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1-11 of 11
- Try and remember your favorite amusement park. It's easy. Have you ever wondered how these parks started? Welcome Back Riders breaks new ground, taking a collective look at the history of amusement parks. This film is not a superficial examination of 'who has the biggest roller coaster.' Instead, Welcome Back Riders explores the history of the amusement park as a part of Americana, and the larger-than-life visionaries who creations, from Coney Island to Disneyland, were, and are, a reflection of America's evolving culture. The ride begins with the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, continues through the Great Depression and straight into present day. We learn how some have survived, and with heartbreaking footage, we see what remains of once alive parks. Through Riders unique storytelling process, the essence of 10 parks are brought to life through character narrators with an intricate script that focuses on the story, with no interviews and few dates or statistics. Behind each park, a creative visionary poured his heart into crafting a park that reflected his personality, from Walt Disney to Milton Hershey. As the film unfolds, it becomes the first American Amusement Park biography. Using an antique 35mm camera, the film combines archival footage as early as 1901, home videos and colorful postcards of the parks, to both educate and entertain, cultivating a greater appreciation for a favorite American pastime. Welcome Back Riders combines history and personal journeys into one touching story, while evoking the nostalgia we all carry towards our favorite amusement park.
- When the term "Wild West" is used people usually picture gunslingers, ghost towns and Death Valley. Not much really happened in Death Valley, but to one man a lot happened in Death Valley. Peg Leg Smith told people he found gold covered in black soot from a volcanic crater. He started to collect the gold but the volcanic fumes made him dizzy. He barely escaped with his life and warned others to be wary of the "Black Fumes of Death". In this episode, Joanna travels to Death Valley only to find that not much exists there. Joanna gets caught in a horrible wind storm while camping in a ghost town near Joshua Tree National Park. She shows you how to make pizza in a Dutch oven even during a windstorm. After talking to a couple of Barstow residents, She finds a volcanic crater that matches all the clues. As she battles the heat she starts to realize exactly what a prospector had to go through and how far away Peg Leg Smith was from water, not to mention a town! Joanna goes off road and uses a metal detector to try to locate this missing stash of gold.
- Virginia City, Nevada had the biggest boom in the Wild West. Tons of gold and silver were mined and taken 13 miles away to the U.S. Mint in Carson City. One day a Wells Fargo Stagecoach was robbed while on that 13-mile trek. Four armed bandits robbed the stagecoach and took the loot it was carrying. The driver rushed to Carson City and organized a posse to capture the bandits. The bandits saw the posse coming and buried the gold. After a short gunfight 3 of the 4 bandits lay dead. The fourth one spent many years in prison. He would brag to prisoners and guards that he could see the treasure from his cell window. After being released from prison for good behavior he died within a month of natural causes with out being able to recover the gold. Joanna Skye heads to Carson City and Virginia City trying to track down the treasure. She talks to a couple of local historians and the Warden at eh prison where he was held. Joanna gets to tour the prison and sees the bandits cell blocks and his view.