Back from camp, with school ahead: Musing on amusements

As usual, when the third week in August rolls in, I think back to the days when my kids returned from camp. After the initial nausea of opening the trunk wore off, we’d decide what special trip the family would take.

In my day, when we finished day camp, or came back from sleep away camp, we were not ready for school, period. Maybe, if we were lucky, the truck with the “The Whip” ride would stop on our block. It had about ten seats; we’d pay our quarter and our seats would whip around for about five minutes. We knew how to live back then.

Amusement parks have always been popular with our kids. One year we went to Lancaster, to Dutch Wonderland. It was small enough, and had enough rides to make the younger kids as happy as the older ones.

There was a type of water flume that seemed mild enough for my son Jeremy, who was a little over two at the time. Only problem was, the last fall was a bit steep. Jeremy insisted on getting in the boat with his older brother Daniel and his dad. We all tried to change his mind but to no avail. I stood with other moms waiting to catch just the perfect picture at the end of the ride. Well, let’s just say Jeremy looked exactly like the kid from the film Home Alone. He was white as a ghost, his hair was standing on end and he was basically in shock. He didn’t say a word for at least a half hour after he got off the ride.

In the years that followed, he would never step foot on a roller coaster of any sort. A few years later in Disney, when Jeremy was about seven, his dad said he understood how he felt, and that no one would ever make him try something he didn’t want to do (though to this day I still try to get him to taste salmon every now and then), but that he should know that all the rides are carefully monitored and checked for safety issues, although they seem scary. Jeremy nodded and said “nice try, but I’m not going on.”

I waited with him while the others were on Space Mountain and then we went to the “alien,” a stationary “ride” with scary visuals. We were all seated, when all of a sudden there was a loud noise and all the lights were shut off. We were sitting in the pitch black and just then a harness in back of our chairs clamped around our necks and locked us in place. We couldn’t move at all. Just then, Jeremy’s dad, said, “Excuse me, I need to get out of this ride.” The attendant said, “I’m sorry sir, once it starts we can’t stop the ride, it will be over in 20 minutes.” Jeremy’s dad said, “You don’t understand. I’m claustrophobic and you have to get me out of here.” Jeremy leaned over and said, “Dad, listen, it’s really safe. It just seems scary, nothing is going to happen to you, they have these things checked out all the time.” It was priceless!

That same day my older son was annoyed at us for something, which for the life of me I can’t remember. He stormed off saying he was going to find other parents. Just then a Disney employee dressed as Frankenstein (who obviously overheard what Daniel had said) stomped over, picked him up by the back of his shirt and started walking away while muttering, “I’m your new dad.” The timing was great, and he behaved beautifully the rest of the trip.

Since then, Daniel has never wanted to trade in his parents again and Jeremy has basically rode on every monster size roller coaster in every state he has ever visited.

After reflecting on my family’s experiences at amusement parks, I was curious as to their origins. Let the ride begin…

Periodic fairs that began in England in 1133, are a parent for the amusement parks we have come to know today. In Elizabethan times, fairs had entertainment, food, games, and carnival-like freak-shows. In the United States, the county and state fairs also played a part in the history of amusement parks. These were annual events that lasted from a few days to a few weeks, to celebrate a good harvest. Live animals, baking and cooking competitions were common.

It has also been said that amusement parks grew out of the pleasure gardens that became especially popular at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. It was a place where people could take a break from dreary city life. The oldest intact still-surviving amusement park in the world opened 1583 and is called Bakken, which translates to “the Hill.” It’s located in Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen. London had Vauxhall Gardens, founded in 1661 and closed in 1859. Another park in Copenhagen is Tivoli Gardens, built in 1843, and still exists. The parks usually consisted of booths, entertainment, fireworks displays and some “rides” such as introduction to the modern railroad.

Another type of fair is the World’s Fair, which began in 1851 in London, England. They constructed the Crystal Palace, which became a landmark. It was built to celebrate the industrial achievement of the nations of the world. Just so happened Britain was the leader at the time.

What most closely resembles the amusement parks we know today was the “World’s Columbian Exposition,” in Chicago in 1893. The fair was enclosed and included entertainment, engineering and education. It was also the debut of the first steel Ferris wheel, and included shooting galleries, penny arcades, shows and rides.

In 1955, Disneyland opened in California and completely changed the landscape of the amusement park industry.

Following Disneyland, many other parks tried to copy its ideas, however, none could match its success. Today The Walt Disney World Resort consists of four theme parks and is the most visited vacation resort in the world!

Of course, while researching this article I couldn’t help but think what type of food I could write about it. After reading dozens of articles pertaining to amusement parks I realized one snack mentioned most was the funnel cake. Try it at home and enjoy it with your family. Just make sure to wipe the powdered sugar off your face when you’re done.

Funnel Cakes

Ingredients for 12 cakes

•1 1/2 C milk

•1 1/2 C water

•3 eggs

•¾ tsp vanilla extract

•4 1/2 C flour

•1/3 C sugar

•1 1/2 Tbs baking powder

•1/4 tsp salt

•Canola oil for deep frying

•Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

For 12 cakes

•In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, water and vanilla until well blended. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; beat into egg mixture until smooth. In a deep fryer or deep enough pot, heat oil to 375°.

•Cover the bottom of a funnel spout with your finger; ladle 1/2 cup of batter into the funnel. Holding the funnel several inches above the oil, release your finger and move the funnel in a spiral motion until all the batter is released. I actually found a funnel that has a rod with a ball at the end which controls the start and stop of the of the batter. I picked it up a Home Goods.

•Fry for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.

Judy Joszef is a pastry and personal chef as well as a party planner. She can be reached at judy.soiree@gmail.com