Amusement Parks Again
You know me, I love collecting adorable Hummel figurines, and I also love photos of amusement parks.
This first example is from June, 1971, from the extinct Lion Country Safari park that was in Irvine, California from 1970 to 1984. I lived in Huntington Beach in 1971 (roughly 20 minutes from Irvine), and remember TV and print ads, they almost always featured a car stopped in the park because a Lion had jumped on the hood (I felt disappointed when no lions jumped on our station wagon). Here's a very nice picture of a bloat of hippo paddle boats, I wonder if any of those survive in somebody's collection? "You know what, Charlotte? Paddle boats seem like fun, but they're actually a lot of work!".
I shared this photo many years ago, but here's my sister, little brother, and Mom on one of the hippo boats from sometime in 1971.
Next is a photo (dated "August, 1959") that was a mystery to me. There were clues like the mention of Paul Bunyan, but that didn't help much. Then I noticed that the lettering on the stagecoach said "Dells Fargo Stage". Aha! This is from Fort Dells, Wisconsin. This amusement park opened in June of 1959, and featured rides, characters, train rides, a paddlewheel steamboat, animals, live shows, and much more fun for all ages. Sadly, Fort Dells Theme Park officially closed back in 1985 and was completely demolished by 1997.
I'm still at Disneyland! Hopefully I will be riding the non-"Nightmare Before Christmas" Haunted Mansion multiple times, since I haven't done that since 2008. I can't wait!
2 comments:
Major-
A "bloat" of hippos. I feel a bit bloated myself just looking at them. (I wonder if their ears wiggle when the boats are paddled-?)
Thanks, Major.
"Paddle boats seem like fun, but they're actually a lot of work!" Yes, they are! These hippo versions in particular look like they would be a lot of work. Big. Bulky. Not very hydrodynamic (is that the water version of aerodynamic?). These pedallers look to be in varied states of relaxation and exhaustion.
The hippo in your family photo looks pink. Maybe that's just due to the colors having faded?
In the last photo, I like those tall mobile stairs that allow guests to mount, and dismount the top of the stagecoaches. I think we saw one of those in a KBF pic not too long ago? I wonder if the little (10 year old?) cavalry dude worked in the park, or if he's just a guest, chattin' with the horses?
I never get tired of amusement park pics. Thanks, Major. As Little Leota says, "Hurry baaaack!"
Post a Comment