My Journeys Behind The Orange Curtain - Orange County,
October 2008,
Part Trois
Amidst the untamed business parks and planned communities,
our courageous friend Tom has hacked out an existence behind The Orange
Curtain. He called, offering to take us deeper into where the natives go
to play, Knott's Scary Farm, daring us to go
deeper into the natural habitat of "The
Real Housewives of Orange County". Lisa and I ignored our
friends' pleas to stay, laughing in the face of it all, daring to journey south, south
on the 5, crossing the border into this savage land. This is the third in
an ongoing series that dares to explore the indigenous people of The OC.
Page 3 of an ongoing series
 "We're
going to go deep into where the OC natives go to play," Tom said, "but I'll
need another guide." He brought along Billwinkle, a rugged veteran OC
tour guide. Tom was well-connected in the OC, and we had confidence
that his guide was up to the task.We agreed to meet just outside the untamed border of the OC at Udupi Palace in Artesia. There, over bountiful plates of masala dosa, we discussed our strategy for entering Knott's Scary Farm, the Playground of the OC, undetected, under the cover of darkness. |
 We
fell in with a long line of OC natives waiting in line by the Western
Entrance of Knott's Scary Farm. Since Tom had purchased our tickets
within the borders of the OC, we got past the security undetected.
Little did they know that two people from Los Angeles County had gained
access.
Ed and Paul from LA County (not pictured for reasons of safety) had simultaneously breached the Front Entrance, and we met up through coded cellphone exchange. We gasped at the first advertisement we encountered, a sign for the Poo Man Group, leaving us no doubt to the depraved entertainment OC natives indulge in. |
 Tom's
deep OC connections continued to amaze us. In addition to our
certified OC guide, we met up with Dana, a member of the Ross Family, one of
the founding families of the OC, shown here wearing bunny ears, sharing back
room tales about the OC's Founding Fathers, and imploring us to blend in
with the natives by eating funnel cakes. |
 One
of the rides of Knott's Scary Farm, an amusement park that OC natives
transform into a haunted terror zone where teenagers with masks and bad
complexions leaped out from mazes to frighten us.I approached slowly with my camera, making eye contact with the leader, slowly gaining their trust. I wished to capture them in their natural state of play. |
Orange County, Part Trois - 2008
Page 3 of 3
Miscellaneous Photos
Eleven Shadows Travel Page
Contact photographer/musician Ken Lee
One
of the most iconic residents of the OC, the Sta Puff Marshmallow Man, joined
in the thrill rides of Knott's Scary Farm.
