Anybody Remember?

So I was driving up to Orange County today and before getting on the 73, I looked to the left and when I looked it triggered a memory. I remembered being a kid and see the sign for the Lion Country Safari. Did anybody ever go there when you were little? For those of you who don't know what Lion Country Safari was here is the description from Wikipedia ( LOVE Wikepedia!)

Lion Country Safari was founded in 1967 by a group of South African and British entrepreneurs who wished to provide a safari experience for families who would not normally be able to experience it. The park originally exhibited only lions.

Between 1967 and 1974, Lion Country Safari, Inc. opened 6 animal parks, one near each of the following American cities: West Palm Beach, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Richmond, Virginia.

The first park, in South Florida, is the only Lion Country Safari still in operation. At one time there were parks in Irvine, California (1970-1984); Grand Prairie, Texas (1971-1992); Stockbridge, Georgia; Mason, Ohio (1974-1993) and Doswell, Virginia (1974-1993).


The whole purpose of the park was that you could drive your personal vehicle right there among the animals. I remember visiting Lion Country Safari when I lived in Canada as I was growing up. Our school would do field trips there. See? I don't see why Wikipedia doesn't mention the one in Canada...hold up...gotta look....YUP....it was in Hamilton, Ontario! Anyways (I know, I know....no such word) We would do field trips there when I was in 1st grade, 2nd Grade and 3rd grade. Memories include a lion jumping up on the hood of the bus and all of us kids FREAKING out. But the best part was always the monkey's......they would look in the windows.....go up to the antenna and just shake the dickens out of it. Sadly I never got to visit the Safari in Irvine. I think my folks were to afraid of their car getting scratched, who knows? But everytime we would drive north to Los Angeles, I always saw the sign.

It's funny what you remember and how your memory is triggered by just looking at certain areas.....but that one came up and I just had to google it.

Again, just random thoughts from Paulette. ;-)