POP friday
Pacific Ocean Park; it was called "POP" for short, but not for long! (I stole that line from Ralph Story, thank you Ralph!) Please check out the first two installments of POP photos here and here.
Today's first photo is a complete mystery to me. I can find no record of a ride like this at POP, and yet it is with a group of POP images. It's basically a version of Disneyland's Motor Boat Cruise, only it's kind of cool the way the little boats skim along the surface. My readers are good looking AND smart, so I know that somebody out there will solve this mystery. If meddling kids are involved, so much the better.
"Where the deuce is everybody?", wonders this lad (yes, he sounds just like Stewie). I guess we can see why POP didn't survive for very long, you could literally fire a cannon up this part of Fisherman's Cove and not worry about hitting anybody. You can definitely see that the architecture lacked the charm and detail that were present at that other park.
Here we are outside the Westinghouse building, graced by the statue of the Pied Piper (I guess?) with his balloon pants. Inside, you'll see the Enchanted Forest: "Jack and Jill are our guides as they show us a world of wonders with a Dream House and tomorrow's Atomic City and a reproduction of the 'Nautilus', the world's first nuclear submarine with its Westinghouse atomic engine". You'd also get to see Electro, the robot (and very big star) of the Westinghouse exhibit from the 1939 New York World's Fair! 
13 comments:
What a swell (I speak Stewie) snap of dat kid and pops. I think dad's enjoying that boat as much as the little guy. :)
Wheeeeee.....POP!
Hiya Major!
That little boat ride is part of the ill-fated "Fun Forest" expansion of 1959. One of the last "themed" environmental attractions designed by Fred Harpman and Co. before the decline of the latter years. Built to address the need for more kiddie themed attractions. It failed miserably - mainly because it required a second admission ticket to enter the small area!
Thanks Chris! See Major, your readers are smart! (not me, but Chris) Of course we are all "good looking" :-)
The mini boat ride looks like its in someone backyard!
Just so ya know "Pied Piper with his balloon pants" haunts my dreams along with the boogie-man from the Ghostbusters cartoons... (link)
Ahhh - Jed or PJ could have easily beat me to it...
I don't see the Skyway in the first picture so it must have been taken after 1994. :)
Can't get enough of pictures of POP and other fun "Things That Aren't There Anymore".
I figured that Chris would know - or Jed or Patrick! Thanks for the info. Strange that they made customers pay extra for the kiddie rides...
Hrundi, no Skyway equals after 1994....LOL!
I LOVE pics of "things that aren't here anymore" as well.....also, pics of things that I never got to see, like Pacific Ocean Park and any of the World's Fairs!
Great photos!!!! I love them POP posts...
The Westinghouse attraction was the first thing inside the entrance gates, to your right. And off to the left would be the underwater walk-through with King Neptune. I remember the robot in Westinghouse. They had some limited animation 'robots' dancing behind a tall hedge- which easily hid the fact that there was no animation going on below the torso area. They would spin and sing about the wonders of toasters. God, I wish I could go back one more time and see it all again!
-Glen Banks
Great memory, Glen. Share more, please. Did you happen to snap any pictures?
And David, these slides are just incredible. Thanks!
did someone mention World's Fair? its been a while since we went there.... ;)
wish i had been at this park. nice pictures today
You know, that second picture looks just like the Pacific Wharf section of DCA, next to the Boudin Bakery and Tortilla "ride". It's a perfect match, right down to the lack of guests...
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