Joyland Memories by Carnut

Heh, heh, I essentially grew up at Joyland.

From the age of 8 to 18 I lived just blocks away from Joyland,
first in Plainview and at age of 10 moved east just across hillside till I
turned 18 and left home.

I can remember spending most every summer day at the Joyland swimming pool,

actually against the rules mom using the pool as a babysitter for both me and my brother.

Mom worked at Boeing A/C and enjoyed 'Free Rides Days' at Joyland when
the Boeing Employees Club would rent the entire park for a day each summer.
I can so remember the 'Box Lunch' that was always provided out in the pavilion
area which consisted of a Buttered Bread Sandwich and a cupcake.

I also got to enjoy the End Of School party day at Joyland when kids were
given numbers of tickets based on grades on report cards. One of the few
reasons I actually tried to get good grades.

I went to gradeschool at the 'helicopter' school of Sowers Elementary which was physically
across the street from Joyland. Manys the time I was distracted walking back to school
after lunch and was detoured thru Joyland and a few times actually ditching school to
play pinball in the penny arcade whenever I managed to find a machine that had some free
games left on it.

I never actually took a date to Joyland, I just lived at Joyland.
I did use Joylands train bridge as a shortcut to see a girlfriend who lived
across the crick that ran thru the park and occasionally was chased by guards
when returning home late at night.

On slow days I remember looking under some of the more ambitious rides like
Whiz Bang and Tilt O Whirl for loose change or tickets that got dropped on
the ground under the platforms.

Oh and the 99cent days when admission was 99 cents and free rides on most of the
rides. I seem to remember spending most all my time riding and standing in line
to ride the Roller Coaster. Seems girls would find me at the park and just want
to ride the Coaster with me. I would actually get tired of riding the coaster but
the girls just kept getting me back in line. Never did understand what the
the attraction was, but I kept on obligeing them, bet they musta thought I was
as dumb as a bag of hammers. Kinda like all the ladies lining up to dance with me
later in life at the country dance clubs.

Also remember some girls coaxing me onto the ferris wheel, which really did scare me.
Never did like the ferris wheel, then on occasion a double ferris wheel would come
to the park for awhile and as usual I had to ride it when some gal asked. It did
give a good view of the surrounding area, but other than that I saw no use for
riding it. Again dumb as a bag of hammers.

I have so many more memories, just to numerous to list, it would almost be
an autobiography.

Today I can actually see Joylands Roller Coaster and Ferris Wheel from the top of my house.

I also remember 'Kiddieland' over by the Twin Drivein Theater.