Kennywood!

Kennywood is so awesome! For those of you lucky enough to grow up near here....you're, ... well... LUCKY! It is very refreshing to see an independent amusement park... I had Wild World, which then changed to Adventure World, when I was growing up, but it is now owned by Six Flags. Kennywood has some of the oldest (and best IMHO)roller coasters around!

The first thing we did when we got to the park was to get in line for the Skyrocket, the brand new coaster that just opened up this summer. It is right there as soon as you walk into the park (where the Turnpike used to be). The line wasn't too bad yet since the park had only been open a few minutes before we got there. The ride was fun, short (fast) but smooth with lots of loops and you can really feel the Gs! We rode Garfield's Nightmare next, then headed over to the Jack Rabbit. Famous for it's double dip, this wooden coaster was built in 1921! It hasn't changed much since then either! I just love how you pop up in your seat on the dips!
Then we headed over to the Thunderbolt, my favorite! This one is fast and long too! Great hills & drops! Both the Thunderbolt(originally called Pippin) and the Jack Rabbit were built along ravines, so most of the tracks are along the ground, very cool!
We hit the Racer next and then the Phantom's Revenge (formerly the Steel Phantom) and the Exterminator before getting all of the flat rides. The racer is another awesome old coaster, built in 1927, where two trains race each other side by side. Even cooler than the racing aspect...you end up on the opposite side from where you started...(if you start on the right track, you end on the left track).
How is that possible you ask? One word-moebius.

Then we grabbed a refreshing fresh squeezed lemonade & some lunch by the dandelion fountain and clock.
You may notice that my pants look wet in the fountain picture...they are. DH didn't want to get wet so I quick hopped in line for the Pittsburg Plunge(that is right no h) and got a decent splashing! (Nothing compared to my complete and utter soaking a little later from the Raging Rapids when I got hit with the waterfall!)

We made our rounds again and hit most of the coasters twice, ending the night with my favorite the Thunderbolt.
And then it was time to go home...