Logging Camp

We have not been to the Logging Camp for supper in years.  My other baby brother called and said “Let’s go check it out.”  So we did.  It hasn’t changed at all in twenty some years.

Tin plates and checkered oil cloth and family style service…we all had ribs piled high on an oval serving plate…sides were buns, corn bread, coleslaw, macaroni salad, baked beans and mashed potatoes. It was all topped off with a Lumberjack Doughnut.  We all ate too much.  There are many kinds of meats…you can have meat with your meat…roast pork, roast beef, baked chicken, ham or ribs….they will bring you as much meat as you can eat.

Everyone sits at long tables on simple long benches…there are various cast iron cooking vessels on the wall and misc logging equipment. The wood floor has seen lots of traffic over the years.

There are chickens, turkeys and ducks running around free range outside…eating bugs and most likely ticks as The Rapid River Logging Camp is located in the deep woods.

The food was excellent, and the sevice was great.  It is a family dining destination open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  They also serve breakfasts…pancakes, eggs, ham, sausages and hashbrowns…and stewed prunes.  After all you have to keep the lumberjacks regular.

Wistful Wednesday: Aqua Park 1978

Back in 1978 Park Rapids had a few tourist attractions.  One was called Aqua Park or “The Aquarium.”

The little non blondes are cousins of Jessica and Melissa who are on the far right.  Our daughters;  Trica and Jennifer are the other two blondies.  ( Jen’s shirt is dirty from holding  after a rain shower bunnies.)

Aqua Park had a gift shop with oodles of made in Japan “stuff” that our girls were enthralled with.  You know…Native American drums with feathers, Native American dolls, Yo Yos, Slinkys, playing cards, souvenir pencils and every kind of plastic or rubber animal you can imagine( snakes would be held up and wiggled just to scare their Mom).

There was one display case that was a revolving stair step design, you pushed the button and a new row of jewelry would appear just like magic.  Of course they would have to take turns pushing that button and making sure that one got as long of a turn as the other.

Aqua Park was also known as the Aquarium.  I am not sure of the sequence.  I think it was the Aquarium first and then Aqua Park.  The Aquarium was just that…beyond the gift shop you could enter a darkened room that held huge glass tanks filled with fish. On a hot day it was a wonderful place to visit. Aqua Park had animals; deer, ducks, geese, rabbits, goats and a trout pond.  You could buy food out of a dispenser to feed the animals. 10 cents I think was the going rate for a hand full of some kind of pellets.

Trica and Jennifer with the rabbits.

Jessica and Jennifer

I used to babysit for Jess and her sister Missy.  They lived just down the street from us when we lived in Regal Estates in Moorhead Minnesota. Jess was hearing impaired and wore an external hearing aid.  She learned how to read lips all by herself. I went to grade school with Phillip, Jess and Missy’s Dad, he was a year older than me. 

I am looking for old photographs of the outside of the Aqua Park/Aquarium building for the museum.  This one wasn’t exactly what I was looking for but that bear must have had a bit of history himself.  I know he was on wheels so they could bring him inside overnight.

Just like so many small businesses in small towns, this one is no longer in business. Back in the day it was the place to go if you had little kids!

Chance: A High Chair

Hey, It it's me the blogging Border Collie! The other day we went to town. Far Side saw a new attraction outside the newest tourist trap and just had to stop and take a photo.

 Far Guy lifted me up and I waited patiently for a photo..what a bunch of malarkey but I am rather handsome...I did jump down all by myself!

 Far Side was not too impressed with all the sporting goods, seen one set of waders and you have seen them all, she has also seen every t shirt and sweatshirt that has Park Rapids Minnesota embroiderd on it, she wasn't real interested in the bait shop either. She did enjoy their northwoods room...and she thought that their signs outside were pretty cute. AND someone said "Hello" to them as soon as they walked inside..Far Side nearly fainted..as this hardly ever happens in town:)