Photo TR: Martin & Cheryl Visit Northern Cali!

Update on Page 2!!!!

Cheryl and I have a silly little rule, and the rule is that we have to try to get at least one new credit a month. But while the rule tends to be pretty easy to follow May-ish through September-ish, it can get a bit tricky during the other 7 or so months. Take the freezing February of last month. Most of the northern hemisphere has been on general ice lock-down, and snowstorms have made it a challenge to travel. That was our fear on February 14th, when a snowstorm threatened my flight to California to meet Cheryl, who was already out west visiting family in AZ.

Ha Ha, Snowstorm! You were not as bad as predicted! Next stop: wonderfully mild San Francisco!

If you drive NE from SFO, you will find Pixieland in Concord, California. In 2011 we visited and found it closed when we got there, even though we had called ahead. The weather had gotten bad and they'd sent the staff home. This time, we would not be denied.

We were here mainly for this. Credit for February. Check.

There are some other nice things at Pixieland, like the Spider-Man themed horses on the carousel.

The charming choo-choo around the park. And the little house with concrete gumdrops.

Kiddie Flats.

A Duck Pond. And they had good snacks, like sweet strawberries from the Central Valley, yum. But it was time to drive back to town.

San Francisco gives you some amazing views, like this one.

At dusk we reached the Presidio, and the Walt Disney Family Museum inside former Army barracks therein.

Amazing. Walt's Oscars, including the famous Oscar for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, presented by Shirley Temple, who just passed away February 10th.

There was a somber little corner for Diane Disney Miller, Walt's daughter, who passed away in November. Walt's times with his daughters helped spark the ideas for Disneyland.

Here's an original poster for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

Lots of amazing old Mickey merch.

The famous Multiplane Camera, used on The Old Mill, Snow White, Pinnochio, Fantasia, Bambi, and Peter Pan.

Demonstrations of technology used in early Disney animation, like The Skeleton Dance.

I have always been fascinated by the Disney Cartoonists' Strike of 1941. It broke Walt's heart that his boys, his family, would break with him over money. Walt hated unions from that point on and turned into a lifelong Republican. Walt has been accused of being anti-Semitic, but he actually gave to Jewish charities, and it was his loathing of the union leaders, many of whom were Jewish, that was confused with anti-Semitism. That's my take after reading a bunch of biographies. In any case, one of the results of this was that the company has historically had lousy relations with organized labor, lasting pretty much to the present day.

The park bench at Griffith Park in Los Angeles where early ideas for Disneyland were sparked.

The actual Carolwood Pacific Railroad train, the Lilly Belle.

The track and landscape layout at 355 N. Carolwood Drive.

Amazing model of how Walt may have imagined Disneyland, done by an artist.

Grim, Grinning, Ghosts

Another view.

Another view.

Main Street, U.S.A.

Front of the Park

Animatronic frame and sculpture for Mr. Lincoln.

I was too sad to take pictures of the sections covering Walt's declining health and death, just 8 months after I was born in 1966. Don't smoke, kids, it ain't worth it. So into the gift shop. Here is Chernabog, the devil in Fantasia.

And Elissa-approved items, of course.

We got the refrigerator magnet and these nice books. Thanks for visiting Pixieland and the Walt Disney Family Museum with us!

Next Update: Radical animal activists at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom! And, Free Gold Watch!

I'll have to check out the Disney Museum one of these days--thanks for all the photos.

That model map looks a-ma-zing. Did it light up in the dark?, as I thought I saw a few 'lights'

here and there, though it could be just the layout lighting itself.

Great tour, Martin! I definitely want to visit that, next time in N. California.

I get it that's the model's built all up to the time period 1967, Disney was working on

at the time, when he passed away (Dec.1966). The Space Mountain bldg, looks wonderful!

You say, your rule is one new credit each month. If you visit a new park and they have 2 or 3 coasters. Do you count each one for a month?

They are all 3 new credits, so does that mean you don't have to get a new credit for 3 months? This might sound stupid, but I was just wondering. Thanks!

You say, your rule is one new credit each month. If you visit a new park and they have 2 or 3 coasters. Do you count each one for a month?

 

They are all 3 new credits, so does that mean you don't have to get a new credit for 3 months? This might sound stupid, but I was just wondering. Thanks!

The Walt Disney Museum looks amazing. Thank you for sharing those pictures with us.

I was wondering the same as Diamondbacker. If I was to visit Europa Park (http://rcdb.com/4870.htm), would that count as a years worth of new credits?

I need to visit the Disney family museum someday. I've always been fascinated with Walt's past. Thanks for posting.

You say, your rule is one new credit each month. If you visit a new park and they have 2 or 3 coasters. Do you count each one for a month?

 

They are all 3 new credits, so does that mean you don't have to get a new credit for 3 months? This might sound stupid, but I was just wondering. Thanks!

 

The Walt Disney Museum looks amazing. Thank you for sharing those pictures with us.

 

I was wondering the same as Diamondbacker. If I was to visit Europa Park (http://rcdb.com/4870.htm), would that count as a years worth of new credits?

You guys ask such good questions. I've always said "a new credit every month" but I guess what I've really meant is a minimum of one new credit every month. If we go to a new park with 3 credits, for example, then we've achieved success for that month, but there is no carry-over. We must then find a new credit when the following month rolls around. It's been exhausting, and expensive, but it gives our lives meaning, in some weird roller coaster philosophical way. Actually, TPR people know exactly what I'm talkin' about.

I've just looked at the books and the truth is that I'm full of crap. I can report the following violations of this rule since May 2010, the date from which my records are most complete: Did not get a new credit in December 2010, September 2011, May 2012, October-December 2012, February 2013, and December 2013. I did visit parks in many of these months, but no new credits were to be had. It looks like I'm a big talker, because I see we've never made it through a full calendar year without breaking the rule.

Streaks:

7 months in 2010

8 months in 2011

9 months in 2013

Current Streak:

3 months

Maybe 2014 is the year.

^You seem to keep detailed records.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Fantastic report on the WDFM; thanks! I've never been, have been really wanting to go for a long time, and these pictures have gotten me even more excited to visit. Soon. Like Bill said, that Disneyland Model, with the original design for Space Mountain, damn, amazing.

I don't know what to say about Pixieland's Spider-Horses. But the park looks worth a visit, too.

The museum looks awesome! Thank you for the update. I will have to try to get out there eventually.

That museum is really fun, I loved seeing all the train models and stuff related to the park.

^You seem to keep detailed records.

All that info needs to be on a patch.

I hope you got some Carl in your life. The main page suggests you did

Closing out this report is Part II: A quick visit to get a credit at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and then we drop in at Free Gold Watch.

The next segment of our San Francisco trip was to visit...

SFDK in Vallejo! I actually have a Marine World Africa USA patch on my jacket, for those with interest in the park's history.

And there was our target in the distance, Superman Ultimate Flight.

As I mentioned in Part I, we came upon animal rights activists with protest signs at the front gate.

They were nice enough to let me photograph them and I really didn't get into any discussions with them. I did wonder why the company was letting them picket on property, but I've since realized that the land is actually owned by the City of Vallejo, so it's "public property". Nobody was messing with them and they didn't get in the way of patrons coming in to the park entrance.

I actually wrote a paper on radical environmentalists when I was in business school, so I do understand where they are coming from, sort of.

But I don't see the end of zoos and meat-eating coming any time in the near future. Meanwhile, parks should do their best by the animals.

First stop was to get our Six Flags Season Passes processed. We're hoping to hit SFGAm and SFGAdv also this year, if not more.

The dolphin interaction pool looked a bit forlorn this early in the season.

There's the target.

On the way you can see the construction wall for the new splash battle type of attraction.

I held my camera up to see over the wall. Nothing going on yet.

Take that protesters! Six Flags sells carbon offsets to make your trip to the park more green! Oooooh, SNAP! Who cares more about the environment, now?

Yay!

Better get one of these lockers! I just had to see that substitution pop up.

This was a great coaster!

Well done, Premier.

It's my sister Laura and Cheryl at the dippin' dots. Laura's been living in SF since the mid-90's.

Nice penguins.

We fed the seals and sea lions. I tried to feed the big one, but the little one kept out-swimming him and jumping out and getting my fish!

Coke Freestyle!

And junk food. I guess people buy this stuff. I can't do it.

Refreshing. And after Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, we went to Free Gold Watch!

What's Free Gold Watch?

It's a print shop/arcade, whatever that means.

Check this out!

I love this. Classic pinball.

Machine after machine after machine.

They own some of them, and some of them are left here by their owners.

Dirty Harry! Very San Francisco.

Pinbot and Bride of Pinbot

ACDC and Wizard of Oz and Attack from Mars. Wizard of Oz was the most amazing table.

Roller Coaster Tycoon!

Baywatch!

It's a weird place. The back is a screen printing shop. I've always wanted to do this stuff. I should have asked to look at what they were doing.

There are other video games, but not many.

This blew me away. A real classic.

And some more...Jurassic Park barely visible on the left.

I'll leave you with this image from Wizard of Oz. Check this place out next time you're in the Haight. Thanks everyone!

Lord, I'd forgotten all about the Captain Fantastic pinball machines. Used to have one of these at a burger joint in my old hometown.

Woo Hoo!

Pinball Games > Video Games

Faves I see there, include World Cup, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Whirlwind..

Great share, Martin. I must check this place out in the future.

I had been planning to check out the pinball machines at "Playland Not at The Beach" the next time I visit the area, but now I have someplace else to visit.

Larry, have you been up to Wild Bill's any time recently?

Those old Pinball tables are great!

^You seem to keep detailed records.

 

All that info needs to be on a patch.

I assume that's where Martin keeps on his records--on his patch vest.