Knott's, October 1975
Welcome back to Knott's Berry Farm! I'd offer you a slice of boysenberry pie, but all I have left is a slice of snozzberry pie. It's yours if you want it, though.
Once again we are in front of the Calico Mine Train attraction, which was 15 years old at this point - but still great. One thing that's different from other photos that we've seen is the exterior queue winding back and forth, which I can only assume means that the ride saw some healthy crowds recently. And one can't ignore the sawhorses placed near the train tracks, with a sign apologizing for the inconvenience. I originally thought that this might have to do with the opening or construction of "The Roaring 20's", but that opened about 4 months earlier. Construction for "Knott's Beary Tales" began at about this time, so maybe that's what was going on.
One of my favorite things to do is to get really, really drunk when I go to an amusement park. So a saloon holds tremendous appeal to me; unfortunately this one only served soft drinks and ice-cold boysenberry juice. But I can't stay mad!
One of my favorite things to do is to get really, really drunk when I go to an amusement park. So a saloon holds tremendous appeal to me; unfortunately this one only served soft drinks and ice-cold boysenberry juice. But I can't stay mad!
8 comments:
Think it's just track maintenance goin' on in the top pic. Love that Mine Ride. So awesome of the people at Knotts today to be keeping it going!
If it's possible to get plastered on Boysenberry Punch and Pie I'd get loaded every visit! Oh. How I wish I could visit Knotts now. Anyone have spare vacation money...
Chiana, i dont even have regular vacation money this year, but if i find any ill let you know!
the Calico is so nice and very inviting...did/do they have a revue there as we find at Magic Kingdom? this is still on my must-go-there-someday list. :-)
I can't speak for today, but in 1976 they had a small show in the saloon that consisted of at least two dancing girls, a male performer or two, and a piano player. I don't remember much about it (I was seven after all) other than it seemed very tongue-in-cheek and that the pianist played Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer."
When we heard the song again months later at a hockey game in St Louis, my sister, who was just barely five, exclaimed "Knott's Berry Farm!!!" It's now a family tradition to call out "Knott's Berry Farm!!!" every time we hear the song. Folks hate us at art house showings of "The Sting..."
Chuck, yes they still have that show in the saloon! I had the privilege of being the only person in the audience last March, LOL. I even wrote about it in my blog.
Major, I get plastered every time I go to DCA, LOL.
Yay, Knott's in the seventies!
That extended queue for the Calico Mine Train used to fill up during the Halloween Haunts when they would do a scary overlay in the attraction.
The show in the Calico Saloon used to take place on top of the actual bar, but in the eighties, they knocked out the wall behind the bar and built a stage for the shows.
Awesome! In 1975 I was 5, and remember going there with my parents and asking if I could get "POISON-Berry" Juice. LOL
thanks for the insight, everyone!
Here's a new view to me. I have never experienced a crowd large enough at the Mine Train to require a queue like that. I recall it as almost a walk-on every time.
I do recall that saloon, though. There were some pics of the interior of a bar posted recently which looked very familiar, not sure if these are the same. I remember the bar with a big barrel dispensing boysenberry punch, which I didn't like (then). Mom and Dad were not big on the saloon, even with "pretend" liquor, 'cause, you know, that's how you learn bad habits... by pretending.
Thank you for the pictures, Major, and everyone else, for the memories.
JG
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