Knott's Berry Farm and another Anaheim book

Chris Merritt's presentation on the history of Knott's Berry Farm was really amazing, and I only hope he does an encore performance here in O.C. He's researched this subject for about 15 years and it shows! Moreover, he's a good storyteller. I can't wait to read his book, which should be hitting shelves about a year from now.

The photo above was taken at Merritt's presentation on Monday. From left to right: Tony Baxter of Disney Imagineering, your truly, Bud Hurbut (the genius behind the Mine Train Ride, the Log Ride, and many others at Knott's), Kevin Kidney (extremely talented artist), and two more folks who I think are also from Imagineering.

Naturally, since this was probably my only chance to have my photo taken with these guys, I *had* to blink. Still, it was quite a moment for me, getting to stand around and talk with legends.

Anyway, that was Monday, and the rest of the week has been uber-busy too. Between family stuff, work, and the battle to save my home from a poorly planned nearby construction project, I just haven't had much time to post updates. And as you can see, this isn't much of an update either.

I can, however, report that Steve Faessel's new Anaheim book is excellent. His knowledge and hard work really shine through. Even historians and long-time Anaheim citizens will see photos they've never seen before. Alternately, you could ignore the photos and simply read the captions for a good summary of Anaheim's history from 1940 to the present.