Kenny's Grove

Well, after leaving Conneaut Lake Park, Mark and I made the 100 mile // 2 hour or so drive down to Kennywood. I hadn't been to the park since my epic 2008 summer trip and I’d been wanting to revisit since. The last time I went to the park it was the final stop in a 3 park day… And while I got to enjoy the park at night, something it’s rather famous for… it still meant I had to pick and choose what rides I wanted to do and also led to me having to skip some rides in favor of re-rides on other… And while I did manage to ride all the coasters and some of the flats… There were things I had to skip. This would be my redemption, I guess? Uh, Kennywood: REVISITED! (Oh hey, that would have been a good title for this post… oh well) Since 2008 the park removed its once tallest drop tower in the world, Intamin built, Pitt Fall and replaced it with a Zamp built Giant Discovery (Frisbee) ((the biggest in the US)). Built a new launching roller coaster from Premier, Sky Rocket… and most excitingly of all… reintroduced their Bayern Kurve. 

So, uh, onward to Pittsburgh!

The 'Burgh

Sitting in traffic I got to enjoy the view of Downtown and the Convention Center

Uh, I think this is the Fort Pitt Tunnel

Oh hey, there might be a park somewhere around here. Once you exit off the highway.. You have to follow a series of signs along some pretty sharp turns and windy roads past peoples homes and business. Without my trusty GPS (and playing Follow-the-Leader with Mark… ) I’d probably have gotten lost)

But then suddenly… Kennywood!

Woo!
 One of just two amusement parks listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The front entrance to the park is similar to Lake Compounce's, since Kennywood once owned Compounce and was likely involved with the rebuild, it's not overly surprising.

Once in the park, we walked right over to Sky Rocket.. Since it was the only new-for-me coaster in the park :D

Woo, Sky Rocket!

When it opened in 2010 everyone seemed to rave about it and it was well received but since then it's kinda fallen off the enthusiasts radar.

The trains were pretty awkward, this was my first time experiencing the new style Premier trains. Once seated, they were fine.. But it’s kinda hard to get in and out of (I'm almost surprised someone hasn't fallen onto the track of Tempesto yet…. but that's for another post coming later)

The ride is smooth, fast, has some good airtime, and delightful inversions.. All with just a simple lap bar. I actually really liked the ride and I’m kinda surprised this model never really took off. Outside of a distant relative built in India, Sky Rocket has pretty much become a one-off, although the Sky Rocket II model has done pretty well. Becoming Premier’s most successful production model.

The Old Mill // Garfield's Nightmare is the oldest ride in the park, built in 1901.

Oh hey, Jack Rabbit. We didn’t even ride it during this visit. Back on my first trip here I had such high expectations for this famous coaster and was rather disappointed. So I didn’t really care that it was skipped this time around.

But it is a neat looking coaster, built in a ravine and featuring its lift hill in the middle of the ride, not the beginning.

Oh man, and then there's this… Sky Coaster. But it's not just any Sky Coaster, Kennyoood is home to the original park model Sky Coaster <3

(and on my first visit to the park… it was the first thing I rode! Ha, before any of the roller coasters… before any of the flat rides.. The first thing I did in the park.. was the original Sky Coaster)

We walked over to the Racer… but the line was a bit longer than I was willing to wait. So, uh.. We kept going.
(But I do like this ride.. So… we’ll be back later)

Annddd we headed to Log Jammer. The parks Arrow log flume I had to skip last time. It's one of the few flumes that Arrow built with the ‘spillway’ feature, a small uphill section after one of the drops. Its also the only one remaining with this feature.

Continuing our lap around the park we passed Aero 360.. But we skipped it. I’m not a fan of the Zamp Hawk (I’ve ridden uh, 3, of them?) their massive OTSR’s are a turn off….

((I’d rather the park bring back their Ferris Wheel Aero replaced!))

Auto Race, another ride I missed my first time.. But decided to skip this time. I had planned on riding it but a few years ago the park automated the attraction and slowed down the max speed of the cars, making what was once a more exciting ride… nothing more than a tracked car ride :/

Raging Rapids is a ride I didn’t even know was in the park my first trip! Ha, this Intamin built raft ride is kinda hidden behind Thunderbolt and easy to miss I guess.

The Olde Kennywood Railroad, opened here in 1949 but originally built for the 1939 New York World's Fair. It takes you on a slow ride along the back edge of the park, overlooking the cliffs down to the Monongahela River.

Lil' Phantom,, the parks kiddie coaster as seen from the train..
Uh, we skipped it.

(But I shamefully rode it on my first visit… haha)

During the trains turn around there are a bunch of signs about old rides and historical photos from the park, including one for Laser Loop. The parks long gone Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop

(now in Mexico City)

The Edgar Thomson Steel Works, built in 1872 located across the river from the park.

The Garden Clock Plaza Fountain

And onward to Thunderbolt, the parks famous terrain coaster and one of the most highly rated wood coasters in the US <3

I had somewhat low expectations for the ride my first time visiting the park.. Since it was such a highly rated ride and in the past that has led me to some massive anticipointment….

But Thunderbolt ended up being extremely enjoyable and worthy of its high acclaims. Not only is it my favorite ride in the park, it's probably my favorite coaster in Pennsylvania

(out of the 60 in the state I’ve ridden)

A train exiting the station and heading towards the first drop, immediately following the station.

Yeesss!

The Turtle! My second Tumble Bug of the day.. And the only other operating one in the world.

Built in 1927 and still amusing riders today <3

Up next we hit up Noah's Ark, the last remaining ‘Noah's Ark’ walk-through (I got the chance to experience another one, now closed at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the UK, some 10 years ago) the ride was completely refurbished over the 2015-2016 off season and restored to its pre-1996 remodel.

These Day-Glo Owls seemed to like it

(there were also glow in the dark Hippos! (but they were hard to photograph))

Oh hey, and Noah himself.

After Noah we made our way over to Phantom's Revenge, another rather spectacular coaster at Kennywood.

And one I was really looking forward to. On my previous visit I was able to get two rides in, both in the back… Although due to dramatic events, the second ride almost didn't happen… and it made me forego my front seat ride…

Since Mark was also with me during that visit… He knew for this ride I was gonna wanna wait it out for the front row. The line wasn't even out of the station so it should have been a quick and easy ride…

Until some of the ride attendants heard some sort of noise from one of the trains requiring the coaster to close for an hour or so.. We waited it out and slowly became the first riders in line, queued up for the front row. After maintenance showed up and replaced a wheel, the coaster did a few test cycles and reopened

<3<3<3 yeesss, I got my front seat ride.

Sadly, due to the time loss, it would be my only :/ but it's still a damn fine coaster and I’m glad I got my front seat ride on it… finally.

Woo, Phantom's Revenge

Uh, heading down its first drop of 160 feet… that leads to the epic 228 foot drop, through Thunderbolts structure

Phantom's Revenge… towering over the Lost Kennywood section of the park.

Since it was about as hot as the surface of the sun in West Mifflin during our stay… I got some delicious Root Beer Italian Ice from the Rita’s stand.

(oh hey, and Phantom's train is about to head down the 228 foot ravine drop <3 )

Eh, Swing Shot… Normally I’ll take a quick ride on these S&S Swings if the line is short but both times I’ve been to Kennywood the line for it has been longer than its worth to me… Maybe next time.

Pittsburg Plunge
Since its themed into the Lost Kennywood section, it spells Pittsburgh 'Pittsburg', the way it was in the early 1900's

Random Wave Swinger photo for Jeff.
(did.. not.. ride)

<3 <3 <3 
Yeesss!
While the Huss Giant Frisbee might be laammmeeee, Kennywood got smart and installed the first Zamperla Giant Discovery in the US., Black Widow. Standing nearly 25 feet taller than the Huss Giant and thanks to its 120* swing.. reaches a height of almost 150 feet (semi-inverted!) and travels at almost 70 miles per hour. :D

It also features Zamp's newer, less chunky OTSR's.. an improvement for sure!
The ride was having some issues when I got on it. We had to open and close our restraints 3 times and also get off the ride and reenter the queue while they cycled the restraints a few more times. 
But I did get my glorious ride on Black Widow. What an amazing ride. I never thought I'd find myself liking a Zamp product over the Huss... But this ride is truly fantastic.
(Although it had this awkward almost speed wobble to it...)

Up next was a ride on Exterminator!
The parks fantastic indoor spinning mouse <3

The coaster is themed to a factory that has been over-run with mice and even has an interactive queue.

Just a standard Reverchon mouse... but ridden in the dark and very well themed. 
(Its also one of the best around and a ton of fun)

For 2016, the park replaced its older Enterprise named Volcano... With this Enterprise... Uh.. also named Volcano. This Volcano was moved from Kennywood's sister park, Lake Compounce to make way for that parks new for 2016 coaster - Phobia Phear Coaster 
I would have ridden it... but... I got distracted by a loud horn.

The Bayern FREAKIN' Kurve

This... this was a ride I had been waiting 21 years to re-ride.
twenty one years.... Back in 1995 at Riverside I got to ride one of these.. and I rode the crap out of it.. Some +10 rides in a row... But after Premier took over the ride was one of the first to go... And other parks across the country started removing them as well. As of now I believe there are only 2 left in the US.
(When I made my first visit to the park in 2008 the ride had been temporarily removed for a complete refurbishment and overhaul)

Yeesss, fun things are fun :')
While just a simple ride... Its a lot of fun. As the speed increases, the cars tilt inward.
The park runs the ride at around 40mph.. but its capable of going.... 75!

  Wait, why is the Cat in the Hat and Elvis in the backdrop?

Paratrooper

Kangaroo!
The last known Norman Bartlett Flying Coaster left.
Simple, but a ton of fun :D

The parks beautiful Dentzel built Grand Carrousel, it's listed as a Historic Landmark.

Checking back in on Racer, the line was a third of what it was earlier in the day.. So Mark and I took our ride.

Most of the major rides at Kennywood had these signs with different sarcastic comments on them 
(like say.... #4) <3

We took our ride in the Blue train, back car. 
Kennywood's Racer is probably my favorite when it comes to racing coasters
 

After Racer we again checked the line for Jack Rabbit... but it was still long.. And I was getting hungry, neither of us had eaten since the start of the day, before getting to Conneaut so I decided I just wanted to make a quick photo lap around the park at sunset to get my last 200 photos in.. And then we could head out and get food somewhere... uh, with one last ride on Sky Rocket before exiting.

Bayern Kurve, looking very nice at night with its lovely light package.
<3

Volcano, still covered in the LED's it had from Lake Compounce.

Oh, and another photo of the Wave Swinger for Jeff
(Although he'll bitch about it having blue lights!)

Musik Express... uh. and the moon?

And one last photo of Phantom's Revenge. :D

Bye Kennywood! Hopefully I'll be back.
(sooner than later)

So off Mark and I went to the The Waterfront, an open air mall built on the old site of  U.S. Steel's Homestead Steel Works plant, to get some food.
(Mmm, num nums)

The Homestead Grays Bridge

Reedddd ROBinnn
(YUM)

Oh hey... uh.. A Red Robin?

And for some reason.. The Statue of Liberty with neon lights

Mmmm... I ended up getting this deep-fried grilled cheese sandwich.
((And all you can eat fries))

But it was time to head out.. and start my drive 1/4 of the way across Pennsylvania to Bedford, PA and my classy hotel for the night... bah

Another neat tunnel... 
under some random Western PA mountain.

Maannn... its times like this I miss having a fastlane/EZPass transponder.
(damn you rental car!)

Ah... the Roadway Inn, Bedford. 
While not ghetto... or overly dumpy (for a ~$30 hotel...) it was far from nice... And attached to a rough looking almost biker bar that when I rolled up to after midnight was overly loud... The hotel also lacked parking... leading to cars just parking in the road, I ended up parking in the street as well.. And every time I was awoken in the night, peeked out the window to make sure it was still there... but I only needed the room for 6 hours or so.. Because in the morning I had another 2 hour drive onward to Hersheypark.

Woo?

((Thanks for spending the day with me Mark! Uh... and the hook-up on free admission into Kennywood!))