A Magical Mystery Tour

I was just chatting with a five-year old about birthday parties and where to have them. His verdict was inevitable: Chuck E. Cheese. Unfortunately, they no longer serve beer there since an unfortunate incident between an intoxicated man and the animatronic band so yours truly will not be trekking there anytime soon. Or, honestly, any time.

Then I got to thinking about the places I used to have parties, or go to parties. There was the year my parents took me and my friends to see "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and then went home to eat cake. Red velvet cake. Which I loved. But my friends thought it was an attempt to bring the gore home from the movies. I wish I could plan ahead that well.

I remember going to Showbiz Pizza in Georgia growing up. They had an animatronic band, too. Instead of a mouse, I think they had a gorilla leading the band. Why pizza places were so into animatronics, I don't know. All they really needed to be popular was a Frogger! machine in the back and a soda machine that you could use yourself in order to make "suicide drinks"--a sample of every soda on the gun.

Further back, I remember a place called Pipe Organ Pizza. This was less animatronic and more...vaudeville. They had a lot of the old penny machines that told fortunes. And there was a monkey on a unicycle pedaling back and forth above the dining room on a tightrope.

There was Pennywhistle Park. I have no idea what it was or what we did there. I think there was a carosel. Other than that, I have no idea what that joint was about, other than remembering the name of it, sitting here, today. From a quick Google search, it was a big indoor carnival that has since shut down.

And Farrell's, an old style, black-and-white tiled floor ice cream parlor with bins of candy in the lobby. Lots of old-timey lettering on glass and big fancy glass dishes filled with ice cream.

Most odd? The Magic Time Machine. A restaurant with themed servers and themed booths. For a long time I thought this place was a figment of my imagination. I'm sure my parents only took me there once. But I was entranced by the idea of each booth having a different theme. I particularly remember the "valentine" themed booth, covered with lace and hearts and nonsense. It was ridiculous, but as a five year old girl, it was incredible and fantastic. We were served by the likes of Pippi Longstocking and Sandi from Grease. I LOVED it.

Most of those places are gone now, although there are still two Magic Time Machine restaurants still open. It is too bad that today's youth only has a plastic mouse to hang with during their birthday. I hope they can look back with wonder on the places of their youth. But I doubt that living rooms filled with video games will be as memorable as the roller rinks and themed restaurants of our youth.