Elvis Presley had the mansion called Graceland, Michael Jackson had the ranch called Neverland.  Two Kings of pop culture had their castles, each with their ways to entertain their owner.  Both met a relatively early demise through strikingly similar circumstances (as of this writing), and both live on through their music and through what they left behind.

Lately, the talk has been heavy regarding Michael Jackson, his legacy, his controversy, and what he has left behind after dying June 25 at the age of 50.

Beech Bend's collage of photos, including one where Michael Jackson is riding the ride in his favorite row.

Late Friday night/early Saturday morning, within an hour’s time, we learned of two tribute events going on.  The first being a weekend event at Freestyle Music Park honoring Jackson in Myrtle Beach, S.C., posted by one of my fellow staffers.  The other one, which I posted, was a relatively short blurb about complimentary rides being offered on Sea Dragon at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Ky.

After posting the Beech Bend release, something was nagging me that I should go cover this, to see for myself what was so special about this ride.  I fought with myself over whether I should cover a piece of history, or if I should just skip this being that it’s just another flat ride.  I decided to bite the bullet, knowing I’d regret it if I didn’t cover it.  After a call to Beech Bend, I received permission to cover the event.

A little background

A temporary memorial to Michael Jackson

While I was a fan of Jackson as a kid growing up in the ’80s and the ’90s, my interest waned, and eventually disappeared when the controversy started to brew; such as the plastic surgeries he had to shape his nose, the discussion on why he turned white (it was vitiligo that caused that, by the way), and then the discussion of his behavior of his kids, including two different incidents where he was accused of sexual molestation.

The controversy with the children, in a way, is what leads me to the topic at hand.  At his Neverland Ranch, he had a lot to do, including a zoo and an amusement park, where he would entertain the children that would visit his ranch, most of them through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, a charity that he championed.

Eventually, Neverland would close down, and he started to sell his ownership of the property. Last November, the title was transferred to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, and many of the rides were immediately removed.

One of the rides, a Chance Rides Sea Dragon, was purchased by Dallas Jones, one of the owners of Beech Bend Park.  It was moved from Neverland Ranch, delivered to the park on March 26, and assembled on the edge of the lake near the Grand Carousel.  While the ride itself was in great condition, it was given a new paint job, mainly because California’s constant sunlight had caused the paint to fade.  In all, about $500,000 was spent to purchase, move, rehabilitate and set up the ride.  Jackson’s original investment was about $800,000.  The ride was originally built in April 1992.

While you would think that I would be on top of something like this for a park I only live an hour away from, you would think wrong.  I didn’t realize that it was a ride Jackson owned until I got the press release from Beech Bend’s public relations director.  Why do you ask?  Well, the answer is two-fold: I’ve been busy at work, and at the time it was happening, I was also busy trying to get ThrillNetwork’s long-needed redesign done.

The tribute to the King of Pop

Park entertainers dressed up in honor of Michael Jackson

I managed to get to the park a few minutes before 5 p.m., which was when the complimentary rides started.  I picked up my armband and proceeded to head into the park.

Within a couple of minutes, I was standing in front of the ride.  Part of me had flashbacks from when I rode a similar Sea Dragon at Michigan’s Adventure, as well as my one stint in which I actually operated it for a half-hour.  The other part of me was in awe that it was a Neverland Ranch ride, and one of Michael Jackson’s favorites.

The park had a relatively small memorial set up, complete with a wreath, flowers, tributes, photos and Jackson’s hits playing along with a video collage of Jackson.  Anyone who attended the park that day, whether they paid for the all-day wristband or just basic gate admission, could ride for the two-hour period.  As it ran, one of the ride operators doing his spiel would include tidbits about the ride, often pointing out his favorite seat (of which there was a photo of Jackson in that seat).  I also noticed that my local TV station (WTVF 5) and 101 The Beat Jamz also were in from Nashville to cover the event.

I even got to see some of the live entertainment performers, a couple of whom were dressed in a style like Michael Jackson would (most notably the trademark glove).  They were there to help pay tribute to the fallen King of Pop with flowers and other trinkets.

Eventually, in between getting my photos and talking to some of the people, including park staff and other media, I had to get a couple of rides in.  So, I got in line and got some time riding it.  After riding a couple of times, I had to get a quick Kentucky Rumbler fix in because it’s been a while since I last rode the coaster.  After that, I got a few additional photos from the far end of the lake, then I decided that, for my last ride, I had to ride in the row that Jackson called his favorite.

A view of Michael Jackson's favorite row (the back row)

I must admit that while I am not that much of a fan of Jackson anymore, it felt surreal riding in his favorite seat.  I shared the seat with a couple of girls, who screamed on every “forward” motion.  I jokingly said, “That’s how Michael screamed.”  That last ride turned out to be fun, especially since we did get to go a bit higher because it was less loaded at this time.

While the ride may seem like an ordinary Sea Dragon, one of which many of you have ridden, only one can have the extraordinary background this ride has.  While I have always liked Sea Dragon-style rides, and I have ridden on a few, I cannot say that any of them are as memorable as Beech Bend’s will be.  Well, except for Michigan’s Adventure – that was my first Sea Dragon. It’s also, in some ways, comforting to know that Beech Bend will set up a permanent memorial to Jackson in front of the ride.

Oh, and yes, it was most definitely worth covering a piece of HIStory – one that is now within easy reach of those who love both Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.

To view the photos taken at the event… visit the ThrillNetwork database gallery for Beech Bend’s Sea Dragon.

Tags: beech bend, bowling green, chance rides, history, kentucky, king of pop, legacy, Michael Jackson, neverland, neverland ranch, sea dragon, thrill ride