The weather was beautiful and the staff was very friendly getting us checked in quickly and on our way. The sites are spacious and well kept. The bugs are real bad this time of the year but other than that, we are happy with their campground. It is located at the back of the park between Mean Streak and Lake Erie.

After setting up camp, we headed to the park for what remained of the 2 day event. Event pass processing was easy and efficient. Suddenly I was transported back to the first amusement park I went to as a child. It was a great feeling.

We enjoyed a few flat rides and various coasters such as Mantis, Wildcat, and Iron Dragon. Mantis is a great stand-up coaster.

The park was pretty busy because there was another event going on. Lots of students were enjoying the park with us.

Late afternoon we headed to the Coral Courtyard for Social Hour and complimentary appetizers. It took awhile to get through the line but the food was good. We didn't stay for the special presentation that followed or the film festival.

We hung out in the park after it closed for some exclusive ride time (ERT) on Skyhawk, Magnum XL-200, Mean Streak, and Top Thrill Dragster. Magnum XL-200 is an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark and the first hypercoaster (over 200 feet high with a complete circuit).

Top Thrill Dragster was the first strata coaster (over 400 feet with a complete circuit) and standing tall at 420 feet, it catches your attention from many areas of the park.

Late night quickly came and went and before I knew it, we got to start all over again!. By 5:30 AM we were taking advantage of ERT on Millennium Force, Maverick, Mantis, and Corkscrew. Millennium Force was the first complete circuit coaster to top 300 feet and its opening led to twelve world records being broken.

As the day went on, it appears we brought the southern heat with us because it ended up being a very hot day. We are thankful that Cedar Point provided bottomless drink armbands. We took advantage of the cool refreshments numerous times throughout the weekend.

Early afternoon we were treated to a complimentary lunch in the Point Pavilion overlooking the classic Blue Streak wooden roller coaster. The food was really good and we got free T-shirts to commemorate the event.

The night ended with ERT on Raptor, Blue Streak, Disaster Transport, Wicked Twister and maXair. Raptor is a top-quality, inverted roller coaster.

Thanks to the staff and management of Cedar Point for a great and successful CoasterMania 2011! We will certainly attend again in the future.

Dare Devil Dive Coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia

2011-05-27T10:38:00.005-04:00

My family and I are members of a roller coaster enthusiasts club. In addition to being coaster enthusiasts, we love amusement parks in general (some may be inclined to use the word fanatics). From time to time we receive invitations to help parks debut their new rides and attractions. You can imagine my excitement when I was given the opportunity to attend an event for the opening of Dare Devil Dive coaster at Six Flags over Georgia.

When you catch your first glimpse of Dare Devil Dive, the lift hill and 95 degree beyond-vertical first drop look formidable.

Towering ten stories overhead, the lift hill is certain to catch your attention as you enter the ride queue.

After the exhilarating first drop you go through a water mister.

This is the beginning of your great adventure through the 2,099 feet of track and another surprise water mister somewhere else along the ride.

As part of the festivities, we were treated to a great debut performance of Soda Shoppe Sweethearts.

Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny were also on hand to help.

When the festivities were over, Dare Devil Dive emerged as a smooth ride experience that your entire family is sure to enjoy. It opens to the public on Saturday, May 28, 2011. Six Flags Over Georgia and this coaster should be part of your travel plans this year.

Happy Coasting!

Reducing the Impact of High Fuel Costs

2011-05-19T17:14:00.002-04:00

Anybody who has been to the gas station recently is aware of the price of gas. With it hovering around $4 per gallon in the Carolinas and being even higher in other parts of the country, it is something that you have to factor when determining the budget for your trips this year.

Rather than allowing it to prevent us from traveling, I've looked for ways that I can increase my fuel economy.

Perform routine maintenance
- Keep your oil changed according to the chassis manufacturer's change interval with the oil grade that they recommend.
- Keep your tires properly inflated according to the chassis manufacturer's recommendations and check them before every trip.
Avoid aggressive driving
- Slow and careful acceleration will improve your gas mileage
Remove excessive weight
- The less weight you carry, the better mileage you will get
Drive the speed limit
- If you can drive around 55 MPH, you'll be surprised at the fuel you will save
Avoid unnecessary idling
- The larger your engine is, the more gas you use when idling
Drive a constant speed
- Driving the same speed helps to improve your gas mileage

While many of the items that I mentioned above won't give you a dramatic increase in fuel economy, doing all of the above will certainly reap rewards at the gas pump. Who knows, you might be able to squeeze an extra trip in this year with what you save in gas.

Happy Camping!

Source: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

Flat Stacy (Stanly) Visits Kings Dominion

2011-04-22T15:22:00.012-04:00

Many of you are familiar with Flat Stanly. A second grader named Anna from Colorado created a female version she named Flat Stacy. We volunteered to take her with us during a recent trip to Kings Dominion, Virginia. Here is her report.

Hi,

A nice family took me with them on a road trip. I enjoyed riding and staying in their camper.

We stopped at Kings Dominion. I really liked the amusement park.

The scenery was great but they wouldn't let me swim in the water.

Americana was my favorite ride.

It goes up so high you can see the Eiffel Tower from here.

I liked Triple Spin but it made me dizzy.

The roller coasters are really scary.

I wasn't tall enough but they were able to sneak me on many rides.

Snoopy didn't want to share his cookies.

Charlie Brown was the friendliest of all.

I had a great time and hope to return again sometime.

Flat Stacy

Spring Break Fit For A King

2011-04-21T15:29:00.027-04:00

We took a road trip and spent the first part of Spring Break at Kings Dominion in Virginia.

Our adventure began at the Camp Wilderness campground. They assigned us a site that had somebody else in it. After some time, the office found us a site that was not occupied.

Beyond that, our experience with the campground was relatively smooth. I will say that if you are looking for a relaxing place to stay, this probably wouldn't be your first choice. The campers near us were noisy and didn't seem to be aware of the unspoken campground etiquette of not walking through other people's sites but that's not really the fault of the campground itself.

In the tradition of all Cedar Fair campgrounds, we found the nightly rates a bit high considering the lack of cable TV at the sites (and only 2 1/2 channels through our antenna). It seems to me there is a missed opportunity of having a CCTV network in the park/campgrounds to build the anticipation of guests and inform them of all the daily and upcoming events. Aside from that our site had nice grass, was level, and roomy.

Speaking of Cedar Fair traditions, we appreciated that everywhere you looked there was a garbage can. Despite that, people still found opportunities to dispose of their trash in places other than the easily discovered receptacles.

Our favorite time to visit amusement parks is in the spring because of the lack of crowds. Spring break was no exception. We were able to do nearly everything we wanted in the span of 1 1/2 days. One of my most anticipated rides in the park was Volcano, a launch coaster that blasts you straight up out of the top of a volcano. The boarding process is slow so you'll want to get there early or late in the day to minimize wait time. It is certainly a must ride for any enthusiast.

The most anticipated ride of mine was Intimidator 305. I was surprised a the intensity and overall smoothness of the ride but I experienced gray outs both times I rode it at the end of the first drop's sweeping turn. That was enough to keep me from wanting to ride it again. I certainly encourage you to try it for yourself and see. Plenty of other people wanted to ride it over and over again.

In the foreground of the above picture is Anaconda, an Arrow Dynamics coaster known for it's underwater tunnel. One of our favorite family rides at Kings Dominion is the Backlot Stunt Coaster. It is another launch coaster that has some theming to it that adds to the overall fun.

Our favorite coaster in the park is the floorless Dominator. It has the right balance of intensity and smoothness for everybody to enjoy over and over again.

We were surprised at the smoothness of the classic out-and-back racing wooden coaster, Rebel Yell. Both sides of the ride were equally smooth.

It is hard not to enjoy Mack Rides Wild Mouse coasters and Ricochet was no exception. Pictured to the right of it is Hurler which was pretty rough. It seems like a track reprofiling could do wonders for that wooden coaster.

I have been to Kings Dominion before and Grizzly was closed then. Sadly that was the case this time also so I'm still chasing the elusive Grizzly. Maybe it will be open during the fall when I expect to revisit the park.

I've been on two stand-up coasters so far and neither one of them has impressed me. Shockwave was no exception. I rode it my one obligatory time and don't plan on doing that again.

While we are coaster enthusiasts, we are also amusement park enthusiasts. So yes, there were other things to see and do besides the coasters. One thing sorely lacking from our home park of Carowinds is a Ferris Wheel. Americana is a great addition to Kings Dominion and well worth taking the time to enjoy while you sit back and relax with great views of the park.

Boo Blasters is a favorite ride of my son's so I have to include a picture of it here. For anybody not familiar with it, it's a dark ride where you ride in a car with laser guns and shoot at targets.

An enjoyable flat ride (if you call going 85 feet in the air flat) is Flying Ace.

Who can neglect to mention the iconic 1/3 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower. Thankfully there are elevators to get you to the observation platforms.

Here's one view of the park from the Tower.

Here's another view.

Kings Dominion is working hard to get Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular ready by this summer.

Here's another view from above. It will be great to see it to add to the night atmosphere at the park.

You can't complete a trip without saying hi to Snoopy.

We had a special guest with us that I wrote about here. Overall we had a great time and look forward to our next trip to Kings Dominion. Thanks to the staff for an enjoyable stay!

Ride on!

Carowinds Opening Weekend 2011

2011-04-06T18:00:00.001-04:00

Our busy spring schedule lined up with Carowinds opening for the 2011 season this past weekend allowing us to go and process our season passes. Yeah, right! The primary reason we went was to get on some rides and have a great time! Processing our passes was secondary and merely a necessary task.

When we arrived, we were concerned about the long line for season pass processing. Carowinds was well prepared for this, however. The line moved along very quickly and our passes were processed well under 45 minutes, much shorter than the 2 hours I had anticipated. The staff was also very friendly and professional.

It was a windy day and because of that Sky Tower, Drop Tower, and Intimidator were closed most of the day. This was a common sight around the park (Sky Tower not operating):

This was also a common sight (No trains running on Intimidator) but Snoopy's Gr8 Sk8 was operating and is always a family favorite:

Did I mention that it was a windy day?

The wind died down occasionally although Pirate Snoopy was still standing guard wind or no wind.

It's hard to enjoy a day at Carowinds without a ride on the classic kids wooden coaster, Woodstock Express that's been around since 1975.

While it's obvious that the wood was replaced on the Hurler during the off-season resulting in a smoother initial ride, something else less obvious must have been done because the coaster is actually quite enjoyable now:

Since we had a scheduling conflict, we were only able to make it to the park early afternoon. Carowinds Connection members reported that Intimidator was open early in the day but by the time we got to the park the wind gusts picked up enough forcing it to close. Near the end of the day on Saturday it finally opened up so we could get at least one ride on it.

Saturdays have always been busier than Sundays so two of us went back on Sunday for a few hours to get in some of the rides we missed out on the day before. Nighthawk usually has slow moving lines due to the loading of the trains so we happened to catch it at the right time where we didn't have a tremendous wait time.

We were looking forward to riding Thunder Road but it was closed while they wrapped up the off season multi-year project of replacing the track.

We were able to get a few other rides in with much less wait time than on Saturday. All in all we had a great weekend. Thanks to Carowinds for getting the park together for us to have a great time! We look forward to many more trips this year!

Spring Cleaning...Your RV?

2011-03-26T06:33:00.006-04:00

Here in North Carolina, Spring has arrived. While that means trees are in bloom, daffodils are emerging, and pollen is everywhere, it also means it's time to check out your RV and make sure no problems came up over the winter. It will also get you on the road quickly when you are ready for your first trip of the season.

Here are some tips getting your RV out of Winter hibernation.

Do a visual inspection.
- You should walk around the outside and look for any damage, broken parts, or pools of liquids. Also be sure to inspect all openings (like furnace exhaust) and see if anything has made a nest in there.
- Do the same on the inside. Test out your appliances, lights, and devices to make sure everything is in working order.
Flush your water system.
- Hook your RV up to a city water system. Go around to each faucet and run the hot and cold water until the water comes out clear.

Sanitize your water system.
- Many people stop at flushing the water system and forget this critical step. Make a bleach solution (1/4 C bleach to 1 Gal water) for each 15 gallons of your fresh water tank. Add the solution to your tank depending on your fill type, then fill the tank. Take your water heater out of bypass mode and run water through each faucet until you can smell bleach. Let the system sit for at least three hours and then drain it all. Fill the water system again and run water through each faucet until you no longer smell bleach.

Clean, clean, clean.
- Break out the vacuum, dust cloth, and cleaner. Wipe down and vacuum your RV from ceiling to floor. This only takes a little bit of time and will help to protect and extend the life of your RV.

Enjoy another great season of RVing. Happy Camping!

RVing in the Twentieth Century

2011-02-27T10:43:00.002-05:00

Yes, I know. It is the Twenty-First Century and it has been for over ten years. But some things like the motor home offerings for 2011 make me think I've been teleported back 15 years or more.

We went to the 21st Annual North Carolina RV & Camping Show in Charlotte this past weekend. Looking at RVs and all thing camping related is a favorite past time of mine so that always makes for a good weekend.

We have had a couple of travel trailers in the past but motor homes better fit our lifestyle. We saw some interesting models of fifth wheels and travel trailers but that was not the case with motor homes. We felt like we were put into a mold that family camping was supposed to involve fifth wheels or travel trailers and not motor homes.

Our class C motor home is a few years old and has served us well. However, it is styled inside and outside like something out of the 1990s. That is still the case with the 2011 models that we saw of class C motor homes. There was little innovation on the inside regarding use of space and the 21st century family's lifestyle and little on the outside reflecting modern aerodynamics and style.

It is the same with the 2011 class A motor homes. These exhibit even more lack of exterior styling and have the profile of a shoe box. They would be better classified as ancient relics rather than a modern family's home away from home.

Aside from the lack of aerodynamics that would improve fuel economy, something important to today's families, the interiors also leave something to be desired. It's nearly impossible to find anything larger than 32' that are efficiently using space with floor plans that meet the needs of today's active lifestyles and even those models 32' and under are few and far between.

To add to that, a vast majority of motor homes are designed with retired couples in mind. No wonder, with the lack of styling no twenty-first century family dreams of being seen in such outdated styling. No wonder the RV industry seems to continue to focus on older couples.

The one semi-bright light in the show was the Monaco Vesta. They did a nice job making a sleek, aerodynamic look outside. While the inside is excessively modern for our style, the biggest drawback is the price tag. At around $200,000 it is cost prohibitive for today's average family.

The only thing in the average middle price range is a box on wheels with outdated styling and floorplans. While you can get a brand new full ton dually truck (which is diesel) for around $50,000, and a nice option of quality 34' fifth wheel trailers for around $50,000, you can't find a diesel, stylish, innovative, and sleek class A motor home for around $100,000.

It is time for us to demand that the RV manufactures start providing us quality, affordable motor home alternatives without breaking the bank. Anybody can throw together something in the $200,000+ price range but it takes real engineering, commitment, and care to build a quality, functional and innovative motor home for today's modern family.

We're Going to the Zoo - How About You?

2011-01-18T07:42:00.009-05:00

We have had an unusually cold and snowy winter so far. After too many days of being cooped up in the house we needed to get out. This past weekend brought us back to our normal winter weather and we took the opportunity to get away for the day.

Our latest adventure took us to Columbia, South Carolina, which is an easy drive down I 77 from Charlotte, North Carolina. Our first stop was at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. You can almost picture the grizzly as cute as your childhood teddy bear.

When we got to the Elephants none were to be seen. Instead we got to experience life inside the zoo as zookeepers cleaned out their area and brought in bales of food for them. That afforded us the opportunity to see other areas of the zoo and we returned after a short time to experience the elephants eating.

The lions didn't care that we were there. This male lion reminded us of one of our previous dogs who slept just like this at the front door. I'm pretty sure the lion won't be as friendly up close, though.

You couldn't get anything past the Meerkats, though. One was on the lookout while the other stayed busy digging out their home. While they are certainly somewhat used to those strange creatures who keep popping up over the railing to look at them, they are still somewhat skittish to foreign noises.

The monkeys are always a good show. This one seemed to know when we had the camera out so this is the best shot we could get. He did give us quite a show with his swinging and tightrope walking.

Have any of you heard of lounge lizards before? Well this lizard takes that expression to heart, or perhaps the person who came up with the term is friends with this one.

We experienced many other great things at the zoo. After the zoo, what is better than eating and shopping? There is a relatively new complex in the area, the Village at Sandhill. This is an easy 30 minute drive from the zoo to the other side of Columbia.

The village at Sandhill is built in the same tradition as a lot of new shopping centers I have seen. The stores are a bunch of shops lining streets with some residential quarters on the upper floors. There are a large variety of shops and stores to see here as well as numerous places to eat, a movie theater, grocery store, etc. Surprisingly they were quite busy so I would hate to see them in the peak of summer. All in all, though, it is a great place to unwind after a day at the zoo.

Happy Camping!

Smoky Mountain Coasterfest 2010

2010-11-24T19:33:00.001-05:00

Recently we headed to Dollywood for Smoky Mountain Coasterfest, an event held by our coaster enthusiast club.

We were one of the first to arrive and saw a sight that you seldom see at Dollywood, an empty parking lot. We had our pick of spaces at the RV parking lot. We have been to the park a few times and have never seen the RV parking full so you should feel pretty certain that there will be a spot there if you want to park your rig there while you enjoy the park. As with most places like this, there are no hookups so you will need to be completely self-reliant. There is also no overnight parking.

By 8:30 more people were arriving and check-in had started so we headed to the park entrance. Check-in went smoothly and after a short wait we were escorted to the back of the park. Our day started with an hour of exclusive ride time (ERT) on Blazing Fury before the park opened. It is a classic indoor coaster and we got to ride it the way most people experience it. Then we got an opportunity to ride it with all the lights and maintenance lights on so we could see everything, and also an exciting ride with all of the lights off. Dollywood was also kind to provide us with lunch pails containing a muffin and a bottle of water. They also had coffee available which was greatly welcomed on this chilly morning.

After that, the park opened to the public and we headed back to Adventure Mountain for head of the line time. The scavenger hunt also began and most of the day was left for us to experience the beauty of the park on our own. For anybody interested, we were given the opportunity to tour behind the scenes of the new Barnstormer that is under construction for 2011.

We took the opportunity to walk around the park a few times experiencing some of the rides, shows, and Christmas atmosphere as well as working on our scavenger hunt questions and tasks. We got our questions turned in by the 7:00 deadline and headed out of the park to relax for a little bit in the RV. We returned at 8:30 to enjoy the awesome smooth and creamy hot cocoa and cake provided to us and got our prizes from the scavenger hunt. We also took part in some auctions to benefit the local soup kitchen on behalf of Dollywood.

By that time the park was closed to the public and we spent the next hour for ERT on Dollywood's two most popular coasters, Mystery Mine and Thunderhead. As usual, the head restraints on Mystery Mind bash your head so I could only handle it a couple of times but the speed and quick transitions on Thunderhead continue to thrill, especially in the crisp fall air and complete darkness.

As usual, the staff at Dollywood went out of their way to make sure everybody was well taken care of. It's no wonder that the park is busy no matter when you go. We will continue to support the park for many years to come.

Since it was so late, we headed to the Pigeon Forge KOA to rest for the night. We weren't real happy with it the first time, not because of the facilities or location, but the staff. However, we tried it one more time to see if it was a better experience and like the previous time, the staff was less than helpful and the whole experience of our 10 hour stay was not great. There is another park right down the road that we'll try next time we're in the area. Check them out - Riveredge RV Park.

We have a hard time passing up a great breakfast at the Old Mill which is a nice easy walk across Patriot Park from the KOA. After that we broke down camp and headed to the Apple Barn and Cider Mill for some fried apple pies for the road as well as a gallon of their fresh cider to have with our Thanksgiving Feast.

All in all it was a great weekend! We made some new friends and look forward to the next event!