perfectly enchanting

About an hour south of Portland is this little magical place called The Enchanted Forest.  It's a small amusement park that feels like it just grew out of the forest it was built in.  Little vignettes of fairy tales made of plaster and hand painted to look like they were pulled straight out of a storybook dot winding walkways. Animatronic characters animate well-known tales like Snow White or Goldilocks and The Three Bears.  Of course there are rides too, many constructed by hand and just as charming.  It has all been around since the early 1970's and, according to Leif who grew up not 15 minutes away, has not changed much.

It is one of those places that people tell you about when you move to this city.

Hey have you been to The Enchanted Forest yet?  No?  What?  You have to go.  It is amazing.

The thing is that when people say things like this it almost inevitably sets you up for disappointment.  Expectations get raised to unreasonable heights and suddenly you're sitting eating a meal after waiting in line for two hours wondering what it was that was supposed to be worth those two long hours.  But The Enchanted Forest isn't like that.  It is totally unique and special so that even though it isn't as grand as most theme parks it is much more endearing and full of so much more awesome.

Despite what these pictures imply, Clio really did have a great time.  For some reason on every single ride she went on she was completely dead pan and seemingly unimpressed.  As soon as we were in the car on the way home though it was all tears and, "Want forest.  Want train."