 View form the Catawissa Bluff |
| Church bells, alleys and a trip to Knoebels |
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In July, Hallie and I went home. I was only there four days, but it was the longest I had been in Catawissa in 16 years. I stayed with my best friend, Linda, who lives in the house next door to the house she lived as a teenager. Her present house has the same layout as her old one. Had I done nothing else, just being in that house recalling the memories of our crazy teens would have been enough. But I did so much more. I pushed Hallie in a borrowed stroller down the alleys and along the sidewalks I walked as a child. At 9 one evening, I pushed her up the walk to a former teacher’s house, where I was greeted as if it were 9 in the morning. I savored a Philadelphia-style cheesesteak in a new restaurant in town. Catawissans didn’t used to know how to make cheesesteaks, but they do now. It was delicious. I woke two mornings to thick summer fog, the kind of fog that settles in the valleys at night, promising a beautiful day ahead. On Sunday morning, I heard the church bells ring, calling the “hill Lutherans” to worship. They rang at 8, reminding everyone in town of the service, then again at 8:30 proclaiming the start of worship. I met friends from past lives, saw cousins I hadn’t seen in decades, and got to be the supportive little sister as my big brother went through a crisis. AND I went to Knoebels! Knoebels (say the K--”Kuh-no-buls”) is an amusement park, which is about nine miles from Catawissa along Pennsylvania Route 487, near Elysburg. The week I was home, the park celebrated its 75th anniversary. Since I hadn’t been there in about 25 years, it was a special treat to be there that week. Knoebels, I’m told, has the distinction of being the largest family-owned amusement park in the country. It also has the distinction of being the park where I played when I was a little girl. I felt the little girl inside as I walked through the park, looking for my old favorite rides. Most were still there, looking as new today as they did 35 years ago, delighting yet another generation. Walking with the little girl was a mother. And the mother (who is a tightwad) also liked what she saw. Although the amusement area has doubled in the last 25 years and some fanstastic new rides have been added (including two locally designed and built wooden roller coasters), Knoebels has not followed the trend of most amusement and theme parks across the country. Families--even families the size of mine--can go to Knoebels without taking out a second mortgage. The prices have increased, but not near enough to match inflation. The park has free admission and free parking. Patrons are free to choose among several ride packages that take into consideration the age and height of children, and the type of ride. (If you aren’t brave enough to ride the roller coasters, you don’t have to pay for the privilege.) Tickets can also be purchased for individual rides, which range in price from 50 cents for many kiddie rides to a few dollars for the big rides. Miserly moms can also save by going after 6 p.m. on the Bargain Nights, when nearly all the rides can be enjoyed for $6/person. Food prices are very reasonable. Soft pretzels are only $1; a good-sized ice cream cone can be had for $1.50. The park’s famous french fries (best enjoyed with a touch of salt and spritz of vinegar), are $1.79. Knoebels is a truly family-friendly park. It is still as clean as I remembered it. Rules of conduct and dress are posted around the park (the management reserves the right to evict those dressed scantily or offensively). No alcohol is allowed. As I walked around the park, I was sorry I had only Hallie with me. She was too small to enjoy any of the rides. Her siblings, whom I had left in Houston with Mike, would have had a blast. Some day, we’ll take a real Pennsylvania vacation. We’ll pitch a tent in the Knoebels campground, fish in Roaring Creek during the day and go to Bargain Night in the park. And I’ll bore them all to death with stories about how it was when I was a kid. Knoebels is better now than when I was a kid. It’s worth the trip over the narrow, winding roads to get there. If you’re close to Pennsylvania, you can still make it to Knoebels this year. The park is open through August, then on weekends in September. If not, plan to go next year. Whenever you get there, tell them I sent you. (For more information on my favorite amusement park, Go to http://www.knoebels.com) |