Watching both my boys march at Kennywood Amusement Park About This Page:

[disneyknut]

This is really the pre-adventure report. I wrote about Jamies high school band marching at Kennywood park in Kennywood part deux last year & it is time for his band to march again but this time he has a co-hort. Brendan will be a freshman this year ( gasp!! how did I become the mother of TWO kids in high school) both boys play tuba & march right next to each other ( pretty ) Brendan is so excited & nervous about his first parade. We keep teasing him as long as he doesn't forget his mouthpiece like his brother did last year he'll be fine ( we now own 6 mouthpieces courtesy of Jamies girlfriends Mom! his GF brother played tuba & Carol gave all of the old mouthpieces to Jamie a a joke)

THe parade is Thursday evening & tomorrow is final practice. the boys are ready to fo.. Brendan needs to buy gloves tomorrow but other than that we're all set.

Shelby informed us that she is going to go ride with her friend so it leaves Jim & I alone,, WE haven't done Kennywood as a couple in ages so it will be fun to walk through the park by ourselves & MUNCH to our hearts content ( the main reason we go to Kennywood is to eat!!)

Here's a couple cool you tube videos of Kennywood

the new ride Ghostwood mansions... cross between haunted mansion & buzz lightyear. Jim, kids & I rode it a couple of weeks ago at his company picnic & it was loads of fun.. & VERY much like Haunted Mansion.. all of us felt that way..

Coming up: practice & the big day!!

[chezp]

Great start Ann - to them, I can't wait to hear all about it.

[lauren-roxy]

Great start Ann!!!

[HiddenMickey]

Sounds like the whole family is in for some fun!

[disneyknut]

Today is the big day.. Jamie doesn't have jitters anymore as he's a cool spohmore & thinks he knows the ropes.. Jim & I kept teasing him about losing his mouthpiece last year during the parade. But Freshman, Brendan, marching in his first parade.. that's a different story.. he has been hyped up since yesterday

Jamie had to go help his GF sister move back into her dorm this morning at 7:30am so he's been gone most of the day. Last night Brendan told me he wanted to sleep until noon today so he'll be fresh for the parade ( & riding afterwards)

He woke up around 8am full of energy & excitement talking a mile a minute about the parade. My monitor decided to crash this morning so Jim was replacing & it & fixing the maga load of wires behind my computer. I just went in the living room & found this...



Bren asleep on the couch...I guess in all of his excitement he crashed as well...

The weather is absolutely beautiful with no prediction of rain .. it is going to be hot so I feel bad for the kids in the uniforms.. especially my boys who sweat like a cold drink on a hot day!! I'm sure both will be dripping by the end of the day!!

I'm not sure if I'll have time tonight to update as we expect to close the park tonight but I'll be sure to have tons of pics of the boys marching along with a little report...

[lauren-roxy]

Have a great time!!!!

[chezp]

It sounds like you've got a perfect day for it.

[disneyknut]

We dropped Brendan off at 3:15 at the high school ( Jamies GF mom was dropping him off) & headed to the park. The line of cars to get in was enormous. We like to park in the paid parking lot & when we got there they directed us to the left side of the lot.. Well, we ended up being in the next to the last row before the FREE lot.. (Should have just went in the free lot)

Walked in the park & on the way down the hill I saw these gosh awful cheesy flowers & had to get the pic.. they were so ugly fake it wasn't funny


I said for the first time ( but definitely not last) "this aint Disney!!"

Shelby already started clamoring to call her friend, Ellie who she was meeting & riding with. We told her we wanted her to eat with us then she could call Ellie.

I made her stop & get a pic with Country Joe.. Joe has been a part of Kennywood since FOREVER & he's been moved to many different locations but I always remember as a little girl having to get a pic with him..


When we were in the park a few weeks ago we had these cool potato 'chips' which were basically thin sliced potatoes deep fried.. Previously we had tried the Greek topping with feta cheese, parmesan cheese & mild seasoning. Jim wanted to try the steak topping ( thinking it would have steak) Well, it had a steak seasoning all over it & it was waaaay too salty & we went through 2 drinks in a hurry. One nice thing about kennywood is if you buy a souvenir mug you can bring it back on EVERY visit & get a refill for $1.. we saved a ton of money doing that.

Shelby didn't want to eat & asked if she could go on Aero 360.. now this ride is a true monster.. it spins & twirls you upside down. I tried to get her to wait until she met up with Ellie but she insisted she was okay going on by herself..
Here's some pics of her on the monster ride (like you could pick her out)




After she rode she called Ellie & we agreed to meet at the Turnpike.. As the girls ran off we chatted with Ellies Dad for a while & then headed off on our quest for more food. .. Jim wanted the famous Kennywood fries so we shared a big order.

We both were getting tired of carrying around the cameras.. me with the digital him with the video camera we decided to rent a locker ($1) & stow the cameras until parade time so there aren't any more pics until then.

We then just walked around & people watched ( yes & made fun of people)

Chatted with our friend, Donna for about 45 minutes.. she is my disney buddy so we talked about that & her DD first real boyfriend.

Left Donna & her husband Darryl ( who showed up in mid talk) We were debating where to watch the parade & Jim thought at the Cafeteria where our friends Carol & Ron ( who are also Jamies GF parents.. I wrote about Carol in my WDW trip report) We see Carol & Ron who invite us up to sit with them.

everyone is debating where to eat.. I wanted hot sausage, Jim wanted a philly beef sandwich.. Carol & I sent Ron & Jim off to fetch the food & while we were sitting there a man came up & asked if he could have a couple of the seats "Are these saved" Carol told him yes, they were our husbands seats & the man got irate & said "FINE!!" then he took his napkin & threw it on our table. Carol & I were both too stunned at that point to say anything but we were plotting to throw something AT him.. HE sat across the cafe from us & every time we re-told the story to someone Carol & I would get louder so that he could hear.

food was great even tho poor Jim had to wait in a HUGE line for my hot sausage ( I rewarded him with giving him all of my peppers & onions)
We retieved the cameras & Carols friend Antonette & her husband Dave joined us along with Carol & Rons daughter, Kristin ( remember her from the WDW trip?) & her BF & friends.. We just chatted & laughed. Antonette had her own run in with a person.. She had gone to the smoking area to have a cigarette & a guy told her to move as he was sitting there.. she told him she was in the smoking section & he kept yelling "I don't care, I don't want to smell it" She was so angry at him.. If he didn't want to smell smoke why did he sit in the smoking section? . Now I must say Kennywoods smoking section leaves a lot to be desired.. there is no back hidden area like Disney.. theres just areas that are right smack in the middle of walk ways where everyone walks through.. not a good system & I'm sure it makes everyone (smokers & non smokers unhappy)

Around 8pm the parade started & Jim turned on the video camera only to find it didn't work He kept fiddling with it & nothing.. just a blank screen . I really wanted to have Brendans first ever parade on tape.. I was sitting there bummed & decied to try to see if I could get the camera to work.. I pushed a couple colorful buttons (ya, I know a LOT about cameras) & viola! it worked.

There were 8 bands in all & we were the next to the last band..

I didn't get all teary this time.. just excited & nervous for Brendan... The band front came through & then finally it was the tubas turn.. There was my "A" & "N" (jamie is the A in Titans & Bren is next to him as the N)


Jamie is on the left & Bren on the right

continued in next post

[disneyknut]

The boys parade song this year is "It's my life" by Bon Jovi.. (their 2 sets are Bon Jovi & Stevie Wonder.. very )

Well, the tubas stopped right in front of us & of course I was taking pics like crazy.. I noticed Jamie glance up at us with his eyes & Bren, ever the obedient marcher kept looking straight ahead ( he later told me he saw me the entire time)

Here's a few of the better shots.. it was dark & I had a huge fern in my way

Jamie is 3rd from left, Bren 4th



They did awesome!!!! I was so proud of my boys (young men!!)

After the parade, Carol was clamoring for fried oreos & I wanted ice cream.. well Ron is a ice cream junkie & the minute he heard ice cream he wanted some! The decided he'd better not.

Jim & I left the Denne crew & the line was huge for ice cream but I was determined so I stood in line while Jim went in search for a small line for a treat for himself.. He came back to me empty handed & we both decided on Peanut parfaits.. YUM-O
Walked back toward the cafe & Carol & Ron were still sitting there... then Jamie & his GF Lindsey joined us... Ron took one look at our ice cream & he had to have it & sent Jamie & Lindsey off to get it,...

We chatted until it was time to close the park, then walked out together & met up with my kids.. ... The lines leaving were atrocious..

Trying to pull out of the parking lot was madness.. I had to weave in & out of cars & try to get into an exit line.. While I was power driving Jim was snapping pics..he got a cool pic of the Kennywood sign


this is the icon of Kennywood & you can find these signs all over the roads of SW Pennsylvania. this is a huge illuminated sign in the parking lot



he tried to get a pic of the moon highlighted over the Steel Phantom but it was too dark .

WE had a great time. Jamie came home & promptly went to sleep while Bren was still keyed up & relived every minute of the parade for us

THanks for letting me be a proud Mom & brag on my boys a little!!

[Lemap760]

How exciting to see both boys next to each other in the parade. You must be very proud of them.

Who let the grumpy gusses into Kennywood? If you don't want to smell cigarette smoke then all you have to do is move.

[chezp]

What a great day - you must be so proud of them.

[lauren-roxy]

Glad you got the camera to work!!!! What a wonderful time!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

[clio]

It sounds like a great day. I'm glad you got the camera to work.
Liz

[MaryEL8775]

Leave it to the women to figure out how things work lmao... wtg and I am so glad the boys did great.

[Colexis Mom]

Glad you had a great time and the boys did great!!