Friday, September 4, 2009

stumbled on

last friday after work I decided to go out looking for a sign - I had stumbled on it when I was without a camera & looking for an estate sale in the spring but couldn't remember exactly where it was.

so I started doing a sort of grid search in the area I thought it was in, getting progressively more frustrated when I couldn't find it & found myself in an area I'd never been before...which is when I stumbled on a completely different sign that took my breath away:


from what I gather the park has been closed for a couple years now & some of the rides/attractions have been sold off. but the wooden roller coaster remains:



as do many other things that I could just glimpse through the big wire fence. oh man - I have never wanted to trespass so bad in my whole life...

{more info about the park's history here if you're interested}

oh yeah - I did find the sign I was originally looking for:


which got me wondering what other signs where out there that I hadn't just accidently stumbled on yet. so I went home, did some research online & then saturday I went on a sort of sign treasure hunt:






life's too short to just wait to stumble on things...

{have a great long* weekend!}

*here in the states its labor day weekend so I'll be taking monday off.

12 comments:

maryse said...

those are some awesome signs. i love them. sad that joyland is closed though.

Heather said...

you've got me itching to go out and photograph some of the great signs in the older part of Mesa!

Martha said...

My friends and I went to Joyland in the late 60's after my family moved from Oklahoma to Pittsburg, Kansas. I especially remember the wooden roller coaster (which still looks really good) and the beautiful carousel. Great photos!

Unknown said...

Born in Wichita, my Nana used to take me to Joyland when I was a kid. Your photo opened a floodgate of memories I didn't even know I had. Thank you.

Unknown said...

That's so sad that Joyland finally had to close. I used to love that place, even if we didn't get to go very often due to gang problems at/near the park.

DeeAnn said...

You always make me so homesick. I actually remember going to that amusement park when I was a very small child in the 1970's. Thanks for sharing. Made me homesick for Kansas. I think you made a lot of us homesick for Kansas, lol. Too bad Joyland closed. She was an institution.

reilly said...

I love the signs!!

jan said...

love, love, love the signs!! Thanks for hunting them down!

stinker said...

omg no way! i have been to joyland! we lived in kansas for one summer when i was about 8 and we went to joyland 2-3 times. thanks for the blast from the past!

Katy said...

Ugh, I just LOVE vintage signs! But I never seem to have a camera with me when I see an awesome one. I'll have to take a page from your book and figure out where they all are, then go on a sign hunt.

Cobalt Violet said...

I had never heard of Joyland but the name with "Closed for the season?" Sadly kind of classic and reads more like a larger comment on society and the economy. Great pictures.

Dawn said...

Great signs and what a fun idea!