Thursday, September 14, 2006

Goofy Golf !!! Panama City

I was going to tell you all that I do have a birthday that seems to happen about once a year at some point...but luckily I didn't have to ( mary ann!! wink, wink). So on with the birthday biz! I have been asking for the same 3 things for my birthday for the past 5 years....pink cake, goofy golf, and to play the bowling game at my favorite "dive" called the elbow room. The goofy golf in my town was devastated by Hurricane Ivan 2 years ago so we drove 2 hours away to go to the BIG Goofy Golf in Panama City. It was built in 1959 and is bad ass!!! This was my first time going to this one.

The monkey was my favorite! His eyes glowed red and his dryer-hose-looking-tail swung side to side! CUTENESS!

That big purple dinosaur is the coolest! And you can go inside him! See below!






My promo shot to be the next crocodile hunter.




Inside this guy was a spiral staircase that went all the way to a lookout point at the top.

my other favorite! I like how he is gingerly holding the chain to raise the monkey up and down yet has such a pissed off look on his face.

These photos don't even show the half of the stuff at this place, just the coolest of the cool. Among the other stuff is a really huge man-made underground cave, a Egyptian sphinx, a pirate boat, a few other dinosaurs, a rocket, a wooden haunted house, a goony bird, a snake, a Buddha, a castle....All in all, there are two courses with a total of 36 holes. But I'm not going to lie to you, some of the holes and their corresponding attractions have seen better days.

So what is this Goofy Golf all about you ask?

"In 1958, Lee Koplin reinvented and reenergized the idea of mini golf when he opened Goofy Golf in Florida. Suddenly, unlike its predecessors, obstacles became oversized. Giant dinosaurs, pyramids and other kooky sculptures towered over the putting areas. Goofy Golf dwarfed the idea of Tom Thumb golf and gave the game an amusement park feel. Even sculptures that were not part of the game were set up along the walkways to add to the surreal fantasy landscape."...Statement blatantly stolen from somewhere.

The other really exciting thing (at least to me) is that they still had original vintage post cards for sale! Here are a couple, Check it:
(this card shows that hand pose nicely)


(this card shows a bunch of stuff that is not there anymore, 'cept in the background is that wooden haunted house I spoke of)


more photos and info from one of my favorite sites, Roadside Architecture.


Other birthday happenings: Dixie Doll Kat called me first thing that morning and sung Happy Birthday as Marilyn Monroe-ish. And she is getting me a very interesting present .. I'll share once it happens (I'm the hold up!). She took me out on the town last weekend and bought me drinks and we played the bowling game... it was good times. No pink cake though (pink cake= that imitation strawberry prefab cake mix with prefab strawberry icing, yum yum!) . One year I am going to make myself a 3D pink dinosaur cake, yes siree! ..or maybe I'll do a few small cakes that are differnet goofy golf attractions! Aww, forget that! It's MY birthday! I should be getting a foot rub or something by Johhny Depp (in character as Ed Wood of course) while John Flansburg of tmbg sings me happy birthday in his skivees and a Mexican sombero... ahhh...that would be a grand birthday!

Back to reality....my birthday has come and gone....and left me as an old lady...Seriously.. I am an old lady...like, break-a-hip old.

14 comments:

msdramateacherlady said...

That place ROCKS!!! I wanna go.

Hope you had a great birthday!

Jennifer W. said...

Happy Birthday, Sweetie! I'm so glad 2 of your 3 birthday wishes came true. You know if I was nearby, I'd bake you a pink dino cake, complete with walk-through tunnel (ok, that's kind of gross, now that I read it again).

Then again, if I lived near you I probably wouldn't have much spare cash, as I'd be blowing all my dough on Goofy Golf and dive bar bowling alleys.

Happy Birthday again!!

Anonymous said...

girl, please.

If you are break-a-hip old, then i must be re-animated zombie grandma old. LOL! So stop saying things likethat cause you make me feel ancient. Getting older is getting *better*, don'cha know! :)

Goofy Golf looks sooooo fun! Love the photos of you with the giant octopus...you should be in B-moves, you're a natural with the corny giant monsters!

Funky Finds said...

fabulous photos!

jungle dream pagoda said...

What amazing pics! Among my numerous wedding fantasies, 1 involved goofy golf, wed on the 1st hole ,coctails throughout, with the big windmill wedding cake finish!

woof nanny said...

this would be fun for the pink cake
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50227

Anonymous said...

happy birthday. it looks like you had a great time at goofy golf. i am so jealous. i want to go too. gotta love those giant creations. also love the roadside architecture site. if you are interested secretfunspot at blogspot has an interesting article about giant fiberglass things and some other fun stuff you might find of interest. take care.

ps love your blog.

majamom said...

Dear ((Mary))
how frickin FUN!!! I SO want to go there when i visit my folks in ORlando this SPring! Maybe we can hookup.
I adore my package of unique and uber fab necklace* wrislet mad from a Tie! Graci! Graci!

I am putting together a special box for you so because - it turns out I have developed major allergies to mold and dust which means OLD VINTAGE STUFF CANT STAY IN THE HOUSE =( =(. I am more then distraught about this; but, will give in ,as i am not willing to sign up for sinus surgery any time!- "aint no how, ain't no way!
many items that have your name all over them, so be on the look out for a package =)
THanks for sharing this all too fun place!
XO
MB

Angelina said...

You know, I used to say I was old enough to break a hip and then I turned thirty five last year and (to the amazement of all the doctors in my city) broke my hip. I guess I'm lucky I'm not old enough to die from it yet.

I really like your blog. Good stuff!

(And happy birthday!)

elizabeth said...

happy belated bday to you (sorry, i've been outta the loop for a while).

that place looks awesome. we may have to make a drive that day.

i do hope that you also got a pink cake!

many hugs!

Gina said...

Happy birthday doll! Gosh you look cute in those photos!

Mom O Matic said...

Break hip old? Only if you mean breaking the hips of the old men that swivel too fast checking out your cute self.

Love the goofy golf. Wish I lived in Cali. In the midwest if it's BIG it's likely a cow at a roadside cheese stand.

Very Mary said...

If I wasn't supposed to drop the b-day bomb, I am sorry. Not truly, deeply sorry, but more the kind of sorry a person is when she isn't really sorry but has to say so to make things copacetic. So, happy birthday and I'm (not really) sorry. I would have shipped a pink cake had I known...

Ward Jenkins said...

Happy belated birthday! Hey, you know what? There's a photo of me when I was about 5 years old sitting on that crazy huge monkey's hand! How cool is that?

Very cute photos! Me wanna go back some day....