I’ve been meaning to put together an entry since I posted that roller coaster picture. Patsy and I took the twins and Patsy’s two nieces to Pontchartrain Beach many years ago. The beach closed in 1983 but I think this was 1981 or 1982. I am almost positive that it was the last time I went to the Beach. Patsy gets severe motion sickness and an adult had to ride with the children. I had/got to go on every ride at least 4 times.
It was hot that day. The Big Zephyr ( Roller coaster ) got stuck due to the heat-expanded rails right at the end of the ride and a guy had to come out and pry them apart to let it finish.
The Rajun Cajun was one of the newer rides then and I had never been on it. Its big thing was the rolls that would turn you upside down a few times. It was much slower and smoother than the Zephyr. Not nearly as thrilling. Four rides on that thing was agonizing.
I don’t remember riding the Wild Mouse that day. Just as well. That one was terrifying even for me. The Wild Mouse was similar to the Space Mountain ride at DisneyWorld except that it was outdoors and quite a bit more rickety. At the top of the ride, the mouse car would take you to the edge and whip around and take you back to the other edge. It would go back and forth like that 3 or 4 times. As you whipped around at the edge, you could look over the side and have a clear line of sight to the pavement about 100 feet below. At the end of the fourth whip around, you would head down. About a third of the way down, the car would leave the tracks and you would free fall for about a second or so.
The Ghost Train: By DisneyWorld Haunted Mansion standards, this ride was pretty lame. There was one great thing about it though. As you came to the end of the ride, its very dark. At the very last ten feet or so, a light shines on a skeleton figure, you hear a deep, loud laugh and maybe a scream, and his hands press down the handle on the detonator. At that instant, a flash goes off in your eyes, you hear a large boom, and the car bangs into the exit door. You’re out of there with ringing ears, a heart beating a little faster, and stars in your eyes. You know exactly when that moment is coming because you’ve seen it the other 85 times you’ve been on that ride but the reaction was always the same. Your heart skipped a beat. I miss that one the most.
Good memories. I have one of the Wild Mouse that makes me giggle every time I think about it. We went with Grandma and Grandpa one night and for awhile it was really nice. Then Grandma and Janine got on the Wild Mouse, neither knowing what was coming and when they got off, Grandma was furious and angry about the whole thing and seemed to blame Janine for the scarey ride, maybe because she talked her into taking her. I can't remember how it came about that those two got on, except that maybe nobody else would take her. Janine, what do you remember about that ride?