Have you ever driven by a place and have memories come flooding back?

On my way to the airport in Kansas City on Monday we drove by one of those places.

I saw what was coming up and quickly took out my camera to capture a few pictures. The memories came flying back quicker than we were driving. I started to remember the many fun times that I spent riding roller coasters and spending time with friends.

I did get a fairly good shot of the iconic Worlds of Fun balloon, along with a scary looking dinosaur. Worlds of Fun has been around as long as I can remember. The amusement park opened in 1973 and was developed by Lamar Hunt. Of course, Lamar Hunt is much better known as the founder of the American Football League (AFL) and the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs.

I have not been to Worlds of Fun for many years, and found out that several of the rides that I really loved are no longer in operation.

One of my favorites was the Orient Express. The Orient Express was the first roller coaster to have a Kamikaze Curve or Batwing. The ride was retired about ten years ago. You could always see if from the highway as you drove past.

Now you see a different roller coaster as you drive past. I am not sure what this one is called.

I also learned that another of my favorite roller coasters, Zambezi Zinger, was moved to Colombia.

I also remember the Extremeroller, especially when it operated as a stand-up roller coaster. I knew that it had been replaced by the Timber Wolf.

The Timber Wolf is a huge wooden roller coaster and was a very fast and exciting ride in my memory. I heard that it is not as fast anymore as they have slowed it down for safety.

Of course there were a lot more attractions than just roller coasters, but they stand out in my memory.

I also had memories flood back about some of the people who I visited the park with. Especially when I was in High School and the park was far away from where I lived. It was a major event to go visit the park.

OK, I have spent enough time wandering on memory lane this evening.

What memories do you have of amusement parks?

Steven