Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Brief History of Lakeside Amusement Park

The only history of Lakeside Amusement Park that I could find on the web was on Wikipedia. So I thought I would share the info here for those who've expressed an interest.


Lakeside Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado near Denver. Originally named White City, it was opened in 1908 as a popular amusement resort adjacent to Lake Rhoda spearheaded by prominent Denver brewer Adolph Zang. Eventually the name was changed to Lakeside Amusement Park, but the local populace kept referring to it by its original name for its glittering original display of over 100,000 lights. Today it is one of the oldest amusement parks in the United States, and the oldest in Colorado in its original location. The park, comprising nearly half of the Town of Lakeside that it was responsible for creating in 1907, features the landmark Tower of Jewels.
The lone remaining American amusement park to have had the name White City, the park was originally built in the Exposition and White City architectural styles. Following its acquisition by Ben Krasner in the 1930s, Lakeside underwent a period of major renovations and incorporated many new features in the Art Deco style. Architect Richard L. Crowther designed much of Lakeside's Deco and Modern features and included a great deal of neon lighting in his work.
There are many examples of architectural salvage to be found throughout the park. Inside the main restaurant is a marble and mirror backbar which was saved from the Denver Union Station, one of the picnic pavilions is created from a retired center column of a ride, and the pool for the current Skoota Boats ride is an adaptive reuse of the original Shoot-the-Chutes ride.
The main office features a functioning manual telephone switchboard that is still in use.
A nominal admission fee is charged for each person, over the age of two, entering the park. A coupon is issued to each person paying admission that can be redeemed for a ride coupon or be used towards the purchase of an unlimited ride pass. 
At one time, each ride was priced individually and had its own separate ticket booth. Most of these booths were of the standalone type. One notable exception was the Cyclone coaster, which had a built-in ticket booth between the entrance and exit ramps. Eventually, ride coupons were implemented with a fixed amount for each coupon, and each ride required from one to five coupons. Many of the original ticket booths are still in place and are used for storage.
The Cyclone is by far the most popular ride at the park. Built in 1940, it is an ACE Coaster Classic and Coaster Landmark.
Original rides in the park which are no longer around include the Shoot-The-Chutes (a splash-down water ramp ride) at the park's south center, the Scenic Railway at its southern end (an elevated track over a mile long), the lofty Velvet Coaster, the StarShip 2000, Flight to Mars, a Coney Island Tickler, the Double-Whirl, a Ferris wheel and the Circle Wave. W.H. Labb of Indianapolis designed the Shoot-The-Chutes and Velvet Coaster, the latter he intended to be a combination of the Foster coaster at Chicago's White City and a type of figure-8, with framework 1,200 feet long and with dips and turns a total 3,600 lineal feet. The Scenic Railway, the Glide and other attractions were destroyed by a fire on November 15, 1911. The skeletal remains of the Staride, a former Ferris wheel-type ride on the north side of the park, still stand. The sign for the old Speed Boats attraction, plus the pier for boarding, also stands vacant with a rope to keep trespassers away.
From the late 1930s through 1988, Lakeside Amusement Park operated Lakeside Speedway on the park grounds. The auto racetrack was a 1/5 mile oval and featured races of three car classes sponsored by CARC: stock, limited modified and fully modified. The race track was built on the site of the park's original baseball diamond and incorporated the original stands into the new use. The degrading track remains today.
Through 1985, there was a Funhouse located on the site now occupied by the Dragon. The Funhouse featured an animated Fat Lady mannequin (Laffing Sal, also known as Laughing Sal) that signaled the opening of the Funhouse and the main park in the evening by loud laughter. Inside, there were slides, moving floors, spinning discs, rolling barrels, and catwalks.

While not considered a ride per se, there was a Casino Theater just south of the Tower of Jewels. Concerts, plays and dance marathons were held there while it was in operation. The building is still in place and is used for storage. Also still in place is the old Riviera ballroom.
Lakeside Amusement Park is a setting included in the video games Silent Hill & Silent Hill 3 by Konami.


Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The (almost) Bride and Groom

I've written about the soon to be Bride and Groom before ~ check out these links  Click here!  Click Here! 
But here is a recent picture of the two of them. It was taken not too long before the Holidays. The happy couple was on their way to a WWII style Ball.


Monday, February 27, 2012

Cat Tales ~ Oh NO!!!!


Mommy's growing GRASS!!!!


Me won't tell no one if you won't!



Purz and Catnip Dreams ....... Gomez

Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Art of Steuart Bremner


The Art of Steuart Bremner









Friday, February 24, 2012

Thursday, February 23, 2012

A Carnival Wedding

My youngest son and his fiance are getting married in July. They're not planning a huge, ornate affair. In fact, their wedding is going to be quite unique. They are planning on getting married in an amusement park. But not one of those ritzy-glitzy new amusement parks. This one has been around since 1908. In fact they still have a wooden roller coaster that has operated for at least 50+ years. 


Recently, on a cold, snowy February day, the happy couple and Hubby and I visited the Park. Lots of photos were taken and the Bride and Groom pondered all the arrangements - where to have the ceremony, where to have the supper afterwards (the Reception will be at another venue...but more on that later), and to maybe work out a few other small details.


I have never been to Lakeside Amusement Park. Amusement Parks are not really my "cup o' tea". Suffering from motion sickness my whole life, I really haven't made it a practice to venture on too many thrill rides. But walking through the gates of this Park was like stepping back in time! What a thrill it was! A person can just feel the history, the memories! I look forward to going back. Not to attempt to ride anything but just to feel the experiences which have been shared by so many in this very unique location.

If you would like to follow along on this fun adventure, here is a link to my daughter-in-law Tracy's blog. Click here!


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Appreciations

I would like to say Thank You to each and every one of you wonderful people out there in Blogland for leaving me so many wonderful and lovely comments on my recent post The End is Nigh... They touched my heart and soul immensely. This truly is a wonderful and supportive group of Bloggy Friends! And I appreciate each and every one of you for hanging in there with me through all the ups and downs of the past few months!


And Life has definitely been full of its ups and downs. Hubby seeking and finally finding a job; searching for and finding a place to live; moving half way across the country (and we're only half way done! a lot of shop equipment is still in Arkansas); (still) waiting for the house in Arkansas to sell so that we might actually get ahead for a change. 

And then there's the family matters - my son-in-law being arrested last Spring on extremely serious charges and still sitting in jail awaiting trial. This was devastating not only for my daughter but the children as well. And the actions of not only my side of the family but my SIL's have both surprised and disappointed me. The family members who are devout Church goers and who proclaim to be most charitable and giving, have been the worst. They turned their backs on my daughter - as if she and the children are pariahs of society.  

And then The Rift in my immediate family occurred during The Holidays. This Rift resulted in my daughter, her four children, and Jane (their Kitty which Gomez wrote about on Monday) moving in with me and Hubby. But as Wendy, a dear Bloggy friend, once posted - All Great Changes are Preceded by Chaos. In a very short amount of time I have learned to live with two children who have ADHD (one of which is a 2 yr old!), I have begun to heal the hole which was ripped through me when my daughter was forced to move out of her brother's house, and I have learned to appreciate the weekends as that is the only time I get to see my Bestest and Dearest Friend - My Hubby!

But Life is progressing along. Daughter now has a part-time job which we hope will turn into something full time. Granddaughter Bri is attending preschool at a fantastic Arts-Integration School only a few blocks from the house (click here to learn more about the school) and has begun to really blossom (she was struggling with her language skills). Granddaughter T'beth will be attending the same school next year. My Creative yearnings are slowly returning and I am exploring the possibility of having a booth at some upcoming Art Festivals. My Mojo, My Magick, My Witchyness - something which has been playing hide-n-seek with me for quite some time - has finally begun to return.  

And then there is the upcoming Wedding which is rapidly filling my time. My future Daughter-in-Law compared my organizational skills to the legendary Martha. Hhhhhmmmm..... not really sure I'm that good. But having a tendency towards OCD is a plus! 

So, I shall keep you posted on my adventures in helping with a most unique style wedding and will share with you some of the creatures (as they take shape) that have been filling my brain lately. 
So until next time ... Happy Haunting!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Cat Tales ~ New Roomie

Last year Me wrote about Mes Cousin Jane who had just gotten one of those fancy satellite dishes. (Click here to read Mes post!) 
Well, now Mes Cousin Jane is living with Us. She and Her 'Peoples' moved in several weeks ago. 


We refer to her as "The Old Lady that lives at the end of the hall".
Sadly Jane didn't pack her satellite dish - Me will still have to use Mommy's  'puter to watch videos from Catland.....


Purz and Catnip Dreams ....... Gomez

Sunday, February 19, 2012

A Miniature World

The Miniature World of Michael Paul Smith








Friday, February 17, 2012