PhotoTR: My Amusement Park Road Trip- Dollywood update!

Last year I decided to take a nice little amusement park trip through the midwest this summer. It quickly got out of hand and turned into an amazing 12 park coaster extravaganza. (By the way, I must give words of thanks to everyone who helped by giving me advice on the best way to get through the trip. I heeded your advice and was very grateful for it. I must also say that I look forward to next year joining the experts at creating trips to amusement parks, Robb, Elissa, and the whole TPR gang. It looks like it will be a blast and definitely much cheaper.)

Let's get down to business. Day one began with me flying to Memphis to pick up my niece. I'm not sure she knew what to expect and neither did I to tell you the truth. I was just hoping that everything would run smoothly and we wouldn't have any hitches like bad weather along the way. We made the drive to Bowling Green to visit Beech Bend with the main object of my desire being Kentucky Rumbler. Beech Bend was a nice little park. It was extremely hot, but there was hardly anyone there, so we didn't do a lot of waiting in line.

My one mistake was letting my niece pick the rides that we rode. I figured if I was going to drag her through umpteen states and parks, the least I could do was let her pick what we rode. I had no idea she was such a fan of spin'n'pukes and ferris wheels....neither of which are my favorites. Spinning rides because of the obvious, who could actually enjoy feeling nauseous for a day? Ferris wheels...well, they just plain scare me. 200+ feet high rollercoasters and sky coasters=not scary. Ferris wheels=terrifying!

We did our fair share of spinning that day, which led to many Tylenols for me. The greatest part of the day we spent riding Kentucky Rumbler. What a great coaster! It alone was definitely worth the stop. We were able to get in four rides on Rumbler. Looping Star was down that day, but I did manage to get credits for Dragon Coaster and the Wild Mouse. After much spin'n'puking, we ended the day with a nice scary ride on the Ferris Wheel.

We didn't get to spend much time there, but the time we did spend was a lot of fun. The people always greeted you with a smile, even though you could tell they were burning up in the heat.

HaHa, now it's Heidi's turn to hit the meds. After a hot day of spin'n'pukes, nothing beats a dessert of Goody's powder and Sierra Mist.

And thus ends a fun day of Kentucky Rumbling at Beech Bend.

Sexy profile shot!

The ride-op sat us for maximum spinnage.

I must say that the water on White Water Express was a little on the green side.

We should have played a nice game of mini-golf in the shade. I was too busy being terrified on the Ferris Wheel to Hell.

Heidi's having a blast while I'm gritting my teeth thinking, "Get me off of this damn contraption!"

Break out your Dramamine!

Oh look, it's the Ferris Wheel to Hell and the Dragon Coaster. Everytime we would go around the little turn at the top of the hill, our car would kind of fall to the side with a disconcerting "clang!" Loved the ride-op though.

Why weren't you open? I wanted one more credit, dangit!

Beech Bend is a nice little park.

Cheesing it up on Kentucky Rumbler!

Now that's one impressive woodie! Who will be first to say it...

Sweet mother...finally, we have arrived!

Instead of Flying Bobs, for me it's more of a Flying "Ralphs" since that's what I feel like doing afterwards.

Heidi thinks I'm trying to take a picture of her, so she flashes a smile. I hate to tell her that I'm actually trying to get Kentucky Rumbler and the Culver's ice cream sign in the same shot. Sorry, but ice cream infinitely more important than family.

Haha, yeah right! Nice try, but no way in hell you're getting me on that. However, for those who appreciate it, I present Power Surge.

Let me present the first ride of the day, Tornado! The ride-op was so cute when she said, "Whoa nah! Ya'll are gettin' too high!" in the greatest Kentucky accent.

I know this is where the sign said to go, but the GPS is blank... What th- Did you just see Ned Beatty run screaming the other way? Wait, I see wooden sweetness in the distance!

Yay, Almost there! Beech Bend here we come!

Hello Kentucky! Let the coaster extravaganza begin!

Believe me, you should be glad that the Looping Star was not open. I thought that kind of violation was restricted to prisons but I was wrong.

Great TR! I'm glad you enjoyed Beech Bend...it really is a fun little park!

I wish I had known you were going; I had tons of extra wristband tickets that I'll never get around to using.

Did the Shock Drop scare you sh!tless?

^Yeah, Shock Drop was terrifyingly great! When we saw it, I wasn't too worried because it didn't look horribly tall. Well, we sat on the side that looks down the hill, so it felt like we went up even higher.

Everytime I'm on any kind of drop tower, I sound like I have Tourette's when we begin going up, then scream like a banshee on the way down, and even on little ol' Shock Drop, I was the same way. LOL

Nice TR. Only been to Beech Bend once, pretty much just to check out Rumbler. I probably should give it another go, at some point.

Day 2:

On the second day of our trip we headed to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. Now, I planned to go to KK on a Saturday because everyone who I had talked to said that even on a Saturday the park is hardly ever crowded. One thing I didn't count on...a concert. Not only was it a concert, but it was Toby Mac. Okay, I have to admit, I had no idea who he was, but apparently the zillions of churches in the area knew him well. I should have checked before I left, but hindsight is 20/20.

Overall, the day was pretty productive. We decided not to buy a flash pass, because it was early in our trip, and we were trying to save money to make sure we could FINISH the whole trip. We were still able to get in all of the coasters along with a few flats. Even though we had hoped to go to the waterpark area, due to the crowd we decided against that. The only real negative to the day was that it was unbelievably crowded and hot. The park itself seemed pretty nice.

I agree with what I've seen others report on TPR, SFKK could be a really nice park with a little TLC from the Six Flags corporate office.

Not a bad day at Kentucky Kingdom. Hmm, I'm not sure if Heidi disagrees with that or if my Right Guard just isn't working good enough...

Apparently one of the church groups attending thought they were gypped at the Jacob's ladder game, feeling that they deserved some kind of handicap, and took out their frustration on poor Scooby-Doo.

Say howdy, Heidi!

How're you doin', Louisville?

We had a great view of the park. As you can tell, it looks pretty empty. That's because most of the people are at the Toby Mac concert. When it started, the crowd practically disappeared.

Umm, did I mention that it was big?

Next it was time for the Giant Wheel. Ferris wheels scare the hell out of me, and this sucker was a biggun'! But, before the trip I agreed to get on every ferris wheel we passed, so I forced myself on.

Thunder Run was a really fun coaster! I have to put in a special word for one of the ride-ops. I'm a big guy, and the seatbelts on this thing were pretty darn tight. I had given up and was getting out of my seat to take the walk of shame. The ride-op stopped me and asked if I wanted to ride. I told him I couldn't quite make it, and he said, "Do you want me to give it a try? I can do it 99% of the time! Besides, if I can fit, you surely can." (He was a pretty big guy himself.) Sure enough, he worked at it and was able to get me buckled! He gave me a pat on the back and said, "Have a nice ride, buddy!" What a great guy! (This was a sharp contrast to what one of the ride-ops said on the Beast at KI, which I will tell you in that report.)

When we finally get to Thunder Run, this is what we find...and this is after we've been in line for about 20 minutes.

How could I NOT include a picture of an alligator on a roof.

Strolling toward Thunder Run.

We realized that we had forgotten Thunder Run and headed back across the bridge. As we walked by the water park, the wave pool looked like controlled chaos!

Next up, the ride I've waited for all day, Greezed Lightnin'!

Through the red and yellow steel I spy a green loop of heavenliness.

What's this? A short line?

Before heading to Greezy, we hopped on over to ride Roadrunner Express first.

At the sight of Greezed Lightnin', I suddenly felt like I should have a moment of silence in remembrance for my old love, Astroworld.

We decided to head to the other side of the park.

After waiting for over twenty minutes in the shortest line we could find for a "free" refill, you can almost feel the joy you see on Heidi's face. You get that overwhelming sense of love she has for the heat and crowd...I was quite afraid for my life at this point.

Yep...still crowded...

Fried bread covered in sugar and Sprite-it does a body good!

After two coasters it was already after noon, so we decided on a nice healthy well-rounded meal. What could be more round than a funnel cake?

Now, the line to the water park was definitely the line from hell. When we saw this, we easily decided to skip it. Longest line I've ever seen!

You can always trust Heinz.

Ahh...sweet inverted love.

Well, we ended up having a wait on T2, but although it was almost an hour, it definitely could have been worse.

Our next stop was T2. We had hopes of having a shorter wait time than we did on Chang.

Hamming it up on Chang.

Chang was really a nice stand-up coaster. I thought it was extremely smooth, and if the wait times weren't over an hour we'd have ridden it again. Not that I'm a big fan of stand-ups but Chang is by far my favorite of the ones I've ridden.

Very nice to meet you Mr. Chang!

Now, this nifty little piece of steel has peaked my interest.

Now that's a ride I would wait in line for! Sorry, I just though I'd add a picture of my dream car.

There was even a wait for Himalaya!

When we saw the crowd I was like "WTF?" People were arriving by the busload to see Toby Mac. Choosing of day to attend SFKK - epic FAIL (I blame Heidi)

When we arrived, the parking lot didn't seem too full. I was thinking that we would be able to get all of our rides in early, then spend the afternoon snoozing in the lazy river.

We got a little lost (Heidi's fault) trying to find the entrance, but we finally made it.

Misty and I made our first visit to Kentucky Kingdom just about two months ago (documented somewhere). We were both surprised by how much it didn't suck.

We thought Penguin's Blizzard River was the best ride there, though. I take it you didn't ride that?

Misty and I made our first visit to Kentucky Kingdom just about two months ago (documented somewhere). We were both surprised by how much it didn't suck.

That's exactly what we thought! We didn't expect much, so the park really surpassed our expectations. If it had been a bit less crowded, the day would have been pretty enjoyable. However, for the park's sake, I'm glad they were as busy as they were.

We thought Penguin's Blizzard River was the best ride there, though. I take it you didn't ride that?

No, we didn't get anywhere near water rides that day due to the wait time though it would have been nice.

I don't know if I would make a trip specifically to visit SFKK, but if in the area I would definitely stop by. (as long as there isn't a concert!)

You went on a bad day. They are only having 4-6 concerts(I think once a month) this year. They have concerts but its generally like once or twice and then the rest is different events like wrestling. On the days when there is no event lines for everything are generally less then 20 minutes so thats why everything has a 1 train operation. Chang does have 2-3 trains so im not sure where they was.

Enjoyed these reports so far and loved the story about the ride op. Very cool guy who deserves a good word with SFKK management.

Can understand skipping water park/water rides due to long lines on hot days.

Looking forward to the next installment!

Electerik said:

We thought Penguin's Blizzard River was the best ride there, though.

You are so my hero.

Day 3

The third day of our trip led us to Holiday World. I had done some research, so I thought I had an idea of what to expect when we arrived. I was dead wrong! This park is a very special place to visit. First of all, as we were entering the park, Pat Koch was out front shaking hands and greeting people. That is a class act that I've not seen before.

I knew that they had free drinks, but I had no idea that there would be drink stations everywhere. Anytime you were thirsty, there was a place nearby to quench your thirst. The same statement can be said about the free sunscreen as well.

The lockers at HW were only three dollars for a whole day, which in and of itself is amazing. However, that isn't as amazing as the fact that they have lockers in ride stations with key locks that ride-ops will place your more valuable items in until you get off of the ride for FREE! That is the polar opposite of what happens in other amusement parks.

Holiday World is now one of my top five favorite parks along with Knoebels, Kennywood, Hershey, and Cedar Point. (with an honorable mention for Dollywood, lol)

Now, to the pics...

Another day ends with smiles for both of us. This was definitely a huge step up from Beech Bend and SFKK. Thanks for a great day, Holiday World!

Sigh...sadly enough, it's time to leave. We had to leave pretty early to get to our next destination, Kings Island.

I was surprised by how large Splashin' Safari was. It was very crowded, but there were so many different rides and activities that wait times were not bad at all. The longest we waited was for about 45 minutes when the raft conveyor was broken on ZOOMbabwe, but it was quickly fixed.

We were able to get in a bunch of different rides, including ZOOMbabwe, which was a lot of fun. Then we spent a nice long time relaxing in the Bahari wave pool.

Later in the afternoon it was time to head over to Splashin' Safari. Wow, what a great water park!

I also loved the old time toy display. It was interesting to see the different old toys they had from different countries.

The series of displays on the different eras of Abraham Lincoln's life were very interesting!

The nutcracker tried to see if he could get a little action...

This was a great little place. First of all, let me tell you that Mrs. Klaus knows her fudge!

My favorite holiday!

Holiday World is such a beautiful park.

You can't go wrong with ice cream from blue udders.

How about a ride on the Star Spangled Carousel? ...umm...well, you have to pretend that it's star spangled...

The Liberty Launch could have been renamed the Lunch Launch.

Time to celebrate the Fourth of July!

I loved the Plymouth Rock Cafe! I mean, this whole meal along with unending soft drinks was only ten bucks! By comparison a soft drink with a funnel cake was 20 bucks at SFKK.

It's not the size of the splash that matters...

Pilgrims Plunge-I've read so many positive and negative reports about this ride that I couldn't wait to get my own assessment. I loved it! I loved the elevator ride up; I loved the height; I loved the trip down; I loved the level of wetness. It was great!

Here we are holding on for dear life in the back. I don't think I've had as much fun on a coaster as I did on Voyage.

The Voyage is by far my favorite wooden rollercoaster! The air time in the back seat...well actually, I'm not sure why they even have a seat in the back because we were never in it.

Ahh...Voyage!

Now we're on our way to the really good stuff!

I've generally never had much of a desire for riding swings due to a deep-seated fear that I acquired long ago when reading a comic called Ziggy. However, we rode them pretty much at every park this trip, and now I love them.

Legend and Raven(sorry, no pic) were both awesome coasters! I loved the double helix on Legend; it was a lot more than I expected. Raven was absolutely great! I thought it was a beautiful ride, especially the turn over the lake. I only wish it had been a bit longer.

This is Halloween! Bring on Legend and Raven.

Gosh, can't you just feel the love as you look at this beautiful sculpture and founta... OH, coasters!

Due to global warming and the thin pack ice at the North Pole, Santa has decided to spend his summers in Indiana.

Of course we had to take our picture with old St. Nick! Not bad for a self-pic.

You know it's going to be a great day in any town named Santa Claus.

I'm lovin' the report so far man!

Beech Bend I didn't like very much, probably because I was so disappointed with Rumbler. The only flat I went on was Tornado, and it almost made me sick, haha.

I'm upset about SFKK because I drove by it but didn't end up going in, grr.

Holiday world I absolutely loved! It exceeded my expectations, and though Raven was a huge disappointment and Legend was very mediocre, I loved loved loved Voyage! I can't wait to go back, if only for that coaster. Plunge was surprisingly scary. Free lemonade as well <3

Great TR! Holiday World is one of the best parks ive been to. Glad you enjoyed SFKK also

^ You thought Raven was bad? thats one of the best ive been on.

Great reports so far!

I love the free drinks at Holiday World, it seemed like I had a cup in my hand the whole day when I was there.

^ You thought Raven was bad? thats one of the best ive been on.

Yeah I thought it sucked. I mean it wasn't horrible or anything, I had just heard such great things about it and it was just pretty much a drop, a turn, and the brakes.

Didn't make my top twenty or anything. I decided that although Legend is a bit rough, it still has a great layout and more substance, so I found that to be a better ride.

...it was just pretty much a drop, a turn, and the brakes.

Lol, well that's a bit of an understatement, but I can see where you are coming from. It saddens me that people come to HW with such high expectations for The Raven, and then are upset that it didn't live up to those expectations. I just feel that the ride, while very fun, is overly-hyped by many, and therefore, usually leads to disappointment.

But I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to Holiday World, coastersrule85. These reports are great!

^ Yeah, really, I think if I didn't have such high hopes for it, I would have liked it a LOT better..

Good bet Raven Maven will be happy to see this.

I so need to get up to Holiday World.

" Gosh, can't you just feel the love as you look at this beautiful sculpture and founta... OH, coasters! "

Spoken like a true enthusiast. Great stuff and enjoying the thread. Thanks.

Day 4

Our fourth day brought us to Kings Island. This was the first time I was truthfully worried about whether or not I was going to fit on a coaster. I REEAAALLYYY wanted to ride Diamondback, but had heard that it was not very friendly to my rotund brethren. I stressed out horribly until I sat in the test seat and FIT. I thought Diamondback was great! It had great airtime and was a lot of fun. I agree with one girl who I overheard saying that the ride was, "...smoov as budduh!" (New Jersey maybe? New York? Wherever she was from, her dialect was awesome!)

Since we would be hitting three Cedar Fair parks along the way, I bought us platinum passes. It was a little cheaper with the added benefit of ERT at KI and CP. Even with only 20 minutes of ERT left after processing our passes, we still got three rides in on Diamondback.

I thought the park was great. It had a great selection of rides and was quite clean. I thought the staff was quite friendly as well, except for one ride-op on Beast who ticked me off a little.

Anyway, to the pictures!

Delirium and Drop Tower were both a blast!

Everyone say, 'Beauty.'

Backlot from above. I'm telling you, I really liked this coaster.

I'll have the Vortex with a side of Beast please.

Eiffel vista.

Hello down there, Racer, Firehawk, Flight of Fear...

Hello other coaster we didn't ride! I know it's supposed to be horribly painful, but I really wanted to get my credit on Son of Beast...especially since it's probably going to end up as kindling.

How about a trip up the Eiffel Tower?

Taking another stroll through the park...

Ahh! Cheesy Mystery Machine photo! Heidi kicked my butt on Scooby-Doo, so I had to buy the sodas.

...don't judge us...

I can only hope that this picture doesn't get us banned from taking a TPR trip next year.

We just had to ride Fairly Odd Coaster, and I'm glad we did. I think this is some of the most fun we had on a ride. It was hilarious to watch the reactions of the kids.

Come on, Vamanos! Everybody let's go! Where are we going? To score some more of that wacky tobacky that made Sandy happy.

Hey, it's Sandy looking quite happy.

I'm wondering if she needs to stay away from the ganja.

Thought I'd stop and help my buddy, Patrick, get rehydrated.

Runaway Reptar with Diamondback in the background.

Runaway Reptar looked like a lot of fun; I kick myself for not trying it at least.

One of the coasters I didn't get to ride, Runaway Reptar.

Wild Thornberrys River Adventure! Nickelodeon Universe was amazingly themed, very impressive.

Nickelodeon Universe!

For some reason I decided to let Magellan (Heidi) lead the way again, but we actually got lost somewhere cool...

How about a little Zephyr fun?

More of Racer...

Next up we spotted Racer and decided to give it a try. It wasn't too bad of a coaster, but if you go, you might want to pack a lunch for the journey to get to it!

...still strolling...there's Heidi on the bottom right looking like she's wandering aimlessly, which she is.

We decided to take a break and stroll around after we ate.

It was then time to eat. We thought something nice and light would be the best choice, so we went with Bacon/Cheddar Fries.

Next we rode Beast, which was a great coaster. The view was really great.

The one thing that irked me was when the ride-op guy with the microphone said, "If you have trouble with the restraints just wait and we'll be by to help you. Of course, if you can't buckle your seatbelt, you have more problems to worry about than riding a rollercoaster." I mean, I have as much of a sense of humor as anyone, so it wasn't really what he said, but the way he said it was demeaning and condescending. BTW, I fit.

Is it possible for anyone to post a KI trip report without at least one picture of the Diamondback splashdown? I think not!

Oh, have I mentioned that KI has a new coaster? Well, here it is, Diamondback.

Next up was Flight of Fear (Use your imagination to see the ride.) It was basically like Poltergeist at SFFT only it was indoors. I'm not sure which I enjoy more, indoor or outdoor Polty.

Standing in line for this was made more enjoyable because my niece shared that she has an irrational fear of aliens...which I must admit I took full advantage of for the remainder of the trip.

We then remembered that we were supposed to have headed straight to Firehawk. When we got there, the line wasn't long, but the wait was still around 45 minutes. I was again worried about fitting, but actually buckled myself in with no problem.

Hey, it's a Chia Liberty Bell. I need this to go with my Chia Obama!

...on June 22.

I will forever know exactly where I was at 10:15...

By the way, have you met my friend, Diamondback?

Intense and painful...actually, it wasn't that bad, however, we didn't stay for an encore performance.

Upon spying inversion sweetness, we hopped over to Vortex.

We quickly got a ride on Backlot Stunt Coaster. I thought it was a lot of fun. It wasn't worth waiting an hour for, but we walked on right after leaving Diamondback.

The first ride we hit was of course Diamondback. We got three quick rides in before the masses hit. And, wow, when the park opened, did they hit!

We're coming to get you, Diamondback!

Preferred parking, early entry, hardly anyone here...this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

I spy coaster goodness in the distance!

This is actually from Day 5. We got to the park when it opened and used our 30 minutes of ERT on Diamondback, (we got in 4 rides) then hopped back in the car and headed up to Sandusky. Great way to start a day!

We had a pretty awesome day at Kings Island. The park wasn't too crowded, the weather was nice, and we were able to ride everything we wanted without much of a wait.

We couldn't leave without a little Scrambler action.

I thought it would be nauseating, but Delirium was actually a blast!

Next up we hit Flight Deck. Since Heidi loves suspended coasters we rode it like a skabillion times. I can truthfully say that it was just as exciting every time we rode it.

KI had a nice Grand Carousel

Days 5 & 6

We began day 5 with a quick half hour of ERT at Kings Island. After four rides on Diamondback, we headed back out of the gate, and set out for our next destination, Cedar Point! The trip was made a bit longer because for some reason my GPS took us all throughout nowhere, Ohio.

We had a blast of course. I was glad we were able to get our hour of ERT the next morning. I couldn't quite fit into Millennium, but I made my niece ride because there was no way she was going to miss out on the world's greatest coaster. The funny thing is, she didn't want to ride it more than once. She liked it, but she liked Diamondback better. (Later in the trip after riding Nitro, she actually chose that as her fave steel coaster of the trip.)

Anyway, enough blabbing, here's the pics...

We had a great time at CP. Next stop, Kennywood.

CP has an awesome skyline!

We finished up Cedar Point with a ride on the Giant Wheel. (by far the longest line we waited in because they were only filling 8 gondolas at a time.)

WT in the back row is one of my favorite rides.

Okay, I'm a sucker for Wicked Twister. I have to give a word of thanks for the two ride-ops who actually got me buckled into my seat. You guys worked some serious magic!

There was absolutely no wait, so we hopped on Disaster Transport. I always wonder if this would be better if it was outdoors.

Another first on this trip. I was so happy to be with someone who would ride MaXair with me. I normally stay away from spin'n'pukes, but it looked like so much fun!

Blue Streak was...well, Blue Streak. Never a bad ride as long as there's no line.

How could anyone not love Raptor?

Time for my favorite inverted coaster, Raptor!

What a nice view.

Time to take a break on the Sky Ride.

I just love the momentary view from Power Tower even though it always makes me feel like I'm about to go into cardiac arrest.

Of course we had to get a ride on Corkscrew so we could fly over the crowd.

Matterhorn and water tower...in case you were wondering what this was a picture of, lol.

I got my first ride on Skyhawk this trip. My previous times at CP I was with people who hated flats, so I'd always missed out until now.

We got a nice relaxing run on the Cedar Creek Mine Ride.

Whoooo-hooooo!

Does anyone else think that Maverick is a little more rough this year? There were a couple of transitions that really slammed my neck into the restraints that didn't do it last year...of course, last year I had that extra layer of fat protecting me.

Maverick was down a lot! The first time we rode it we were lucky to have gotten there right when it was reopening after being down. Then we got in a couple of rides during ERT.

Mean Streak actually didn't seem as rough as it was last year. I absolutely hate the brakes on the hill though. We rode it at night and had the added bonus of getting a mouthful of muffleheads to add to our protein intake.

Mean Squeak!

We took a ride on the Taxis, and I must have been delirious because I let Heidi drive. We actually didn't get lost! (trust me, if there's anyone who could get lost on the Taxi ride, it's Heidi. LOL J/K)

We had our very expensive lunch at Chick-fil-A.

Gemini is of course always a lot of fun.

Woodstock Express is a credit I'd not gotten on my previous visits for some reason. I've got it now!

Of course we had to go see Magnum's new sign, and we figured while we were there we might as well ride it. I'm one of those people who really loves Magnum. The view on the first hill is just awesome.

Heidi hated TTD! She was glad she rode it, but once was enough. I didn't quite make it. I fit the test seat but not the coaster. I'd ridden it before, so it was no biggie.

My nemesis! My first trip to CP, I could fit, but it was down. Last year there was no way in hell I could fit. This year I lost 54 pounds and was still about 2 inches away! Damn you to hell, Millennium Force! I will conquer you one day! (unless you keep sinking into Lake Erie, LOL)

A lot of people don't like Mantis, but I always enjoy it. It's now my second favorite stand-up behind Chang.

With Heidi's affinity toward suspended coasters, we had to ride Iron Dragon. Another coaster that we were glad to get a ride on, because it went down for a while our second day there.

Toot! Toot!

Wildcat had its problems throughout the day, but luckily we were able to get in a ride.

Considerably more people taking advantage of ERT at CP compared to KI. But it was still an awesome perk!

We're at the Point!

Day 7

We got up early and drove to Kennywood on the 7th day of the trip. I absolutely love Kennywood! When I visit Kennywood, I get a little of that feeling of being in another era like I do when I visit Knoebels. It almost makes me want to move to Pittsburgh; the only thing keeping me from doing that is the Steelers.

Last year when I visited I wasn't able to get my Exterminator credit because we were very limited on our time in the park, so I was glad to be able to ride it this year. Another thing that was a blast this year was actually spending time riding more of the flats. Last year I was with a group that didn't really care for flats of any kind, but my niece loves them.

I am also proud of Heidi for having the guts to ride the Skycoaster at KW. She'd never ridden one before but has listened to me talk about how much fun they are. She wasn't nervous at all until we were getting suited up. I tried to talk her into pulling the cord, but she'd have none of that. I'm also just now starting to get feeling back into my arm after she basically almost ripped it out of its socket, lol.

Bottom line, Kennywood is an awesome park. My only regret is that both times I've visited I've had to leave around 6 p.m., so I haven't had the opportunity to see it at night. From what I hear, Kennywood at night is really something to see and experience.

Anyway, I'll end the jibber-jabber and start with the pics already.

Oh well, I hate to say it, but so long Kennywood. One time I'm going to visit and actually stay after dark.

Kennywood's oldest ride! I was amazed to learn the history of this. Just another reason that KW is so awesome.

One of the staples we lived on for two weeks was cotton candy. Kennywood had the second best behind Knoebels in the cotton candy department.

I kicked Heidi's butt at Ghostwood Estate.

It's sacreligious to visit KW and not get some fries from Potato Patch.

Love the Whip!

I love this view for some reason. Industrial areas always look better from the station of a great coaster.

A little intertwined coaster action.

Entering the bowels of Phantom...I never knew bowels could be so much fun?

Time to enjoy a little sweet Phantom love.

Ahhh! Heidi, look out! Kennywood is infested with aliens!

View from the picnic groves.

Want to go to prom?

This was one time I wasn't afraid to let Heidi drive.

Auto Race, another great nostalgic KW ride!

I love the whole landscaped clock idea. It's almost 2, so we better get busy riding some rides!

Bayern Kurve is pure spin'n'puke goodness.

How about a little lunch? Mmm, I could eat my weight in fried Oreos.

...or this.

It doesn't get much better than this...

My second favorite coaster in the park. Thunderbolt is a blast!

A view of Phantom, Thunderbolt, Turtle, Pitt Fall, and Potato Patch. I want to be buried on this spot.

Love Kennywood's Merry-Go-Round.

Get'em George! You must protect Kangaroo from those damn Frenchies!

A little tulipy wheelbarrow filled with Kennywood love.

Swapping spit with Cowboy Joe.

Apparently we killed the Skee-ball machine.

Love the new ride photo option although they have some bugs to work out. It was either this shot with the top of my head cut off, or a shot of nothing but our heads. I like this one because it looks like I actually might have hair!

Jack Rabbit is such a great old coaster.

Racer is always so much fun...even though we lost.

Heidi's first Skycoaster...and it was a 180 footer to boot! As always, worth every penny.

More Kennywood beauty.

Howdy Mr. Turtle!

Turtle is such a classic old ride.

I was so surprised at how much fun Noah's Ark was. I thought you just would walk through, see a bunch of animals with paint and ceramic flaking off, then exit. I had absolutely no idea what to expect, which made it that much more awesome!

Noah's Ark!

However, you do have to worry about exploding extremities when riding.

Exterminator is by far my favorite indoor coaster. The bit of theming it had was kind of neat, and it was a lot of fun to ride.

We headed to Lost Kennywood to get my Exterminator credit.

A little Kennywood beauty.

How about a little Musik Express action?

Imported roses from Chernobyl.

The crowd was pretty light which was awesome!

Welcome to Kennywood!

Glad you like KW.

And for a bit of advice, once you stay after dark nextime, you MUST ride The Phantom in the front seat in the dark. I swear it feels 50mph faster!

These are great trip reports. Keep 'em comin!

Nice TR fella!

Love the Phantom pics (even though i am sooooo anti-revenge since they got rid of the arrow inversions).

You are one tidy looking fella too!

How could anyone not love Raptor?

I couldn't agree more

Anyway, nice PTR. The pics and comments were great! Looks like you two had a ball.