Musings about Amusement Parks...

Jennerbug and her friend Aurora go cruising on a lady bug...

Today I went to Adventureland, along with my Jennerbug and our friends Melissa and Aurora. We had a blast!!!! It's been a few years since I've been at the Park...and I live only 5 mins away. But, having Jens really didn't allow me to go there until now. And being almost 4, she handled all the rides beautifully!!! I was holding on tight to her on the sky ride. The seats are not the most stable for a little girl like her. She could of fell through and then...yep...don't want to think about that. Anyways, she was having a lot of fun.

We went into the gift shop to look for a little something to remember her first day there and she chose a purse with a dog's head on it and the words had the words Adventureland printed on it. The funny thing is that the cashier didn't know they had that purse in the store. LOL!

Amusement parks are something I'm very familiar with. I was born in a hospital down the street from Disneyland in Anaheim, CA...a hospital that is no longer there. It's an apartment complex. I loved going to Disneyland. It was a treat. And every time we drove pass the park...doing errands or other things...I would always ask if we are going there.

Loved Disneyland...the way the place had this peculiar, musty scent in the Haunted Mansion and Pirates. To the Alice in Wonderland ride...natch! The theming was wonderful!! Rich detail and care with every ride the Imagineers created. Love that place...magical! I just hope that Jens going to Adventureland will feel the same way when she gets to be my age. The wonderment...nistalgia...the fun!!!

And since I'm on a Amusements kick tonight...

This Haunting picture is of a Farris Wheel that was abandoned and overgrown at Chippewa Park in Ohio

I have never been to Chippewa Park in Ohio...but the above photo is really cool! Wikipedia has a whole list of defunct amusement parks you can read about here! Warning that entry...it will engross and fascinate!!!! So many parks that are now closed across the country! Ranging from Opryland to Busch Gardens.

The one that really captured my attention was an amusements called Enchanted Forest. A now-closed theme park in Ellicott City, Maryland. See some of the terrific, haunting photos of Enchanted Forest here! These whimsical buildings that children used to play in and imagine in are sadly, as you can see...going into disrepair. An effort is underway to restore a lot of this precious park. Here is a great website recounting people's fond memories of the Enchanted Forest and times gone by...and how people are trying to restore a lot of the attractions time forgot...

Going back to parks in California...I used to go to Marineland near LA when I was a kid. For one thing, it was much closer to my house than driving down to San Diego and going to Sea World. So when I was a teenager back in the late 1980's they closed that park down. And, much like the Enchanted Forest, it remained a shadow of its former self for many years...with weeds, graffitti...etc, littering the place. Finally a developer came in a leveled the place and now they are getting reading to build luxury homes in that area.

A beautiful shot of the old Marineland near LA over looking the Pacific Ocean.

Another park I had fond memories of was Santa's Village near Lake Arrowhead. I only been there a few times...but I really remember was the giant bees flying overhead that were monorails caring passengers! I had a lot of fun there. The place was just as whimsical as the Enchanted Forest.

A large Bee Monorail takes passengers across Santa's Village in Lake Arrowhead, CA