Arrived at the park a bit later than we had wanted to, but still were walking through the tunnel at 11:45 AM.
Although KW was my home park growing up, this was Kathey's first trip there. So, of course, I couldn't just jog her straight over to the Phantom, we had to work our way up and around.
First off was the Jack Rabbit, a 15 minute wait with one train. In my exuberance over showing a newbie the park, I let the double-dip slip as I was describing the ride. I really wish I hadn't. How infrequently am I going to have the opportunity to take someone on JR who doesn't know what's coming? Oh well, my loss.
The ride was so-so, as always, until we hit the famed dip. We're talking standing airtime, folks. Why can't CP's Blue Streak have the same restraining system as Jack Rabbit has? Great first ride of the day!
Racer was next, with a 10 minute wait we took the green car on the right-hand track. Blue won, and it wasn't close. Too bad the ops couldn't get us out of the chutes simultaneously, but blue was a full length ahead going up the lift hill.
Log Jammer was next. I lost a ballcap on this ride about 20 years ago, and I didn't find it today. LJ was a walk-up at 12:30, and the sun was already beating down. Apparently, there weren't many folks in the park today. Spending the holiday weekend elsewhere, maybe?
Aero 360 was interesting enough to look at, and if I could be assured that I would rotate only forward, I might have tried it. Alas, midway through the ride, you change direction, so that for at least half the ride, you're moving backwards. Kathey rode and liked it a lot.
Stopped then for one of my favorite Kennywood delicacies. The Double Dip cone. BUT, across the midway sat a cart with roasted corn on the cob. We decided to get that first. 2 bucks an ear, but well worth it! It was phenomenal. Many excellent seasonings to choose from, including chili powder, parmesan cheese, c礀攀渀渀攀 瀀攀瀀瀀攀爀Ⰰ 栀漀琀 猀愀甀挀攀 愀渀搀 最愀爀氀椀挀 猀愀氀琀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 愀搀瘀攀渀琀甀爀漀甀猀⸀ 䤀 搀椀搀 愀 挀栀椀氀椀 瀀漀眀搀攀爀⼀瀀愀爀洀攀猀愀渀 挀漀洀戀漀 琀栀愀琀 眀愀猀 漀甀琀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀 眀漀爀氀搀⸀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀䠀愀瘀椀渀最 栀愀搀 琀栀攀 ∀洀愀椀渀 挀漀甀爀猀攀∀Ⰰ 䤀 琀栀攀渀 最爀愀戀戀攀搀 琀栀攀 椀挀攀 挀爀攀愀洀⸀ 唀渀氀椀欀攀 䌀倀Ⰰ 䤀 琀攀渀搀 琀漀 眀椀渀搀 甀瀀 攀愀琀椀渀最 愀 氀漀琀 愀琀 䬀圀⸀ 吀栀攀 瀀爀椀挀攀 椀猀 爀椀最栀琀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀攀爀攀 愀爀攀 猀漀 洀愀渀礀 最爀攀愀琀 猀攀氀攀挀琀椀漀渀猀℀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀一攀砀琀 椀猀 眀愀猀 漀昀昀 琀漀 洀礀 昀愀瘀漀爀椀琀攀 眀漀漀搀礀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 吀ⴀ戀漀氀琀⸀ 一漀 氀椀渀攀 椀渀 猀椀最栀琀⸀ 刀甀渀渀椀渀最 漀渀攀 琀爀愀椀渀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 眀愀椀琀 眀愀猀 漀渀氀礀 㜀 洀椀渀甀琀攀猀⸀ 䄀 挀氀愀猀猀椀挀 琀攀爀爀愀椀渀 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀 琀栀愀琀 渀攀瘀攀爀 搀椀猀愀瀀瀀漀椀渀琀猀⸀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀伀瘀攀爀 琀漀 琀栀攀 倀栀愀渀琀漀洀Ⰰ 眀栀椀挀栀 眀愀猀 渀漀眀 甀渀搀攀爀最漀椀渀最 洀愀椀渀琀攀渀愀渀挀攀⸀ 䐀椀搀渀✀琀 欀渀漀眀 昀漀爀 栀漀眀 氀漀渀最Ⰰ 猀漀 眀攀 搀攀挀椀搀攀搀 琀漀 挀漀洀攀 戀愀挀欀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀䰀漀猀琀 䬀圀 眀漀甀氀搀 戀攀 琀栀攀 渀攀砀琀 猀琀漀瀀Ⰰ 眀椀琀栀 愀 挀漀甀瀀氀攀 漀昀 眀愀氀欀ⴀ漀渀 倀椀琀琀昀愀氀氀猀⸀ 䤀䴀䠀伀Ⰰ 琀栀椀猀 爀椀搀攀 椀猀 戀攀琀琀攀爀 琀栀愀渀 倀漀眀攀爀 吀漀眀攀爀Ⰰ 戀攀挀愀甀猀攀 愀氀琀栀漀甀最栀 椀琀✀猀 渀漀琀 愀猀 栀椀最栀Ⰰ 礀漀甀 搀漀渀✀琀 昀攀攀氀 琀栀攀 戀爀愀欀攀猀 戀攀最椀渀渀椀渀最 琀漀 猀氀漀眀 礀漀甀 搀漀眀渀 甀渀琀椀氀 礀漀甀✀瘀攀 搀攀猀挀攀渀搀攀搀 ㈀ 漀昀 琀栀攀 ㈀㔀 昀攀攀琀⸀ 倀吀 愀氀眀愀礀猀 猀攀攀洀猀 琀漀 戀攀最椀渀 琀漀 猀氀漀眀 礀漀甀 愀氀洀漀猀琀 椀洀洀攀搀椀愀琀攀氀礀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀吀漀 椀氀氀甀猀琀爀愀琀攀 琀栀攀 氀愀挀欀 漀昀 挀爀漀眀搀猀 琀漀搀愀礀Ⰰ 琀栀攀爀攀 眀愀猀 愀 ㈀ⴀ礀攀愀爀 漀氀搀 欀椀搀 眀栀漀 猀愀琀 渀攀砀琀 琀漀 洀攀 漀渀 洀礀 昀椀爀猀琀 爀椀搀攀⸀ 䤀琀 眀愀猀 栀椀猀 昀椀昀琀栀 挀漀渀猀攀挀甀琀椀瘀攀 爀椀搀攀 眀椀琀栀 渀漀 戀爀攀愀欀猀⸀ 䔀愀挀栀 琀椀洀攀 琀栀攀 爀椀搀攀 眀漀甀氀搀 甀渀氀漀愀搀Ⰰ 栀攀✀搀 爀甀渀 漀甀琀 琀栀攀 攀砀椀琀 愀渀搀 戀愀挀欀 甀瀀 琀栀攀 焀甀攀甀攀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 渀攀砀琀 爀椀搀攀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀䔀砀琀攀爀洀椀渀愀琀漀爀 眀愀猀 渀攀砀琀⸀ 䤀 栀愀搀 琀漀 爀椀搀攀 琀栀椀猀 愀琀 氀攀愀猀琀 漀渀挀攀 琀漀 愀搀搀 琀漀 洀礀 琀爀愀挀欀 爀攀挀漀爀搀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 欀渀攀眀 䤀 眀愀猀渀✀琀 最漀椀渀最 琀漀 氀椀欀攀 椀琀⸀ 䄀氀氀 䤀 欀渀攀眀 眀愀猀 琀栀愀琀 椀琀✀猀 愀渀 椀渀搀漀漀爀 圀椀氀搀 䴀漀甀猀攀 眀椀琀栀 猀瀀椀渀渀椀渀最 ⠀愀渀搀 瀀甀欀椀渀最⤀ 挀愀爀猀⸀ 㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀䴀甀挀栀 琀漀 洀礀 猀甀爀瀀爀椀猀攀 愀渀搀 搀攀氀椀最栀琀Ⰰ 琀栀攀爀攀 眀愀猀 渀漀 渀愀甀猀攀愀 愀挀挀漀洀瀀愀渀礀椀渀最 琀栀椀猀 爀椀搀攀⸀ 䰀椀欀攀氀礀 戀攀挀愀甀猀攀 礀漀甀✀爀攀 椀渀 琀栀攀 搀愀爀欀 愀渀搀 挀愀渀✀琀 昀椀渀搀 愀 瀀漀椀渀琀 漀昀 昀漀挀甀猀 琀漀 猀挀爀攀眀 眀椀琀栀 礀漀甀爀 攀焀甀椀氀椀戀爀椀甀洀⸀ 䄀氀琀栀漀甀最栀 䤀 搀椀搀渀✀琀Ⰰ 䤀✀搀 搀攀昀椀渀椀琀攀氀礀 爀椀搀攀 琀栀椀猀 漀渀攀 愀最愀椀渀⸀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀匀倀 眀愀猀 甀瀀 愀渀搀 爀甀渀渀椀渀最 渀漀眀Ⰰ 猀漀 眀攀 栀愀搀 愀 ㌀ ⴀ洀椀渀甀琀攀 眀愀椀琀 琀漀 最攀琀 漀渀⸀ 伀戀猀攀爀瘀愀琀椀漀渀㨀 倀攀漀瀀氀攀Ⰰ 焀甀椀琀 琀栀爀漀眀椀渀最 礀漀甀爀 最甀洀 漀渀 琀栀攀 爀漀漀昀猀 漀昀 愀搀樀愀挀攀渀琀 戀甀椀氀搀椀渀最猀⸀ 䐀椀猀最甀猀琀椀渀最℀㰀戀爀㸀㰀戀爀㸀吀栀攀 倀栀愀渀琀漀洀 眀愀猀 圀䄀夀 猀洀漀漀琀栀攀爀 琀栀愀渀 䤀✀搀 爀攀洀攀洀戀攀爀攀搀Ⰰ 愀氀洀漀猀琀 愀猀 椀昀 椀琀 眀攀爀攀 愀猀欀椀渀最 愀戀猀漀氀甀琀椀漀渀 昀漀爀 瀀愀猀琀 琀爀愀渀猀最爀攀猀猀椀漀渀猀 愀渀搀 猀漀洀攀栀漀眀 栀漀瀀椀渀最 琀栀愀琀 瀀愀爀欀 漀昀昀椀挀椀愀氀猀 眀漀甀氀搀 昀漀爀最椀瘀攀 琀栀攀 爀漀甀最栀 猀tuff and allow the ride to remain.
Went back and did a couple of more Thunderbolts, a Raging Rapids, Noah's Ark (it's been re-done, don't miss it!), another Racer (lost again) and the Jack Rabbit before leaving the park at 7:00 for the three hour trip back to Harrisburg.
All in all, about 15 total rides, and a food total that amazes me in retrospect. Between the two of us:
5 beverages
2 Dip cones
4 ears of corn
1 Nachos
1 Potato Patch Fries
1 Cotton Candy
That's way more than I'd eat at most parks, but I just HAD to uphold tradition :)
Speaking of tradition, if you're looking for it in a park, this has everything you want and more. Visit it soon!
*** This post was edited by Duane Cahill on 7/2/2000. ***