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Carowinds for Some Crazy Roller Coasters & Carnival Fare!

May 29, 2017 by Ron Wen

Entrance to Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC - IncredibleNC
Entrance to Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC – IncredibleNC

If you’re a roller coaster junkie like I am, it’s hard to resist the call of a good amusement park! From Cedar Point to Six Flags, there’s nothing like the thrills and chills running through you body as a roller coaster tips over that first hill. And thankfully, here in North Carolina you’ve got a great roller coaster park: Carowinds! With two coasters rated in the top 25 in the country by CoasterBuzz, it’s worth the effort to head over to the NC/SC border and enjoy the rush and excitement at Carowinds. And after 3 visits to the park over the past couple of years, I’ve got some advice and recommendations for you.

First of all, if you’re headed out to Carowinds from the Triangle, you’re probably looking at a 2 to 2:45 minute ride to the southwest with minimal traffic. If you’re focused on the coasters, it’s wise to go on the off-days between Monday to Thursday or alternatively on the weekend, on Sunday when the crowds are quieter. Showing up right at open is key and if you’re the owner of a seasons pass, you can get in earlier! Thankfully, both the Intimidator and Fury 325 are at the front of the park, one to the left and one to the right. If you’re not quite sure you’re ready to take on the Fury 325 as your first ride, I’d head to the Intimidator first. Given it’s a “smaller coaster” and its longer load times, you’re best off getting started there! Just look for the red-orange monster to your left…

 

Now while the Intimidator may be the smaller of the two thrill coasters at Carowinds, by no means is it a pussy-cat type of ride. With a 230′ first hill and hitting speeds of up to 75 mph, you’re talking about a great ride experience but everything is relative! One of the unique features of the Intimidator which is based upon Dale Earnhardt of NASCAR fame is the bucket seating which mimics a race car seat. The seats are also offset with the two outside seats flared out and to the back giving you more space between rows and a clearer view of hills ahead. One lap restraint holds you in tightly and you’re off!

Intimidator roller coaster at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC - IncredibleNC
Intimidator roller coaster at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC – IncredibleNC

As you move to the top of Intimidator’s first hill, you feel as if you should be doing a sanity check! The long, undulating red track in front of your gets your heart rate going. Swoosh, you’re down that first hill and picking up speed now. The key part of the Intimidator are the camelbacks. A series of hills and bumps that get you nearly airborne out of your seat to create that discomforting feeling of weightlessness! And without any shoulder harnesses, those camelbacks make you feel as if you’re about to pop out of the Intimidator, several times. But not to worry, soon enough you’re back in the loading station, ready to ride again! The Intimidator is currently ranked at #22 by CoasterBuzz and is a fantastic ride except for…

Entrance to Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC - IncredibleNC
Entrance to Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC – IncredibleNC
Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC - IncredibleNC
Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC – IncredibleNC

The Fury 325! Built for Carowinds in 2016, the Fury 325 is defined as a giga-coaster (over 300′ high) and is currently ranked by CoasterBuzz as the #1 roller coaster in the country! And having ridden this teal-green beastie 6 times, I can tell you for sure that it lives up to that billing. Located to the right of Carowinds’ main entrance, this coaster makes its presence know by curling around and under the customer walkway as you approach. The sight of eight cars of screaming people just gets the adrenaline going and heightens your anticipation.

The entryway to Fury 325 is pretty impressive, carrying on the Fury 325 hornet theme. The large queuing area is deep and wraps around two large sections. I’ve waited as long as 90 minutes to ride Fury 325 but if you’re lucky, it’ll be under 30 minutes. As you wait, there isn’t a ton of entertainment but there are some shaded areas and overhead coverage. You stand right next to the first climb and can watch the cars tick up that massive first 325′ hill, whoa!

Loading area at Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC - IncredibleNC
Loading area at Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC – IncredibleNC

And finally you’re at the loading station, with eight cars and an experienced staff, people move on and off the Fury 325 pretty quickly. You’ve got a lap restraint and lap belt, just in case… and then you’re off! The climb up the main hill is pretty durn fast, fast enough to make you think “oh, I don’t know if I made a very good decision” but it’s too late now, my friend. You watch the ground and crowds fall away along with their noisy chatter and realize you are WAY up high. As you start to tip over the peak, your stomach tightens up and yay, we’re going over! And whooosh…  Down that first hill that feel like it’s over 90 degrees and then out! Fury 325 doesn’t do any loops but hits you with quite a few over-banked turns, does a 180 degree u-turn at the end and then plunges you into a tunnel underneath the main entrance. Then some camelbacks on the way home to lift you out of your seat and through the braking area before you return to the loading station, phew! And all of these acrobatics are done at really high speeds, Fury 325 hits up to 95 mph on this heart-pounding trip! And thankfully, the ride is long so your adrenaline stays ramped up for an extended period of time, what A RIED! If you’re an aggressive coaster enthusiast, you’ll love Fury 325 but if not, you’ll probably never want to get near it.

Nighthawk roller coaster at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC - IncredibleNC
Nighthawk roller coaster at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC – IncredibleNC

Besides Fury 325, I’d also recommend Afterburner, an inverted coaster where your feet dangle and the Nighthawk, a lie-down coaster which has you whooshing over water and looking down at the ground. This coaster loads pretty slowly so wait times are on the long side, beware! Some other good rides are the Windsweeper (300′ high, rotating swings) which will scare the heck out of you in a different way. Carowinds also has some great, classic wooden coasters along with the new County fair section which highlights carnival rides.  And I’ve heard Plants vs. Zombies is a lot of fun, woo-hoo! There is plenty to do here at Carowinds for the day if you’re a coaster fan but not so much if you’re a fan of less aggressive rides. On a good day, you can knock down 6 to 10 rides in a day if you come at a less crowded period.

Nighthawk roller coaster at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC - IncredibleNC
Harmony Hall Marketplace at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC – IncredibleNC

And what about food at Carowinds? It runs the gamut of traditional, trashy amusement park fare. Funnel cakes, cotton candy, burgers, Italian and more. I’ve had good luck at both Harmony Hall Marketplace and Chickie’s & Pete’s Sports Grill. Harmony Hall offers a ton of Southern food options along with a huge, air-conditioned dining space while Chickie’s & Pete’s offers up cheesesteak, crab fries and more. While the food is a bit expensive at Carowinds, it’s pretty decent quality and will keep you fueled for a busy and active day.

Food from Chickie's & Pete's at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC - IncredibleNC
Food from Chickie’s & Pete’s at Carowinds Park in Charlotte, NC – IncredibleNC

So enjoy Carowinds, all those roller coasters and all that naughty fair food! It’s a fun way to spend the day on a warm Carolina evening. And Carowinds just renovated Carolina Harbor, their waterpark that’s also part of your admission ticket! More to come there but I’m guessing that Carowinds Harbor won’t be nearly as exciting as the roller coasters but to each his own!

 

Carowinds Park

14523 Carowinds Boulevard

Charlotte, NC 28273

 

Location on Google maps

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Filed Under: Activities, Charlotte, Featured Tagged With: amusement park

Travel: Stoney Mountain Farm in Burlington, Sheepish Good Fun!

April 8, 2017 by Ron Wen

As part of my research for the upcoming 2017 Piedmont Farm Tour, I had the chance to preview a couple of farms and Stoney Mountain Farm was at the top of my list! Focused on raising and breeding sheep for wool and meat, I headed out to Burlington, NC to visit Olga and her flock!

Stoney Mountain Farm in Burlington on the Piedmont Farm Tour - Incredible NC
Stoney Mountain Farm in Burlington on the Piedmont Farm Tour – Incredible NC

Heading out on the peaceful and serenic Old Stoney Mountain Road, I find the farm which is a cluster of 3 or 4 small buildings. As I get out, I’m greeted by Stoney Mountain Farm’s owner, Olga Elder. Olga is a former Durham resident who transitioned into farm life and escaped the business world, a bit later as an adult. As we introduce ourselves and chat, a beautiful herringbone patterned chicken pecks hungrily at a bowl of water, it’s quite the idyllic scene here at Stoney Mountain Farm!

Beautiful chicken at Stoney Mountain Farm in Burlington on the Piedmont Farm Tour - Incredible NC
Beautiful chicken at Stoney Mountain Farm in Burlington on the Piedmont Farm Tour – Incredible NC

As we move into the pastures, the first pen of sheep we run into are actually baby sheep! Spring time is prime time for ewes to bear lambs and looks like Stoney Mountain Farm has gotten off to an early start. And according to Olga there’s a lot more to come, just in time for the Piedmont Farm Tour. Next up is a pen full of ewes, female and momma sheep! Taking in this beautiful flock is pretty amazing. The variety in their coat texture and colors, they all exhibit those side-flopped ears and look adorable. Stoney Mountain Farm raises three types of sheep: Navajo Churro, Dorset, and Corriedale Sheep. Olga chose these breeds for a variety of reasons ranging from their wool, coloration and/or quality as a meat.

Ewes at Stoney Mountain Farm in Burlington on the Piedmont Farm Tour - Incredible NC
Ewes at Stoney Mountain Farm in Burlington on the Piedmont Farm Tour – Incredible NC

We move on from the pen of ewes towards the back pastures and go by an ancient looking structure with thick-hewn beams and notched ends. Olga tells me this storage structure is one of the oldest buildings in the county and it looks as much. There are several empty pastures at Stoney Mountain Farm and I’m assuming the sheep get rotated from one to the other to let the grounds recover from grazing. As we head towards a flock of rams, we meet Olga’s husband, John! He seems to have a magical effect on the rams, they all come over in a cluster to greet him and poke their little faces out in excitement. The rams are interesting little animals. Take the cuteness of the standard sheep and add some curly horns or pointy horns and you’ve got a tougher looking sheep!

Rams at Stoney Mountain Farm in Burlington on the Piedmont Farm Tour - Incredible NC
Rams at Stoney Mountain Farm in Burlington on the Piedmont Farm Tour – Incredible NC

In back we also run into a flock with a couple of llamas on guard. Apparently the biggest danger to sheep at Stoney Mountain Farm are domestic dogs and these llamas HATE dogs! And given how big they are, most pooches would be wise to steer a wide berth from these sheep guardians. It’s funny to watch these llamas strut around with sheep in tow, the sheep seem to understand their protective nature and follow them like pied pipers.

Rams at Stoney Mountain Farm in Burlington on the Piedmont Farm Tour - Incredible NC
Rams at Stoney Mountain Farm in Burlington on the Piedmont Farm Tour – Incredible NC

Before we head back up front, I get to do a bit of Q&A with Olga about the farm and her experiences here. My biggest take-away is how attached Olga is to her flock and sheep and how hard it is to give them up for processing. But she feels that the whole cycle of raising the sheep on her lands with no chemicals is the right thing for us to do as meat eaters and truly a way to connect back to the earth we live on. And I’d have to say I whole-heartedly agree. Because seeing these animals, forget raising them, has raised my awareness of how detached we can be as consumers in the USA. So I’m thankful the events like the Piedmont Farm Tour and farms like Stoney Mountain Farm and Sunset Ridge Buffalo Farm. Knowing that they are raising these animals under humane conditions for consumption by those of us in the area, will be much more appreciated after visiting! So come on out the weekend of April 22nd and 23rd to visit Stoney Mountain Farm to meet Olga’s flock. I can’t think of a better way to learn about North Carolina’s food systems whether you’re a child or adult.

 

Stoney Mountain Farm on the Piedmont Farm Tour

6559 Old Stoney Mountain Road

Burlington, NC 27217

336.421.8244

 

Location on Google maps

Filed Under: Promotions, Travel Tagged With: Piedmont

Art in Bloom at the NC Museum of Arts, March 30 to April 2

April 1, 2017 by Ron Wen

Pictures from the media preview!

Art in Bloom at the NCMA

March 30th to April 2nd

Filed Under: Activities, Promotions, Raleigh

News: The 22nd Annual Piedmont Farm Tour comes to NC on April 22 and 23rd!

March 26, 2017 by Ron Wen

When it comes to food, it can be pretty personal. Not only from the consumer standpoint but of course from the production standpoint as a farmer. And North Carolina is such a rich state when it comes to its agricultural history and farms. So I was pretty excited to learn about the upcoming Piedmont Farm Tours coming to Alamance, Chatham, Orange and Person counties! Brought to you by the people from Carrboro’s Weaver Street Market and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association for the past 22 years, you can re-connect with the farms that are committed to bringing you, great local produce and meat. And the Piedmont Farm Tour is all available to you in a very family-friendly way! Buy a button before the event and you can tour any/all of the 35 farms for $30 per car on the weekend of April 22 – 23. You can pre-purchase these buttons from a variety of locations (check out my list below) or you can purchase day of event for $35. Or tour individual farms for $10 each.

And the list of farms participating on this tour sounds so interesting! What caught my eye? An awful lot to be honest with you! How about visiting a bison farm in Roxboro? Or meeting some sheep and their llama guards in Burlington? There will be a slew of baby goats, chickens, pigs and more to greet you at many of these farms. Or check out the greenhouse, apiaries (bees) and flowers. There will be something for everyone in your family. More importantly, you’ll have an opportunity to connect directly with NC farmers on this tour and learn more about their operations and passion that drives them to bring all this great local produce to you. You’ll learn about their commitment to sustainable farming practices and gain appreciation for what you find on your plate, every day. I admit that I need to learn more about where my food comes from, beyond a plastic wrapped styro-foam tray at Teeters! And as one of the oldest farm tours in the country, I can’t imagine a better way to learn more about your food. So check out the map and event description below, there will be 35 farms on the tour this year.

Piedmont Farm Tour, 4/22 - 4/23 - Click on image for details!
Piedmont Farm Tour, 4/22 – 4/23 – Click on image for details!

22nd Annual Piedmont Farm Tour

April 22nd and 23rd

Buy your advance tickets at the below locations or online! I’m already looking forward to this tour and hope to get you a preview, sometime soon…

BURLINGTON:
Company Shops Market
268 E. Front Street 336 223-0384

CARRBORO:
Weaver Street Market
101 E. Weaver Street 919 929-0010

CHAPEL HILL:
Weaver Street Market
Southern Village, 716 Market Street 919 929-2009

DURHAM:
Durham Farmers’ Market
501 Foster Street

Durham Co-op Market
111 W. Chapel Hill Street 919 973-1707

GREENSBORO:
600 N. Eugene Street  336 292-9216

HILLSBOROUGH:
Weaver Street Market
228 S. Churton Street 919 245-5050

PITTSBORO:
Chatham Marketplace
480 Hillsboro Street 919 542-2643

RALEIGH:
Harmony Farms
5653 Creedmoor Road 919 782-0064

Standard Foods
205 E. Franklin Street 919 307-4652

SAXAPAHAW:
Saxapahaw General Store
1735 Saxapahaw-Bethlehem Church Road 336 376-5332

 

Filed Under: Activities, Chapel Hill

Raleigh Rallies for Flood Victims at the Amazing Sunday Supper

November 20, 2016 by Ron Wen

Sunday Supper NC in Raleigh on November 13 - Incredible NC
Sunday Supper NC in Raleigh on November 13 – Incredible NC

When natural disasters strike, they can be terrifying events for a community. But it’s always good to see the positive side of things. With the recent flooding from Hurricane Matthew in North Carolina, the Sunday Supper held in downtown Raleigh on November 13th was a perfect example. A fundraiser held around the theme “Fight the floods with a fork”, I certainly was ready to help and eat! And I was pretty amazed at the whole event from start to finish, kudos to the wonderful volunteer team who pulled off this inspiring event for North Carolinians.

sundaysuppernc-streetsign

Heading down on Hargett Street, I checked into Sunday Supper and received a wristband and tickets for the meal. Everyone was in great spirits on a crisp and sunny fall morning in Raleigh! A large volunteer group from the Holy Trinity Anglican church was out in force in support. As I headed towards Fayetteville Street, the crowd starts to thicken and I look down the street in awe. The Sunday Supper team has laid out four very long community tables heading north to the state capital and south towards Progress Energy center. Autumn place settings sit on the table every 5 or so seats and it’s a wonderful visual snapshot for my memories. I’ve done many events on Fayetteville Street over the years but this was one of the most impressive scenes!

Sunday Supper NC in Raleigh on November 13 - Incredible NC
Sunday Supper NC in Raleigh on November 13 – Incredible NC

sundaysuppernc-firetruckflag

Heading towards the southern end of Sunday Supper, the Raleigh Fire Department anchored the south end of Sunday Supper and had one of their hook and ladder trucks at the scene. A huge American flag swung overhead, sporting our country’s colors against the bright blue sky. The NC State Capital building in the background just made for an inspiring view and reminder of this great country and state we live in. And after a particularly difficult and divisive election campaign season, an important reminder of who we are as a people.

Sunday Supper NC in Raleigh on November 13 - Incredible NC
Sunday Supper NC in Raleigh on November 13 – Incredible NC

With gospel music wafting from the stage, the large group at hand (1,000 tickets were sold for Sunday Supper) was seated at the long dining tables. We managed to find some friends at the table and enjoyed some conversation and Big Boss beer before supper started. Soon enough we are called to the food tables. Young volunteers are serving up a traditional NC barbeque plate complete with Brunswick stew and corn bread, yum!

Sunday Supper NC in Raleigh on November 13 - Incredible NC
Sunday Supper NC in Raleigh on November 13 – Incredible NC
Sunday Supper NC in Raleigh on November 13 - Incredible NC
Sunday Supper NC in Raleigh on November 13 – Incredible NC

And back at the stage, Pam Saulsby and Brian Etheridge are hosting and acting as emcees for the Sunday Supper. As the national anthem queues up, the crowd stands and then a blessing is said before we partake in our special meal. We all clasp hands around this very long table for the community blessing and then, supper is on! Thanks to 18 Seaboard, Q Shack, Smithfield Chicken n Bar-B-Q, lucettegrace, Zoe’s and other vendors for providing us with this lovely plate!

Sunday Supper NC in Raleigh on November 13 - Incredible NC
Sunday Supper NC in Raleigh on November 13 – Incredible NC

sundaysuppernc-dessertplate

After supper, dessert plates are passed around with cupcakes, tarts, baklava and more. A very sweet touch for the end of a lovely afternoon for a great cause. Coming five days after our general election, I can say that personally, the Sunday Supper was a welcome reprieve from all the tough news and election negativity I absorbed over the previous months. It’s important for us to all understand that no matter what our differences, we’re all on the same team in a great state within an amazing country. And there’s still no end to what we can accomplish if we can work together. The Sunday Supper was a perfect example of a community coming together to support those impacted by Hurricane Matthew in early October. And the Sunday Supper team did an amazing job in one month to pull off this event. So thanks so much for providing the Triangle community this nourishment, it was much needed and much appreciated…

sundaysuppernc-rbctoweramericanflag

 

Sunday Supper NC

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Filed Under: Events, Raleigh

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