Visit to Marriott's Great America in Gurnee - 1977

[WestBurbs14]

After my 1976 visit to the Gurnee MGA, I wrote to the park about my experience. I don't remember exactly what I said, but I know it included a complaint about the ToC being down or having a slow line, as well as my joy after I finally did get to ride it, because the park official commented on that aspect of the letter when he wrote back. The best part: he gave me two free tickets for 1977!

So my mom, dad, sister, and I went to the park in its second season, with two of us getting in gratis.

The two biggest memories were of the new rides: The Sky Trek Tower and the Southern Cross. Regarding the former, the memory is that it wasn't open! The structure was built, but it wasn't operating yet, despite the TV jingle that went, "The rides are up; the shows are up; the tower is up - at Marriott's Great America."

Oh, well! The Southern Cross, however, was indeed up, and we went on that. I love the vistas from tall structures, and with this ride's tremendous height, the view was great, as exemplified so dramatically by Steven's excellent home page picture.

As we landed at the station past the ToC, I saw a sign that read (as best I can remember), "The Great Southwest Territory rises in '79!" with a picture of one or more Looney Tunes characters on it. "Yee-hah!" I thought. Our car moved off the cable and onto the turnaround track, and then the ride attendant, who must have had the loneliest job at MGA, pushed us along the U-shaped track until the car was poised to soar again. During that brief moment, it was oddly tantalizing to see this desert-like area of the park with beige dirt instead of landscaping and to imagine what might be there in two years.
Then our car caught the cable and headed back to the station. It was a longer ride than necessary due to it being round-trip only, but of course that would be resolved when the new territory opened in '79 and the Southern Cross would actually serve as transportation to it.

This visit also included my first trip on the Logger's Run. All four of us went on it, and my mom, who was not a thrill-seeker by any means, good-naturedly asked of the ride attendant stationed just before the climax, "Can I get off now?" I suspect her eyes were closed as we slid down the wonderful, roller-coastery double drop. And I know we got wet, because my dad said after we'd hit the park's walkway again, "It looks like I wet my pants!" in a laughy, smiley face that I've rarely seen on him.

Dad was less happy with his ToC ride. He had a headache before boarding, and the jostling - probably in the corkscrew - didn't suit him well. I remember thinking in the uncompassionate style of a 15-year-old that he should have enjoyed it more than that. Now, as a 45-year-old, I'm a lot more understanding when people don't want to go on thrill rides or have a bad experience on them.

My dad, sister, and I rode on Willard's Whizzer, and while my dad didn't get upset by the ride, he was shocked at how scary it was, mirroring my experience the year before. Unlike my first ride, however, which prompted several more in quick succession, Dad was satisfied with his one Whizzer trip.

We saw the Grand Music Hall show, and one of the guys in it - the one who sort of emceed the whole thing - happened to be someone my sister knew, at least by face, from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL.

I think Dad's favorite part of the day was his Belgian Waffle in County Fair. For years after that I heard about how great it was.

As the day wore on, we all started to feel cold, and after we left, we quickly learned that the temp was 60, so no wonder!

A general comment about 1977 is my regret that Gurnee didn't get its Tidal Wave that year as Santa Clara did. I'm pretty sure that sometime in the 1976-77 down-season I saw some promotional material announcing that the Tidal Wave would open in 1977 and that it was supposed to be the "ultimate" coaster.

Well, you can't have everything. At least I got to visit the park in 1977 and repeat the fun I had in the previous year, plus ride the Logger's Run and Southern Cross!

[Glorfindel7]

The two biggest memories were of the new rides: The Sky Trek Tower and the Southern Cross. Regarding the former, the memory is that it wasn't open! The structure was built, but it wasn't operating yet, despite the TV jingle that went, "The rides are up; the shows are up; the tower is up - at Marriott's Great America."


WOW... that really WAS a jingle of Great America? I sort of remember it but I always thought they were saying something else!

[WestBurbs14]

Glorfindel7,

Re: the jingle, what did you think they were saying?

[Glorfindel7]

Glorfindel7,

Re: the jingle, what did you think they were saying?

I'm not exactly sure I think I got the rides are up, the shows are up, but the "tower" is up sounded so stupid so I thought it was something else (hey I was only about 8 years old at the time...)

, I wonder if anyone has a copy of one of these commericals? I didn't see this one on uTube....