Fantasy Trail @ Cape Henlopen State Park 2010

Dear Reader: look up the 2009 Fantasy Trail post for the event overview and then please, read on.

I'm the "Official Crazy Outdoor Greeter", a fourth year returning volunteer. Like try and stop me! Without a doubt this is one of the highlights of my Beach Season!

A few weeks before the event I check out my Fantasy Trail Disco-Era-Psycho-Stay-At-Home Mom costume: pouffy black and neon-pink streaked pig-tailed wig, costume of starched cotton color-printed apron and jogging suit, and my extras: crazy Halloween decor garlands worn as necklaces, slap bracelets with dolphins and serpents, my dinosaur finger-puppet, and my magic strobe light!

The costume works it's magic into my psyche and by "opening night": I'm READY!

As I roll into the parking lot: I'm already in my character. The Park Police who know me from my Summer as "Bird Police Volunteer at The Point" took one look at me and were in instant hysterics. My role is simultaneously to get the kids excited and organized for the fun ahead! ;-)

To get even more psyched for the evening I run ahead of the event the 300 carved and lit pumpkin trail! At this point I am in storybook-land. I'm now living each and every fairy-tale.

The public arrives early and we had 30 minutes to entertain until "show time". The Returning favorite entertainer Lollipop The Clown and I have fun dancing together, bidding the children to do the same. Lollipop's ferret wore a sparkly green top-hat and again kissed my dinosaur finger puppet! Later Lollipop holds court in the entertainment tent where she has everyone in the palm of her hand while singing, telling stories, and making adults into mummy's; winding them in rolls of toilet paper!

Over the three nights ~ 2,500 children and adults were not just entertained but enthralled upon high. Their beloved State Park transformed from bright-and-beachy to spooky-silly with even the aquarium tanks of sand sharks becoming part of the display "trail".

After two nights running my voice became raw but my spirit resided at Fantasy Trail, and lived well it did.

Small Kitchen Story Note: What to have for dinner at 9 PM after entertaining the masses? Big Fish to the rescue: Pumpkin Crab Bisque purchased early in the day.... served with rice crackers and my own-made applesauce.

Fantasy Trail @ Cape Henlopen State Park

As a child and as an adult my favorite bedtime ritual is a good read... always better with pictures!  As an adult I read books of mythology and as a child I inhaled Fairy Tale books with illustrations.  I remember the heart-breaking moment my Mom announced to me that there were no pictures in the evening's bedtime read! Devastating! 

As a 3rd year returning volunteer at Cape Henlopen State Park's Fantasy Trail, I  am the Illustration and The Story!  This annual event is now one of the highlight's of my Beach Season.

The Fantasy Trail is a 1/3rd mile trail, candlelit by hundreds of carved pumpkins and populated by "my" childhood fairy tale friends: Alice in Wonderland and The Mad Hatter, Sleeping Beauty, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and tales from my son's era: Willy Wonka, Aladdin and Jasmine!

My character is truly the "Real Me" from my days entertaining my two year old, now in exaggerated format as "Disco-Era-Psycho-Stay-At-Home-Mom! 

I wear a wig of pouffy pink and black, glamour makeup, Halloween jewelry worn every which way, a proper starched and printed half apron, and a jogging suit!  This year I added in a magic strobe light "microphone" and a Tyrannosaurus Rex finger puppet worn on my thumb.  

My role is "Crazy Greeter".  I work the crowd while preparing them for the trail fun ahead.  Over my two nights gig I greeted, announced, and danced for ~ 2000 people!

You can not imagine my delight as I drove up to the trail head at the Nature Center and I was waved into the "VIP" Parking Lot by the Fort Miles World War II Re-enactor Officer!   Instantly I was in form!  

Every encounter is an opportunity for silliness.

Old men and even a Ferret got kisses on the cheek by my Tyrannosaurus Rex!

Little children got to announce their names louder and louder over my magic strobe.

I soothed scared kids promising them a "silly trail" and promised a "spooky trail" to the older kids who wished for such.

My purest delight is "running the trail" just minutes before it starts or before it ends...... as I run thru I am again a wee-one "reading the pictures".....  the costumed characters, backdrops and music.......... I become, I am the Story and The Fairy Tale.  

Beach Blessings,