When I was a kid, we didn’t go on a lot of proper vacations. But to be clear – I had a fantastic childhood.
Best ever.
I just say that to emphasize that when we did go on a vacation proper, it was a big deal.
My family lived in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. My dad had a pal, Sal Pagano, who lived in Albany and we went to visit him a few times. And when we did, my dad brought us all to Storytown U.S.A.
“Charming” is the word for this little amusement park nestled in the Adirondacks. “Quaint” would be the runner-up best word. This old timey amusement park was full of attractions like Old Mother Hubbard’s Shoe and the house where Little Red Riding Hood’s Grandmother lived. (Spoiler Alert : watch out for the wolf!). I also have vivid memories of low-key rides, like a Ferris wheel and a ski-slope style chair lift.
I recently was part of a cool event called Bike the Barns waaaay up in the Adirondacks. One of the goodies in the goodie bag they offered was an issue of Adirondack Life that detailed the life of Charles R. Wood (often called Charley) who is billed as “the father of the Amusement park”. In fact, his most famous park, Storyland USA, opened in 1954, one year before Disneyland.
He would go on to open several more parks, including Ghost Town, Gaslight Village, and Waxlife USA. Towards the end of his life, he collaborated with Paul Newman to create the Double H Hole in the Woods Camp, designed for children with serious illnesses.
In many ways, Charley was just one step away from being Walt Disney. I was a part of start-up that preceded Netflix (we didn’t survive), but I still have a lot of “what could’a been” thoughts and feelings. I can’t help but wonder whenever Charley stumbled across some facet of the Disney empire if he also had a bit of “what could’a been”?
Want to learn more about Storytown U.S.A. ? Just click here. And if you want even more here’s a nice write up on Charley Wood. What a clever entrepreneur he was.
And this isn’t my family’s home movies, but it could’a been. Check it out!
