I remember going to Knott's Berry Farm for the my first time in the late 60's. The I don't remember the exact year, but I do remember seeing John Wayne dedicate the Log flume ride. He stood up at the top of the big drop for the dedication. Obviously, he sat down when he went down the drop. What I remember most was my Mom constantly saying, "Now pay attention to the man up there. That's John Wayne. You're going to want to remember this." And she was right.


What your favorite memories of Knott's?

Wow, I don't know if I could narrow one out. My most special memory though was a full day spent in March of 1992. My Grandpa used to take my brother and I to Knott's and Disneyland several times a year. The last trip we made together was on that trip. He died in March of 1993. I still can't go to either park without thinking of him and crying.

Originally posted by Largent81
Wow, I don't know if I could narrow one out. My most special memory though was a full day spent in March of 1992. My Grandpa used to take my brother and I to Knott's and Disneyland several times a year. The last trip we made together was on that trip. He died in March of 1993. I still can't go to either park without thinking of him and crying.

Wow! That's powerful. I guess the good news is that your last trip with your Grandpa was a fun one. I'm sure that's what he would want you to remember.

Thank you HTH. I think he knew he was really sick and that's why he made it such a great day. Thanks for making me remember that day. I'm going to get the pictures out of storage tomorrow.

:crying: (<~~Not sad tears, memory tears)

My favorite thing at Knott's was Knott's Beary Tales. I went on the Dino ride once after they replaced it and vowed never to go on it again.

I think me and Mister Happy Face shared this one at my birthday, but one of my favorite memories of Knott’s is when I was thrown out of the Park.

They used to have an Autopia-like ride called, I think, the Antique Auto Race. The cars were miniature Model T like roadsters. They were very cool, they seemed more maneuverable than Autopia cars, and best of all they had a much higher center of gravity.

We were in High School at the time, and having a grand time at Knott’s, complete with silly hats. After riding the Antique Auto Race a few times, careening about the curves, banging the guide rail, the evil scientist/engineer was awakened in me. “You know, “ I mussed with my friends, “if you turn the car into a curve, you just might hit the guide rail at direct enough angle to derail the car.” Thus we were all seized with a desire to put the scientific method to test to see if this really could be done.

I think we road the course one more time identifying the sharpest curve with the narrowest guide rail, and then set to work. Of the three of us, I was the one who managed to derail the car. I got an instant rush from seeing my hypothesis proved. But then there was this bridge.

Unfortunately while the guide rail was narrow at parts, giving you lots of room to play, it also widened at parts to take you safely through narrow paths, like over bridges. Well, in my zeal, I neglected to account for this part of the track and how to negotiate it. So, unable to get the car back on track, I just plowed into a wall adjacent to the bridge. Oops.

My friends and I were rounded up by security (the downside of wearing matching silly hats), had our hands wiped down with alcohol pads to remove our re-entrance stamps and escorted out of the park. Somehow, they didn’t care to listen to my explanation that my ability to derail my car pointed out a serious design flaw of the ride. Perhaps my friends plowing into each other at the exit queue had something to do with that.

Definitely my most memorable day at the park, though thankfully one that Knott’s forgot when I went back and worked in the park a couple Summers when I went to college.

HTHBellcaptain~
Ah, a nice topic.

Largent81~
I, too, have such memories each and everytime I do to either Disneyland or Knott's. My Dad always took us and he really enjoyed it. When his mother would come from Alabama, he would take her, too. We have a big family and he would make sure everyone would go. {thus the 'I love a parade' I talked about on another thread}.
Watching the fireworks at DL always tugs at my heart.
Taking my kids to these two places makes me feel closer to him as they never got to meet him.
One thing he loved were the miniatures at Knott's. Where did they go?

cemeinke~
I do remember those cars!! You must have been one tough kid to raise, ya knot head!!!

Thomas~
I also remember that ride. I also like the Dino ride but that is because my kids love dinosaurs. And the line is usually short.:D
And it is next to the arcade and I love to play Skeeball and air hockey.

Oh my goodness, we LOVED those cars and the soapbox racers that are long gone as well....my favorite memory is such a silly one.....we went in 1992, the 3 adults that were on the trip were sharing "knotts stories" as we waited to board the train...we were discussing the robbery and wondering if it still was a part of the show.... so on to the train we go, there are six of us so we are in 3 different seats.. adult/child spaced thru the car....the train starts off and I'm busily showing my niece different things out the window when all of a sudden I feel a tap on my shoulder... I turn and there is the masked man, I let out a squeal that would make any sissy girl proud, My friends hubby was UP and out of his seat because he thought I was in trouble...the actor/cast member lookedd at me and with a straight man voice asked "had enough caffine today lady?" the entire car FELL OUT in laughter, totally destroyed the hold up....to this day my friends every so often will ask "had enough caffiene today?"

Originally posted by mammasilva
Oh my goodness, we LOVED those cars and the soapbox racers that are long gone as well....my favorite memory is such a silly one.....we went in 1992, the 3 adults that were on the trip were sharing "knotts stories" as we waited to board the train...we were discussing the robbery and wondering if it still was a part of the show.... so on to the train we go, there are six of us so we are in 3 different seats.. adult/child spaced thru the car....the train starts off and I'm busily showing my niece different things out the window when all of a sudden I feel a tap on my shoulder... I turn and there is the masked man, I let out a squeal that would make any sissy girl proud, My friends hubby was UP and out of his seat because he thought I was in trouble...the actor/cast member lookedd at me and with a straight man voice asked "had enough caffine today lady?" the entire car FELL OUT in laughter, totally destroyed the hold up....to this day my friends every so often will ask "had enough caffiene today?"

Oh, yes, this is so much fun!!! And to take someone who hasn't been on it before, or, just not talking about it so that they might forget.

My little guy is so serious. The guys could not scare him or make him laugh. That was even more funny.

And, as the guys stand by the tracks right before, my daughter and I were walking by. She has a piercing on her lip. The guy looked at her, touched his gun, and said ' Want another one?'

I cracked up. She didn't.

Wow! SOOOOOO many memories!

The Soap Box Racers. The Corkscrew - that went to Idaho or Montana...is it still running? The Beary Farms Fair. Best makeout ride there.

Going there for the first time to eat at the Chicken Dinner Restaurant with a church group on our way home from, I think, Victorville. Cherry Rhubarb! Park not yet gated, but no money to ride anything. Can't tour the Haunted Shack! Boysenberry Sherbet! But wait - we DID ride the trolley cause it was FREE! One of the remaining cars now "lives" here in Poway.

Putting our hands up on the Log Flume and hearing "Sit Down! Sit Down". If you did it right - "Si-Si-Si-SiSitDown!"

My first funnel cake. Sure wasn't my last.

Taking my not-yet-wife out on a date there. We got "hitched" that night. I still have the ring. Over twenty years later.

My first ride on Supreme Scream!

Going there three times in a row and finding GhostRider closed. But made up for it at the first Winter Solstice (well, it was misspelled on the T-shirt, too). Being envied by the other people who didn't have the wristband! Getting uneasy because the track was getting faster n faster - rain will do that, I'm here to tell you!

And, finally, last October, my first Knotts Scary Farm.

Wow!

Originally posted by Marko50
Wow! SOOOOOO many memories!

Wow!

Double Wow!

You really do have a lot of memories! And nice ones, too.

My father loved the Corkscrew. Only rollercoaster he rode {that I know of}.

I did hear that Knott's was once open. That is cool.

You know, I have heard them say "Sit down! Sit down!" I thought that was just a recording. Do you know how it is set off?

I have not had a funnel cake. What does it compare to? {And don't tell me to a summer day either!} I mean as far as pastries!
I would appreciate it. I am very leery about trying new foods.

So, you married your wife on your first date? Aw, you know, I have heard a lot of success stories of such unions. Congrats! {Or did you mean you unofficially got hitched?}

Knott's Scary Farm is too scary for me. I am too cheecken.

Originally posted by MouseWife
Knott's Scary Farm is too scary for me. I am too cheecken.
I am not Cheecken!!! (DisneyLad said boldly with his fists on his hips...) I love Knott's Scary Farm's Halloween Haunt! (Lightning strikes in the distance as thunder rolls.)
Attending KSFHH in 1989 for the 1st time has to be my favorite memory of all. It was like one big adult Haunted Mansion. I loved all the theming, the characters walking around with awesome Halloween make-up, people being chased by monsters in the Ghost Town area and Elvira. What a blast.:) I've been to Knott's Scary Farm (thunder...lightning) since, but nothing compared to the first time.


Okay, the first time I went I was cheecken. Just a little... :D

Originally posted by DisneyLad

I am not Cheecken!!! (DisneyLad said boldly with his fists on his hips...) I love Knott's Scary Farm's Halloween Haunt! (Lightning strikes in the distance as thunder rolls.)
Attending KSFHH in 1989 for the 1st time has to be my favorite memory of all. It was like one big adult Haunted Mansion. I loved all the theming, the characters walking around with awesome Halloween make-up, people being chased by monsters in the Ghost Town area and Elvira. What a blast.:) I've been to Knott's Scary Farm (thunder...lightning) since, but nothing compared to the first time.


Okay, the first time I went I was cheecken. Just a little... :D

LOL

Love your description of the DisneyLad protesting chicken-ness!!

Well, I can't help it. I don't like surprises. My family has gone to the Nightmare on Market St. and I stayed back at the van. Too scary for me. I think my life has been scary enough. Maybe?

Anywho, I know that the time is coming....my daughter really wants to go and I don't feel comfortable with her going up for the night alone. Alone? Right! That's why I'm going!!!

But I do think that nothing would compare to the first time. After that, you might know better what to look for. See, I could probably handle the second time.

Originally posted by MouseWife

You know, I have heard them say "Sit down! Sit down!" I thought that was just a recording. Do you know how it is set off? It is a recording. There is a beam (of light, I think) that you break when you stand up (a theory) or put your hands in the air like you just don't care (confirmed). But if you do it right, you can make the recording sound like Max Headroom. Or maybe just like it has hiccups.I have not had a funnel cake. What does it compare to? {And don't tell me to a summer day either!} I mean as far as pastries! I would appreciate it. I am very leery about trying new foods.I guess a Belgian Waffle. I've never had one (the Belgian Waffle), but it kinda looks like one, and my wife, who has had the pleasure, confirms it. If you've ever been to Christmas on the Prado, it's somewhat like one of the waffles with lingonberries and whipped cream they have at the Museum of Man, except at KBF they come (of course) w/boysenberries. And if you haven't been there, GO! Usually the first full weekend of December, Friday/Saturday, 5PM-9PM each night.So, you married your wife on your first date? Aw, you know, I have heard a lot of success stories of such unions. Congrats! {Or did you mean you unofficially got hitched?}Well, not quite. Wasn't our first date. And wasn't official. She was a little bit on the not-quite side of eighteen. So was I, but in the other direction. They used to have a little marriage place in the Ghost Town where you could git hitched ifn you found someone willin. Or something. But it wasn't too long before we did it officially - but not at Knotts - and, yeah, it's been pretty successful. Still counting after two decades.Knott's Scary Farm is too scary for me. I am too cheecken. In answer to your followup post: I don't know how old your daughter is, but if she wants to go up solo, I assume she's driving age. I got a room at the KBF Radisson. Turned out to be smart. Stayed at the park till the bitter end (2AM), they were serving a breakfast buffet at the Chicken Restaurant (to 3AM) for $5.00. Was I glad I could walk to my room after that! Didn't even have to mess with parking - the car was left at the hotel before I went to the Farm. If I remember correctly, the room was less than $100.00. Lots better than worrying if you - or she - can stay awake all the way home.

Or if YOU will be AWAKE all night!

Originally posted by Marko50
In answer to your followup post: I don't know how old your daughter is, but if she wants to go up solo, I assume she's driving age. I got a room at the KBF Radisson. Turned out to be smart. Stayed at the park till the bitter end (2AM), they were serving a breakfast buffet at the Chicken Restaurant (to 3AM) for $5.00. Was I glad I could walk to my room after that! Didn't even have to mess with parking - the car was left at the hotel before I went to the Farm. If I remember correctly, the room was less than $100.00. Lots better than worrying if you - or she - can stay awake all the way home.

Or if YOU will be AWAKE all night!

Haven't been to the Prado, always mean to go, but haven't. I must this coming year!!!

How cute, 'if they're willin'. You know, I told my hubby that I would love to renew our vows at Knott's, at the church. And have a big party after with everyone hanging out at Knott's.
I understand they have mass on Sundays? Read that somewhere.

Will try the Log Ride thing next time. ;)

Well, she is almost {next week} a licensed driver. :) :( :) :(
I would like to go with her though. We do stay at the Radisson when we go up there so that we can walk. I just think that walk can be scarry at night.

Refer to my cheeckeness. Yeah. Well, every family has to have one. :)

I love that little church. I am very fond of all the walk in areas at Knott's. I have great memories of visiting the ghost town. I loved the music box museum.

One of my favorite memories is the boysenberry punch. I'm thrilled to death that they sell it in concentrate. Whenever I have friends who goes out to California, I always have them pick me up a bottle of the concentrate.

The first time I went to Knott's (I was a kid) we did that pan for gold thing. Each person in our family did it and got a little tube with gold in it. Man oh man, we thought that was the coolest thing. We traveled completely accross the country and got to pan for gold. Alright, admittedly, it didn't take much to amuse us, but it still was pretty cool. I think I still have the tube with the gold in it.

I don't know if I would call this my favorite memory of Knott's, but...

I started to think about what I would type, and I actually got scared!

I dreamt this only once, and it has stayed with me for all these years. Okay, suffice it to say, I was a kid with my family walking through Ghost Town...I walked into one of those shacks where they showed life in the Old West...when I turned around and walked back out, my family was gone, I was "alone" in Ghost Town, and the dummies in all the shacks were alive!

Okay, I'm sleeping with the lights on tonight!

Originally posted by Dlandmom
I don't know if I would call this my favorite memory of Knott's, but...

I started to think about what I would type, and I actually got scared!

I dreamt this only once, and it has stayed with me for all these years. Okay, suffice it to say, I was a kid with my family walking through Ghost Town...I walked into one of those shacks where they showed life in the Old West...when I turned around and walked back out, my family was gone, I was "alone" in Ghost Town, and the dummies in all the shacks were alive!

Okay, I'm sleeping with the lights on tonight!

Wow, now does this dream end with some zombies chasing you?
Or are you just scared of being alone in the 1800's?
Could be a cool dream. But, I would not let the family out of my sight on my next trip to Knott's!!!

Boysenberry punch~

Yummy!

Pan for gold~

My 7 year old always has to pan for gold. We don't, as the cost is not included anymore. :( Anywho, he really cherishes his little bottles of 'gold'.

Gosh, I have such fond memories of Knott's.

I remember going when I was in 7th grade with just my dad. We drove all the way down from Placerville to meet some of his old navy buddies down there. I remember going on the log ride with him...and how much he loved that ride. My dad is still alive...but that summer that he and I drove to Knott's and Disneyland was my favorite summer as a kid...I will always remember him and how much fun we had, just the two of us.

As I got older...my best memory is taking my oldest to Knott's when she was about 4 or so. I remember her and her cousins, who are all the same age, having the best time in Camp Snoopy. She always enjoyed that more than Disneyland...because is was hands on...I remember her hitting her cousin on the "planes" because her cousin was too scared to go up...and she wanted to go up...(I know this sounds mean of her...but it was a funny time...they are not close anymore...which is sad).
My in laws were with us on that trip...and they spoiled all their grandkids and it was just a fun trip....

Mad4Mky,

I realize this is off the subject, but I love your signature. I really like The Goofy Movie. Funny stuff.

the soapbox derby (best ride EVER!!!) I'm gonna buy something like that for my house.

Oh~I just love Knott's. I have a couple favorite memories. We always rode the Soap Box Derby...so sad to see it go. My parents would always make such a big deal that we were racing the car next to us and my dad would always razz the other racers..Our car is faster than yours. We're gonna beat you.
Then when the race started he'd be in the back of the car yelling lean left, lean right, lean forward...go go go! Needless to say, my family really got into that ride.

Another memory is going on my first upside down rollercoaster "Montezooma's Revenge". We were there with a bunch of other families and the other dads had bullied my dad into going on it (he doesn't do coasters). I had to have been 9 or 10 and I wasn't going to let my dad go on it with these "mean" men by himself, so I went too. He's never gone on another upside rollercoaster since, but I have...

MouseWife~If you don't like people sneaking up on you, don't do the Mummy walkthrough at Universal. That thing is horrible. Last time we were there I had to plow through my motherinlaw to get out of there. Scared me to death!!

I remember going on the Calico Mine Train as a kid. While we were waiting in line you could look up and see the trains overhead. As a kid, that looked like the trains were really high up. When I went back as an adult, I realized that it wasn't actually very high up. Perception's a funny thing, ain't it.

HTHBellcaptain~

I dunno. In your picture you seem quite tall.

It's just an illusion done with mirrors. I'm really only 3 1/2 feet tall.