You might have guessed at it, but I’m a fan of folklore, fairy-tales, mythical magical whimsy, and all things imaginative… Unicorns, mermaids, wizards, hobbits, and fairies are fixtures of our home. Accordingly, the girls and I were delighted to introduce Little Man (and my youngest niece) to a real life Enchanted Forest of wonderment this week.
A fixture of my hometown, I grew up visiting for school field trips and weekend gallivants– and I’m pretty sure at least one of my cousins was employed there as a teen. I took the girls when they were quite tiny, nostalgic recollections of which flooded me during this recent visit as I recalled that my late Grandma also joined us.

A true litmus of childhood bravery: Are you bold enough to venture inside the rabbit hole? I was always too scared as a child and now I usually have at least one of my own who’s too nervous to crawl through to the other side. Pretty sure I’ve only ever made it through once, as a tween. Legend has it my much older sister once got wedged stuck inside on a school field trip with her oldest.

The highlight was the shoe-slide, and I supposed I was the old woman with “so many kids she didn’t know what to do.”
The place itself has changed very little in thirty-some years, as if magically frozen in time. If you ever find yourself in Salem, Oregon, you simply must visit Enchanted Forest– a place of whimsy and magic and delight. Thank you to my friend Dana for passing on a coupon for a discount on admission!
Throwback of Firstborn with Grandma Norah at Enchanted Forest, nine summers ago:
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