Going Back Backstage

As previously mentioned, on last year's vacation, we took the Casino backstage tour again. The first time we'd taken the tour was on our 2013 vacation. Once again, here's a remix picture of the outside as a line drawing!!!

I likely could have made a post about just the tour on the previous trip, but never did. I remember our guide on that particular tour was a girl named Porsche that my wife really liked. The closest I did was the years later tale of the Chime Tower post, which I first heard on that particular tour.

As outside, so is it inside!!! A beautiful building, with fine construction. The ground floor houses the theater, which is a work of art. It is also nearly acoustically perfect, and on the tour it was mentioned that it was measured to use the same geometry for some other auditorium, possibly Carnegie Hall or maybe Radio City Music Hall.

Murals adorn the walls, and the ceiling is adorned with gold leaf.

Centered at the top of the stage is a depiction of Botticelli's Venus, our guide noted that the designer had depicted her as a redhead!!!

The construction was right around the time of the transition from silent movies to the talkies, so naturally an organ was included. It's being worked on currently.

Our tour guide had pointed out from the theater the private suite of William Wrigley Jr., but noted that he generally preferred to be out mingling with the guests. This is the view from his suite.

This was also during the big band era, and there were several posters of bands that had preformed there.

The projection room featured several generations of projectors, from arc light projectors to digital projectors. This was our tour guide, I don't remember his name, but it might have been Tom. He did a great job. The wall behind him has several people that have signed their names. Most of them, he said, you probably don't know, but prominently in the middle was the signature of Stan Lee!!!

There were displays with several vintage pictures of the area, and construction of the Casino, as well as the original structure that was there.

On the top floor, the world's largest round dance floor!!! Something new that they're doing now, they've re-purposed it as a skating rink!!! There's a spinning ordainment in the middle of the ceiling that Surrogate wanted to get underneath and take a picture of. There weren't too many people skating up there, and I told him he probably could just stride out there like he was supposed to be there, lay down and get his picture and no one would give him any trouble!!!

The tour finished up on the outside promenade. Our guide was fielding any questions, and I asked him if he was familiar with the story of the Chime Tower, and why the ramps were no longer carpeted. He wasn't, and I was able to relate the story as I had been told on our previous tour.

After the tour was over, we worked our way down to the next level where the restrooms are located. They had this nice bar area, where they had a video playing about the old days of Avalon and the Casino.

And as teased in the previous post, the selfie in the restroom mirror!!!

There's Gold in Them Thar Hills

Our anniversary was last month. For several years now, we've been taking a couple days and having a getaway. For the most part, we usually keep it to a couple of hours road trip. While we were leading up to it, my wife had suggested going up to the mountains again. We took our honeymoon there, and have recently been to Running Springs a couple of times. Early Autumn, I wasn't too sure how it would be. Probably no snow, but for sure it would cool off at night. Also, the amount of activities and dining there are a bit limited.

None of that made it a deal breaker, though, and I was taking a look at places we could stay there. The place we've stayed in Running Springs (which is a nice enough place) was still the best price, but I was looking around for any possible variety. One of the results was a Homewood Suites down in the flatland below the mountains, but it got me to thinking. We've stayed at several Homewoods, and have always enjoyed them, and they have the bonus of a nice breakfast included. Let me take a look at the various other Homewood locations...

There are a few not far at all, but located near airports in the midst of cities, as well as by the Anaheim Convention Center. No, thanks. There's one that claims to be in Redondo Beach, that looks to be on the border of Gardena, that has a price almost double the others. Another Nope. But I found one in Agoura Hills. Agoura Hills... I've heard of it, but couldn't have told you where that is. Turns out, it's the way we would go if we were staying in Oxnard (where we did a couple of years, but the place was taken over and refurbed, and the price is insane) or Ventura. Always looks nice driving through the foothills on the way, it's closer than some of the places we've been, we'll give it a try!!!

Taking a look on the map, one of the first things I noticed was a fondue restaurant, The Melting Pot, just a ways from where we would be staying. I think there used to be one in Pasadena, and I had always wanted to give it a try. Turns out, we weren't the only ones celebrating an anniversary!!! 50 years The Melting Pot has been operating, and they had and golden anniversary dinner offer that had it's last night on the night we arrived!!! It was too perfect to pass up, so that's where we went!!!

It's a four course dinner, with gold theming. Starting off, they melt up a cheese dip with gold flakes, and have bread and fruits for the dipping.

They follow that with a salad course, then the main entree, which you can pick from their regular menu. We both got assortments, with beef, duck, pork, salmon, and shrimp.

Desert course is a chocolate fondue, with brownie, blonde brownie, marshmallow, and rice crispy treat dippers. Once again, the gold makes another appearance, with gold flecked candied pecans, and they set the whole thing on fire!!!

What else is there to do??? Well, not far at all from Agoura Hills is Simi Valley, home of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library!!!

This is another thing that's pretty close, yet we had never been there!!! Reagan was the first presidential election my wife had ever voted in. Because she was an aspiring actress, and she figured it would help her get into the SAG!!!

Out in the back, opposite the entrance, they have a piece of the Berlin Wall!!! One side was brightly painted, the other was plain, makes you wonder which side was to the East and which was to the West sides!!! Also out there are the final resting places of Ron and Nancy.

The library is laid out in a labyrinthine design which you progress through, which tells Reagan's life story. Roughly halfway, there's a full size replica of the Oval Office. Most of the tour is on one level, but for this area you proceed down a few steps. Turns out, the museum had been designed in Spanish architecture, and adding the required height for this area would have thrown the design off, so they lowered it instead!!!

The tour culminates in a large hangar area, which houses Air Force One!!! You are able to go through it, and see the design. In both the Oval Office and Air Force One they had containers of Jelly Bellies.

Beneath Air Force One they have the Presidential Limo (I don't think they had the “Gipper” plates on it when it was in service) and motorcade vehicles, and Marine One. It was a great tour, I was young when Reagan was president, and I'd forgotten a lot of the details of his presidency. He was a great president!!! We met a man from Iran while we were on the tour, and he told a story of how Carter had boned them on some oil deal, and Reagan had said that should have never happened when he became president, and all of the Iranians from his generation had loved him.

The advisement is to allow three hours to tour the library. We were on vacation, so we were taking our time, and it was late when we got there and we didn't have a full three hours, and we could have used the time!!!

The next day was go time. Something of a vacation tradition that we've been doing on several of our trips is to hit a local thrift store. There was a small Goodwill real close that we went to, and I found a couple of tee shirts, the aforementioned King's Hawaiian shirt, and a Detroit Muscle shirt. My wife found a nice pink sweater.

Another thing I'd found in the area, just across the freeway, was Paramount Ranch, which is now a National Park but was originally a filming location for Paramount Studios Westerns. There used to be a whole old west town (well, at least the facade thereof), but most of it burned down back in 2018 during a wildfire. There was a visitor's center, but it was closed on account of the Schumer shutdown. There's a church building that looks pretty nice, and the verdant wooded foothills surrounding the area make for a nice setting.

They (I assume the National Parks Department) are working on rebuilding some of the facade buildings, but it's a work in progress, and the construction area is off limits.

Good times!!!

The Ridge Run

Here we go again with the Catalina vacation!!!

This is the post for the ridge tour. It was the last full day we were there. It departs from the plaza. They put surrogate in the passenger seat, or as they called it, the co pilot seat, and the younger and I were directly behind him.

We depart from the plaza, and of course we have to go around the back of town, since Crescent is pedestrian traffic only, something I didn't really even consider, since we normally are the pedestrians!!! Came out Clarissa Ave. right past Green Palace Jr., and I got a picture as we drove by. Onto Crescent to Pebbly Beach Road, past the landing.

You know what else is out a ways on Pebbly Beach Road??? Buffalo Nickel!!! We had just been there the night before.

There's a lot of the infrastructure that you don't see staying in Avalon. They've got the cargo docks, the only gas station, and the garage where they house and maintain the Catalina Island Company vehicles. Had one of those sweet Flxable buses there!!!

A little further on, there's the power plant.

Not much further on from there, we left the paved road for the dirt road up the side of the hills. Spotted a red tailed hawk perched on a tree!!!

From above, our driver and guide, Bear, pointed out the quarry near the end of the island.

While we were ascending, you could see Avalon from above!!! We were high up!!!

And there's some of the dirt road!!! Not really, with the exception of the first part of the dirt road, it was fairly flat with only gradual climb. Bear said, “one of these day, I'm going to try climbing that!!!” We encouraged him to make it that day, but as expected it didn't happen.

And there's the first we saw of the other side of the island!!! As well as the ridge road off in the distance.

And there's a couple of ravens!!!

Great view!!!

As we reached the other side, you could see clouds streaming in off the ocean and up the mountains, very cool!!!

Towards the end of the canyon that Avalon is situated in is the Wrigley Botanical Gardens, that I had been thinking I'd like to visit at some point. They moved the original pavilion that had been where the Casino now is up there, and converted it into an aviary. I didn't know, but they had also made a mausoleum that William Wrigley Jr. is buried in, that is visible at the end of the canyon in this shot.

The dark spots on the ocean are the shadows of the clouds!!!

After we passed some radio towers and the reservoir, we began our descent down the other side of the canyon towards Avalon, down Stage Coach Road.

Another shot, from above, of the Descanso Beach area... which, incidentally, we never made it out to this year!!!

Good times!!!

Back to Avalon

Another vacation to Catalina!!! It was going to be a near repeat of last year's vacation. I rented the same house, and we were going to bring along surrogate son again. However, in the week leading up to the vacation, my wife had been having a lot of sciatica back pain. We always take along a wheel chair and roll her around, so I didn't think it would be a problem. The night before we were going to head out, she says she's decided that she isn't going to go. I wasn't crazy about it, because then we'd be leaving her home alone, but I relented. We'd already had a friend who was going to be coming over to feed the cat, so we told them they didn't have to do that, but please drop in and see how my wife is doing!!!

I'd made mention of Antonio's on the waterfront having had reduced it's menu and shortened it's hours previously on posts about our other travels there. Last year, they'd re opened it as Pier 24, with the menu and hours both improved to where they had been, albeit with different items on the menu. Surrogate son really liked the waitress there, and wanted to contact her again, but I digress. Anyway, they've added artwork with buffalo people on them on the outside walls. I took a picture of this one, and sent it to my wife with the message, “This could have been us!!!”

While we were heading back from swimming on the first day, I saw Pier 24 has a trivia night the next evening, so I asked for details. They said to show up at 6:30 and join in, first prize is a $50 gift certificate, and second is a $15 gift certificate. I told them they could just put my name on the $50 certificate now!!! We came back for it, and ended up taking 3rd place. Surrogate was a great help getting several answers I had a blind spot on.

Oh, and the waitress that surrogate liked from last time was nowhere to be seen.

The first day we were there, surrogate made me buy us cowboy hats!!! We wore them off and on in varying combinations throughout the week. We'd worn them out to Buffalo Nickel one night, and surrogate was wandering out towards the ocean while younger and I were using the restroom, and he heard another patron talking about how there are a bunch of people wearing cowboy hats!!!

The first evening surrogate went out to wander the streets while wearing his hat, and happened by a club that was playing country music, so he stopped in. They were doing line dancing, and he got in on it!!! Afterwards, an older lady offered to buy him a drink!!! He replied that he doesn't drink, and he's married!!!

Last year I'd gotten the message that our room was ready right as we arrived. When we got there this time, I hadn't gotten anything yet so I tried calling the agency. The check in time is 3 PM, so there was time still, but we had all our luggage and would have liked to have been able to deposit it. Anyway, they confirmed it wasn't ready yet, but they'd let me know as soon as it was. I had the idea that it may still be being cleaned, so I left the guys with the gear, and walked over to Green Palace Jr. to see if there was anyone there, and checked to see if it was locked. It was locked, and no one was there. The agency was on the way back, a couple blocks over, so I stopped in to see if we could leave our stuff there. They said no, but most restaurants would hold your luggage if you were dining there. We had already been planning on going to the Bluewater Grill, and dining on the waterfront, so I was heading back, when I got the message the house was ready. We took our luggage and dropped it off. Last time we were there, the table seemed shorter, and only had three chairs, one of them quite wobbly. There were four chairs this time, and the table was longer, with room for all four chairs. Upon looking at last year's pictures, it's the same table, only it was sideways before!!! Got a mirror selfie!!!

I think this may have been the night we went to the Buffalo Nickel, when we got back I had the idea to get a picture of myself on the balcony!!! Yee haw!!!

The first morning that we were there, we went out to the pier to rent stand up paddle boards, something we didn't do last time. At this point, I should mention that the trip over was rougher than usual. Part way over, I used the restroom, and with the rolling in an enclosed area, I got a little queasy, so once I exited I did several minutes of the classic “focus on the horizon” remedy, and felt better.

I wasn't even thinking about that, but when we got out to our paddle boards and into the harbor, I was reminded. I tried to get standing up, and fell off. Surrogate was the last of us to get launched, and he fell off, too. He was working on getting back on, with not much success. After a couple of minutes, a lifeguard swam over, and took him back to the float and put him in a kayak instead. We all paddled to the other side of the pier, and he fell out of the kayak. After a couple of minutes of trying to recover, the same lifeguard swam over, and he gave up for the day, and was just swimming in the swim area.

I managed to get standing, and was doing a bit of paddling around, but it was something of a challenge with the heightened surge. Not long after, younger said he was feeling nauseous from the motion, and we called it. Also happened that, for some reason, the four sided clock at the end of the pier was out of commission, so we would have had difficulty determining when our hour rental was up. To compound matters, they were working on the chime tower that day too, and it wasn't sounding at the proper time, so we couldn't even use that.

The lifeguard was a petite fit little thing, and surrogate liked her, too. I'd thanked her after each rescue, and after the second one I told her she should be cast in the reboot of Baywatch!!! The night before we were leaving, he made up a note to leave for her, and the next day took it over to the lifeguard station, and she was there, so he was able to give it directly to her. She has not been in contact, but he took the shot.

Tried to get a picture of the moon over the mountains. Didn't come out as good as it looked in person.

A couple of the things that I've done previously and wanted to do again were the Casino tour and the inland tour. As previously mentioned, they're not really doing the inland tour anymore. We went on the Casino tour, and it was as cool as I'd remembered.

Finally got my own picture of the ramps in the side wings that were mentioned in the Chime Tower story!!!

I consider this to be the prize winner of my pictures this time, taken from one of the windows overlooking the harbor from near the top of the Casino!!! I might make a second post with more just about the tour.

After we went on the tour, since we were already on that side of Avalon, we hiked up to the chime tower. I'd noticed they'd added a board to the top with the “100” on it, it's the 100th anniversary of the chime tower!!! We went the same way we've always gone, up the stairs, and came back down on streets. They had a crew out there working on it, and the workings on the inside are freshly painted, and the wood parts have been re finished and varnished, so it's looking good!!!

Surrogate was not a fan of the hike. It's a good amount of altitude gained!!!

And our picture while were were at Buffalo Nickel, right by the buffalo!!! Yee haw!!!

Surrogate made a great breakfast one day, fish and eggs. We brought the Binding of Isaac: 4 Souls card game, but as far as I recall it only was played twice. We all played one night, then the boys were playing against each other the next morning, and younger was close to winning, and surrogate managed to take the game in a fashion that the younger did not like!!! Last time we'd played the weird Cityville version of Monopoly, but I noticed a battered box at the bottom of the stack that turned out to be regular Monopoly, and we played once, which I won, mostly by monopolizing the slum properties. Surrogate had nearly run out of cash, younger had some good properties and was doing OK, but I had the most cash when we'd had enough. Vindication!!!

Since they're no longer doing the inland tour, there were a couple of others that we could have taken. One was a buffalo watch tour, and the other was to the near end of the island and up along the ridge, both in modified Hummers. The latter had mention of the possibility of sighting buffalo, and I figured if there's a chance, most tour guides will try to make it happen, so that's the one we went on. It was pretty cool, and I got a lot of great pictures, so I may make a post for it, too!!!

Our tour guide and driver was an Apache native named Bear, and he was great, and very entertaining.

I've not mentioned, but we have another native friend, who was in attendance of both of the youngers' most recent birthdays, who is named Wolf, so interesting that we now know two natives with classic native animal names. He's the guy on the end of the couch in the Death Row Records black beanie in the Bold and Brash clip.

It's good to be alive!!!