Oaks Amusement Park and Roller Rink featured on TNT's "Leverage"

I love the clever, gentle humor that infuses the TNT show, "Leverage".  Every episode keeps you guessing, with plot twists and turns designed to simultaneously rattle and amuse.  I adore this show and its cast;  been a Timothy Hutton fan since "Ordinary People", and his co-stars are top-notch, fearless actors.

My hubby and I were enjoying this past weekend's episode, "The van Gogh Job" when I leaped forth from my comfy couch and yelled, "Hey!  That's Oaks Park!", having recently been there as part of the Road Trip   Besides a great vintage amusement park, the grounds include a time capsule of a roller rink; I recognized its charming green and white painted entrance.

The enclosed link contains a great article on the filming at Oaks in Portland, OR, which has been used as a backdrop for not one but two episodes!

I love seeing my Cotton Candy Road Trip locations up on the big (and little) screen!

If the world ended tomorrow, what would you do TODAY?

While looking back on the 33 parks visited for my book, I realized how amazing it's all been and what wonderful sights, sounds, tastes and smells I've encountered; not to mention incredible, life-changing stories I've unearthed.

Just recently I've heard that there are many who feel tomorrow will be the Rapture, and Jesus will take true believers up to heaven, leaving everyone else down here to figure things out. Got me to thinking: what would I do if I knew the Earth was going to melt tomorrow?

So many things: some profoundly moving (visiting loved ones), others downright silly (the Pig's Trough ice cream explosion at Brown Cow in Forest Park, IL). But I don't feel like getting all reflective on it all. Not just now.

But perhaps I should seek out some cotton candy. Perhaps you should, too. I hope you'll be as successful as I was a mere two weeks ago, when I found freshly-spun, sugary gossamer strands at Oaks Park in Portland. Here I am, feeding my face.

Like there's no tomorrow.

What's next on the Cotton Candy Road Trip agenda...

I'm almost afraid to say it, but we'll be going to Oregon.

Why am I a'feared? Because if it's anywhere as rainy there as it's been here the last two weeks, I think I'll go bonkers. I'll climb to the top of a tall building with my umbrella (must keep my hair in place) and just jump off. I'll go eye-crossingly, jabber-jowlingly mad.

But instead of going down that path, why not let's be positive? I mean, it might be bright and Crayola yellow sunny there, like it is today here in beautiful Elmhurst, right?

(Fingers crossed to the point that I can't type.)

The two parks on the agenda include the Enchanted Forest theme park and Oaks amusement park. They're pretty different from one another, with Oaks being a traditional park and Enchanted Forest being, well, an enchanted forest.

But more about that next week. 'til then, why not try wrapping your head around the, um, photograph of the head above from Enchanted Forest. With people in the mouth. Cuz why not?