CRYSTAL BEACH
California has its Disney Land, Florida has its Disney World, and western New York had its Crystal Beach. A trip to Crystal Beach was the high point of the summer. It was an all-day and into the night outing.
There were 2 options to get there as it was in Canada (just a short drive from Buffalo): drive or take the boat, The Canadiana. Of course, taking the boat was part of the entire adventure. It was a 3 leveled boat with a dance floor and band on the third floor. The steps were wooden and sometimes creaked when you went up them. The adults generally spent the half hour or so ride on the third floor, while the children played on the first floor. There was little danger for us in that era, so we could be left alone without fear of being molested or such by a stranger. There was little danger of us falling overboard as there were adult staff members watching.
Once there, the rides enticed us.....which did we go on first? There was the Magic Carpet, the Laff in the Dark, the Comet, the Hay Dey, the Ferris Wheel, the Spider, the Tilt-a-Whirl, the Looper, the Bumper Cars, the Tunnel of Love, the Scrambler, the Flying Bobs for the bigger kids and the Merry-Go-Round, the Caterpiller, the Baby Coaster, the Train, etc for the little kids. Once armed with a fist full of tickets, off you went.
Even if you were older, you enjoyed feeding Leo the Lion by the Laff in the Dark. Leo was a motion sensored operated garbage can (quite extrodinary for the time). When garbage was put into Leo's mouth, he let out a roar. Sal, the mechnical laughing lady at the Laff in the Dark always had drew crowds to watch and listen to her.
There were games to play, fortune tellers to see, and food to eat. No trip to Crystal Beach was complete without having french fries in paper cone shaped cups with enough vinegar to drown them accompanied by a cold logan berry drink.
There was the beach area, which you seldom went to because it took time from riding the rides.
After riding the rides all day, you generally went to the Ballroom where live orchestras played music the adults danced to. There were benches along the walls of the Ballroom and this is where the exhausted and contented children settled until it was time to go home, some just watching the adults dance and some curling up and falling asleep.
Before leaving you usually went back to Concession Alley to get some treat to take back home with you. There were treats like salt water taffy, candy apples, and of course, the signature take-home treat of Crystal Beach, the Halls Suckers. The Halls workers wore red and white stripped aprons and the suckers came in lemon, butterscotch, coconut, peanut, and cinnamon. Personally, my favorite was butterscotch.
Soon it was time to head for the dock area and board The Canadiana to return home. All the enthusiam that was displayed on the trip there was replaced by sheer exhaustion and complete contentment from a day spend just being a kid.
Unfortunately The Candiana was scraped and Crystal Beach closed when the more complex amusement parks were introduced. Nevertheless, I would take a trip to Crystal Beach over a trip to any amusement park any day.
ANSWER TO LAST TRIVA QUESTION: In 1954, David Warren a remarkable instrument for the airlines. What was it? The little black box
TODAY'S TRIVIA QUSTION: What was Howdy Doody's twin sister's name?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
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