Photo TR: Fascination...with Lusse Auto Skooters!

I was thinking of a place where supposedly one can find such classic amusement park staples as Fascination, bumper cars, arcade games, corn dogs, and perhaps even a carousel and a Tilt-a-Whirl. Oh, and birch beer. And by the way, the bumper cars are the world-renowned Lusse Auto Skooters.

Where? Seaside, Oregon, of course! Duh.

Now, details on Seaside attractions are sketchy, with only the most bare-bones, likely-out-of-date Web presence imaginable. Being a seasoned coaster enthusiast, I chose to visit on a recent summer Saturday rumored to be the best weather day the coast had seen all year. Even better, it was Labor Day Weekend. Wait, that was a good idea? Well, you see, the business I was seeking out was rumored to have wildly unpredictable hours, and I didn't want to run into any problems getting my rides in! A busy day seemed like it would be perfect.

I wasn't 100% clear on where to actually find said Fascination parlor and Lusse bumper cars, but the Internet gave me the idea that perhaps they could be found in Seaside Carousel Mall, where there might also be a mysterious bonus ride (maybe a carousel or something). Okay, let's see how I did.

I began my quest at the Seaside Carousel Mall. I have a feeling there is at least one ride here, possibly horse-themed. But hopefully there are at least TWO rides here. I feel like bumping!

What do you know, I was right. There is a carousel here. Say, those two fellows sure look...erm...antlery.

DAMNIT! I want to ride NOW! (Note: I didn't actually say this out loud.) Good thing I brought my air horn and Super Soaker.

Needless to say, I woke those suckers up right quick. Then I rode. It was embarrassing (and it takes a REALLY pathetic carousel to embarrass ME, a lifelong but newly out merry-go-round enthusiast). The end.

Looking up, I found a surprise woody in front of my eyes. Sadly, it wasn't real. Darn, would've enjoyed that.

Under the Big Top (haha, I made a clever with the store's name), we find this miraculously tall creation known as a "giraffe".

Moving on, I think we've found our arcade! Oh wait, that's it? It's just not big enough to be what I'm looking for. I need to find a bigger one so I can have more fun playing.

That's right, the arcade with Fascination and Lusse Auto Skooters was supposed to be called "Funland". I think this might be the sign for Funland.

This must be the place! I can't wait for some good old-fashioned balls and bumping!

Hey, they know what I'm looking for! How convenient! All I need to to is follow the signs and I'll be Skootering away in no time.

Oh no. Looks like I might not be allowed to ride the bumper cars after all. Hey, it's not like I'm going to be on the road or anything!

After reciting the alphabet backwards, I was allowed to proceed to the bumper cars.

Almost there! YAY! Excitement! Should I pay up now?

There they...oh.

I guess some people just don't care about preserving history. I haven't felt this bad since Burger King took out their classic carousel (this was about 15 years ago and deeply traumatic). I am still crying as I type this.

Well, looks like they still have Fascination at least...I guess I'll come join in the remaining fun and try to recover.

All kinds of fancy ways to win! (I did a bit of an edit to help your eyes hurt at least slightly less.)

I never did make heads or tails of this. (That's an expression...I do know it's not a coin toss game.)

Anybody here?

I don't even want to know how much I spent here. The place ended up hoppin' after a while, so after two early wins it took me FOREVER to get a third and move on.

Let's check out the arcade before going home. Here are some generic games (I assume)...wait, what's that?

Now that's a Down with the Clown arcade game! If only there was a place to get Faygo around here...

There was a WOODEN COASTER CREDIT in the game! I wanted to get a video or screen shot, but I almost got arrested for theft of intellectual property, so all I got was this lousy poem (actually, it's pretty bad-a$$).

In case you forgot we were in Oregon.

Let's walk around town a little. I thought this was cute...wait, frosty WHAT?

They REALLY don't like cats here. Too bad for them, I guess.

Another example of the businesses that line the streets leading to the...wait, WHAT DOES THAT SIGN SAY? Might the "good" bumper cars exist in Seaside after all?!

First, let's make sure this place has the kind of well-educated proffesionals I want operating my rides.

WTF. I thought I was done with balls for the day, but they keep popping up in the most inexplicable places.

Not only does it look like an old-style Lusse Auto Skooter...it says "Lusse Auto Skooter" right on it! WIN!

Needless to say, it was a good ride.

I like that sign, even though it doesn't say "Bump Your Ass Off".

Of course, I had to ride the classic Tilt-a-Whirl.

This gentleman was workin' the big stick to give his riders maximum pleasure. I don't know what's better, that or the Tilt-a-Whirl COACH at Knoebels. By the way, this is easily a top-5 Tilt (and no, I don't formally rank them).

Didn't I say something about being done playing with balls for the day? At any rate, there is a quirky little mini-golf course here.

I would have known that beforehand if I had read the sign FIRST, but I'm stupid and didn't.

Despite having played Fascination and ridden some classic amusement park rides near the shore, it somehow took me until NOW to realize I was at Indiana Beach. Oh wait, Pronto Pups was founded in Oregon? Oregon, you say? Yeah, actually we're in Oregon after all.

"Wiener Dun in a Bun"...that's all I need to know, thank you very much.

Speaking of...actually, no comment.

Let's head to the beach. But first, let's stop and take a picture with...oh, that can't be right. Never mind.

This hotel is 100% TPR-approved, says I.

Guess what! Lewis & Clark were here! I thought I'd share that fascinating tidbit in case you thought there wasn't enough fascination in this TR.

This is what part of the Seaside shore looks like. Now you know!

I was happy to see that my friend was also at the coast today.

Returning to the streets and shops, we find The MAN Store and the artful mural they painted to draw in more customers.

Oh no. That's TWO strikes against my pet elephant. You see, I can't quite manage to pick him up, and, well, he has ears. (And no, I can't just eat them.)

This is my elephant.

That looks like it handles turns well...

I wonder if they have the soda I've been craving (which can supposedly only be found locally at a couple sketchy places in Portland)...YES! What a nice surprise!

The goods: every kind of Faygo they had (WHOOP WHOOP), a wine that cheers with flavor instead of alcohol, birch beer for a taste of Pennsylvania (you know, that place where Knoebels is), killa sarsaparilla, and a sampling of root beers to carry the pseudo-alcohol theme. Th-th-th-that's all, folks!

What a lucky elephant !

It's really nice to see classic bumper cars as opposed to those air-hockey-flying-saucer thingies.

Also nice to see - there's a Nicktoons Racing arcade game sneaking out from behind a wall! I remember playing that game on my old Playstation!

Laura.....made a TR?

I'm quite impressed... some nice pictures and I LOL'd at your captions. So.... why didn't you do one for the NE/RTCP trips?

Also, anyone else notice the random water heater in the bumper car area? Or am I the only one who notices things like that?

Also, you know what's sad? I was in Cannon Beach this summer... I knew that Seaside sounded familiar.

That's not too far from Astoria, where Kindergarten Cop was filmed.

Yes, I'm a dork for knowing that.

Laura - are those Lusse Skooters any better than the ones at Oaks?

I now realize that bumper cars have been something I have always taken for granted. Those skooters look so cool, better than the faded plastic cars seen everywhere else. Great TR!

oh, and 200th post blah blah blah.

I've been in Seaside, OR before. Last year, I drove up the Oregon Coast on the way to visit a friend in Seattle. I stayed at their Motel 6 for a night which was by far the nicest Motel 6 I've ever been in (sofa, fridge, and microwave in my room). My runner up for nicest Motel 6 was the one I stayed in the previous night in Coos Bay (which had an indoor jacuzzi and sauna on site). Of course it was night time when I arrived in Seaside and I left the town the next morning so I didn't see this place. It was November and I wasn't in theme park mode anyway. I did however check out some pretty cool sites nearby: Ecola State Park, Cannon Beach, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, a shipwreck at Fort Stevens State Park and the most NW point of Oregon, and I climbed up to the top of the tower in Astoria. Cannon Beach was a really nice beach town and would be a great place for a Boardwalk park if the population of the area could support one and the view at the top of the Astoria tower was amazing. I was impressed with the Oregon Coast, despite the on again off again rain, but it was November so that was expected.

Thanks for the comments, everyone!

Chris - Have you ever SEEN me with a camera?

Larry - I found the Oaks Skooters more wild and vicious than these, which had more of a "controlled" feel. But both sets certainly have their avid supporters.

Andrew - I don't think I've been to all those places, but I have visited the Astoria Column, and I used to love the shipwreck when I was a kid.

Larry - I found the Oaks Skooters more wild and vicious than these, which had more of a "controlled" feel. But both sets certainly have their avid supporters.

Thank you, you just saved me a side trip next time I'm in the area as I found the ones at Oaks to be lame. These ones must be severely neutered.

Great TR Laura!

 

Chris - Have you ever SEEN me with a camera?

True.. But you should consider doing more of them in the future.. this one was good!

^^^Larry, Seaside is a 1 1/2-2 hour drive from Portland should you happen to change your mind. I know I'll be testing these out more at some point, as I've heard they're meticulously cared for and can be even more fun with the right crowd. The Oaks Skooters have been running fast and slippery for me, and I've taken some legendary hits on them.

^^Thanks Chris!

^Thanks Chris!

Maybe someday inspiration will strike again. Here's an older one in case you want to track how much I've improved.

Nice TR Laura! Glad to see you found the Auto Skooters after all.

Awesome, thanks for posting this TR! I would so travel there from Pennsylvania (you know, that place where Knoebels is) for Lusse Skooters and Fascination!

Looks like it was a great time.

^^Thanks Matt!

^Believe me, I'm also fond of your state's Fascination parlor and Lusse bumper cars (not to mention plenty of other attractions).

We will have to add this to the Pac NW TPR Trip when it finally happens!

^Awesome idea Robb! Great opportunity for some epic TPR takeovers.

Great pics!!

FAYGO!!!!! Mmmmm nothing like an ice cold Faygo and some Better Made potato chips, Detroit staples for sure. I'm surprised at how far away from home I find Faygo now.

Great pics and funny captions Laura ! Loved reading your TR

Laura, that is a very nice elephant, I have never had an elephant. Are there any un-written rules for bumper cars? I seem to lack the killer instinct when it comes to children and girls, I mean should I just slam the hell out of everyone or what?

I mean should I just slam the hell out of everyone or what?

YES!

I loved the pics and awesome comments Laura. I want to see more!

Great PTR! We visit Seaside a couple times every year and it never even occurred to me to post a PTR, which is actually good as my PTR would have sucked balls compared to yours. Great Job.

And Larry, unfortunately Laura is right. The Seaside scooters are very tame compared to Oaks. But it might be worth a side trip just for the town itself.