The Nut Tree No.5 train is a valued part of the plaza. It has about five passenger cars that can seat an entire family per car. As you take off, the conductor blows the train whistle signaling the ride beginning. The track is a circular shape as you go around the park; the ride itself is smooth with little to no bumps. Some may find this boring, but the most exciting part of this train is the innocent social interactions you can have with strangers. As you go around the park it’s hard not to wave at the other guests that fill the park. From kids drawing on the ground with chalk to those riding on the carousel, you are guaranteed to get a smile and wave back.

The next ride is the carousel. There’s not much to say that people don’t know about carousels but I think adding a ride like this to the plaza was a great decision. It adds a childlike wonder to the park as you see the ride go-round with its bright lights. Going back to my previous statement, the addition of community makes these rides all worth it; sitting on a horse while a train goes by with smiling faces brings a feeling so innocent and nostalgic.

The second part of the secret sauce brings me to the memory gallery available to the public on the Nut Tree website. Here you will find recollections of Nut Tree’s past from the lens of people who have experienced it firsthand. I honestly found myself misty-eyed at some of them. Here are a couple of quotes that stuck out to me.

“My grandpa welded these signs that you would see on each side of the freeway. I loved going to the Wooz.” Regina Ponciano

“In the late 1950’s my Uncle Johnny Luby flew his plane from the Corpus Christie airport to the Nut Tree to have lunch!!!” Carolyn Zinn Kocmich

“First date for lunch with my now husband of 37 yrs.”

“We lived in Southern California for most of our lives. But we took a trip every year to come to the Nut Tree. Sometimes two, three or four times a year. Everything I am as an artist I dedicate to the Nut Tree. All of my colors...the way I draw...the way I see...l swear to you has been inspired by the Nut Tree. It was the first place I actually saw somebody write my name on something.

With a semi-unusual name back in the 60's and 70's, I rarely ever saw it written. And I always wanted a license plate for my bike with my name. Instead I got a cookie every single time we came. That's what inspired me to do the lettering art that I do...l thank Heavens for my childhood with the Nut Tree and I thank my parents for having the design sense to make everything in our world a little bit more Nut Tree inspired.” Lindsay Waltman-Ostrom

“I used to live in Vacaville in 1972 and had my first anniversary at the Nut Iree with my husband who has long passed away. I still have the gift recipe cards and a bag from the original Nut Tree restaurant. It is a restaurant I surely miss along with smell of garlic that waft through Vacaville that I could smell from my front yard! My daughter, Jennifer, took these pictures for my memories!” Judy Schrinel

Nut Tree has been a special part of people's lives for many years. Despite the changes in the park now compared to then, Nut Tree shall continue to create memories for newer generations as time passes.