Happy 120th Birthday, Conneaut Lake Park!

CLP bears the distinction of being the only park I visited numerous times for my book.  I did so because I wanted to watch its progress, I wanted to champion it, and, most importantly, I yearned to learn more about its history each time.  As Conneaut Lake Park will be celebrating its 120th anniversary this very year, I give you some of my most favorite photos, taken in 2009, when the park had just re-opened, in 2010, on a rainy day when the park was closed (more about that coming up) and in 2011, when I witnessed the miracle that having faith can accomplish.

In 2009, the park was back, after being closed for two years.  I absolutely fell in love with it, for some of the following reasons:

There be gentle ponies you can ride.  The same family has been in charge of the ponies for over fifty years.

A magnificent carousel, teeming with beautifully-appointed steeds, greeted us with a pipe organ "ta-da"!  The center portion of the ride boasts hand-painted images of the park's history.  If you look closely, you can see the Kaylee Belle, the park's lake excursion boat.

And then there's the Devils Den.  Back in 2009, this sinister harpy greeted you to the dank depths of this classic dark ride.

In 2010, we visited the park, only to have it be closed due to the weather.  However, that didn't hinder the special event going on at the Beach Club: the team from T.V.'s "Paranormal State" were there to lead folks through the haunted Hotel Conneaut.

Happiness prevailed in 2011, when the Blue Streak rollercoaster was back up and hopping, due to the great fortune of the park winning a $50,000 Pepsi Challenge prize. 

Now, I can't really "do" coasters, but I can thrill to the rarest of rare rides when I need to.  And I NEEDED to ride the Tumble Bug, one of only three in existence.  It makes me gleeful.

We set aside some time to take in the schnazzy new mini golf.  Heavens to Betsy, I actually won.  I never win at mini golf, but the putt putt gods were with me that day.

 

And I felt so brave from my victory, that I knew I could take on the Devil's Den again, and come face to face with the dreaded Gum Wall!  Note the gummy-gooey texture in the photo beneath....

Simply put, Conneaut Lake Park holds its history dearly.  And I raise a glass (juice soda at this very moment, perhaps something stronger later this evening) to its continuation.  Conneaut Lake Park is a place that matters.

That's what these old friends believe...

And so does Ben, pictured here on the venerable Blue Streak.

Congrats again, CLP!  Here's to a wonderful 2012 season!!

Okay, color me pathetic.

You're probably asking, "What's with the blurry photo? Where are the vintage ride vehicles and fun pictures of Pam riding a merry-go-round? When's she going to wolf down a funnel cake?". Well, there's a little story attached to this pic.

I've visited Conneaut Lake Park twice, the last time this past early June. The park itself was closed due to the weather (big bummer), but something going on at the Beach Club, something which took me totally by surprise, made the trip more than worth it.

A big event was commencing, wherein members of the Pennsylvania State University Paranormal Research Society were conducting an investigation of the haunted Hotel Conneaut. Folks flocked to the Beach Club, the historic lakeside restaurant and bar, to start off their paranormal weekend, where a variety of lectures and other special events were to take place. I bought an Arch Angel Michael t-shirt and leafed through various books and prints, all paranormal in content. Would've loved to have joined in on the event, but had lots of traveling to do that very day. Besides, I already had my own ghostly encounters at the Hotel Conneaut the previous year. And, unbeknownst to me, I was about to have some more in only half an hour. But more about that later. What you want to know now is why I'm just so very pathetic.

This particular paranormal group has achieved rockstar status with their own show on A&E, "Paranormal State" chronicling their ghostly adventures. Full dork disclosure: I've caught absolutely every episode of the series. The leader of the group is one Ryan Buell, tall, dark, stoic and brooding. And, okay, kinda dreamy. And probably half my age. Still, I felt compelled to snap some photos of the spooky kids playing beach volleyball while I was seated in our car before we left. Like some sort of half-assed P.I. (I'm still embarrassed at my behavior months later...)

(Note to hopefully extricate myself even a little from the depths of patheticness: I did attempt to talk directly with the members of the crew, as I did have my own encounters with the invisible inhabitants of the hotel that past August, but their security folks basically weeded me out, reminding me that when the group investigated the hotel a year ago or so, a different psychic was at the helm, not Michelle Belanger (the woman along for the event), so basically I had no one to corroborate my story with. But they were extremely polite Goth kids, exhibiting a perkiness that belied their pierced, studded, and tattooed exteriors.)