Life is a Journey

Rerun posts for the next few days

2012-02-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

I'm moving again. Actually I've been moving stuff for the past two weeks but the big stuff - furniture - moves on Saturday. So this is "rerun" time. Click here to check out a post from the past...I may post mobile updates if anything interesting happens, LOL.

What's at the end of the rainbow?

2012-02-01T05:30:00.000-08:00

WARNING - this post contains rainbows. Real ones!

I simply had to share these. As we were driving home from our weekend Route 66 adventure, I noticed rainbows! Real, honest to goodness rainbows and since I wasn't driving, I could focus all of my attention at trying to capture them.

I guess it's the little kid in me but I am always fascinated by rainbows. They're magical! And if I ever find that pot of gold, you can bet I'm buying a lifetime annual pass to Disneyland.

Come on, you gotta admit, this is pretty damn cool.

Exploring Spots on Route 66 Part 6

2012-01-31T06:29:00.000-08:00

Did you think we were done??? HA! Fooled you! Regular readers know that I love visiting cemeteries - you never know what you might find. This visit, however, was planned in advance because my friends and I wanted to visit the graves of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. I have to say, this was one of the most unusual cemeteries I have ever visited. Stunningly beautiful in a stark way. Well heck, let's just look at the pictures.

We pulled into the cemetery and the first thing we see is this ginormous statue. I did not notice a plaque of any kind so I am assuming that this is a tribute to Trigger, his horse. I thought it was kinda cool.

So I started walking around...and started noticing little details like the metal sculpture nestled in the rocks. You could easily miss it if you aren't paying attention.

Then I noticed these little pathways and realized that some people were actually buried in the rocky hills!

Here and there I found a few little "tranquil spots"...

Then I walked over to the main building and enjoyed the view.

What I found rather touching was that someone (a fan perhaps?) left a little spring on the stone. Not sure what those are but I do remember seeing them as a kid.

So I started walking around again and came upon this stone. It caught my eye not only because it was unusual in shape but then I noticed the graphics...and then I was amazed by all that this gent had done in his life!

And now, we pay our respects to the King of Cowboys and the Queen of the West.

This cemetery is small but quite interesting and if you are ever in Victorville, I suggest stopping by and taking a stroll around the place.

First visit to Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe

2012-01-30T04:17:00.000-08:00

I was so excited about going to the Jolly Holiday Bakery & Cafe!! But first, I had to snap the Carnation Cafe, all covered in blue so to speak.

I'm sure you've seen dozens of pics like this but I needed one of my own, LOL. If you want to see more, check out an extensive photo report over at The Disneyland Gazette.

Much to my disappointment, the Park and the Jolly Holiday Bakery were VERY crowded so I only took a few photos. Hopefully, I can go back on a slow day and shoot to my heart's content.

Really like this light fixture!

And of course, the penguins!

Karen and I had the Caprese sandwich.

Peter had the turkey. We all agreed that everything was super yummy.

New Orleans Square is getting its bling on!

Thanks for stopping by!

Peeking over the walls...Cars Land

2012-01-29T04:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes is really sucks being short, especially when you are trying to look over a Disney construction wall! Here we can see the sign for Flo's Cafe.

I can't tell what else we're looking at here.

I almost didn't share this with you since you can't see much. But...I decided to include it because what you can see of Mater's Junkyard Jamboree looks so darn cute!

Next we headed into the Blue Sky Cellar to examine the model for Buena Vista Street!

Am I glad I renewed my annual pass? Oh ya!

Exploring Spots on Route 66 Part 5

2012-01-27T05:36:00.000-08:00

Still walking around and looking, looking, looking!

Bet you wish you had one of these!

I have a soft spot for vintage telephones, LOL.

We had a set like this in my house but ours was yellow.

This "hippie van" set-up is basically a photo op. Cute idea.

We're not done yet so come back tomorrow, folks. Oh and one more thing... Back in November, I was interviewed by Dreamers Empire and the interview has been released. If you'd like to listen, click here for details. I'm on episode #16.

Exploring Spots on Route 66 Part 4

2012-01-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

We left the Barstow Harvey House and drove to Victorville because we knew there was another museum there...and here it is!

We pulled into the parking lot, got out of the car, and this is the first thing we see...

Yes, a gravestone! For a dog! A very special dog, I gathered from the story, which follows.

After paying our respects, we headed into the museum.

Right as you walk in the door, you see this baby! These little trailers are the coolest thing ever!

Who wouldn't want to go camping with one of these?

After a few minutes, I realized that this museum was full of cool stuff so I made sure I inspected every inch of the place. (Don't worry, this won't turn into a 15 part series!)

I never had a TV this small but my sister said when she was a kid my folks had one.

I dig old stoves so I needed a photo of this one.

Now this brought a smile to my face. My mom actually had one of these and I loved, loved, putting clothes through the wringer! I know what you're thinking: "But that is so unsafe for a mere babe!" LOL, ya well I was 5 at the time. Don't worry, my folks then bought a brand new Kenmore which lasted until 1985!

And then I looked up and saw this!!! Yes, we had one of these "space ball" tape decks, too.

My inner sign geek was tickled pick when I saw this....

...and then this!

I was worried that this might be the real restroom.

Look at this tiny cord board! Did I already tell you that I worked one of these? A GIANT one. See? You thought I was kidding when I said I was in high school when dinosaurs roamed the Earth...

To be continued...

Exploring Spots on Route 66 Part 3

2012-01-25T04:56:00.000-08:00

We spent quite a bit of time exploring the Route 66 museum and then walked around to the front of the building (facing the railroad tracks) to explore what was left of the Harvey House.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that I love this building - I love all old buildings!

This building looks huge, doesn't it? Back in the day it was actually twice as big!

I spied this rotunda and zoomed it on it.

I was surprised to see just how close to the tracks we were.

The restaurant was once very opulent and was called Casa del Desierto which means House of the Desert.

Now we are inside the building which currently houses the Barstow Chamber of Commece.

I turned and saw an open door so naturally I headed straight for it.

This large room is rented out for weddings.

Now here's a shot of some Harvey Girls.

This is what their uniforms looked like.

Oh, and there were rules...

This was once the great restaurant, as you'll see in the next shot.

These gorgeous copper sconces are original to the building!

Next, I wandered upstaris to explore a bit. Only one of the rooms has been restored at this point. What you are going to see is the Station Master's Suite. Also, note that someone famous once stayed here!

Now, for the life of me, I can't imagine WHY the Station Master would need a vending machine in his room but I'll go with it. I actually remember using a machine exactly like this one as a kid whenever we would stop for gas in Arizona on our way to Texas.

And now, the "famous" bathroom!

As you can see, they're still doing some work on it.

The hallways have been restored so you can get a pretty good idea of what it looked like back in the day.

I walked down to the end of the hall to take a peek and I found a lovely veranda. I'm sure in the days before air conditioning this was a very popular place.

Curiosity got the best of me and I couldn't resist trying one of the doors. Much to my surprise, it was unlocked! I opened it and found this...As I mentioned, the restoration of this building is ongoing. If you look closely, you can see on the floor where the walls used to be. I would love to visit again in a year or so to see the progress of the restoration.

Now we're back outside and enjoying a lovely little garden with old train cars.

Around the other end of the building, we found a railroad museum...but as I soon found out, there was a lot more in there than just train stuff!

Call me twisted, but this cracked me up.

So you ask, just WHAT is a Date Nail Collection? Don't feel bad - I didn't know either.

OK, the suspense is over - THIS is a Date Nail Collection.

I took a close-up...and then I got dizzy.

Now, this is a blast from the past!

We left the museum and walked back the way we came...it is a really cool place and I highly recommend a visit to the Barstow Harvey House.

For more info on Harvey Houses, click here.

Exploring Spots on Route 66 Part 2

2012-01-24T04:51:00.000-08:00

We are still poking around the Route 66 museum, folks! I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw these cell phones! LOL!!

I believe this is an aerial view of Barstow.

I have always loved pinball...and naturally fell in love with this machine.

Who knows what these are????

Here's a hint:

Here's another look at that old car.

I apologize for the lousy photo (I took several and this was the best one) but I had to share this because I busted up laughing when I read the card. It's a modesty bathing suit!

This sign is for Darrin...

I almost fell over when I saw this air conditioning unit...for cars!

Hey, this was pretty darn racy for back then!

These seats were originally from the Barstow movie theater. And they don't look very comfortable, either!

And now...just some stuff that caught my eye...

Uff da! I'm glad I don't have to blog on one of those things!

I remember seeing one of these at our local Thrifty Drugstore back in the 1960's.

Hahahahaha!

I thought these were pretty cool.

Well, that about does it for this leg of the journey. Come back tomorrow!

Exploring Spots on Route 66 Part 1

2012-01-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Even though I was born and raised in California, I learn more about it every time my friends from Florida come to visit! I spent a couple of nights with them out in Desert Hot Springs and we did some sightseeing. Y'all know I love historical places of interest so I was as happy as a bug in a rug!

Our first stop was in Barstow. We went to see what was once a grand bed and breakfast known as a Harvey House. However, upon arrival, we discovered a Route 66 museum so we popped in there first.

This building has undergone extensive restoration and the work continues. It made me happy to see that somebody cared enough to save the building.

A mix of old and new.

The museum is staffed by volunteers and the proceeds from the merchandise sold goes entirely to the museum.

I was surprised at how much there was to see. Luckily, we weren't in a rush!

I couldn't resist a photo op!

There were several cool cars to examine...

Would you believe I once worked a switchboard like this?

I noticed a lot of Cars items tucked here and there...I'll bet the movie has done a lot to spur interest in Route 66.

Mission Inn

2012-01-22T04:39:00.000-08:00

I got home from my wild and wooly history packed weekend a little later than expected and I didn't want to leave y'all hanging so here is a little video about the Mission Inn. Tomorrow we will be back with some interesting photos and a history lesson or two!

It's a gorgeous morning.

2012-01-21T08:40:00.001-08:00

The golf course is empty and so peaceful!

Route 66 Museum

2012-01-20T17:48:00.001-08:00

Then we drove pver to the Route 66 Museum. Scroll down for more updates.

Harvey House

2012-01-20T17:46:00.001-08:00

Started our day at the Barstow Harvey House. So interesting!

Wow!

2012-01-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

Had to share this, LOL Keep checking back for updates.

Riverside's Mission Inn

2012-01-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

On Monday afternoon I got to go to the Mission Inn for lunch! While I've been by the Mission Inn recently, I had not eaten there for several years so I was excited. We parked the car and walked towards the Inn...

While seated at the table, I pulled out my phone and took a couple quick snaps.

If you are wondering where we ate, we chose the Mission Inn Restaurant. Yes, that's what it's called!

This is for Dave...a Monte Cristo! After our meal, we decided to walk around and explore a bit. We went into the bar area and when I looked up, I saw this cool glass rotunda.

Nice door!

Then I went in search of President Taft's chair. When he visited, a special chair was made just for him...because of his rather large size! It looks like an ordinary chair until you sit in it.

It even made me look small!!

Next, we got on the elevator and rode up to the top floor and worked our way down and around.

This place is magnificent.

I love the stained glass window of the chapel...

So I zoomed in!

Now we go down some more stairs...I love all the twists and turns!

Once we got down to the bottom, we noticed a large wall with plaques. We saw one for Amelia Earhart. I took a picture of the legend but you might not be able to see it very well.

Then we popped over to the Inn's museum...

This gigantic desk belonged to the original owner and creator of the Mission Inn. You cant tell by the pic but it is huge and taller than me!

The symbol of Riverside.

After poking around in the museum, we walked over to an antique store. I let my friends go shopping while I sat outside and enjoyed the nice day.

And that, my friends, is the end of this post!

Disneyland 10-19-06

2012-01-18T04:57:00.000-08:00

No, you're not seeing things. We are taking a trip back to 2006. I hope you enjoy these pics. If not, then I will gladly accept donations for a trip somewhere, LOL!

I should be home by early evening and tomorrow you'll have some photos, I promise! OK, get ready for 2006 - a lot has changed since then and yet, a lot has remained the same. Here's your link.

Disneyland / DCA circa 2008

2012-01-17T04:54:00.000-08:00

Hello boys and girls! I am away from home for a few days so...today we are going to try something new and I would appreciate your comments on how it works (or doesn't) for you. As you know, I haven't been anywhere lately so I started going through photos from 2007 - 2008 to share with you.

The link below should take you to a slideshow and there are captions under each photo to take your time and enjoy. I thought this might be a bit easier than uploading all of the photos to blogger but if it doesn't work for you guys, then please let me know!

OK, everybody ready? Here's the link.

Who are all these people?

2012-01-16T05:04:00.000-08:00

When I first heard about this, it was in an email from a friend. I had my doubts. In fact, I skipped the email and left it for last. After going through 28 emails, I checked it out. I am so glad I did!! This is not only cool, it's waaaay cool!

This painting is truly remarkable and what makes it amazing is that the canvas has been computerized. When you click on the link below, a much bigger version of the computerized painting appears. Run your cursor over the people - the program tells you who they are - every single one of them. BUT click on an person and you obtain the individual’s life history.

This is fascinating... Can keep you busy for hours!

You've got to see this. Click here.

Carlsbad, San Diego and La Jolla

2012-01-15T05:06:00.000-08:00

In March 2009, my friends and I had a neat weekend exploring Carlsbad, San Diego and La Jolla. Our first stop was at the flower fields in Carlsbad.

Who knew there were so many varieties of poinsettias???

Next, we got lost in the Sweet Pea flower maze. It was fun!

If you are ever in Southern California during March, you really should stop and check out the flower fields! Here's a link to their site.

After spending about 2 and a half hours walking through the flower fields, we drove into San Diego and spent some time relaxing at the Hotel Coronado. I first "discovered" The Dell when I was 20 and I fell in love instantly.

My buddy, Dave, has some great shots of the hotel on his site. Click here.

Then it was time for dinner but we also wanted a Margarita so we found a place in Old Town and placed our drink order.

Holy smokes, those Margaritas were EMMENSE!! But more importantly, they were GOOD. Y'all know what I'm talking about!

Guess what? We never made it to dinner! We called it a night and went back to our hotel to pass out, LOL. If you are wondering where you can get one of those Margaritas, visit the Coyota Cafe & Cantina.

After breakfast, we checked out of our hotel and then proceeded to our next stop - La Jolla. Yes, Virginia, it is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

I am always amazed when I find references to President Lincoln in unexpected places!

Are you tired yet? We've still got more to see.

Talk about wind blown!

I wish I was there now! Of course, I can't end this post without giving you a link to information on La Jolla, right?

WDW Part 5 and a return to Seven Sisters Inn

2012-01-14T04:44:00.000-08:00

These first five photos were taken by my friend, Karen. On our last day at the Animal Kingdom, I took one last walk around outside and really liked these rocking chair around a fire pit. Super awesome.

The view from our balcony.

We're still at the Magic Kingdom, folks. While watching a parade, I noticed that all of the parade vehicles had these cool tires!!! I want some for my car!

Who can resist Ursula?

Remember the Seven Sisters Inn? We went back to spend a night because we had all fallen in love with the place. We stayed in the family suite on the top floor of the house.

This is where I slept. Remember I told you the house was haunted? All night long we kept hearing heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. I kept waking up, hearing someone whispering in my ear. It was a long night.

Karen and I having tea.

There was a very nice spread for afternoon tea.

Every room in this inn was gorgeous but this sink was one of those things that I thought was awesome.

The next morning, we had a lovely breakfast. We asked the proprieter if anyone else was staying in the house with us because we kept hearing heavy footsteps on the stairs. He smiled...and said we were the only ones in the house!

And now....if you want to see more on the Jolly Holiday Bakery at Disneyland, click here for the latest photo report from The Disneyland Gazette!

Video Friday!

2012-01-13T04:47:00.000-08:00

We haven't had one in a while so how about a nostalgic look at toy commercials from the 1960s. Ya, I know, most of you weren't born then...

Here's one about Knott's.

Disneyland Resort and Hotel Signs

2012-01-12T04:58:00.000-08:00

Are you a sign geek? Ya, me too. Today I am sharing a link to one of the photo galleries at The Disneyland Gazette website. It's called Kenny's Signage Gallery. Click on the first photo to enlarge and then continue clicking to advance to the next photo. Oh, and enjoy!!

WDW Part 4

2012-01-11T05:02:00.000-08:00

More from Animal Kingdom Lodge...this place is BEAUTIFUL. I'd even venture to say it's breathtaking.

I always check the carpet for "details"...

That pool was sooo inviting but it was FREEZING while I was there.

How cool is it to have a bridge going across the lobby!

I wanna go back.

Gone But Not Forgotten!

2012-01-10T04:54:00.000-08:00

Ever since I saw my first Victorian house as a young child, I have been in love with them and dream of owning one some day. While visiting my friends in Florida (ya we're still in 2009) they took me to a bed and breakfast called the Seven Sisters Inn. I had heard about this place while watching Ghost Hunters. The guys from TAPS had investigated the property and had gotten some pretty good evidence so naturally I wanted to go check the place out!

When we arrived, we learned that TAPS had conducted a second investigation the previous night and the investigation team was in the process of checking out. WOW! A near brush with real ghost hunters, LOL! Once we explained to the proprietor that I was visiting from California, he allowed us to walk around the property and explore so you KNOW I was excited. I took dozens of photos and I'm so glad I did because the Seven Sisters Inn is no more. Sadly, about 2 months after my visit, it closed. The property (which consisted of two great homes) was sold at auction along with all of the furnishings.

Every bedroom in these mansions has a different theme. They were beautiful.

I fell in love with these stairs.

Here's the view from the stairs.

After exploring the 7 Sisters Inn, we decided that we wanted to return in a couple of days and spend the night! Oh and just in case you haven't heard, there are some attraction closures at Disneyland now that it's the "slow" season. You can read about it here.