The Best Time Was...

Crystal Beach - Crystal Beach was an amusement park in Canada that was often visited by people from Buffalo. There were a few roller coasters that were famous, but I did not like roller coasters. The biggest & baddest one was called The Comet. Then there was the Wild Mouse with its quick turns. And the smaller roller coaster was called The Yellow Roller Coaster. I did go on that one at least once. My favorite rides were the bumper cars, the bumper boats, Laff In The Dark, Jungle Land, and The Magic Carpet. In the 1970s, TOPS, the local grocery chain used to give out ride tickets to kids based on the grades on their report card. And there were chartered bus rides organized by the various neighborhoods. there was a Genesee/Bailey Day; a Walden/Bailey Day; and so on. A bunch of kids would load onto these busses unaccompanied by adults and cross over to Canada for a day of fun. On one of these trips I went to Crystal Beach with my brother Victor and our friends from Frank's Grill - Bebee & Bonnie. While playing putt-putt golf, I took a shot that looked like it could be a hole-in-one. And while running to see if I made it, I tripped over the side rail of the hole and landed on my face. I cut myself above my lip & below my nose. Bebee got such a kick out of it that she reminded me every single week of what had happened. For the one year anniversary of the event, Bebee got me a cake decorated with a golfer & golf course. And even though I made a fool of myself, That was the best time!