Fiction, Essays, and Other Things

  From inception Disneyland was a shifting entity. Conceived in the early planning stages as an abutter to the second incarnation of Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, the Happiest Place on Earth began its story as a blueprint for a modest infusion of Griffith Park and icons of Walt’s childhood (a Main Street that could find a home in any American small town, a railroad which would take guests around and other emblems of America at an industrial and agricultural cross-road which had always been the soul of Walt’s vision), christened Mickey Mouse Park. However, as concepts were added and ideas grew it became clear that the space adjacent to Walt Disney Studios could not house the dream and so, over the next few years, as this Mickey Mouse park grew into Disneyland, Anaheim was chosen as its new home where it opened in July of 1955 with most of the original plans intact. Since then Disneyland has been in a constant state of transformation, culminating in the opening of a new park in...

 Quindio’s Parque del Café gives visitors what they want from a visit to a coffee plantation but, unfortunately, it doesn’t stop at that and turned what could work on its own as an educational experience amongst the rows of foliage into what can not unreasonably be called an amusement park with a farm in the background. A good starting point and one keeping with the nature of what a visit to the coffee plantation should be is the Coffee Museum. This quick but well organized and informative self-guided museum strikes the balance between the educational and engaging with many interactive exhibits such as one in which visitors act as coffee farmers filtering bad beans from the basket. Even better is the ensuing walk down Coffee Process Path where guides stationed throughout the walk explain (often with hands-on opportunities) the trajectory of the coffee bean into a morning stimulation.  Typical Colombian coffee truck seen in the park There are other peripheral sights throughout ...