Tag: Ragtag Daily Prompt-Rise

Breaching the Waters of Time

Seven Seas Marine Life Park

Breaching the Waters of Time, we drift back to 1972 when my family stopped for some time of relaxing entertainment at the Seven Seas Marine Life Park in Arlington, Texas.

Newtka, a Killer Whale

Seven Seas Marine Life Park was a marine mammal park, and animal theme park built and owned by the city of Arlington, Texas, United States. It opened in 1972, and closed in 1976. The 35-acre (14 ha) site was located in north Arlington off Interstate 30 near Six Flags Over Texas and adjacent to Arlington Stadium. The facility housed killer whale Nootka from 1972 to 1975.

Pictured here is the Killer Whale Stadium at Seven Seas Marine Life Park. If you look closely you might can see the two trainers and Orchin, the Seven Seas Mascot standing on the platform stage area within the stadium. The castle themed backdrop is visible behind the platform.

The theme park had seven (7) sections:

  • Arctic Ocean
  • Caribbean Sea
  • Indian Ocean
  • Mediterranean Sea
  • Sea of Cortez
  • Sea of Japan
  • South Seas

Newtka (also spelled Nootka) the killer whale: A 6,000-pound (2,700 kg) and 18-foot (5.5 m) female orca that resided in the park’s largest animal performance stadium. Other animals that were housed and performed at the park were: Jannie, Rodney, Debbie are three of the twelve bottle-nosed dolphins which performed in the Dolphin Show; Pancho the Elephant Seal; Over fourteen (14) California sea lions for the Sea-lion circus; and Several Rockhopper Penguins and one Magellanic Penguin for the Penguin Troop Performance. Seven Seas Marine Life Park also had a few rides and Pearl Diving.

The city council of Arlington voted to close the park in 1976 because it did not generate enough revenue to both pay its operating expenses and pay off the bonded indebtedness.

The property is now the site of the Arlington Sheraton Hotel and has several buildings on the property that date back to the park.

Leanne’s Monochrome Madness-Blast from the Past

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere #222

Throwback Thursday

Ragtag Daily Prompt-Rise

Photo Credit: ©️1972 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Location: Seven Seas Marine Life Park; Arlington, Texas, USA

God Bless. Thank you for visiting the Seven Seas Marine Life Park with us. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.

2024 RDP: Older /|\ Rise

Welcome Friends, Guests, and Visitors! This is June 2024, I am realizing that the Older I get the harder it is for me to Rise. It is harder for me to Rise in the mornings, and harder for me to Rise from the floor. Let’s face it the Older I get the harder it is for me to do a lot of things. But, do I let that stop me? No. The Older I get the more determined I am to Rise above any and all obstacles that may arise.

Now that all that has been said, how about we take a ride down memory lane (or in this instance – tracks.) As I have been looking back through my dad’s Old old slides, I realise how much I do not remember about the family trips we took. I remember taking them, but the details are obscure. In the process of digitizing his old slides, the memories are Rising to the forefront of my mind.

On this trip down memory lane, I can see the photos and recall our ride on a vintage Railroad at Stone Mountain Park in Georgia.

The Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad is an open-air train that chugs around the 5-mile base of Stone Mountain. The ride takes 40 minutes and includes a live “train robbery” skit. Trains depart from Railroad Depot, an old-fashioned train station, where there’s a restaurant with all the fixings for a fried-chicken picnic, just in case you forgot to bring your own.

Train Robbers
escaping from
the Sheriff

The Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad, Inc. was formed in 1960 to construct a tourist railroad encircling the mountain. Three secondhand steam locomotives and several rebuilt passenger cars were purchased for hauling mountain visitors. Attempts were made to backdate two of the steamers to appear more like Civil War era engines, as the railroad’s theme was based on the “Great Locomotive Chase” involving the General and the Texas.

 A single locomotive pulls a consistent of open-air cars and often a caboose around the 3.88 mile loop track. Two or more trains are run during busy park hours. Passengers board at the Train Station near the Memorial Lawn. On the far side of the mountain, trains often stop for skit entertainment in the small yard area that includes mock up building fronts, a maintenance shed, and several spurs that store previous rolling stock.

Don’t let the clown face fool you, this is no good guy. He is attempting to “rob” the train.

Hawkins Rails

The Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad ride is just one of several activities one may choose to take part in while visiting the Park. Regardless of whether you’re into history, hiking, or want to enjoy some relaxing entertainment Stone Mountain Park can accommodate your interests. For more information about what to do and see at the Park click here.

Ragtag Daily Prompt-OLDER

Ragtag Daily Prompt-Rise

Dan’s Thursday Doors

Throwback Thursday

Leanne’s Monochrome madness-Blast from the Past

Photo Credit: ©️1972 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) … All Rights Reserved.

Location; Stone Mountain Park; Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA.

God Bless. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with me. I appreciate y’all very much.