Views of the Viewliner

The photographer who took these two images is my hero/heroine; they wrote the actual date on the back of the slides AND the camera setting! These April 26, 1958 shots are of the short lived attraction that transported Disneyland guests between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, The Viewliner. Walt Disney’s predecessor to The Monorail only lasted from June 26, 1957 to September 15, 1958. It became a victim of progress and a large renovation in this section of the Park that included the Monorail, The Submarine Voyage, and The Matterhorn. See that pine-topped hill with guests hiking up the dirt path? Alternately known as Snow/Holiday Hill, Lookout Mountain, and unofficially “Lover’s Lane,” it was the future location of the Matterhorn, which would serve to hide the large Skyway support shown in the photo. At far right is the Tomorrowland Viewliner Station:



The camera settings for both of these were F8 1/50, in case any of you were wondering. Image #2 shows the Fantasyland Viewliner train which was blue; the Tomorrowland version was salmon/red in color.



A closeup of the train zipping over the bridge where the  Motor Boat Cruise sailed.



There were a few bridges where the two attractions overlapped:



This image shows the Fantasyland Viewliner Station:



While the Monorail is a classic, the Viewliner sure is cute. It’s too bad it couldn’t have been recycled elsewhere in the Park.

See more Disneyland Viewliner photos at my main website.

Fred & Ginger: Together Forever

In my quest to visit historic cemeteries, Oakwood Memorial Park was low on the totem pole. Located in Chatsworth, it’s just far enough away from LA/Hollywood to make it an inconvenient trip. Last month though, I finally rectified that situation! The area surrounding the cemetery which opened in 1924 is plagued by 1990s faux adobe architectural style, and the entrance to Oakwood is not much better, littered with mismatched signs. How could this be the final resting place of a classy guy like dancer/actor Fred Astaire, seen below in a behind-the-scenes shot from “Easter Parade” (1948):



And yet, here’s where he lies for all of eternity. The cemetery is pretty much all markers vs. headstones. Unlike most of the cemeteries I have visited, this one just feels a bit sterile without much character. Even Fred’s marker is a bit curious; I “assume” his last wife, Robyn Smith, is the “I” in the inscription. No birth/death dates listed, either. I wonder how his kids feel about this, as the “I” definitely leaves them out of the picture. Wouldn’t “we” have been a bit more inclusive? Ah, the things one could infer from a single sentence.



Fred’s sister and initial dancing partner, Adele, has a more traditional inscription:



Fred and Adele’s mother:



Fred’s first wife, Phyllis, who died of lung cancer in 1954, leaving him devastated:



Although they were just about the most famous dancing pair from Old Hollywood, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were never married to each other or even linked romantically. Just work buddies.



Below is the marker for Ginger and her mother, Lela. I’m not sure how it happened, but yes, Fred & Ginger are buried at the same cemetery.



You might remember Oscar winning actress Gloria Graham from “It’s a Wonderful Life” (pictured below), “The Bad and the Beautiful,” or “Oklahoma.”



She is buried here at Oakwood, too. She was married four times; #2 was director Nicholas Ray and #4 was her stepson, Anthony Ray. Talk about all in the family…



Nearby is the historic Pioneer Church, which was built in another location in 1903 and originally called the Chatsworth Community Church. A lot of great info about this place on the Chatsworth History website.



In 1962, the building was set to be demolished, but instead ended up being moved to its present location in 1965.



The fundraising to move the building was begun by a $1000 donation from the famed Dale and Roy Rogers. The two also held an “Appreciation Reception” at their ranch, attended by over 200 people. Any of my readers in attendance? Interestingly enough, Dale and Roy are buried elsewhere (in Apple Valley), not here in Chatsworth.



When the foundation of the church was removed, the Church Cornerstone revealed several items including a bible, a Sunday School attendance roster dated January 8, 1903 and a membership list of the church’s ladies aid society. The items were saved, but exposure to the air after being stored in the stone, with no protective container, caused them to crumble within the week. Oops.



Inside the entrance to Oakwood is the Chapel of the Oaks, built in 1933. At least this building has a bit of authentic character.



Wikipedia lists actor Earl Holliman (shown below with Cloris Leachman) as a “resident” of Oakwood, yet he was nowhere to be found. Upon further investigation, the Find A Grave website lists him as being buried at Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood. AI says that Holliman’s ashes were scattered at sea, but that he has a memorial cenotaph at Valhalla.



With inhabitants Bea Benadaret and Oliver Hardy, I guess I need to add Valhalla to my list of places to visit!

See more cemetery photos at my main website.

Little Miss Sunshine in CA: The Conclusion!

Today is the grand finale of Christy’s (Little Miss Sunshine) 2026 California visit. First stop is the Whaley House in Old Town San Diego State Park. From the plaque Christy is so graciously pointing to:

Built by Thomas Whaley in 1856-57, this is the oldest brick structure in southern California. In addition to being the home of the Whaley family, it served variously as granary, store, court-house and school and as the town’s first theater. Whaley’s home was the cultural center of San Diego as well as its most luxurious residence.

All of that info is fantastic, but the marketing campaign focuses on one other piece of info painted directly on the side of the structure: “America’s most haunted house.” That doesn’t hurt the ticket sales.



How the house looked in 1874:



August 1962:



2019:



Our tour guide was very entertaining and gave us some fun facts as we walked around the perimeter and then parked inside the courthouse portion of the museum:



After his spiel, we were free to roam.



Christy enjoyed putting on a show upstairs in the small theater. It was a sold-out performance!



San Diego State University did an archaeological excavation of the grounds, the family well, and the family privy which unearthed more than 66,000 artifacts between 2007-2011. Below is a small sampling of what is on display at the museum:



A selfie, taken in hopes that maybe one of the spirits would appear in the background, but no such luck:



Christy did notice a higher heart rate while in the Whaley House that didn’t go back to normal until she had descended the stairs and exited the building. For real!



Down the street is the El Campo Cemetery. This sign on one of the graves is a bit ironic.



Some of the graves are inside the fenced area of the cemetery:



…and some got paved over OUTSIDE of the fence and are now part of the sidewalk. Yikes. Careful where you step.



Christy was ready for a guest role on “Little House on the Prairie” after exploring Old Town:



Truth be told, we were both ready for some food. The restaurant of choice was the festive Casa Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant:



First things first: Christy got out the Shark to help her cool down!



Then chips and salsa:



drinks:



…and the epic Pollo Fundido! Yum!



I just couldn’t keep this girl out of the fountains.



Back in the old days, we would have taken advantage of this special BIG TIME!



Instead, we paid a visit to the Mason Street Schoolhouse, built in 1865. It was the first publicly owned school in San Diego, used from 1865 to 1872:



Wonder what’s inside?



We played teacher and got this view from behind teacher’s desk:



Enough edutainment already; it was time to get to the good stuff. Christy had never been to a See’s Candy Store. It was time to rectify this tragic situation. Free samples abounded!



For dinner, we went to the classic Rudford’s Diner in North Park; Christy posed by the JFK mural showing his motorcade driving by the restaurant in 1963:



Before we dug into the meal:



Christy is still recovering from the glow of Rudford’s JFK shake; if nothing else, I know this will get her to come back soon!



My Buffalo Chicken salad was tasty!



And then, all too soon, it was time to head to the airport. The fantastic trip by my Indiana bestie had come to a close. Dropping her off at the airport, we took one more selfie until next time:



Back in Indiana, Christy’s mom has been enjoying the See’s Candies. Her first question after eating one, “Can you buy these online?”



Shirley, you jest! What a silly question…

See more Old Town, San Diego photos at my main website.