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Photo TR: DelGrosso's, Idlewild, and Williams Grove


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Living in PA for 20 out of 25 years, I figured it was about time to try and get every coaster credit in the state. I mean, I’ve been to California, Texas, England, Germany, France, even Idaho, but yet I still am missing credits from my own home state. To alleviate the situation, I planned another weekend venture, this time to the central and western parts of Pennsylvania. Friday night after work I drove 4 hours to Pittsburgh where I stayed at Greg “Gluttenfree” Legowski’s humble bachelor pad. Watching a little TV, thinking about other trips to take this year and next, and drugging myself up so I wouldn’t die from his cats, it was about time to call it a night.

 

The following morning we made the 2 hour drive back to Altoona to head to Delgrosso’s Amusement Park. On the way we decided to stop off at Lakemont and see how Leap the Dips was holding up. Unfortunately for us, the ride was to be closed for the day for some maintenance. We were kind of bummed, as I haven’t been on the ride since it reopened in 1999. Luckily we didn’t pay to get into the park or we would have really been angry. The park was hosting some radio giveaway and was filled with bikers. So back in the car we went onward to Delgrosso’s.

 

About 15 minutes later we had arrived at the little park in Tipton. Paying the $10.95 for the all-day ride wristband, we made our way into the park. Our first problem was that the Crazy Mouse was on the non-operational list. I really wanted the credit, but it was just a standard crazy mouse, so I wasn’t too upset. We went right to the Wacky Worm for the credit. Cute little kiddie coaster. I wanted to look at the Crazy Mouse, as I saw a crowd gathering upon driving by on the way into the park. Sure enough , the ride was cycling, but without people. A few short minutes later and it was opened, and we were on in no time. It spun pretty good, but not like the one from Blackpool.

 

Coaster credits achieved, Greg showed me the other good things at the park, namely the food! First up was Murf’s Potato Salad. It was really good, with some awesome secret ingredient. I would have gotten some to go, but I knew it wouldn’t survive the rest of the day without refrigeration. Next I went for the pizza. Also very good for park pizza, but its no Knoebels pizza. We walked around, looking at the rest of the park and its rides, then grabbed some sauce to enjoy at a later time and headed out. The only ride that was actually closed was the indoor catepillar. I had never ridden one, but Greg reminded me that Idlewild had one. DelGrosso’s was a very cute little park, perfect for a few hours with the family or friends. Its also cheap, has good food, and friendly staff. If it had a small wood coaster, it would be a really awesome amusement park that one could spend more time at.

 

About an hour and 30 minutes later, we were at Idlewild. What a cute park. I got my 100th woodie in the Rollo Coaster, really enjoyed the Wild Mouse, and took in the usual stuff; Mister Rogers Neighborhood and its Chug N Bong party, Confusion Hill (tilt house), Dizzy Lizzy (haunted swing), and my first catepillar. Good classic traditional rides. Had some patch fries, loaded mine up with ketchup and BBQ rub. Good stuff. Rode the worlds newest and smallest flume, which may be small but definitely needed to complete the park. I also checked out the adult hand cars, which I managed to get all the way around with only using one hand. Awesome park, definitely the kind of place to bring the little kids and enjoy the whole place as a family. I wouldn’t really call it a kiddie park, so much as StoryLand or Santa’s Village. Its more of a family park geared towards children. But it also has plenty of stuff for everyone to do, not just rides that go around in a circle making obnoxious noises. The park is a great summer place, lots of trees and shade, areas to just sit and enjoy, and then big rides areas, as well as some great themed sections such as Hootin’ Holler.

 

Then it was back to Pittsburgh for dinner, which was at The Church Brew Works. The place used to be a real working church that closed down. It was bought and remodeled, the alter is now where the vats are, the confessional the giftshop. The pews were turned into seats for the restaurant. I had 2 types of beer, the Pious Monk Dunkel dark lager and the Pipe Organ Pale Ale. For dinner Greg and I both had center cut steaks in an herb crust with a tomato demi-glaze. Greg then showed me the sites of Pittsburgh; CMU, Pitt, downtown, the strip, squirrel hill, and the waterfront, where I had to stop at the Rock Bottom Brew Works for another beer, this time the North Star Amber Ale. Then it was off to the original Primanti Bros for a loaded Capicola and Cheese, with french fries, tomatoes, and slaw.

 

The next morning we went to Pamela's for breakfast, then I headed back towards home. I stopped at Williams Grove for the credits. Wildcat is in the middle of nowhere, Cyclone is rough and histerically fun! The funhouse was good, but the best was Dante's Inferno. I was the only one on the ride, and it had some good gags. Then when I was getting to the end, I could see the doors and thought "I wonder what the big finale could be?" Next thing I know, the ride op puts her hands on my shoulders and goes "boo!" I jumped, and started laughing uncontrollably. It was great! Strange little park, scary to the eye, but really quaint and fun.

 

In short, the weekend was no Coaster Con, but it was fun never the less. Greg was an awesome host, and it was great to get to some parks I never could find the time to get to before. Next weekend its back to Pittsburgh for some Kennywood, Waldameer, and Conneaut.

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King Friday and his friends celebrate their Hug N Song, or as we like to say, the Chug N Bong

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The kiddie turtle ride

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Gluttenfree enjoys the Adult Hand Cars

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Of all the parks I've been to, this is my first catepillar ride. It was pretty sweet

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And Alton Tower's old wild mouse, the best Vekoma steel ever built!

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Like this junior wood coaster, my 100th, kinda like a mini-Boulder Dash

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Here's Idlewild, home of lots of trees, a strange admission procedure, and some pretty cool traditional rides.

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This dessert tent was deserted, and so it was time to leave DelGrosso's.

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Enjoying some Murf's potato salad. Apparently Murfs are the Smurfs that aren't blue and they are the secret ingredient in this salad!

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Sadly this was closed, though mechanics were working on it, we didn't stay long enough to see if it reopened.

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As was the Round Up. Way to get the closed rides opened, DelGrosso's!

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After a quick call to Coaster Team member "Rosencrantz", the Crazy Mouse was amazingly opened.

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Ut oh! It looks like both the Crazy Mouse and Roundup are closed. Crap!

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My first trip to DelGrosso's.

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Here's Leap the Dips. It wasn't Leaping, nor was it Dipping.

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More pics from Idlewild and Billy's Grove:

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Dante's Inferno's best gag, the ride op chick, ready to run to the end of the ride and scare the ba-Jebus out of the riders.

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Here's the train "station". No fences, no queue, just hop on!

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The one coaster I was proud to say "I survived", the Williams Grove Cyclone, in all of its glory

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It was Sunday, so a trip to the Church of Lazer Tag was at hand. Services every 15 minutes

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Enter someone's backyard, trudge over the weeds, fight off the bees (and the dogs with bees in their mouths) and you'll end up at Willy's Wildcat

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As you can see, its difficult to compare Idlewild and Williams Grove, especially at first sight.

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At Idlewild, you can easily sit down, enjoy the scenery, and get bit by mosquitos by the waters edge

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Urban thugz run rampant at Idlewild. Bling Bling Baby!

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This shows just how steep tilt houses such as Confusion Hill can be

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And speaking of new rides, here's the worlds shortest log flume, and the parks newest ride. You can pretty much see the whole thing in this picture (with the exception of the drop and turnaround)

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Greg thinks he may have possibly found the location for next year's junior B&M flyer

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Hard to believe that so many PA credits have eluded you.

 

Yes, they have, but keep in mind I only got big into roller coasters at the age of 17, graduated high school at 18, THEN started taking trips to other "known" parks like PKD, Kennywood, BGW, PCWi, IOA, BGT, etc. After 2 years of college in PA, I moved to Florida to pursue Pharmacy, thus leaving my PA time down to only a few weeks a year. I only came back to PA last October. As of this weekend, hopefully the only coasters in the state that will elude me are the kiddie coasters and that one in the Poconos (which I may also attempt to hit this summer yet)

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Darn it, I missed the potato salad when I visited DelGrosso's! I ate the pizza. It seemed a little "bloody," but it was OK.

 

Now Derek must next visit the Poconos Play Park and ride the High Speed Thrill Coaster clone!

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Is that catapillar something where that tarp comes up over you as the ride goes around and around in a circle???

 

Shari "I am going to feel stupid if I am wrong, but I seem to remember such a thing from my childhood (or some night when I was really drunk)"Shoufler

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^Yes, you are correct. The Caterpillar starts off with you sitting in an opened car, it goes around in a circle, and then at one part a canopy covers the car and you continue to spin around. After the ride is over, the canopy returns to its folded position on the inside of the car. If you look at the picture closely, its right as the canopy is falling, so some portions of the car aren't totally covered yet.

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Yes, you are correct.

 

Damn! I'm good!

 

OK...now enthusiasts...tell me where I would have seen one of these.... Kings Island never had one, and I don't remember LeSourdsville/Americana having one, or Fantasy Farm. So where the heck would I remember this from... Old Coney Island?? Ohio State Fair or some other festival?? I don't think I ever rode it, so it had to be when I was pretty little (God bless my photographic memory). It is going to bug the crap out of me.

 

Shari "Help me remember how I remembered this" Shoufler

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