Where the "Bleep" were we?

Figuring out my childhood mystery vacations.

It’s surprising I didn’t have more nightmares as a child

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Have you ever come across old family vacation photos and wondered where the heck you were? My mom had some of her family slides converted to slides. In between photos with green shag carpeted photos, blurry first day of school pictures there were pictures of my siblings and I on the yellow brick road. There was another of my brother and I sitting with a giant egg. Where the heck were we?

My parents are long gone now so I don’t have them to fill in the blanks. I’ve been doing some online investigations. I could ask my older sister, but what fun would that be? The journey is more fun than the destination (or something like that). Or would it be discovery in this case?

Santa Land - Vermont

Santa Land was founded in 1957 and was a popular roadside attraction. This park had closed in 2014 according to the website and reopened in 2017. Where did the egg come from? Not sure! I haven’t been able to find anything except that he fell off the brick wall and had a very sad demise. True story.

Conehead or Marge Simpson?

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Land of Oz

Beech Mountain North Carolina

The Land of Oz is an 18-acre theme park, that is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The theme park that was based on The Wizard of Oz opened to the public in 1970. There was a fire in 1975 and it reopened in 1976. According to the website it closed in September, and this would soon become an abandoned theme park. In the 90s it reopened for Autumn festivals. Autumn at Oz has since become a yearly event.

I am on the far left next to my sister and brother

Dutch Wonderland

Lancaster, Pennsylania

Dutch Wonderland is in the heart of Lancaster County Pennsylvania. This beautiful 78-acre theme park opened 78 years ago and still opened today

Awkward family photo? The statues…I swear the one I’m sitting with is human. She looks like she’s breathing into my ear. Ok, that statue is just creepy!

The giant pretzel! I’m the gal in purple.

Don Cesar Hotel

St Pete's Beach, Florida

This pink sandcastle by the sea was built by Thomas Rowe as a tribute to his lost love. His estranged wife inherited this hotel after he suddenly passed away. As you can imagine, I have a lot more questions about this Gatsby era soap opera

This hotel became a popular destination for the rich and famous. Our family visited this hotel in the 1980s. My grandmother insured me that I would meet movie stars here. There were no movie stars (at least that I recognized) my memories of this giant hotel were of crowded hallways and crying children that hot, Sunday afternoon.

Fun fact - Do you know Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers performed on top of this hotel for a documentary?

Mystery Hill

Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Gravity Forces or optical illusion that makes the downhill slopes look up hill?

There is a difference of opinions of this. This building and roadside attraction has been updated since the late 70s/early 80s of course!

Fountain of Youth

Saint Augustine, Florida

Yes, we are drinking from the “Fountain of Youth” Do you think it helped?

I’m in the rainbow shirt. That screamed 80s as much as our hair did.

Where else do you stay on vacation when you are a child in the 70s and 80s? Days Inn of course!

What was your most unusual childhood vacation?

Thanks for traveling through time with me!