Category: Travel

Libertyland was an amusement park with a patriotic theme located at the Mid-South Fairgrounds in Memphis.  It was probably best known for the roller coaster called the Zippin Pippin in part because Elvis Presley declared it as his favorite ride.  This ride was built at the Fairgounds around 1912, years before the amusement park opened on July 4, 1976.  I have several friends who were music performers at Libertyland in its early years. One of them was even an Elvis impersonator.  Libertyland was only a moderate success.  Most of my visits to Libertyland were made during the Mid-South Fair in the fall and rarely a summer trip when it was just the amusement park. 

When my kids were young, we would visit my mother-in-law in San Antonio, Texas regularly for family vacations.  My mother-in-law would buy our family season passes to Six Flags Fiesta Texas.  One year when we were there, I rode a ride called the Frisbee with my son and youngest daughter. Wikipedia describes the Frisbee as “type of pendulum amusement ride featuring a circular gondola that rotates as it swings back and forth. Riders are seated on the gondola facing inward.” Most years my kids weren’t interested in riding this and I did care to go on it for my own amusement.  It’s not the style of ride that I would normally be attracted to.  This year was one of the last years that our family made this trip. My kids were more willing to try different rides.  I encouraged them by riding this one with them.