China Camp was before my time, but I have bittersweet memories of Black Point. I still haven't gone out there to see what they have done to it. The forest was a magical place.
I'm not a freak, but a bit of a geek, I guess. Many of the participants were teachers and history buffs. There were alot of computer geeks that needed a break from hi tech, too. I was a participant for 5 years, in the early '90's. One year as an ale stand cashier, the others as a member of St. Cuthbert's Guild. We were the ones that made the opening/closing parades, some pageants, and the hobby horse dance during the queen's progress. I was a hobby horse for several years.
My most favorite memories often were of events that occured AFTER the customers left. One that stands out is the night we did the electric light parade, based on Disneylands, but we lit up all the giants and carts and hobby horses.
Shoot, I was going to post about the Rennaissance Faire -- you beat me to it. :) This was the best time. I don't have any particular interest in this time period, and I'm not the freaky kind of person that dressed up, but it was a great way to spend a hot day "pelting the privateer" with tomatoes, seeing people joust on horses, eating a giant turkey wing for lunch, and generally spending a day drinking beer in a place that looked kind of like Hobbiton in the Shire. Too bad I only went a couple of years after college, and that my kids won't have the pleasure of going...
