Cap'n Rome at Snoopy's Yacht Club

J and I decided that Rome's going to grow up loving roller coasters, thrill rides, and amusement parks. Just like his parents. Over the summer, we took a trip out to Carowinds Theme Park, which is dubbed as The Thrill Capital of the Southeast. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, Carowinds is one of the larger theme parks in the Carolinas, and probably one of the busiest too. We took off for a weekend in Charlotte just to hit the amusement park, and see what's in the area.

Snoopy, people, and rides dominate Carowinds

Carowinds is just an hour and 15  minutes away from our place, which meant that it was a super quick drive with a toddler in tow. It hovers near the South / North Carolina border, but sits right at the city limits of Charlotte, so we decided to spend the weekend visiting the theme park, since J was lucky to get 2 discounted tickets from a friend. Carowinds is pretty large; it has rides scattered all over the place, has a separate area with roller coasters for children, and even boasts a pretty big waterpark---which is included in the price of admission.

Since we were visiting on a weekend, the park was pretty crowded, but J made sure to hit up Intimidator, a ride inspired by racing legend Dale Earnhardt. By the time he got off, the line was too long, so I rode the Carolina Cobra and Nighthawk, while J took Rome to the kiddie section. Altogether, I spent an average of 15 to 20 minutes in the line waiting for the ride, so that wasn't bad. It's the weekend, so longer wait times are expected at amusement parks. Even the milder rides had long wait times, so don't expect to breeze through the lines unless you're the first one at the park.

Carowinds is kid-friendly!

One of the best aspects of Carowinds is that it's super kid friendly---there's just tons of stuff, places to see, and things to do for the kids, that they'll be exhausted before they leave the park. Rome took a liking to one of the boat rides at Snoopy's Planet (the area for children), so we ended up riding the boat with him 4 times. Also, Rome had fun in the helicopter ride that circles a part of Snoopy's Planet, and I managed to get a shot of him riding along with his daddy. He was so tired by the time we left the park, he'd fallen asleep in his stroller. That never happens. If a theme park can do that to my kid, it gets two thumbs up in my review.

If you ever make it down to Charlotte, check out the Carowinds theme park---you won't be disappointed!

Admission prices: $49.99 at the gate / $39.99 online for ages 3-61. Children 2 and under are FREE.
Dates of Operation: March through October. October also offers SCarowinds (a Halloween theme).

Carowinds Theme Park
14523 Carowinds Blvd.
Charlotte NC 28273
www.carowinds.com