Pixieland was a short-lived amusement park on the coast inspired by a longstanding destination restaurant in Lincoln City called the Pixie Kitchen. The whimsical restaurant, with a funhouse mirrors entryway and an internal courtyard occupied by colorful mechanical pixie characters, opened in the 1930s and closed in the mid-80s. The amusement park had a much shorter life span, opening in 1969 and closing a few years into the early 70s (and now its remnants are disappearing into reclaimed wetlands).
I have exactly two Pixie related early childhood memories.
Radio Gretchen mentioned recently at OurPDX that the Pixie Kitchen held magic for her as a child. What the Pixie Kitchen had in store for me as a child was my first food poisoning. I had ordered some type of child-sized fried fish platter and ended up retching it all up a few hours later at a motel with my family as cold chills wracked my body. I couldn’t be in the same room with clam strips or popcorn shrimp for years after. Any time we drove by the restaurant in future family travels, I shuddered and looked away.
Don’t worry, there’s no reverse peristalsis, that I can recall, in my next memory.
This one involves Pixieland, though I have zero recollection of The Franz Bread Rest Hut, Darigold Barn, or Little Toot, as dutifully, and playfully, documented at PDXHistory.com.
It’s not even really a memory, it’s a photograph. A photograph of my dad, my oldest sister, and me at Pixieland.
That’s my dad on the left, my sister Boni next to him, and some other people I don’t know on the right. I’m the bundled up grump in the stroller.
Not surprisingly I have no memory of that day. I look about a year old in that photo, no? So that would have been in 1972 or 1973.
So, despite the fact my Pixieland memory is not something I actually recall, I prefer it to my more immediate memories of Pixie Kitchen. I’m sad they’re both gone, but I am relieved that nowadays I can keep my lunch down when passing through Lincoln City.
You were a cute little bugger!
~n
Nick – Damn straight! 😉
Though you can’t see it here, after I saw some of Dave’s baby photos, I can attest that his hair is the same. It sticks up the same exact way.
Cherry Redd Fashions (dot com) has some Pixieland shirts and stuff, I love it!
I do have fond memories of Pixieland! My parents took me there several times each summer in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Never got food poisoning from the Pixie Kitchen, either, so it was all good. I was really sad when it got torn down, but it was probably for the best, as when I grew up, I would’ve realized it wasn’t quite the Disneyland paradise I saw through my young eyes.
So glad our Pixieland shirt brought back a couple of memories! We’re big fans of Pixie Kitchen too but there was something about Pixieland that made it just a bit funkier – could have been the Cheese Cave?
Thanks for posting the photo – it looks like you already had an awesome pair of tennis shoes too.
Jeff & Kelly
Vintage Roadside
David S – I’m planning a trip to the Enchanted Forest in the Spring, which my childhood memories tell me is exactly like DisneyLand . . . I’m sure I won’t be disappointed! 😉
Vintage Roadside – Thanks! I wish I actually remembered the Cheese Cave. I was pretty suave a 1 year old. I do think my dad looks especially groovy in the photo too.
Our dad was cool.
Steve – He sure was. Look at those loafers!
Dori thinks that is Eddie and Brenda to the right. I was kinda thinking that but not sure. But then who’s the woman? Doesn’t look like mom.
http://www.oregoncoast.org/antique-week/antique-week.php
Here is a link to the 2011 Lincoln City essay contest for Pixie Kitchen and Pixieland memories!