Paramount’s Carowinds
Yes you heard me correctly. The park is in two different states, which is one-of-a-kind and probably the only one around. As you enter the park through the main entrance, there is a white line which divides each state. If you have your picture taken, you can honestly say you’ve been in two states at once.
When the park first opened in 1973, there weren’t many rides but there were enough for thrill-seekers to find something to do. As the decades progressed, so did the rides. When Parmount purchased the park some years ago, a number of themed rides starting being built.
If it’s rollecoasters you like then Carowinds has plenty abound. The most famous however is called THUNDER ROAD. Built in the early 70’s, THUNDER ROAD was an instant classic with it’s dual track and racing cars. Yes, both cars would “race” to see which one was faster. One of the cars has since been turned backwards, for the ultimate experience. One of the newer coasters called BORG:ASSIMILATE, is a Star-Trek themed rollercoaster. What makes it unique is that it’s a flying rollercoaster. You lie down on your back, and once the car reaches the top, it swoops down turning riders over so they are “flying.”
The park is divided into ten different starting with Paramount Plaza. This area houses the newest coaster, which is mentioned above as well as the Carolina Sky Tower. Nickelodeon Central is home to Nickelodeon-themed rides which include Wild Thornberry’s River adventure and Rugrats Runaway Reptar. Carolina Boardwalk has two coasters, one of which is the Carolina Cyclone and one of the oldest coasters in the park, Carolina Goldrusher. Other themed areas include; Animation Station, Zoom Zone, Carolina R.F.D, County Fair, and thrill zone.
If you like swimming, they have that too. Waterworks, is a waterpark inside Carowinds. There are seven attractions, which include THE ABYSS. I would suggest hit the waterpark first thing in the morning, becasue it tends to get crowded as the day wears on. There are lockers for you to stow your clothes, so you don’t have to worry about lugging things around all day. As with most things, there is a deposit but you get it back after you’ve turned your key in.
Of course we can’t forget the wonderful food that Carowinds has to offer. There are more than thirty different restaurants including smaller vendors scattered throughout the park. My suggestion though, if you opt not to visit the waterpark, is eat early. A number of the more popular restaurants tend to get crowded around one or two in the afternoon. If you aren’t so hungry, and want to ride then wait until around 3:00 or 4:00. One word of warning though. The park closes early some nights, and after a certain time restaruants (depenind on each one) will stop serving around 7:00 or earlier.
The only drawback to the park however is it’s very compact, with rides just about everywhere. It doesn’t take long though to figure out where to go because there are helpful signs pointing you in the right direction. Still, the park in unique in the regard it sits in two states. As mentioned before, the state line runs from the main entrance (North Gate) all the way to South Entrance. However, the line (at the time I went ) was only visible from North Entrance just past Carolina Sky tower.
Overall, Carowinds has something for everybody. If you’re looking for a days entertainment, it’s a bargain.
