Thursday: Knott's Berry Farm

In celebration of several birthdays, each spring my parents treat the whole family (myself, Keith, our four kids; my brother, his wife, their two kids; my sister, her husband, their two kids) to 2-3 days at either Disneyland or Knott's Berry Farm which is just a few miles north of D'land on Interstate 5. For several reasons, this spring a much smaller group than our usual 16 was at Knott's, the oldest amusement park in the west. Started as a berry stand (Knott bred the first Boysenberry, named for his best friend), Walter Knott all kinds of California assets such as a train, a log ride, a mine tour, panning for gold, a stagecoach ride, and during the Depression, his wife started serving chicken dinners on her wedding china; a restaurant just outside the park gates still fries chicken according to Mrs. Knott's recipe. Then roller coasters were added in the 1970's and since, some of which definitely can make one lose that chicken dinner in a very embarrassing way. Following are photos from our first day at Knott's Berry Farm:



All six kids "pan for gold" and come away with gold dust floating in little vials of water.



Just outside the Ghost Town area, my dad and B pose where they apparently shouldn't.(They're covering up the rest of the sign.)



Near the back of the park one can see many of the roller coaster tracks seemingly intertwine....