Shannon McCulloch

Kennywood!!!

Kennywood Park, located in West Mifflin Pennsylvania, is a crowd favorite for people in and around the Pittsburgh area. Families from all over come out for the classic rides, roller coasters, and arcade games that Kennywood has to offer. Not only does Kennywood have the entertainment to offer and the adrenaline rush for the thrill seekers, they also have some eateries that are quite enjoyable along with some world renowned french fries.

Allow me to begin with my personal favorite ride, the Aero 360. The Aero 360 is not a roller coaster, it is a spinning ride. It consists of two large “Kennywood arrows” that are constructed in a sort of pendulum manner. With each swing, the riders are swung higher into the air until finally, living up to the name Aero 360, they are swung in a complete circle around the top. Shoutout to my favorite ride!
**Disclaimer: I do not recommend this ride for riders who struggle with ‘spinny’ things; however, I really do think it is worth a ride!

I consider myself quite the adrenaline seeker and I’m always down for anything that involves a little bit of thrill! I would assume that is why the Phantom’s Revenge is my favorite roller coaster at Kennywood. It is supposedly one of the fastest roller coasters in the world (according to the annoying voice that plays over the speakers the entire time you are in line). As stated on the Kennywood website, this roller coaster has a 230 feet drop entwined within the rails! Many riders get the idea that the first drop is the steepest as they sit in their cart listening to the clicks of the rails pulling them upwards; however, the second drop is the one to look out for!
**I would also recommend riding the Jack Rabbit and The Thunderbolt…All three are very enjoyable coasters!

phantoms_revenge1

The Exterminator is known for its line…you are either waiting ALL DAY to ride it, or else you walk right on inside! The Exterminator is an indoor roller coaster that is fast moving, quick turning, and spinning forever! The darkness really adds to the effect of “extermination”. While riding on the tracks, the cars that you ride in are spinning as well! Talk about whiplash and nausea for days!!

If you come out to the park on a hot day, maybe a water ride would be the right choice for you! This ride is built on a slight hillside that gives the rider the feeling that he or she is on an actual white water raft ride! The ride has tire shaped seating around a central wheel that is constantly spinning around within the rapids. So, when the waterfalls come around, nobody is safe!I am Irish so naturally I have bad luck and always get caught underneath the waterfalls…
The other two classic water rides at Kennywood include the Log Jammer and the Pittsburg Plunge. According to the Kennywood website: from 1890 – 1911 Pittsburgh was spelled without the ‘h’ which is why today, the ‘Pittsburg Plunge’ carries the spelling of the era.

raging rapids

Of course you’ll be working up an appetite with all of this excitement! Kennywood has got you covered for nourishment! The Potato Patch french fries are like no other!! You can add toppings that include cheese, bacon, and gravy. These french fries are a must have at Kennywood! The Golden Nugget is known for their huge vanilla ice-cream cones, dipped in chocolate, and rolled in rainbow jimmies (or peanuts if that is your preference..). The best part about it is, they top it with a maraschino cherry! Yum! When it gets to be so extremely hot on a summer day spent at Kennywood, I look forward to enjoying a fresh squeezed lemonade every year! There’s just something about that sweet ice cold drink that makes me crave it all year long!

patch

There is really so much more to Kennywood than I just stated, those were just my favorites! Classic rides with beautiful stories behind them, new rides full of fun and thrills, Kiddie Land for the small children, and an arcade for your inner gamer… Kennywood has it all!

Check out their website for the full story and list of rides, games, and roller coasters!
https://www.kennywood.com

3 Responses to “Kennywood!!!”

  1. Emily Rothermel

    This sounds so amazing!!! I used to hate roller coasters with a burning passion. You couldn’t get me within 100 ft of one without me running away. But over the past year, I told myself to suck it up and I went on some of the bigger roller coasters in my area, now I must say that I am a total roller coaster junkie! The Aero 360 makes me sick to my stomach just looking at it, but at the same time I feel like I have to try it; it looks like so much fun!! Plus I love how your language differs from mine as an eastern Pennsylvanian: They are definitely sprinkles not jimmies lol.

  2. Diana Mary Alnemri

    This is crazy. I have never been good with roller coasters and cannot imagine how people love them so much! Honestly I’d probably be that 18 year old in the kiddie park.. I love seeing how crazy the designs can be though. If I had to choose I would go for a water ride. I think those are pretty fun and not always that scary.. Also I’m starving so reading that paragraph about food was painful. No matter what people say, amusement park food is always good. Or maybe it just tastes good after a long day of rides!

  3. jjh5589

    WOW! It sounds like you really know this place! I’m guessing as a kid you took family days there and maybe even got season passes over the summer and continue to go to this day! I understand! lol Back home I have two amusement parks that are fairly close; one being Six Flags and the other Lake Compounce. I always LOVED to go to the parks with my family as a kid, especially since we didn’t go that often. I have a lot of friends who would get season passes every summer and would go every other week! I wished I could but sadly as I grew up I was lucky to get there once a summer! My last time going was a couple weekends before leaving to Penn State and this post just made me really excited to go back this summer!

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