Carowinds has attractions for all ages. Nickelodeanland is great for the kiddies, and there are plenty of roller coasters and other hair-raising rides for the older kids. Boomerang Bay water park within Carowinds was awesome. We spent hours there. The park was clean and just a pure joy. The lemon slushies were really good, expensive but good. I ate two!

You can search for their website and order tickets ahead of time. They are cheaper than buying them at the door. You can print the tickets out at home and voila!

Open since 1971, Carowinds was once a family-owned park. In the early '90s, it was brought out by the Paramount corporation and continues to be by run under the Paramount name. Paramount owns four other parks, with King’s Dominion only being 3 hours away, near Richmond, VA (and a much better park). Paramount also owns the Star Trek: The Experience in Vegas. So, if you have a season pass from one of the other four parks, it is accepted here as well. Carowinds used to be divided into five sections (I believe), with names such as County Fair invoking an image of small-town Southern fun. These days most employees use the nearest major coaster to give you directions.

They offer three “thrill” rides, several smaller coasters, kiddie rides, a free-fall tower, family rides, and two classic wooden coasters, including Thunder Road, which has been around as long as the park. They offer several show, which change seasonally, and several concerts are offered at the palladium throughout the season (mainly Christian music concerts).

There are a number of restaurants throughout the park, from simple snacks and sandwiches to sit-down meals. The food here is overpriced and, like most other parks, not of a high quality. There are a number of restaurants at the entrance of the park, inside CrossRoads Mall (located right before the entrance), in nearby Rock Hill, on Westinghouse Boulevard and off I-51. The park does have same day entry, and the parking price is for the whole day. Just make sure to have your hand stamped as you exit, and hang on to your parking stub.

They do have ATMS, wheelchair rental, locker rental, a pet-care center, a baby-care center, stroller rentals, and first aid.

They have a number of arcade and mid-way type games throughout the park. There are a number of shops offering up typical theme park souvenirs, candy, beachwear, and kiddie delights. Carolina Cove offers a nice selection of nautical and lighthouse items. And the CBS store offers items bearing the logo of many of your favorite CBS shows, CSI included!

Scarowinds is showcased in October, Winterfest is from mid-November until New Years, and July 4th brings a spectacular fireworks display. Carowinds is open from March until January. They are open weekends only, except for the summer when they are open daily. Hours are seasonal. For more information, go to www.carowinds.com.

It is a small amusement park, big enough to see in 1 day, especially if it is not crowded. It is a somewhat older park, but it is kept up well. There are lots of roller coasters; the Borg is the newest, most exciting attraction. The lines are always longest for the Log Flume, Borg, Scooby's Haunted Mansion, Top Gun and Ricoche. The lines are usually short for the Hurler and Thunder Road. If you arrive when the park opens, start at the back of the park, people tend to go to the first ride they come to and work their way back. We saw this evidence one day when we kept passing by the long lines until we got to ride with no line. We got on, and when the ride was over, the crowd getting off the previous ride was headed our way. So we stayed ahead of the pack for a while. When it's time to eat, it's popular to bring a picnic lunch and tailgate it.

If you are eating inside the park, the Country Kitchen is the only air-conditioned restaurant, but it's also the most expensive. At the Nickolodian Cafe, you can get a decent size slice of cheese pizza for a fair price, or a whole pie with 8 slices for less per slice. There are also Subway and Chick-Fil-A restuarants that are twice as expensive as outside the park. If you really want Subway and don't want to pay the price, there is one in the strip mall at the entrance to the park. Just get your hand stamped on the way out! And just go ahead and wear your bathing suit, you're going to get wet anyway, even if you don't go in the water park. There are 4 rides outside the water park that will get you wet, or soaked, so you might as well be dressed for it.