Amusement parks top the list of summertime activities, but they are not cheap. Unless you have some experience and know what questions to ask about a park, you can have a horrible time. It's best to find out all you can about an amusement park before you spend the $40-60 admission price. Dorney Park in NE Pennsylvania is a good bet.

The beautiful thing about Dorney Park is that is is balanced. It has lots of roller coasters and kiddie rides. The six roller coasters are among some of the best in the region, especially Steel Force and Talon. There are plenty of more laid back rides for the rest of us.

It has a nice area for water rides and traditional amusement park rides, like the carousel and wave swinger as well. The park itself is neither too huge nor too small. It was clean, the staff was friendly, and overall the place just made sense. I usually hate amusement parks, but even after a whole day here--I mean all the way until close--this place was still A-OK with me.

The other thing that is nice about Dorney Park is it's location. Allentown, PA is a somewhat economically depressed area that is situated very close to some beautiful natural areas. I would think the park brings some employment opportunities. After a day of artificial amusement at Dorney Park, you can spend another day enjoying the nearby wilderness.

Dorney Park attracts visitors from all over the North East, including New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware, and obviously Pennsylvania. It was not a super long ride for us to get there from Baltimore.