I am looking forward to my first visit to Kennywood this summer.

During the year that I have been living in Pennsylvania, Kennywood has come up frequently in conversation. As you may know, I spent the first 55 years of my life living in the land of Cedar Point and King’s Island. I have never been a big fan of either one of Ohio’s premier amusement parks. They are too high-powered and over-populated for my taste. When I was growing up, Ohio was filled with lots of modest local amusement parks that featured penny arcades, carousels, and giant wooden roller coasters. When my boys were growing up, there was such a local park still operating at La Sourdesville Lake near Middletown. We preferred it because the lines were much shorter and the price of admission was considerably less than at its better-known neighbors to the north and south. I understand that Kennywood retains some of the simplicity and accessibility that my family and I have enjoyed in the past.

However, if you are a Cedar Point or King’s Island fan, I can recommend some additional places in Ohio to visit as you travel.

On the way to Cedar Point, you might go through Canton. The Professional Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, but the best place to visit is Heggy’s, a tiny restaurant that was in town long before there was a Professional Football Hall of Fame. Heggy’s specializes in candy, nuts, ice cream, and sandwiches. My recommendation is a foot-long hotdog with coney sauce, french fries with butter, and chocolate milk shakes. As you leave, you will want to buy some cream-filled chocolate candy and some hard white roasted peanuts to take with you.

South of Canton on I-77 is Dover. It is worth stopping in Dover to visit the Warther Museum, a family operated-entity celebrating the carvings of Ernest Warther. On most days, Warther’s son is likely to be there to greet you and answer questions about his father’s collection of hand-carved wooden locomotives and other curiosities. The Warther Museum might be Ohio’s best-kept secret.

If you are going to King’s Island, you probably will pass through Zanesville. Take the downtown exit and cross the Y Bridge. It is one of the few places in the country where you can make a right turn in the middle of a river. The right fork of the bridge will take you to Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl. The ice cream is unusually good and the atmosphere is authentic yesteryear – unchanged since the restaurant opened in 1950. (Tom’s also sells Heggy’s candy and nuts.)

If you are traveling toward Athens, then either you have business at Ohio University or you are lost. Athens isn’t on the way to anything. If you do find yourself in that part of Ohio, follow Route 664 to the Hocking Hills. It is the single most impressive outdoor attraction in the state. Ohio doesn’t have much in the way of spectacular scenery, but it does have the Hocking Hills. It’s a great place to picnic and hike. Second best is Clifton Gorge and Clifton Mills, south of Dayton. It’s also very nice, and it’s on the way to King’s Island.

Amusement park aficionados give high ratings both to Cedar Point and King’s Island, but getting there should be part of the fun. Have a good time. I’ll be thinking of you while I am at Kennywood.