Hit the road and visit a vintage park this Spring Break!!

Can't wait until Memorial Day to visit an amusement park?  Well, have no fear: there are plenty of awesome parks open at this very moment!!  You can, of course, read all about these particular parks in my book, "The Cotton Candy Road Trip" https://www.createspace.com/3840248 , but here's a mini travelogue for a trio of great parks that are definitely worth a Spring Break journey!!:

Out in the great Northwest?  Sidle on down to Enchanted Forest in Salem, Oregon: http://enchantedforest.com/ .  Built by one man and his family, this park is super for all ages and boasts some of the most brazen uses of creativity on a shoestring you'll ever see.  Witness these photos and, remember: it was literally built by hand by one man and his family (with no prior art or Disney Imagineering experience):

 

The Hansel and Gretel witch house, covered in evil yumminess..

 

A psychedelic choo choo for the kiddies.



 

My hubby, who apparently was the "crooked man" they were looking for.


 

 

Now, if you're out near St. Louis, point yourself toward Branson to enter the rootin' tootin' world of Silver Dollar City.  A recipient of the Applause Award for "one of the world's best theme parks", Silver Dollar City is excited to announce a new coaster for this season, the daring wooden ride, Outlaw Run!  It's not too often that a park opens a new wooden coaster, so this is really a thrilling development.  Plus, a wooden coaster fits in well with the rustic, Western vibe of the park:  http://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park.aspx

From the park's website: feast your eyes on the awesomeness!!

My hubby and a potato swirl on a stick!  Silver Dollar City has inCREDible food!!
 

 

 

But maybe you're one of the lucky ones, out in Florida, or vacationing there and, by golly, you're interested in a little of vintage "Old Florida"?  Look no further than the Other Silver Park I highlighted in my book, Silver Springs in Ocala.  Part amusement park, part zoo, Silver Springs is famous for its crystal clear springs and glass-bottom boat rides.  Plus, various television shows and movies were filmed there, including the old Johnny Weismuller "Tarzan" flicks: http://www.silversprings.com/

One of the park's friendly inhabitants.

The scenic view from the tippy top of the Lighthouse ride.

If you ever have any questions about a road trip, how to fashion one of your own, please feel free to contact me anytime.  I love answering queries about how to design a trip you and your family will cherish forever.

Blessed Christmas, Happy Yule, and a Wonderful 2012!

I wanted to take a few moments out of my busy week (gifts bought and still needing wrapping, beauty items bought so I look schmancy for the next week or so, lebkuchen baked) to wish everyone the brightest of holidays!

For those of you playing along, I'm now at the editing down, proofing and clean-up stage of the book writing process.  I'll be working on the acknowledgements very soon, then adding photos.

Then the book goes off to the publishing house.

Then the real magic begins. 

I was hoping to have "book in hand" by January 1, but now it's looking more like February 1, in time for my birthday.

Stay tuned folks.  And may your holidays be bright and shiny.  And may 2012 be full of brass rings.

Looking back, taking stock, giving thanks...

It's been quite a year. I've had the honor to visit a number of parks across the country and get the word out about my book on a Pittsburgh area radio station. There's so much more ahead, but at this dark quiet Advent time, I think a look back at what I've seen would be quite fitting.

Silver Springs in Florida, "Nature's Amusement Park". While strolling through the area, I kept getting met with images of folks back in the 1950s who enjoyed the park in a different way than today's crowd. The place was exotic and rather dangerous back in the day. Imagine a typical 50s family, mom in crisp cotton and kids and dad decked out in their madras, dad with Kodak camera, kids with the Brownies, snapping pictures of creatures they'd never seen before. A safari of sorts only a few hours away from their space age, tri-level homes.

Hershey Park in PA. A chocoriffic wonderland -- the closest thing we'll probably ever have to Wonkaland.

Dorney Park, with a vintage carousel Ben remembered from his childhood back in Ohio. It had been transplanted at Dorney years ago. Ben's realization that it was indeed his childhood carousel was one of my most treasured moments thus far in my Cotton Candying.

Knoebel's. May just be my most favorite park to date. It almost taunts other parks in my mind, daring them to top it. They're remaking the Riverview Flying Turns ride, for cryeye!

Hoffman's Playland - small but sweet. The perfect park for a family treat (pardon the rhyming, but it just seemed right. You'd rhyme too if you visited Hoffman's).

Seabreeze Park -- the story behind its carousel is quite inspiring. Getting to venture INSIDE said carousel was magical.

Darien Lake in upstate New York has a wonder wheel-style Ferris wheel and an ancient plaster octopus in the lake. It's got a lot of "new" to it, but when I found these vintage touches, it made the park spring to life for me.

Arnold's Park -- A park that's had many a setback, but has always come back improved and saucy. Plus they have a rock and roll museum on the premises. I mean, come ON.

At this point in the year, it seemed that karma or the spirits that be or what have you told me that I needed to slow down or take stock or not be so cocky because they sent an actual flood which smacked us down about five grand. And so the Cotton Candying stood still for several months until...

Children's Fairyland! A fantastical storybook-themed park that holds true to its history. The puppet theatre alone is worth the journey.

Santa Cruz Boardwalk: a haunted mansion with some rocking FX, fried Twinkies and chocolate-covered bacon. These are a few of my favorite things. Oh -- and sea spray.

Silver Dollar City - where you can have a country Christmas with all the trimmings. And succotash. Can't forget the succotash.

Gotta thank God and all my angels and my Mom who sits on my shoulder from time to time for the drive and energy to continue the RoadTrip. And my most heartfelt thanks always goes to my sweetheart, my personal angel and playpal - my husband Ben, without whom none of this would be a reality. None. Not a stitch.

I must also thank all the people who generously contributed to my Kickstarter campaign, to help offset some of the travel expenses for next year's Cotton Candying. You are my spankin' new angels and I gratefully acknowledge you all!

It's been a tough year, especially with the aforementioned flood, but also career-wise (extreme highs and the quietest of lows) and Dad's health, which has made my focus stray a bit to say the least. But looking back and taking stock of my journeys I must say I accomplished all I set out to do, with a few exceptions. And what awaited me in the months after of the flood, when I really had no more funds for RoadTripping? One of my most favorite roles and shows to date: Drowsy in "The Drowsy Chaperone".

So it's Advent. And I'm amassing lists of all I've surveyed, embracing and keeping that which is good, and letting go of what has proven hurtful. Anticipation and wonder and love = good. Fear = bad and hurtful.

I suggest you give it a try, too. And a very blessed Advent season to you.

Sunday on the Blog with Photos! A Heapin' Helpin' of 'Em!

There's something about pokin' through the photos taken last weekend at Silver Dollar City that gets me all itchin' for the Holly-Days! And then I start talkin' like Ellie May Clampett! Which only makes sense since a few episodes of "The Beverly Hillbillies" were filmed right there at Silver Dollar City, yessiree!!

This is what happens...

Take an ordinary, garden-variety potato. Stick it onto a skewer and place the skewer into a special spiral cutting thingy. Deep fry said potato. Then hand potato spiral to anxiously awaiting carb fanboy.

Photo taken just this past weekend at Silver Dollar City.

Potato whirl-a-gig was doused with ketchup and various spices and enjoyed in about one and a half minutes.

Your fearless author tackles the unknown...

It's been one day now, almost the full 24 hours exactly, since my Kickstarter goal was achieved! Those of you who pledged, again, I thank you with the strength of a thousand smiling suns. The funds will be sent to me electronically on the 17th. And then the real fun stuff begins: planning the trips to the remaining fifteen parks. For those who are curious, here's a rough list: there's a park in New Orleans, a gaggle of parks in Southern California, a pride of parks dotting the East Coast. There's one single wan little park in South Dakota, two unique ones in Oregon, and one more park I can actually drive to up in Green Bay, WI. And there you have it.

Now, what we're coming up against, well, not soon but presently, is cold weather. Parks can't operate in cold climates - this past weekend at Silver Dollar City, plenty of signs bore witness to this, with the threat of ride closures if temperatures reached below 40 degrees. So the next parks I visit will be in warmer climes. Probably the Southern Cali parks, and that lone park in the Crescent City, a sturdy little city park, a survivor of Katrina.

I'll definitely keep you posted when the next trip is planned, which will probably happen after the Holidays, more than likely closer to February. Until then, boy oh, do I have some stories and photos to share. Like this relatively embarrassing one posted above (taken in June at Arnold's Park, IA).

Hey, what can I say? I give.

Not sufferin' with the succotash!

But enjoying every plum durn spoonful! Silver Dollar City, a fifty-year-old park just outside Branson, MO, sells copious amounts of the stuff, especially during autumn and into the holidays. And I'm here to tell you that it's worth the trip. But while you're there, you might as well force yourself (yeah, twist that arm) and have an apple dumpling, maybe a fresh gingerbread cookie, some wassail -- and you'll be sure to roll down Hill St. (the main shopping hub of the park) like Violet Beauregard on the way to the De-Juicing Machine. That's how plump you'll be -- but not blue. Just happy.

Photos to follow of the amazing lightshow SDC puts on for the Holidays, ranked among THE top Christmas celebrations in the country.

Mercy! It's been a while, hasn't it?

Well, I usually pull away from the world in the days leading up to Halloween, watching way too many classic horror films and eating way too many M&M's. This year was no different, but I'll add to those diversions a complete clean sweep of my office and the planning for my girls only gypsy party.

But in the meanwhile, I also secured my visit to my next park on the Road Trip! Join me in the excitement of my impending visit to Silver Dollar City down in Branson, MO!! It'll be a looooong car ride (which means lots of car games, lots of obscure old-time radio listening, and lots of wacky convos with my hubby) which will take one whole day. The park visit is planned for Saturday and what's really exciting is that it's the first day of their Holiday spectacular, so I'm gearing up for lots of hot apple cider, comfort foods (including their succotash which I hear is a "must-try") and taking in the Christmassy feel of the surroundings. The only park I've ever attended in the past that decked its halls would be a Disney park, so I can't wait to see what the gentle Branson folk cook up.

Contemplating the next park...or getting all loony on ya and making that "parks".

It's been almost two months since my last park visit. Since then, a lot of stuff got in the way, some good, some gnarly. But now, while a desert's worth of dust settles, it's time to contemplate and plan for future visits.

At the end of this month, I'll either be planning a trip up north to the Green Bay area and Bay Beach Park, along with a dear friend -- it was her childhood park. It's truly a magical thing to attend a park with someone whose childhood memories come into play. Or, depending upon monies and timing and such, the end of the month may hold in store a trip to the East Coast. Or the Northwest. It's rather up in the air at this juncture.

After I'm done with my play, "The Drowsy Chaperone", Ben and I will be traipsing out to the San Fran area and the plan is to tackle the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and take in their refurbished dark ride.

And then, closer to the holidays, we'll take a long weekend's trip to Silver Dollar City. Can I have a "Yee" and a "Haw"?

I'll let you know more when I know more...

Gotta go to SIlver Dollar City!

Branson, MO isn't exactly located near any other vintage amusement parks, so visiting it will be one of those chief destination, single park journeys, but after watching last night's "Undercover Boss" on CBS, just try to keep me from visiting it for my Roadtrip!

In the episode, CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment Joel Manby went in cognito and got to see first hand the dedication and hard work his employees put into their daily tasks. One of the properties visited was Silver Dollar City, opened over 50 years ago and still running strong. And it's clear to see why: the staff is so friendly and committed to their jobs to give each and every park-goer a fantastic, fun-filled day.

The folks depicted in the show are the exact types of people I encounter when I visit vintage parks: the gate greeter who makes sure those entering receive a personal, friendly welcome to start their day off right, the captain of a touring boat who makes every single person's experience a delightful story to tell when they get home.

Truly, they personify the "balloon man soul". And I run into them time and time again.