I don't know that I'd recommend the Bend KOA. My stuffy, hot cabin was basically stuck in the middle of a
grassy parking lot along the highway. Not my idea of camping. Thank god I brought my desk fan. It was freezing cold
at night in Crescent City. Here, though, it felt like an oven for most of the night. Bleh.
There was no incentive to sleep in this morning so I got on my way bright an early. Good thing, too, cos
there's lots of stuff on today's itinerary. So let's get started!
Funny Farm in Bend, Oregon
Thank you Yahoo. The directions were right on the money and I pulled into the Funny Farm parking lot with no major time delays.
This place is incredible and the kind of kitschy "only in America" types of places that I wanted to visit on my trip.
Started about fifteen years ago by artists/antique dealers Mike Craven and Gene Carsey, the Funny Farm makes you wonder if Gene and Mike were
having an old Sixties acid flashback when they thought this place up. Spread over several acres of fields
and farm outbuildings, their fantasy world comes to a frenzied sort of life. When I met them, they were busy outfitting the grounds with red ribbons for an upcoming wedding.
An upcoming wedding? Here?! Good God! Well, to each his own I suppose. I can only imagine the bride and groom must be as free-spirited and artistic as these two fellas.
After wandering past the Bowling Ball Garden, many chickens, cats, turkeys and goats, the Tire Totem Pole as well as the Love Pond, I make my way inside
to their antiques store. Chock full of wonderfully odd stuff, I'm drawn to the sounds of the film "Wizard of Oz". "Where's that playing?" I ask. Directing me to the dollhouse in the corner,
I stick my head inside and see a little tiny TV set actually playing the film. True, it's probably just a handheld black-and-white TV but it's such a cool thing
to see it inside the doll house. I'm mesmerized and stand there for several minutes with my head stuck inside the dollhouse like some giant, watching Dorothy give the Wicked Witch of the
West hell.
Gene and Mike don't charge anything to visit the Funny Farm, but donations are gladly accepted. I buy a couple Dana Fuller Ross paperbacks for a buck apiece and give Gene a $6.00 donation.
I see it as my way of encouraging their endeavours as the world needs more characters like Gene and Mike.
