Pennsylvania Parks and Diners

Part Seven

Labor Day. The last operating day of the year at Kennywood and the final day of my trip. I have come to Kennywood on Labor Day for two years now and it is a wonderful way to wind down the summer. Kennywood is the most interesting park in America. It is so beautiful and so traditional and nobody outside of Pittsburgh has heard of it! I came here to ride the Steel Phantom with my friends for the last time. The Steel Phantom is undergoing a major makeover, with only its first two hills being spared. Everything else - all the inversions, the trains, even the name - are going. In its place will be the Phantom's Revenge, a Morgan Manufactured recreation that will hopefully introduce lap bar only trains, a tunnel, a double up and hopefully lots of airtime! I'm sorry to see the inversions go. I know most enthusiasts don't like them, but I enjoy going upside down, and the Steel Phantom takes its inversions with incredible speed and intensity. The over the shoulder restraints did cause a lot of discomfort to many people, though, and I won't be sorry to see them go. There were a ton of enthusiasts here on this day. We all hung out together, except for those wanting to spend the day taking photos of the Phantom. Kathy Lyons, aka Aunt Rose, and her family showed up, (the name "Aunt Rose" was the result of a wild story I concocted to fool Sean Flaharty into introducing himself by calling her the wrong name), Sean Flaharty, Tim Melago, Dave Sandborg, and many others. The skies looked threatening all day long but fortunately we were spared rough weather until later that afternoon. We had lunch on the patio at the cafeteria, and while I'm not usually a fan of cafeterias, Kennywood really has some fantastic food in there, and the building itself is an historical treasure. Our group did not get the final ride of the day on the Steel Phantom. Nor did we need it. What we did, though, was ride it together, and that made it more memorable for me than any last ride bragging rights. I remember a ride much more for the person I rode it with than some meaningless, impersonal stat. We took a group photo under the Phantom's entrance sign, said goodbye, and walked away. KA-BOOM!!! Well, I guess that's a sign we'd better leave. On our way out, Aunt Rose told Cindy she had something for her. We followed her out to the car where she presented Cindy with a HUGE jug of butterscotch from Waldameer Park, Kathy's home park. Cindy has raved about Waldameer's butterscotch sundaes for years, and Aunt Rose was able to snag a whole jug, straight from the park!!! She also gave me two bottles of Cape Cod Cranberry Dry, my favorite soda and available only in Kathy's area! And then the downpour came. We quickly said our goodbyes and dashed off to the safety of our cars. And with that my Labor Day tour of Pennsylvania parks and diners came to an end. I really love old fashioned Americana. I hope everybody visiting or driving through Pennsylvania will take the time to stop and appreciate some of what this state has to offer. Pennsylvania is a place so rich in many things - rich in history, in topography, in amusement parks, in diners, in honest to goodness America - that it is my favorite state in the country. I spent only a week touring Pennyslvania parks and diners. I could easily spend a lifetime here. Finally, from Roadside Magazine, a Receipe for an American Renaissance: EAT IN DINERS. RIDE TRAINS. SHOP ON MAIN STREET. PUT A PORCH ON YOUR HOUSE. LIVE IN A WALKABLE COMMUNITY. Mark My Top Ten Diners (Looking Good and Serving Good Food) SALEM DINER, Salem, MA WELLSBORO DINER, Wellsboro, PA TOM SAWYER DINER, Allentown, PA 66 DINER, Albuquerque, NM MAYFAIR DINER, Philadelphia, PA HIGHLAND PARK DINER, Rochester, NY WOLFE'S DINER, Dillsburg, PA MISS FLORENCE DINER,Florence, MA WEST SHORE DINER, Lemoyne, PA MELROSE DINER, Philadelphia, PA Top 20 Diner Foods GARBAGE PLATE, Nick Tahou Hots, Rochester, NY CHICKEN POT PIE (PA DUTCH), Wolfe's Diner, Dillsburg, PA CHICKEN POT PIE (PA DUTCH), Dutch Kitchen, Frackville, PA BUTTERSCOTCH PIE, Dean's Diner, Blairsville, PA GRILLED STICKIES, Ye Olde College Diner, State College, PA HOBO SKILLET, Cozy Corner Diner, Chicago, IL THE MY WAY, Sunrise Diner, Niagra Falls, NY HOFFEL POFFEL, Jo's Cafe, Milwaukee, WI GREEN CHILI STEW, 66 Diner, Albuquerque, NM CHICKEN FRIED STEAK, Gooseberry Diner, Carthage, MO CHICKEN AND WAFFLES, Wellsboro Diner, Wellsboro, PA GREEN CHILI CHEESEBURGER, 66 Diner, Albuquerque, NM APPLE PIE, Highland Park Diner, Rochester, NY COCONUT CREAM PIE, Tom Sawyer Diner, Allentown, PA SLOPPY JOES, 66 Diner, Albuquerque, NM FRENCH TOAST, Coach Diner, Fredonia, PA MEXICAN OMELETTE, Palmer's Diner, Shamokin, PA AMERICAN CHOP SUEY (NEW ENGLAND CHILI), Salem Diner, Salem, MA CHIPPED BEEF ON TOAST, Summit Diner, Somerset, PA CORNED BEEF HASH, Miss Florence Diner, Florence, MA