Kenny-Meer Extravaganza - 5/30-5/31- Photo Album Included
I got off work early on Friday to pick up another friend, and make the 4.5 hour drive to my friend's house just over the OH/PA border. We met up with another friend there, and enjoyed an evening of karaoke, adult beverages, and wings at the Quaker Steak and Lube in Sharon, PA before getting some sleep to get us ready for the awesome weekend that was to follow!
We woke up early Saturday and after a tasty breakfast at a diner in West Middlesex, started off on the one hour trek to Erie. We were happy to see as we approached Waldameer that the parking lot was basically empty. We got our wristbands and oversized hand stamps and headed straight to Ravine Flyer 2. If you live within 5 hours of this coaster, and have not yet rode it, you are really missing out. This thing is still running as great, if not better, than last season. If it says anything, I am around 350 miles from Waldameer, and I have been there 3 times in the past 2 seasons. The ride is a perfect blend of all that makes Gravity Group great, without the extended kidney beating that The Voyage delivers (I know many of you enjoy that). It has awesome airtime, some very intense moments, great transitions, and of course a ninety degree turn for good measure. Given how dead the park was (a bit concerning for a Saturday), we were able to get in all the rides in a fairly short time. We did try out the new Mega Disko, and I was quite underwhelmed. My favorites are still obviously RF2, Steel Dragon, X-Scream, and Wipeout. Steel Dragon (being a spinning coaster) gives a different ride every time, X-Scream is hands-down the best drop tower I have ever been on (sit on the lake side), and Wipeout has the craziest finale of any flat I have ridden (I have dubbed it the spin cycle).
After a few hours of riding we were ready for some food so we headed into downtown Erie for mid afternoon lunch/dinner at The Brewerie. Located in the old Union Station, this place has an awesome location, some great micro-brews, as well as some amazing food. I had the Breakfast Burger (Half pound burger, fried egg, chorizo sausage, and bacon -- your heart will thank you). After our great meal we headed back to the park to get some more rides in on RF2. We also got a bonus credit on the Ravine Flyer 3 thanks to the GM Steve! RF2 got faster and faster as the evening went on, and by the time we had our last ride of the evening, we had taken about 15 laps for the day, as well as 5 or so on Steel Dragon, and multiple flat rides. It was an awesome day. We headed back to Sharon for a late snack/dinner and a much needed night of sleep.
Sunday morning we got up early, and grabbed a quick breakfast at McDonalds, as well as some Sheetz donut holes (20 grams of fat in 3 donut holes -- crap.) and headed to Kennywood. We were once again happy to find a nearly empty parking lot. Sad as it is, this was my first time at the park, and I must say right up front that I was blown away. It is easily my new favorite park. The ride collection is extensive, and the atmosphere is wonderful. We hit Phantom's Revenge first, and it quickly has taken it's place near the top of my steel list. By the end of the day we had around 10 rides, and each one I liked better than the last. I did notice a bit of "weirdness" at the top of the second hill, but it was much less noticeable in the back of the train (the final kick to the left actually added to the airtime on the drop). Other than that, the ride was uttterly phenomenal to me. I couldn't believe the great airtime and sustained speed. Some of my other favorite rides of the day were the Kangaroo, Log Jammer, Swing Shot, Back seat of the Jack Rabbit, and the Bayern Curve. The "Curve" was the biggest surprise of the day, as I did not anticipate it to be as intense as it was (I could only handle one ride). In reality, it's hard for me to list only a few rides, because I enjoyed almost every ride of the day. The biggest letdown was The Exterminator. It was painful, had most of the effects turned off, and was just boring... not to mention that the operations of the ride were awful. The other coasters (Thunderbolt/Racer) were great for the nostalgia, but the rides themselves were fairly mediocre. We even snagged a ride on the Lil' Phantom. In addition to the rides, I also got to enjoy the famous Noah's Ark walkthrough. It was quite the experience... not at all what I expected, but still very enjoyable. The sound of the whistle on the Ark, as well as the maniacal laughter of Laffin' Sal near the Auto Race will stick with me for quite some time.
The "facepalm" moment of the day came on our first Jack Rabbit ride of the day. I was talking to my friend about how the ride was known for the airtime on the double-down when 2 girls in front of us said "Oh yeah, you gotta take your seatbelt off." Well sure enough, as we crested the lift, they removed their seatbelts, linked arms, and actually leaned over the lap bar as the ride went over the double down. I can't believe the stupidity of some people. They quickly re-buckled their seatbelts as they re-entered the station, but I nearly reported them.
Instead of eating a full meal at the park, I decided to try some of the park foods I have heard so much about. Both the Potato Patch fries (gravy, cheese, and seasoning salt), as well as the Deep Fried Oreos were incredible. However, after those treats, and my meal in Erie, I am in need of some serious dieting and exercise. In addition to all of the above, we had several excellent experiences with employees in the park going above and beyond their jobs to make sure we had an amazing day. I could go on and on about how much I loved this park, but it would take many pages. I can't wait to return to Kennywood very soon. After our full day (11-10) at the park, we drove back to Sharon and failed to find any place to eat other than Sheetz and it's touchscreen glory. Sunday night, we got a full night of sleep before waking up to head back to Indiana on Monday. All in all this was one of the best weekend trips I've ever had. The parks, the lack of crowds, the food, the friends, and the weather were all amazing. Not to mention I got to ride 7 new coasters, and discover my new favorite park. I can't wait to go back.
See the photos from the trip:
The Waldawood Extravaganza
Josh M.
Magnum - 330 / Timbers - 46 / Maverick - 70 / Voyage - 5
http://www.coastercounter.com/StormFreak