Santa's Village, Lake Arrowhead - October 1961
Ho ho ho, back to Santa's Village we go. I just made that up, and it's fabulous!
Lake Arrowhead, California - we have a confirmed Santa sighting. Here he is, resplendent in his fur-lined red velvet outfit. I need to wear more velvet, dammit. The adorable little girl is wearing glasses with those inserts that were supposed to straighten out slightly crossed eyes ("Amblyopia", like Linus used to have?). Santa doesn't care though, he loves her just the way she is.
That building does not appear to meet local building codes, but at least it has a slide for quick escapes when the thing starts to collapse.
There's that "Dumbo"-style Christmas tree ride again. The ride vehicles were made of razor-thin, hand-blown glass, just like real ornaments. The tree itself looks like it escaped from Rankin-Bass' "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer".
Beyond the Christmas tree ride, we look towards a cabin with gears on it; Santa's workshop? If so, it is probably full of sweaty elves. Elf sweat is magical and smells like candy canes. They sing in those high, squeaky voices, sort of like Alvin and the Chipmunks, only with a Spanish accent for some reason.
That building does not appear to meet local building codes, but at least it has a slide for quick escapes when the thing starts to collapse.
There's that "Dumbo"-style Christmas tree ride again. The ride vehicles were made of razor-thin, hand-blown glass, just like real ornaments. The tree itself looks like it escaped from Rankin-Bass' "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer".
Beyond the Christmas tree ride, we look towards a cabin with gears on it; Santa's workshop? If so, it is probably full of sweaty elves. Elf sweat is magical and smells like candy canes. They sing in those high, squeaky voices, sort of like Alvin and the Chipmunks, only with a Spanish accent for some reason.
14 comments:
That Christmas Tree ride looks like the early version of Dumbo.....no door cutaway on the side of the ride vehicle. It doesn't look like climbing into them was a very easy task...even with those stairs available next to each one.
Oh how I wish I could have visited this park! I know you've posted pics of it in before, but it wasn't until your Santa's Village post from last week that I became obsessed with it for some reason! I still plan to post my Santa's Village map from the late seventies sometime before Christmas Day along with some other S.V. items.
"Whoever heard of a skinny Santa? Eat ... eat!"
Dude, you could totally rock the velvet.
We went to Lake Arrowhead often when I was a kid, but for some reason Santa's Village was always closed when we drove by. Sometimes I would force my dad to stop anyway just so I could peer longingly at all those candy colored buildings and rides. Thanks for another fantastic post, Major!
Wow, these are great, this really rounds out a 3D understanding of this little park.
Notice the elusive Bumblebee Monorail in the last shot.
Could that building with the gears be the clock shop we have seen in other pics, the one with the big pocketwatch sign where the hands point to the months, instead of hours?
Santa looks like he needs a sammich, served by a sweaty elf.
@TM I can't wait for your map to come out.
Thank you Major. Made my day, you did.
JG
That rickety house with the slide in pic. no. 2 can be seen in a side view in one of your earlier posts, with a sign noting that it is the "Easter Bunny's House".
Still not sure why the Easter Bunny lives at the North Pole, but his sweat probably smells like chocolate...or carrots.
JG
TM!, you're right, that Christmas tree ride must have been tough to get in and out of. It must have been designed by that elf named Gilligan. And if you have a map of Santa's Village, I would love to see it!
Chuck, Santa begins to fatten up as winter approaches. Pork rinds, double bacon cheeseburgers, the whole deal.
Connie, I'm thinking that a velvet cape might be a good place to start.
bloefeld, maybe the park was closed two days a week like Disneyland used to be? I'm glad you liked these!
JG, I did notice the little bit of Bumblebee Monorail track. If you didn't already know what it was, it wouldn't register at all. Maybe the building with the gears is the clock shop... somewhere I have a much better photo of it. And you get extra points for talking like Yoda! I'll take your word about the Easter Bunny's house, since I don't remember seeing that.
I really like that Rankin-Bass Christmas tree...son of a gun, Burl Ives just came on my radio!
that is quite a skinny Santa, i guess he trims down in summertime
Link to the bunny house pic, here is...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/bananaphone5000/GORILLA3/EBunnyHse-JG651200.jpg
JG
Ha ha, Nancy, I was just listening to some Burl Ives too!
JG, Aha! From one of your great snapshots. Thanks.
The house with the gear on it was the Toy Shop/Factory. The house that we've seen with the clock outside with months instead of hours is Santa's House. And the picture of the tree house with the slide is listed as the Crooked Little Tree House. That is interesting in that older post that it has the Easter Bunny House sign at the bottom of the stairs. I wonder if that was supposed to be pointing the way to the Easter Bunny's house. His house was actually shaped like an egg.
OK, TM, you have to post this map...we wants it...
(Im changing from Yoda to Gollum)
JG
Love seeing these pics. I grew up just down the road from santa's village. My mom used to go when she was little. Here is a video I posted on YouTube of her first visit. I think it was about 1958 or 59.
http://youtu.be/lgjUPRWzxqk
Greg, thanks for the link! I wish I had family home movies...
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