When I was growing up, my grandfather always loved visiting Knott's Berry Farm. His favorite part was Ghost Town. It's fun to tour Ghost Town now, and watch its costumed citizens demonstrate how they make cloth on looms or arrest criminals. There are so many displays, and examples of history, that you could spend the entire day there, soaking up the history of the Old West.
Or you could pet the horses that pull the stage coaches around the park, and tell them how pretty they are.
Whenever I mention Knott's Berry Farm, people invariably ask "What's your favorite ride?" While I'm not sure if I have one, I can say that these guys are my favorite attraction. Their name is Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies, and they can play practically any song with a little humor, and in a Country style. They've played together for decades, and hail from the wild hills of Santa Monica. You can listen to their songs, and watch their shows, by liking them on Facebook. But there's nothing like seeing them live in the Birdcage Theater.
As you get older, some loves you keep, and others lose their savor. When I was a kid, I loved Peanuts and Charlie Brown. But my interest in the comics, and the animated TV shows, faded as I grew older. Still, it's nice to see the ice skating show, Boardwalk Beagle, and remember that love of my youth. I think I still have one of my old Peanuts books somewhere. Maybe I should hunt it down and read it.
Dragon Dave
It's kind of strange how some rides affect you adversely, and others don't. Two of the rides, which set you spinning, bother my head, and really make me feel sick. But others, such as these spinning sombreros, I'm totally fine with. Strange, huh?
I'm not normally keen on getting wet, as I'll have to walk around wet until I dry off. So I've taken to wearing a windbreaker when I go on Bigfoot Rapids. That shields my shirt from a lot of the splashing. Plus, in the summer, you dry off pretty quickly.
I like the Supreme Scream. They belt you in tightly and motor you to the top of the tower. I suspect most people are scared by the drop. For me, the most frightening part is going up. As it takes a long time to get to the top, you're constantly aware how high you are, and the restraints don't feel like they are nearly enough. But then you drop, and you're having fun again.
One ride that has only an up side for me is the sky cabin. It glides up and down on its central pillar, and slowly revolves to give you a 360 degree view of the park. It doesn't bother my head, and I always feel safe. So that one's definitely a keeper.
Dragon Dave
Knott's Berry Farm can be a noisy place, especially on the weekends. But even with its modern, industrial feel, there are little gardens and flower beds located all over the place, along with water fountains. This helps you feel like you are really in a park.
People aren't the only ones who notice these little touches.
There's truly something for everyone at Knott's Berry Farm.
Dragon Dave
My wife and I have been having a lot of fun this year, thanks to our annual pass to Knott's Berry Farm. As it had been fifteen years or more since we last visited, the park took a little getting used to. But Knott's Berry Farm was always changing, even when I was a little child. Occasionally, I'll meet up with an employee or docent who knows the Park's history even better than I, and it's fun to share memories about donkey rides, the Gypsy Camp, the Roaring Twenties, and all the other attractions that have passed along the way. I do miss the light shows, and the fireworks, that they used to set off at night on the lake behind me. With an old church rising up along one shore, the lake had a very pastoral feeling. Now it's all industrial and noisy, with metal and steel rising above the lake, and riders screaming as the Steel Bullet and Jaguar shoot along the tracks. Still, I've come to love those rides, and accept that you can't have something new, without getting rid of something old.
Plus, the old church is located across the street. If I'm in town on a Sunday, supposedly it's even open for a service. In my memory, the church was always closed, only opened up when people hired it for weddings. So not everything old is lost amid the new.
Dragon Dave
