The Gullywhumper Keelboat and Fink's Place

There she is, the best-named watercraft in the history of humankind, Mike Fink's notorious Gullywhumper from Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. The days of braving Disneyland's Rivers of America aboard spunky keelboats are long past, but it's great to see this tribute to the disreputable vessel that inspired the old ride.

She's moored, of course, at the "estate" of Mike Fink himself. Fink's your one-stop frontier markeplace for furs, gunpowder and antlers. And he won't try to cheat you, no sirree!

This was once the famous "burning settler's cabin" that startled many a youngster riding the Mark Twain Riverboat beyond the protection of Fort Wilderness. There are good and bad ways to remove a controversial and costly show element, and I can't think of a better solution than the one seen here: Replace it with a classic Disney scalawag and his trusty boat!

Three Classic Disneyland Experiences Many Guests Overlook

When touring Disneyland, it's important -- between E-ticket adventures -- to take in the calmer, more beautiful aspects of the park. Rushing through is like fast-forwarding through a movie to catch only the action scenes; the big picture gets lost in the shuffle. Our recommendation? If time permits, always try to work these three classic experiences into a visit:

1) Spend Time On the River

Whether you hop aboard the Mark Twain, set sail on the Columbia, or give your arms a workout on the Davy Crockett Canoes, make sure to take a lap around the Rivers of America. You'll enjoy several minutes of pure relaxation (unless you're in the canoes) while voyaging through some of the park's most beautiful environments, seemingly miles away from the crowds.

TIme Machine: The Wrecked Nature's Wonderland Mine Train

In 2007, when this shot was taken, a trip around Disneyland's Rivers of America included a view of this wonderful old Mine Train from the park's early years.

As a tribute to the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland (removed to make way for Big Thunder), this beautiful old MTTNW locomotive was set up  as though wrecked in a rockslide along one of the original ride's stretches of railroad track.

Little mechanized marmots (a species of ground squirrel) would pop up among the rocks in the mine cars, referencing a gag from the old ride.

The mine train tribute was removed during the recent refurbishment of Rivers of America, as new scenery was put in place to truly turn the river into a tour of America's greatest waterways.

Time Machine: The Mark Twain Dressed for the 50th

We're hopping back to 2005 this time, just to sit at the Hungry Bear Restaurant and watch the Mark Twain chug by in its Fiftieth Birthday finery.

This picture was taken well into Disneyland's celebration year, and the bunting on the Twain's prow looks a bit rumpled, but that's all right.  It's still a beautiful, steam-powered marvel.