2 Fast 2 Fury325ious

So glad to be back to a theme park for the first time in 2 years. Man, did Covid suck. But hey, we're back, and the first theme park of the year is...CAROWINDS!!! This was my first time to visit this park, and it totally lived up to expectations.

I pre-purchased the Fast Lane, since I would be visiting on a Friday, and the park was only open for 5 hours. The weather ended up being drizzly throughout the day, so the park was not very crowded, but Fast Lane is still always worth it if you have limited time to visit a new park.

First impressions: Fury testing builds mega anticipation for the day. Visually, it's a better Gatekeeper. I absolutely love the entrance to this park. Just screams "You're about to have a great day."

I made my way through security easily and went in search of a locker. I didn't notice them by the park entrance, and so I wandered a bit past Intimidator. I was eventually stopped by a security guard--so for future reference, they don't let you get past Kiddy Hawk until the park officially opens. To the park's credit, that security guard was able to point me to the lockers I had passed back at the entrance. Very helpful and friendly.

I started my day on Intimidator. The racing theme is so very the South. When travelling, I'm here to enjoy the culture, so even though I don't generally care about cars, this was just perfect. It's a brilliant coaster, tall, fast, lots of up and down, everything I want. Great way to start out the coaster season.

Proceeding clockwise around the park, I stopped by Kiddie Hawk on some advice that it is decent and can be fun. This advice was wrong. Absolutely wrong. This coaster sucks.

The next one, however, was absolutely awesome: Afterburn (formerly Top Gun). Maybe the best invert I've been on? It certainly was a highlight of the day, and I went back to it several times. Very intense, very snappy, just a thrill and a half.

After burning, I went on to Copperhead Strike. I absolutely love this coaster. The theming is phenomenal, way above the norm for this park. It felt like I was at Dollywood. The twistiness, the pacing, it's everything I expected and more. This is an absolute gem.

Working my way back to the front of the park, I hit up several more coasters, all of which were okay. Goldrusher, Carolina Cyclone, Hurler, all fine but nothing to write home about.

And then it was time.

I was furious.

I needed to be 325 feet in the air.

Oh, how this coaster surpassed expectations.

I absolutely love Millennium Force. I haven't met a gigacoaster I didn't love. The speed, the rush, they're all great. And Fury 325 surpasses them all. It starts off fast, then about halfway through it gets all slow and twisty and shows you a good time you didn't know you were in for. It's utterly perfect, and it's worthy of all the accolades.

Thanks for making it this far through, but you're here for good eats, right? I made my way over to Harmony Hall. This is the place to be for food & drink at Carowinds. The barbecue here is very decent. I live near Kansas City, so I know good barbecue. If Harmony Hall were a KC restaurant, it'd go under quickly. However, for theme park food, it's absolutely great. Get some ribs with the Western Carolina sauce and a local beer, and you'll be a happy clam. I know I was.

All in all, it was a great day. I spent the rest of it circulating the park and going back to the rides I enjoyed. Fast lane plus a reduced attendance due to weather made for a magnificent day. I would love to come back to Carowinds, and I'll look for an opportunity to do so. This park is fantastic. Charlotte locals, you've got a real gem here. Treasure it.