BACKROADS • SEPTEMBER
Page 27
ROADS, RIDES, GOD AND WHISKY Sometimes what might have been a simple long day ride can be extended by happy circumstances. There are a few places we try to ride to each summer. The Chesapeake Bay - simply for crabs steamed with Old Bay. West Dover, Vermont simply because the innkeepers are so great. And Knoebels Amusement Park in Elysburg, Pennsylvania – ‘cause they have the best roller coasters and that is simply the truth. The park is a great 120 backroads miles from the humble abode we call Backroads Central. We got a very late start this day, but we knew we’d still be at Knoebels by mid-afternoon and we also knew we needed to be in the city of Lancaster the next day as well. Shira did some quick research and came across an attractive inn called the Pine Barn, complete with a restaurant just ten miles or so north of Knoebels. A thought quickly became a plan and the route, once free of the eastern PA traffic, opened up to a superlative combination of elevation changes and twists and turns – some VERY twisty – so if you follow the route out to Knoebels, ride within your sight-line. Okay? Jimmy Buffett has a line from a song called First look… “Fun tickets in my pocket, visions in my brain. Grandfather always told me if I went
down I might never come back again.” Jimmy was singing about Brazil, but the Fun Tickets line is one we use on a fairly consistent basis. Have you ever gone to Disneyworld or Six-Flags? Disney… damn mouse wants $109 per day. Six Flags is nearly $80 American. Knoebels? Well, there is a reason we go to this place at least once or twice every year. First off, they have motorcycle-only parking, and not 101 miles away, but right at the entrance. And, when you happily park your machine and walk into that entrance you will pay… Zero, nada, zilch, zippo, naught. That’s, right boys and girls. Knoebels is America’s largest free-admission amusement park and also offers free parking, free daily entertainment, and free picnic facilities. ... Kiddie rides, thrill rides, family rides, and attractions—Knoebels has something for everyone. Little kids, big kids, and everyone in between. Just buy your tickets that come in $5, $10 & $20 books. Those are good forever. The Phoenix Roller Coaster had its birth in Playland Park in San Antonio, Texas where it was called The Rocket. At its opening, The Rocket was hailed as “the largest roller coaster in the world,” with 3200 feet of track and a 78-foot first hill. This park closed in 1980 and The Rocket was to be dismantled. Knoebels purchased the ride in 1984 and dismantled it starting in January 1985. As there were no blueprints to work with, each individual board
