http://www.gogoraleigh.com The Latest in Retail, Entertainment, and Development in Raleigh Fri, 01 Apr 2016 13:01:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.3

http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2015/03/06/fury-325-test-run-pov-hits-internet/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2015/03/06/fury-325-test-run-pov-hits-internet/#comments Fri, 06 Mar 2015 05:31:00 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/?p=7633 Carowinds’ Fury 325 will open this summer as the 5th tallest roller coaster in the world, and will be the most discussed coaster on the continent this year. On Wednesday the track saw its unmanned maiden voyage. A point-of-view camera was mounted and footage is now posted on YouTube. The 325’ high coaster is 20’ taller than the Statue of Liberty, and will be the highest and fastest for Bolliger & Mabillard. The firm known for engineering the smoothest coasters ever built sees itself well into the 300 foot zone with this coaster. It’s a zone that Intamin has dominated over last decade and a half. Hopefully B&M can bring their brand of well-managed lateral Gs to this class of coasters. Looks like some track tuning still remains as well as much landscaping. It appears the coaster has a fantastic fine del capo under the pedestrian plaza followed by a splashdown into a lake. This should be a dynamite addition to the NC side of Carowinds, and will attract visitors from...

]]> Carowinds’ Fury 325 will open this summer as the 5th tallest roller coaster in the world, and will be the most discussed coaster on the continent this year. On Wednesday the track saw its unmanned maiden voyage. A point-of-view camera was mounted and footage is now posted on YouTube.

The 325’ high coaster is 20’ taller than the Statue of Liberty, and will be the highest and fastest for Bolliger & Mabillard. The firm known for engineering the smoothest coasters ever built sees itself well into the 300 foot zone with this coaster. It’s a zone that Intamin has dominated over last decade and a half. Hopefully B&M can bring their brand of well-managed lateral Gs to this class of coasters.

Looks like some track tuning still remains as well as much landscaping. It appears the coaster has a fantastic fine del capo under the pedestrian plaza followed by a splashdown into a lake. This should be a dynamite addition to the NC side of Carowinds, and will attract visitors from around the world to this hidden gem of a park.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/07/04/austin-discovering-uchi/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/07/04/austin-discovering-uchi/#comments Thu, 04 Jul 2013 23:12:03 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/?p=6923 After leaving the dreadful remnants of Terminal 1 in Raleigh, we landed in Nashville to change planes. Nashville has a reputation of being one of America's cities with the most personality. However their airport is one of the blandest I've ever seen. The food selection exists as a 4-store food court, O'Charley's, and the Gibson Cafe. Of course, we did the latter and it wasn't anything to rave about. Landing in Austin, however, one is greeted by an airy steel and glass room, a live band, and a good food selection. The Austin terminal feels like Raleigh's Terminal 2 concourse, but isn't as beautiful. There is one arc-shaped concourse, and the ticketing and concourse areas are essentially one big room  separated by a glass wall and a split level offset. Very unusual. We headed straight to Uchi, one of America's most celebrated restaurants. Chef Tyson Cole is a Top Chef, James Beard, and Nation's Restaurant News award winner, and Uchi carries a rare "29" Zagat score. Known as the...

]]> After leaving the dreadful remnants of Terminal 1 in Raleigh, we landed in Nashville to change planes. Nashville has a reputation of being one of America’s cities with the most personality. However their airport is one of the blandest I’ve ever seen. The food selection exists as a 4-store food court, O’Charley’s, and the Gibson Cafe. Of course, we did the latter and it wasn’t anything to rave about.

Landing in Austin, however, one is greeted by an airy steel and glass room, a live band, and a good food selection. The Austin terminal feels like Raleigh’s Terminal 2 concourse, but isn’t as beautiful. There is one arc-shaped concourse, and the ticketing and concourse areas are essentially one big room  separated by a glass wall and a split level offset. Very unusual.

We headed straight to Uchi, one of America’s most celebrated restaurants. Chef Tyson Cole is a Top Chef, James Beard, and Nation’s Restaurant News award winner, and Uchi carries a rare “29” Zagat score. Known as the “Sushi Capital”, the understated little house on South Lamar doesn’t disappoint. We got Miso, Panko Fried Green Tomatoes, the steak special, the shag roll, and the tempra shrimp roll. (We stuck with cooked items because I have spent enough time in microbiology class that I’m not eating anything out of the world’s toilet without cooking it). What was so impressive was Cole’s blending of flavors and layering of flavors. For instance the Miso wasn’t just broth with a little green onion, it had a nice, sweet seaweed flavor to it.

The steak special was just that, special. A top quality flank steak, cherries, sunchoke, and ramps on a sunchoke purée. The blend was delicious, and the ramps added that little punch the dish needed given the understated sunchoke flavor in the purée.

The salmon roll was fantastic as well. It includes avocado, sun-dried tomato, cilantro, watercress, and sits on a mild mustard based sauce. The sauce was the notable point of excellence. Once again, flavors are blended so well, no one stands out and the dish becomes more than the sum of its parts.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/07/04/austin-why-austin-2/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/07/04/austin-why-austin-2/#comments Thu, 04 Jul 2013 22:54:38 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/?p=6918 I've always been fascinated by cities and development. The product that a particular culture builds is fascinatingly different than another culture's product. All cities have their own signature, however there is always an interesting compare/contrast exercise that can be performed between two cities. Cities are shaped by their people, an expression chiefly made of ancestry, geography, and climate. For instance, where non-swampy land was a premium, Mahatten development started as urban and stayed that way. Raleigh, on the other hand, started with the urban Christmas pattern, but quickly morphed into an irregular, land gobbling pattern once the city grew out Wake Forest Road and Hillsborough Street over a century ago. It's easy to understand how cities can be similar and different, however there are always surprises. My best friend from high school and her husband moved to Austin, TX from Los Angeles about 6 years ago and they love it there. As a Raleigh development enthusiast,...

]]> I’ve always been fascinated by cities and development. The product that a particular culture builds is fascinatingly different than another culture’s product. All cities have their own signature, however there is always an interesting compare/contrast exercise that can be performed between two cities.

Cities are shaped by their people, an expression chiefly made of ancestry, geography, and climate. For instance, where non-swampy land was a premium, Mahatten development started as urban and stayed that way. Raleigh, on the other hand, started with the urban Christmas pattern, but quickly morphed into an irregular, land gobbling pattern once the city grew out Wake Forest Road and Hillsborough Street over a century ago. It’s easy to understand how cities can be similar and different, however there are always surprises.

My best friend from high school and her husband moved to Austin, TX from Los Angeles about 6 years ago and they love it there. As a Raleigh development enthusiast, I’ve heard much about Austin. Austin, like Raleigh, is a government town with the state’s largest university. It, like Raleigh, was a pretty sleepy government town until the ’60s as big sisters Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio scraped up all of the oil money and beat their chests to the rest of the world.

Like Raleigh, Austin is a political town, and is the largest collection of people leaning to the left and/or creative young adults in a state full of conservatives with traditional values. The unusual position in which these cities find themselves leads many to feel that Austin is like “a big Raleigh”. So with a close friend there, a voracious appetite for Mexican food, and a comparison project, I’m headed to Austin! (Cue the food network non-descript bump music.)

More, including my visit to one of America’s best sushi restaurants, coming soon!

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/17/summer-bringing-great-triangle-concerts/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/17/summer-bringing-great-triangle-concerts/#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:35:00 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/17/summer-bringing-great-triangle-concerts/ Summer is just around the corner, and that means another great concert season in Raleigh. From now until the end of September, there is a slew of music and comedy shows guaranteed to ramp up the fun rate in the area. Once again, there are very few dates between now and mid-June that have no event scheduled, so save up, and get out of the house! There are 100s of good entertainment options coming this summer. The best 85 of the music options (as of today) are assembled below. All of these events appear individually in the gogoraleigh Do-It Calendar with venue information, so you can easily add any event to your personal calendar. Date Event 4/18 Alton Brown 4/18 Bob Mould Band 4/19 Chris Tucker 4/19 The Marshall Tucker Band 4/19 Billy Bragg 4/21 B.B. King 4/24 Sarah Silverman 4/25...

]]> Summer is just around the corner, and that means another great concert season in Raleigh. From now until the end of September, there is a slew of music and comedy shows guaranteed to ramp up the fun rate in the area. Once again, there are very few dates between now and mid-June that have no event scheduled, so save up, and get out of the house!

There are 100s of good entertainment options coming this summer. The best 85 of the music options (as of today) are assembled below. All of these events appear individually in the gogoraleigh Do-It Calendar with venue information, so you can easily add any event to your personal calendar.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/03/pondering-greensboros-future/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/03/pondering-greensboros-future/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:37:03 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/04/03/pondering-greensboros-future/ Growing up in Raleigh I’ve had several occasions to do things in Greensboro, especially in the Coliseum area. During my lifetime Greensboro seemed to get all of the great concerts, got great stores before Raleigh, and got to host the ACC Tournament. For many, many years there were real reasons to not only visit Greensboro, but to live there over Raleigh. Greensboro was a thriving mill town in the first half of last century, which led to the prolific growth of gorgeous classic neighborhoods. Hayes Barton is the bastard child of Irving Park in that regard, but even in the middle income areas there is a prodigious number of houses that were built before Suburbia kicked in. In that era Greensboro invested smartly in their road system, implementing many Wade Avenue type arteries around the older parts of the city. Around Greensboro’s city streets, traffic problems really only exist out in the Suburbian Battleground Avenue, a US1 North-esque sole artery north out of the city. When I-85...

]]> Growing up in Raleigh I’ve had several occasions to do things in Greensboro, especially in the Coliseum area. During my lifetime Greensboro seemed to get all of the great concerts, got great stores before Raleigh, and got to host the ACC Tournament. For many, many years there were real reasons to not only visit Greensboro, but to live there over Raleigh.

Greensboro was a thriving mill town in the first half of last century, which led to the prolific growth of gorgeous classic neighborhoods. Hayes Barton is the bastard child of Irving Park in that regard, but even in the middle income areas there is a prodigious number of houses that were built before Suburbia kicked in. In that era Greensboro invested smartly in their road system, implementing many Wade Avenue type arteries around the older parts of the city. Around Greensboro’s city streets, traffic problems really only exist out in the Suburbian Battleground Avenue, a US1 North-esque sole artery north out of the city. When I-85 was planned, it was a no-brainer to include Durham and Greensboro, as they were thriving, productive cities, unlike Raleigh, the sleepy government town. As Raleigh quickly grew through the 70s and 80s, the two cities were relatively the same size and seemed to have a remarkable number of similarities.

We went to Greensboro for the Friday evening session of the ACC Tournament. Knowing that the Coliseum food is expensive and terrible, we opted to stop at a gas station for beer and stop at a downtown restaurant for take out before tailgating before the game.

While driving around downtown on a beautiful Friday afternoon we got to see downtown Greensboro at its most vibrant. “Dull†probably exaggerates the experience. I was stunned by the comparative lack of interesting restaurants, the lack of downtown bars, and the overall lack of people. There is definitely a vibe in downtown Raleigh, and there is definitely no vibe in Greensboro. This was the first time that it really struck me how much further along downtown Raleigh’s vitality is than Greensboro’s. The number of young people making something to do, creating a sense of place, and moving the city forward is just, scant. The difference is quite palpable.

The point isn’t to beat Raleigh’s chest and flame Greensboro at all . Rather, it struck me on this trip; where is Greensboro headed? Ultimately the I-85 spine will keep all of the cities on the string in fabulous shape. Asheville and Wilmington will exist as creative outposts, and the rest of the state will become severely depressed. I like to call the string of cities the “Carolina Crescentâ€. Charlotte, Greensboro, Durham, and Raleigh will be linked by better and better rail service, and the spine will be a magnet for all important growth moving forward. Much like our current thinking of the Triangle, the crescent will eventually be thought of as a “macrometro†as transportation improves.

So Greensboro has that going for it. The tech and information job push that is filling Raleigh’s sails currently will continue for a good while, but we have to be prepared for another wave; a wave that could change the economics of the city as much as the exodus of the textile industry changed Greensboro and Burlington.

The Triangle is the educational and technological center of the state. It has a strong Liberal voice with a strong interest in environment and humanism. Charlotte will continue to be the strongest financial center in the state, and seems to be the Conservative core of the state. What identity will Greensboro develop? Will industries polarize their presence in North Carolina to Charlotte and/or Raleigh and skip Greensboro even more than ever? It’s looking that way, and the lack of an interesting market sector to ages 25 to 35 has to be the deepest concern for Greensboro in the next 50 years. Much like Richmond, Greensboro stands as a city of yesterday, with no ascertainable uniqueness to tomorrow’s economy. Its future is seemingly more loaded with questions than with answers.

* * *

Oh, BTW, we got food to go from OPA!, the Greek restaurant. The lettuce from the salad was basically from a food service, the olive oil they used was cheap, the pita bread for my wife’s sandwich was stale, the marinade for my chicken kabob was extremely uninteresting, my accompanying vegetables were bland, and my platter did not come with pita bread. This restaurant definitely needs to pick up a copy of The Grecian Plate (Durham Greek Orthodox Church’s cookbook)! An astonishingly better meal for the same price can be had a Taverna Agora ; just so you know!

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/03/25/pre-flight-parking-shutting-down/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/03/25/pre-flight-parking-shutting-down/#comments Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:51:27 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/03/25/pre-flight-parking-shutting-down/ The folks at Pre-Flight Parking near RDU informed me last night that the site is no longer taking new parkers, and will be closing as soon as the last car is claimed. Apparently within the last week the company that owns Fast Park bought out the Pre-Flight location last week. (A couple of employees said that they offered Pre-Flight employees $2 less per hour, too). So, it appear that there are now only three alternatives for parking at RDU: RDU: $12/day – Park across the street from either terminal FastPark Parking: $5.45/day – No walking, covered parking, complimentary car wash, bus delivery from your parking spot to terminal front door. District Drive Park & Ride: Free – Ride TTA’s bus ($2 each way, exact change) Route 100 (.pdf). Note that this option is only convenient for late morning/early afternoon arrivals and departures. Lot is not under surveillance, but there is security-by-obscurity in a safe area....

]]> The folks at Pre-Flight Parking near RDU informed me last night that the site is no longer taking new parkers, and will be closing as soon as the last car is claimed. Apparently within the last week the company that owns Fast Park bought out the Pre-Flight location last week. (A couple of employees said that they offered Pre-Flight employees $2 less per hour, too).

So, it appear that there are now only three alternatives for parking at RDU:

• RDU: $12/day – Park across the street from either terminal
• FastPark Parking : $5.45/day – No walking, covered parking, complimentary car wash, bus delivery from your parking spot to terminal front door.
• District Drive Park & Ride: Free – Ride TTA’s bus ($2 each way, exact change) Route 100 (.pdf). Note that this option is only convenient for late morning/early afternoon arrivals and departures. Lot is not under surveillance, but there is security-by-obscurity in a safe area.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/01/16/steve-martinsteep-canyon-rangersedie-coming-to-greensboro/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/01/16/steve-martinsteep-canyon-rangersedie-coming-to-greensboro/#comments Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:55:55 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/01/16/steve-martinsteep-canyon-rangersedie-coming-to-greensboro/ On Friday, May 31, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, featuring Edie Brickell will play the Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium. Ticket presale is on now (password: LOVE) at...

]]> On Friday, May 31, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, featuring Edie Brickell will play the Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium. Ticket presale is on now (password: LOVE) at Ticketmaster .

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/01/01/hgtv-unveils-kiawah-dream-home/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/01/01/hgtv-unveils-kiawah-dream-home/#comments Tue, 01 Jan 2013 17:43:55 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2013/01/01/hgtv-unveils-kiawah-dream-home/ One of the great events of New Years is the HGTV Dream Home special. This year’s house is at Kiawah Island, near Charleston, SC. While this isn’t Raleigh, per se, it is the first Dream Home since 2006’s Lake Lure house that is within driving distance of Raleigh. Set in the buggy marshlands of Kiawah, the house features 3 bedrooms and one living noise space. The house appears to be well built, and would be a great getaway a few times a year for Raleighites! You can enter to win this house thru February 15. HGTV will run their Dream Home 2013 special three times: Tonight (Jan 1) at 7pm Tomorrow (Jan 2) at 6pm January 11 at 6pm...

]]> One of the great events of New Years is the HGTV Dream Home special. This year’s house is at Kiawah Island, near Charleston, SC. While this isn’t Raleigh, per se, it is the first Dream Home since 2006’s Lake Lure house that is within driving distance of Raleigh.

Set in the buggy marshlands of Kiawah, the house features 3 bedrooms and one living noise space. The house appears to be well built, and would be a great getaway a few times a year for Raleighites! You can enter to win this house thru February 15.

HGTV will run their Dream Home 2013 special three times:

• Tonight (Jan 1) at 7pm
• Tomorrow (Jan 2) at 6pm
• January 11 at 6pm

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2012/09/24/chef-farmer-featured-in-garden-gun/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2012/09/24/chef-farmer-featured-in-garden-gun/#comments Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:42:24 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2012/09/24/chef-farmer-featured-in-garden-gun/ Congratulations to Kinston’s Chef & Farmer restaurant for being featured in the October issue of Garden & Gun. The (great) magazine’s “Good Eats 2012†article opens with a backdrop of an Ashley Christensen-cooked meal, and moves through John T. Edge’s favorite 10 dishes of the year. Among the feature dishes is the Chef & Farmer’s Tomato Sandwich. Looks like a road trip is in the...

]]> Congratulations to Kinston’s Chef & Farmer restaurant for being featured in the October issue of Garden & Gun . The (great) magazine’s “Good Eats 2012†article opens with a backdrop of an Ashley Christensen-cooked meal, and moves through John T. Edge’s favorite 10 dishes of the year. Among the feature dishes is the Chef & Farmer’s Tomato Sandwich. Looks like a road trip is in the works…

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2012/04/05/100-great-concerts-coming-to-raleigh/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2012/04/05/100-great-concerts-coming-to-raleigh/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:02:11 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2012/04/05/100-great-concerts-coming-to-raleigh/ Summer is just around the corner, and that means another great concert season in Raleigh. From now until the end of September, there is a slew of shows guaranteed to ramp up the fun rate in the area. In fact, there are very few dates between now and mid-June that have no event scheduled, so save up, and get out of the house! There are 100s of good entertainment options coming this summer. The best 100 of them (as of today) are assembled below. Click the venue name for ticket information, opening acts, directions, and more. In addition, soon, all of these events will appear individually in the gogoraleigh DoIt Calendar, so you can easily add any event to your personal calendar. Date   Event Location 4/6   Alabama Shakes Cat's Cradle 4/7   Daughtry Greensboro Coliseum 4/7   Loretta Lynn DPAC, Durham...

]]> Summer is just around the corner, and that means another great concert season in Raleigh. From now until the end of September, there is a slew of shows guaranteed to ramp up the fun rate in the area. In fact, there are very few dates between now and mid-June that have no event scheduled, so save up, and get out of the house!

There are 100s of good entertainment options coming this summer. The best 100 of them (as of today) are assembled below. Click the venue name for ticket information, opening acts, directions, and more.

In addition, soon, all of these events will appear individually in the gogoraleigh DoIt Calendar , so you can easily add any event to your personal calendar.

]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2012/04/05/100-great-concerts-coming-to-raleigh/feed/ 7

http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/07/12/the-pixies-coming-to-greensboro/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/07/12/the-pixies-coming-to-greensboro/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:58:28 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/07/12/the-pixies-coming-to-greensboro/ With a new CD coming out in September, The Pixies are hitting the road this fall, and have planned a stop at Greensboro’s War Memorial Auditorium on Tuesday, November 8. Surfer Blood opens. The ticket presale is currently running (password DOOLITTLE) thru Thursday (7/14) at 10pm. Note: the new CD coming September 6 will be a Black Francis solo CD with songs by him and Reid Paley. It will be named Paley & Francis....

]]> With a new CD coming out in September , The Pixies are hitting the road this fall, and have planned a stop at Greensboro’s War Memorial Auditorium on Tuesday, November 8. Surfer Blood opens. The ticket presale is currently running (password DOOLITTLE) thru Thursday (7/14) at 10pm.

Note: the new CD coming September 6 will be a Black Francis solo CD with songs by him and Reid Paley. It will be named Paley & Francis.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/07/05/trip-report-carowinds/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/07/05/trip-report-carowinds/#comments Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:38:33 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/07/05/trip-report-carowinds/ Since the park’s opening in 1973, Carowinds has entertained people for much of the Charlotte area. The only problem is that the park didn’t stand up the offerings by other parks 4-5 hours up/down Interstate 85. Therefore it simply could not compete for customers beyond an hour’s drive away. Those days are over. Built as a celebration of the Carolinas, Carowinds offered just the basics typically offered by a regional amusement park. Even with the acquisition by the Taft Corporation and later Paramount, the park remained the bastard child to siblings Kings Dominion, Great America, Kings Island, and Canada’s Wonderland. In 2006, however, the parks were all purchased by Cedar Fair, the operator of Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio), the coaster capital of the world. Cedar Fair acquisition isn’t always a blessing, as the company disbanded a nice Geauga Lake park in Aurora, OH. Rides from that park were sent to the remaining parks, including Carowinds. Luckily, though, Carowinds was...

]]> Since the park’s opening in 1973, Carowinds has entertained people for much of the Charlotte area. The only problem is that the park didn’t stand up the offerings by other parks 4-5 hours up/down Interstate 85. Therefore it simply could not compete for customers beyond an hour’s drive away. Those days are over.

Built as a celebration of the Carolinas, Carowinds offered just the basics typically offered by a regional amusement park. Even with the acquisition by the Taft Corporation and later Paramount, the park remained the bastard child to siblings Kings Dominion, Great America, Kings Island, and Canada’s Wonderland. In 2006, however, the parks were all purchased by Cedar Fair , the operator of Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio), the coaster capital of the world. Cedar Fair acquisition isn’t always a blessing, as the company disbanded a nice Geauga Lake park in Aurora, OH. Rides from that park were sent to the remaining parks, including Carowinds. Luckily, though, Carowinds was the recipient of intense attention from Cedar Fair, and the park now stands as a peer to Kings Dominion , Busch Gardens , and Six Flags Over Georgia . In fact, the park has some advantages over each of those listed.

The Day Unfolded: Dry

My family spent the day at Carowinds on Friday (7/2/11) and had a fantastic time. The park was only moderately crowded, and aside from a couple of 30-minute queues, all rides were 5-minute waits. The park personnel were very attentive and professional, but what struck me was the clientele. It was almost exclusively nice, clean families that were identical to the class of people we saw at Disney’s Magic Kingdom three years ago.

We got a late start, knowing that we were staying until the park’s 10pm closing time. Luckily we had some steeply discounted coupons a friend gave us, or else we would have had to pay $53/person at the gate. Tickets in advance (online) are only $42, so clearly it would behoove visitors to spend a little bit of time online buying tickets in advance. Our discounted tickets were only $30, so we got a very slow burn thru our day at only $3/hr. Still, even $5.20/hr is worth the fun we had.

One big advantage Carowinds and Kings Dominion (KD) have over Busch Gardens (BGW) and Six Flags (SFoG) is their in-house water parks. Admission is included in the park admission, so we always take in bathing suits, towels, and a change of clothes to Carowinds and KD. Each has rentable lockers ($10/d small, $18/d large) and adequate locker rooms for changing. (BGW and SFoG both offer water parks, but they are not on-site and are a separate ticket)

Our plan worked well. We decided to hit the slower rides and warm up first, go to the rapids ride where we would get wet, go to the water park, change, and hit the rest of the park for the evening. Because Carowinds is the flattest, most walkable, and smallest of the parks mentioned, it was easy for us to cover all of the park’s sections numerous times.

We started at Planet Snoopy, the children’s section of the park which offers a wide variety of rides. The Flying Ace Aerial Chase ( video ) was first, the only children’s inverted coaster in this part of the country. It was a great warm up, though a bit rough entering its last descent. On to the Woodstock Express (formerly Scooby Doo Rollercoaster) ( video ), which is identical to the one at KD. It may be a junior coaster, but it still has to be one of the most fun around with its surprising airtime offered. The trains used have very little leg room, so if you have long legs you might be uncomfortable. Unfortunately we skipped the Woodstock Gliders , one of the best flat rides ever made.

Next up was the County Fair section which has seen many changes through the years. We started with Thunder Road ( video ), the classic wooden out-and-back coaster. The park has been restoring the track and parts of the structure over the past 3 years, but still, this coaster is an mess as it is one of the roughest coasters I’ve ever ridden. We opted out of the Southern Star (Pirate ship that goes upside down) ( video ) and did one of my all-time favorites, the bumper cars.

The big ride of this section is a true gem in this part of the country: The Afterburn ( video ). Formerly known as the Top Gun, the Afterburn is an inverted coaster by B&M, resembling BGW’s Alpengeist ( video ). However while Afterburn has a shorter lift hill and reaches speeds 10-15mph slower than Alpengeist, the layout is much more compact so those speeds and altitudes aren’t really needed. The Afterburn essentially incorporates all of the elements that Alpengiest has, but is way, WAY smoother. My 9-year old daughter liked it so much that she rode it five times.

Before the arrival of the Intimidator, Afterburn was the park’s signature ride. However Afterburn hasn’t lost its personality, sporting a hilarious crew that pepped up riders and had them laughing even before the train left the station. It is rides like Afterburn that give a park personality and make people want to return.

Next we went to the Nighthawk ( video ), a flying coaster that was moved to Carowinds from Great America in 2002. The ride occupies much of the land that once was the park’s central lake, and stands with an awesome presence to visitors entering the park. While other rides had 5-10 minute queues, the Nighhawk had a 35-minute queue. Because of the ride’s design and numerous possible points of failure, turnover and output on this ride is terrible. It is the only flying coaster in our area and while I am glad I rode it, I thought it was a bit rough, I didn’t like relying completely on the shoulder restraints for suspending me 100 feet off the ground, and too much of the ride felt like I was going “backwardsâ€. While this is a very good ride, I realized this isn’t my favorite style of coaster.

Next we hit the Carolina Skytower, a 320-foot high ring-cabin ride that slowly rotates up a pole, offering stunning views of the park as well as the Charlotte area. Most notably, the ride is air-conditioned. Nuff said. Nevertheless while up there, be sure to notice Charlotte’s skyline to the Northeast, and the towering, never completed hotel at the former PTL Heritage U.S.A. to the Southeast.

We were starving so we went to the burger joint formerly known as Stan Mikita’s at the base of The Hurler. While the burger was only adequate, I have to say that it was better than any burger I’ve gotten at Wendy’s in the last 10 years and it was decidedly better than the burger we got at Cosmic Ray’s in the Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland.

We Got Wet

Next we went on the Rip Roarin’ Rapids ( video )which also has a slow turnover. Wait time in the middle of this 91-degree afternoon was 30-40 minutes. The line queue splits at one point, and you definitely want to take the line to the left, which was about 10 minutes faster than the right. This is one of those rapids rides with circular tubes and six seats strapped in. “You will get wet. You may get soaked†is their tagline, and it is accurate. Half of the boat’s riders will be doused and every rider’s shoes will be completely dunked, so plan accordingly.

Because the loading and unloading platforms are far away from each other, you will not be able to temporarily stow a bag near the ride’s exit. If you have large bags, put them in a locker at the park’s entrance (next door). For cell phones, I recommend bringing a large ziplock bag, and putting it in a plastic grocery back with a handle. You can then hang that bag from the post in the raft’s center. Any other plan is very risky as water damage may severely risk your phone’s well being and its warranty. This ride was well worth it, but it is not significantly different to the similar rides at KD and BGW.

Next up was the water park. While this water park is not as comprehensive as a dedicated water park experience (like Water Country, USA), it serves its purpose well. We started at the newer wave pool back next to the Thunder Road turn around. Wave pools usually only run for about 10 minutes, then there is a 15-20 minute break where the pumps do not run. The reason? The wave period will wear you down pretty fast. The experience is not replicating the ocean’s action. It is more like swimming on the high seas where the waves don’t curl. I love the experience, but worry that the 6 lifeguards onhand are not adequate for the mass of humanity in the pool. Always be on the lookout in these situations for people who are struggling to swim!

We moved on to the lazy river which was  great fun. The circuit takes 5 minutes to complete, so it isn’t a big lazy river nor is there any real theming, but it seemed like a better experience than the one at KD. We moved over to Pipeline Peak , a spaghetti collection of closed tube waterslides. Two tubes are two-man raft rides that launch halfway up the tower and the other two are single person, high-velocity tubes from the top of the tower. We thoroughly enjoyed the raft tubes, but the single person tubes were terrible (unless you like seams whipping your back, banging your head, and giving you an enema.) In addition, the climb to the top of the 80’ tower was not for the faint at heart.

Our most enjoyable experience in Pipeline Peak came with the Down Under Thunder , a, open tube family raft ride. The emphasis on this ride is on banking through tight turns. It doesn’t carry a lot of speed, but is simply fun!

We Dried Off

While my wife and daughter were dressing, I got in a couple of rides on The Intimidator ( video ), a year-old B&M hypercoaster that is very similar to BGW’s Apollo’s Chariot ( video ). In all honesty, this is not only the park’s and the region’s best coaster, it is one of the nation’s best roller coasters. If you read coaster publications very much, you’ll realize that there is a bias by critics against southern coasters. For example, last year’s Golden Ticket Awards names the 12-year-old Apollo’s Chariot as the #4 coaster in the U.S. while the Intimidator ties for #21. Perhaps as more people ride this thing they will realize that while Apollo is a great coaster, The Intimidator is plainly a better coaster.

The Intimidator’s 74 degree first drop from the 232-foot high lift hill plunges riders over 80 mph, but that isn’t what makes this a great coaster; it’s the five peaks that follow. During the peaks there is a tremendous amount of sustained air time for riders, some instances lasting more than 3 seconds. The ride incorporates B&M’s new staggered 2×16 seating pattern, so even the middle riders get a fantastic heads-up view. The ride is ultra-smooth, as well. If it can hold up as well as Apollo’s Chariot has, then the Intimidator will be the better coaster of the two for many years to come.

The Intimidator has a very fast turnover rate, pushing a new set of 32 riders out of the station about every 45 seconds, so the line moves quickly. Unfortunately this is accomplished by a frenzied staff and announcer imploring people to MOVE. While this is most certainly part of the “pit crew†theming to the ride, it led to a very strong feeling that turnover rate is being championed over ride safety. I actually would like for the crew to slow things down just a bit because the unsettling crew running the ride takes some of the fun out it.

The sun set as we rode the Carolina Goldrusher ( video ), one of the park’s original rides. Turnover rate on this ride is excessively slow and the ride is a bit rough, but the underground helix and the fine del capo entering the musty mine shaft were fantastic.

Geauga Lake’s loss was Carowinds’ gain as the Head Spin found a new home at Carowinds as the Carolina Cobra ( video ). It’s a Vekoma boomerang shuttle coaster that features a loop and a boomerang, a nice nod back to the old White Lightning ride that used to stand nearby. The ride is very smooth and has some interesting, extremely comfortable restraints. As with all shuttles, it is still unsettling to hit that station platform going at top speed!

We then took on the Richochet ( video ), a great little wild mouse coaster. The lateral g’s around the unbanked hairpin turns are enormous fun, and the ride is ultra-smooth.

What is not ultra smooth is the Vortex ( video ), a B&M stand-up coaster that is another complete mess. Sixteen years ago this was a ride known for its smoothness, but now it is bad, especially in the middle third in the corkscrew. It was walk-on when we hit it, and we had noticed several empty trains running before us. Something needs to be done about this ride, because it is a bad ride sitting on prime real estate.

The two coasters we skipped were The Hurler ( video ) and The Carolina Cyclone ( video ) after hearing about rough they are. The Hurler was fantastic in 1994, but wear and tear on it, and the addition of trim brakes in the first curve have reportedly taken their toll. The Cyclone wasn’t great in 1994, as it was just another rough Arrow looper. Instead we went back to the Afterburn for three more goes.

From 9pm to 10pm the park features a nice Charlie Brown-themed LED light show back in the County Fair section. Programmed with the music, the lights in the trees dance to patriotic and dance music. It’s a super touch that brings that part of the park alive at night.

Capping the day off is the 10pm fireworks show from behind the Hurler. The fireworks were not quite as good as the N.C. State Fair’s nightly showing, and they were not launched quite high enough, but nevertheless they are a fantastic touch for a great day at a quickly improving park.

We had a long, enjoyable day and my only regret is not drinking enough water. Remember that EVERY food stand has free cups of water. There are also water fountains at most bathrooms, so be sure to stay ahead of dehydration in the park.

Cedar Fair has done a remarkable job with the park. The food is adequate, the bathrooms were as clean as a nice fast-food restaurant, the employees were excellent, and the ride selection is excellent. I also like the bright color schemes they have chosen for the coasters, fences, and benches.

How They Stack Up

For those of us in the Triangle, we have three major parks from which to choose, and while Kings Dominion still probably rates out as the overall #1, I think Carowinds is a fairly close second now. Carowinds only has 10 coasters to KD’s 13, does not have a log flume, and has a smaller water park than Kings Dominion. Kings Dominion has a varied coaster selection (three launchers, an indoor coaster, the Avalanche, and the stunt coaster) while Carowinds offers a flying coaster, a shuttle coaster, an excellent B&M inverted coaster, and the region’s best overall coaster. King’s Dominion’s layout has gone array, with their enormous entry plaza going to waste and operational facility sitting on prime real estate, the water park has the stretch back over 0.6miles from the front gate.

The park that has me worried is Busch Gardens. While the park is still beautiful, has Apollo’s Chariot, The Alpengeist, The Loch Ness Monster (one of the best coasters Arrow ever made), the Griffon, DaVinci’s Cradle, and Escape from Pompeii, our last trip found the park sorely lacking everywhere else. The children’s area is for very small children, and with the Big Bad Wolf gone, there are very few rides that someone between the ages of 5 and 13 can enjoy. The gondola ride is gone, and walking the park is treacherous.

BGW is owned by The Blackstone Group (the Sea World people), so they have no interest in sustaining the Anheuser-Busch personality of the park. The monorail and beer tour are gone, and at least for now, the Clydesdales are still there. The park still has its awful log flume, and it sustains the longest ride lines of any attraction in the park. The Festhaus is still neat, and there is still a decent wildlife reserve portion to this park, but honestly, coasters are king in the industry these days. This park has four that are among the best in their classes, but is that enough quantity to draw people to a town which is seeing its Historic traffic fading?

* * *

So if you are interested in taking a trip from Raleigh, here is how it all breaks down (3 stars=best of the group, 1 star=worst of the group):

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/06/17/asheville-explorers-guide-now-free/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/06/17/asheville-explorers-guide-now-free/#comments Sat, 18 Jun 2011 02:52:57 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/06/17/asheville-explorers-guide-now-free/ The iOS application Asheville Explorer’s Guide (iPhone, iPad) recently became a free offering from the Apple App Store. The app, traditionally at $2.99, is a fantastic tourist’s guide to North Carolina’s funky mountain city. itunes NOTE: The deal window has closed, and app is back to its $2.99...

]]> The iOS application Asheville Explorer’s Guide (iPhone, iPad) recently became a free offering from the Apple App Store. The app, traditionally at $2.99, is a fantastic tourist’s guide to North Carolina’s funky mountain city.

itunes

NOTE: The deal window has closed, and app is back to its $2.99 price.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/03/31/frugal-travel-guy-coming-to-raleigh/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/03/31/frugal-travel-guy-coming-to-raleigh/#comments Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:41:11 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/03/31/frugal-travel-guy-coming-to-raleigh/ The Frugal Travel Guy is coming to Raleigh next week for a one-hour discussion about traveling frugally. His real name is Rick Ingersoll and he’ll be at the Capital City Club on Wednesday, April 6, at Noon. Ingersoll, the author of The Frugal Travel Guy Handbook, is an internationally recognized expert at amassing frequent flier miles, getting airline and hotel vouchers, and a host of other methods that have allow him and his wife to travel the globe for free, or nearly free, for years. Ingersoll started the blog and speaking engagements to further his mission: to teach others how to do what he does so that they, too, can enjoy traveling for the rest of their lives. He’s especially interested in reaching people who think they can’t afford to travel. “With my techniques, folks are always amazed at how much traveling they can do for next to no money.†He pointed out that a regular reader of his blog recently reported booking a $980 (Euro) hotel room in Paris for only $75...

]]> The Frugal Travel Guy is coming to Raleigh next week for a one-hour discussion about traveling frugally. His real name is Rick Ingersoll and he’ll be at the Capital City Club on Wednesday, April 6, at Noon.

Ingersoll, the author of The Frugal Travel Guy Handbook , is an internationally recognized expert at amassing frequent flier miles, getting airline and hotel vouchers, and a host of other methods that have allow him and his wife to travel the globe for free, or nearly free, for years.

Ingersoll started the blog and speaking engagements to further his mission: to teach others how to do what he does so that they, too, can enjoy traveling for the rest of their lives. He’s especially interested in reaching people who think they can’t afford to travel.

“With my techniques, folks are always amazed at how much traveling they can do for next to no money.†He pointed out that a regular reader of his blog recently reported booking a $980 (Euro) hotel room in Paris for only $75 using FTG’s tips.

Lunch will be served at noon with the presentation and Q&A to follow. Business attire is required.

]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/03/31/frugal-travel-guy-coming-to-raleigh/feed/ 1

http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/02/03/pigs-attracting-politicians/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/02/03/pigs-attracting-politicians/#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:42:14 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2011/02/03/pigs-attracting-politicians/ An AP story by Tom Breen detailing the N.C. Barbecue argument was released yesterday, and shows up today at Forbes.com. It is a tongue and cheek response to First Lady Michelle Obama’s proclamations of barbecue as one of Charlotte’s assets earlier this week when the Queen City was named as the next Democratic Convention site. The article has a classic quote about Charlotte in the 4th paragraph that is worthy of a good chuckle. While it is a good-natured overview of the barbecue argument in North Carolina, the article also carefully explains that the art of wood-cooked barbecue, such as that at Wilbur’s, seems to be a dying art. Those who good steaks on charcoal instead of propane can relate to this “problem†all too well. They say that one of Charlotte’s assets is that it is an hour from Shelby, alluding to the prominence of excellent small-town outlets in the state, and the Raleigh area is no different. We have some good barbecue in Raleigh, but the best Eastern N.C....

]]> An AP story by Tom Breen detailing the N.C. Barbecue argument was released yesterday, and shows up today at Forbes.com . It is a tongue and cheek response to First Lady Michelle Obama’s proclamations of barbecue as one of Charlotte’s assets earlier this week when the Queen City was named as the next Democratic Convention site. The article has a classic quote about Charlotte in the 4th paragraph that is worthy of a good chuckle.

While it is a good-natured overview of the barbecue argument in North Carolina, the article also carefully explains that the art of wood-cooked barbecue, such as that at Wilbur’s, seems to be a dying art. Those who good steaks on charcoal instead of propane can relate to this “problem†all too well.

They say that one of Charlotte’s assets is that it is an hour from Shelby, alluding to the prominence of excellent small-town outlets in the state, and the Raleigh area is no different. We have some good barbecue in Raleigh, but the best Eastern N.C. products are found in stores about an hour east of here.

I’ll risk all of my life-long Raleigh street cred to name my favorite, so here goes: The Blue Mist (Asheboro). I know, I know, it is a different style, but ohmygosh! I’ve only eaten there a few times, it was always to go, and I only had a pulled pork sandwich with slaw, but those times were fantastic and had me tempted to do a U-turn and go back for more.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/12/09/rush-coming-to-greensboro/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/12/09/rush-coming-to-greensboro/#comments Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:57:07 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/12/09/rush-coming-to-greensboro/ On Friday, April 1 Rush will bring their Time Machine tour to the Greensboro Coliseum. Tickets go on sale Saturday (12/10) at 10am. I got a last minute invitation to see the band that I once loved (back in my high school says) at Walnut Creek two years ago and was blown away. It was hands down one of the best 5 concerts I have ever seen....

]]> On Friday, April 1 Rush will bring their Time Machine tour to the Greensboro Coliseum. Tickets go on sale Saturday (12/10) at 10am.

I got a last minute invitation to see the band that I once loved (back in my high school says) at Walnut Creek two years ago and was blown away . It was hands down one of the best 5 concerts I have ever seen.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/05/04/triangle-modernist-homes-day-tripping-to-washington/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/05/04/triangle-modernist-homes-day-tripping-to-washington/#comments Tue, 04 May 2010 21:21:57 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/05/04/triangle-modernist-homes-day-tripping-to-washington/ While the Mod Squad is taking a bus trip to Charlotte in a few weeks, they are also happy to announce a day-trip to Washington, DC. The trip includes stops at the Charles Gwaltney-designed Rales Museum near Potomac, the Richard Neutra-designed Brown Residence, the Gordon Bunshaft-designed Hirshhorn Museum, and the Maya Lin-designed Vietnam Veterans Wall. The trip includes a 6:45am flight to BWI, lunch abord the air-conditioned, internet-equipped tour bus, and a return to RDU at 10:30pm. Dinner is on your own, and about 2 hours are allotted (so there is ample time to get to Rosa Mexicano ;) ) Tickets are $459 per...

]]> While the Mod Squad is taking a bus trip to Charlotte in a few weeks, they are also happy to announce a day-trip to Washington, DC. The trip includes stops at the Charles Gwaltney-designed Rales Museum near Potomac, the Richard Neutra-designed Brown Residence, the Gordon Bunshaft-designed Hirshhorn Museum, and the Maya Lin-designed Vietnam Veterans Wall. The trip includes a 6:45am flight to BWI, lunch abord the air-conditioned, internet-equipped tour bus, and a return to RDU at 10:30pm. Dinner is on your own, and about 2 hours are allotted (so there is ample time to get to Rosa Mexicano ) Tickets are $459 per person.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/21/mod-squad-planning-charlotte-trip/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/21/mod-squad-planning-charlotte-trip/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:05:48 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/21/mod-squad-planning-charlotte-trip/ The always-interesting Triangle Modernist Houses is sponsoring another exciting event. This time the tour goes to Charlotte on May 22 to tour the Design Within Reach store, the 1970 Mark Bernstein house, and IKEA. Some of the trip’s features include: Our own air-conditioned, restroom-equipped, internet-equipped luxury tour bus. Sodas, water, and both healthy and junky snacks provided on board the bus. Super green - think of all the carbon we'll save versus driving down individually. Each person gets "storage credits" representing a total of six cubic feet of storage space under the bus.  You can trade, buy, or sell credits to others.  So, in theory, with enough credits, you could bring a couch home!  Plus, all you can carry in your lap.  Delivery is also available through DWR and Ikea. Lunch is on your own at the IKEA restaurant.  Be sure to try the Swedish meatballs! Parking is $4 per car, paid separately to FastPark on...

]]> The always-interesting Triangle Modernist Houses is sponsoring another exciting event. This time the tour goes to Charlotte on May 22 to tour the Design Within Reach store, the 1970 Mark Bernstein house, and IKEA. Some of the trip’s features include:

• Our own air-conditioned, restroom-equipped, internet-equipped luxury tour bus.
• Sodas, water, and both healthy and junky snacks provided on board the bus.
• Super green – think of all the carbon we’ll save versus driving down individually.
• Each person gets "storage credits" representing a total of six cubic feet of storage space under the bus.  You can trade, buy, or sell credits to others.  So, in theory, with enough credits, you could bring a couch home!  Plus, all you can carry in your lap.  Delivery is also available through DWR and Ikea.
• Lunch is on your own at the IKEA restaurant.  Be sure to try the Swedish meatballs!
• Parking is $4 per car, paid separately to FastPark on exit. Dropoffs and pickups are ok, no charge.

Tickets are limited, and are $49.95 before May 1, $58.00 on and after that.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/15/scenic-byways-site-gets-update/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/15/scenic-byways-site-gets-update/#comments Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:37:53 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/15/scenic-byways-site-gets-update/ The NCDOT has just launched a new version of their website for the Scenic Byways program. The site is a complete guide to some of NC’s most enjoyable highways, including the Blue Ridge Parkway as well as the Outer Banks Scenic Byway. The site includes maps of the roads, a .PDF copy of the Scenic Byways book published by the state, and videos of many of the treasured roads....

]]> The NCDOT has just launched a new version of their website for the Scenic Byways program . The site is a complete guide to some of NC’s most enjoyable highways, including the Blue Ridge Parkway as well as the Outer Banks Scenic Byway. The site includes maps of the roads, a .PDF copy of the Scenic Byways book published by the state, and videos of many of the treasured roads.

]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2010/04/15/scenic-byways-site-gets-update/feed/ 1

http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/08/14/acdc-coming-to-greensboro/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/08/14/acdc-coming-to-greensboro/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:24:00 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/08/14/acdc-coming-to-greensboro/ One of the pillars of rock, AC/DC, is coming to the Greensboro Coliseum on October 25. Tickets went on sale at Ticketmaster outlets this morning at 10am....

]]> One of the pillars of rock, AC/DC, is coming to the Greensboro Coliseum on October 25. Tickets went on sale at Ticketmaster outlets this morning at 10am.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/06/23/kings-dominion-to-get-gigacoaster/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/06/23/kings-dominion-to-get-gigacoaster/#comments Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:33:21 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/06/23/kings-dominion-to-get-gigacoaster/ While there are unfortunately no roller-coasters in the Raleigh area, there are 38 roller coasters within a 3.5-hour drive of Raleigh. Not many cities in the world are an easy road trip from that many. Next summer that number will push 40, and will do it with world-class style. Yesterday a sleuthy coaster enthusiast let the cat out of the bag about Kings Dominion’s new coaster for 2010. It will be a gigacoaster by Intamin, which by definition, means it will be taller than 300 feet, placing it among the tallest 5 coasters in the world. If you have seen the 310-foot, 93-mph Millennium Force coaster (pictured) at Cedar Point on TV, then you have seen another gigacoaster by Intamin. It will be located on land that was once the safari ride, behind the Outer Limits. To put this height in perspective, the two-year old Griffon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg is 205 feet tall, and the Eiffel Tower 1/3 scale replica at King’s Dominion is only 275 feet tall. In other regional coaster...

]]> While there are unfortunately no roller-coasters in the Raleigh area, there are 38 roller coasters within a 3.5-hour drive of Raleigh. Not many cities in the world are an easy road trip from that many.

Next summer that number will push 40, and will do it with world-class style. Yesterday a sleuthy coaster enthusiast let the cat out of the bag about Kings Dominion’s new coaster for 2010. It will be a gigacoaster by Intamin , which by definition, means it will be taller than 300 feet, placing it among the tallest 5 coasters in the world. If you have seen the 310-foot, 93-mph Millennium Force coaster (pictured) at Cedar Point on TV, then you have seen another gigacoaster by Intamin. It will be located on land that was once the safari ride, behind the Outer Limits.

To put this height in perspective, the two-year old Griffon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg is 205 feet tall, and the Eiffel Tower 1/3 scale replica at King’s Dominion is only 275 feet tall.

In other regional coaster news, Carowinds has unfortunately destroyed its log flume ride to make way for a new roller-coaster coming next season. This will certainly be a showcase coaster, but Carowinds loses a bit of family elegance in removing their log flume.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/06/18/sonny-rollins-coming-to-unc/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/06/18/sonny-rollins-coming-to-unc/#comments Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:45:19 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/06/18/sonny-rollins-coming-to-unc/ One of the last living Hard Bop Jazz musicians is coming to UNC this fall. On September 22, Sonny Rollins will be playing at UNC’s Memorial Hall. Tickets go on sale to the public on July 13 thru the UNC ticket office. Rollins is one of the most important figures in the history. Not only did he play with Miles Davis, he was an influence on Davis when he was young. The chances to see guys who have played with Davis, (Rocky Mount’s) Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Charlie Parker, and Art Blakey are coming to an end, so don’t miss this...

]]> One of the last living Hard Bop Jazz musicians is coming to UNC this fall. On September 22, Sonny Rollins will be playing at UNC’s Memorial Hall. Tickets go on sale to the public on July 13 thru the UNC ticket office .

Rollins is one of the most important figures in the history. Not only did he play with Miles Davis, he was an influence on Davis when he was young. The chances to see guys who have played with Davis, (Rocky Mount’s) Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Charlie Parker, and Art Blakey are coming to an end, so don’t miss this one!

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/05/06/idols-live-tour-coming-to-greensboro/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/05/06/idols-live-tour-coming-to-greensboro/#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 14:52:20 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/05/06/idols-live-tour-coming-to-greensboro/ On Sunday, August 2, the American Idols Live tour will be swinging through Greensboro Coliseum. The tour features this season’s Top 10 finalists, including Chapel Hill’s Anoop “Dawg†Desai. The presale will be Friday (May 8th) from 10am to 10pm (password: Idols2009). $1 from each ticket will go to City of...

]]> On Sunday, August 2, the American Idols Live tour will be swinging through Greensboro Coliseum. The tour features this season’s Top 10 finalists, including Chapel Hill’s Anoop “Dawg†Desai.

The presale will be Friday (May 8th) from 10am to 10pm (password: Idols2009). $1 from each ticket will go to City of Hope.

]]> http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/05/06/idols-live-tour-coming-to-greensboro/feed/ 1

http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/03/13/loggins-messina-coming-to-dpac/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/03/13/loggins-messina-coming-to-dpac/#comments Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:07:22 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/03/13/loggins-messina-coming-to-dpac/ On Thursday, September 24 Loggins & Messina will be in Durhams. Tickets are $37, $47, and $62. The general public tickets go on sale today at 10am thru...

]]> On Thursday, September 24 Loggins & Messina will be in Durhams. Tickets are $37, $47, and $62 . The general public tickets go on sale today at 10am thru Ticketmaster.

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http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/02/22/hard-rock-park-plans-memorial-day-opening/ http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/02/22/hard-rock-park-plans-memorial-day-opening/#comments Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:45:26 +0000 http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/02/22/hard-rock-park-plans-memorial-day-opening/ The beleaguered Hard Rock Park, which cost $400 million to construct, has been purchased for $25 million by FPI MB Entertainment LLS. The park’s previous owners filed Chapter 11 after just one season of being open. They plan on opening the park by Memorial Day after injecting $15 million in improvements including more rides for children. Hopefully they will also overhaul their admission fee schedule, too....

]]> The beleaguered Hard Rock Park , which cost $400 million to construct, has been purchased for $25 million by FPI MB Entertainment LLS. The park’s previous owners filed Chapter 11 after just one season of being open. They plan on opening the park by Memorial Day after injecting $15 million in improvements including more rides for children. Hopefully they will also overhaul their admission fee schedule, too.

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