Where have the Kiddieland Rides gone? Read and learn!

Mercy buckets to Jill Chukerman-Test for sending me a "heads up" on this Chicago Tribune photo essay on the whereabouts of the beloved Kiddieland rides.

Just a little bragging rights here: I gave the gentleman at Nelis' Dutch Village the info about the auction of the Kiddieland rides and he bought the pumper cars, which now are enjoyed at his park.  I look at the photo here and get just a little misty.

Next up on my roadtrip: a visit to the reborn Santa's Village Azoosment Park to revisit two of these transplanted rides!

BTW: When I win the Powerball, after taking my Dad on a trip around the world and buying Ben a Borsalino, I'll be purchasing the German carousel, oh yes I will.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-20110816-kiddieland-rides-pictures,0,3120793.photogallery

Pretty Much a Continuation of my Last Post.

Mom said, "It always rains on Good Friday." Now, if you look at that logically, you can blow a big hole in that statement because it's impossible to be raining everywhere in the world on one day, even if it's just a small smattering of rain. But it IS odd that most Good Fridays do have at least a soupcon of precipitation.

Today's no exception. And sadly, it's also not the exception of most of this week's weather, with the exception of yesterday which was divinely sunny. I visited my Dad at the Arms and we colored and decorated Easter eggs. I walked the dog. No, we didn't walk, we scampered. And eventually broke into a full-out trot.

But today is ultra-gloomy and dank, probably the worst day of the whole week weather-wise. Maybe that's because it's also Good Friday, which is a somber, contemplative day. But, as positive as I try to be, I must also be realistic.

This. weather. sucks.

I've had several park trips get dampened by rain. Let's see: Nelis' Dutch Village, Storybook Gardens, Waldameer, Conneaut Lake (2nd visit), Santa Cruz Boardwalk, Santa Monica Pier. But I still did manage to enjoy our time there and get some good writing done. So it's not all bad.

But it could be a whole lot better right now.

It was rainy that day, too...

And it felt like autumn, because it was. Today, mid-May, Mother Nature has run out of excuses to be cold and clingy.

Just a glimpse at some of the flora at Nelis' Dutch Village in Holland, MI. They're open for the season -- and the weather's suposed to be dandy this weekend, making it a great quick getaway destination!

Sunday on the blog with photos!

As much as we tried, the ducks and I couldn't get our acts together for that "Let's re-create the cover of "Abbey Road" moment. However, they still managed to have a lovely day, and so did Ie,venthough it was slick and drizzly. They waddled off, letting the water roll much like it would off a duck's back, cuz, well...

I went shopping.

Dutch Village, on a rainy day at the end of the 2009 season.

"...and pretty maids all in a row."

Tulips sing Spring to me, in a lilting aria of color. Delicate ladies wearing their Easter bonnets, shading their noses from the bright sunshine. They remind me of the flowers in Disney's vintage "Alice in Wonderland" displaying a variety of personalities and temperments.

Dutch Village in Holland, MI will be opened next weekend and celebrating Queen's Day on Saturday, April 24. When you swing on up, be sure to snatch up some of the amazing bulbs they have for sale. That's where we bought these beauties. And if you're bringing the kiddies, they'll enjoy riding the Petal Pumper cars, straight from Kiddieland!!

It's Spring, when things get a new lease on life. Including rides from Kiddieland!

http://www.dutchvillage.com/park/whatsnew.html

Dig this! While trolling around some of the websites for parks I've already visited, I noticed Dutch Village in Holland, MI has done something that has warmed my heart on this rather briskish April morning: they have a new ride, which is new to them, but not entirely new at all -- pumper cars, the very same pumper cars which kiddies rode with abandon at our dearly departed Kiddieland.

I'm not entirely positive I had anything to do with this, but when I visited Dutch Village, I did mention to the owner about the Kiddieland ride auction. So you never can tell. If I did have anything to do with the inclusion of this wonderful ride (now called Petal Pumper cars, including "petal", as in tulips, as in what makes Holland, MI famous) at Dutch Village, one of the sweetest, quaintest parks you'll ever visit, then my month of April and maybe even the entire season of Spring is just blossoming with happiness!