Warner Bros Studio Tour (Burbank, CA) -- September 2015

DAY FIVE (23 September 2015):

Our planned agenda for today was one of those things that if you’re going to be in the vicinity to take the time to do it.  I’d asked my parents since we were close to Hollywood if they wanted to do the Walk of Fame.  Since it’s require a lot of walking, they declined (as they’d seen the pictures from when I did it).  But Mum said because she was this close to Hollywood she wanted to do a studio tour.  There were a couple different studio we’d picked up brochures for, but there was specific she wanted.  Mum wanted to see Bugs Bunny.

While Warner Brothers (WB) is more than Bugs Bunny, as they were the parent company to DC Comics, it was the agreeable choice as far as I was concerned.  Because we’d made the arrangements the previous day, we had the tickets sent to us electronically (which I recommend as being the best way to do it).  In the morning, it was an easy drive up the interstate to past Griffith Park to Burbank to reach the area.  From the angle we came in from, we couldn’t see the Observatory or the Hollywood Sign.

This section was very residential, with houses sitting on the street across from the studio.  Figure as the studio expanded, it closed the distance between its land and the private residences.  As a point of information, both the studios for Disney and Universal were located nearby.  Upon our arrival, the first we saw was the famous water tower which bares the WB trademark (and at one point was where three monkeys were locked within).

The tour began with a short film about the various productions the studio had done over the years, both in movies and television, and then we boarded a tram to drive us around the back lot.  We were asked where we were from, and what some of our favorite shows or movies were.  I mentioned Troy and Smallville, which our guide gave a less than enthusiastic response.  What, you don’t know your own productions?  Sorry I didn’t say something more current or popular.

The tram took us around some wooded areas where there were various buildings used for exterior shots for productions, like the tavern from True Blood (pictured above).  Of course, any interior shots would be done on a sound stage.  We had to be quiet through this section, as the “street portion” of this area was currently being used to film a sequence for Dirty Little Lies.  We then moved to city portion of the back lot, which had been used in a number of different productions by simply redressing the exteriors.

We were able to enter into a building which was set aside for rotating exhibits, basically dedicated to what was popular at the moment.  The ground floor had a tribute to 75 years of Batman (and all the movies back to the first Michael Keaton one), and the upper level was for Harry Potter.  I went for the ground floor first, as Mum headed upstairs.

In addition to displays showing the costumes and props of each of the movies, there was a wall of all the different Batman masks, and a preview for the upcoming Superman V. Batman movie.

Upstairs in the Harry Potter section were various props used in the movies, like a replica of a Deathly Hollow, and Quidditch gear.  I liked the Sorting Hat which was setting there, as someone would hold it over you, and a movie sound effect would randomly play.

My favorite house was Ravenclaw, which was the only one not mentioned in the movies.  I pointed that out to the tour guide, who acknowledged my astuteness of that.  He also laughed when I asked about the monkeys in the water tower.  (For those who didn’t get the reference the first time, that goes back to the 1990’s Animaniacs cartoon.)

From there we were brought into a room which contained all the Batmobiles from the various WB movies.  Again, I liked the original Michael Keaton one the best.  Keep in mind as the tour was on a tight schedule this section (like the previous area) we were allowed 10-15 minutes in the area to look around, so you couldn’t linger.  You had to absorb what you could as quick as you could.

The next portion of the tour had us walk through the props department.  Any item which could conceivably be used in a shoot was stored here, and there were group by category.  Imagine a shelf full of various office phones, or a room full of stuffed animals.  If it could be used, they had it.  I asked the guide if the stuff was purchased new, gotten from GoodWill, or donated, and the response was “all of the above.”

Additional items stored here were all the statutes from The Maltese Falcon, the desk used in The West Wing, and the piano from Rick’s Café Americian used in Casablanca.  Given the time, it would be fun to spend the whole day here just guessing what was used where, as there were no informational signs to show that.

From there were moved into a section which had posters and other behind-the-scenes information about what was needed to make a production.  I liked the pile of rejected scripts, because it reminded me of all the early drafts my writer’s group went through, as each one was a written story which will never be published.

After stopping for a photo shoot at the Central Perk coffee shop from Friends…

…we stopped at what was called the “forced perspective table.”  The table is designed a special way so when viewed from a certain angle, it creates the illusion of different sizes.  The actors would sit on either side of the table (not directly across from each other) and look at the monitors in front of them.  That way they could interact in proper sequence.  So this shot of Dad and I sitting at the table makes him appear to be hobbit-sized purely from the way the camera’s perception is tricked.

The last portion of this building (before the gift shop and Central Perk-themed café) was a series of green screens to allow you act out a short sequence.  Dad put on the spacesuit from Gravity, while Mum and I did the Harry Potter broom ride (as that allowed for a bit more range of involvement).  The patron stationed there would give direction (“lean left,” etc) as it was filmed.  Our images would then be matted on to a pre-selected piece of footage, so it appeared that we were really in the scene flying along the English countryside (or in space).

The tour was very thorough, and we were completed by lunch time.  Keeping in mind the time constraints, it was a sizable amount of money for what we got out of this.  Having the tour last another hour or two, and having more time to soak in the exhibits would’ve been nice.  We were still glad we took the opportunity to do this.

One thing that Dad observed was the amount of people that worked behind the scenes.  Every set needed to be constructed, so blue-collar labors (like painters, electricians, and foreman) were busy moving about, as well as drivers and other gopher-type assistants.  Certainly for those who live in the area, this was a major employer.

More Information on Places Visited or Mentioned:

Hollywood (CA):  https://www.latourist.com/?page=hollywood

Hollywood Walk of Fame:  http://www.walkoffame.com/

Warner Bros Studio Tour:  https://www.wbstudiotour.com/

DC Comics:  http://www.dccomics.com/

Griffith Park:  http://www.laparks.org/dos/parks/griffithpk/

Griffith Observatory:  http://griffithobservatory.org/

Hollywood Sign:  http://hollywoodsign.org/

Burbank (CA):  http://www.burbankca.gov/

Walt Disney Studios:  https://www.adventuresbydisney.com/north-america/southern-california-vacations/

Universal Studios Hollywood:  http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/

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Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach, CA) -- September 2015

DAY FOUR, PART TWO (22 September 2015):

Our destination wasn’t too far from Shoreline Village, but the GPS unit sent us to the parking lot right before we should’ve gone for our destination.  A quick drive around the area figured that out, as there weren’t very good signs to direct us to the correct parking garage.  Still, we’d arrived at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Upon entering the facility, the first I noticed was the whale suspended overhead.  Want to talk about something that grabs your attention.  Whales are the largest mammals on the planet, and seeing one over your head really puts that into perspective.

The aquarium has a long central corridor with galleries on either side, although the main entrances to those are located on the second floor.  The two main galleries focused on the northern Pacific Ocean, and the tropical region.  There were smaller sections for the southern Pacific, and marine mammals.

One of the exhibits we found the most fascinating were the jellyfish.  There are many species present of these fabulous creatures, and they’re so unlike anything else we have on our planet.  We want to go looking for alien life on other planets, yet you can’t get something more alien than this.

And to think about what other interesting things nature has come up, look no further than the sea dragon.  I’d never seen one of these before, and could see why they could be mistaken for a branch floating in the water.  Like their sea horse relatives, the males carry and give birth to the young.

It was nice to stop and look at the fish swimming by in the tanks, and sometimes it was just as interesting to look at all the various colors and shapes of the corals.  Being able to maintain living coral is difficult due to factors like light and temperature sensitivity, so it’s impressive this exhibit is present.

I sent this picture to a couple of my friends telling them I’d found a face-hugger.  Since when I go on these trips, no one really knows where I am or what I’m seeing until after, so sending out strange random pictures is fun.

After passing the otter enclosure, the aquarium opens to an outdoor section with a penguin habitat…

… and a section where guests were allowed to reach out and touch a ray.  With a light two-finger touch, I felt the leathery-skin as the critter glided by.

There’s also animal shows which happen throughout the day, as well as the Ocean Theatre to view 3D and 4D movies, and a kiosk at the Ocean Science Center showing presentations from the NOAA.  The guide book which comes with the admission has a good map, as well as a visual guide for the animals within the facility.

More Information on Places Visited or Mentioned:

Shoreline Village:  http://www.shorelinevillage.com/

Aquarium of the Pacific:  http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration):  http://www.noaa.gov/

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Queen Mary and Battleship Iowa (Long Beach, CA) -- September 2015

DAY FOUR, PART ONE (22 September 2015):

Today would be all about water.  Or visiting things relating to water.  One of the places which I know Mum wanted to see was the Queen Mary over in Long Beach, so that was the first stop.  It gave us an opportunity to dive along Ocean Blvd, and see the nice older houses there.  We could picture an area decades ago when this was a sleepy little beach town, and the decent-sized homes which were built there.  This was a very pretty section to drive through.

The Queen Mary is a floating restaurant and luxury hotel now, so not a place for plebeians to mingle with the wealthier crust of society.  There were tours you could pay for in order to get a “haunted history” of the ship, or a presentation related to Princess Diana, but not something where you could just walk on board and look around.  Mum said she couldn’t expect it to look different than other cruise ships she’s been on.

We also looked at the Soviet Scorpion Submarine docked there, a captured Cold War relic when it wandered into the harbor.  Tours of that were normally available, but it was currently “closed for maintenance.”  Not sure what maintenance was needing to be done, but due to the confining environment, I doubt Mum & Dad would’ve wanted to go inside.

We considered doing a harbor tour, and saw the sign for Catalina Express.  Further investigation revealed it was just a “water taxi” to ferry people across the bay, and it was no longer located here (contrary to the posted signs).  It wasn’t the primary destination for the day, but something we were checking for potential things later in the week.

After a short trip west down Route 47 past the Port of Long Beach, and over the very tall Vincent Thomas Bridge, we arrived at the Battleship Iowa.  This was one of the ships that arrived in Japan for the surrender ceremony which concluded World War II (although the actual signing of the surrender document took place on the Missouri).  While it saw service during the Korean War, it basically was a training ship, until it became a museum ship in 1990 and was parked here.

As we came aboard, the docents asked if any of our party had military service (as it would be announced over the loud-speaker), which I thought was a nice touch.  The tour of the Iowa was very well thought-out as a sections were marked so you could see the highlights of the vessel without doing a lot of backtracking (which was one thing which happened when we visited the Battleship Texas in 2013).

The brochure we were given had a dozen specific things to look for, listed in the order as the tour unfolded.  We started at the front of the ship, where the six of the nine 16-inch guns were, and then worked our way inside.  At various times we’d go up or down interior or exterior stairs following the prescribed route.  This allowed us to see areas which had been set aside with mementos of the Iowa’s life, including pictures and some short films.

One amenity this battleship has which no other does was the inclusion of a bathtub.  This was installed prior to FDR’s 1943 meeting with Churchill and Stalin in Teheran.  Since the Iowa had the job of ferrying the President to this meeting, it needed to outfitted for his convenience.

We marked off the points of interest as we continued along the ship.  One I liked (based on the information provided by the brochure) was the Phalanx Weapon System, which was designed to deal “close-in” threats.  The barrel-shape and automated nature of the system earned it the nickname of “R2-D2” by the crew.  That would be something to see in the new trilogy, R2 goes Rambo on a bunch of Stormtroopers.  >grin<

As we went up and down the stairs, with the narrow steps, I tried to imagine the personnel rushing around during an alert status, and imagined how many cadets tumbled down them before they learned to navigate them. 

Mum commented because of the narrowness of the corridors, this was not the place for anyone with claustrophobia.  When looking at the sleeping bunks for the enlisted men, it really showed how space was at a premium here.

The tour of the Iowa was physically challenging, and could pose some issues to those not use to it.  This was a battleship after all, so obstructions in the hallways (to be able to close off sections), narrow staircases, and such were the norm.  Wear comfortable shoes before coming, and keep in mind this is not handicap accessible (although there may be some future modifications to change that).  I didn’t have any issues traversing the ship, but Mum and Dad had to slow down on the stairs, or sit occasionally.

This was a great piece of history to be experience, and we were able to complete a thorough walk-through before lunch.  It wasn’t that hot or humid when we were there, so keep that factor in mind when making your journey there.

More Information on Places Visited or Mentioned:

Queen Mary:  http://www.queenmary.com/

Long Beach (CA):  http://www.longbeach.gov/

Scorpion Submarine:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_submarine_B-427

Catalina Express:  http://catalinaexpress.com/

Port of Long Beach:  http://www.polb.com/

Vincent Thomas Bridge:  https://www.portoflosangeles.org/transportation/ca_47.asp

Battleship Iowa:  http://www.pacificbattleship.com/

Battleship Missouri:  https://ussmissouri.org/

Battleship Texas:  http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/battleship-texas

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Discovery Cube (Santa Ana, CA) -- September 2015

DAY THREE, PART TWO (21 September 2015):

Part of the plan we had this week was to get to a location right when it opened, so we could potentially visit other locations of interest in the area in the afternoon.  Leaving Yorba Linda, it was a quick drive over to Santa Ana for our second item of the day:  Discovery Cube.

I first noticed this during one of my drives between dealerships, as it was rather difficult to miss a giant cube sandwiched between two sets of highways.  Research showed this to be a hands-on science museum, which for me are always fun to check out (especially because of my connection with TXMOST, as we like to see what works for other places so we can adapt it).

The initial view of the venue made it appear this was targeted towards younger kids, and may not have much towards things to keep adults (even “kids-at-heart adults”) interested.  Still, it was worth the investigation.  The ground floor was filled with some hands-on science displays, although not all worked well or were that impressive.  The geyser had a sign saying that every 10 minutes it would go off, but it took closer to fifteen (yes, I timed it) and the results were rather anti-climatic.

There were three seats with different pulleys in order to demonstrate the variations of lifting weights.  I liked the idea of this, but the gloves provided to guests (to keep from getting rope burn, and to provide better grip on the rope) were rather worn down.  I still succeeding in getting some burn on my hands due to the thinness of the material.  The smoke signal generator was a little more interesting.

Upstairs was a mock mission control room to use computers to launch satellites, and a replica of the Mars rover Curiosity.

This lead to an outdoor section, which was actually modeled within the actual cube this place was named after.  There were a few displays which allowed you to see how high you could fire weights on a wire, which were very neat.  One thing we had a lot of fun with was a mock rocket engine you’d stand under and get engulfed in smoke in a blast-off simulation.  Some of the younger kids in the area seemed to be unsure about trying it until they saw how much fun Mum was having with it.

Back inside the upper level was a room with a sphere-shaped projector, very similar to the Magic Planet we use at TXMOST.  This projector was much larger, and set in the room on a higher level.  The clarity on this image of Jupiter was good, but the Great Red Spot was eye-level to me as I stood there.  As it rotated through various images of the Earth, it was difficult to see what was trying to be represented in the northern hemisphere.

In addition to a wind tunnel, and a machine to recreate seismic activity, I really enjoyed the section which was three mirrors in a triangle pattern facing each other.  Can you count how many times you can see my reflection here?  I took a short video of me spinning around singing a particular tune by 1980’s New Wave band Flock of Seagulls in an attempt (admittedly a poor one) to recreate one of the few hits songs they had.

One thing I found very interesting in the Discovery Cube was the section devoted to the “Science of Hockey.”  I guess the vicinity to Anaheim might’ve been a factor.  In addition to shooting pucks at a net to gauge how fast you could hit them, you do a skating simulation, and even try on the protective gear.  All of that was old hat to me, but it was still nice.  Mum liked being able to climb up and pretend she was driving the Zamboni.

Nestled next to the exhibit were signed jerseys and memorabilia from when the hometown team (Anaheim Ducks) won the Stanley Cup in 2007.  That was a welcome surprise to me.

Other indoor exhibits included a market to push your shopping cart around to find the “healthy” foods or the correct items on the list, and a special exhibit on Hot Wheels cars.  Outside on the ground level area (at the base of the actual cube) was the dinosaur-themed section.

In addition to some skeletons and dirt pile to dig up bones, there was a correct-scale Apatosaurus which you could enter the chest cavity to see how its circulatory system worked.

I had to take a picture with both the dino and the cube in it (as much as I could, given available locations) without any other “man-made” objects in it.  I texted this to a couple of my nerd friends with a caption that my stolen Borg ship had crash-landed in the Jurassic.

Discovery Cube was a fun museum, but not worth the price we paid for it.  Yes, there were some interesting things, but not as many as the things which didn’t work properly.  It had just finished a major expansion back in June (as evident by patchwork design of the parking lot), and it felt like other exhibits had been rotated back in yet.  It was good for an afternoon diversion, and something to check out in the area, but in the end it was still aimed for a younger audience.

More Information on Places Visited or Mentioned:

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

Discovery Cube Science Center:  http://www.discoverycube.org/oc/

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

Curiosity (Mars rover):  http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/

Flock of Seagulls (“Ran So Far Away”):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpfWORQWhU

Anaheim (CA):  http://www.anaheim.net/

Anaheim Ducks:  http://ducks.nhl.com/

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Richard Nixon Presidential Library (Yorba Linda, CA) -- September 2015

DAY THREE, PART ONE (21 September 2015):

Considering what we visited the day before, it made sense to head to this destination today.  We’d been told this place was getting ready to close for renovations, so visiting it was imperative.  We were smart enough to call over to make sure they’d be open before we drove over to Yorba Linda.  Our destination was the Richard Nixon Presidential Library.

We arrived at the appropriate time, as we were informed the museum was getting ready to close for a few months while there would be some modifications to location, including changing some of the exhibits and updating the technology.  I honestly doubt it will be that drastic of a visual change when completed, but still something to note that it may look different later.

The docent made some good recommendations of how to tour the site.  We were there right as it opened, and the weather was still cool.  We were told we should go outside to the far side of the complex to see the presidential helicopter first, then the boyhood home and rose garden, before coming back in the air conditioned interior.  The docent noted that when it got too hot in the day, they may close access to the helicopter.  Made perfect sense to us.

We passed a wing which had a special collection of Israeli artifacts, but didn’t stop in, as we’d decide to hit that later.  That section also had a recreation of the East Room of the White House, which currently wasn’t open as a crew was prepping it to be used as a setting for a film shoot.

The property used to be part of a large orchard which was owned and maintained by the Nixon family for years.  While much of the original acreage has been parceled off and developed (which was not uncommon), there was enough space available to place the VH-3A Sea King presidential helicopter.

Pictures were not allowed inside, but suffice to say the ceiling was low, and the space felt cramped, even with just us few in there.  During an administration, the helicopter was transported for use overseas to create a secure environment for sensitive discussion, and reliable transportation.  There was a photo inside of the helicopter flying over the Great Pyramid of Giza which I thought was interesting.

Next to the area was the house which Nixon was born in.  While the property remained in the family for a time, it did change hands a couple times.  At one point a teacher for the local school lived there.  Even though it had been modernized as time went on, the interior had been restored to resemble what it looked like during Nixon’s youth.

There was a flower garden, which presently didn’t have anything blooming, and the burial sites of President Nixon and First Lady Patricia.

Once we headed back inside, we watched a film on Nixon’s career, both before and after his presidential terms.  I found it interesting about the public speaking he did for years afterwards.  There was also a diorama of the West White House (in San Clemente; now a private residence), and the brooches worn by Secretary of State Madeline Albright during her term of service.  Each brooch had a particular theme she was trying to convey during the situations she was in.  No pictures were allowed of the brooches, which I believe was because they didn’t want the pieces to be copied.

From there, we were look at the various exhibits of Nixon’s early career, from pins from his terms in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the unsuccessful presidential bid in 1960.  I liked some of the promotional items which were featured, like these ice cream wrappers.

A statue gallery contains likenesses of various leaders who Nixon interacted with…

…and next to that is a room which contains a testament to Nixon’s work on improving relations with China.

There’s also a piece of the Berlin Wall there…

…and beyond there is a whole section dedicated to Patricia Nixon, and then one focusing on the space program.

You have to keep in perspective that while Nixon was President during the historic Apollo 11 Moon Landing, he was also responsible to slashing NASA’s budgets which forced the cancellation of the final Apollo missions, and an ambitious plan for a permanent lunar base by the end of the 1970’s.

The flip-side of this was having those funds devoted to the creation of the Space Shuttle program.  So that makes one ponder how the 1980’s and 1990’s would’ve been different if we didn’t have the Shuttles?  Would the economic crises of the 1970’s ended the lunar base plans?  Would we have the same level of technological prowess now?  Would the Hubble Space Telescope, for an example, even been launched?

Leaving those questions to be pondered for another time, we moved into the final section which had the presidential limo…

…and a breakdown on the events of the Watergate scandal which has led to Nixon’s resignation.  I do want to note that Nixon was never actually impeached; that was done to a later Chief Executive who remained in office after it, and wore the impeachment like a badge of honor.

We arrived at the museum just as it opened, and by the time we’d gone through all of these sections we were ready for lunch.  Even if we’d looked at the replica of the East Room and the special collections area, it probably would’ve only added another hour.  It made a great visit, and we still had the rest of the day to explore other places in the area.  It’ll be interesting to see what the museum looks like after the renovations have been completed.

More Information on Places Visited or Mentioned:

Yorba Linda (CA):  http://www.ci.yorba-linda.ca.us/

Richard Nixon Presidential Library:  http://nixonfoundation.org/

Great Pyramids of Giza:  http://discoveringegypt.com/pyramids-temples-of-egypt/pyramids-of-giza/

West White House:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Casa_Pacifica

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

Madeline Albright:  http://www.biography.com/people/madeleine-albright-9179300

Apollo 11 Moon Landing:  https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo11.html

Watergate Scandal:  http://www.history.com/topics/watergate

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