Cotton candy, grape drink, hot asphalt, rubber duckies, and animal poo...
This is what I break my silence for.
We were discussing last night that we're stuck in a rut. We get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner in front of the TV, maybe play a video game or two, honeyfuggle the kitty, and go to bed. Wash, rinse, repeat, with an occasional day trip to the zoo or zomething.
Do you remember when the summer was not the same old routine as the rest of the year? I do, and it irks me to no end that I have so much trouble trying to recapture that spark of excitement. So when Chris sent me a link to this album of Kings Dominion photos and graphics, I was in nostalgic heaven for hours. Growing up not 15 minutes away from the park understandably made going to KD a typical summer experience from the time the park opened in 1975. For me, there are stories wrapped around each picture. I used my right elbow to brake on the Magic Carpets when I was five. I still have a very faint scar. My sister was pecked by an ostrich in the drive around safari park in 1978. I watched bats circling the lights on the Eiffel Tower for hours. I whacked my nose on the safety bar of the Scooby-Doo rollercoaster when I was 7, and now I snore like a demon. Like most kids in the area, after a childhood full of summer passes (my first photo ID!) I put in my time at a job in the park. It didn't last long. I wanted to work with the animals, but underage wage slaves were always needed elsewhere.
After working there and experiencing the joys of customer service, going to the park lost its sparkle. The park was eventually sold to Paramount and many nostalgic rides and shows were replaced with branded experiences that may have been less kitschy, but they seemed dated as soon as they went up (Wayne's World. The Italian Job. Really?). Trashy is as trashy does and it seemed like park admission kept going up as the overall experience went down.
The park has been sold again to Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and it looks like they're trying to bring more of a balance back to the park by lowering prices and bringing back fan favorites. Maybe I'll go again one day.
In the meantime, after you've taken a look at the album, check out these pics from the Virginia Film Office. Unfortunately they don't have the pictures of the abandoned railroad ride in the woods anymore. I found those doing a special libraries project on the Office a couple of years ago.
Did you know the 1978 movie Rollercoaster was partly filmed at King's Dominion and in Richmond?
And last but not least, here's some inspiration for an amusement park road trip, Rick Sebak's documentary, Great Old Amusement Parks.
We were discussing last night that we're stuck in a rut. We get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner in front of the TV, maybe play a video game or two, honeyfuggle the kitty, and go to bed. Wash, rinse, repeat, with an occasional day trip to the zoo or zomething.
Do you remember when the summer was not the same old routine as the rest of the year? I do, and it irks me to no end that I have so much trouble trying to recapture that spark of excitement. So when Chris sent me a link to this album of Kings Dominion photos and graphics, I was in nostalgic heaven for hours. Growing up not 15 minutes away from the park understandably made going to KD a typical summer experience from the time the park opened in 1975. For me, there are stories wrapped around each picture. I used my right elbow to brake on the Magic Carpets when I was five. I still have a very faint scar. My sister was pecked by an ostrich in the drive around safari park in 1978. I watched bats circling the lights on the Eiffel Tower for hours. I whacked my nose on the safety bar of the Scooby-Doo rollercoaster when I was 7, and now I snore like a demon. Like most kids in the area, after a childhood full of summer passes (my first photo ID!) I put in my time at a job in the park. It didn't last long. I wanted to work with the animals, but underage wage slaves were always needed elsewhere.
After working there and experiencing the joys of customer service, going to the park lost its sparkle. The park was eventually sold to Paramount and many nostalgic rides and shows were replaced with branded experiences that may have been less kitschy, but they seemed dated as soon as they went up (Wayne's World. The Italian Job. Really?). Trashy is as trashy does and it seemed like park admission kept going up as the overall experience went down.
The park has been sold again to Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and it looks like they're trying to bring more of a balance back to the park by lowering prices and bringing back fan favorites. Maybe I'll go again one day.
In the meantime, after you've taken a look at the album, check out these pics from the Virginia Film Office. Unfortunately they don't have the pictures of the abandoned railroad ride in the woods anymore. I found those doing a special libraries project on the Office a couple of years ago.
Did you know the 1978 movie Rollercoaster was partly filmed at King's Dominion and in Richmond?
And last but not least, here's some inspiration for an amusement park road trip, Rick Sebak's documentary, Great Old Amusement Parks.