I open my eyes and sit up .
" Let's go have an adventure Indy..." I say with a frown sarcastically as i make my way towards the door and out, no one is around as i step onto the warp pad and warp away.
i walk and walk some more through some deep bushes until stopping in front of a place i knew a all too well...
Phantasia Forest.
I bet I'm one of the few people willing to admit that, and I'm probably the only person who remembers it for all the good instead of all the bad and happily the only gem to ever step foot into it.
I'll never forget the summer it opened in 1954.
I knew I was in for something special when I saw those massive, brilliantly-colored mushrooms decorating the parking lot.
As I marched past the cement toadstools, I came upon a castle. Yes, an honest-to-god pink castle.
My child like brain practically exploded.
The first thing that greeted you on the other side of that castle was a sculpture of Humpty Dumpty. He sat perched on his stone wall, pointing you towards the winding path that stretched from one magical scene to the next.
As you walked along, you saw a statue of the Pied Piper leading away a group of hypnotized children. Then there was a big fibreglass shoe with crooked windows and a plastic slide.
Beyond that, you found yourself in front of a two-storey house – only this was the house from 'Hansel and Gretel' .
The walkway was lined with monstrously large candy canes. Gumdrops were scattered across the gingerbread walls. Chocolate balconies overlooked the garden, and a chimney in the shape of an ice cream cone poked out of the sugar-frosted roof.
You could get lost exploring the gnome village – all those rustic huts and leering face!. Eventually, you arrived at Old MacDonald's Farm, which was a petting zoo with rabbits, goats, pigs, ducks, sheep, you name it.
If you wanted, you could even hitch a ride in Cinderella's pumpkin coach!!!
Of course, employees were dressed up everywhere you looked ranging from Alice, Sleeping Beauty, Red Riding Hood, Tom Thumb, to even Mother Goose herself. It was a living tribute to the imagination humans lived for.
You have to understand something...before Phantasia Forest came along, theme parks didn't exist.
Back then, you were lucky to find a few kiddie parks here and there, but frankly, they weren't much. Some old merry-go-rounds, a couple of dusty ponies, and a bunch of picnic tables covered in bird crap and that was it. Sad i know and dont go about saying that i am old even if it is true!?! now...
Phil Ballard dreamed of something bigger.
Phil was a local businessman. He even owned a few different stores around town, everyone seemed to know Phil and everyone loved him. Every town probably has a Phil Ballard the upstanding citizen, always quick with a smile and a handshake.
Kathleen, which is his wife, was like that too.
She came from a prominent family and spent a lot of her time volunteering, working with charities, hosting fundraisers. I also remember some of my 'human' friends i knew at the time going to a few of those.
All in all, Phil and Kathleen were the perfect couple somewhat like Ruby and Sapphire yknow Garnet...they had money, friends. The only thing they were missing was a little bundle of joy to call their own.
