I have great memories of Knott’s.
It was a great place for a 12 year old. Those parachute baskets are seared into my memory. I grew up partly in El Toro, and we were poor. My mom let it be known that Knott’s was less expensive than Disneyland, and thus we went to Knott’s.
I took my family to SoCal last year, and noted the Knott’s bathrooms were not as clean as the Disney bathrooms.
I told my wife we JUST HAD TO get a chicken dinner, as it was an institution. Well, the restaurant reeked of rancid chicken grease, and the floor was sticky. VERY sticky. I read recently they are tearing that down and building a new one.
The things is, Knott’s is a part of Americana. It is the “last gasp of white America”. It gives an insight into an America that is no longer with us. It is not all slick like Disneyland, and I appreciate that.
And as a father of a 5 year old, you know what else I appreciate? Camp Snoopy.
I grew up in West Whittier. We would usually go to Knotts on Friday night for dinner or on Saturday. Disneyland was for special occasions such as birthdays.
After a visit to Disneyland in August, 1959, my father complained at how expensive our visit had been—entry fee, rides, food and parking had cost our famuly of five $30!