[Edwardo]

As we're heading into the end of the year I always think it's a great time to look back on this amazing hobby. Because honestly, any time spent at a park is better than time not spent at a park. So thru all the complaining, whining, and disappointed theme park dreams, remember that this is a hobby. Have fun with it.

2015 was not what I expected in life nor in this hobby (or my other hobbies). To be honest, the start of the year was not all unicorns and rainbows. New Years Eve was the first in a while that I didn't spend with our dear friend Max Cannon. He was on my mind New Years Eve and day. And while I've lost many friends thru the years to death, it has been a very long time since I'd lost someone that I considered a contemporary. Someone within my age range, that I actually hung out with, texted, talked to. A year later and I still miss Max.

New Years Eve was also in the midst of me having some health issues myself. I'd been sick since October with breathing issues. The Drs. kept saying it was a mixture of sudden onset of asthma & possible pneumonia, as well as cold weather bronchospasms. It was not fun, and I kept getting antibiotics thrown at me that didn't really help. Plus, it was winter, cold, and stuff sucked and stuff.

At the end of January my friend Daniel, my nephew Bobby and I went to Charlotte's very own MiniCon comic convention. I'd never been and it was a neat experience.

Minicon 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

My Nephew Bobby and Darth Vader.

It was a very interesting show. Afterward, we drove down and I got my first look at the structurally finished Fury 325.

In March I took advantage of the fact that my sister and her family moved to Orlando a couple years ago and finally went and visited. I purchased a 5 day Disney Park Hopper (Though I didn't use all five days and never went to Animal Kingdom, darn it). I love Florida. I was planning on moving there before I moved to NC, but since my sister lives there, I'm actually glad I didn't. I love her...from a distance. But while in Florida, I got to meet up with some friends and spend time, not only at Disney World, but finally made it to Tampa to go to BGT. I still need to hit up Sea World & Fun Spot & Lego Land, and eventually I gotta get back to ride stuff at Universal since it's been a while, but I plan on going back to Florida to visit family soon.

Walt Disney World Day 1 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

This view never gets olde.

Disney World Day 1 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

I didn't mind getting stuck in here for 20 minutes. I love Haunted Mansion.

Disney World Day 1 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

Home on the range. This was my first coaster of the year and it was running so well.

Walt Disney World Day 1 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

My favorite ride at Epcot.

Disney World Day 1 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

I did this (and liked it) for the first time.

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My first time on Test Tron. I like it better now.

Disney World Day 1 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

Love it, but can't do much of it.

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Finally that dang hat is gone. Good riddance.

Disney World Day 2 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

I LOVED this.

Disney World Day 2 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

Sooooo...good.

Busch Gardens Tampa 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

Griffon is the better ride, but this has the better scenery.

Busch Gardens Tampa 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

Best. Drop. Ride. Ever!

Busch Gardens Tampa 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

I think this is so underrated. Loved it.

Busch Gardens Tampa 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

Kumba lived up to the years of hype.

The spring was better then not better. I was in and out of being sick and miserable. Then I felt okay. Then I didn't. One nice thing, thru all of the NyQuil and DayQuil was that my job sent me to the beach for training for a few days. I'd never been to Kure Beach, and it was really a nice time, even the training. Plus I got some good food, and got reacquainted with my favorite burger joint in Wilmington.

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It was very nice and not very crowded during my visit. I hit up the beach in the evenings for walks and just laying out. And I got to drive my car onto a ferry boat and go across to the mainland! I was SO excited to do this. It was really cool.

As spring went on, and since I had just been to Florida for a week and couldn't ask off for media day, my first chance to get to Carowinds was Season Pass Preview night for Carowinds to finally ride Fury 325. You all know how crazy we all were waiting for this amazing machine to premier for all of us. I got to SP Preview and got in line under the arbor and 90ish minutes later, Fury blew me away. I wasn't expecting that from a B&M. I'm glad we have it. It's just so amazing.

During the first few weeks of the park opening, many of my coaster geek friends made it down to try out Fury. So much so that it seemed like I was there every other night. Groups of friends, single friends. I'd get home and get a text "Hey, I'm at the park, wanna come down?" "Sure, I'll change cloths on a school nite and meet you there..." But, hey, there's not enough Fury for me, so I enjoyed every ride. One night early in the season there was no real line at the end of the night that I ended up going around and just riding and riding. Even my hard core friends had to rest. But not me. They all laughed as I walked on by for 'just another ride'. Love it. And it was great getting to hang with a bunch of you here too.

To Be continued...

[Edwardo]

My first concert of the year was Weird Al Yankovick. I've seen him 3 times in Charlotte, once at Carwoinds, and twice now at the Ovens Auditorium. It's always a great show. He's funny, family friendly, and very entertaining. So many costume changes, songs you know but sometimes don't, and 30+ years worth of memories. It was a lot of fun seeing him again.

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In June, my friend Daniel that I went to MiniCon with wanted to go to HeroesCon. Neither of us had ever been and I'd committed early in the year to go on Saturday. He got a 3 day ticket and went on Friday as well. After getting there, the line went all the way around the CLT Convention Center, but it didn't take long to get in, maybe 30 minutes. It was a great experience and I'd definitely go back. While Daniel words down town, he doesn't really do much in Charlotte, so I took him to the epicenter for lunch since it was within walking distance. I'd had Five Guys earlier while we were wondering around by ourselves, but once we met back up he wanted to eat, so I took him to Moes.

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It was way bigger than I expected.

I hadn't really planned a lot of trips for the year, for no other reason than I didn't know where I wanted to go, and several of my trip buddies are all in relationships now (or married) and couldn't go or had other plans. And even though I had just been to Cedar Point in 2013 and it wasn't really on my 'rotation', with the change of Mantis to Rougarou and Maverick getting new restraints, I thought "What the heck". A friend of mine wanted to go because he's planning on moving to Seattle, and had never been, but he backed out after I'd kind of planned on going. Halfway thru planning, knowing that he'd never been, I asked Doug if he wanted to go, and I threw in Conneaut, Waldameer, and Kennywood to sweeten the deal. How could Doug say no to that?

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He couldn't, of course. After driving 9 hours to Ohio, we hit up Sandusky, picked up supplies, checked into our terrible motel, and then headed over to Cedar Point. We stayed there for Friday evening and Saturday all day. Weather was great, my Platinum Pass got Doug in for $10 a day, we got discounts on Fast Lane Plus, I used my Meal Season Pass, we ate BBQ and drank Beer at the Brews & BBQ event (which was amazing). The park is looking so much better every time I go. Rou kills mantis every day. Maverick is so much better with soft restraints. Millie was running amazing, and Blue Streak and Gemini surprise me every time I ride. Then there were those few precious, amazing, thrilling, wondrous trim free rides at nite on Magnum. If I got those all of the time, I think it be close to my #1 coaster. It ranks high now, but man do those trim free rides make it amazing.

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Trim. Free. In 1-3. Not much else compares.

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Recently painted and looking beautiful, I let Doug get his credit without me.

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It works so much better as a floorless.

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We need this kind of atmosphere, with all of the lighting on the rides and around at Carowinds. This was new to me and looked great.

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I LOVE me some Maverick.

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Two trips and I finally got this shot.

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Loved the new paint job and location.

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Now that Cedar Fair is back to buying similar rides, we NEED one of these soon.

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Hotel Breakers is finally what it needed to be. Simply stunning. I can't wait to stay here.

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Whilst taking this photo, Doug was on his phone reading out to me the fate of our beloved Thunder Road. We were in disbelief.

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The new Lakeside Pavilion was also beautiful.

I love whats going on at Cedar Point. With Dragster and Raptor getting painted, the addition of Valravan (Meh, but okay...) and just as importantly the revamping of the entrance and area around Valravn, along with what Cedar Point has coming very soon, I think it will surpass itself as an amazing destination park. I can't wait to see what the Magnum entrance looks like in a couple years...

After Cedar Point we headed to Waldameer. My biggest regret is 2 visits to Waldameer have both been during the day. But at least this one wasn't rainy and overcast. I really love this park. Its charm, its rides, even the food and pricing. I wish the Charlotte area, or somewhere in North Carolina had something like this. Ravine Flyer is amazing and was even better on this trip. It has flats, fun and quirky dark rides, and plenty for the whole family. If you've never been, it is so worth the trip for, even for just a few hours. And they're expanding, with a larger water park and nice, newer front gate.

100_0277 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

The rides are all packed in, but it feels organic and not overdone.

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The recorded spiel on this is really fun. And it's a great ride.

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Jonathan, among others, jumped on me for missing this the last time...

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I did NOT skip it this time, and it was amazing. I love that they take their quirky dark rides serious and keep them up.

Next we drove thru the desolate wastelands of Pennsylvania to Conneaut Lake Park. This park, were someone with money to buy it, pay off the debt, renovate the hotel, and invest in the park, could be a small family park worth staying open. I made sure to visit this time because it is in such danger of closing down forever. Which is sad. The people around could definitely use an affordable kid-centric park with a grand old hotel on the lake. But someone needs to run it like a business and not a non profit. And it was fairly busy the day we were there. Blue Streak could be simply amazing, but sadly it hurt so bad. I bruised Doug pretty bad on the return trip. It has such potential, and is receiving love. It just hasn't got to where it needs to go just yet.

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Not sure why they decided to paint this all dull, boring colors. It used to be bright colors. It has potential, but needs a little work. And they don't even use this front gate.

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Some paint, lights, fixed facades, and landscaping could make the midway a pleasant, non-depressed place.

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How in the world did I skip 2 of these on one trip, in the same day? Bad Enthusiast!

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It could be so good.

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This was funky and only needs minimal work, actually.

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I think it could use a better colour scheme, but the Carousel House was really very charming.

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Yeah...

So next up was Kennywood. This place...So Amazing. So Classic. So beautiful. Charming. Amazing. Enchanting. Perfect. Kennywood is everything a classic park operating today should be. A great mix of Old and New. It's kind of like the Disneyland of regional parks, classics kept alive with new amazing things added. Anyone who hasn't been to Kennywood should make a special effort to get there. Your life just can't be complete as a coaster enthusiast. The rides are amazing, the park is amazing. It's a one of a kind, truly magical place. I'm already planning to hit it up for a full day in 2016. This was my first visit in a decade. I've missed it very much.

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So nice. This was new since my last visit.

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Phantom was my #1 for a very long time, and is in my top 10 overall. It is so good. The only downside is it could stand to be 2000' longer.

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As a kid, my mom always rode this with me. Both Doug and I were especially excited about riding this. It was closed right after we arrived, but thankfully reopened later that nite, and we got our ride on it.

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Great classic wood. Thunderbolt is crazy. Also, this trip was on Jackrabbit's 95th anniversary.

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Tho not original to the ride, the current station for Racer embodies what i think old, classic amusement park should be.

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So much glorious airtime in this picture.

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I was able to relive so many memories. Aside from my mom always riding with me, one of my friends from high school rode the one at Carowinds with me the last time I ever rode it, and the last time I'd ridden one prior to this ride. Chuck passed away a few years ago, but these rides remind me of him.

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This room was a definite upgrade, amirite, Doug?

The trip in May would be my last trip to ride coasters outside of Carowinds for the year. I had been sick and to the Dr just before going, and after finishing yet another round of antibiotics just before this trip, I was sick ONCE AGAIN just a few days later. Another trip to the Dr, another bout of Antibiotics with no tests or anything to see what was really going on, and I was getting fed up. But it was summer, and though I really wanted to do things, staying close to home was about all I really felt like doing.

I was tired and busy most of June. July started out rough, some stuff happened, I was tired of being sick and tired. And of course, there was the looming demise of Thunder Road coming. I knew I needed to get my last rides in, but wasn't planning on going to C3 specifically, though I planned on going that day. My friend Matt, who I wanted to take, since he'd never been to Carowinds, had a lot going on, so I declined to ask him to go on C3 day. Obviously, I was there, and it was great putting faces with names, hanging out and seeing people I don't get to see a lot of (Spending the first half with CC Peeps, then the second half with other friends I hadn't seen in a while.

Obviously the day ended bittersweetly. I always loved Thunder Road. I'm over the loss now. It wasn't a coaster that was so amazing and so in need of saving that I'll lament it's loss bitterly for years and years. I understand the decisions made, and overall Carowinds is going to be so amazing in the next few years, I'm sure I won't be upset, but just think of the ride fondly. I did sneak a POV pic from the brake run on my last ride. I plan on having it blown up and framed.

I did head back to the park again in July a couple of times. Once with friends, and once with my friend Matt, the noob. He's really getting in to coasters. We went 3 times this year, and this was the first year he'd ever been. We have trips planned for 2016 already. And I can't wait.

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Goodbye, old friend.

I did get a chance to take my other friend Matt and his girlfriend Carmen to the Cabarrus County Fair. Matt and I used to do lots of trips, but as things go, he's in a relationship now (Which I'm glad for him, and Carmen is so sweet). This was my first time meeting her on their trip back from Disney, and first time seeing him in about 2 years.

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We ate and rode the double ferris wheel looking thing. It's okay. Nothing to write home about. But the Cabarrus County Fair is a lot of fun if you get a chance to go.

So July led in to August. I'm a huge Janet Jackson fan, and when she announced her new album and tour, I was excited, hoping she'd come to Charlotte or Greensboro. Imagine my surprise when she announced Raleigh, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and Columbia, SC as tour dates. Add in the fact I'm likely going to see her in Pittsburgh with my BFF and his wife, and then again next summer in VA, and I'll have seen her more on this tour than I've seen all of her other tours combined. So I had that to look forward to in September and October. I was planning some trips in August, and was planning PPP with Matt the noob in October, but I was still having issues being sick. I was coughing, a lot. The pain in my chest from early spring and the end of 2014 wasn't as bad, but the coughing was getting worse.

Then one thursday while my parents were down, i was at work, and my throat was so raw I started coughing up blood. A phone call to the Drs office and all of a sudden they wanted me there the next morning to run tests they'd never bothered to run before. Actually, I got a really good PA this time who was very understanding of me being sick and tired of being sick and tired at this point only 2 months shy of a full year. So she did an X Ray, and after a while, came in with some news.

Apparently my left upper lung lobe didn't look so good. It was either a bad case of pneumonia, for which I'd be immediately admitted to the hospital and put on IV antibiotics, or my lung was partially collapsed. I was sent for an emergency CT Scan, and that confirmed not only a collapse, but something blocking the airway to my lung.

I'm not going in to a lot of detail, I've kept this all off of here because I do like my privacy. People from here knew what was going on, but I figured I'd let everyone else know a bit of what happened. Apparently I had a carcinoid tumor blocking my airway, which caused my lung to collapse. I was sent to Duke to a leading surgeon to remove the tumor. He wanted to do it the same day as my first Janet concert in Raleigh, to which I kindly replied that it would need to be scheduled later, Miss Jackson was expecting me. So they scheduled me for surgery the day before her album dropped in October. So now I had 2 concerts and THAT to look forward to. And that caused plans for PPP, KD, BGW, and the beach to all be cancelled, obviously.

But I did get to see my girl in Concert. The Raleigh show as amazing...

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I had decent seats.

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It was a show that spanned all of her hits and some new ones, as well as a few I missed out on seeing on before (She cancelled on me once in Greensboro).

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And the stage was really cool. That lighting fixture moved all around and did some neat stuff. This was a Thursday nite concert, on Friday, she was playing 20 minutes from my house, and apparently the concert shut down traffic. Glad I came in the back way.

Unbreakable Tour 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

While I may have had decent seats in Raleigh, I missed out on getting upgraded. The Charlotte, show, though, my home town show, I was upgraded to front row by finding Janet's Bodyguard (A secret I knew about). It was really amazing.

Unbreakable Tour 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

Same stage, much better view. Only thing better would have been center, but I wasn't far off, and I'll be seeing her at least 3-4 more times in the new year, so there's hope...

Unbreakable Tour 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

OMG, she is RIGHT there. For all you Rihanna, Beyonce, and even going back to Britany, XTina, and even now Selena and Demi, and heck, even Taylor fans? They were ALL inspired by this one. Queen of Pop. MadWHOnna?

Unbreakable Tour 2015 by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

Rollerbee, What have you Done for me Lately?

Janet Jackson Unbreakable Tour by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

Janet Jackson Unbreakable Tour by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

Singing one of my favorites, I Get Lonely.

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I'm having this made into a shirt for the next show I go to.

Janet Jackson Unbreakable Tour by C. E. Beavers, on Flickr

Miss Jackson (Al Mana) if you're nasty.

So after that, I did undergo surgery in early October to remove the tumor. The surgery was about an hour and went well, they removed 95% of the tumor. Then, in Early November, I was scheduled for yet another surgery...to remove the upper lobe of my left lung as a precaution. This I was really not looking forward to. But I did have some fun left.

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I got to spend a weekend in Boone for the first time with my buddy Matt (the noob).

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And I went to SCarowinds. A Bunch. In fact, I got in the habit of going on Friday nights to take a ride on Fury and eat and then leave.

The last open weekend of the year was very weird to me. I had no plans on going at all. That Saturday I was scheduled to work my one overtime Saturday of the month in Huntersville, but was sent to south Charlotte after arriving, and after getting off work at 1pm, I was so close to the park I decided to head down for some rides and lunch. Honestly? This was the weekend just before my surgery, and so I was going for my last rides of the season, and to be quite blunt, possibly the last rides of my life. I knew going into the surgery there was a potential for me to not make it out, and I wanted to ride any coaster at least one last time. To be honest, the rides on Fury and Intimidator were fun, but also very sad to me, because I knew it may be the last time I'd ever get to do it. I didn't tell anyone I was going, I just wanted to keep it to myself. I just felt like getting lost in the crowd then anyhow.

Thankfully, though, it's obvious that my surgery went well. After 6 hours of surgery, 4 days in the hospital, and 3 weeks off work, I'm well on the way to mending. I didn't put all of this in there for any type of sympathy, had I want that, I'd have been open about what was going on as it was happening. But as the year closed, I thought it a good way to talk about the year at Carowinds as a Whole. I put it in the anything goes section because it includes so much about other parks and aspects of my year, and I encourage you all to talk about your year here too. I hope you will.

As for Carowinds, This was a banner year. Regardless of the whining, fighting, arguing, complaining and what not that doesn't ultimately matter on here, the park is doing amazing. Cedar Fair has great people at the helm, and Fury is obviously a hit. Every time I ride it, I can't believe it's so close. I can't believe it is at our park.

The front gate looks incredible. The food service has gotten better at the park, and the more rides they paint, the better the park looks. I'm confident that 2016's addition will boost Carowinds that much further towards the stratosphere. I see some amazing rides, some amazing coasters, an amazing water park, and hopefully amazing shows coming our way. In 5 years, Most of us are going to look back at this time and go "I can't believe we went thru all of that, and now we have this amazing place".

Cedar Fair is investing in Carowinds, making it one of their focus parks. If and when they add a hotel, I'm sure they'll focus on multiple day stays, so expect more water park and more entertainment, and more rides. Enjoy it. It isn't often your home park goes thru something like this.