tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post6875433174807640364..comments2024-03-28T16:44:05.806-07:00Comments on GORILLAS DON'T BLOG: Lion Country Safari, 1970 & 1971Major Pepperidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09843598326995116014noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-9098840987773067882017-03-20T05:49:29.778-07:002017-03-20T05:49:29.778-07:00I visited LCS once in early '76, and a lot of ...I visited LCS once in early '76, and a lot of that visit is still clearly imprinted on my brain. <br /><br />The safari itself was pretty cool (it was January and we had air conditioning anyway). There were all sorts of "watering hole" animals wandering around the car, sort of like a live-action version of the African veldt scene in the Jungle Cruise (minus the sleeping zebra, of course.)<br /><br />I remember an ostrich strutting over to our station wagon and proceeding to peck at the front passenger window - repeatedly. I guess too many guests weren't following the rules and the bird had developed an association with cars and food. Either that or it had seen <i>The Birds</i> one time too many.<br /><br />I remember having to wait for the electric gate to open to cross between the herbivore area and the lions' enclosure, and there was a guard tower for the operator. The lions didn't come too close to the car; in fact, I don't remember them doing anything but sitting there and panting. But they were lions, and that was enough.<br /><br />We rented hippos and pedaled around Lake Shanlee. There was a huge fountain in the lake and I wanted to pedal into it, but my dad wouldn't let us for some reason. Some people are such killjoys.<br /><br />And then there was the jeep ride. You climbed into a zebra-striped vehicle that ran on a concrete roadway and was guided by a central rail. There was a steering wheel but it didn't do anything, and I don't think there was an accelerator. The jeep just went. <br /><br />I remember climbing into one by myself and enjoying the ride...until it drove into a tunnel. A blacklit tunnel. With florescent spears and masks and signs that said "Danger" painted on the walls. I was terrified and closed my eyes. It haunted my dreams for years.<br /><br />Thanks for bringing back some wonderful (and traumatizing) memories, Major!Chucknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-7447031520045938172017-03-19T09:36:21.147-07:002017-03-19T09:36:21.147-07:00LCS. It was a time when there still were open spa...LCS. It was a time when there still were open spaces sufficient to support a mini savannah. I believe the area is now called Irvine Center, pretty much at the junction of I-5 and I-405. Living nearby we went a number of times and it's now etched in my memory. Orange County was a cool place to live back then. KSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-8599690027552389222017-03-19T08:45:07.902-07:002017-03-19T08:45:07.902-07:00And, yes, I do remember loving that zebra-stripe m...And, yes, I do remember loving that zebra-stripe motif associated with Lion Country Safari!Pegleg Petenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-2073928687164051032017-03-19T08:42:17.209-07:002017-03-19T08:42:17.209-07:00As a child in the early '70s I went to the Lio...As a child in the early '70s I went to the Lion Country Safari in Georgia, but my only real memory of the visit was riding an elephant in the non-drive-through part of the park. Curiously, here in Britain there are still a number of drive-thorugh anumal parks in operation. A couple of years back there was a fairly high-profile incident in which a car caught fire in one park and the occupants had to be rescued before they became prey. I can't help but wonder how common such incidents are in these parks.Pegleg Petenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-88586643200466467882017-03-18T15:16:26.114-07:002017-03-18T15:16:26.114-07:00Just like Nanook, I never visited Lion Country Saf...Just like Nanook, I never visited Lion Country Safari. The funny thing is, I've written a blog post about it that also includes the info about Frasier the lion (Irene!), but it isn't set to post until May.<br /><br />I do wish I had gotten the chance to see LCS. I think it was just far enough away, that it wasn't on my parents' radar. Maybe I should have begged them to take us. That worked for Magic Mountain, which was also a further drive than Disneyland, Knott's or Universal Studios.TokyoMagic!https://www.blogger.com/profile/16340756514811789233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-84071857413597389362017-03-18T08:40:27.198-07:002017-03-18T08:40:27.198-07:00I remember LCS but never visited. Looking at these...I remember LCS but never visited. Looking at these pictures I'm wondering where these animals go to hide out? Where are the trees for the giraffe's to eat. And did they provide prey for the lions to kill? Hmm many questions. Debbie V.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04318603077035734786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-55397555764924154472017-03-18T07:54:17.781-07:002017-03-18T07:54:17.781-07:00I did go to the Irvine location several times back...I did go to the Irvine location several times back in the '70's. I also took photos but whatever happened to them, I have no idea unfortunately. One thing that clearly stands out in my memory is sitting in the car looking at a lion relaxing in a hill. Then he decided to roar. Never heard a lion roar like that before. It was so loud and almost shook the car. Very impressive. Of course this was the home of the famous lion Frasier, an aging circus lion from Mexico. Turns out there was more to him than met the eye when it came to the lioness population. He was apparently quite the stud and fathered a number of babies. There was a movie about him in 1972. After he died, and because he became quite famous, he was buried in the hills overlooking Lion Country Safari. This is a nice little article I found about that: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/frasier-521341-lion-country.htmlIrenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02286032807894115704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-62336896729520284972017-03-18T04:21:23.141-07:002017-03-18T04:21:23.141-07:00We went to the Florida LCS once back in '73. W...We went to the Florida LCS once back in '73. We had driven down in my dad's '68 Chevy Caprice which had no air conditioning. Now that was fine....until we got to Lion Country Safari.<br />Lion Country Safari....where you had to drive through....slowly. With your windows up. In Florida.<br />It took all of about 10 minutes for us all to start regretting our decision to visit this fine attraction. At least I suppose it was a fine attraction - all I remember is everybody progressively getting bitchier as the temperature in the car climbed and the sweat started pouring down our faces.<br />We couldn't get out of there fast enough.Scott Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10225636456858440089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25922463.post-39584914263715192822017-03-18T00:09:43.105-07:002017-03-18T00:09:43.105-07:00Major-
I was one of that group who never attended...Major-<br /><br />I was one of that group who never attended LCS, although I certainly drove by its location many a time. Although if'n I'd known about those cool, zebra-striped Jeeps, well then...<br /><br />Thanks, Major.Nanookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07255357829181568172noreply@blogger.com