A few months ago, I was devastated to learn that my beloved Libertyland was closing. No, it wasn't the greatest, biggest, or even the most fun or attractive theme park in the world, but I've grown up with it, and it is dear to my heart. Every year, I faithfully attend the fair (at least once) and ride all the slung together in two days, throw your neck out of whack rides that it has to offer, and then drift over to Libertyland to ride the ol' faithfuls that I have come to know and love. Like my dear Elvis Presley, my favorite ride was also the Zippin Pippin(North America's second oldest wooden roller coaster). Not the biggest or most interesting roller coaster, but I loved it the most because I literally feared for my life every time I rode on it. The front cart was of course the best. The ride creaked and groaned with every motion across it's old pine timber frame. On the downward jolts, I'd hold my arms up but always felt like that time, I'd surely fly out because of only being restrained by a wobbly bar. So I was nearly in tears when I found out the city had auctioned off this ride for a pathetic $2500. I would have taken out a loan and set it up in my back yard for that!!!! Well, I would have figured out something. They moaned some trash about it having to be so cheap because whoever bought it had to take it away within 30 days. Bullarky!! And,who could forget the Revolution? It sped up to 55 mph and flipped you upside down a couple times. I remember the first time Tina talked me in to getting on it. After that, I was hooked. I have love for the goofy log ride with it's always wet seats and tunnel of luhve, darkness or something, that's fog machine took your breath away. And I have so many fond memories on the wonderful antique carousel. It was always the last ride of the evening after a full day of fair fun. Every single year, we rode that carousel. After learning of the Pippin's demise, I just knew that it would be sold for parts or mowed over because no one gave two hoots about preserving something as magical as it is. And while someone decides what in the world to do with it, it's just sitting there, getting older, needing to be preserved, wanting some thrilled kids to pick out their favorite horses to ride on so it can take them away in endless circles. Call me a kid at heart, too attached, or just plain dorky for loving the ghetto palace so much, but love it I do. And thus the devastation when I found out it was going to be sold for parts. How could the city allow this!??! But....... I found out today that apparently some jitney named T-Rex or something like that (some great themepark), is buying the ghetto palace and keeping the Zippin Pippin AND the carousel RIGHT HERE WHERE IT SITS IN MEMPHIS!! I could die of happiness! This place supposedly has a really good success rate at buying nappy rundowns such as my beloved, and turning them in to fabulous riding establishments. And to this Elvis (and myself) would say, "Thank you. Thank you very much."
