InnerSpace Caverns (Georgetown, TX) -- June 2016

A RETURN TO THE FAMILIAR

When you’ve lived at a place long enough, you get to the point where you’ve seen everything in the area worth seeing, and you start cycling back to places you’ve been to previously.  Sometimes you’ve also encountered places that when you’ve seen them once, subsequent trips are not needed.  This is one of the places where I’ve cycled back to see again.  My fiancée had never experienced these caverns before (but had heard about them), so this was a great “hot weather” activity for us to do, knowing that it stayed a relatively cool temperature year-round.

Driving up and down Interstate 35 (which goes over where the caves are), I’d noticed the “Candle Factory” sign had been gone for a little while.  That was always a nice marker on the cave tour to be told you’re now standing under that sign.  Beyond that, I didn’t expect there to be any changes since my previous visit (in 2010) or my first (in 2003).  Interestingly enough, there were a few minor differences.

Now reservations are not required for the basic “Adventure Tour,” which is the best one to start with, especially if you’ve never experienced it before.  While there’s a fair amount of walking, you’ll also stay clean (no crawling through mud).  No food or drink are allowed inside the cave (which keeps it free of liter), and you’re not allowed to touch any of the formations.  That’s because the oils secreted by humans can over-time damage the formations and keep them from growing.  If one person touches it, it won’t make a difference.  But if one person on every tour, or on every day, touches the same formation, then it’ll turn a nasty dark color and stop growing.  Please respect the cave, and keep your hands to yourself.

On previous visits, once the tour group had assembled, we’d board a short tram which would take us down the man-made entrance to the tunnel, and then we’d walk up a short incline.  That had been done to keep fresh air in the case, and hot air (which rises) out of the cave.  The tram had since been removed, so visitors now walked into cave.

I noticed at that point the interior of the cave was much hotter and humid than it had been previously.  The angle of the incline appears to have been changed, which allowed the hot air to filter in more.  I also think a major factor was there was *so much* hot and humid air, there was no “cool” air to sink down into the cave.  Other trips this had been a nice escape from the heat, but today it was just as oppressive as being outside.

The tour truly starts at the first room inside the cave, after the guide has had every visitor pose for an optional-purchase photo souvenir. This is what is referred to as a “living cave,” which means the formations are still growing.  While this looks like a bed-of-nails hanging from the ceiling, they’re called “soda straws” because of the thin hollow aspects of the formation.  Mineral-filled water drips down, lengthening and thickening a minute bit.

This cave was formed over thousands of years of geologic action, and shaped by when this section of Texas was covered by a shallow sea long ago.  The passages from one section to another were also naturally-form (although the cement walkway was placed soon after discovery so this could be accessible to the public without damaging the interior).

The tour takes you through these winding passages, which can be narrow and low in some spots.  Eventually you’re brought to the “Discovery Chamber,” which was the first portion discovered.  Back in the late 1960’s a new overpass for Interstate 35 needed to be built, and the workers were drilling into the foundation rock to build support structures.  A hole was drilled in an empty pocket, and a drill-bit was lost, so someone was sent down to recover it.  One tiny flashlight illuminated a cavern the size of a football field.  And here’s the remnant of the original hole which was drilled in (since filled back in to preserve the cave).

And this was what that construction worker saw.  There was no way a single flashlight could convey the size, but there were smart people that day who took action to secure this for future generations.

The tour takes you past a giant fill pile, which had been a sinkhole which exposed the cave to the outside.  The last time it was opened was 10,000 years ago.  Bones of various animals were found in this fill pile (no humans), and their images are painted on a display wall.  That’s the only “artificial” wall in the place, as it also keeps the fill pile from spilling into the cave.

The entire tour takes about 90 minutes from beginning to end.  In each room, the group stops to allow an explanation of the area, some pointing out of various formations, and answering a few questions.  Some portions of the cavern continue on, but are too small for humans to squeeze through.  These are noted by blue lights.

Do other caverns exist a short distance away?  Possible, but not likely, as geologic sounding of the area has been done and nothing has turned up.  But don’t rule out the possibility of something nearby, as this region is filled with various caverns of different sizes.

The tour seemed to go faster than I recalled on my previous visits here.  I would’ve enjoyed the opportunity to linger at the formations a bit more, but the tour guide did note the caverns have on occasion been rented out for special occasions (among them, a couple weddings here).

When we reached the farthest point in the caverns (where we’d be under where the “Candle Factory” sign had been), it was time to turn around and come back.  The return trip is mostly a quick walk through the areas we’d already been, except for a side trip a chamber filled with some cave water.  Due to the filtration created by the ground above, you could drink the water here with no ill-effects.

At the conclusion, the tour walks back up the access tunnel we entered in, and exits to the gift shop.  There, the pictures which you were forced to take at the beginning of the tour are available for sale.  I know that’s a hallmark of many places and a good money-maker for the establishment, but in the age of cameras everywhere in our lives, that’s not something you should be forced to partake in.  It also takes time away from the tour which could be better spent within the depths enjoying the wonders on the inner-Earth.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

InnerSpace Caverns:  https://innerspacecavern.com/

Celebration of 50 years:  http://www.fox7austin.com/news/local-news/155996204-story

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Lyon Air Museum (Santa Ana, CA) -- September 2015

DAY EIGHT (26 September 2015):

When travelling, you always need to keep in mind when you have to secure your boarding positions for your flight the following day.  I’m able to do everything electronically, and have the stuff sent to my phone.  My parents preferred the paper method, so we needed to make sure those were secured before we headed out for the day.  Being able to have your position secured, and simply print out the boarding pass at the airline kiosk is useful.  But once that was done, then we could head out for the day’s events.

I’d been trying to meet some of my other contacts today too, but were having some difficulty in making connections.  Sure the plan in the later part of the day would be to enjoy the beach again, and soak up some rays before heading back, but we’d do something intellectual today also.  And that required a quick trip over to Santa Ana.

Located next to the John Wayne Airport was Lyon Air Museum.  This was founded by Major General William Lyon to have a collection of functional aircraft, rare vehicles, and World War II era memorabilia.  I enjoy going to air museums like this, because there’s always something of interest.

It’s always fun to look at the old cars, especially because you can see manufacturer’s which aren’t in business any more.  Plus it’s interesting to compare the amenities of these older vehicles (like this 1935 Packard) to what can be found in modern cars.

Of course, I like checking out the vehicles which were made during the war era to see what interesting designs were created then.  This 1943 German Kettenkrad tracked motorcycle is a good example, as in the post-war period I’ve never seen anything like this in civilian use.

And it’s nice to see the history of some manufacturers which have survived to the modern day, when you look at what was made as part of the war production.  Companies like BMW and Mercedes-Benz are still in existence today making vehicles, but they created things to drive during the war.  This 1939 Mercedes-Benz touring wagon is a good example.  Note how the front doors opened backwards to what we’re used to in modern cars.

The main reason to go to an air museum is to see the planes, like this Douglas C-47 “Skytrain.”  A fleet of over 800 of these planes dropped 13,000 paratroopers into Normandy during the D-Day Invasion.  Note the pans next to the wheels.  Those are there to catch oil dripping from the engines.  That’s one way to know these planes, for as old as they are, are still flyable.

One of the great things when visiting an air museum is to see the types of planes which took part in critical missions.  This B-25 Mitchell is a good example of that.  While this specific plane wasn’t involved, it was this type of aircraft which took place in the Doolittle Raid against Japan in 1942.

Not every piece in the museum saw action during the war.  This B-17 Flying Fortress was one of the last to be delivered to the Army Air Forces, and used mostly as a VIP transport in the Pacific.  This specific plane was used in the classic film Tora! Tora! Tora!, and later re-named “Fuddy Duddy” to honor a plane which flew 93 missions before being lost over Germany in December 1944.

While the planes are always the most impressive items in an air museum, the smaller historical pieces can be just as interesting for what they represent.  Occasionally there’s items from World War I (notice how it says “The Great War” on the sign), because it can really show you how different aviation was then.

And then there’s the aspects which give that local angle.  Due to the paper shortages and war rationing, much of the daily newspapers which chronicled the history were recycled, but it was nice to see these copies of the Santa Ana Register which showed the conclusion of the war.

It only took a hour or two to go through this completely, and that was including the short film on site, but it was worth it.  This makes a nice afternoon destination location when you’re in the area to see something perhaps you haven’t seen.

One little bit of amusement I had was where the Indian motorcycle was placed next to.  Perhaps your humor isn’t goofy the way mine is, but it should still appreciate the world play.

More Information on Places Visited or Mentioned:

Santa Ana (CA):  http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/

John Wayne Airport:  http://www.ocair.com/

Lyon Air Museum:  http://lyonairmuseum.org/

Doolittle Raid:  http://www.uss-hornet.org/history/wwii/doolittle.shtml

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Fun Zone Boat Company Harbor Cruise (Newport Beach, CA) -- September 2015

DAY SEVEN, PART TWO (25 September 2015):

Watching the sunset over the ocean was important to me, so that’s why on all my visits (including this one), I’d try to view that spectacle from whatever location I was at (usually being the Seal Beach Pier).  But on this trip, Mum wanted to be able to see if from the ocean, so she recommended we do a harbor tour.  While there’s many places along the coast which offer this, we’d made the arrangements to have one done out of Newport Beach.

            For the amusement factor, we had a little adventure just getting there.  It didn’t make a lot of sense to go all the way back to Seal Beach and then come back down a few hours later, so once we departed Mission San Juan Capistrano, our goal was to find a place we could get an early dinner and loiter until it was time for the tour to start.

I knew the general area of where we wanted to be, so that’s why I started to question the route the GPS was giving us.  It sent us on to Balboa Island, which was a very quaint (but crowded) beach community with very narrow one-way streets.  (That would’ve been a nice place to park and explore the many little shops, given the time.)  The GPS was then trying to send us across the Balboa Island Ferry, which didn’t at all seem correct.

I wanted to stick to streets I knew during the daytime, as it would be after dark when we left.  Plus it wasn’t the route I had originally plotted.  Of course, I plotted that route originally with the idea we’d be heading south from Seal Beach, which meant a whole different way to get to our destination.  It made sense to me to U-turn out of Balboa Island, back to PCH, and then head a little bit north where we’d be able to turn down Balboa Blvd to bring us to where we needed to be.  Once there, we learned that’s where the ferry would’ve deposited us off any way, but it was nicer to get a feel for the area.  It was a bit more spacious to drive here.

This area had some pedestrian streets which served as a nice boardwalk, with some small touristy shops and restaurants.  We loitered at a place called Newport Landing where we could have some drinks, a light dinner, and people watch the area while we were waiting.  Our final destination was just a few doors down, the Fun Zone Boat Company.

At the appropriate time, we and the other passengers boarded, and the boat chugged out past all the slips in Newport Bay, and rounded the peninsula to bring us out towards the Pacific Ocean.

Along the way we passed Corona del Mar State Beach, where this nearby cove served as locations for filming of Gilligan’s Island and a few other shows.  Taking a close look at the contours, it really looked like a fun place to hang out.

To our west was a barrier known as “The Wedge,” which was built as a break-wall to make a more easily-navigable channel to the bay.  Soon we were beyond that, and out on the open ocean.

The skipper had already said we’d head out for a distance, and then turn around and come back in the way we came.  So if you didn’t have the seat facing the sunset on the way out, you would on the way back in.  We made sure to sit in the very front bow of the boat, but that didn’t stop other rude tourists from crowding our position or getting in the way of our shots.  They didn’t have very good sea legs, and one of the tourists nearly dropped his camera off the edge of the boat.  After that, he sat back down in his seat for most of the remainder of the trip.

Since I was on the edge of the boat facing the sunset on the way out, I snapped what shots I could initially, and then just enjoyed the rest of the trip.  Some clouds had rolled in, but not enough to obscure the view.  And it wasn’t like the “green flash” happens out of the Pacific anyway.

On the way back in, we passed a buoy with a bunch of sea lions piled on it.  The skipper explained because these are mammals, they do need to sleep, and they leave the water to do so.  They couldn’t float and nap at the same time (for very long), but in the evening as the water temperature dropped, so the already-cold ocean became even colder.

As we came back in the entrance channel, it afforded more opportunities for me to take some artsy shots of the sunset contrasted with dark objects in the foreground.  The lone person walking on the “Wedge” was a great subject matter for a beautiful picture.

Seeing the sunset was only half of the trip, because a tour of some of the more interesting homes on the harbor was included.  The tour was designed to do the “harbor home” portion of the tour before or after the sunset, depending on the time of year.

As it got dark, it was harder to see specific structures which were pointed out by the skipper.  Here’s a place where the first female Coast Guard captain lives, there’s the house that John Wayne lived in at one point, and over yonder is a philanthropist’s mansion.  We also got to wave at the passing party boats, and other harbor traffic.

One thing which I found as nice as the sunset was the way the full moon reflected on the water.  Little sights like that provide me a lot of visual pleasure.  At the conclusion of the tour, we disembarked where we began, and the restaurants and bars in the area were ready to receive patrons who wanted a late-evening snack.  The views of the sunsets over the ocean to me were worth the price of the tour, and that’s why I recommend this to be done.

More Information on Places Visited or Mentioned:

Newport Beach (CA):  http://www.newportbeachca.gov/

Balboa Island:  http://www.balboaisland.com/

Balboa Peninsula:  http://www.visitnewportbeach.com/vacations/balboa-peninsula/

Newport Landing:  http://www.newport-landing.com/

Fun Zone Boat Company:  http://funzoneboats.com/

Corona del Mar State Beach:  http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=652

“Green Flash”:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_flash

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Mission San Juan Castrino (San Juan Castrino, CA) -- September 2015

DAY SEVEN, PART ONE (25 September 2015):

Mum had made a request of a place she wanted to visit while she was in the area, and it happened to coincide with something of international significance.  In order to get to that destination, it’d require a drive south of Pacific Coast Highway past Laguna Beach where we’d driven too earlier.  There was a brief stop in Dana Point to look around the area, and we even considered heading a bit further south to San Clemente where Nixon’s “West White House” had been located.  Ultimately, the reason why we were here was the Mission at San Juan Capistrano.

The mission was founded in 1776 by Father Junipero Serra, and covers a decent amount of ground.  There was a more celebratory atmosphere in this place, as Serra was being canonized this week to become Saint Serra.  The Pope was visiting the US this week also, so there were was a bit of religious fervor in the area that I normally didn’t see.

The tour of the Mission is self-guided, so patrons could go at their own pace.  For a few extra dollars, and audio guide was available too.  Since it was one of the hottest days during the week of our visit, and most of the Mission was outdoors, not-shady, or had no air conditioning, it was a slow pace we went it.

I was glad to see there were other bits of history presented here, like the background of the Acjachemen Indian tribe who used to live in the area before the Spanish conquest.  And the first vineyard in California was located at the Mission, as here was the vat room used to process the grapes.

Not every portion of the Mission was open to the public, as some serviced as offices for the site and some were still in the process of being restored.  Of the rooms which could be viewed, many of them were devoid of furnishings or other decoration so the only way to know what those chambers were used for was to listen to the audio guide and use your imagination.  The rooms which had artifacts of the time period, like this Spanish barracks, I found more interesting due to the historical aspects.

One of the rooms which has remained in decent condition, and pretty continual use, was the Serra Chapel.  This was a very ornate presentation, and I thinking much of this was updated and added to after Father Serra’s death (considering the balcony above where I was standing contained a pipe organ).

From a historical perspective, I liked checking out the ruins of the Great Stone Church which sat on the Mission grounds.  Construction was completed in 1806, and is was destroyed by an earthquake a few years later in 1812.  It was never rebuilt, but the two bells which survived the disaster are rung only a few times of the year during specific observances.

One additional item of note which happens here is the “miracle of the Swallows of Capistrano.”  On St. Joseph’s Day (19 March) every year migrating swallows return from Argentina, where they nest within the walls of the Mission.  The birds stay until the Day of San Juan (23 October), where they head south to enjoy the summer in South America.

The flock has been tracked so it’s confirmed the same birds return every year.  Was there a specific water or food source here, do the trade winds naturally bring the birds here, those were some of the questions I asked the location.  Of course, no scientific explanation could be provided (or as speaking with one of the docents, even considered).  I’m sure it’s been verified, but that would require additional research.

This is a good place to go for some early history of California, and the surrounding streets contain a number of places where lunch could be obtained.

More Information on Places Visited or Mentioned:

Pacific Coast Highway:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_1

Laguna Beach (CA):  http://www.lagunabeachcity.net/

Dana Point (CA):  http://www.danapoint.org/

San Clemente (CA):  http://san-clemente.org/

Mission San Juan Capistrano:  http://www.missionsjc.com/

Junipero Serra:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jun%C3%ADpero_Serra

Acjachemen Indians:  http://www.juaneno.com/

Miracle of the Swallows of Capistrano:  http://www.sanjuancapistrano.net/swallows/

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California Science Center (Los Angeles, CA) -- September 2015

DAY SIX (24 September 2015):

When visiting a place, there’s certain things on the target list to see, and downtown Los Angeles had a couple items for specific reasons.  Today we were heading to the California Science Center.  One of the reasons why I wanted to check this out was because I like science museums, and I like to check out the layout to see what works and what doesn’t.  While I’m there as a tourist, I’m also there scouting things for Texas Museum of Science & Technology to see what ideas we can borrow when we build our permanent location.

Admission to the museum is free, although a donation is “recommended.”  The IMAX theatre in the facing building has a cost.  We decided to stick with the museum, and I was more than happy to provide a donation.  The first thing I noticed as we entered the lobby of this multi-level building were the large objects hanging from the ceiling.  I had to laugh because it was a humpback whale with two Air Force jets behind it.  What did that poor whale do to get chased by the military?

The item I’d come here to see was the first thing on the list, and I figured it was good to get there before the museum started to fill up for the day.  The first portion was an informational section which talked about space travel, mission control, and what it was like to be an astronaut.

There was also a short film about the engineering skill it took to bring this prized item to the area.  It was a slow process, road signs had to be removed, and traffic diverted, but the effort was well worth the results.  In an adjacent building was a hanger designed specifically to hold the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

Commissioned in 1992, it was the last Space Shuttle to be built, but it still flew just about as many missions as the others in the fleet.  Situated along the wall were plaques which showed every launch of the entire shuttle program, including date, crew, and a short mission synopsis.  The ones showing the final missions of Challenger and Columbia have a portrait of the crew, so you can remember those who died during the missions.

We could take all the pictures we wanted of the shuttle, there was no touching allowed.  A vehicle which could survive the heat of re-entry could withstand the poking of hundreds of visitors each day, but sooner or later that wear could damage.  It’s best to preserve it as much as possible.  A way to do that was the contraption Endeavour sat upon.  Built with seismic isolators, during an earthquake the shuttle will gently rock back-and-forth on these low-friction sliders to absorb the energy generated by the quake, and not cause damage to the vehicle.  The yellow bars are what holds the shuttle in place, and the blue columns they rest upon are the isolators.

Our visit was timed perfectly, because we had a bit of time to quietly reflect in awe of this engineering marvel before a swarm of noisy and disinterested school kids flooded in.  We saw what we wanted, and then ventured back into the rest of the museum.  There were sections of the ecosystems of the area, and specific exhibits to the functions of life.  About half the displays were designed for hands-on exploration.

Spaced throughout the museum were replicas of some of the more famous probes we’ve launched into our solar system, like the Cassini-Huygens which entered orbit around Saturn in 2004…

…and actual items which were used in the early days of space exploration, like this Gemini 11 capsule.  Notice is was encased in a plastic shell to help preserve it.  While that made it harder to get a good look at it (because of the reflections on the shell), it also kept it from being damaged from hundreds of grubby human hands that would touch it every day.

There’s a café on the first floor if you want to get something to eat, so it’s nice to have that amenity available.  As we were leaving, I was able to get a picture of my favorite plane, which was parked outside.  It’s seems kind of random to have an SR-71 Blackbird parked outside, but that’s an indication of things to come.  Eventually the museum will expand to contain some other aircraft.

Right next door was the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which was the site of the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games.  The stadium has been in continual use for professional and high school sporting events, as well as other functions.  I asked if there was a museum we could go in and visit to see any artifacts of the Olympics, and was told there was a walking tour of the stadium, but not an actual museum.

I’m all up for walking up and down stairs outdoors, but that wasn’t something my parents had the stamina for.  Besides, we were more interested in seeing more of the historical aspects of the games that were held here.  The most we were able to do with that was look through the fence to see the plaques listing the names of medal winners.

More Information on Places Visited or Mentioned:

Los Angeles (CA):  https://www.lacity.org/

California Science Center:  http://californiasciencecenter.org/

Texas Museum of Science & Technology (TXMOST):  https://www.txmost.org/

Space Shuttle Endeavour:  http://californiasciencecenter.org/exhibits/air-space/space-shuttle-endeavour

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum:  http://www.lacoliseum.com/

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