Lake Dolores

[Riverfamlee]

I know its been talked about several times but I came across this news clip last night on youtube. Pretty cool and cant imagine having a stand up waterslide or swings like that these days . Different times for sure. Place actually looked fun. Never got to stop there as a kid but last weekend we were riding in calico and we all drove over there. Some of the RZR's were driving in the lazy river LOL.

 

[Riverfamlee]

 

[outboardrick]

You'll see Dennis Bender in the video, I believe his family owned Lake Delores and he was my High School history teacher. He and a few other Apple Valley High teachers also had trailers at the old Topock before Chet started renovations.

 

[CanyonLakeDave]

@Tank , Wanna chime in ?

 

[Tom Slick]

Way back before I was even born, my uncle actually raced hydroplanes in the holding ponds at Lake Dolores. They were small hydros that you rode on your knees and were powered by small outboards. Pretty cool!

 

[RVRKID]

When I was a kid my family camped there one weekend, place was a blast but I wasn't old enough to go on some of the slides. I also didn't weigh enough to get across the lake coming down the slide so had to swim quite a bit. haha Our senior year(89) we ditched school and were going to go up there but they were closed so ended up at Elsinore boating and skiing.

 

[Tank]

@Tank , Wanna chime in ?

ha! Didn’t we just discuss this at javalena a couple weeks ago Dave?

I have GREAT memories of going there in the late 70’s and 80’s and running down the metal slides on the little raft with the see through plastic bubble. I also have great memories of going there after it was remodeled.

I’ve posted the history on here before but I’ll tell it again. My wife’s dad Terry, owned it for many years after buying it from Delores Buyers who was the widow of the original owner. He purchased it in the very early 90’s and owned it up til his death in 09. Kindve a sad story. It was really his life’s project. He was a big construction guy and built A bunch of stuff in rancho and San Bernardino (condos apt buildings shopping centers). He saw lake Delores was sitting closed for many years after, like most of, remembering good times in the late 70’s and 80’s with his kids out there. He envisioned remodeling it and expanding to include a large camp ground around the lake a gas station, heck near the end of his life he had blue prints hanging up that showed a housing complex, retiree complex, strip mall, golf course, etc. it was a pretty awesome plan. And since there is a huge water table below the park and he owned the rights, it would’ve been really great.

After purchasing it he got a few investors and tore out the old metal slides and acrobatic swings that we all remember as kids and had big new style water slides put in. He was a big 50’s era fan and the plan was to open a 50’s themed Americana type park with 50’s music pumped in. They opened it as rock-a-hula park and it did very well for a couple seasons. He had jet ski races, kids camps, all kinds of stuff. For a while you could actually rent sea doo’s on the lake! I remember being able to go there with my wife and family for small family events while the park was closed and having the whole park to ourselves. It was bitchen.

after a couple years some dip shit employee decided to make a run down one of the slides after hours without first letting the runoff area fill with water. He slid into the end wall and broke his back. Sued for umpteen million and won. Insurance paid out but then the insurance rates coupled with some issues with investors plagues the place so they closed. Terry kept on trucking with his plan. He got some L.A. based Chinese investors and reopened it discovery water park. It also only lasted a couple seasons because the investors were a Fuckin NIIIGHTMARE.

Terry kept on fighting to build his dream though and kept getting various investors trying to make the big build a go. He was even in works with the county to have an off ramp put in. Everything was moving forward again when he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and ultimately died shortly after in 09. The details of this story are wild and could fill a book. He had shug knight interested in investing and building a concert area near the lake shug was out there a bunch. He had retired NFL player Jerry brown investing and he was around all the time too. Craziest part was he has some crazy rich dude from Saudi investing but he was going to lose his visa and proposed to marry one of terry’s daughters unable to stay. My wife worked for the park and witnessed this dude beat the living shit out of a servant for cooking his eggs wrong!

The place is a sore subject with my wife’s family as they went through the highs and Low’s for nearly 20years of that project. And it’s really sad to see his life’s dream sit in ruins and graffiti especially when they were there watching those buildings be built and remember the lazy river being dug etc.

I recently read someone has recently bought it again and is picking up where terry left off. Hopefully they can make it happen. Place has huge potential but overwhelming odds against those trying to make it happen.

 

[yz450mm]

You'll see Dennis Bender in the video, I believe his family owned Lake Delores and he was my High School history teacher. He and a few other Apple Valley High teachers also had trailers at the old Topock before Chet started renovations.

Mr Bender was AWESOME! Easily my favorite teacher and class during HS.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[4Waters]

My grandmother took me and a couple cousins there once, it was fun, that was the last summer it was open I believe.

 

[Tank]

I know its been talked about several times but I came across this news clip last night on youtube. Pretty cool and cant imagine having a stand up waterslide or swings like that these days . Different times for sure. Place actually looked fun. Never got to stop there as a kid but last weekend we were riding in calico and we all drove over there. Some of the RZR's were driving in the lazy river LOL.

it’s funny because most people that we reminisce with about LD always talk about the injury they got there!! Lol the original build was a fuckin death trap. The water in the area off the trapeez was like 5’ deep. The big slides were freakin metal and it you came off your board you get the gnarliest burn. The stand up spade would break hips and those zip lines had zero safety. You’d hang on over the dirt hill and then if you didn’t let go in time you’d slam into the wood pylon at the end.

The age before lawsuits!

It is still thought to be one of the original water parks in the world.

 

[Tom Slick]

Man, what a story!

 

[Riverfamlee]

@Tank WOW, that's a crazy story. I dig history and have always been fascinated with stories on start up businesses. Very cool Tank. Sounds like a lot of memories for you and your wife, both good and bad.

 

[Hardly Satisfied]

Went there back in the day was a cool place for being a old park.

 

[Bear Down]

does anyone remember Puddingston having those big metal slides as well? Had to be late 70's early 80's...

 

[FreeBird236]

We went there a couple times in the late 70's, pretty cool for the time, I remember being a little leary of the hand lines.

 

[Tank]

@Tank WOW, that's a crazy story. I dig history and have always been fascinated with stories on start up businesses. Very cool Tank. Sounds like a lot of memories for you and your wife, both good and bad.

absolutely. Bitter sweet for sure.

 

[TeamGreene]

Went there when I was in high school and yes Dennis Bender was one of the owners at one time and also my HS history teacher. The stand up slide was a blast. Never did the trapeze that was sketchy even for 1980.

 

[Icky]

I was the for a truck run over new years like 2000ish.

 

[Just Ducky]

Went there with some buddies many years ago. Witnessed a guy fall off the zip line thing that goes down a hard pack dirt hill and out over the water. We had just got there and were watching the action having a beer and this guy was about halfway down the hill and his hat came off. He reached back to grab it and his other hand slipped off the bar and he did like a half backflip and landed right on his head from about 15 feet up. He rolled and tumbled all the way to the water where he came to rest face down in the water. And did not move. Some people went to his aid and got him out of the water but I never saw any movement from the guy at all. It. Was nearly an hour before an ambulance came. Sad and scary for sure. We stayed and did the stand up slides but no zip lines for us. And all day long they kept announcing for your own safety keep both hands on the handles on the zip line. He must have really liked that hat.

 

[rmarion]

it’s funny because most people that we reminisce with about LD always talk about the injury they got there!! Lol the original build was a fuckin death trap. The water in the area off the trapeez was like 5’ deep. The big slides were freakin metal and it you came off your board you get the gnarliest burn. The stand up spade would break hips and those zip lines had zero safety. You’d hang on over the dirt hill and then if you didn’t let go in time you’d slam into the wood pylon at the end.

The age before lawsuits!

It is still thought to be one of the original water parks in the world.

Tank, I went a handfull of times... I left one time (10 or 11) with a broken hand...

The place was AWESOME!!!.. but agreed... very dangerous..

 

[MSum661]

We went there a couple times in the late 70's, pretty cool for the time, I remember being a little leary of the hand lines.

It was a little leary because if you let go or were not strong enough to hold on tight long enough to hit the water then you were going to eat it hard on that rocky dirt hill if you did let go.
Funny thing about that too was if ya held on to long and hit the line stop on that steel cable..then it was full blown elbows and assholes going into the water. That was one dealeo you could land up seriously injured if you couldn't cut it doing it right.
The stand up slide was bad ass...not for everyone though! lol!.

 

[FreeBird236]

It was a little leary because if you let go or were not strong enough to hold on tight long enough to hit the water then you were going to eat it hard on that rocky dirt hill if you did let go.
Funny thing about that too was if ya held on to long and hit the line stop on that steel cable..then it was full blown elbows and assholes going into the water. That was one dealeo you could land up seriously injured if you couldn't cut it doing it right.
The stand up slide was bad ass...not for everyone though! lol!.

I hear you. Don't think I went down more than a couple times. Was doing a lot of skiing in those days with the Wednesday ski group so I figured I could hold on, but never been great with heights, the slides were more my speed.

 

[Rondog4405]

Man ..what a interesting story tank.. Sad deal for terry..hopefully someone can resurrect the park again..

 

[Kachina26]

Pisses me off as adult realizing how close I was to that place growing up and my parents never took us. Always saw the commercials and figured it was somewhere far away. LOL

 

[Riverfamlee]

Pisses me off as adult realizing how close I was to that place growing up and my parents never took us. Always saw the commercials and figured it was somewhere far away. LOL

Same-true story.

 

[2Driver]

Thank God we have attorneys, lawsuits and judges willing to award plaintiffs huge sums of money so this stuff can never be experience again by our children

 

[thmterry]

Cool video of how place looks now

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2953036874709620

 

[Tank]

Here's the park Terry built. Man, it was cool having private family days there! Going down the big bopper on the small inter tubes in a train. Great memories.

 

[Riverfamlee]

Here's the park Terry built. Man, it was cool having private family days there! Going down the big bopper on the small inter tubes in a train. Great memories.

Man he must have put a ton of $$$ and time into it. Looked like a full blown modern amusement park

 

[Tank]

Before and after video someone spent some time on really hits home. Sad deal.

 

[Tank]

Man he must have put a ton of $$$ and time into it. Looked like a full blown modern amusement park

It turned into his lifes project. After building a LOT of what is now Rancho He began negotiations to buy the park in 88, purchasing it in 90 then began on getting rock-a-hoola going. He worked TIRELESSLY on the project until his last breath Feb. 2009. Can't tell you how many ups and downs there were. Rollin' in cash and getting things done to losing a house and giving back cars, to back on top again to losing it all again. Total rollercoaster ride. The park he built was EPIC. Really too bad it was only open two seasons. It was totally state of the art. The actual lake with RV hook-ups, a gas station, a strip malls etc. would've been a game changer. He nearly had the county and Cal Trans talked into putting a new offramp in. Everytime he was riiiiiiiiiiight there, something bad would happen. 20 years he poored into that place and countless of millions of dollars. It's really a tragic story.

 

[4Waters]

It turned into his lifes project. After building a LOT of what is now Rancho He began negotiations to buy the park in 88, purchasing it in 90 then began on getting rock-a-hoola going. He worked TIRELESSLY on the project until his last breath Feb. 2009. Can't tell you how many ups and downs there were. Rollin' in cash and getting things done to losing a house and giving back cars, to back on top again to losing it all again. Total rollercoaster ride. The park he built was EPIC. Really too bad it was only open two seasons. It was totally state of the art. The actual lake with RV hook-ups, a gas station, a strip malls etc. would've been a game changer. He nearly had the county and Cal Trans talked into putting a new offramp in. Everytime he was riiiiiiiiiiight there, something bad would happen. 20 years he poored into that place and countless of millions of dollars. It's really a tragic story.

He was ahead of his time, I think that place would take off now. Too bad

 

[Tank]

He was ahead of his time, I think that place would take off now. Too bad

Yea, I'd say he definitely was. But also, a shit ton of "bad luck" (is all i can really chalk it up to) played a big roll. The dipshit that hurt himself and sued and won umpteen million dollars really didn't help things. The dick-head Chinese investors that were trying to back out immediately after the thing was built and began operation didn't help either.

But the final huge blue print plans I saw were insane. Full golf course on the opposite side of the freeway with homes. A retirement village for elderly, HUGE RV park on the lake, strip mall, gas station, etc etc. Jet ski rentals and competitions, car shows, concert arena, on and on. It would've been pretty awesome. Best part is theres a natural water reservoir under the property and Terry owned the rights. That lake could be filled up now if someone wanted it to be.

 

[TPC]

 

[monkeyswrench]

Cool, but weird. I remember seeing ads during CHiPs when I was a kid. Really remember seeing the swings! Later in life, was out there for the mini-truck run...Resolutions? Was too hammered and young to really pay attention. Hindsight... Really weird to think at the time I was there, @Tank family were the owners...and so much had been done over the years. As for the gentleman that died trying to follow his dream, he gets some real respect from me. He followed his dream, through the ups and downs. Most of us lack the balls or the drive to try that hard

 

[old rigger]

Way back before I was even born, my uncle actually raced hydroplanes in the holding ponds at Lake Dolores. They were small hydros that you rode on your knees and were powered by small outboards. Pretty cool!

I hope you have some pics!!!

 

[old rigger]

ha! Didn’t we just discuss this at javalena a couple weeks ago Dave?

I have GREAT memories of going there in the late 70’s and 80’s and running down the metal slides on the little raft with the see through plastic bubble. I also have great memories of going there after it was remodeled.

I’ve posted the history on here before but I’ll tell it again. My wife’s dad Terry, owned it for many years after buying it from Delores Buyers who was the widow of the original owner. He purchased it in the very early 90’s and owned it up til his death in 09. Kindve a sad story. It was really his life’s project. He was a big construction guy and built A bunch of stuff in rancho and San Bernardino (condos apt buildings shopping centers). He saw lake Delores was sitting closed for many years after, like most of, remembering good times in the late 70’s and 80’s with his kids out there. He envisioned remodeling it and expanding to include a large camp ground around the lake a gas station, heck near the end of his life he had blue prints hanging up that showed a housing complex, retiree complex, strip mall, golf course, etc. it was a pretty awesome plan. And since there is a huge water table below the park and he owned the rights, it would’ve been really great.

After purchasing it he got a few investors and tore out the old metal slides and acrobatic swings that we all remember as kids and had big new style water slides put in. He was a big 50’s era fan and the plan was to open a 50’s themed Americana type park with 50’s music pumped in. They opened it as rock-a-hula park and it did very well for a couple seasons. He had jet ski races, kids camps, all kinds of stuff. For a while you could actually rent sea doo’s on the lake! I remember being able to go there with my wife and family for small family events while the park was closed and having the whole park to ourselves. It was bitchen.

after a couple years some dip shit employee decided to make a run down one of the slides after hours without first letting the runoff area fill with water. He slid into the end wall and broke his back. Sued for umpteen million and won. Insurance paid out but then the insurance rates coupled with some issues with investors plagues the place so they closed. Terry kept on trucking with his plan. He got some L.A. based Chinese investors and reopened it discovery water park. It also only lasted a couple seasons because the investors were a Fuckin NIIIGHTMARE.

Terry kept on fighting to build his dream though and kept getting various investors trying to make the big build a go. He was even in works with the county to have an off ramp put in. Everything was moving forward again when he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and ultimately died shortly after in 09. The details of this story are wild and could fill a book. He had shug knight interested in investing and building a concert area near the lake shug was out there a bunch. He had retired NFL player Jerry brown investing and he was around all the time too. Craziest part was he has some crazy rich dude from Saudi investing but he was going to lose his visa and proposed to marry one of terry’s daughters unable to stay. My wife worked for the park and witnessed this dude beat the living shit out of a servant for cooking his eggs wrong!

The place is a sore subject with my wife’s family as they went through the highs and Low’s for nearly 20years of that project. And it’s really sad to see his life’s dream sit in ruins and graffiti especially when they were there watching those buildings be built and remember the lazy river being dug etc.

I recently read someone has recently bought it again and is picking up where terry left off. Hopefully they can make it happen. Place has huge potential but overwhelming odds against those trying to make it happen.

Thanks for the back story. I never even heard of this place but the videos sure look great.

 

[Mandelon]

Great to hear the story. It takes a man with vision to make things happen.