Define "Adventure"...

Our local phone book arrived on our doorstep a few weeks ago. I swooped in and got it before Mr. Zoom could huck it into the recycle bin. Why? Because if you've ever read a phone book (I played with bricks as a child - what do you expect), you know there's all kinds of information in the front of it about local attractions.


I've been passive aggressively touring my local cities with my camera long enough now that I'm out of places to go that are obvious. And safe. Enough for me to go on my own and let Mr. Zoom have the t.v. for a few hours, anyway.


So I cracked the phone book and ran down the section that targets people visiting. To my surprise I found a listing for something I'd never heard of or seen before called "Adventure City." In Anaheim. So I grabbed the address, my camera and the Garmin and I set off.

And my Garmin sent me into STANTON. There was an adult book store and a strip club on my right, and 3 blocks later I saw Adventure City. I got into the parking lot and realized I was going to turn around and go home. Immediately. Why?


There were gang tags on most of the fences of AC, which doesn't really bother me very much on it's own. But combined with the hookers on the street and the man talking to the tires of cars while searching the trash bins, I thought this might be asking for a tad of trouble. Add to that the fact that this AC is indeed a teeny, tiny, ghetto fair designed specifically for children - and a very popular one from the packed parking lot - I wasn't going to tempt an ass kicking by being an adult with a camera and no child in tow. And for the record, I wouldn't really blame someone for doing so if they honestly believed me to be a threat to their child - or any child.



Because people have no way of knowing that I am harmless. That I specifically leave all children out of any photos I take. I specifically avoid adults, too. If I accidentally get an adult or child, it either gets deleted or if it is post worthy, gets modified so no identities are revealed. I would only ever take pictures of a person in public if they were practically wearing a sign that said "look at me." Otherwise, I leave people alone and out of it.


I gathered up a willing Mr. Zoom and we hit Adventure City.



Upon paying our entrance fee, a grandma working the turn style sized us up and said "Uh huh. Are you meeting someone inside?" Most of their business, I think, comes from the giant kid birthday parties they organize at this place. We had cameras akimbo and no child escort. "YES" I lied. And then I felt better for dragging Mr. Zoom on this surreal outing with me.

Inside it feels like miniature golf, only with roller coasters and fair-like rides instead of golf holes. And there are probably less than 18 "attractions" in the place. And it covers less land than your average mini golf course.

But it's big on crazy. And we love crazy. Unfortunately, most of that crazy was provided by the guests in the park so I don't have a lot of photographic evidence for you.

The Merry Go Round though, this will perhaps give you an idea what we were dealing with. It had the usual kitch on it, but...

And I don't know how well you can see it here, as when I saw them I was a little taken aback ... but painting a set of the angel's faces black? Isn't that supposed to be an insult? TO the very people who are attending this place?

We were through AC and back at our car in about an hour. And there was a crazy homeless guy circling the car. We didn't think he was after anything having to do with the car, we just parked too close to one of the trash cans. We let him do his thing in peace and then got in the car and went home.


It's funny, because every once in a while one of us Zooms will say "I don't know how that place still exists." And we always know without asking that we are talking about Adventure City.