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We actually left around 9:30- 10:00, and the drive was pretty smooth. We got to the park at around 12:30. This was my son and my first time at Kennywood. My wife grew up near there, and that was her homepark for a long time. Of course “the Rev” is pretty knowledgeable about the park history, and was happy to fill us in on a lot it.
Kennywood is a beautiful park, and judging from the surrounding area that the park resides in I wasn’t expecting anything fancy. What I like is how well they maintain all their rides. What a classic collection of coasters and flats. I am hoping that nothing changes as far as their ride lineup for a very long time. Unless it is to add something new. They really shouldn’t remove any of their classic rides. Good thing is that you can tell that they have no plans to change anything anytime soon.
We walked into the park, and Jack Rabbit had a pretty long line so we decided to skip that, and head to the Racer. We took two rides. I really enjoyed it. I like slapping hands like on Gemini. It’s a decent racing coaster. Good fun! 7 out of 10.
Next we took a trip on the Log Jammer. That is a pretty decent log flume. I was lucky, and didn’t get too wet. “The Rev” took most of the water since he was up front. ;)
The Gold Rusher is another great example of a classic dark ride that you just don’t find at parks too much anymore. I would really love to see more rides like these in parks, but the sad thing is that we probably won’t see many anytime soon. I am glad that there are parks like Kennywood that understand the importance of rides with history.
Thunderbolt. Great ride, but watching it on coaster shows led me to believe that it was a longer ride than it actually was. Nice laterals, and a few good pops of airtime. Again I am impressed with how well the coaster has been maintained. Another jewel of a ride. 7 out of 10.
Noah’s Arc. Man they just don’t make them like this anymore. I don’t know what all they redid in 1996, but this is just a perfect walkthrough ride. I like all the effects. Makes for a great long ride.
Phantoms Revenge. This is a good ride. Rode it once in the front seat, and once in the back seat. A few good moments of airtime. I would have like to have ridden the original Phantom. This version I am sure is a much smoother ride. I am not a huge fan of Morgan’s hypers. They are ok, but I prefer the Intamin, Arrow and B&M models I have ridden. 7 out of 10.
Exterminator. I was really surprised by this ride. I like the theming, and effects. It makes for a good little ride. Good addition to their collection. 6 out of 10.
Potato Patch. I have heard so much about this place from my wife that I had to try these when we got there. Their prices are very reasonable. We had the bacon and cheddar fries. It was the perfect snack to tide us over until dinner.
After we were done eating we rode the Merry Go Round, and the Kangaroo. Two more fine examples of classic Kennywood rides. There is just so much to like about this park.
Jack Rabbit. Good coaster. I love the classic trains and restraints. The restraints are actually scary on the first ride, but you realize after riding that they are just fine. 2 laps one up front, and one in the back. The double down is much cooler in the back. 8 out of 10.
Garfield’s Nightmare. The Old Mill is another classic ride. I wasn’t too impressed with the Garfield transformation, and would have rather seen it in another form. It’s still a good ride. I am sure that they’ll end up changing the theming in there in a few more years.
I should have visited Kennywood years ago when I could ridden the Steel Phantom, but I can’t change the fact that I had waited to visit such a jewel of a park. Live and learn. One thing for sure is that I won’t be waiting years to make another visit.
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