We first ended up at a rest stop about a half-hour or so outside of Lake George to use the bathroom. Lauren and I were delighted to find sodas we didn't often run into at home in their vending machines. I got a Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar. She found a Wild Cherry Pepsi Zero Sugar. Rico got an Arizona iced tea and an energy drink.
Parking has been greatly simplified since we started coming to Great Escape together. Lauren only had to show the kid a voucher she printed online to get us in. She drove around back, parking us in the Three Musketeers lot near the edge of the woods. (All lots at Great Escape are named for Mars candies.) We followed the crowds over the bridge to the entrance.
Great Escape is a charming cross between Storybook Land in Mays Landing and the New Jersey Six Flags Great Adventure. It was originally a family park in the 50's called Storybook Town USA, but it added coasters and other rides over the years along with the original little fairy tale cottages and western ghost town buildings. We came in time for their Fright Fest. Kids dressed as witches, ghouls, Cinderella, and Mario streamed into haunted "house" rides and mazes. Alas, the spooky mazes and Trick or Treat cost extra, so we stuck to the regular rides.
We walked around first, taking in the lay of the land. Fabric spider's webs covered every single stationary object and ride and food booth that wasn't in use. Foul-smelling smoke drifted from vents and a huge spooky jack-'o-lantern near the Cinderella's Castle. Water in the fountains, including around Cinderella's Castle, was colored red to resemble blood. (Though it really more closely resembled cherry Kool Aid.)
Ended up at the Ghost Town. Lauren showed Rico how she's short enough to easily fit in one of the little houses before we stopped at a building housing games and cranes. These cranes contained stuffed toys that were far nicer and better made than the stuffies one usually found in them. One crane had nothing but Gund toys. Gund is a very good stuffed animal brand, not cheap at all. To my surprise, I got a soft, floppy white and gray cat on my second try! I named her Queensbury, after the town where Great Escape is, Queenie for short.
Our first actual ride took us over a steep bridge and into Hot Rod USA. Thunder Alley lets guests drive over a track decorated with vintage Storybook Town signs in 50's-style cars. It was also the only ride open in Hot Rod USA. Most of the others were down for the season or in the midst of being refurbished, which may account for the very long line. It was fun when we finally got in the cars, though. I rode a police car and giggled at the bright signs describing a ghost family on a Halloween picnic outing. The real-life 50's architecture across the street, including a fried chicken stand with a huge neon chicken sign, added to the ambiance.
Made our way through the crowds and past many scary statues and busts of jokers, ghouls, and the Phantom of the Opera to the Fest Area. More rides were open here, including the brand-new wooden roller coaster the Bobcat. Lauren and Rico wanted to continue on and ride another wooden coaster, the Comet, but I was hungry and hate coasters.
They ended up heading to the back of the park while I stepped into the Alpine Haus cafeteria for lunch. It was a dark, simple room that was just benches and a counter. The grilled chicken sandwich was a little dry but not bad. The fries were delicious, perfectly cooked with their skins on. I ate them outside at one of the yellow picnic tables and watched the crowds stroll by.
Since they still hadn't arrived after I finished eating, I strolled around the area for a bit. There's several smaller carnival-style rides in the Fest Area, including the Cannonball Express. This is another name for the Music Express, which goes around and around on an up and down track and features brightly painted artwork of famous singers. The Music Express was one of my favorite rides in Wildwood, and I missed it. Unlike Thunder Alley, the line here wasn't long at all. I got on right away and even had a seat to myself. I screamed and clutched the bar as the music blared and the seats rocked and rolled over the track.
I met Rico and Lauren outside the Alpine Haus, where they enjoyed burgers and those yummy fries. After they finished, we doubled back to Hot Rod USA after I picked up a soda. We were originally going to ride the Storybook Town Train, but the line was prohibitively long. I talked them into the Grand Carousel instead, since that barely had any line at all. (They later said the Comet didn't, either.)
The Grand Carousel is unique in one respect. Many of the horses are replaced by beautifully painted and detailed animals. I spotted an orange jack rabbit, a purple dragon, a camel, a black and white cat, and a lion. I ended up on a handsome pale blue horse with a cobalt mane and lovely flowers painted on his bridle. The little kids and their parents all around me rode their fanciful equines in happy awe, and I was delighted with their sweet reactions.
Though the line at the train was still long when we got there, we figured it was one of the few rides all three of us could do together. In fact, it was so long, we didn't get on the first train that came around and had to wait for the second, and then the girl in charge took another 10 minutes making us wait while she called someone on her walkie-talkie. It was lovely when we finally got on. The Storybook Town Train takes you through the woods, past Popo the Purple Cow (who is really more of a friendly dragon), Hickory Dickory Dock, and slightly dilapidated jungle animal statues taken from the overgrown remains of the Jungleland rope walk-through.
I spied giant Technicolor flowers from the train that were part of the Alice In Wonderland walk-through, so we headed there next. After getting turned around in the kiddie ride section Timbertown, we finally ducked into the low, narrow cave that took you into a black-light Wonderland. Rico chattered and joked about Alice stuck in the White Rabbit's house, the Mad Tea Party, and the Queen of Hearts looking slightly murderous among her card guards.
It was past 4 when we got out of Wonderland. Time to head back to the International Village entryway and buy souvenirs. I didn't get anything. Not only am I running out of room, but I already won Queenie. Rico picked up a cool pair of yellow vinyl clogs with rainbows, unicorns, and Captain America shield buttons on them. Lauren bought a Great Escape t-shirt at the main gift shop you pass through on the way out.
The Pirate Adventure Golf Course isn't more than three minutes from Great Escape, so we went there next. This beautifully landscaped mini-golf course lets you choose two different courses, one harder than the other. We went with the tougher Blackbeard course. We all had a great time hitting our balls, chasing them when they bounced off-course, or trying to keep them from rolling into the many gurgling streams and waterfalls. They even had blurbs about the real Blackbeard on wooden signs posted at the start of each course. (I think Rico won this one.)
I hadn't eaten at Golden Corral since ours closed over a decade ago, and Rico called it "my mecca" and was delighted to eat anywhere that would fill his endless appetite. They turned out to be another short five-minute drive. They were also busy as heck, and not just because it's Sunday. We arrived just ahead of two buses filled with elderly tourists.
I'm glad we did end up there. I missed the one that used to be behind the Pep Boys/America's Best building at Audubon Crossings. They had tons of everything, from their amazing sweet potato casserole to what I believe was real whole berry cranberry sauce. I started with the cranberry sauce, cubed tropical fruit, and a greens salad with blue cheese and dried cranberries. My main protein was delicious steak tips straight off the grill. We all tried their yummy creamed spinach and cheese pizza. I had this pasta smothered in mozzarella, provolone, and herbs that was amazing, too.
By the time we got to dessert, I was too full for more than a slim slice of chocolate cake with a curl of vanilla ice cream, a spoonful of banana pudding, and a brownie square I didn't finish. Lauren had blueberry pie and a watermelon Icee. Rico grabbed cookies and cake. I had a cherry ice with strawberry sauce (and a rogue berry gummy bear) for a chaser.
After that, we practically rolled back to Lauren's car to head home. This time, we went straight back to the Berkshires on the highway, no stopping anywhere besides Rico's house to drop him off. After he gave us big hugs for a great afternoon, we finished our ride through Lee and Lennox to Pittsfield, singing along with the Monkees.
I finished the night with the second of half of today's Match Game marathon. Debralee Scott started off in the ingenue seat in mid-1976. The flirtatious young sitcom star may be best-remembered by game show fans today for joining Richard Dawson in instigating the infamous "school riot" in 1977. She and Rich argued when judge Ira Skutch wouldn't accept their "finishing school" or poor scared Patti Deusch's "night school" as answers to a question about where Dumb Dora takes her cultured pearls to. Gene tried to calm them down, but he couldn't keep order. Charles and Brett jokingly had Charles sprawled on Gene's entrance steps as the victim of the "school riot," but the damage was done. The lower tier kept their responses up in protest for what little remained of the episode.
Debralee's other great early moment was when Bill Anderson performed a song just for her at the end of a 1976 episode. Brett and Charles, dressed as cowpokes, sang along. Deb was flattered that someone came up with a song for her on the spot and gave Bill a very sweet kiss.
Deb did most of her best work in syndication, when she generally sat in the sixth seat. She happily flirted with contestants and panelists alike. Bart Braverman thought she was cute and kept throwing papers at her. She did not think he was cute. She pounded on him until he grabbed her for a kiss! She did better with the Head-to-Head, winning contestants big money at least twice in the nighttime episodes.
Watch Debralee as she flirts and fights with panelists and contestants alike in this very funny marathon!
Oh, and it's a good thing I wasn't down in Philadelphia today. The Eagles got their rears handed to them by the Buccaneers 33-16.
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