Annual Passport for Disneyland

I suppose if you live in Orange County, there's a good chance you hold, or once held, an annual passport to Disneyland.

In the early 1990's, my wife and I bought annual passports. We would go out for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night, and then cap it off with a evening visit to the Happiest Place on Earth.

What really made this convenient was that the cost of parking was included in the pass. We'd go to Disneyland two or three times a month.

We didn't do a whole lot during these evening visits. We'd start by jumping on board the Disneyland Railway there at the Main Street station, and usually rode a couple times around the park. Then we'd jump off at Tomorrowland Station and head over to the People Mover for a ride.

During the Summer months we'd try to time things perfectly so that we could ride the Skyway and watch the fireworks from up there.

And that was probably all the rides we'd take. We often perused the wares at some of the shops, and then relax on the bench on Main Street at the photography shop. We'd stay there until closing just watching the people go by.

We bought annual passports three years in a row, and then the whole experience just started to get old, and that was that.

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The Barn

Yesterday I mentioned some of my favorite OC restaurants, and it got me thinking about another one. The Barn.

The Barn was located in Tustin, on the corner of Edinger and Red Hill. It actually looked like a giant barn, but with several additions to it. It was basically a steakhouse. The employees there wore cowboy and cowgirl outfits.

I remember our first visit there, it was a Christmas party for my step-father's employer. I was 13 years old then. I remember at first being in awe of the place because it was big and there was so much stuff going on inside. The place had an upstairs area, but my folks wouldn't let me go up there. Later on in life, during other visits I got to up there, and it was a bar with pool tables.

Food-wise, it was pretty good. They gave you big portions. I always ordered the salad bar to go with my steak.

My wife and I used to go there once in a while, and one of the companies I used to work for held employee birthday parties there.

The Barn closed up something like 7 or 8 years ago. I don't know if it moved to a different location, or just went out of business. I think they finally tore the place down.

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My Favorite Orange County Restaurants

There were several places to eat around Orange County that I would regard as favorites. Some of them are not around anymore.

Chicago Pizza Factory - I don't know if this was the correct name of the place. But it was located in Santa Ana, about a block east from 17th Street and Bristol. They served only chicago style pizza, of course, and some other dishes too. They had saw dust on the floor. (Update: This place was actually the first BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, before they became "BJ's")

Rubino's Pizza - Probably my favorite pizza joint of all time. They had several locations, including one in Santa Ana on the corner of Main & MacArthur. They had also a location in Mission Viejo, at the Portola Plaza off of Marguerite and Rancho Santa Margarita Pkwy.

Goro - For Japanese food, this was my favorite Japanese restaurant of all time. It was located in a shopping center in Irvine, on the corner of Culver and Alton. It had a "jazzy" decor. The food was probably the most authentic I experienced of any US-based Japanese restaurant.

Las Brasas - This was located in Santa Ana, right across the street from the old Zody's on Harbor Blvd, near Edinger. This is was a hole-in-the-wall type of Mexican fare. Quality-wise, it was ok. But for whatever reasons, me and a buddy of mine used to eat here a lot during our college days.

Ricardo's - This is located in Orange, on Katella, about a couple blocks west of Tustin Ave. It's actually part of the Don Jose's chain. My wife and I used to go here an awful lot, and every now and then we'd run into an old co-worker of mine who also loved going there. They have some really good margaritas, and great salsa.

Bob's Big Boy - Before Bob's started shutting down most of its restaurants, my wife and I used to go here for Sunday breakfast buffet. We'd always go to the one in Laguna Hills, right off the 5 freeway, caddy-corner to the Laguna Hills Mall. I think it's a Carrows now.

What were your favorite eateries in Orange County? Post a comment below.

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Ed Tunk's Country Store

Does anyone remember Ed Tunk's Country Store?

I believe it was located on the corner of Westminster and Magnolia in the City of Westminster.

It was a store that sold locally grown produce, and it had sawdust on the floor. Radio station KEZY would often set up a remote broadcast from Ed Tunk's.

The store has since gone, and there isn't much else on the Internet about it.

Below are a few comments we collected from the old days of OCThen.com.

By: Jerry Parker, 12 July 2001

In the mid-60's I recall Ed Tunks Country Store in Westminster or Seal Beach. I remember the location as bieng Golden West and Westminster. I could be wrong. On weekends, KEZY from Anaheim would broadcast from the store. As I was interested in radio then, I would hang around and watch the DJ play records and do his radio thing. Bythe way, KEZY was the Anaheim radio station "With studios and offices in the Disneyland hotel." Their studio was on the ground floor of the Disneyland Hotel, in the old building where the monorail station is, across from the drug/camera/card store where I worked in 1968.

By: Shirley Azvedo, 6 Aug 2001

I came to Orange County in 1963 and there was an Ed Tunk's Country Store on the corner of Westminster and Magnolia. There is a strip mall there now.

By: Eileen, 7 Dec 2001

I remember Ed Tunks also - I recall sawdust on the floor and real low prices on food. Sad to hear it is no longer there.

By: J. Russell, 4 Mar 2002

Oh my gosh! I haven't thought about Ed Tunks Country Store in so many years. I remember when I was little, my mother would take us there to buy fruit. They had the best cherries!! And my sister and I loved to run in the sawdust. Thanks for the memory.

If you remember Ed Tunk's Country Store, please click on "Post a Comment" below and tell us what you remember.

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Santa Ana Valley High School

Anyone an alumni of Santa Ana Valley High School?

Well, I am. I went from 1981-1984, graduating there.

Valley High had the reputation of being the roughest high school in the city, and probably among the roughest county-wide. There were several gang fights there. I remember one black guy getting pounded to a pulp by a gang of Samoans. Nearby at Centennial Park, there were students and gang members that died in knife fights.

One time a guy got his throat slit while walking though Carr Intermediate School on his way into Valley High.

There was also a prankster club there called the "Crack Club". All they did was pull some unbelievable pranks, like hauling up some lunch benches up on to the roof of the Auditorium.

Watch out for Spirit Week! At this time, the seniors set their sights on the freshman and kicked their asses. I mean some kids got flat out beaten senseless. I imagine some lawsuits were filed between parents. I don't know how I managed to escape it.

At Valley High, they had a annual tradition called "The Kangaroo Court". The whole school went into the auditorium and watched a panel of judges (members of the senior class) pull some of the popular students out of the audience, and convict them of various sins. One guy was pulled up for having a reputation of dating a lot of girls. They blindfolded him, and told him that they would be bringing a mystery girl out, and that he would have to kiss her. Well, they ended up bringing his mother out! He grabbed her by the arms and laid a full-on open-mouth tongue-tickling kiss. Nobody expected such a thing; they thought it would just a peck on the lips. They pulled the blindfold off, and he just about wet his pants.

But due to political correctness, they cancelled The Kangaroo Court in 1982.

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Santa Ana River Trail

Does anyone remember riding the Santa Ana River Trail?

I used the ride the trail frequently during the late 1970s and early 1980s. We lived in Santa Ana, on Richland Ave, near Bristol Street. I'd ride my ten-speed up Edinger Street all the way to the river.

Sometimes I'd head west to the beach, riding below the street-overpasses, and passing by other bikers and joggers. Most times there was no water. In fact back then, the river bed wasn't concrete like it is today, it was all natural sand.

Other times I'd head east towards Yorba Linda. By the time I got to Yorba Linda I was pretty exhausted and usually didn't continue.

These days I couldn't even ride a mile without running out of breath!

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Linbrook Family Billiards

Back in the mid-1980s, during my college days, my best friend Greg and I would ride our motorcycles to Linbrook Family Billiards.

It was located in Anaheim, just off the corner of Brookhurst and Lincoln (I think, or maybe Ball). Anyways, it was billed as "family billiards" but it was no place where you'd want to take a family to.

We'd go there on weekend nights and shoot pool. You used to be able to get a table for $3.00 an hour. There'd be groups of folks from all walks of life. Punk rockers, vietnamese, bikers, folks wearing suits, everyone. You'd even see a prostitute hanging around. The patronage was diverse enough that anyone could go there and not feel out of place. I think that's why we went there.

We never saw any rough stuff there, however. For the most part everyone was cordial, and often times other folks would challenge us to a few games. Greg and I were both slightly-above-average pool players, and we'd win half the games when we played others. It was never for money though.

I don't know if Linbrook Family Billiards is still there.

These days I either play on the pool table I have at home, or some friends and I will go down to the High Society Billiards in Temecula. Still, I'll never forget playing at Linbrook.

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Skyway and Fireworks at Disneyland

Sitting here reading about another blogger's trip to Disneyland made me recall some good times my wife and I used to have at Disneyland.

For a few years in a row we had annual passes to the Happiest Place on Earth, and we'd go there on weekend nights after dinner to enjoy the peaceful rides like the Train, the People Mover, and the Skyway.

On Summer nights, at 9:00pm sharp every night (or was it 9:30?), Disneyland presented their fireworks shows (they still do). We'd try to time things perfectly by getting into line for the Skyway and trying to get aboard just as the fireworks show started. On those times when we timed it perfectly, we were treated to a spetactular show high up in the sky.

Of course the Skyway is long gone. So is the People Mover. While I considered these to be among my favorite rides, I realize not everyone cared for them. But watching a fireworks show high up in the sky is something most folks just can't do anywhere else.

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Black Sunday at Disneyland

There is an interesting article published by the Associated Press describing what took place at Disneyland on the day it first opened, often referred to as "Black Sunday". Despite all the fanfare, the writer recounts all the stuff that went wrong:

Long lines formed at the rides, forcing visitors to stand in the sweltering sun. Later it was discovered that counterfeit tickets had been used by the uninvited. Adding to the congestion, crashers scrambled over fences and berms in remote areas of the park.

Several of the rides shut down because of overuse, and by the end of the day all the "Autopia" cars had been sidelined. The deck of the river boat Mark Twain was awash; too many passengers had climbed aboard. And a gas leak was discovered in Tomorrowland, forcing evacuation of the entire area.

Refreshment stands quickly ran out of food and drink, and there were few drinking fountains. Women's spiked heels sank into the newly laid asphalt on Main Street. Families waited in long lines to use toilets. A saboteur snipped electrical lines in Fantasyland, bringing all rides to a halt.

I remember my first time visiting Disneyland, though I don't remember the date. It was like 1974, or something. I remember Monsanto's "Journey Through Inner Space". That was my favorite ride at the time. More recently, my wife and I would enjoy resting our feet on the longer rides like Disneyland Railroad, or the People Mover. Actually, I think the People Mover was the best ride they had!

The last time I went to Disneyland was a couple years ago, and it was on a Wednesday. Man, there were SO many people crammed into that park, and it wasn't even a weekend!

I'd like to read what you have to recall about Disneyland "back in the day". Click on "Post a Comment", and share it with us.

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Lion Country Safari

The first and only time I visited Lion Country Safari was when I was 14 years old. My family didn't take any photos that I know of. It was part of a company picnic that my step-father was involved in. We mostly congregated at a picnic area designated for large groups. Everyone in attendance was free to get into the cars and go through the tour to see the wild animals.

From what I remember, I wasn't all that impressed. My expectation was to see hungry lions walk up to your car, and inquisitive ostriches peck at your windows, just like you saw in the brochures. It just never happened.

Below are some e-mails we received during the old days of OCThen.com concerned Lion Country Safari:

By: Tamara, 5 July 2002

I have too many brilliant memories of an expansive and "wild" area where you could see the animals at Lion Country Safari from the freeway (if you can call it that then - a couple of lanes either side with a huge dirt ditch in the middle - you could actually do a u-turn if you wanted to on it). We always looked for the giraffe's as their heads stood out quite easily.

By: Tim Holmes, 8 Feb 2002

Was a kid growing up in Huntington Beach, I used to really enjoy the drive through Lion Country Safari Park located down in Irvine. Seeing wild animals from the window of my mom's car was quite a thrill! Frazier the lion was always my favorite and it was really sad to see him pass away from old age in the early 1970's. I believe the Irvine Amphitheater is now located where Lion Country Safari once stood.

If you have any memories of Lion Country Safari, please click on "Post a Comment" below, and share with us what you remember.

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