,,.shout out to Kennywood Parks, The Racer. The Roller-coaster is celebrating its 80th birthday this summer. But did you know there was another racer before the one that’s been their since 1927? The first Racer was built in 1910 but was torn down in 1926 and replaced by Kiddieland, don’t you know. Hey gotta throw in a Rick Sebak-ism their when your talking about Kennywood Memories. But I feel lucky in a sense that when I was a kid back in the ’60’s we would spend some of our summer at my aunts house in Wilkinsburg. My older cousin worked at Kennywood and we would pick him up at closing time. Back in the day it didn’t cost anything to get into Kennywood. If you just wanted to walk around to take in the sites and smells of the park. So we always got their just before they closed and my cousin would give us free rides on the Kangaroo. Remember the Sunlite Pool? Spent many a summer swimming in what seemed like the biggest pool anywhere. Remember when the Thunderbolt was the Pippin? Or how about the Silver Rockets in the middle of the lagoon that spun above your head. I remember my first trip through Noah’s ark, it would be my last tip through Noah’s Ark. I mean if I was tall enough to get in I sure wasn’t ready mentally. I was so scared that I held on to my mom with my eyes closed for practically the entire walk through. I didn’t think I was going to get out of their alive. The safari was another ride that was one and done for me too. Then there’s the mechanical laughing woman down at the Olde Kennywood railroad train station. She’s been all over the park but that’s where you can find her today with this crazy but cheerful gap-toothed smile but haunting laugh. Thank god she’s behind a glass. “Lets ride the train!” but eventually I grew taller then Jetters and you couldn’t get me off of the coasters. I think the Jack Rabbit was the first one for me and from there it was like a coaster marathon every time I returned to everyone’s favorite place to be during the summer. Where you can swap yarns with Cowboy Joe while enjoying some Potato Patch Fries, now that’s Kennywood Park!