Fond Memories

A kid from Long Island NY looks back

When I saw this website, I knew I had to write in and share my memories. It's true! just as everybody says. You NEVER forget about your experience at Palisades. 

As a kid growing up on Long Island, I used to always hear the invitation to "Come on Over- Ride the coaster, get cool, from the waves in the pool.." on the radio and on TV and wonder what all the hoopla was about. Well one day I had the opportunity to find out! As one day, my Dad drove our whole family about two hours away to New Jersey. I must have been about ten or eleven. Whoever made the park must have truly understood the minds of kids. I mean, from the moment you get into the park you are just barraged with sights, sounds and smells and you just start tugging on your parents arms "I wanna ride the Ferris Wheel!" "Lets go to the fun house!" "Can we go to the souvenir stand?" I remember, there was this train that was made up of maybe 8 different cars that were all connected that carried people around the park, and it zipped by at a pretty good clip and it would play this silly kind of tune on its horn. Everybody would just be smiling. Of course we got that lecture from my Dad, about staying with the group, and not getting separated, but it was hard because you just wanted to do ride every ride and see all there was to see. I think we eventually had to split up into two groups so my Dad could like my little brother and sister on the kiddie rides, and my Mother could take me and my other sister on likes of the Himalaya, on which I spent most of the ride pushing my sister off me. 

A few rides and a little while later, we met up with my Dad and the little ones, and by that time after watching other kids walking by with ice cream and cotton candy, had gotten to me and I was ready to chow down. My Dad gave my sister and me some money, so we could go and get something to eat (It felt so grown-up to be able to pick out your own food, it was such a treat, it was more of a thrill than actually eating the food) while my Mom took my younger brother and sister to the bathroom. They had so much food to choose from, I don't know how I ever decided what to get, and the smell of those French Fries (I've never smelled any thing like it since), but my choice to get an Italian ice, must have been based on the fact, I wanted to ride the roller coaster later, and that it was really hot outside, and I don't think I was really hungry, just so excited.. After everybody had eaten, we all rode the Caterpillar ride together. This was so much fun, I felt like I could stay at Palisades forever! Then we climbed up the steps to giant slide, I watched my parents as they each each grabbed a burlap bag lay it down, and one of them grabbed my little sister, the other one grabbed my little brother ( what we didn't know at the time, was that my Mom carried two babies down the slide that day, for as we would find out that fall, that Mom was expecting a baby, due in the Spring) and they slid on down the slide.. my other sister then followed them, and I, who was feeling a bit apprehensive, hesitated at the top of the giant yellow slide, before the anxiety of being separated from my parents took over and I realized there was but one way down, so down I went! As I slid down, I thought about what a giddy, happy day it had been and how nice it would be to come back someday. 

Alas, I never did get back to Palisades Amusement Park nor do I have any pictures of the time we spent there, but, I do have that wonderful memory of the day we spent there as a family. We were so blessed! It was truly a day of belly laughter and togetherness.

Thank-you for the fun look back!

D.W. Dornell

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