FAIR WEATHER

So as not to take up too much of your time here, instead of telling you everything I love aboot fairs and good "fair memories" I've had, I'm just going to tell you aboot one thing. My favorite ride. Ever.

The Himalaya. I get all smiley just thinkin' aboot it. If you've never ridden the Himalaya, it is (if they even exist anymore) a simple ride. There is a hub like a wheel. All the "spokes" have a seat at the end which seats maybe 5 adults, like a large loveseat. They all face in the same direction, one in front of the other. The track is round with several "speed bumps" around the track. Kind of like the Caterpillar but not covered. There is a decent amount of speed involved, so much that I always got the inside seat so as not to get squished by all my larger-boned friends. The centrifugal force was quite impressive on this ride. Aside from the up and down sensation and the hair-blowing involved, there was The Music. The stereo system on this ride was the coolest in the park. One particular summer I remember Ma Belle Amie blasting from the speakers which were maybe 6 feet tall, situated at specific spots on the way around. The whole trick to the fun meter on this ride was to get the carnies to think that you were cute and they would stand at the end of your car and yell at the DJ in the booth what song you wanted to hear and how fast you wanted to go. If they really liked you, they would slip you tickets and you could ride all night for free. Hee hee. Some of our favorite Himalaya music was Rock the Boat, Build Me Up Buttercup, Sugar Sugar, Venus (Shocking Blue, not Bananarama!), Immigrant Song, Rock Me Gently, lots more. OMG, it was so fun. At certain times during the ride, which was longer if you made lots of noise, the lights would go out completely and they would turn on the strobe lights and you would feel like you were blasting off to another planet. Oh, and if the lines weren't too long and the carnies liked you, they'd let you ride again without getting off. Even waiting in line for this ride was fun with the lights and the music. It always drew a crowd later at night when things got really hoppin'. A regular teenager's heaven on earth it was. If I ever win the lottery, I think I'll buy me my very own version.

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