Tar Heel Camper

Coasting For Kids

2013-04-10T17:55:00.000-04:00

Caring for a child with a life-threatening illness is a draining, both physically, mentally, and financially. Thankfully there are non-profit organizations like Give Kids The World (GKTW) who are there to help. GKTW is a magical resort located in central Florida and gives thousands of free week-long fantasy vacations to those kids and their families.

This year, not only have I donated so I can help them bring this magical experience to more families who need a chance to get away and make special memories for their child, I have teamed up with Coasting For Kids and given up one day to help raise money for them and bring awareness to the great work that they do.

While you don't have to give up any of your time, you too can help! Go to my page where you can find out more about Give Kids The World and also donate. Help me reach my goal and make a difference for a child with a life-threatening illness. All money that you donate goes directly to Give Kids The World. The participating parks have donated their resources and those of us participating have paid additional fees to cover the administrative costs.

Thank you for your support!

A Lone Star Spring Break

2013-04-06T13:34:00.000-04:00

We looked for somewhere new to explore during Spring Break this year. Since we are amusement park aficionados, it needed to include something fun and exciting. Most places up north are still in Winter hibernation mode so a natural course of action was to look out west, with Texas being our final choice.

We left early afternoon on Thursday for the short 1,075 mile drive from Charlotte, North Carolina to Dallas, Texas. After a short rest stop for a few hours in western Georgia, we continued west on I-20. In the early morning hours of Friday as we crossed into Mississippi, some good Samaritans flagged us down and let us know there was a problem with our car that we tow behind the motor home.

I pulled over and sure enough we had a blow-out and ended up losing the entire tire. I was able to put the donut spare on and limp to a tire store. All in all, we only lost about an hour which isn't bad. This is our first problem in over 30,000 miles of towing our car but we will be sure to start carrying a full size spare in the future.

Speaking of Mississippi, here's us crossing the Mississippi River that borders Mississippi and Louisiana.

In late afternoon on Friday, we made it to our base camp for the first couple of days, the Dallas Metro KOA located in Arlington, Texas. This is a nice KOA located in the metropolis area. You can check out more pictures of the campground here.

Our primary stop in Dallas was Six Flags Over Texas, an amusement park themed around all things Texas. This is a nice amusement park with lots to do although we did find the layout of the park quite confusing. We were often stuck at the end of a walkway 'spur' and had to figure out how to get to the next area we wanted to. For those of you who like trivia, Six Flags Over Texas is the first Six Flags park.

Our favorite roller coaster here was the New Texas Giant, the first of its kind hybrid coaster in the world. It packs a great combination of positive, negative, and lateral G-forces that keep pace through the entire ride. Even our special needs son, Jeffrey, really enjoyed this ride as it wasn't overly aggressive. Titan is also an impressive coaster although it was more aggressive than Texas Giant and I'm the only one who seemed to truly appreciate it.

In our travels we tend to come across a lot of the same kinds of roller coasters. We appreciated the nice mix that Six Flags Over Texas has including the reverse launched coaster, Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this coaster since I was originally not looking forward to riding it.

Although I don't consider Six Flags Over Texas to be a theme park, it is by far the most themed of any of the Six Flags parks we have visited to date. There are lots of nice touches throughout the park that remind you of Texas.

For the most part, Six Flags Over Texas is a clean, family friendly park although there are a few areas that could use some TLC. For more pictures and comments about Six Flags Over Texas, click here.

Early Easter morning, we packed up and headed south for a short five hour drive to San Antonio, Texas, our next stop on this adventure-filled trip. Our base camp for this stop was at Admiralty RV Resort. Reviews prior to our trip were quite negative noting management was strict with their rules. We didn't have any issues with the campground management and found it to be a well maintained campground.

After checking in and setting up camp, we loaded up and headed over to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. This park has a predominant southwest theme with a layout that is much easier to navigate than Six Flags Over Texas. Another point of trivia: this is a newer park having only been around since 1990.

I've ridden the indoor launched Flight of Fear coasters built by Premier Rides and haven't been overly impressed with them. I must say that I did like Poltergeist, an apparent cousin to those coasters. It is very similar except it is outside instead of inside. That enables me to see what's coming up and brace accordingly. You can see what looks like a mess of intertwined track and can imagine how easy this is to fit into a large building.

We liked the nice touch of a boardwalk area at the back of the park although it was difficult to navigate a wheel chair through with the uneven footing of the wood deck.

I don't know if it was because it was Easter Sunday or what, but other than one instance of a ride supervisor being extremely helpful to us, most of the staff was subdued. My daughter noticed that for two rides we experienced, the operators didn't say a single word, not even any safety warnings. Adding to that, our family was yelled out on Pandemonium when trying to exit towards the entrance to get my son's wheelchair.

In my opinion, the premier roller coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas is Superman, a floorless coaster. While my son isn't keen to loops, this was gentle enough that he enjoyed the ride. I took the chance and took him on the coaster with the knowledge that floorless coasters tend to be less aggressive than many other steel coasters. It paid off as that was the case with this coaster.

Iron Rattler is sure to be the premier roller coaster when it debuts this spring. It is the second hybrid coaster in the world with more impressive stats than the New Texas Giant that we rode the previous day. Unfortunately it wasn't open during our trip which we knew beforehand. I was surprised to see workers working on the landscape around it and I also saw one walking the track.

All in all, our day was pleasant for the entire family and we found the park to be well maintained and clean. Our time schedule prevented us from seeing any of the shows which I have heard are quite good. We'll be sure to check some out when we come back for Iron Rattler. Please click here for more pictures and comments of our trip to Six Flags Fiesta Texas.

I've heard some of my friends talk about In-N-Out burger. We saw one in Dallas but the minimal menu didn't pique any of our interests so we passed on it.

We had a hard time passing on Whataburger, though, with a broad menu selection. We weren't disappointed and enjoyed this for our Easter Dinner. It's not quite our traditional ham dinner but hamburger is almost ham, right? Maybe not...

Next we headed to downtown San Antonio to see the Alamo and pay our respects to all the people who lost their lives there in the early 1800s. Here's our collection of photos from the area including the beautiful gardens that are well maintained inside the complex.

After a good night's sleep that came quick and easy, we awoke to a warm and beautiful Monday. Our next stop was SeaWorld San Antonio, a short 1 mile drive from our campground.

SeaWorld has evolved over the years to include some great shows with their marine life as well as a small collection of thrill rides, providing something for everybody.

You can't mention SeaWorld with thinking of the iconic Shamu.

Did I mention thrill rides? They have some thrill rides to keep your blood pumping between shows.

While we were there, we took the opportunity to feed the dolphins as Sherri loves seeing the dolphins. This enabled us to get up close to them and was an iconic moment for the entire family. We had a great day at SeaWorld. Be sure to check out the rest of our pictures and comments here.

Our trip was coming to a close with 1,200 miles until we were back home. We pulled out late afternoon on Monday and headed towards the Texas border for some rest before continuing on our journey. This is also where we experienced our second casualty of the trip when I left the locking gas cap to our motor home at the fuel pump. After taking off the next morning we got to enjoy a beautiful sunrise over Louisiana.

Our next stop was scheduled to be a quick one at Waterville USA in Gulf Shores, AL. However we arrived to find the Cannonball Run wooden coaster down. Fortunately they had the part on order and expected it in that afternoon so the coaster could be fixed and running by that evening. So, our short 2 hour stop turned into an overnight stop.

We got a campsite at the nearby Gulf Shores State Park close to the beautiful white sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. After a filling dinner, we headed back to Waterville USA and were pleased to see that the Cannonball Run was indeed running.

After a couple of laps on this CCI woody, we headed back to our campsite for more rest before our final 620 mile trek home. Here are more pictures of our short stay in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Our power road trip was over after nearly 2,900 miles covering 7 states in 6 days. We had a great time and hope you enjoy reading about our trip and checking out some of our pictures.

Happy camping!

Getting the most from Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas

2012-12-08T13:08:00.000-05:00

When the mercury starts dropping the lights start going up at Dollywood and you know it's time for Smoky Mountain Christmas.

We live within an easy four hour drive of Dollywood and it continues to be one of our favorite amusement parks. We're not alone as they won numerous Amusement Today Golden Ticket awards this year including Friendliest Park, Best Shows, Best Food, and Best Christmas Event. One thing we like about the park is that there is always something for everybody in our party to enjoy whether they are 2 or 102.

Speaking of Best Christmas Event, even the general public seems to agree as the park is very busy during November and December. Keep reading to find ways to get the most from your visit to Smoky Mountain Christmas.

Dollywood is a perfect place to bring your motorhome. While there are no hookups and no overnight parking, there is a parking lot area reserved exclusively for RVs. Like all parking areas at Dollywood, it is conveniently located near a tram stop that will take you to the main entrance. You should be aware that the parking lot access road can get narrow in a few places which is exacerbated by the flow of traffic into the park. You'll want to arrive early to beat some of the traffic.

While we're on the topic of arriving early, you'll want to plan to enter the park close to opening time and also be there at the end of the day near closing time. Those times tend to have the least amount of people in the park. Since one of the allures of Smoky Mountain Christmas is the millions of lights that adorn nearly everything, the crowds really pick up as daylight turns to night. The most popular attractions are best to hit early in the day before the crowds hit their peak.

There is too much to see and do at the park to take it all in over the course of a single day. Smoky Mountain Christmas is a great time to purchase season passes. By purchasing season passes now, you can visit the park for the remainder of this year as well as all next year. One of your family members should also purchase a gold pass. It comes with free parking, a 20% discount at most shops and restaurants, and more! A gold pass quickly pays for itself.

If you are trying to cram everything into a single day, you will want to consider renting a Q-bot for the day. It is a line management system that will hold your place in line allowing you to get the most from your day at Dollywood.

The park is nestled in the Smoky Mountains of Eastern Tennessee. While the setting adds to the character of the park, it can also be a challenge for mobility impaired individuals. Dollywood does a great job of making itself accessible to all guests regardless of their ability. You will want to pay close attention to the park map, however, as there are a few areas that are tough to navigate if you are in a wheelchair. Alternate paths are available to most areas you can still enjoy everything the park has to offer.

The shows are extremely popular, especially during Smoky Mountain Christmas. Be sure to pick up the show schedule as you enter the main gate and decide which shows are a must see as they fill up quickly. Arrive early to the corresponding theater - there will surely be a line started.

While there is lots that we love to see and do, here are some things that you won't want to miss at Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas:

Wild Eagle - This is Dollywood's newest roller coaster and the first wing-rider coaster in the United States. It is tame enough for most members of your party to enjoy yet wild enough for even the biggest thrill seekers in your party to have a great time riding. Our special needs son doesn't particularly like roller coasters that go upside down but he loved riding Wild Eagle.

Dollywood's Christmas on Ice - As the name implies, this is a Christmas themed ice skating show inside one of their great theaters. Everybody in our party truly enjoyed this show. Back to the topic on lines, while there may be an extremely long line to get into this show, the theater is large so chances are if you are in line there will be a seat for you.

O' Holy Night - This is a modern take on the traditional Christmas story. No Christmas celebration is complete without touching on the true meaning of Christmas.

Aunt Granny's All-You-Care-To-Eat Buffet - Breaking from tradition is not always a bad thing. One thing you'll be hard pressed to find at Dollywood is traditional prepared amusement park food. Aunt Granny's has a quality buffet with reasonable prices. One of the reasons that you'll want to check out this restaurant is that Saint Nick himself comes around and spends some time with each table. This adds a nice personal touch and is more than the traditional sitting on his lap, although if you ask he'll be happy to have his picture taken with you. From our dinner here we learned that Santa was once a coaster enthusiast. Perhaps that will help me stay off of his naughty list.

Craftsman's Valley - Many parks have gone away from the traditional craftsmen that create their wares on site. Dollywood has kept this traditional fare and you can experience expert craftsman make their wares in front of your eyes.

Dollywood Grist Mill - This is a functioning Grist Mill but their real special treat is the home made cinnamon bread. We always have to pick up a loaf when we are at the park.

Amusement Today calls Dollywood the Friendliest Park. We have traveled to many amusement/theme parks and have had good experiences with most. Dollywood takes it a step further with their staff going out of their way to ensure that you have the best experience possible. They truly are glad that you're here.

If you can't make it to Smoky Mountain Christmas this year, be sure to put it on your wish list to experience some time in the near future. You won't be disappointed!

For more pictures, be sure to check out our Facebook page.

Happy camping!

Stone Mountain Park Campground

2012-11-04T08:21:00.000-05:00

Georgia, Georgia,

The whole day through

Just an old sweet song

Keeps Georgia on my mind

- Ray Charles

With the beautiful fall weather in full swing, a great place to head to is Atlanta, Georgia. We made our base camp at Stone Mountain Park Campground, ranked as Georgia's #1 campground by Woodall's.

While it is not centrally located, it does provide easy access to all that Atlanta has to offer. Better yet, your stay at the campground gives you access to the free attractions at Stone Mountain Park since you are inside the facility. You can read more about Stone Mountain Park through our post here.

Boasting over 400 sites, this is a large campground. The sites range from basic tent sites all the way to premium sites that include cable, wireless Internet, a private deck, and a gas grill (pictured above). We did find the cable signal somewhat weak and the wireless Internet oversubscribed. If you need to use Internet during your trip I would recommend that you bring your own and not rely on the park's Internet. Perhaps our family is just too connected.

On a more positive note, the campsites are not crammed on top of each other leaving you some room to stretch out.

There are plenty of activities in season that take place in the Lewallen Pavilion. When activities aren't going on there is a nice fire pit in the center that you can enjoy.

You can also make new friends in the sitting area complete with a big screen TV and timeless rocking chairs. Most campers are friendly no matter where you travel.

The campground was nicely decorated and festive for the fall.

For a reasonable fee you can rent rowboats or pedal boats in the general store for use on Stone Mountain Lake. The hours of the campground general store are convenient and the staff is very helpful and friendly.

To illustrate this point, we usually keep wooden clothespins stocked to help seal out air from food bags. After finding out the general store didn't have any, they surprised us by providing some rubber bands at no charge. This makeshift solution worked remarkably and the extra effort provided by the staff was greatly appreciated.

Despite a few short comings in the services provided, we enjoyed our stay and will be back again in the near future. We give Stone Mountain Park Campground 4 out of 5 stars. Be sure to consider this campground the next time you are in the Atlanta area.

Happy Camping!

Creative decorating with old park maps

2012-11-02T07:55:00.000-04:00

I like to tell stories and I like to travel to parks. Since a picture can say a thousand words I took my likes and turned it into an affordable decoration solution.

I started out going to the local Habitat for Humanity Restore and bought a few pairs of used bi-fold closet doors. I filled in any damage and imperfections with putty, sanded down the doors, primed them, and painted them to match my man cave.

Once the doors were dry, I replaced all the hinges with matching ones that I picked up at my local hardware store

I went through my collection of park maps and brochures of places we have visited and I found many that told the story of our travels. After letting the paint cure for a few weeks, I took Modge Podge and brushed it on areas where I wanted to put a park map.

What I have now is a personalized folding privacy wall that serves not only as a functional privacy wall, but a big picture that tells the story of our travels. It is a work in progress and we continue to add to it as we visit more places.

Campground Massacre: A Charlotte Metro Haunt

2012-10-24T08:45:00.000-04:00

Not far from downtown Charlotte and right off of I-77 south in Fort Mill, South Carolina is the Charlotte/Fort Mill KOA. While we have enjoyed our stays here at their campground, there is one other attraction they offer that we have been wanting to experience for years.

While we are amusement park and nature enthusiasts, the park owner's wife is a horror movie and haunted house enthusiast. So in 1994 they created their own haunted house on site that runs every year in October.

The Campground Massacre has grown over the years and currently includes a haunted house and a haunted woods. Since picture taking is discouraged and I neglected to work out an arrangement with the owners in advance, I don't have any pictures to share other than the one above. We will work on getting a behind the scenes look for you sometime in the future.

After purchasing your tickets upon arrival, a hayride takes you back to the haunted house, Mina's Mansion, where you enter in small groups. If you make it out of the haunted house, you move on to wait for your turn at the haunted trail, Campground Massacre.

Beware while waiting in any of these lines as you never know what may appear.

The Campground Massacre is more than just a basic stroll through the woods waiting for people to jump out at you. It has paths, scenes to set the mood, various buildings to navigate through including old trailers, and more!

We experienced this attraction on opening weekend and were pleased with the quality of the actors, the animatronics both in the haunted house and in the woods. You won't be disappointed if you like haunts so you don't want to miss experiencing this.

For more information on The Campground Massacre, please see their website.

Happy haunting!

Stone Mountain Park: A family fun getaway

2012-10-19T10:31:00.000-04:00

Stone Mountain Park is 3,200 acres of history, recreation, and nature located in the Atlanta, Georgia metro area. The predominant feature of the park is the world's largest piece of exposed granite towering more than 800 feet above the surrounding terrain.

There is a nominal fee of $10 to enter the park where you can fish in Stone Mountain Lake, play golf at Stone Mountain Golf Club, hike miles of trails, or simply enjoy a family picnic away from the hustle and bustle of the city. That's not all there is to do here, though.

One thing you can do is head to the Crossroads area of the park. For a reasonable fee you can participate in numerous adventures including...

Yogi Bear 4-D Adventure...

The all new Geyser Towers (be prepared to get wet)...

SkyHike family adventure course and Camp Highland Outpost...

Scenic Railroad that circles the 5 mile circumference of Stone Mountain...

The Great Barn with slides and foam ball fun...

...and more. From this area you can also watch the Lasershow Spectacular with state-of-the-art graphics and effects using Stone Mountain itself as the screen. On the side of Stone Mountain is a sight that is hard to miss. It is a carving of three Confederate Civil War heroes: Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee, and Lt. General Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson. This imposing carving measures three acres.

While there is a hiking trail to the top of Stone Mountain for the adventurous, many others catch a ride to the top on the Summit Skyride. The ride lasts about 2 1/2 minutes and carries you over 800 feet up to the peak.

While at the top of Stone Mountain, you can relax and enjoy the great views.

The Atlanta Skyline can be seen from up here far off in the distance.

While I mentioned the major attractions in the Crossroads Area, there is also plenty to do with numerous entertainment venues including storytelling in Campfire Corner.

If you're hungry there are various concession stands with all kinds of food you would expect like BBQ, burgers, hot dots, and funnel cakes. We took the opportunity to have a sit down dinner at Miss Katie's Full Service Restaurant. While our service started out slow our waitress finally caught up and gave us a good experience overall. The food is southern home cooking with free appetizers including fried pickles, onion petals, and seasoned sweet potato fries. The price is average for a sit down restaurant and we found the quality of the food good and the portions just the right size.

Not to be forgotten are the numerous shops, some of which have demonstrations of how they make their wares like the Candy Kitchen and Glass Shop.

"What did the pirate pay to get his ears pierced? A buccaneer."

This was our first greeting when we entered the Crossroads Area by one of the friendly workers. He also made sure we had everything we needed, aware that we were newcomers to the park by our intense studying of the park map.

We felt welcome long before entering the park while waiting in line to process our tickets. Another worker was making some of the largest bubbles that I have ever seen, interacting with guests, distracting them from the ticket queue line and making waiting in line pleasurable.

Stone Mountain Park has many festivals and events throughout the year. We were here during the Pumpkin Festival. We enjoyed the creative displays and additional activities that were offered.

I even dressed up my own pumpkin guy with the help of my awesome wife.

Crossing the street, you will come to the Antebellum Plantation and Farmyard. This collection of historical buildings were built around various parts of Georgia between 1783 and 1875. They have been moved to Stone Mountain Park and restored. Most of them are open allowing you a glimpse into the past history of Georgia.

That is still not all that Stone Mountain has to offer. Not far from the Crossroads Area is Carillon. This is a 732 bell tower that is played by an organ type keyboard station. Originally created for the Cola-Cola Company at the New York World's Fair of 1964-1965, it given to the State of Georgia and erected at Stone Mountain Park. Live concerts are still performed at select times on Weekends.

A short drive down the road is a grist mill and covered bridge. This bridge was originally constructed in Clarke County in 1891 and moved to its present location in 1965. The Grist Mill located near the bridge was also moved here in 1965 from its original location near Ellijay, Georgia.

Our accommodations for this trip were at Stone Mountain Park Campground. You can read about our experience with the campground here. If camping isn't your thing, there are two hotels conveniently located inside the park.

For more pictures and details on our travels, check out our Facebook page.

Happy camping!

Two often forgotten parks of central Pennsylvania.

2012-10-15T18:44:00.003-04:00

Snuggled in the foothills of the central Pennsylvania Appalachian Mountains are two often overlooked amusement parks. The first one is DelGrosso's Amusement Park in Tipton, Pennsylvania.

Just after the turn of the twentieth century a traveling carnival would set up at the Bland Family farm and entertain the locals before it moved on to other towns. In 1919 Fred Bland opened Bland's Park, which consisted of a dance floor and a picnic grove. In 1928 the Bland family sold the park to George Rinard who brought in more rides, a bowling alley, and a roller skating rink. As the nation went through tremendous hardship during the Great Depression, so did Bland's Park.

Fred DelGrosso saw promise in the park and bought it in 1946. Over the next decade Bland's Park was reborn and grew to include adult and kiddie rides, new concession stands, and new restrooms. As the park continued to grow and improve new rides have continued to be added as well as a more elaborate gift shop, concession stand, and permanent stage.

In 2000 Bland's Park officially changed it's name to DelGrosso's Amusement Park, taking the name of the family who had owned and managed it for over 50 years. The well-maintained full scale family amusement center continues to offer free parking, free admission, and free live entertainment. You can buy tickets or an all-day armband to experience your favorite rides.

The second often overlooked amusement park is located a short 15 minutes away in Altoona, Pennsylvania. While little has been published about Lakemont Park's history, it is known to have opened in 1894 making it the 8th oldest amusement park in the United States.

The cornerstone of this park is the world's oldest roller coaster. Built in 1902 by the E. Joy Morris Company, Leap the Dips is the only remaining side friction roller coaster operating in the United States. These coasters use side plates to keep the cars on the tracks. Due to the large operating cost to keep this classic coaster running there is an additional fee to ride it. Despite its maximum drop of nine feet, we found that Leap the Dips provides a very thrilling experience so we rode it twice.

As roller coaster lovers we were pleased that Lakemont Park has a second wooden coaster, Skyliner. The front seat has two instances of intense injector air time and overall it is a fun experience. Make sure you hold on tight as the front row lap bar extends a good 30 degrees above horizontal.

Lakemont Park has certainly seen better days. The staff is generally nonchalant and most of the rides look like temporary fair rides placed in gravel plots.

Excluding some of the add-on rides like Leap the Dips, Go-karts, and Miniature Golf, admission in the park is a one time fee of only $5.

We found the experience at both parks worth the money that we spent and had an enjoyable evening of rides. If you are anywhere near the area and love roller coasters you have to take a ride on Leap the Dips. The experience of riding a bygone era coaster is something you won't soon forget.

Scarowinds Halloween Haunt 2012

2012-09-30T19:09:00.000-04:00

Hey all you ghouls and goblins, Scarowinds is back for it's thirteenth anniversary at Carowinds Amusement Park. As the sun goes down, creatures emerge transforming a family friendly amusement park into a chilling scream park. With the addition of over 500 monsters roaming the park this year, no place is safe to wander. Especially not alone...

Even if there weren't creatures from the graveyard, the atmosphere confirms that you've been dropped into the depths of your deepest fears.

The premier attractions at Scarowinds are the mazes. There are eight of them; all with different themes that are sure to get your blood pumping. I'll go through them one by one, providing insight without ruining your experience.

Not everybody makes it out the same way they came in.

Asylum is based on a twisted insane asylum and one of the creepiest attractions on the list . While there are some disturbing scenes, the whole atmosphere is disturbing which makes it great! You should note that there is one area inside that will be bothersome if you are very claustrophobic. In that case let one of the characters in the area know and they can help you get past it. While the goal of Scarowinds is to provide some scares, they want it to be a safe experience for all.

Camp Killauee is where nightmares are made. What used to be a memory-making fun summer camp is now a place of fear. This outdoor maze has horror at every turn complete with tents, a bus, and all things camping. We find this one particularly creepy because of the amount of camping that we do.

Cornstalkers is another outdoor maze through a haunted cornfield. Of all the mazes, this one epitomizes a maze having few open areas and lots of narrow paths that wind through a simulated cornfield. Don't let your guard down, though. There are still plenty of areas for the inhabitants to hide.

Dead Inn is a little inn where you can check in at the front desk but you may never check back out. Some of the scenes are predictable from an inn gone awry but there are some subtleties that you should take time to notice. Don't take too long trying to notice everything, though, as something may sneak up on you when you least expect it! In the middle of the attraction keep a close eye out for the room with the big mirror in it. You won't want to miss that well-executed effect.

Defex, Inc is a disassembly line of rejected toys and dolls. There are some great oddities in here that you should take the time to observe. This attraction also has an area near the end that will be difficult for those who are claustrophobic. Don't forget to tell one of the creatures so they can help you get past this. Did you see the Easter Bunny?

Fury takes place in a top secret military facility that is working on creating the ultimate weapon. Fury itself is the experimental drug that mutates, disfigures, and weaponizes its subjects. It was brand new last year and was met with mixed reviews. I am happy to see some additions to the attraction that should appease all the naysayers. Don't pass this one by based on former reviews and make sure you look up at the right time.

Last Laff in 3D is our favorite attraction. If you are afraid of clowns you will want to steer clear of this entire area of the park. If you are not, then this maze will be a blast to you. You can purchase 3D glasses at the entrance that will enhance your experience.

Silver Screen Cinema is a great unique maze with ideas gleaned from some of the creepiest horror films ever made. You must make the time for this one-of-a-kind experience. If you head back to this one first early in the night you should be able to get through with a short wait time.

While the walk-through mazes are my favorite part, that is not all that Scarowinds Halloween Haunt has to offer. There are also four Scare Zones. These are themed areas of the park that you walk through at your own pace along some of the main pathways. The setting of these areas allow you to interact with the creatures more-so than the mazes.

Feeding Frenzy is filled with hardcore vampires surrounded by driving music that gets your blood pumping, just the way they like it.

The Cemetery is full of unsettled spirits and other undead things.

The Playground is a playpen full of rejects infected with nuclear toxins creating disfigured kids who just want to play. Take some time to play a game with them.

Mass Acres is new in 2012 and is an entire acre filled with the living dead arisen from their burial site.

If you need to take a break from the scares, be sure to check out one of the three live shows. The quality of the performances make it well worth your time.

Blood Drums is new for 2012 featuring an unforgettable blend of high energy percussion, music, sparks, and lights.

Creatures of the night performs many of your favorite ghoul-time favorites in a spirited song and dance revue.

Eternal Jamnation takes place in the basement of an abandoned hospital where you will experience a rock and pop mix of high energy music in Halloween style. See the living dead become animated by the power of Rock n Roll.

That wraps up the forbidding atmosphere that you will find at Scarowinds Halloween Haunt. But that is not all there is to do. Many of the rides are open for you to enjoy (except for all the rides in Planet Snoopy). If you are under time constraints, I suggest refraining from riding most rides during the Haunt. You will find some of the longest lines on the rides during the Scarowinds Halloween Haunt.

Scarowinds Halloween Haunt is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights through the end of October. Beware! This event is rated PG-13 and not recommended for those under the age of 13.

If you have younger ones there is something for you. Check out Carowinds' How-o-Fest's Boo Blast from 12:00 PM until 5:00 PM. You will find kid-friendly attractions such as Peanuts Dance Party Show, a hay bale maze, a foam zone, Fraidy Cat Puppet Show, Trick-or-Treating, and more!

There is plenty for everybody to do during the Fall at Carowinds and Scarowinds. Friday and Sunday nights have the smallest crowds. You'll get to do more with less wait on those nights.

Happy haunting!

Seaboard train station

2012-09-25T08:30:00.000-04:00

In our quest to find new and interesting places to explore, we often overlook ones right under our nose. Such is the case with the Seaboard train station in Monroe, North Carolina.

First we need to go back. Way back to the end of the 19th century. Back to the long forgotten days when trains were the primary means of distance traveling in the United States.

In the south during the 19th century, the Seaboard Air Line Railway was a popular choice linking Atlanta, Georgia to Norfolk, Virginia and ultimately other points to the northeast and southwest. Monroe, North Carolina was an important city along the way. Here south-bound trains could either head southwest towards Atlanta, or northwest towards Charlotte and western North Carolina. Trains headed to the north and east from Monroe would continue to Hamlet, North Carolina where they could continue northeast towards Norfolk, Virginia or southeast towards Wilmington, NC

The train station in Monroe, NC was built in 1906 as a passenger station for Seaboard Air Line Railway and it still bears that name today. Over the years automobiles and commercial airlines have taken away most of the passenger traffic. What passenger traffic remains was taken over by Amtrak in the early 1970s although passenger traffic no longer goes through Monroe.

The railroad industry was not immune to mergers and acquisitions leading to various name changes. The latest came in 1986 when Seaboard officially became CSX transportation.

The train station has been well maintained over the years and continues to be used by CSX transportation as an operations center. Monroe remains an important city for the railroad with its aforementioned connection to both Atlanta and Charlotte and large amounts of cargo and freight continue to flow through the area.

At any point in the day you only have to wait a short period of time before another CSX train is coming through with cargo destined for southern cities or for the Eastern United States ports.

The next time you are looking for something interesting to do, don't forget to check out some of those overlooked areas to explore close to home.

Idlewild - the world's best kids park

2012-09-16T16:50:00.002-04:00

In 1878 William Darlington gave Judge Thomas Mellon the right to occupy his land for picnic purposes or pleasure grounds along the Ligonier Valley Railroad. This plot of land outside of Ligonier, PA, sparked the beginnings of what we know today as Idlewild and Soak Zone.

During the 1930s a few people pooled their resources to improve the property and develop more amusements including the Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel that still operates today.

The park is nestled in the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania and while many other parks have cleared large plots of land, Idlewild keeps a rustic wooded feel leading to lots of foliage and shaded areas.

Over the years the park has slowly transformed from a leisurely trolley park to a fun and exciting kids park. So much so that it has been voted the world's best kids park three years in a row by the Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards.

While Idlewild and Soak Zone is a great kids park, don't let that fool you. There are plenty of things for adults to do starting with Rollo Coaster. Built in 1938 it hasn't set any records with it's peak height of 27 feet. Despite that it is an American Coaster Enthusiast's classic coaster and winds through the woods following the terrain with a few good moments of air time and laterals. It is interesting to note that the lumber to build this wooden coaster was all harvested from the property.

Speaking of classics, at Idlewild you can take a spin around the track on human-powered adult handcars. While it is quite a workout, it is also a lot of fun proving that fun isn't dependent on the latest technologies.

Two other classic rides are Caterpillar and Whip. This is one of three remaining caterpillars, only two of which have a working canopy that covers riders part-way through the ride cycle. The whip has been a favorite here since 1939 and one of my favorite flat rides.

If log flumes float your boat then you'll want to take a ride on Paul Bunyan's Loggin Toboggan.

Here's some of the other good flat rides you will find at Idlewild.

A unique Idlewild attraction is Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

There is a life-sized replica of the trolley found in the well-known children's show.

It takes you through neighborhood with stops along the way to meet the characters that were introduced in the show. Don't worry if you can't remember the show specifics, this attraction is true to the style and tradition of the show.

Unfortunately our day at Idlewild and Soak Zone came to a close. The setting and the friendly staff are sure reasons why this park is so popular with families and is sure to be around for many years to come. We would like to thank the staff for exceeding our expectations during our visit!

An evening at OD Pavilion

2012-09-08T13:13:00.000-04:00

In 2009 a new amusement park opened in North Myrtle Beach called OD Pavilion. The OD stands for Ocean Drive, the street that runs through the middle of it. It's not to be confused with the former Pavilion amusement park that was located in downtown Myrtle Beach and closed in 2006.

Amusement park may be a misnomer for this park as it is made up of traveling carnival rides from Dreamland Amusements Company. They sit on two gravel lots straddling Ocean Drive. The rides hang around from Memorial Day to Labor Day and the park is open most evenings during that time.

One of the two roller coasters that we rode during our trip was Wacky Worm. It is a kiddie/family coaster with standard layout found at many carnivals and smaller amusement parks. I think it is the third or fourth layout exactly like this that we have ridden in the past year.

My daughter talked me into taking her on Kamikaze. The name is very appropriate and I would only do it once. Perhaps if I were a bit younger I would appreciate the ride more. The restraints weren't very comfortable for the large amount of time that we spent upside down.

The real star of the park, for this trip anyway, was Zyklon Roller Coaster. It has a layout that people of all ages can enjoy. We rode it a handful of times during the evening. With the nature of this park, there will probably be a different star roller coaster next year as there have been in previous years.

You can buy tickets and hand them over for just the rides that you want to participate in. There is also an all-you-can-ride armbands for $25 per person. We purchased the armbands but afterwards found them to be a bit steep since a few of the rides we wanted to do weren't included and were an up-charge. That information wasn't clear on their website or at the park itself.

Despite that we made the best of it and had an enjoyable few hours on the dozen or so rides that were included with our pass.

Happy camping!

A Myrtle Beach Tradition

2012-08-07T18:59:00.001-04:00

Traveling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has become an annual family tradition. While it is primarily for my daughter's national dance competition, we also find it a good place to take a vacation with the diverse activities that they have available.

This year we spent a week at the beach around the Fourth of July holiday. What a great experience! Visitors were at their peak during this holiday week and everything was in full swing. We took a stroll down the boardwalk and enjoyed the refreshing breeze off the ocean. There are plenty of shops and food choices along the way so we stopped to enjoy some cool ice cream. The boardwalk is in downtown Myrtle Beach and extends between 4th Ave N and 14th Ave N.

When you're done on the boardwalk you can move over to North Ocean Blvd and find plenty more gift shops, food, and attractions. One thing you won't find aplenty is free parking. You will have to pay a fee to park anywhere near downtown Myrtle Beach. If there is a disabled person in your party and they have a handicapped parking placard, you can park for free in any metered spot.

While we were walking the boardwalk we were stopped by a police officer. He saw Jeffrey and wanted to tell us about their beach wheelchair program. According to him, we can call the police office and have them deliver a beach wheelchair right to our campsite. There is no charge for the service. I did a little digging on my own and found this page with more information on the Myrtle Beach wheelchair program.

Speaking of our campsite, we stayed at the Myrtle Beach KOA for the second straight year. We like the natural campground feel under the many shaded sites as well as the friendly staff and the meticulously maintained facilities.

If you don't have an RV there are plenty of cabins available for rent.

With the natural setting it's not unusual to see some wildlife.

The Fourth of July wouldn't be complete without fireworks. Myrtle Beach puts on a good fireworks show that can from many good viewing areas. As usual, we had a great time visiting Myrtle Beach this Fourth of July and will be back for more!

Happy Camping!

Sunshine Skyway Bridge

2012-07-30T08:51:00.001-04:00

Next time you are in the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg area of Florida you will want to check out the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. It is part of I-295 through the area and opened in 1987. It replaces a bridge that partially collapsed in 1980 when a ship collided with it during a severe storm.

The bridge has a cable-stayed main span and a total length of 4.1 miles constructed of steel and concrete. It is a great sight to see spanning Tampa Bay. There is a small fee of approximately $1 for passenger cars to cross the bridge.

The main part of the former bridge has been demolished with the remains being placed offshore and along existing bridge approaches to make artificial reefs.

The causeway sections of the bridge remain and are used as fishing piers for a small fee. There is also a rest area/park on either end of the bridge with picnic spots as well as access to the fishing piers.

Be sure to visit the Sunshine Skyway Bridge next time you are in the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg area. you are sure to be inspired by the grandness of it. And who knows, you may even see a ship passing by.

Happy Camping!

Top Ten Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Attractions

2012-07-26T08:54:00.002-04:00

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay opened in the spring of 1959 boasting an African theme. It covers an area of over 335 acres with more than 2,700 animals and is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. This theme park is one of America's largest zoos and it also includes numerous attractions and thrill rides.

This is a large park with lots to see and do so we have compiled a list of the top 10 things you should make a point to see and do while you are at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

10) Pirates 4-D - This is a comedy adventure that takes place at select times in the Timbuktu 4-D Theater. It is a fun twist on Home Alone with a pirate theme that the entire family is sure to enjoy.

9) Myombe Reserve - This is a walk-through viewing of gorillas and chimpanzees in a lush rainforest habitat. While it is near the main entrance it is easy to pass by and not even notice. The shaded walkways along the lush vegetation is a nice break from the Florida heat.

8) Scorpion - Experience a unique experience on this classic Schwarzkopf roller coaster, only one of three remaining coasters of this kind left operating around the world.

7) Serengeti Railway - A ride on the train is one of the best ways to experience the Serengeti Plain where you will see free-roaming herds of giraffe, zebra, antelope, ostrich, and other African animals.

6) Skyride - Fly high in the sky in a cable car above the park with a unique birds-eye view of the animals and attractions of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

5) Cheetah Hunt - This is Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's newest roller coaster. Despite the three launches it is a mild and fun roller coaster that everybody can enjoy.

4) Jungala - This is family friendly fun where you can safely get up close to tigers and orangutans.

3) Montu - This is a classic inverted coaster where you hang under the track and experience numerous inversions while reaching speeds of 60 mph. This is a must-do for any thrill seeker.

2) Iceploration - Experience this 30-minute show combining ice skaters, puppets, amazing costumes, animals, and a full musical score as you live the story of Austin and learn to explore the world.

1) SheiKra - This is the first dive coaster in the U.S. and takes you 200 feet and then pauses as you hang over the edge before plunging 90 degrees straight down. This is an exhilarating rush for all the thrill seekers in your group.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a great mix of zoo and theme park offering lots of things for people of all ages to experience. If you have not experienced it before then I recommend you plan a trip there next time you are in the Tampa Bay, Florida area.

For more pictures from our trip, check out our Facebook page!

SeaWorld Orlando 2012

2012-07-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

On our quest to conquer a lot of what Orlando, Florida has to offer, we visited SeaWorld. When I was a child I remember a trip to the former SeaWorld in Ohio. Back then it was primarily shows and displays of various aquatic animals. Today they still have their renowned shows but have expanded their parks to include attractions for us thrill seekers. This is certainly a family adventure that you will want to embark on.

At most modern amusement parks, parking is not free. You can expect the same at SeaWorld. During our visit rates were $14.00 per day. Once you get parked head to the entrance where you immediately notice the uniquely painted lighthouse.

In the tradition of all SeaWorld owned parks that I have been to, it was well maintained and landscaped. Throughout the park you will also find a variety of shops and dining venues. We didn't sample any of the cuisine during our trip so I don't have any input regarding the quality of the food. For you thrill seekers, you should note that that the entire park doesn't open when the park opens. It opens in stages, so don't expect to get there at opening, beat the crowds, and knock out the thrill rides early in the day.

Speaking of thrill rides, the first one you will encounter is Manta. It is the newest addition to SeaWorld that opened in 2009. As you can see from the picture above it is a flying coaster with a good layout. My daughter and I both enjoyed the 'flight' and since I was sitting on the right hand side of the coaster closest to the water I did experience some mist from the water feature that comes near the end of the ride.

I really enjoyed the aquariums that were viewable in the queue line. They added a unique touch. As expected, they were filled with various species of Manta Rays. If you are not planning on riding the coaster you can still view some of the aquariums from a separate viewing area to the left of the ride entrance.

After exiting the ride head across the walkway into Key West at SeaWorld. First in this area you will come to Stingray Lagoon. Here you can get up and close to a tank holding numerous stingrays. You can put your hand in the tank and touch stingrays as they swim past you.

Right next to this is Dolphin Cove. For an extra fee you can see the dolphins up close and feed them. You can still get good views of the dolphins without paying the extra fee. Don't forget to follow the path around the edge of the tank to the underwater viewing area.

After exiting the underwater viewing area you'll come one of the entrances to the Whale and Dolphin Theater where they are currently performing Blue Horizons. It is a fantastic show of artistry blending birds, dolphins, and live performers. Even if you are a thrill seeker like me you will be amiss to not take the time to experience some of the well done shows put on by SeaWorld including this one. You can find the day's show times listed on the back of the park map.

Also nearby is the all new Turtle Trek. Like any new attraction, expect the line for this to be longer than normal for the opening season. Once you get through the first queue line you are taken through two separate holding rooms where you get an underwater view of aquariums holding manatees and sea turtles. Park staff give you some insight into each of the creatures. You are then led into a 3-D dome theater where you experience life through the eyes of a sea turtle. As with most attractions at SeaWorld, my entire family enjoyed this.

Next up is Journey to Atlantis. This was our first water coaster and we had a blast. The themed water ride is well done as it takes you through the the lost city of Atlantis with some great coaster thrills along the way. After going through the big drop you think the ride is over but you round the corner and face another lift hill back into the building and another drop before the ride is over. Due to the hot weather common in Florida during the summer the line for this ride was longer than most. You will get wet but probably not entirely drenched.

Right next door is Kraken. It is a B&M floorless steel coaster named after the legendary and mythical Kraken sea monster. This is a well rounded coaster with 7 inversions, 3 tunnels, and a few good moments of air time. While it didn't make it into my top 10 favorite steel coasters I will certainly look forward to riding it again during my next visit to Sea World. This is a must ride for any coaster enthusiast.

There isn't an easy flow from Kraken to move through the park as it's kind of stuck back at the end of a pathway. Perhaps there will be when Antarctica opens in spring of 2013. Until then you need to head back to Manta. From there you can get a great birds view of the entire park in the two-story air conditioned Sky Tower.

After a great birds-eye view of SeaWorld Orlando, we come across Sea Lion & Otter Stadium. Don't forget to check the show schedule because you won't want to miss the fun and hilarious Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island show. You will follow sea lions, otters and walrus in a swashbuckling adventure. Be prepared to laugh. Don't forget to follow the patch behind the stadium and check out the Pacific Point Preserve. Here you can see more sea lions and harbor seals. Just like the dolphins, you can feed the sea lions and seals at select times for an additional fee.

Next door to the stadium is Shark Encounter. Here you can learn more about sharks and ride the moving walkway underneath the tank while various species of shark swim around you. After experiencing the sharks close up, you may want to rest your feet and watch acrobatics and dance at the Nautilus Theater with A'Lure The Call Of The Ocean.

As you round the the corner in the path the large Shamu Stadium starts appearing in the distance. Here's where you will find the iconic Shamu shows that SeaWorld is well known for. The updated show is One Ocean and well done. Don't ignore the signs that say 'Splash Zone' because you are sure to get wet at one point or another during the show. On busy operating days you will want to arrive early as the stadium can fill up quickly.

Behind Shamu Stadium is Shamu's Happy Harbor. Here you will find a few flat rides, some rides for kids, and a family roller coaster, Shamu Express. You guessed it, the coaster is themed to Shamu.

If you're ready for a simulated helicopter ride,then head over to Wild Arctic. After riding the simulator around the arctic ice cap you exit and can explore some of the sea animals that live there including polar bears, beluga whales, and walruses. If you would rather not ride the simulator you can proceed directly to the viewing areas on foot and skip the simulator.

You've covered most of the park and seen what it has to offer. Before leaving make sure you stop by the Dolphin Nursery. Here is where dolphin moms train their calves and interact with them away from the other larger dolphin populations.

SeaWorld is more than an entertainment venue. The entire organization is committed to conservation and education which is clearly demonstrated at most of their exhibits. Over the years SeaWorld has contributed over $50 million to conservation, wildlife rescue, and environmental stewardship programs around the globe and more than 18,000 animals have been rescued. You can find more information on their programs here.

For more pictures from our trip, check out our Facebook page!

A day at Universal Studios Florida

2012-07-09T18:47:00.001-04:00

Early this summer we made the easy trek from the Carolinas to Orlando Florida. Our second stop was Universal Studios Florida after a great time at Islands of Adventure the day before.

From CityWalk we turned right, headed down the path and spotted the iconic Universal logo.

Upon entering the gates we saw the big 'city street' in front of us that leads to Production Central. We took off down the street like so many others had done before us.

The first attraction we came to was Shrek 4-D. This is a 4-D movie that takes off on a tangent from the movie storyline. Family members of all ages are sure to enjoy the adventures of Shrek and donkey in the moving seats with nice 4-D effects. It was nice to see lots of our favorite characters and the attraction is family friendly.

Across the street was the new Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem. It doesn't officially open until July 2 and was closed on this day but we were able to go through it during a technical rehearsal later in the week. It is another 4-D movie simulator that takes place in a modified theater. You can read more about our experience at the attraction here.

Up the street on the left was the most prominent feature of this park, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster. You can see it from CityWalk, Islands of Adventure and many other places in the resort. This roller coaster has significance to us as it was my daughter's 100th roller coaster! She found it really fun. You can pick an individualized soundtrack that plays exclusively through the speakers in your seat. I'm surprised that this coaster is only three years old as I found it unpleasantly rough for a steel coaster. My speakers also kept going in and out so I only had my soundtrack blasting about 1/3 of the time; most of the time it was static. If they could smooth out the coaster it would be more intriguing.

In this area you will find the Impact Wrestling show. This runs at various times throughout the year and is broadcast on TV. There were no events scheduled during our visit so we didn't even consider this venue. You will also find the Universal Store and two restaurants in Production Central. I have firsthand knowledge that the cheesecake at Beverly Hills Boulangerie is really good. There went my diet.

Continuing on our quest we come to New York. While the building fronts remind you of areas of New York the attractions didn't seem to fit that theme so much.

We first came across Twister...Ride it Out. A large part of the attraction was more of a documentary type setting as you are shuttled from area to area hearing comments from people who were in the movie or had a part in making it. When you finally get to the meat of the attraction where you are exposed to a simulation of an actual twister, it ended up leaving me wanting more. Even though this was my first visit, I think it is time for this attraction to be retired or modernized.

At the end of the street we hang a right and we're at the main reason I wanted to come to Universal Studios, to ride Revenge of the Mummy, an indoor roller coaster. I wasn't disappointed. In my mind, this is certainly the best roller coaster at either Universal park with two great instances of ejector air time and other special effects you don't often find on a roller coaster. The entire family loved it and we were able to ride it a few times during our trip.

You will also find The Blues Brothers Show, which we weren't able to do, and the Delancey Street Preview Center as well as a couple more restaurants. The Preview Center will pay you a small fee to view and rate a brand new show under consideration. We were approached and given the opportunity to do this but we declined as we were under a tight time constraint.

Only at Universal Studios will you find San Francisco next door to New York. With just a few steps we went from the big apple to the city by the bay. Here is Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue, a rock 'n' roll show based on characters from the movie and Fear Factor Live, a take from the TV show that involves the audience. Neither one really piqued our interest so we passed for this trip. Under construction to replace the former Jaws ride is an expansion to draw on the success of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Right now all you can really see is a wall on both sides of the walkway while Universal Studios works their magic.

The other attraction in this area is Disaster! We weren't sure what to expect but overall it was a lot of fun being part of a 'motion picture.' The 'actors' working the attraction were good although the actual scene at the end in the subway train could use some updating. Nonetheless we enjoyed it and I recommend that you make sure to do this during your visit. Don't be afraid to volunteer to be one of the audience participants. You are sure to have a lot of fun.

After leaving San Francisco we head into the World Expo. Literally the only thing here is two attractions. First we came to Men in Black Alien Attack. This is a spinning laser-shooting dark ride themed to Men in Black. The ride was originally designed for you to be pitted against another team riding in an opposing vehicle although there was only one side running when we were there.

The final attraction in this area is The Simpsons Ride. This is a standard motion simulator-type ride themed around the popular Simpsons television series and a cartoon theme park called Krustyland. Like most of these kinds of motion simulators, my wife and I found it extremely rough although the kids liked it. Every time I do a simulator like this I am tempted to change my career path into programming and developing simulators that everyone can enjoy.

Next we head into Woody Woodpecker's Kidzone. The first show we come to is Animal Actors on Location, a show staring animals. This plays at various times throughout the day but we were unable to catch it this trip. Right around the corner we came across what was our most important show to see this trip, A Day in the Park with Barney.

My special needs son has been watching Barney since the first show debuted on TV and has loved it ever since. I think we've seen nearly every episode at least once. This was his first opportunity to see Barney 'in person' so we wanted to make sure it happened. I must admit that the entire family knew all of the songs that were sung at the show and we sang along. The staff invited us to stay in the Barney Theater after the room cleared out to meet Barney personally. They were even courteous enough to offer to take our picture. This was the highlight of Jeffrey's trip.

For the younger ones there is an interactive playground themed to Curious George. We passed on this but heard lots of younger children having a great time. Right next door to that is Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster. It is a family coaster so we all took a ride on it. On the other side of the coaster is another play ground based on the movie character, Fievel.

The last attraction in this area is E.T Adventure. It is a unique twist on a dark ride where you ride a suspended set of 'bicycles' flying through the air to help E.T. save his planet. The story line took off from the movie and wasn't closely related other than some of the basics. The only bit of magic in this ride was that E.T. thanks you by name at the end of the ride if you listen carefully. It took us two trips through here to realize that. This attraction could also use some updating.

We move into the last area of the park, Hollywood. The fronts of the buildings are made to resemble the streets in Hollywood. Another show here is Universal Orlando's Horror Make-Up Show. Right down the street is Terminator 2 3-D We didn't know how our son would do with these shows so we choose to skip them. Also in this area you'll find Lucy - A Tribute featuring memorabilia to the famous Lucille Ball.

We were in this spot at the right time to see the new Universal's Superstar Parade that runs daily at 5:00 PM. It features Despicable Me...

Spongebob and crew...

Hop...

and Dora the Explorer. The parade was a nice length and done well. We all had a good time.

If you time it right, you'll also get a chance to experience some live music from the Sunset Sidemen performing well loved television and movie theme songs.

While there are six different areas to Universal Studios, you can see that many of the attractions seem to have little to do with the name of the area that they are located in. Maybe I just don't watch enough movies.

All six areas encompass a lagoon where every night is Universal's Cinematic Spectacular, a night time show that debuted this year. It features famous scenes from Universal Pictures films that are projected onto large waterfall screens. The show also includes fountains and pyrotechnics, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Universal Studios. If you have the time you certainly don't want to miss the one of a kind extravaganza.

Overall, we had a good time at Universal Studios Florida. While the park is only 22 years old, a lot of the attractions are starting to show their age. It would be nice to see Universal work on modernizing this park and bringing it up to the level of Islands of Adventure. We did observe at least three different areas behind construction walls so it appears that the process is already in the works.

For the best bang for your buck, I recommend that you stay at one of the on-site resorts. If you purchase tickets to the parks you get complimentary Universal Express Unlimited ride access as a hotel guest. As RVers we were disappointed that they don't have an on-site campground where we can receive the same benefits.

You can read about Universal Orlando Resort here on our travel blog.

For more pictures check out our Facebook page!

A day at Universal's Islands of Adventure

2012-06-29T10:30:00.000-04:00

Early this summer we made the easy trek from North Carolina to Orlando, Florida. Our first stop was Universal's Islands of Adventure. It was early on a bright sunny Saturday as we attempted to dodge the crowds that were sure to be heavy next door at Universal Studios with the Summer Concert Series starting.

We entered the park from City Walk through the Port of Entry, easily found by heading towards Pharos Lighthouse. Just as we expected, the crowds were moderate despite the local schools having just dismissed for the summer. After all we were there at the start of the peak summer season.

We headed past the shops for now because the kids were restless. Who wouldn't be restless knowing the excitement that lay ahead. Of course the best part of any park is the rides (at least in my opinion and I am the one writing this.)

We headed left to Marvel Super Hero Island. There are numerous large metal grates on the ground in this area in case you forgot where you were. What's really cool is the lighting that emanates from them at night giving a, well, super hero ambiance to the area. But I digress. The Incredible Hulk Coaster is the first ride we came across and it was calling my name.

The Incredible Hulk Coaster is the first and only launched Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) coaster and I'm happy to say that it lived up to the quality that you expect from a B&M. It had nice moments of intensity, a few moments of negative Gs that pull you out of the seat, and an interesting layout. This makes it into the top ten list of my daughter's favorite coasters and we were able to ride it a few times. If you ever get the chance to ride it at night you won't be disappointed.

After a quick spin on Storm Force Accelatron, a tea cup style ride themed to X-Men (think that one through: tea cups and X-men), we headed over to Doctor Doom's Fearfall. It is a dual drop tower style ride that shoots you upward instead of the more common free fall style drop. There is a moment in the ride cycle with great air time that is sure to catch you off guard. I'm not going to spoil that surprise; oh snap, I already did.

Right around the corner was the next ride that made it into all of our top three favorite Islands of Adventure rides, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. This is a 4-D dark hybrid simulator ride in roving vehicles with 3-D projection, elaborate sets, and special effects. You are transformed into a reporter and Spider-Man continually saves you from evil villains. It originally opened with the park in 1999 but was closed for nine months to update the ride and remaster the film footage in high definition. It reopened in March of this year to high praises. We are happy to jump on that bandwagon and tell you that this is one ride you do not want to miss. I could continue to sing the praises but we must move on.

At the very least, Toon Lagoon is a fun place to walk through. The bright signs and well-done theming can cause whiplash if you're not careful as there is so much to see. There are lots of shops to browse through with all kinds of goodies featuring your favorite comic book characters.

Also located in this area are Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges and Me Ship, The Olive. We passed on the barges, a white-water rapids style raft ride, and the interactive play area of The Olive.

We couldn't pass on Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls, since I have a secret passion for log flumes. Well maybe it's not so secret but it's a passion nonetheless. Anybody know of any log flume enthusiast clubs? It was a fun experience for all of us although we got soaked. Next time we will surely remember to wear ponchos.

Next we headed into Jurassic Park. The dense foliage along the pathways conjures up images of tropical forests. Here and there you come across scenes that remind you where you really are.

Soon you come across a coaster designed specifically for kids between 36" and 56" tall, Pteranodon Flyers. I had heard that when the park is not real busy they will let anyone ride. It was clearly too busy today as they wouldn't let us ride since all of us are over 56" tall. I was back at the park later in the week for a special event and they had the ride open to everybody. I was fortunate to get a trip around the suspended coaster at night and it was exhilarating flying through the trees. Fortunately no vicious dinosaur jumped out and snatched my Pteranadon and me out of the air.

Also in this area is Camp Jurassic, a kids exploration area, and Discovery Center. We didn't do either this time. You should note that Discovery Center closes well before the park does so you won't want to save this until the end of the day or you'll be disappointed. One thing to not skip in this area is the river raft ride, Jurassic Park River Adventure. You board the big boat and go on an adventure that is mildly based on the movie series, Jurassic Park. Be warned that younger kids may be frightened and you will probably get wet on this ride but not nearly as wet as you do on Ripsaw falls.

What's next? The most highly hyped area of any amusement park I've ever seen, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Since we had not originally watched any of the Harry Potter movies, we watched the first three before our trip hoping to enjoy this area of the park as much as possible. We enjoyed the movies and we were not disappointed with Universal's interpretation. This experience at Islands of Adventure is not over hyped. Executives from other parks should visit and take note. This is how you draw guests from around the world and create a big buzz about your park.

First we checked out Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The queue line drops you right into the middle of the movie story line exposing you to many familiar items such as the Mirror of Erised, talking portraits, and more. I don't know how to properly describe the ride but it is a dark ride combined with a simulator ride and then some. I won't try to describe it more but you must experience it. While I suffer from minor motion sickness, I enjoyed this ride greatly although I had to close my eyes a couple of times to regain my bearing. The line is always long for this attraction so be prepared to wait. If I had only learned the spell to make the line shrink.

Upon exiting the ride you enter the village of Hogsmeade. If it weren't for all the muggles wandering the streets you would truly felt like you were transported into the movie. We ate lunch at Three Broomsticks and enjoyed the shepherd's pie, BBQ chicken, and fish and chips. The shepherd's pie was the best of the three but all of the food was a comparable price and quality to a mid level sit-down chain restaurant. We were well pleased.

The next ride you encounter is the Flight of the Hippogriff. It is a basic family coaster with some nice theming done to the station and queue line. Everyone 36" and taller should enjoy this mild roller coaster. Right next to this you can experience the Frog Choir and Triwizard Spirit Rally. Due to the crowds (I think half the people in the park were in this area) we didn't try to catch any of these presentations. It can get claustrophobic here. That is the price you pay for visiting one of the most talked about theme park areas in the country.

Be sure to check out the shops in Hogsmeade. If you like the books or movies, you won't be disappointed with the fine details in the stores if you are able to navigate them. The only big critique that I have about the village is that they should have made some of the shops bigger to handle the large number of guests.

You should also try some Butterbeer. Despite the name it is non-alcoholic and available for purchase at a few different areas in Hogsmeade. It comes in two varieties, chilled and frozen. My personal favorite is frozen. In case you are wondering, it is sweet and combines the flavors of butterscotch and shortbread. My only wish is that it came with some actual shortbread.

The last ride in this area is the Dragon Challenge. It is a unique twist on the standard B&M inverted roller coaster as there are two separate coasters intertwined providing different ride experiences on each one.

After leaving Hogsmeade we ventured into the Lost Continent. Choosing to skip The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad Stunt Show, we spent some time watching The Mystic Fountain. It is fully interactive with the people in the area and has a number of fountains and spouts that may catch you off guard. If you don't like getting wet you should not venture too close to it.

If you haven't eaten yet you may want to check out Mythos Restaurant. The indoor cave-like decor is great and the food is highly rated. I wouldn't call it the best theme park restaurant there is (despite the claims) but it certainly isn't the standard amusement park food you come to expect. The prices are reasonable but you should make a reservation if you want to eat here or you may be famished by the time you can get a table.

Our last stop in the Lost Continent is Poseidon's Fury. It is a walk through experience with special effects and a decent story line. We had a good guide and enjoyed it. I was surprised because of the large number of mediocre reviews I read before our trip. You should do it at least once in your lifetime.

There is always room to squeeze in some Coke Freestyle machines.

We have made it to the last section in the park, Seuss Landing. While this is primarily a kids area, there is plenty to see and do for kids of all ages. You can't and won't want to miss the relaxing ride on The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride. This is a Seuss-themed electric overhead train that takes you around Seuss land, encountering a few of the Seuss characters along the way. The manufacturers of this ride must have consulted with Intamin as it was down numerous times during our visit. (This is a coaster enthusiast's inside joke so don't fret if you don't get it.)

The bright colors and excerpts from Doctor Seuss's books are all around here at Seuss Landing. The Caro-Seuss-el is no exception. With the bright lights, moving parts, and Seuss-character-themed 'horses,' it is certainly an experience. It's certainly not the carousel that your Grandmother remembers.

We passed on One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, a flat ride where you can control the height of your fish as you go around and around but are happy we didn't do the same for The Cat In The Hat. This is a dark ride where you board a 'couch' and become immersed in the well-known book's story line. Beware of the net.

Leaving Seuss Landing we arrived back at the Port of Entry and the entrance to the park. It was the perfect opportunity to explore some of the shops and wind down from our exiting day.

This ends our excursion at Universal's Islands of Adventure. The fun-filled, unique trip helped make this park one of our top 10 favorite amusement/theme parks. If you don't happen to travel to as many parks as we do, take my word that this is one that you don't want to miss.

You should note that on busier days the lines to some of the more popular attractions can be an hour or more so you may want to consider the Express Pass, especially if you are trying to cover the park in one day. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey isn't included in the Express Pass so you're going to have to wait for that ride regardless. You should also note that the major attractions offer free lockers to store your loose articles during your visit. This is a nice touch.

You can read about Universal Orlando Resort here on our travel blog.

For more pictures check out our Facebook page!

Universal Orlando Resort

2012-06-25T14:41:00.000-04:00

While most people have heard of Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, many don't realize that it is a part of the larger Universal Orlando Resort. The resort includes three on-site hotels, a CityWalk entertainment venue, and two separate theme parks.

If you are staying at one of the on-site hotels there is a boat ferry service that will take you from your hotel to CityWalk. If you are staying somewhere else, you can park at one of their two parking garages for a fee that is comparable to parking at most amusement parks. From the parking garages you will follow the signs through the covered bridge with moving walkways towards the resort complex. Don't forget to take a picture of the sign nearest your parking spot with your cell phone to make it easy to find your way back.

CityWalk is an entertainment and shopping area with numerous stores and restaurants as well as a mini golf course and a movie theater. It is really hopping at night with live entertainment, dancing, and clubs. You should note that some entertainment is limited to adults 21 and over.

CityWalk is the hub for Universal Orlando Resort. In order to enter either of their theme parks, you first have to go through part of CityWalk. Once there, you can follow the signs to the entrances of the parks. Depending on the time of day, this area can get very busy so be prepared for that. Everybody not staying on -site from both parks as well as CityWalk funnel through the same walkway back to the bridges that connect to the parking garages.

There is a lot of fun things to see and do at CityWalk as well as the other venues that make up the Universal Orlando Resort complex! You should make vacation plans to come and check it out.

You can read about our trip to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida on our travel blog.

Orlando Florida FlexTicket

2012-06-18T08:30:00.000-04:00

Our first trip to Orlando was in 2009 to visit Walt Disney World. If you have ever been to Walt Disney World, you know that your best experience there is to stay at their on-site campground. With all they have to do we only found ourselves leaving their property one time.

We had an opportunity to travel to Orlando again this year so we decided that we would purchase an Orlando FlexTicket Plus. This ticket allows you to visit SeaWorld, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens Tampa, Wet 'n Wild, and Aquatica as many times as you want for up to fourteen consecutive days. On top of that, you only have to pay parking once a day no matter how many different parks you go to. The Orlando FlexTicket is the same as the Plus version but with a lower cost as it doesn't include Busch Gardens Tampa.

We picked the well landscaped and maintained Orlando/Kissimmee KOA as our home base. The sites are clean and spacious with lots of grass. We also found the staff to be friendly and attentive. This campground is actually in Kissimmee about 20 minutes from the Universal parks and about 15 minutes from SeaWorld and the water parks. It is an hour to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida.

I would highly recommend that you consider the Orlando FlexTicket for your next vacation to Universal Orlando Resort and we were very pleased with our experience purchasing them from UndercoverTourist. It made our trip more affordable and allowed us to experience more than we would have by buying separate park tickets.

Please see our post on Universal Orlando Resort for more information on that venue.

Verbolten - Busch Gardens Williamsburg

2012-05-21T08:53:00.000-04:00

In order to truly appreciate the new roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, you need some background information. Have a seat, and I’ll tell you all about it.

I’d like to introduce you to Gerta and Gunter Schwartzwald. They are eccentric siblings who run a Bavarian visitor center in the Germany area of Busch Gardens Williamsburg. They also run the post office, gift shop, garage, and Black Forest Inn.

Every morning, Gunter hikes into the Black Forest to collect samplings that he grows in his office. Gerta has also planted seedlings from the Black Forest in her gardens that have grown at an alarming rate.

Both of them have been strangely attracted to the Black Forest and it has turned into an obsession. Gunter has gone so far as installing cameras in several forest locations to gather proof that a mysterious spirit dwells in the darkness. This spirit has been rumored to shift trees and branches to trap unsuspecting victims.

Their rental cars from the tours they sell keep disappearing in the forest and the passengers are never seen again. To cover up this secret, Gunter collects the personal effects of the missing people from their crumpled cars and sneaks back to the center where he hides the items away in the messy clutter of his office and garage.

Now you get to experience one of their tours first-hand on Busch Garden’s newest roller coaster, Verbolten. You enter the ride through the visitor’s center, enjoying the sights of Gunter’s office and garage along the way.

As you board your sleek German car (one of five sixteen-seat custom-designed coaster trains), everything appears normal. You accelerate slowly out of the station taking a scenic, leisurely tour of the Bavarian country-side. After you round the last turn your car launches straight into the Black Forest.

The first drop inside the Black Forest gives a nice pop of air-time, especially at the back of the train. Part of the Black Forest is completely dark. The rest of the Black Forest is themed to one of three themes: Lightening, Spirit of the Forest, or Wolf. I was fortunate to be able to experience all three today during different rides and they all provide a unique experience inside the forest. Here’s an inside secret: The three themes rotate in a cyclical pattern, so every third train will get the same scene.

You come to a sudden stop in the Black Forest. After a long pause, you plummet in a free-fall drop, the first of its kind in the United States on a roller coaster. After you come to your senses, you roll out of the Black Forest and are then launched at 53 mph up towards a decrepit bridge. The bridge doesn’t hold up and you plummet 88 feet towards the Rhine River. Once again, the back of the train gives a nice pop of air-time over the top of the hill. After a few twists and turns, some of you return safely to the station.

The theming of the entire area including the Black Forest makes this a great addition to Busch Gardens Williamsburg. When I toured this during the construction phase, I was sure this was going to end up being a mild family coaster. I was pleasantly surprised at the level of intensity that is maintained through the entire ride while continuing to appeal to everybody in the family who is 48” or taller.

Here is an approved on-ride video of Verbolten for your enjoyment.

Riverbanks Zoo

2012-05-10T14:43:00.000-04:00

We took trip recently to Riverbanks Zoo with OrcsWeb.

Here is a video of our day's adventures.

We hope you enjoy!

Spring for a great adventure

2012-04-17T17:34:00.000-04:00

My family was in the mood for something fun and exciting to do for Spring Break this year so we loaded up the RV for a road trip to spend a couple of days at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. We drove through the night and arrived at the park about an hour before opening. This is the largest of the Six Flags parks and includes a Wild Safari that you can drive through or take a ride on the park's Safari Express. Either option is an additional charge although most season passes include the drive through Safari.

Since this is early spring for the north, it is not unusual for amusement parks to have their water rides and attractions closed. Most shows also only run during the peak summer months, so we were only able to experience some of the rides and attractions. We saved the Wild Safari for our next visit to the park.

Since we bought season passes and were getting them processed before the end of the month, we got a free parking pass for the season. With a normal rate of $20 per car or $25 for buses and RVs, it was a nice touch and helped keep the cost of our trip down.

From the parking lot, it is hard to miss the 456 foot tall Kingda Ka roller coaster. Since its construction in 2005, it has continued to retain the title of the tallest roller coaster in the world. It also held the record for the fastest roller coaster at 128 miles per hour until 2010.

Who wants to stay in the parking lot looking at the skyline when there is so much fun to be had in the park? Let's head into the park! One change this year is the separation between the metal detectors and the admission turnstiles. That appeared to make it easier to get through the front gate, especially at park opening. We also appreciated the partnership between Six Flags and Discover. A quick flash of our discover card allowed us to use the much shorter Discover turnstile for an orange carpet experience.

We're always looking for the best deal when we travel and this trip was no exception. Season passes were the best deal for us, so we went to get them processed. Having had season passes at numerous parks, we found that this was the easiest, most efficient season pass processing that we have ever experienced.

Season pass holders also get early entry into the Boardwalk section of the park, enabling them to get in line early for Superman Ultimate Flight and Green Lantern. Both of those roller coasters tend to have long lines during the day so it's best to ride them early on if you don't want to wait for an hour or two. Superman is by far the best flying coaster that I have ridden to date. Throughout a majority of the ride you have a sense of flying through the air and the course is laid out well.

Green Lantern was next on our list. It is a stand up coaster that was relocated to Six Flags Great Adventure in 2011 from the former Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. This ride is very smooth with some great elements and a few surprising moments of air time. It is a great addition to the park. Before getting in line for this ride, I was finally able to meet one of my friends and coworkers from ThrillNetwork.com, Leo C. This is his home park and he joined us for this ride.

Not to be missed in the Boardwalk is the Parachute Training Center. This is a gentle ride that takes you up 250 feet with great views of the park before bringing you back to earth, simulating a parachute drop. If you don't mind vertical spinning, you can take a spin on The Twister located next to it.

You will also find plenty of food to eat, games to play, and stores to shop in along the Boardwalk. In this area you can enjoy attractions that are available for an additional fee including the Sky Coaster Dare Devil Dive, Slingshot, go karts, and a rock climbing wall.

Adjacent to the Boardwalk is The Golden Kingdom. Here is the aforementioned Kingda Ka roller coaster, a Splash Water Oasis for the kids, the Safari Express, as well as numerous shops and food stands.

On the way to Plaza del Carnaval, you'll want to stop and check out Coasters & Candy. How can you go wrong with two of my favorite things?

In this section of the park you will find two wooden coasters, Rolling Thunder and El Toro. The two pictures are both of El Toro, which is my favorite wooden roller coaster. It has the tallest drop of any current operating wooden coaster at 176 feet at a remarkable 76 degree vertical angle. The big, steep drop contributes to it being the fastest currently operating wooden coaster hitting a top speed of 70 miles per hour. It is no wonder that this coaster continues to remain at or near the top of the list for every recognized wooden coaster poll.

Next we head over to Frontier Adventures. Here you will find more places to eat, a log flume, Northern Star Arena, two roller coasters, and Bugs Bunny National Park with rides for the little ones. You can also board the Skyway cable cars that will take you over to the Lakefront section of the park.

We picked up lunch at Best of the West restaurant one day. They have a great family meal deal with 12 chicken strips, fries, and four drinks. The food was good and while it was a good deal for $40, we saved even more with a $5 off coupon from our season pass coupon books. Add to that the 5% discount from using our Discover, we were all full and satisfied at less than $9 per person after taxes.

Bizarro is one of the roller coasters in this area. It was the first floorless steel coaster produced and remains the best in its class with a nice surprise of air time and smooth elements throughout the course. There are some fun themed elements throughout the queue line to observe while you wait in the fast moving line so be sure to take a look around.

Also located in this section is the classic Runaway Mine Train family roller coaster that has been here since the park opened in July of 1974.

Moving on, we head back across the park and arrive at Fantasy Forest. One ride that is a must is Houdini's Great Escape. It is a certainly a unique experience and one we will certainly talk about for years to come. I don't want to ruin your fun by describing it in detail. If you are prone to vertigo like I am, be sure to have a motion sickness pill handy as you may need it after this. I would do it again regardless, it was that good.

You will also find a carousel that dates back to the 19th century, a giant teacup ride, and a few more dining choices. You certainly can't miss the Great Lake Grandstand that offers shows presented on the lake during the summer season.

We continue our adventure in the park by walking past Dolphin Discovery, a summer show featuring dolphins ,and into the Lakefront section of the park. The centerpiece of this section is Skull Mountain, an indoor dark coaster. While it was an enjoyable experience, we have been on a few dark coasters and would have liked to see some creative theming inside the ride. That would have added greatly to the ride experience. Also in this section is the other station for the Skyway cable cars, the Jolly Roger spinning ride, and Buccaneer, a traditional swinging pirate ship. There certainly is a nice balance of amusement rides at Six Flags Great Adventure.

Make sure you don't overlook Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train. This is a classic Zierer family roller coaster with a train that is 20 cars long. Yes, you heard me correctly, 20 cars. This is the longest roller coaster train I have ever seen and my entire family had a blast on it.

After finishing up the rides in the Lakefront section, we headed into Adventure Seaport. Here you will discover Looney Tunes Seaport and Safari Kids Area. Both places have a variety of rides for your younger thrill seekers. During the summer time you can also cool off on the Congo Rapids ride. You certainly can't miss the hyper roller coaster, Nitro. Standing at 230 feet tall with a first drop of 215 feet, it is an exciting coaster with a nice balance of air time and intensity. In Adventure Seaport you will also find a safari souvenir shop and a variety of food stands.

Right around the corner is Movietown. There is a shop, a restaurant, two coasters, Movietown Arena, and Showcase Theater. The Dark Knight Coaster is a Wild Mouse coaster with a twist. It is highly themed to a subway from a Batman movie and located entirely indoors. This is our new family favorite mouse coaster and we were fortunate to be able to experience it a few times during our trip.

Right across the plaza from it, behind the Batmobile, is Batman The Ride. It is a standard steel inverted coaster that is nice and smooth with a good balance of intensity.

Next we move on to Adventure Alley. This area is easy to find with the 150 foot tall Big Wheel as its center piece. You will also find classic rides such as a scrambler and bumper cars here. More shopping and dining is available .

The new for 2012 Sky Screamer is under construction and coming along nicely. It is sure to be a thrill as you swing 24 stories in the air when it opens in late spring.

We have circled our way back to Main Street and the entrance to the park. You can do any last minute shopping here and pick up a sweet treat or two as you get ready to leave the park for the day. Or are you ready to take another trip around the park and ride some of your favorites again?

Either way, a day at Six Flags Great Adventure is exactly that, a great adventure with a nice blend of amusement park and theme park with plenty of thrills, rides, and excitement for kids of all ages. We were certainly overly pleased with the fair prices we found on merchandise and food at our first full experience with a Six Flags park.

Visual Check. All clear. Have a safe trip home!

Please check out the video overview of our trip to Six Flags Great Adventure.

A special day for a special boy

2012-04-03T08:21:00.000-04:00

I would like to you to meet Jeffrey, a special boy who was born with a seizure disorder. Through the years, it became apparent that he also has some mental and physical limitations. Those limitations make it difficult for him to walk and talk. Even with those challenges, I am proud that he is my son.

We relocated to Charlotte, N.C. 13 years ago when he made his first trip to Carowinds amusement park. That trip showed us his true love for amusement parks. When you mention Carowinds, he says, ‘rides, whee!’ (while putting his hands in the air). Over the years we have taken him to numerous parks but to him they are all still known as Carowinds. Seldom does a week pass where he doesn’t ask for Carowinds.

This Easter Jeffrey and I found ourselves alone because the rest of the family was traveling. What better way is there to spend Easter with my son than through a trip to Carowinds? As always, there are sure to be some life lessons along the way. After celebrating the true meaning of Easter through an early morning Easter service, we headed out to the park for a fun-filled day!

We found ample parking in the preferred parking lot and got ready to head into the park. You probably haven’t noticed, but there is a little hill to traverse to get to the walkway that takes you to the main entrance. That hill is nothing to you and me, but if you’re in a wheelchair, it can be a challenge. It is nice to see that in the off-season, Carowinds added a new sidewalk with a gradual grade to facilitate getting past that little hill.

Jeffrey can only walk short distances and stand for short periods of time. Carowinds has a program for special people like him. While the rest of the family waits in line, one of us waits with him in a comfortable area. When the rest of our party starts getting close to the beginning of the line, they let us know to head to the clearly marked handicapped exit. Ride attendants can then link up our party by two parts of a special pass. Since it is just the two of us today, we don’t have to coordinate with the rest of our party, although the ride ops can make us wait if there is a line. We don’t mind either way as we’d happy enter through the regular queue if we could. Our first stop is at guest relations to pick up one of these passes. You can easily find them on the left after entering the main gate.

Now that we have our boarding pass, let’s go have some fun! While some of the rides like Intimidator and Afterburn are my favorites, they are too intense for Jeffrey so we’ll skip those today. We’re heading over to Carowinds’ new ride for 2012, Windseeker. It’s a great cross between a family ride and a thrill ride. Since Jeffrey isn’t afraid of heights, this is a perfect addition for him. He loved the views and the feeling of soaring high over the park. The wind blew through our hair as we flew through the air and it was very relaxing on this beautiful Easter Sunday morning. If you were listening closely, you probably heard his screams of delight all the way to the outer edges of the park.

We’re so close to his favorite ride in the park that it would be an injustice not to take him there. He absolutely loves dark rides, and we always have to make a stop at Boo Blasters on Boo Hill. While he continues to call this dark ride by its former name, the new theming of it has not bothered him in the least. He has probably been through this ride a couple of dozen times over the years but you wouldn’t know it if you were riding with him. Life lesson: Enjoy the moment. Since we hit this ride early in the day and many of the guests were in Planet Snoopy for the Easter festivities, we were able to get three rides in. Jeffrey was ecstatic!

I would like to give a shout out to Carowinds for the separate handicapped entrance that has recently been added. It sure makes it easier for us to get him on to the ride and not be run over by exiting riders. Additionally, it provides a convenient location to store his wheelchair while we’re riding.

Right around the corner from here is one of his favorite roller coasters, Thunder Road. Once again we can see that Carowinds was busy in the off-season. Not only have they replaced more of the wood for the coaster in year four of a five year renovation project, they also reworked the exit ramp. While the previous configuration seemed sufficient to those inexperienced with wheelchairs, it was difficult to navigate while park patrons were exiting the ride. Gone is the ramp, replaced with a wide walk-way and a modern wheelchair elevator. What was once a challenging task is now a simple process to get Jeffrey onto the ride. Wow, he loves that ride and it is a good classic wooden roller coaster.

Since it is Easter, it is not surprising to see the Easter Bunny making an appearance at the park. At 21, Jeffrey is still excited to see the Easter Bunny. Life lesson: You will find more to appreciate if you remain young at heart.

We generally have a good experience every time we go to Carowinds, but today most of the park workers were phenomenal. Many of them went out of their way to make it a great day for Jeffrey, even though they had to work on Easter. I’m sure some of them had families they would have liked to spend the day with but you never would have known it.

Now it’s off to do something that we all take for granted; using the restroom. While it’s not glamorous to write about, it is a fact of life. If you have never tried to navigate a wheelchair through the slalom of a crowded public restroom and then try to engineer a way to get into the corner stall, you’re missing out on something. Gone are those days, at least at Carowinds. We were pleasantly surprised to find that they have been hard at work again over the winter and nearly every single restroom that we came across had two family/handicapped restrooms available in the front. It is often the little things in life that make the biggest impact on others.

We’re getting famished, so it is time to grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants. Once again, subtle improvements have been made and additional handicapped seating has been added enabling more families to cool down in an air conditioned space and enjoy their favorite foods which range from fried chicken to burgers and pizza.

As we continue to have a fun filled day at the park, we notice that Carowinds also took the time in the off-season to remove the difficult-to-navigate exit ramps at Gr8 Sk8, and Carolina Goldrusher, replacing them with steps and a wheelchair elevator. Those also happen to be two rides that are well loved by Jeffrey and today other riders shared in on his excitement. You can seldom miss being on one of the rides with Jeffrey as he is not afraid to show his love for the rides. Life lesson: Happiness is contagious.

Our day has come to a close. It was a special Easter for Jeffrey and more enjoyable than ever thanks in part to Carowinds for continuing to make improvements for guests with special needs and their families. The park is truly a place that everybody in the Carolinas can be proud of regardless of their abilities. The improvements, while small in scale when compared to recent additions like Intimidator and Windseeker, really add up and allow Jeffrey and other special people like him to enjoy more of the park.

I would also like to thank the friendly staff at Carowinds as well as some park guests who went out of their way to make it a special day for Jeffrey. Most of the way home he told me stories about the rides that he rode and everything that he saw on our Easter excursion to Carowinds.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and learn more about Jeffrey.

Windseeker opens at Carowinds

2012-03-31T14:23:00.000-04:00

Under a flurry of confetti, the tallest structure in the state of South Carolina opened on March 31st at Carowinds Amusement Park. Standing at an impressive 301 feet tall, the swing ride gently takes you to the top where it circles at up to 30 mph.

From the top of the ride you can see up to 30 miles on a clear day including the Charlotte, NC skyline.

In the normal Carowinds fashion, the food served is of the highest quality.

While daunting in height, the ride experience is a smooth and relaxing three minute ride once you get over your fear of its height. Riders will enjoy a cool breeze spiraling around the top on hot summer days. If you get motion sickness, make sure to not look straight down. Focus your attention off to the distant horizon or the seat in front of you to keep your vertigo in check. Wes and I were able to experience the first ride on Windseeker today and found it to be relaxing and enjoyable.

Here is a video of the opening celebration:

Here is a video of my friend Wes and me riding Windseeker: