More than corn in Indiana
But not much more!
Growing up in a farming community meant, among other things, that there was nothing to do except watch the sun rise and set. The closest thing to fun we had in our town was the somewhat antiquated park, that did have a really cool woods behind it but more on that some other time! So what did we do for fun you may ask, actually you could probably care less but humor me here! We went to the next town over, Monticello, and went to Indiana Beach!
Mind you we couldn’t do it all the time because, while getting in was cheap, if you wanted to do anything you needed some cash! When I first started going there it wasn’t nearly like what it is today. When you go there now it feels like a roller coaster park more than anything, not that that is bad just a little crowded. Anyway, so I went there a few times a summer when really young but when I got into my teen years it was practically a hang out for us. We didn’t need money then we were just there to see the girls in bikinis!
My first recollection of Indiana Beach was when I was very young and my aunt took me to see my first ever concert by my favorite group, The Banana Splits! Wow, I was in heaven, they were like the coolest thing since ice. I actually had an 8×10 with all their autographs that I managed to hold on to till my twenties, from there I have no idea where it went. At that time Indiana Beach had big names there a lot. The Who was there is ‘66 but I was only one then so I couldn’t go. I am sure I would have wanted to if I could have spoke up for myself. Sonny and Cher was there one year, but I can’t remember what year that was. I had an old printing press sheet from the year that they were there, lost that too! As you can see I am not to be trusted with anything that you don’t want lost. Although I have improved on that lately!
I think my favorite things to do there were to go to the arcade, which was pretty much pinball machines when I first got interested, and the haunted house, which burnt down. They did build a new haunted house called Dr. Frankensteins Haunted Castle which is cool but not as cool as the old one in my opinion. The rides were the next thing I would gravitate to. I wasn’t a big fan of the roller coaster there as it went out over the water and I am deathly afraid of water! I did ride it once though just to prove that I could do it.
My favorite rides were the Zugspit, which is now the music express, basically it spins you around really fast while loud rock music assaults your eardrums, I love it! There was another ride I really liked that they took out and I cannot for the life of me remember the name of it. I remember that you stood up against the wall of this large circular object and it would spin you around at a speed which pressed you against the wall, then it would tilt up at about a 60 degree angle. I remember it was fun trying to move your leg out from the wall, which unless your legs were strong was really difficult.
It has grown quite a bit since my youth, well not so much grown as they have just crammed more things in the space they have. I think they are at their limit now, they would have to buy up some land on the other side of the lake if they wanted to grow anymore. It is still fun but it is very crowded most of the time. It is best to go during may when they first open cause by the time July rolls around it is just insane there. Tourists from all over have the place pretty much crammed full and you can barely move down the boardwalk.
Thats enough of this for now. What fond childhood memories do you have? Tell me about them.
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Wow, what a fun post Jeff. Sorry it took me so long to get here. OT sucks. Anyway, we had a similar park but it was pretty far away, usually one trip per summer. I never heard of the Zugspit but the other ride you described, we called the Round Up. I had a crush on that ride. The first time I was scared sh**less but after that you couldn’t get me off it. I still remember that feeling in the pit of your stomach… fun.
I remember the Banana Splits, too- ha ha. They had a show on Saturday mornings that I wouldn’t miss. Their music was actually really cool.
Even better than this park was the county fair which came to our town in early August. When I was really small, they still brought the “show” to town by train and we would run across town to watch the train come in. You could actually see the animals in cages and the rides piled on the cars in pieces. That would be on a Sunday afternoon. Then on Mon. night there was a huge parade that was hours and hours long. We were never allowed to go to the fair on Monday night after the parade because all the firemen from all over the state who came to show off their equipment in the parade (trucks!) would get drunk and go there to watch the girlie shows. Anyway, fair week was the highlight of my summers and the older I got the more important it became because you could meet cute boys there! I haven’t been back there (the town I grew up in) for the fair in a few years. I still miss it. The smells were awesome. A mix of sawdust, cotton candy, hot sausage with peppers and onions, chicken roasting on an open pit, popcorn… I went to see a lot of bands there too. And fireworks night was fun. But oooooh, I loved the Hell Drivers!!!
I like your piece about Indiana Beach. I too grew up in the town of Monon, and often times found myself at IB in the summer. My wife worked there for 8 years before we were married. I too remember when I was little, and there were way fewer big rides then there are now. I remember that little kid roller coaster that would practically give you whiplash. I haven’t been there in a few years, but my son is getting to the age where he might enjoy the kitty rides. Maybe I’ll take a journey up I65 this summer and take him there.
@Linda
Lets not get me started on the fair, not yet at least, I love the fair, oh the smells!
@Rodney
It truly is a small world sometimes. Rodney’s dad used to work at a clothing store in Monon called Kings clothiers. It closed down when I was a teenager because the town was just too small to support it and everyone was now driving to Monticello to go to the larger variety stores there. The last time I saw Rodney he was just a wee lad, which I am sure he appreciates my saying :). Anyway, thanks for stopping by Rodney.
So how did Rodney end up here, on your blog?
Tell me and then get ready, we’re going to the fair
Probably through my MySpace page