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Carowinds slogan

The two RV Gypsies and family
at Carowinds Amusement Park
August 4, 2018

Carolina Boardwalk sign

Carowinds is a 400-acre amusement park, located adjacent to Interstate 77 in Charlotte, North Carolina and is located 15 minutes from uptown Charlotte at exit 90 (Carowinds Blvd) off Interstate 77 at the North Carolina/South Carolina border.The park is located on the state line of the Carolinas, with a portion of the park also located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The park has a Halloween event called Carowinds and a winter event called WinterFest. It is usually open March through December. It was an expensive day because of a $20 parking fee, entrance fee and Fast Lane Plus passes. Karen Duquette thought it well worth the money for the Fast Lane Plus pass.

Fort Mill, SC and Charlotte, NC
Karen Duquette in SC and NC at Carowinds
Karen Duquette in SC and NC at Carowinds

laughing dudeThe great-grandson of the two RV Gypsies likes to make faces at the camera.

The great-grandson of the two RV Gypsies The great-grandson of the two RV Gypsies

Below: Lee Duquette and his great-grandson rode on The Scrambler. He was just tall enough. Then Anthony enjoyed some of the children's rides.

The great-grandson of the two RV Gypsies The great-grandson of the two RV Gypsies
The great-grandson of the two RV Gypsies The great-grandson of the two RV Gypsies

On the date that the two RV Gypsies and family were at Carowinds, the park was very crowded with people, so Karen and Renee bought the Fast Lane Plus pass, after watching people get 5 rides on Fury before the park actually opened rides to people without Fast Lane Plus cards.

Fast Lane is a limited-access line queue system offered for an additional charge at Cedar Fair amusement parks. Visitors can purchase access, which includes a wristband that allows them to bypass standard lines in favor of shorter ones at many of the parks' most popular attractions. Fast Lane Plus is a more expensive, higher-end version that includes several additional attractions.

Anthony and Fury

Fury 325 is a giga coaster loosely themed around Charlotte's nickname the "Hornet's Nest". It has a height of 325 feet, making it the tallest giga coaster and fastest non-launched roller coaster in the world, reaching speeds of up to 95 mph making it the sixth fastest in the world, according to Carowinds advertisements.

Fury 325 is the tallest ride ever built at Carowinds and the single largest investment in the park's history. During the ride, riders reach speeds up to 95 miles per hour, then riders go through high-speed curves, and pass over and under the park's main entrance. Fury 325 was voted the best steel coaster in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards in 2016 and 2017, ending Millennium Force's six-year streak.

John, Renee, Alex and Karen really enjoyed Fury 325. Karen Duquette always rides roller coasters with her hands up all the way. Anthony was too short to ride Fury, so Lee Duquette spent time with Anthony in areas where Anthony could enjoy the park more.

John Renee, Alex, Karen on Fury

Below: Anthony enjoyed Dinosaur World

ife-size dinosaurs sign dinosaur path sign
sign about dinosaur danger foul odor sign
Anthony and a dinosaur Anthony and a dinosaur
dinosaur Anthony and a dinosaur
dinosaur
no riding dinosaur sign Anthony and a dinosaur
dinosaur Anthony and a dinosaur

Below: Description of some of the roller coasters at Carowinds on this date in 2018.

1. The Fury 325 is said to be the tallest, fastest giga coaster in the world. Reaching a height of 325 feet, with a speed of 95 mph, the ride lasted about 3 minutes and 25 seconds. It is a sit-down steel roller coaster with one gigantic 81-degree drop, plus several other big drops, and multiple super-tight turns that whipped everyone all around, crossing back and forth over the South Carolina and North Carolina state line. Everyone lifted up and out of their seat for several seconds (known as "airtime") at least half a dozen times. It was an incredible adrenaline rush with its tight, twisting turns, and the favorite roller coaster for Karen, Renee, John and Alex on this date.

2. The Intimidator is the second tallest roller coaster in the park at 230 feet in height which makes it taller than a 20-story building. It is a sit-down steel coaster with a smooth ride. The Intimidator is all about the hills. The individual seats were separated and staggered across the trains' platforms, instead of all together in rows. So riders could see other riders, but could not hold a friend's hand while flying through the air at 75 miles an hour.

3. Nighthawk: The steel track is 2,766 feet in length and the height of the lift is 115 feet. Nighthawk has a total of 5 inversions. It features one vertical loop, a double corkscrew, two "Lie to Fly" and two "Fly to Le" elements.

Once riders are seated and restrained, the train tilts backwards into a 'lay-down' position and dispatched. The train travels backwards out of the station, turns left and travels up the 115-foot lift hill. Once the train reaches the top of the lift hill, it dips down into a twist (called a "Lie-to-Fly") that turns the trains upside down into a flying position where riders face the ground. After the twist, the train travels down the first drop, reaching speeds of 51 mph. Riders then go through an over banked Horseshoe Curve element. Following the Horseshoe, the train enters a "Fly-to-Lie" element that turns riders back to a lay-down position. After the banked turn, the ride enters the 66-foot tall vertical loop, where riders experience 4.3 G's. The train then goes into another "Lie-to-Fly" element. Following the loop, riders go through another turn into the final "Fly-to-Lie" element before entering two consecutive corkscrews before making a right turn onto the brake run.

4. The Afterburn is a steel roller coaster in which the seats hang from the rails above, leaving feet to dangle in the air. Because the rails are above riders, there's an illusion of flying through the air. There are lots of corkscrews and twists.

5. The Carolina Cobra doesn't make a circuit like the other coasters in the park. It doesn't leave the station, go in a big circle and arrive back where it started. Instead, the train is hoisted up backwards to the top of a ramp, then races down the incline. At the bottom, it twists, loops and twists again, and then runs up another incline. Then it repeats the whole thing BACKWARDS.

6. Vortex is a stand-up roller coaster. Riders stand through the ride, strapped in by their shoulders. This made it impossible for Karen to put here hands up high in the air.

7. Hurler is a big wooden roller coaster. Karen does not usually like wooden roller coasters, and she did not ride this one.

8. Carolina Cyclone is an older steel roller coaster with multiple loops and corkscrews. It goes upside down a lot. It is not a smooth ride, but a real head-shaker.

clock running backwardsLook Belowflash back sign

FLASHBACK TO 1975 - Brian Duquette and Renee Duquette - The children of Karen and Lee Duquette at Carowinds in 1975

Carowinds sign
Renee and Brian Duquette in 1975
Renee and Brian Duquette in 1975

Below: Renee Duquette driving the son of Karen's friends that she knew in Connecticut, Charlotte and Bob Stastonis, who had moved to the Carolinas. Unfortunately, they have lost contact with them over the years.

Renee Duquette
look below

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