This was my 6th trip to Carowinds this year and my first after a 5 week trip in the mountains. I arrived at the park around 5 PM to find very light crowds. So light, in fact, that I did these things from 5-6:
-Rode Top Gun 5 times
-took photos of Top Gun
-Rode Thunder Road backwards once
-Walked to other side of park and checked out 2002 preview boards and took photos
-Rode Carolina Cyclone
-walked to Waterworks
The preview boards advertise for the 'Carolina Boardwalk' "Wish you were here in 2002" and Ricochet, the wild mouse coaster. I will post photos today at my website.
Waterworks was fairly crowded despite the rest of the park being empty, so I went in the wave pool for a long time then rode the lower half of Pipeline Peak twice.
In Wayne's World I rode the Hurler twice in car 1 seat 2 for amazing airtime. I also picked up a ride on Drop Zone, which is still great. Thanks to the light crowds, I rode Vortex, which I normally do not ride. I still do not find this coaster very pleasurable, and that may be the last time this year that I ride it.
Heading over to Thunder Road forwards, I picked up a decent ride, and then went to Top Gun for the last hour and a half till closing. I was able to ride Top Gun 11 times before closing, giving me 16 for the day and my last ride was in the front seat at closing time for my 50th ride of the season. It was a great trip.
-------------
Top Gun: The Jet Coaster Flights in 2001: 50
Coaster Tracks Ridden: 53
www.starcoasters.com
