TR: Kenny Kon and Lakemont Park

Our first day of our two day trip started off with the 2 1/2 hour dive to Altoona to Lakemont Park. We had an internet coupon for buy one RAD get one free. So we had a cheap day there. The park was pretty busy although it was a Saturday. Our first ride was on Leap the Dips. The wait was about 20 minutes since they were only running one car. Leap the Dips was MUCH faster this year than last year. I think the reason is that it now has steel trach and steel on the guide walls. Last year it was running on wood. We even got a small pop of air after the BIG 9ft. drop!
We grabbed a soda before riding the Mad Mouse. The prices for food were reasonable $2.00 for a large and $2.25 for a souveiner cup. The madd Mouse is an old Allen Herchell mouse from the 50's? or 60's? For a small ride it's pretty rough. They have wooden blocks with little padding on the sides of the cars so you don't slide around. When you hit those turns with two people in tandem seatting it hurts. Only about a 5 minute wait for the mouse.
Next we hit a few flat rides Round Up, Twister, Scrambler, Spider, Monster, and Tilt A Whirl (I thought this one spun pretty good). Next on our agenda was the Kiddie Coaster since we didn't ride it last time. I think this was another old Allen Herchell coaster. The Skyliner was down and it was time for us to leave to go to the baseball game.
The stadium is located next to the park. In right field sits the Skyliner. Shure enogh as we got to the stadiunm it was running. The Altoona Curve was playing the Erie Sea Wolves. The Curve lost 11-1. The game was a blowout but watching the coaster run durring the game was very cool. We left the game after the seventh inning since it was turning into a blowout, so we went back to the park.
The park was dead I guess everyone had our idea to go to the game. Our first ride was on the Skyliner. For a Jr. Woodie it has a good first drop and some good air in the back seat. We rode it several in different seat a搀 眀攀渀琀 昀漀爀 愀 昀攀眀 洀漀爀攀 爀椀搀攀猀 漀渀 䰀攀愀瀀 吀栀攀 䐀椀瀀猀⸀ 䰀攀愀瀀 吀栀攀 䐀椀瀀猀 眀愀猀 愀 眀愀氀欀漀渀⸀ 䤀 琀栀椀渀欀 椀琀 眀愀猀 爀甀渀渀椀渀最 攀瘀攀渀 戀攀琀琀攀爀 琀栀愀渀 攀愀爀氀椀攀爀⸀ 䤀 猀琀椀氀氀 挀愀渀✀琀 戀攀氀椀攀瘀攀 栀漀眀 昀愀猀琀 椀琀 爀甀渀猀 眀椀琀栀 渀漀 甀渀搀攀爀眀栀攀攀氀猀℀ 吀栀椀猀 琀椀洀攀 䤀 琀栀椀渀欀 琀栀攀 挀愀爀 眀愀猀 樀甀洀瀀椀渀最 漀渀 琀栀攀 戀椀最 搀爀漀瀀⸀ 圀攀 最漀琀 愀 昀攀眀 爀攀爀椀搀攀猀 愀渀搀 眀攀渀琀 琀漀 昀椀渀搀 愀 栀漀琀攀氀⸀  㰀戀爀㸀 㰀戀爀㸀吀栀攀 渀攀砀琀 搀愀礀 眀攀 眀漀欀攀 甀瀀 氀愀琀攀 愀渀搀 搀爀漀瘀攀 琀栀攀 栀漀甀爀 愀渀搀 栀愀氀昀 琀漀 䬀攀渀渀礀眀漀漀搀⸀ 䤀琀 眀愀猀 爀愀椀渀椀渀最 眀栀攀渀 眀攀 瀀甀氀氀攀搀 椀渀琀漀 琀栀攀 瀀愀爀欀椀渀最 氀漀琀⸀ 圀攀 洀愀搀攀 椀琀 琀漀 琀栀攀 爀攀最椀猀琀爀愀琀椀漀渀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀礀 猀愀椀搀 琀栀攀 刀愀挀攀爀 眀愀猀 爀甀渀渀椀渀 昀漀爀 䔀刀吀⸀ 䤀 眀愀猀 眀漀爀爀椀攀搀 猀椀渀挀攀 眀攀 眀攀爀攀 愀琀 䬀攀渀渀礀眀漀漀搀 氀愀猀琀 礀攀愀爀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀礀 猀栀甀琀 琀栀攀 挀漀愀猀琀攀爀猀 搀漀眀渀 椀渀 爀愀椀渀⸀ 䤀 最漀琀 愀 昀攀眀 爀椀搀攀猀 漀渀 琀栀攀 刀愀挀攀爀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 䬀攀渀渀礀眀漀漀搀 栀愀渀搀猀栀愀欀攀⸀ 圀攀 爀漀搀攀 琀栀攀 刀愀挀攀爀 氀愀琀攀爀 愀昀琀攀爀 䔀刀吀 愀渀搀 眀栀攀渀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 猀攀攀 礀漀甀 猀琀椀挀欀 漀甀琀 礀漀甀爀 栀愀渀搀 琀栀攀礀 樀甀猀琀 氀漀漀欀 愀琀 椀琀℀ 䤀 氀椀欀攀 琀栀攀 刀愀挀攀爀 椀琀 栀愀猀 愀 昀攀眀 猀瀀漀琀猀 漀昀 最漀漀搀 愀椀爀 攀瘀攀渀 琀栀漀甀最栀 椀琀✀猀 琀栀攀 琀愀洀攀猀琀 漀昀 愀氀氀 琀栀攀 眀漀漀搀椀攀猀 琀栀攀爀攀⸀ 伀甀爀 渀攀砀琀 䔀刀吀 眀愀猀 漀渀 琀栀攀 吀戀漀氀琀 愀渀搀 倀栀愀渀琀漀洀⸀ 䤀 琀漀漀欀 漀渀攀 爀椀搀攀 漀渀 琀栀攀 吀戀漀氀琀 愀渀搀 爀漀搀攀 琀栀攀 倀栀愀渀琀漀洀 琀栀攀 爀攀猀琀 漀昀 琀栀攀 䔀刀吀⸀ 唀渀昀漀爀琀甀渀愀琀攀氀礀 琀栀攀 眀愀椀琀 眀愀猀 爀愀琀栀攀爀 氀漀渀最 漀渀 吀戀漀氀琀 愀渀搀 漀渀氀礀 最漀琀 ㌀ 爀椀搀攀猀 漀渀 琀栀攀 倀栀愀渀琀漀洀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 䔀刀吀⸀ 一攀砀琀 䤀 栀椀琀 琀栀攀 䨀愀挀欀 刀愀戀戀椀琀 愀渀搀 最漀琀 琀栀攀 戀愀挀欀 猀攀愀琀⸀ 吀栀愀琀 搀漀甀戀氀攀 䐀椀瀀猀 椀猀 猀漀 昀甀渀 䤀✀洀 猀甀爀瀀爀椀猀攀搀 椀琀✀猀 氀攀最愀氀℀ 䤀 琀栀攀渀 洀攀琀 甀瀀 眀椀琀栀 洀礀 最椀爀氀昀爀椀攀渀搀 愀渀搀 眀攀 爀漀搀攀 琀栀攀 䔀砀琀攀爀洀椀渀愀琀漀爀⸀ 圀栀愀琀 愀 爀椀搀攀℀ 䘀甀渀Ⰰ 䘀甀渀Ⰰ 䘀甀渀℀ 圀栀攀渀 琀栀攀 挀愀爀猀 氀攀琀 氀漀猀攀 愀渀搀 猀瀀椀渀 椀猀 琀栀攀 戀攀猀琀 攀猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀氀礀 最漀椀渀最 搀漀眀渀 琀栀攀 栀椀氀氀 戀愀挀欀眀愀爀搀猀℀ 吀栀攀渀 琀栀攀 琀栀甀渀搀攀爀 愀渀搀 氀椀最栀琀渀椀渀最 戀攀最愀渀 愀渀搀 攀瘀攀爀礀琀栀椀渀最 猀栀甀琀 搀漀眀渀 㰀椀洀最 猀爀挀㴀∀⼀昀漀爀甀洀猀⼀椀洀愀最攀猀⼀昀爀漀眀渀⸀最椀昀∀ 戀漀爀搀攀爀㴀∀　∀㸀 䄀昀琀攀爀 愀戀漀甀琀 愀渀 栀漀甀爀 琀栀攀 爀愀椀渀 氀攀琀 甀瀀Ⰰ 甀渀 昀漀爀琀甀渀愀琀攀氀礀 䬀攀渀渀礀眀漀漀搀 洀愀搀攀 琀栀攀 搀攀挀椀猀椀漀渀 琀漀 挀氀漀猀攀 琀栀攀 瀀愀爀欀 愀琀 㔀 愀爀漀甀渀搀 ㄀ 椀渀 琀栀攀 愀昀琀攀爀渀漀漀渀⸀㰀椀洀最 猀爀挀㴀∀⼀昀漀爀甀洀猀⼀椀洀愀最攀猀⼀昀爀漀眀渀⸀最椀昀∀ 戀漀爀搀攀爀㴀∀　∀㸀 吀栀攀礀 挀氀愀椀洀攀搀 漀渀 爀愀搀愀爀 琀栀攀礀 猀愀眀 猀漀洀琀栀椀渀最 琀栀愀琀 洀愀搀攀 琀栀攀 猀琀漀爀洀 眀攀 栀愀搀 氀漀漀欀 氀椀欀攀 愀 猀瀀爀椀渀欀氀攀 愀渀搀 琀漀氀搀 渀椀最栀琀 猀栀椀昀琀 琀漀 猀琀愀礀 栀漀洀攀⸀㰀椀洀最 猀爀挀㴀∀⼀昀漀爀甀洀猀⼀椀洀愀最攀猀⼀昀爀漀眀渀⸀最椀昀∀ 戀漀爀搀攀爀㴀∀　∀㸀 䐀甀爀爀椀渀最 琀栀攀 搀愀礀 眀攀 栀椀琀 一漀栀愀✀猀 䄀爀欀Ⰰ 䬀愀渀最愀爀漀漀 ⠀猀漀洀攀 挀漀洀瀀愀渀礀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 猀琀愀爀琀 戀甀椀氀搀椀渀最 琀栀攀猀攀 愀最愀椀渀 氀漀琀猀 漀昀 昀甀渀⤀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 伀氀搀 䴀椀氀氀⸀ 䄀琀 ㌀瀀洀 眀攀 愀氀氀 洀攀琀 渀攀愀爀 琀栀攀 䰀漀最 䨀愀洀洀攀爀 昀漀爀 漀爀 昀漀漀搀⸀ 吀栀攀 最爀甀戀 眀愀猀 最漀漀搀 䤀 爀攀愀氀氀礀 like the barB Q. We all got tickets for a raffel drawing. They gave away lots of kennywood stuff including a Kenywood arrow and 2000 banner like you see in the park. They also gave away old Steel Phantom posters which is the logo a very cool prize. (Check EBay there will probably be some on it). By this time it was 4 and it was the nicest it was all day. I went for the Phantom since Tbolt was rather crowed. I even took a few back seat rides. I found the way to relieve the neck bashing. I grabbed the OTSR tight in a bear hug and found it to work pretty good. I got a few more rides then heard the goodnight music for closing. We were suposed to have some ERT on the TBolt at closing but they shut down anyway. there were a lot of unhappy campers at Kennywood. At least they gave us tickets to come back again so we can say goodbye to the Phantom one more time. In all it was a good trip except for the early close at Kennywood.
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Parks hit for 2000!
PKD,BGW,Knoebels,DP,HP,PKI,HW,SFKK,SFA,SFNE,LC,GE,QP, Camden, SFO,CP,WL,IW,KW

To be fair, later on we got *HAMMERED*. I live about 4 miles from the park (as the bird flies, a bit more by car). We were seeing multiple lightning strikes per SECOND. One of the better thunderstorms I've seen this year ;)

It was around the time the park would've been closing, so yeah, we COULD'VE gotten some more rides in, but I think Kennywood made the best decision they could given the information they were looking at. When 5 rolled around and it didn't look so bad, it was too late to call the next shift in.

I spotted some fellow ACE'rs at Dave & Buster's afterwards, so at least the fun moved to an appropriate location ;)



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--Greg

http://www.pobox.com/~gregleg/

I just figured Kennywood would have kept a few people there for an extra hour for the ERT on Tbolt and possibly the Phantom. No biggie I just get one more time to get on the Phantom with the free pass. :)

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Parks hit for 2000!
PKD,BGW,Knoebels,DP,HP,PKI,HW,SFKK,SFA,SFNE,LC,GE,QP, Camden, SFO,CP,WL,IW,KW

We went to the park at opening today (8/7, day after K-con) and the T-Bolt was NOT running; it looked like they were doing something to it -- so it's possible that was the reason we didn't get the ERT at 5:00.

The Pgh paper said Pgh got about 3 (in some places 5) inches of rain this weekend -- and there was a heck of a storm that set in about 9:00 at night -- thunder & lightning, etc. We had a family member at Idlewild the same day (Sunday 8/6), and she said they didn't run the rides there at all, and closed the park 3:00.

The new Aero 360 (whose logo needs work, IMHO -- why no KP arrow in it?) is a great non-coaster ride with a coaster feel -- talk about air time! RIDE IT!!

We didn't spot any unusual track in the storage area behind the Jackrabbit, nor a statue of liberty . . . .