By 2012jarrett - July 20th, 2015, 5:49 pm
- July 20th, 2015, 5:49 pm
#81316
Last season I remember stating very clearly on Leviathan's brake run that "had that been longer or built somewhere other than a parking lot it would have been my number one." A week later, Fury 325 was announced. And I flipped. I KNEW I would get down there this season, and when I saw Coaster Crew announce their Coaster Crew Gets Furyous event, I knew I had to go do it. My friend Connor also wanted to so we worked out arrangements for me to drive to his house and leave from there.
Day 1
Started the day with Affle House with the parents before getting on the road. Because their food is fab.
Sadly...no Pibb.
But Mello Yello is better!
I then got on the road and drove into Cincinasty to go meet Connor. After getting around the construction we met up and got on the road!
And Coach Ollie wears Speedos to bed.
Once we dealt with their bad infrastructure, it was into Kentucky for us!
I brought some Dewshine for us to try and I actually really liked it. I still prefer Sun Drop, Mountain Dew, and Pibb but it's pretty good. Nice, sweet, crisp taste to it.
And then it was into one of the worst states ever...West Virginia.
Stopping for lunch I saw this Camden Park billboard and got excited to stop there coming back.
Cajun burger from Steak 'n Shake! Best lunch ever if washed down with a Nutella shake!
Charleston, WV always looked like a massive dump but the state capital is gorgeous. I love that beautiful dome.
Tolls, grrr...
Finally, it was out of the frying pan and into the fire once we got through West Virginia and came across this tunnel.
Into the tunnel!
And out into Virginia! AKA the state where radar detectors are illegal and going 10 mph over will get you thrown in jail!
We had to be really militant with our speed but at least the drive through Jefferson National Forest was pretty.
Virginia is probably the prettiest state on the drive.
And another state to drive through...there's nothing to do here...
Selfie as Connor drives!
NC is a disgusting state but this lake was gorgeous.
And that's a really nice house, I'm sorry.
And then this peaked over the horizon sometime in Charlotte as we were blasting Rucka Rucka Ali and I FLIPPED!!!!
Connor had to tell me to calm down so many times in the ten minutes it took us to finish getting there and park.
We rolled in right at sunset, setting the stage for a gorgeous first Fury ride.
Both of us were taken by how fast it just rips up the layout, that coaster doesn't play around!
8 hours, 500 miles, and it all comes down to this...
We got in and there was hardly any wait...but that thing is HUGE!!!
I nearly got hit by a line jumper for calling her out but it was all good, once we got to this point I started losing it.
Fury selfie!
And OH MY GOD!!!! Fury 325 was absolutely astounding! The first time you ride, waiting to climb that colossal hill left me shaking in my boots, that thing is so imposing when you're looking right at it. Once you get to the top, the fun begins. That drop is not only full of some good floater but it lasts FOREVER. And then it slams you down into your seat before throwing you into an incredibly intense barrel turn, way more powerful than Leviathan's. From there, the next few overbanks are similar and awesome, but different. They all throw you down into your seat nicely, some have some nice snap on the entries, some have some airtime out of their exits. But all are awesome. After getting thrown around, you enter a really ballsy treble cleff turnaround with a nice overbanked bit at the top. And then comes one of the best parts of the ride. Coming off of the turnaround, the train darts down into the ride's signature "hive dive" under the entrance, and at twilight when we rode, you're ripped from your seat as you freefall down into this glowing tunnel and it's freaking awesome. After that, there's another awesome overbank with a not-so-awesome straightaway out of it akin to the entry to GateKeeper's second keyhole roll. Straight and blah, I feel like B&M could have done something to not have that there or Carowinds could have somehow themed it. But then the next element makes up for it. The train enters this insanely sharp camelback, hitting you with a ton of sick ejector, way more intense than I expected. After that is an okay helix with a nice support headchopper, followed by two more insane ejector hills before the brakes. It's insane, the ride almost never lets up, and the whole thing just feels alive, there's no other way to describe it.
Fury 325 took my number one spot unexpectedly from Voyage but it wasn't a sound slaughter like when Voyage took Cheetah Hunt's spot, I was still a tad shaky. Voyage is more aggressive usually but after the way they buffed the MCBR on Holiwood Nights I didn't enjoy it as much and I don't think the airtime over those first hills is as insane as it should be. But for now I considered Fury my new number one but open to the possibility of it not staying there.
We rode again when it got a smidge darker and it was still phenomenal, the hive dive was even better then!
We then went to Harmony Hall to grab dinner and I got a shot of this model of their old entrance.
...and a selfie!
Dinner was BBQ pulled pork and mac 'n cheese...and it was great! Way better than I remember the food here being, that executive chef's working miracles!
It's big and can feed a lot of people but it also feels really cozy and inviting. I really like their work here.
We then left for the Coaster Crew S'mores Social, walking past a gorgeous Fury on the way out.
Now that it was completely dark, the hive dive looked amazing and I was psyched to get to try it over and over again during nighttime ERT.
After that, we headed to the campground for s'mores at Tim's Coaster Crew party. There I got to meet Danny and his aunt, good friends of my friend Jenny (who couldn't make it but some of you probably remember her from my Cedar Point TR) and talk goony stuff, it was awesome.
Jarrett has a pointed object in the middle of the woods, RUN!!!!
Roasting marshmallows!
Tim brought the best s'mores supplies ever! Big crackers, s'mores skewers, and chocolate bars! S'mores made with Reese's cups are amazing!
After that, Connor and I left for the hotel and checked in. I had a beer (and badly attempted to play Connor's Prison Architect game) before just passing out. We had an early day the next day!
Day 2
We woke up early and got hotel breakfast before heading to the park and taking a wrong turn, pretty uneventful.
We pulled in just as the parking gates opened! Let's get Furyous!
Good morning, Fury 325!
Good morning, Baby Timmy and Fury 325!
Welcome to Carowinds!
They were testing Fury for the day, teasing us for ERT that night.
It towers over the entrance...
Being basic and took a selfie on the state line.
I like how they added this little plaque on the back of the sign.
In the park...in two different states, and all checked in and ready for Thunder Road tour and ERT!
In a nice gesture of shear awesomeness, Carowinds provided us with FREE Fast Lane Plusses! Thank you, Carowinds! I made sure to personally thank them on social media as well as in person when I saw park staff.
We started the day on a sad but interesting note. But it felt like a funeral.
I liked these signs, I wish they would keep them and stick them somewhere after the ride's gone.
Like Fury, they were testing it.
They opened the gate and took us back there!
This is Bob, the park's mechanical maintenance manager who acted as our tour guide. Really great guy, I got to have a nice long conversation with him about my endeavors in the industry and he knew so much about the ride. This guy literally gets paid to be the biggest goon ever.
Me rocking my VIP lanyard!
And there was thunder, thunder, over Thunder Road...
:dontswear: my focus in this picture...
It's not a big coaster but it looks fab up close.
Connor found this random Proslide crate hanging around.
Me with Thunder Road!
Thunder Road was originally themed after the movie of the same name and ran PTC trains with buzz bars themed as a cop and a moonshiner.
I wanted to ask Bob what this thing sticking out of the footer was (I assume it was just a marker of sorts but I could be wrong) but he was busy. Anybody here know?
Into the turnaround!
Selfie in the turnaround!
The trains are blue and grey even though the ride doesn't carry a Civil War theme.
Hugging Thunder Road goodbye!
Those PTC trains with the flames on them are beautiful.
It looked fab walking back to ride it...
Is this not gorgeous?
Desperate to get one more selfie with it...
Rode both sides while Connor only rode one and I have to say, this is acensoredx: shame. Last time I rode this in 2011 it was rough as anything and I agreed with this decision, but after they got GCI to practically rebuild it it runs like a dream, so sad to see them bulldoze it after all that.
After that, I got to have a nice, long conversation with Mike Fehnel, Carowinds's GM! I told him what I was doing in school and he wished me luck. He also gave me some crap for my Leviathan hat and told me I'd find Fury way better. I also told him about the Vortex floorless conversion I was doing in RCT3. He seemed really interested in what I thought of Rougarou.
After that it was off to Afterburn for Connor's first ride on it. I really love this invert, it's my third favorite behind Banshee and Montu. Connor loved it as well, especially the batwing, tunnels, and that last wingover.
After that we knocked out some of the Carolina Boardwalk creds. Ricochet had a massive line and no Fast Lane so we skipped it (for now) and knocked out Goldrusher and Cyclone.
Vortex was up next. It's my second least favorite B&M but I'm designing that floorless conversion that'll be a reality in a few years, so this was my last stand on it.
That drop with floorless trains...OH MY GOD!!! <3
Some lift motor action for those of you like me.
I really like this shot from the Fast Lane line.
Yeah...convert it. PLEASE convert it. It's a small B&M, I don't care that it doesn't have Mantis's epic layout, convert it. It'll still have a ton of headbanging but that helix is still disgusting. Connor and I disagree on which is worse but it's literally an awesome drop, a decent loop, a bland overbank, a leg-tingling helix, and a corkscrew and series of turns that just beats you up. Hate this thing!
Connor and I then did some tat shopping before hitting the car to lock it up...and I got this amazing hat!
Visual perfection on the way to the car...
Probably the best picture I have of this coaster...
We met up with Coaster Crew for lunch and I had a beer.
Connor, Danny, Susan and I!
We got to watch B&M awesomeness as we ate as well!
After lunch we went to get our buzz on when things took a turn for the worse...
Rain shut down Fury as we were in line, so we just kind of hung out around it, knowing that they'd reopen it as soon as it cleared.
I want this in my room...
This is what happens when you take a goon's number one away...
After Fury flew around the wet tracks when they reopened it, we went off to ride more. We did Hurler (which is smoother than I remember but still lacks airtme...take the trim off Carowinds!). Connor then wanted to make another run to the car before dinner so we did that.
Dinner time!
The park baked us this really sick Thunder Road cake!
...which I took a selfie with.
Dinner was brisket, mac 'n cheese, chicken, chips, and Pibb. 2 Pibbs.
The Thunder Road cake had strawberry filling and it was to die for!
The picnic grove provides some fab Fury views.
An otherwise peaceful picnic grove is disturbed by an angry hornet...
Treble cleff!
Trying to get Fury and the fountian as focal points...
At lunch, Tim tried to talk them into letting us all just get on Crabby Cabby, which Mike let us do for an hour with our shirts and lanyards!
Connor's above kiddie creds so he just photographed Intimidator.
Let's do this!
Parents in the station were laughing so hard! XD
Once that was done I split and got Woodstock Express before meeting up with Connor and Kevin (another CC member) and we did Afterburn again.
Connor hadn't done Timmy yet so we walked around the park and I took my last ride on it with that name.
I'd been told they nerfed the trims a bit so I was hoping for some ridiculous airtime...and I didn't get it. Is it better than Diamondback now? Yes. Is it better than Behemoth, Levi, or Fury? No. And I'm sad they're changing the theme because the NASCAR theme works so well with the area.
Plot Twist: They rename it Thunder Road and recycle the trademark.
After that I ran back to the car to get my Thunder Road lanyard (I thought I wouldn't need it but I did) as Connor rode Nighthawk and didn't enjoy it as much as Firehawk. As he said, "you can tell it's the prototype." After that we did Carolina Cobra and Ricochet, two of the most fab clones out there in my opinion.
Once that was all said and done, we went back to Fury to start riding before ERT...and a line jumper threatened to beat me up when I called her out. Again.
Once they cleared all the GP out it was time for our ERT! We were all supposed to sit and not get off but one of the trains got taken off (Danny said it blew a wheel?) so they were just running two trains, but I didn't mind! It was Fury ERT! And it was fabulous, over the course of 30 minutes we got 7 rides in, and one in my favorite seat, the front right. It was PHENOMENAL on the right. You get whipped to the side on that barrel turn and in the front, that hive dive is phenomenal at night! It illuminates the whole train once you pop out of your seat on that weird sideways treble clef exit and you just fly into the tunnel as all these light effects swirl around you and it's great. Not to mention that the forces are better in the front. Forces in the front, airtime in the back. But it was amazing!
I tuck my lanyards under the collars of my button-downs and secure the collars with pins so they don't fly off on rides. But this still happened!
Me after seven rides on Fury almost in a row (we ended the night sitting in the back twice without leaving!) and a whole day at Carowinds. But all good things come to an end, and this was no exception.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Carowinds for everything! The hospitality, the food, the ERT, the tour, and especially the free fast lanes! You guys are amazing! Pat yourselves on the back! Same with Tim and the rest of Coaster Crew, you did an amazing job putting this together and this was my favorite event of the season so far!
After that, Connor and I got back to the hotel and passed out once more, with plans to wake up later the next day.
Connor and I got up the next morning and made a run to the park to get one more in on Fury before leaving for Camden and home.
Some more treble clef!
Speaking of treble clef, we were greeted by the Carowinds Brass Brigade and they were really getting into it!
You thought I'd leave without doing it? Are you nuts?
Our final spin on Fury was great, we got the back and said goodbye to our new number ones in style!
After that we stopped at the best Mexican place ever on the way out: Azteca!
Free desserts with your bill!
Bye bye, Charlotte!
The drive from there was brutal and rainy, and people were idiots and couldn't drive the speed limit so we lost time there and at a gas station. But after driving through a downpour, we got to Huntington, WV for an afternoon history lesson!
Kids, if a creepy clown tells you to do something, don't do it...
Hello, Camden Park! This park is located in Huntington, WV on the WV-OH-KY border (another border park) and while upkeep is bad, they're known for having some nice industry classics.
Our first ride was the biggest surprise of the trip, their playfully spelled Hawnted House! In addition to being gravity powered (therefore I counted it as a cred, it has a chain lift and a drop and everything), it's also quite terrifying.
Do NOT expect to enjoy this if you're claustrophobic like I am! You start the ride getting into this tiny cart and getting shoved into this four foot-tall box containing the turn into the lift. From there you get onto the lift, it lifts you, it turns around, and you dip once and then go into the haunted house itself. The gags are nice and campy which made it fun but those rooms are TINY!!! I shut my eyes halfway through and tried to convince myself that those corridors weren't as narrow as they were. It's terrifying, but it's FAB!!!!
Bees were EVERYWHERE and they were swarming on all of the trash cans!
Next we were off to Big Dipper, their classic National Amusement Devices woodie. The cool thing about Big Dipper was the classic and rare Century Flyer train it ran.
Selfie in a Century Flyer!
It still had old school brake levers.
Century Flyer selfie!
These trains were the main reason we came here and they're beautiful and my new favorite wooden coaster train type. The buzz bars give you so much freedom, the padding is perfect (there's even some on the front of the footwell for your knees!), and they're drop-dead gorgeous stainless steel. Such a shame they're so rare anymore, they're brilliant.
Another Century Flyer selfie!
They're so retro and fab. <3
Onto the coaster itself...it wasn't the greatest. I got literally no airtime on it no matter where I sat and while it wasn't rough, it wasn't great either. Big Dipper's worth is strictly historical in my eyes.
Only park map you're getting at Camden!
Their classic kiddie cred Little Dipper was next.
It had classic NAD trains as well...but they PAINTED them!!!!
Cred sucked, good historical value, shouldn't have painted the NAD trains.
Up next was their classic whip, which was amazing, though I wish it was a smidge faster.
Rattler was their new ride for 2015 and I have to admit, I found it enjoyable. It's better than Beech Bend's version of the product.
Connor then wanted me to photograph him riding in the NAD train so I did that.
Just gonna leave my funnel cake here and go ride...
We ended the day on Hawnted House. I love the cars for this ride, they're really cool. Fun fact: This ride was also in the movie Houses October Built.
Connor on Hawnted House!
Final consensus of Camden: It's great for its historical value but it stops there. I really think they should spend some money restoring it, repainting things (all kinds of paint was peeling off of Big Dipper), and instead of trying to please people with the present, please them with the past. Put up plaques near some of the rides to show off the history of that ride, play classic midway music instead of Nikki Minaj, and turn it into more of a museum than a park. If they got more money this place has the potential to be a mini Knoebels, they just need to invest and maybe try to grow it a bit more. It's a dump but it's a historic dump. If you're coming through and you're at all interested in the history of the industry it's a must-visit, but don't make a special trip here. But at $16 a ticket, if you're looking for some cheap and dirty creds on your trip this is a good opportunity!
After we got out later than expected, we headed back to Ohio.
Once we got to Cincinasty and back to Connor's, we moved my stuff from his car and said goodbye until Coaster Crew's Cedar Point event. I headed out, got lost in Cincinasty's awful infrastructure, and rolled back into my driveway at 12:30.
What a fantastic three days! I had a blast at both parks and an absolutely unforgettable day with Coaster Crew! Thank you so much to everyone who contributed if you're reading this, you're all phenomenal!
Day 1
Started the day with Affle House with the parents before getting on the road. Because their food is fab.
Sadly...no Pibb.
But Mello Yello is better!
I then got on the road and drove into Cincinasty to go meet Connor. After getting around the construction we met up and got on the road!
And Coach Ollie wears Speedos to bed.
Once we dealt with their bad infrastructure, it was into Kentucky for us!
I brought some Dewshine for us to try and I actually really liked it. I still prefer Sun Drop, Mountain Dew, and Pibb but it's pretty good. Nice, sweet, crisp taste to it.
And then it was into one of the worst states ever...West Virginia.
Stopping for lunch I saw this Camden Park billboard and got excited to stop there coming back.
Cajun burger from Steak 'n Shake! Best lunch ever if washed down with a Nutella shake!
Charleston, WV always looked like a massive dump but the state capital is gorgeous. I love that beautiful dome.
Tolls, grrr...
Finally, it was out of the frying pan and into the fire once we got through West Virginia and came across this tunnel.
Into the tunnel!
And out into Virginia! AKA the state where radar detectors are illegal and going 10 mph over will get you thrown in jail!
We had to be really militant with our speed but at least the drive through Jefferson National Forest was pretty.
Virginia is probably the prettiest state on the drive.
And another state to drive through...there's nothing to do here...
Selfie as Connor drives!
NC is a disgusting state but this lake was gorgeous.
And that's a really nice house, I'm sorry.
And then this peaked over the horizon sometime in Charlotte as we were blasting Rucka Rucka Ali and I FLIPPED!!!!
Connor had to tell me to calm down so many times in the ten minutes it took us to finish getting there and park.
We rolled in right at sunset, setting the stage for a gorgeous first Fury ride.
Both of us were taken by how fast it just rips up the layout, that coaster doesn't play around!
8 hours, 500 miles, and it all comes down to this...
We got in and there was hardly any wait...but that thing is HUGE!!!
I nearly got hit by a line jumper for calling her out but it was all good, once we got to this point I started losing it.
Fury selfie!
And OH MY GOD!!!! Fury 325 was absolutely astounding! The first time you ride, waiting to climb that colossal hill left me shaking in my boots, that thing is so imposing when you're looking right at it. Once you get to the top, the fun begins. That drop is not only full of some good floater but it lasts FOREVER. And then it slams you down into your seat before throwing you into an incredibly intense barrel turn, way more powerful than Leviathan's. From there, the next few overbanks are similar and awesome, but different. They all throw you down into your seat nicely, some have some nice snap on the entries, some have some airtime out of their exits. But all are awesome. After getting thrown around, you enter a really ballsy treble cleff turnaround with a nice overbanked bit at the top. And then comes one of the best parts of the ride. Coming off of the turnaround, the train darts down into the ride's signature "hive dive" under the entrance, and at twilight when we rode, you're ripped from your seat as you freefall down into this glowing tunnel and it's freaking awesome. After that, there's another awesome overbank with a not-so-awesome straightaway out of it akin to the entry to GateKeeper's second keyhole roll. Straight and blah, I feel like B&M could have done something to not have that there or Carowinds could have somehow themed it. But then the next element makes up for it. The train enters this insanely sharp camelback, hitting you with a ton of sick ejector, way more intense than I expected. After that is an okay helix with a nice support headchopper, followed by two more insane ejector hills before the brakes. It's insane, the ride almost never lets up, and the whole thing just feels alive, there's no other way to describe it.
Fury 325 took my number one spot unexpectedly from Voyage but it wasn't a sound slaughter like when Voyage took Cheetah Hunt's spot, I was still a tad shaky. Voyage is more aggressive usually but after the way they buffed the MCBR on Holiwood Nights I didn't enjoy it as much and I don't think the airtime over those first hills is as insane as it should be. But for now I considered Fury my new number one but open to the possibility of it not staying there.
We rode again when it got a smidge darker and it was still phenomenal, the hive dive was even better then!
We then went to Harmony Hall to grab dinner and I got a shot of this model of their old entrance.
...and a selfie!
Dinner was BBQ pulled pork and mac 'n cheese...and it was great! Way better than I remember the food here being, that executive chef's working miracles!
It's big and can feed a lot of people but it also feels really cozy and inviting. I really like their work here.
We then left for the Coaster Crew S'mores Social, walking past a gorgeous Fury on the way out.
Now that it was completely dark, the hive dive looked amazing and I was psyched to get to try it over and over again during nighttime ERT.
After that, we headed to the campground for s'mores at Tim's Coaster Crew party. There I got to meet Danny and his aunt, good friends of my friend Jenny (who couldn't make it but some of you probably remember her from my Cedar Point TR) and talk goony stuff, it was awesome.
Jarrett has a pointed object in the middle of the woods, RUN!!!!
Roasting marshmallows!
Tim brought the best s'mores supplies ever! Big crackers, s'mores skewers, and chocolate bars! S'mores made with Reese's cups are amazing!
After that, Connor and I left for the hotel and checked in. I had a beer (and badly attempted to play Connor's Prison Architect game) before just passing out. We had an early day the next day!
Day 2
We woke up early and got hotel breakfast before heading to the park and taking a wrong turn, pretty uneventful.
We pulled in just as the parking gates opened! Let's get Furyous!
Good morning, Fury 325!
Good morning, Baby Timmy and Fury 325!
Welcome to Carowinds!
They were testing Fury for the day, teasing us for ERT that night.
It towers over the entrance...
Being basic and took a selfie on the state line.
I like how they added this little plaque on the back of the sign.
In the park...in two different states, and all checked in and ready for Thunder Road tour and ERT!
In a nice gesture of shear awesomeness, Carowinds provided us with FREE Fast Lane Plusses! Thank you, Carowinds! I made sure to personally thank them on social media as well as in person when I saw park staff.
We started the day on a sad but interesting note. But it felt like a funeral.
I liked these signs, I wish they would keep them and stick them somewhere after the ride's gone.
Like Fury, they were testing it.
They opened the gate and took us back there!
This is Bob, the park's mechanical maintenance manager who acted as our tour guide. Really great guy, I got to have a nice long conversation with him about my endeavors in the industry and he knew so much about the ride. This guy literally gets paid to be the biggest goon ever.
Me rocking my VIP lanyard!
And there was thunder, thunder, over Thunder Road...
:dontswear: my focus in this picture...
It's not a big coaster but it looks fab up close.
Connor found this random Proslide crate hanging around.
Me with Thunder Road!
Thunder Road was originally themed after the movie of the same name and ran PTC trains with buzz bars themed as a cop and a moonshiner.
I wanted to ask Bob what this thing sticking out of the footer was (I assume it was just a marker of sorts but I could be wrong) but he was busy. Anybody here know?
Into the turnaround!
Selfie in the turnaround!
The trains are blue and grey even though the ride doesn't carry a Civil War theme.
Hugging Thunder Road goodbye!
Those PTC trains with the flames on them are beautiful.
It looked fab walking back to ride it...
Is this not gorgeous?
Desperate to get one more selfie with it...
Rode both sides while Connor only rode one and I have to say, this is a
censoredx: shame. Last time I rode this in 2011 it was rough as anything and I agreed with this decision, but after they got GCI to practically rebuild it it runs like a dream, so sad to see them bulldoze it after all that. After that, I got to have a nice, long conversation with Mike Fehnel, Carowinds's GM! I told him what I was doing in school and he wished me luck. He also gave me some crap for my Leviathan hat and told me I'd find Fury way better. I also told him about the Vortex floorless conversion I was doing in RCT3. He seemed really interested in what I thought of Rougarou.
After that it was off to Afterburn for Connor's first ride on it. I really love this invert, it's my third favorite behind Banshee and Montu. Connor loved it as well, especially the batwing, tunnels, and that last wingover.
After that we knocked out some of the Carolina Boardwalk creds. Ricochet had a massive line and no Fast Lane so we skipped it (for now) and knocked out Goldrusher and Cyclone.
Vortex was up next. It's my second least favorite B&M but I'm designing that floorless conversion that'll be a reality in a few years, so this was my last stand on it.
That drop with floorless trains...OH MY GOD!!! <3
Some lift motor action for those of you like me.
I really like this shot from the Fast Lane line.
Yeah...convert it. PLEASE convert it. It's a small B&M, I don't care that it doesn't have Mantis's epic layout, convert it. It'll still have a ton of headbanging but that helix is still disgusting. Connor and I disagree on which is worse but it's literally an awesome drop, a decent loop, a bland overbank, a leg-tingling helix, and a corkscrew and series of turns that just beats you up. Hate this thing!
Connor and I then did some tat shopping before hitting the car to lock it up...and I got this amazing hat!
Visual perfection on the way to the car...
Probably the best picture I have of this coaster...
We met up with Coaster Crew for lunch and I had a beer.
Connor, Danny, Susan and I!
We got to watch B&M awesomeness as we ate as well!
After lunch we went to get our buzz on when things took a turn for the worse...
Rain shut down Fury as we were in line, so we just kind of hung out around it, knowing that they'd reopen it as soon as it cleared.
I want this in my room...
This is what happens when you take a goon's number one away...
After Fury flew around the wet tracks when they reopened it, we went off to ride more. We did Hurler (which is smoother than I remember but still lacks airtme...take the trim off Carowinds!). Connor then wanted to make another run to the car before dinner so we did that.
Dinner time!
The park baked us this really sick Thunder Road cake!
...which I took a selfie with.
Dinner was brisket, mac 'n cheese, chicken, chips, and Pibb. 2 Pibbs.
The Thunder Road cake had strawberry filling and it was to die for!
The picnic grove provides some fab Fury views.
An otherwise peaceful picnic grove is disturbed by an angry hornet...
Treble cleff!
Trying to get Fury and the fountian as focal points...
At lunch, Tim tried to talk them into letting us all just get on Crabby Cabby, which Mike let us do for an hour with our shirts and lanyards!
Connor's above kiddie creds so he just photographed Intimidator.
Let's do this!
Parents in the station were laughing so hard! XD
Once that was done I split and got Woodstock Express before meeting up with Connor and Kevin (another CC member) and we did Afterburn again.
Connor hadn't done Timmy yet so we walked around the park and I took my last ride on it with that name.
I'd been told they nerfed the trims a bit so I was hoping for some ridiculous airtime...and I didn't get it. Is it better than Diamondback now? Yes. Is it better than Behemoth, Levi, or Fury? No. And I'm sad they're changing the theme because the NASCAR theme works so well with the area.
Plot Twist: They rename it Thunder Road and recycle the trademark.
After that I ran back to the car to get my Thunder Road lanyard (I thought I wouldn't need it but I did) as Connor rode Nighthawk and didn't enjoy it as much as Firehawk. As he said, "you can tell it's the prototype." After that we did Carolina Cobra and Ricochet, two of the most fab clones out there in my opinion.
Once that was all said and done, we went back to Fury to start riding before ERT...and a line jumper threatened to beat me up when I called her out. Again.
Once they cleared all the GP out it was time for our ERT! We were all supposed to sit and not get off but one of the trains got taken off (Danny said it blew a wheel?) so they were just running two trains, but I didn't mind! It was Fury ERT! And it was fabulous, over the course of 30 minutes we got 7 rides in, and one in my favorite seat, the front right. It was PHENOMENAL on the right. You get whipped to the side on that barrel turn and in the front, that hive dive is phenomenal at night! It illuminates the whole train once you pop out of your seat on that weird sideways treble clef exit and you just fly into the tunnel as all these light effects swirl around you and it's great. Not to mention that the forces are better in the front. Forces in the front, airtime in the back. But it was amazing!
I tuck my lanyards under the collars of my button-downs and secure the collars with pins so they don't fly off on rides. But this still happened!
Me after seven rides on Fury almost in a row (we ended the night sitting in the back twice without leaving!) and a whole day at Carowinds. But all good things come to an end, and this was no exception.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Carowinds for everything! The hospitality, the food, the ERT, the tour, and especially the free fast lanes! You guys are amazing! Pat yourselves on the back! Same with Tim and the rest of Coaster Crew, you did an amazing job putting this together and this was my favorite event of the season so far!
After that, Connor and I got back to the hotel and passed out once more, with plans to wake up later the next day.
Connor and I got up the next morning and made a run to the park to get one more in on Fury before leaving for Camden and home.
Some more treble clef!
Speaking of treble clef, we were greeted by the Carowinds Brass Brigade and they were really getting into it!
You thought I'd leave without doing it? Are you nuts?
Our final spin on Fury was great, we got the back and said goodbye to our new number ones in style!
After that we stopped at the best Mexican place ever on the way out: Azteca!
Free desserts with your bill!
Bye bye, Charlotte!
The drive from there was brutal and rainy, and people were idiots and couldn't drive the speed limit so we lost time there and at a gas station. But after driving through a downpour, we got to Huntington, WV for an afternoon history lesson!
Kids, if a creepy clown tells you to do something, don't do it...
Hello, Camden Park! This park is located in Huntington, WV on the WV-OH-KY border (another border park) and while upkeep is bad, they're known for having some nice industry classics.
Our first ride was the biggest surprise of the trip, their playfully spelled Hawnted House! In addition to being gravity powered (therefore I counted it as a cred, it has a chain lift and a drop and everything), it's also quite terrifying.
Do NOT expect to enjoy this if you're claustrophobic like I am! You start the ride getting into this tiny cart and getting shoved into this four foot-tall box containing the turn into the lift. From there you get onto the lift, it lifts you, it turns around, and you dip once and then go into the haunted house itself. The gags are nice and campy which made it fun but those rooms are TINY!!! I shut my eyes halfway through and tried to convince myself that those corridors weren't as narrow as they were. It's terrifying, but it's FAB!!!!
Bees were EVERYWHERE and they were swarming on all of the trash cans!
Next we were off to Big Dipper, their classic National Amusement Devices woodie. The cool thing about Big Dipper was the classic and rare Century Flyer train it ran.
Selfie in a Century Flyer!
It still had old school brake levers.
Century Flyer selfie!
These trains were the main reason we came here and they're beautiful and my new favorite wooden coaster train type. The buzz bars give you so much freedom, the padding is perfect (there's even some on the front of the footwell for your knees!), and they're drop-dead gorgeous stainless steel. Such a shame they're so rare anymore, they're brilliant.
Another Century Flyer selfie!
They're so retro and fab. <3
Onto the coaster itself...it wasn't the greatest. I got literally no airtime on it no matter where I sat and while it wasn't rough, it wasn't great either. Big Dipper's worth is strictly historical in my eyes.
Only park map you're getting at Camden!
Their classic kiddie cred Little Dipper was next.
It had classic NAD trains as well...but they PAINTED them!!!!
Cred sucked, good historical value, shouldn't have painted the NAD trains.Up next was their classic whip, which was amazing, though I wish it was a smidge faster.
Rattler was their new ride for 2015 and I have to admit, I found it enjoyable. It's better than Beech Bend's version of the product.
Connor then wanted me to photograph him riding in the NAD train so I did that.
Just gonna leave my funnel cake here and go ride...
We ended the day on Hawnted House. I love the cars for this ride, they're really cool. Fun fact: This ride was also in the movie Houses October Built.
Connor on Hawnted House!
Final consensus of Camden: It's great for its historical value but it stops there. I really think they should spend some money restoring it, repainting things (all kinds of paint was peeling off of Big Dipper), and instead of trying to please people with the present, please them with the past. Put up plaques near some of the rides to show off the history of that ride, play classic midway music instead of Nikki Minaj, and turn it into more of a museum than a park. If they got more money this place has the potential to be a mini Knoebels, they just need to invest and maybe try to grow it a bit more. It's a dump but it's a historic dump. If you're coming through and you're at all interested in the history of the industry it's a must-visit, but don't make a special trip here. But at $16 a ticket, if you're looking for some cheap and dirty creds on your trip this is a good opportunity!
After we got out later than expected, we headed back to Ohio.
Once we got to Cincinasty and back to Connor's, we moved my stuff from his car and said goodbye until Coaster Crew's Cedar Point event. I headed out, got lost in Cincinasty's awful infrastructure, and rolled back into my driveway at 12:30.
What a fantastic three days! I had a blast at both parks and an absolutely unforgettable day with Coaster Crew! Thank you so much to everyone who contributed if you're reading this, you're all phenomenal!