CASCADE, CO — Who could possibly get to work at the North Pole before Santa?
His name is Tom Haggard and he owns the North Pole — the one in the mountains west of Colorado Springs. Tom and his family have been running this alpine amusement park for 69 years.
It's the North Pole's busiest couple of weeks. Black Friday is sold out.
"There's people when I get up here on Friday and tailgate Friday morning, they'll be up here cooking breakfast at 7 o'clock in the morning. We don't open until 9:30. It's part of their family traditions," Tom said.
On a crisp Colorado morning, Tom is usually the first to get to work. He raises the flags, walks the park, and makes sure there is fire (in the fire pits) because of the ice (everywhere else, usually).
"People have photos from every year. It's part of their holiday every year and they aren't going to be denied. Most of these people have done this forever," Tom said.
Years ago, Bob McAdams was a cadet at the Air Force Academy. And after a career living around the world and piloting the B-52 and B-1 aircrafts, he came back to live in Colorado Springs. Today, he brought the rest of his family including his granddaughter and son-in-law from England.
In fact, the B-52 that's on static display at the Air Force Academy is the plane that Bob flew.
With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Bob said, "The B-52 was cake compared to the Tilt-A-Whirl — it just rocked my world!"
It seems everyone has a history here. And it starts with Santa.
And between work, Tom has stories about every ride. Like the Flyin Scooter. He found it in Grand Junction and he says ride manufacturers have come to look at it because they are starting to make them again.
After all these years, he still sees this place with the same sparkle as kids seeing it for the first time.
