Showing posts with label Orange County. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orange County. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Mission de San Juan Capistrano
I've been to The Mission in San Juan Capistrano plenty of times. It's the only mission I've really ever visited. But my hope is that my family will someday take a road trip and see all the missions in California, maybe when my oldest needs to go to one for a school project, we're kind of an all-or-nothing family. But that will be another story for another time.
Last March we went to the Return of the Swallows Celebration that happens every year. Since my childhood I've heard a mixture of the legends that surround the story of the swallows, so this was the year I finally decided to partake in the festivies.
It was a gorgeous day at the mission with blue skies and fluffy white clouds overhead. Part of the celebration (alright the entire day) was a celebration of Italian heritiage. The aroma of delightful food filled the courtyard, vendors selling all manners of italian product, and an Italian group singing bad renditions of "that's Amore" is what you will encounter if you arrive on Italian Day. A word to the wise though, when you go, for almost any event, you should probably take some cash with you. I forgot and had to skate by on the the couple dollars I had.
Oh yeah, and another word to the wise.... There are no swallows flying around at the return of the swallows celebration!
But even if swallows are scarce, it was still a beautiful day to go, as evidenced in our photos. And the mission is beautiful, a true American ruin. If you haven't seen it, make plans, between the beautiful mission and the quaint little town of San Juan Capistrano, you wont be disappointed.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
America's First Theme Park Without A Theme
Two days after we hit the real Knott’s theme park we ventured out to the mutated mega-ride farm and then we went again the next week for Faith’s Birthday. I know there seems to be some confusion; why would I continue to go if I have such disdain for the place (as written from my trip in 2006 and Calico)? Well, first and foremost because it’s free…almost. For a month out of the year I can take myself and another person for free and then up to 5 more people for $12. That’s a hard deal to pass up even with my lofty principals.
Also, maybe it’s being a year out from having Disneyland Passes that I no longer need to juxtapose the two parks. On the other hand, maybe it was just cleaner this time around. Things certainly didn’t seem as dreary and decrepit as they did when we went in 2006. Of course, that’s not to say that it was on par with the upkeep of Disneyland but then again should I expect them to be able to keep up with that behemoth monster of a kiddy company?
Besides, it being cheap to go and that the place seemed a little tidier, the main reason for our not just going once but twice…Faith. My daughter loved it! She loved the log ride, talked about how scared she was to go down the drop, but wanted to go again. She loved going through the Calico mines, riding the stagecoach, holding and kissing toads, riding the Mexican teacups, the racecars, the snoopy bus, and tugboat. A week has passed and she still talks about what rides she rode while there. Seeing her so giddy with excitement makes the whole trip worth the effort. Her exhilaration reminds me of being young and how much I loved my parents taking me when I was her age.
This however, does not mean that I am an avid fan of the Cedar Rapids Co.. There is still much to be discourage about in this theme park and to be honest if I paid $40 a person to get in I would probably be a down right, stark-raving, lunatic.
First lets begin with what my title suggest, that this once was America’s first theme park is no longer a theme park. Despite the fact that Grand Rapid’s still touts this as their slogan! The truth is there is no theme to this park. Everything is mish-mashed together making it an eye sore.
While taking in the gun fighting show (which was actually pretty entertaining despite a couple innuendos) every 10-20 seconds a coaster whizzed by our heads making a loud raucous all the while little teeny poppers were screaming at the top of there lungs. Thus ruining the whole effect of being sucked into the old Wild West.
We took a real steam train around a little loop. It could have been cool for the little youngsters but all there was to see were weeds and great towering pylons. While on the stage coach we could see behind the buildings into the trash littered break spots and scary Halloween haunt mazes.
I could go on and on with how the themes are ruined by there colossal coasters, but you get the point. It’s not that I’m against the massive rides, in fact I like going on them myself. It’s more the principal. It just seems like if that’s what this company wants to be known for then invest in and make a commitment to delivering Southern California with the best rides around. Out do Six Flags. Get rid of the theme park altogether and simply be an amusement park or a Coaster park. But stop already with selling us on the idea that this is still Knott’s in something rather than in name only.
Though the Theme Park that is not a Theme Park annoys me to no extent that is not what would drive me insane if I had to pay the outrageous prices. It’s that after you pay to get into the park, they want you to continue to pay to ride some of the coasters. Why should I have to pay more money to go on a rock climbing wall or to be bungeed through the air? You have already taken a big chunk of my money to get into the park presumably to ride the rides. So why do you add these attractions that end up costing more?
Beyond that, what is the deal with the wasted space of Ghost Town. Why do I want to pay ridiculous prices to shop for knick-knacks? The place is lined with little craft spots, vendor upon vendor piled on top of one another trying to get a small piece of my cash. If you don’t have enough imagination to actually do something with the wasted space then just tear it down and do what your good at, put up another monster roller coaster!
Lastly, all add that there is a possibility that I am just venting and angry because I am still bitter that they took out the Soap Box Racers!
Also, maybe it’s being a year out from having Disneyland Passes that I no longer need to juxtapose the two parks. On the other hand, maybe it was just cleaner this time around. Things certainly didn’t seem as dreary and decrepit as they did when we went in 2006. Of course, that’s not to say that it was on par with the upkeep of Disneyland but then again should I expect them to be able to keep up with that behemoth monster of a kiddy company?
Besides, it being cheap to go and that the place seemed a little tidier, the main reason for our not just going once but twice…Faith. My daughter loved it! She loved the log ride, talked about how scared she was to go down the drop, but wanted to go again. She loved going through the Calico mines, riding the stagecoach, holding and kissing toads, riding the Mexican teacups, the racecars, the snoopy bus, and tugboat. A week has passed and she still talks about what rides she rode while there. Seeing her so giddy with excitement makes the whole trip worth the effort. Her exhilaration reminds me of being young and how much I loved my parents taking me when I was her age.
This however, does not mean that I am an avid fan of the Cedar Rapids Co.. There is still much to be discourage about in this theme park and to be honest if I paid $40 a person to get in I would probably be a down right, stark-raving, lunatic.
First lets begin with what my title suggest, that this once was America’s first theme park is no longer a theme park. Despite the fact that Grand Rapid’s still touts this as their slogan! The truth is there is no theme to this park. Everything is mish-mashed together making it an eye sore.
While taking in the gun fighting show (which was actually pretty entertaining despite a couple innuendos) every 10-20 seconds a coaster whizzed by our heads making a loud raucous all the while little teeny poppers were screaming at the top of there lungs. Thus ruining the whole effect of being sucked into the old Wild West.
We took a real steam train around a little loop. It could have been cool for the little youngsters but all there was to see were weeds and great towering pylons. While on the stage coach we could see behind the buildings into the trash littered break spots and scary Halloween haunt mazes.
I could go on and on with how the themes are ruined by there colossal coasters, but you get the point. It’s not that I’m against the massive rides, in fact I like going on them myself. It’s more the principal. It just seems like if that’s what this company wants to be known for then invest in and make a commitment to delivering Southern California with the best rides around. Out do Six Flags. Get rid of the theme park altogether and simply be an amusement park or a Coaster park. But stop already with selling us on the idea that this is still Knott’s in something rather than in name only.
Though the Theme Park that is not a Theme Park annoys me to no extent that is not what would drive me insane if I had to pay the outrageous prices. It’s that after you pay to get into the park, they want you to continue to pay to ride some of the coasters. Why should I have to pay more money to go on a rock climbing wall or to be bungeed through the air? You have already taken a big chunk of my money to get into the park presumably to ride the rides. So why do you add these attractions that end up costing more?
Beyond that, what is the deal with the wasted space of Ghost Town. Why do I want to pay ridiculous prices to shop for knick-knacks? The place is lined with little craft spots, vendor upon vendor piled on top of one another trying to get a small piece of my cash. If you don’t have enough imagination to actually do something with the wasted space then just tear it down and do what your good at, put up another monster roller coaster!
Lastly, all add that there is a possibility that I am just venting and angry because I am still bitter that they took out the Soap Box Racers!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
California's New Ghost Town (December 2006)
Knott's Berry Farm was always a treat when I was a kid. My parents took my sister and me yearly at one point in my adolescent life. I always looked forward to The Log Ride, Calico Mine Train Ride, watching the gun battles, and going on rides like soapbox racer or the Parachutes.
It certainly wasn't Disneyland; it didn't have the billions to compete. However, the Knott's family was always innovative and made magic out of the ordinary. They used the little resources they had and provided a wonderful place for families to get away and really allow you to make believe that they were in an old western setting. It was truly the first California Adventure!
I haven't been to KBF in three years (I got into a wreck that evening, interestingly it was the night before my daughter was born). I remember thinking then that besides some of the new roller coasters; it was not as fun as I use to believe.
However, I took my family this week; mainly because it was free for all of us, but I also wanted my daughter to experience the feeling that I once had about the place. For the most part she did. Faith loved the trains, log ride, and camp snoopy; maybe even more than she likes Disneyland. She wanted to go on the log ride over and over again, I suppose because the drop at the end is like nothing she has been on before. I probably would have stayed and let her ride all day if it wouldn't have been so cold, and I kept getting wet.
From an adult perspective though, KBF has become a rundown upscale Fair; a shell of its former self. Camp Snoopy looked like rides that you would find at the annual Catholic Carnival. They were dilapidated and desperately in need of paint and some repairs. We went to the Peanuts Playhouse and were astounded by how dirty and shabby looking it was inside. The carpet looked as if it had not been cleaned for about two weeks! The other rides like the log ride and the Calico Mine train now showed their age. You could barely hear the sound system and the animatronics or mannequins looked like they have not been updated, maintained, or restored since they were originally placed some 30 years ago.
Moreover, when I think of Knott's I don't generally associate it with thrill ride roller coasters, waterslides, or even Camp snoopy. I generally think of The Old West. It's not that those other things are not part or prominent features of the park, but those attractions are/or were not the main focus. The Calico ghost town was the heart and character of Knott's. Yet, this is no longer true. The town is now filled with arts and crafts tables, and there are roller coaster tracks looming overhead that look like the tentacles of a horrible monster that is about to devour the old Ghost Town replica.
Behind some of the vendor's tables, far out of sight was the replica of the old jail. I use to love going over there and pretending like I was talking to this vagrant of the old west. Now though, there is gum all over the mannequins face and you could hardly make out what he was trying to say.
I suppose I was saddened by all of this because I couldn't get lost. When Knott's and family started they created something special and wanted to bring you into this world that they had created and toiled over. Old trains, stagecoaches, gunfights, statues of parlor girls sitting on the bench, blacksmiths, and Indian burial grounds allowed you to experience the west for yourself.
Walter Knotts was an innovator. Maybe he didn't have the funds of his local rival or the imagineering that would dream up delightful cartoon characters; nevertheless he was able to bring you into his own magical California.
Sadly, what the Knott's family created has been made into an amusement park Frankenstein by the Ohio based company that bought Knott's in the early 1990s. There is no flow or continuity to this park. Think of Disneyland. All the lands there are separate; tomorrow land is not mixed with New Orleans Square. Think of the oddity that would bring and how you could not allow yourself to get "lost" in the experience that was imagined by its creators. Picture The rocket ride on tom Sawyers Island, wouldn't that seem out of place! Well picture that and you now have what Knott's Berry Farm has become. Swinging chairs over what use to be Indian Burial grounds, and carnival games in western towns, water slides on the 50's boardwalk, are only a couple of examples that I can give to this attest to this strange design scheme.
I suppose I am not the only one that feels this way, since the place was empty. Keep in mind that this was a nice day and it was Law Enforcement Appreciation week, so it was free for them to come along with family. One would think that this place would be hoping! This was not the case KBF was a ghost town like the one it use to try and replicate.
Some pics of our day:
Log Ride
It certainly wasn't Disneyland; it didn't have the billions to compete. However, the Knott's family was always innovative and made magic out of the ordinary. They used the little resources they had and provided a wonderful place for families to get away and really allow you to make believe that they were in an old western setting. It was truly the first California Adventure!
I haven't been to KBF in three years (I got into a wreck that evening, interestingly it was the night before my daughter was born). I remember thinking then that besides some of the new roller coasters; it was not as fun as I use to believe.
However, I took my family this week; mainly because it was free for all of us, but I also wanted my daughter to experience the feeling that I once had about the place. For the most part she did. Faith loved the trains, log ride, and camp snoopy; maybe even more than she likes Disneyland. She wanted to go on the log ride over and over again, I suppose because the drop at the end is like nothing she has been on before. I probably would have stayed and let her ride all day if it wouldn't have been so cold, and I kept getting wet.
From an adult perspective though, KBF has become a rundown upscale Fair; a shell of its former self. Camp Snoopy looked like rides that you would find at the annual Catholic Carnival. They were dilapidated and desperately in need of paint and some repairs. We went to the Peanuts Playhouse and were astounded by how dirty and shabby looking it was inside. The carpet looked as if it had not been cleaned for about two weeks! The other rides like the log ride and the Calico Mine train now showed their age. You could barely hear the sound system and the animatronics or mannequins looked like they have not been updated, maintained, or restored since they were originally placed some 30 years ago.
Moreover, when I think of Knott's I don't generally associate it with thrill ride roller coasters, waterslides, or even Camp snoopy. I generally think of The Old West. It's not that those other things are not part or prominent features of the park, but those attractions are/or were not the main focus. The Calico ghost town was the heart and character of Knott's. Yet, this is no longer true. The town is now filled with arts and crafts tables, and there are roller coaster tracks looming overhead that look like the tentacles of a horrible monster that is about to devour the old Ghost Town replica.
Behind some of the vendor's tables, far out of sight was the replica of the old jail. I use to love going over there and pretending like I was talking to this vagrant of the old west. Now though, there is gum all over the mannequins face and you could hardly make out what he was trying to say.
I suppose I was saddened by all of this because I couldn't get lost. When Knott's and family started they created something special and wanted to bring you into this world that they had created and toiled over. Old trains, stagecoaches, gunfights, statues of parlor girls sitting on the bench, blacksmiths, and Indian burial grounds allowed you to experience the west for yourself.
Walter Knotts was an innovator. Maybe he didn't have the funds of his local rival or the imagineering that would dream up delightful cartoon characters; nevertheless he was able to bring you into his own magical California.
Sadly, what the Knott's family created has been made into an amusement park Frankenstein by the Ohio based company that bought Knott's in the early 1990s. There is no flow or continuity to this park. Think of Disneyland. All the lands there are separate; tomorrow land is not mixed with New Orleans Square. Think of the oddity that would bring and how you could not allow yourself to get "lost" in the experience that was imagined by its creators. Picture The rocket ride on tom Sawyers Island, wouldn't that seem out of place! Well picture that and you now have what Knott's Berry Farm has become. Swinging chairs over what use to be Indian Burial grounds, and carnival games in western towns, water slides on the 50's boardwalk, are only a couple of examples that I can give to this attest to this strange design scheme.
I suppose I am not the only one that feels this way, since the place was empty. Keep in mind that this was a nice day and it was Law Enforcement Appreciation week, so it was free for them to come along with family. One would think that this place would be hoping! This was not the case KBF was a ghost town like the one it use to try and replicate.
Some pics of our day:
Log Ride
Calico Mines
Calico Mines
The Red Baron
The Board Walk
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