My immediate memories of the class trip are fuzzy at best. I do remember that for me, having had walked to school every day for 8 years, just getting on the school bus with the entire class, boys too, was an event in itself. There was no precedence for behavior for this…’who do I sit with, what do we talk about, do we break out in song, this will never happen again, there’s pressure to make it worthwhile & memorable, did you sign my class journal, where’s the camera, are we allowed to sit near the boys and do we want to?’ We suppress our emotions. Barely a giggle escaped. We arrive. This place we know….a comfort zone of fun.
Across the street is a beautiful beach, Nantasket Beach, with the whitest sands & warmest water around; beautiful year-round. The park had a penny arcade for skee-ball, pinball machines and other games. There were stuffed animals to win & tickets to collect for more games. Great fun! And it had the best assortment of rides: a magical carousel of hand carved horses, the largest roller coaster around, tilt-a-whirl, Ferris wheel, Kookie Kastle, a fun house, (with mirrors that made you look tall & thin…wish I had one now!), Jungle Ride…our version of the tunnel of love boat ride, bumper cars and miniature golf to name a handful. WOW!!! Then there was a boardwalk too. Food stalls ran the entire length of the beachfront…fried clams, cotton candy, ice cream, pizza, popcorn, hot dogs, hamburgers and salt-water taffy. YUM!!!
Our photos are gone, but not the memories of the heart. Fun times live there.
Years later during my college days, my roommate & I needed to make the most of a Memorial Day weekend. What to do, what to do? As we scraped together pennies for gas & our daily expenses, we had to decide where to go & what to do on this limited budget. Our spirits needed a lift. What would be memorable? There was only one place to go…Paragon Park. We spent our money for one ride & one ride only on the giant roller coaster. It was that good and that memorable!
You see it was more than just a place to go; it was a place to make memories, a place to be young & playful regardless of age. This place held our hearts for a lifetime with family, friends & schoolmates. Even now when we are alone with these thoughts, we smile. We are young at heart once more.
Now, back to the class trip. I’ve said all that I can remember. I know that the nuns chaperoned us there. I don’t remember them hovering over us. It was time for them to let us go. I hope they had some fun. I suspect that they were probably standing near the entrance to the Jungle Ride…. our ‘tunnel of love’…saying lots of prayers!
The carousel remains, the park does not. The arcade & boardwalk are less than before. Condos have risen; new people enjoy the beach & view. I drove through this area a few years ago and thought sure I could hear the sound of the rush of a roller coaster with people shrieking in laughter. Good vibes still live on!
I have found some wonderful sites on the Internet by people dedicated to the history of Paragon Park. It has even been noted in Wikipedia! Please enjoy these mindscapes. They serve our memories well & enliven our hearts. Please have a look & enjoy. They made me smile! J
Cathy
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