A Vintage Summer...Lagoon and the Beach Boys!
"There's a park near the city, yeah, and all the kids dig the Lagoon now
It's full of all kids of girls and rides and we'll be flyin' there soon now
And girl for girl, they've got the cutest of the western states, yeah
They got the sun in the summer and winter time the skiing is great, yeah
Salt Lake City, we'll be coming soon
Salt Lake City, we'll be coming soon." The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys were part of the summer soundtrack for countless teenagers during the 60's and early 70's. They were especially popular here in the state of Utah. When I was a youngster, I remember my babysitter telling us that she had a date to go see the Beach Boys at Lagoon. I was so envious. Sitting on the front steps of our house, I watched her leaving for her date. She was so beautiful...a 60's teen princess! She wore her blonde hair in a cute flip...and always used lemon juice for a rinse. I wanted to be just like Sharon when I grew up. She was as nice as she was pretty.
Promotional single of "Salt Lake City."
The song is on the album "Summer Days (and Summer Nights.)"
"Salt Lake City" was written to call attention to the band's fan base in Utah's capitol city. There is a cute story floating around about the song "Fun, Fun, Fun" ('til her daddy took the T-Bird away) which was written in the group's hotel room in 1963. The owner of KNAK...the #1 radio station mentioned in "Salt Lake City"...had a T-Bird that his daughter used to drive Brian, Carl, Dennis and Mike around Salt Lake. She is the girl in the song. I love this story!
The music of the Beach Boys will never grow old.
The Association and Herman's Hermits were two more groups I loved when I was young.
How I wish I could have seen them at Lagoon.
Patio Gardens...where so many top bands performed.
Lagoon...When I was your age!
The parking lot and entrance to the park.
The old white wooden coaster.
My Dad worked for the Department of Corrections in Utah and we had a Family Lagoon Day every summer. All year long I counted the days until Lagoon Day...it was the highlight of my childhood summers. I remember one tragic year when it rained buckets and Lagoon Day was cancelled! The prisoners in charge of food service had made a lot of food for the picnic. The people in charge didn't want the food to go to waste, so we all drove to a depressing old school in Sandy and ate in the lunchroom. Today, I still feel sad (and mad) when I drive past that school!
My favorite ride at Lagoon.
If you had enough tickets, you didn't even have to get off.
I would ride as long as my tickets lasted.
The Midway!
The Midway in the 70's
Midway Rides
The Fun House!
The Fun House was where I spent most of my time...when my tickets ran out!
This slide was the best...if you could stay on your sack.
How well I remember the smell of those burlap sacks...and the friction burns!
So fun...but so many bumps and bruises!
Somehow they never worried about law suits in those days!
Something For the Kiddies...Mother Goose Land
I have added a few new pictures since I first posted this.
The American Fork Facebook group has been great...always contributing new photos they have found.
Childhood's End...
My last Lagoon trip before I got married.
Two snow cones are always better than one!
It's What Fun Is!
6 comments:
That park looks like fun and reminds me of Joyland here. We even had The Old Lady in the Shoe at Joyland. It's great that you can still go there. Our park here was closed and has now been vandalized so badly it is being disposed of. Even the old wooden coaster is being torn down. It's heartbreaking for us who grew up going there.
Summer is not Summer without the beach Boys. I love their music!
Oh what fun to remember...............not the Lagoon for me, but the carnival and once in a while the county fair. I was never much of a ride goer but it's still fun to look at your old photos. Yes, the Beach Boys...summer music at it's best. A local amusement park here has Elvis Presley's favorite roller coaster that I wouldn't dare go on it...but the grandkids love it.
WHAT GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS!!!!! I remember boarding the Giant Coaster along the left side (next to the old Jets [later Flying Aces]. You exited the Giant Coaster by running down a ramp left of the entrance ramp. The old silver Giant Coaster cars had headlights, and you could have tickets ready for a "re-ride." In fact there was a sign above the last few hills prior to the ride concluding that reminded riders that wanted a "re-ride" to have their tickets ready.
I also remember the Parachutes located to the left of the Giant Coaster. The Wild Mouse was also originally at the north end of the park near the Jet Star Two. The Terror Ride featured that cool drawing of the gorilla at the boarding station. The Haunted Shack (house of mirrors) was off the main walkway near the golf course. I have some pictures but will need to figure out how to post them.
Steve Anderson
So California
we used to go to an amusement park called olympic park when we were kids. what a blast. how weird that one time I had a dream that it was flooded and we had to walk in water up to our knees in the park and I was stepping on worms! I had no shoes on for some reason and my father wouldnt let me wear my shoes! lol! bad dream.. but I still remember it.. probably 40 years later! lol! well thankfully it was just a dream because the park was a lot of fun and there was a bowling alley and a drive in theater right next to them. we went to many drive in movies there. and I remember being in a bowling league on saturday mornings.. and the juke box at the bowling alley playing Cherish! you remember that song I'm sure. such fun memories! well other then that dream! lol!
have a great day
xoxo
vivian
That is certainly a great memory. I'm glad you can still visit with your grandchildren. I love the Beach Boys! I We used to see them perform every Summer at Jones Beach in the late 80's and early 90's. Great times. To me they are a part of Summer like the sun and the beach! Maggie
My very first outdoor concert was the Beach Boys. I even met a future boyfriend at that concert. How fun you can now enjoy the amusement park with grandchildren. Now that I'm in my late 40s, rollercoasters and spinning rides aren't nearly as appealing, but Josie and Emma just love them. Happy summer memories!
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