Tuesday means Knoebels

Welcome to Knoebels!

We awoke in Shamokin this morning surprised (and in James's case disappointed) to find that we hadn't been drugged and trussed up in the middle of the night and subjected to a 'Deliverance' style experience. Instead, we headed into town to Tommy's Diner where a peroxided, smoking divorcee cooked us an all-American breakfast: eggs over-easy, bacon and hash browns. A mere $8 poorer we drove to Knoebels theme park, home of the wooden Phoenix and Twister rides. They did not disappoint.


The view from the top of Phoenix at Knoebels

Although lacking the sophistication of Dorney Park's main rides, there was something refreshing about not dangling upside down at 80mph and feeling nauseous after every ride. Instead, the two main rides at Knoebels are dedicated to speed and dramatic, high angle falls which although left us in need of a chiropractor meant that the day was devoid of a slightly sickly feeling and trepidation each time a new ride approached.


George complements a fellow Coaster Enthusiast on his hair piece 

This more old-fshioned approach gave Knoebels a fairground feel with its ghost-train, shooting arcades and ferris wheel. Put simply, Knoebels demonstrated to us that for the true coaster enthusiast g-force inducing, brain-curdling rides are not everything. Furthermore, Knoebels is in the heart of Pennsylvania's countryside - glorious wooded valleys at every turn and views across the Appalachians to make the heart sing.


George packs heat at the shooting range

We left, a little sadly, at 2 and started off to our next challenge - the infinitely more commercial Hersheypark, next door - would you believe - to the Hershey chocolate factory.