Twain and Columbia, November 18 1959

I love it when photos are dated to the very day the photographer visited Disneyland. In this case, "November 18 1959" is written on each slide. With a little help from Jason's Disneyland Almanac I can tell you that, in spite of the fact that it was almost Thanksgiving, the temperature reached a pleasant 77 degrees. Attendance was a mere 5,678 - sounds like the perfect day to visit. Initially, this first photo seems like nothing too special; but what's that big pile of dirt to the right of the Mark Twain? Why, it's the very early stages of construction for Cascade Peak!

The photographer pivoted his body like a cyborg (because he was a cyborg) to the west, where the Columbia rests in Fowler's Harbor. That lazy Columbia is always resting in Fowler's Harbor! I think it needs a haircut and a trip to the Marine recruiting center.

Dancing Waters, Disneyland Hotel - Sept. 1966

These photos are kind of a snooze, but I might as well post them anyway. For years, visitors to the Disneyland Hotel could watch a performance of "Dancing Waters"... colorful fountains synchronized to music.

This is way better than that "World of Color" over at DCA! Oooooo, orange.

The "Dancing Waters" show was discontinued sometime around 2007 (please correct me if I'm wrong), and the little amphitheater was razed in August of 2010 for the massive refurbishment of the Disneyland Hotel.

SATURDAY - Hither and Yon

Today's "Anything Goes" installment consists of a somewhat random assortment of images from around the USA.

Let's start with this photo of the old entrance to Honolulu International Airport. Isn't it adorable? In the days before airplanes routinely flew across the Pacific Ocean nonstop, Honolulu was the place to land. Which made it one of the busiest airports in the world. Now? Not so much. While this slide is undated, it has to be from between 1951 and 1962. I know, I know, Hawaii didn't become a state until 1959, but I am still counting this as "from around the USA". Deal with it!

Here's what you will see today. 

And now, a mystery for all you smarties to try to solve! This street is somewhere in Texas (notice the sign for the "Texas Power & Light Co."... but where? I sure have no idea. In the past you guys have amazed me with your ability to identify what I thought would be an obscure street in the middle of nowhere. Can it happen again?!

Now we'll head east to York, Pennsylvania (located about 20 miles south of Harrisburg, the state capital). As you can see, a fair of some kind is going on. The large brick building in the background says "York Fair"... bingo! The York Fair claims to be the country's oldest, tracing its roots to 1765. According to Wikipedia, ....In addition to typical fair attractions, such as rides, games and contests, it also wins local recognition for hosting many (usually country) musical artists, such as Alabama, Gretchen Wilson, Carrie Underwood, Toby Keith, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Weeeee doggies!

I hope you have enjoyed flittering hither and yon!

The Clock of the World, 1956

Oh boy, vintage Tomorrowland! I never get weary of looking at it. Here's a sweet view of the Clock of the World (I think it says it is 3:53), America Motors' "Circarama", and the TWA Rocket to the Moon.  So nice!

Here's another view; in both photos the guests are wearing sweaters and coats, so let's just say this is winter, in spite of the bright sun and vivid blue sky. Go watch Circarama's "A Tour of the West", where it's nice and warm inside! 

As far as I'm aware, "A Tour of the West" is a lost film, though it could still be sitting in a film storage vault somewhere. I'd love to see it!

Jungle Cruise, September 1966

I know we're supposed to wave "goodbye" to each boatload of Disneyland guests as they vanish into the jungles of Adventureland, but I never do. I love those people too much. Each one of them has a story, and at least one of those stories is interesting. When a boat returns safely, I fall to my knees and praise the heavens. In other words, I like drama.

I've always enjoyed the strangeness of this scene; a pride of lions is feasting on their latest kill, a juicy delicious zebra. It's OK, it's the Circle of Life! But all of the other animals sit there, staring like spectators at a baseball game. Maybe it's time to head for ze hills.

A strange, giant yellow and orange striped amoeba is about to envelope the photographer just as he was going to snap a photo of the "lost safari". I saw that happen in "The Blob", and it is no joke. Hopefully the skipper has a CO2 fire extinguisher nearby, that'll teach that blob a lesson that it won't soon forget.

Fun in Adventureland, September 1959

For the third day in a row, we're looking at pictures from 1959. Normally I try to mix it up a bit more, but a life of debauchery has caused me to lose my grip. For instance, if I didn't know better, these two ladies appear to be posing with a giant chipmunk! Not again. Wait, let me rub my eyes with my curled up fists, like they do in cartoons. Yep, still looks like a giant chipmunk. Oh well, the important thing is that it is all consensual; and hey! this is America.

There's old Smiley. He's not really smiling, he's singing "Mack the Knife", which was a hit for Bobby Darin in 1959. That is one talented crocodile.

Alpine Views, November 18 1959

"Alpine Views" sounds a lot more exciting than "yet more pictures of the Matterhorn", doesn't it? I'm sorry if I mislead you, driving you to a life of drink and drugs. "El Zocalo", the Mexican-themed cluster of souvenir stands, can be seen in the lower left. The Frontierland Shooting Gallery can be seen to the right.

There aren't too many places you can stand in Disneyland and not see the Matterhorn; Here it looms loomily above the hub and the Main Street Fire Truck.

Frontierland, September 1959

Hmmm, somehow I screwed up this post and set it to publish at 10:48 in the (late) morning. Glad I caught it before then! Sorry for the delay.

Here's a cheerful look at old Frontierland, with the shop that sold Pendleton Woolen Goods right in the center. Did you know that The Beach Boys originally called themselves The Pendletons? No joke! You can look it up at your local liberry. Not too long after this photo was taken, The Beach Boys made Pendleton wool plaid shirts a fashion craze.

I particularly love this photo of a charming "Casa de Fritos" hostess. Her tray reminds me of the ones that "cigarette girls" in old movies carried around in nightclub scenes. She has Fritos and Cheetos (but no Doritos). Notice the ticket booth (and awesome sign) for the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train ride in the background.

It's a Small World, June 1969

Yeah, yeah, I know. As much as I love the elaborate façade of "It's a Small World", I feel like I've seen enough pictures of it to last me a lifetime. AND YET... to be honest I'm still not really sick of it. Look, it's like a giant popup book, or a crazy paper sculpture. It's sponsored by the Bank of America too, and America is where I happen to live.

I propose that the Imagineers release hundreds of feral monkeys into the ride for an added sense of surprise. Disney Company, please send a large check to "Major Pepperidge" (they know where I live, they've been scanning my thoughts using microwaves for years and years).

House of 1000 Animals, Lake Placid, New York

If you happened to be in upstate New York (in the beautiful Adirondacks), you could have taken a detour to the "House of 1000 Animals" (founded in 1915) on Route 86 near Lake Placid. This oddball roadside attraction was a sort of zoo, but you could also buy the furs of the wonderful animals that you would see there. Apparently there were lots of minks, some bears, deer, a mountain lion, a llama, a few monkeys, a chupacabra, and other assorted critters. If I was driving by, I would definitely want to stop and see what was going on.

In this picture you can see some of the black bears, which were able to climb a series of ramps and steps up to some platforms. You could even feed them - always a good idea. My favorite trick is to make them grab a marshmallow from a string around my throat. Hilarious!

Deer? Rats of the forest if you ask me. Hey, so THIS is the home of Buster Bear, I always wondered. He owes me $40. I realize that Lake Placid is near Canada, and I have nothing against Canadians (hey, Justin Bieber is Canadian, and he is totally rad!), but why is the Canadian flag on display?

Could that be Buster Bear himself? We can't see his eyes, and I would only be able to tell by that twinkle that only Buster possessed. After this, let's head over to the Chimpanzee Chimp arena. Chimps are 80% water just like us!

At some point the name changed to St. Nick's Animals (you can see part of the sign for Ausable Chasm, which was not far from Lake Placid). I need a full-length mink coat for job interviews, but unfortunately this roadside attraction seems to have closed in 1980; from what I can gather, there is now a restaurant (and/or a gardening center?) in this location.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to the House of 1000 Animals!