DID YOU KNOW? Adventures in Odyssey’s Whit’s End Soda Shoppe actually isn’t in Odyssey…it’s actually located in the Focus on the Family Welcome Center in Colorado Springs, CO! The center opened in 1994 and has welcomed more than 6 million visitors since then. It features a 3-story slide, Kids’ Korner Play Space, Kyds Radio, films offering a glimpse into the heart of Focus on the Family, and an incredible book and gift store.
Our visit to Focus on the Family was an absolute blast for the whole family. We’ve been fans of their ministry for a long time, so visiting their Colorado Springs base was an exciting opportunity. Their grounds and buildings were beautiful, and the lovely fall colors only added to the view.
After watching a short film introduction, our first stop in the center was Wooten's three-story A-Bend-A-Go slide that the little boys had been looking forward to ever since they heard about it. Dad and Randall were too tall for it, and Mom opted out, but the rest of us climbed the stairs past murals of Wooten's house. Once you reach the top, the attendant hands you a potato sack and socks with the toes cut off. Legs in the sack, socks over elbows, and away you go. That was the bumpiest, most dizzying slide I've ever been on. It left me breathless at the bottom...especially after I somehow managed to crash into the side of the slide instead of sliding neatly out the end.
So Maleah borrowed my phone and tried to take a video of the trip down for y'all...and it turned out horribly. It's a little hard to hold the phone still while going around and around super fast on a bumpy slide. But, because it turned out hilariously horrible, I'm going to share it here anyway. It's really hard to understand what she's saying though, and I'd give you a transcript...except I myself have no idea! LOL.
The exit of the slide deposits riders in the lower level of the Welcome Center, where the Kids Korner, Kyds Radio and Whits End Soda Shoppe are located, along with many other kid-friendly activities. The littles had fun exploring the Kids Korner, while those of who are more familiar with Adventures in Odyssey enjoyed seeing all the different places in Odyssey represented in the Center. Bart Rathbone's Electric Palace, the Imagination Station, the Odyssey Fire Station, J&J Antiques (the fire station and antique store are both party rooms available for free reservations), geeky ol' Eugene's Lab, and more. Mr. Whittaker's Office featured the Happy CLown lamp and Binky the horse (check out the littles and Dad's episode recording for the significance of those two items) along with a picture of dear Connie Kendall at graduation.
At noon, we paid Whit's End Soda Shoppe a visit. With tasty food for very reasonable prices, the shoppe is just as tastefully designed as you might imagine after listening to Adventures in Odyssey. Photos of all the main AiO characters over the years line the walls, and famous treat flavors such as the secret Whittaker recipe for Raspberry Ripple, the epic Wod-Fam-Choc-Sod drink, and more.
Shortly after finishing lunch, we headed to the room we were most excited for...Kyd's Radio!
When visiting the Focus on the Family Visitor Center, anyone is welcome to book a free Adventures in Odyssey recording session. You'll learn about the sound effects and voice acting that goes into each episode, and, at the end, you'll leave with an episode featuring you! We booked two sessions, one for the little boys and one for us olders.
Young readers get to record The Happy Clown, where Jamie and Casey break Mr. Whittaker's Happy Clown Lamp and learn the importance of trust. Samuel played Casey, and since Levi's reading skills were not quite up to the necessary level, Dad played Jamie while Levi (with Maleah's help) recorded the sound effects.
(I know it looks like there should be a video here, but there isn't. It's just audio, but Wix uploads it strangely)
Next up was the older reader recording of Off the Track, where Casey and Jamie learn the importance of working together as a team. Being the theater kids of the family, Maleah and I were the voice actors while Randall did sound effects. Dominic was going to do sound effects, but ended up deciding to be the photographer:)
(Again, no video, just audio. Also, please disregard my momentary slip from a Western accent into a proper British accent...by the time I realized what was happening, there was no going back! LOL)
It was really fun to see a little bit of what goes into the Odyssey episodes we love so much, and to create our own episodes. Such a fantastic opportunity!
If you aren't familiar with Focus on the Family, please check them out here. They have tons of resources for all ages, covering a wide variety of topics from a Christian, family-focused point of view.
Until next time, God bless
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