On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

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My kids just got back from 3 days at Six Flags Theme Park with their mother, and I’m sure she dropped a nice hunk of change. A family of my friends with small children were heading up to Story Land in New Hampshire. With gas and hotel, that costs a pretty penny. A day at Canobie Lake Park, for a family of 4 without discount coupons, will cost a whopping $120.00. Toss in the food and some souvenirs and you’re coming home with an empty wallet.

It’s all relative, too. Back in the day, my dad spent a lot of money to take us to Revere Beach, Paragon Park, or Norumbega Park for the day. There were always the Foss and Dilboy pools, as well. I never went to those pools because I am too much of a germaphobe (HBF…Human Bacterial Frappe!). I think we went to Wakefield’s short-lived Pleasure Island amusement park during its ten-year existence. Pleasure Island boasted appearances by Bonanza’s Michael Landon and the Three Stooges (with Curly Joe De Rita).

We took a couple of trips into Boston also to ride the swan boats, which was a fun summer activity. There was always the old stand by, Revere Beach. We were so lucky to have had this amazing amusement park when we were kids. My friend Charlie’s grandfather helped build the wooden Cyclone roller coaster, and we actually worked at the Dodge’Em Cars for a while. Our band, Shadowfax, also played at Hurley’s Palm Garden on the boulevard, right up until they snuffed the beach for condos.

When we became teenagers, I can remember a few places we went to for fun during the summer. One was the Sheepfold area of the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Stoneham. We would arrive there in several carloads with a guitar and a few coolers. We had a lot of fun, but if I remember correctly there were a couple of run-ins with the authorities as well.

Breakheart Reservation in Saugus and Wakefield was a favorite spot for us also. One year I tried to swim to the “island,” only to be rescued by my former girlfriend, who I was trying to impress. I dove in, swam like Hell for three minutes, but somehow had managed to turn myself around halfway to the island. So I was out of breath and yelling for help. Good thing she was an avid swimmer and former member of the Medford High School swim team. I learned a lesson about showing off.

We popped into Sandy Beach in Medford every once in a while, as well as Wrights Pond. At Wrights I believe you had to have a Medford Resident sticker, but we still got in. My pal Bob is a Park Ranger up there.

Today, the closest place I have found to Revere Beach is Old Orchard Beach in Maine. We hit that fun spot a few times a year. They have a pier area, a great beach and a decent amusement park. I call it Somerville with water, because I always seem to see a familiar face from the “Ville” up there.

We have our little trailer in New Hampshire, which is a lot of fun for a summer escape on weekends through October 15th.

Some of you people are lucky enough to have a “cottage.” They are usually passed down from generation to generation. You kids are lucky! And if it’s close to a lake or pond you are even luckier. We had one in Wareham for a few years, but dad sold it when we stopped going down there. I wish we had it now, that’s for sure. My timing was all off. If my kids had already been born he would never have sold it. Oh well, you can’t go back. I am happy with the options I have.

It’s fun thinking about the ways we kept cool in those summers of the 60’s and 70’s. Driving our old clunkers packed with our friends to have a little fun. Sure we were a bit careless, but somehow most of us made it. I think I still have one of those matchbooks with the discount offer for Paragon Park someplace in the cellar.