Kennywood's Open

Potato Patch fries. The Thunderbolt. Community picnics. Noah's Ark. Pittsburgh's favorite amusement park, Kennywood, has been dazzling visitors for more than 115 years.

Along with most people who grew up in the area, Kennywood is a major source of nostalgia for my family. It was an annual trek growing up. My mom loved the Thunderbolt, a classic wooden coaster that goes off the track with a dip, thanks to the region's hilly terrain, and squeezes your sitting partner around each speeding curve. My dad would ride anything fast or scary, including the Steel Phantom, the park's only steel coaster. (It has since been replaced with Phantom's Revenge.)

During high school, I went there a little too much since I went to picnics and (as a band geek) usually marched in the Fall Festival parade there. Visiting about once a summer is plenty for me to get my Kennywood fill.

I recently found this pair of postcards during a flea market haul. I'm guessing these are from the 1960s, based on some of the outfits patrons are wearing in the Ghost Ship postcard.

It was kinda hard to nail down a time period initially, but after a little research I now know the Ghost Ship operated for only a short time, between 1966 and 1975, when the building it was housed in burnt to the ground from an electrical fire.

There is so much classic charm at Kennywood that's unmatched at most other modern amusement parks. Places like Cedar Point and Six Flags have the thrills, but Kennywood wins on its classics. There's a variety of wooden roller coasters, there's plenty of old rickety rides in the best way like The Whip, the Turtle and Noah's Ark, and delicious foods. The french fries and the square-shaped ice cream cone come to mind. Familiar with the movie Adventureland? Kennywood was the movie's primary set, and was a huge reason why I watched that movie on heavy rotation post-college.

The biggest downfall to the park is there's little room to physically expand, so each time the park announces a new ride, it usually means another ride has to be removed.

The Pitt Fall, one of my longtime favorite rides, fell victim to that a few years ago, and was removed and sold to another park in 2011. Mark's favorite ride at Kennywood, The Turnpike, met the same fate a year or two before the Pitt Fall. (However, park officials said at the time of removal they would likely revive The Turnpike at some point at a new location. That hasn't happened yet, to my knowledge.)

Other favorites of mine are still in existence: the wooden coasters, especially the Racer, the Log Jammer and the swings, which is perfect after a wet ride to dry off. Technically I don't think it's a ride, but I've done the Skycoaster a few times over the years, too.

And if you're a native, you know that the phrase "Kennywood's Open" has more than one meaning. ;) I once, in mid-winter, had a long, awkward conversation in elementary school about whether Kennywood was actually open. A few minutes went by until I realized my classmate was trying to tell me my fly was down. Haha.

The park is now open on weekends, and then opens full-time for summer beginning next weekend. Anyone have favorite Kennywood memories?

My Long Lost Holiday Friend, Olan Mills

My mom took studio Christmas photos almost EVERY YEAR when I was a kid, so she could put them in Christmas cards. Just a hunch... she looooved the tree/fireplace backdrop.

Over the last several months, I've scanned thousands of family photos, including all the studio Christmas portraits I could find. These ones span from 1990 to 2000. My sister Ashley was born in November 1994, so she made an appearance in the photos starting then. :)

I remember wearing the dark green velour/lace dress in that second to last photo for so many occasions around 1997: My cousins' double wedding on the Gateway Clipper, my first Pittsburgh Symphony concert, and this Christmas photo. That gawdy get up has come back to haunt me so many times via old photos.

And it's pretty obvious I was going into my lengthy awkward middle school phase by the last one. I could never figure out how to keep my bangs straight, and swore them off for years. Until I got them again a couple years ago and now can't imagine my forehead and face without them. Haha.

I seriously hated studio portraits as a kid, but having this collection now is kind of nice.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

Pennsylvania Prints

I went to State College (home of Penn State University) over the weekend to visit some college friends who are living there now. It was great to be able to spend time with people I don't get to see very much anymore. And weirdly enough, it was my first time visiting State College, even though it's only about a three-hour drive away.

My friend Lauren showed me around, and we explored the downtown area and checked out a few local wineries. We also went to a used bookstore downtown called Webster's, and I found this amazing Pennsylvania Prints book for 6 bucks!

I thought I'd share a few images from it:

Lithograph, from 1902
Published by T.M. Fowler & James B. Moyer

"The Pennsylvania Canal was built at a time when transportation was needed to connect communities across the eastern states. The western section of the Pennsylvania Canal, joining Johnstown and Pittsburgh, was completed in 1830. In 1832 the Juniata section was completed, and in 1834 the Allegheny Portage Railroad was put in service. The line was 300 miles long, cost $25 million to build, and was never profitable.

In 1842 Charles Dickens traveled on the Canal Packet from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh. His eyewitness account is told in his American Notes, published the following year."

Print on broadside, 1837
Printed by Young, Philadelphia

"The mountain lion of Pennsylvania, mascot of Penn State since 1908, has many names: puma, deer tiger, panther, cougar, and catamount, among others..."

Le Cougar de Pensilvanie
Engraving, circa 1787

James Buchanan is the only U.S. president that's from Pennsylvania. I know I have an ancestor or two that were named after him.

Lithograph, from 1856

Lithograph, circa 1847

This is just a snippet of some of the prints featured in the book, all from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s.

I'm glad I snatched this book up while I had the chance, not just because I've been such a sucker for local history lately, but also, because it looks like it's been out of print for awhile. It originally published in 1980, by the Penn State University Press, and the postcards, maps and photos had been used in a historical exhibition at the time. It had a little crease on the cover, so I guess that's how I was able to get the good deal. :)

In addition to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, there were old maps and postcards of Johnstown, Williamsport, Lewisburg, Easton, among other towns throughout the state.

I think my favorite image, aside from the Pittsburgh map, of course, is the railroad advertisement, highlighting that a ride from Philly to Pittsburgh only takes 3 and a half days! Ha. The human race has come so far over the last 150 years.

The book is titled Pennsylvania Prints, from the Collection of John C. O'Connor and Ralph M. Yeager.

PS If you're local to Pittsburgh, don't forget to enter to win admission for two to the Pittsburgh Vintage Mixer! You can also read a Q&A I did with one of the event's founders, Bess Dunlevy. The giveaway ends on Friday night, and the mixer event is on Saturday, Nov. 22.

Horseshoe Curve

According to RailRoadCity.com, when the Horseshoe Curve railroad track in Altoona, Pa. opened in 1854, it was a huge innovation for its time. Once the track opened, people could cross Pennsylvania at practically lightning speed: 15 hours!

Pennsylvania is a wide state, but you can probably drive from border to border in about 5 or 6 hours, present day.

As you can see, I did a little research for this postcard post. I know about the train track because it's local, and it's named after a minor baseball team in that town, but didn't know all of the details about why a railroad track that makes a 180 degree turn had so much fame.

The back of the postcard reads:

World famous Horseshoe Curve showing parking area visited by hundreds of tourists each year, Altoona, Pa.

Because of the topography in Western Pennsylvania being so hilly, traveling in the 1800s was very laborious, especially if trying to cross parts of the state with Appalachian Mountains.

I love the picturesque hills and trees of the region, but it still sometimes is a pain in the ass to get around. Haha. Pittsburgh is known not only for its bridges (rumor has it that Pittsburgh is home to more bridges than Florence, Italy), but for its tunnels and great scenic views, mostly because of the hills here.

I picked this postcard up in an antique shop last summer, I think, not far from where Altoona is located. I loved it because of the beautiful foliage; autumn is my favorite season. And the old cars in the photo are great. With the cars, my guess is the picture was probably taken in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

This is also the first postcard I decided to buy, eventually sparking this feature and my ridiculous postcard collection. We'll also be going through Altoona on an upcoming train trip Mark and I have planned. How exciting, right??

Are there any weird historical innovations that are known in your town or region?

Souvenir of Pittsburgh, Penna

While perhaps not as exciting as my other Pittsburgh postcard collection, this is still a pretty cool set. It's not as exciting because 1.) It's newer (from 1941, vs. the other one, from 1914) and 2.) Mark bought it on Etsy for my birthday.

However, it does include photos featuring some of the city's world-class charm, including a few of the city's many bridges, my college alma mater, Duquesne University. That's also where Mark and I met. :)

It is sorta like the other set, in that it's according style, with all the postcards connecting to one another, and postcard photos are printed on both sides.

That first postcard threw me off a bit, because there totally aren't any traffic circles here now. And I'm so thankful for that, because I think I have a heart attack every time I drive through one of those.

Announcement: A Wedding DIY-filled month ahead

For those of you who don't know, October marks one year since Mark and I got married! It's hard to believe a year has already passed by. Here are a few photos from the ceremony:

Our wedding was very DIY-centric, not only because it was fun, but it saved money and made things memorable. I made many things myself, from the invitations, to decor and the gifts. As a way to celebrate hitting the one-year mark, and to share some of my favorite aspects of our wedding, I am sharing a craft I did each week through October. I might also be sharing a few anecdotes about our relationship, but I'll try not to make it too tacky, I promise!

Hope you guys enjoy fall as much as I do!

P.S. A shout out to Amanda and Leah, the rock stars who took photos that day.

Pittsburgh 200th

Pittsburgh's bicentennial year was in 1958. I know this because the 250th anniversary was celebrated in 2008. Sad but true. I love that Pittsburgh is an older city. I think that's where it gets a lot of its charm. The history is rich. But I guess, compared to most European cities, Pittsburgh is still fairly young.

This postcard in particular is about double the standard size, and was a little beat up, but thought was worth having, if for nothing else, to simply have yet another Pittsburgh postcard. :)

There's still been so much growth since then, too.

Down in Texas

Got this postcard while I was in Texas, because, well, I kind of had to do it. :)

Front:

"Down in Texas"

We're down here in old Texas
Where you never have the blues
Where the bandits steal the jitneys
And the Marshals steal the booze
Where buildings horn the skyline,
Where the populace is boost
Where they shoot mean just for past time
Where the chickens never roost.

Where the stickup men are wary
And the bullets fall like hail;
Where each pocket has a pistol
And each pistol's good for jail;
Where they always hang the jury,
Where they never hang a man
If you call a man a liar, you
Get home the best you can;

Where you get up in the morning
In a world of snow and sleet
And you come home in the evening
Suffocating in the heat;
Where the jitneys whiz about you
And the street cars barely creep;
Where the burglars pick your pockets
While you 'lay me down to sleep'

Where the bulldogs all have rabies,
And the rabbits they have fleas
Where the big girls like the wee ones
Wear their dresses to their knees,
Where you whist out in the morning
Just to give your health a chance.

Say 'Howdy' to come fellow who
Shoots big holes in your pants;
Where wise owls are afraid to hoot
And birds don't dare to sing
For it's hell down here in Texas,
Where they all shoot on the wing.

Back:

Dear Bill —
Thanks for your letter, enjoyed it a lot. Too bad you always (sic) have to bump up against Mt. Pleasant.No snow or over coats down here — you'd aught to try it sometime. Keep your eye on Polly.
Yours, Roe

I would've liked to have found an Austin postcard, but this was as good as it got for me. I'll try to post other postcards I got in Texas (and Ohio) in the coming weeks.

Time Capsule: Back to School, 90's style

Sometimes, I'm kind of amazed how much my mom has saved over the years. And as much as I have loathed my parents for being total pack rats, it's treasures like these that make it OK.

* I edited some personal information out of these documents.

I honestly don't remember much about my first grade teacher, Mrs. Gill. However, there is one thing I tell friends and family about what I remember to this day. She's the one who started calling me Katelyn. Prior to that, I went by Katie. Because there was another Katie M. in my class, I would be referred to as Katelyn until the middle of my college years, when I asked people to instead call me by a name I didn't hate.

I'm sure Mrs. Gill didn't mean any harm by inadvertently changing my name for 15 years; she was just trying to lessen confusion in her class. But I remember being 6 years old, sitting in the backseat of my mom's car as she was driving, being told my name wasn't actually Katie. I couldn't stop crying.

But that's what I went by for years and years, mostly out of habit, familiarity.

Anyway, that's what struck out to me in these photos and papers most. "Katelyn" was everywhere. But even on my coloring book page, I signed it off "Katie".

Then in college, I told an internship supervisor about how much I loathed my name, and about my first grade teacher changing it.

"Then why not go by something else?" she told me.

I've been going by Kate ever since.

I think that I learned an important life lesson there. If there's something in your life you don't like, change it. Complaining is OK sometimes, but how far will that really get you? Of course, not everything is as easy as changing a name. But life is too short to tolerate things you don't like, especially if it's something you deal with on a daily basis. Seriously. I think I need to remind myself of that sometimes.

The name Kate just feels more like me, as weird as that sounds. It feels more informal, more personable somehow.

Anyway, it's hard to believe that all of these mementos are from 20 years ago. I was struck by the pristine condition my mom kept all of these old papers in, without wrinkles or fading. And that she shot photos of me drawing a coloring book page that she ended up keeping of of these years.

Now that education and K-12 schools are kind of tangent to what I do at my job, it was really cool to come across these photos from yesteryear, even with the silly memories. What are some of your favorite back to school memories?