Ghost Town: Sad Eye Joe

He's Orange County's longest jailed inmate. He's also probably one of the most visited prisoners, as you can see by the vintage shot below:



Who is he? He's the Ghost Town Jail's Sad Eye Joe at Knott's Berry Farm. The jail out back, seen below, was rebuilt a few years ago.



The figure, carved by woodcarver Andy Anderson, visits with park guests with the help of a hidden voice.





The Sheriff's Office is one of the few original buildings from 1940-41 that is still intact. The poker game scene inside is also by Anderson.



See more Daveland Sad Eye Joe photos at my main website.

Ghost Town: Goldie's Place

Obviously, Disneyland is my favorite theme park, but nearby Knott's Berry Farm still has a charm that has been unspoiled by commercialism and the fear of being offensive to the masses. This is especially true in Ghost Town, which is the more authentic version of Disneyland's Frontierland. When it came to "harsh realities," I think Walter Knott was willing to put the truth out there with a little less varnish than Walt Disney. You would certainly never find a Whore House at Disneyland, but that's exactly what Goldie's Place at Knott's is.



Built in 1940-41, it was based on an actual building in the famous ghost town of Bodie, California. First photo for today is the original building, followed by an April 2010 shot, just before it was completely rebuilt (using some of the original materials).



This photo from my October 2014 visit shows Goldie's today:



The interior peek-in circa 2010:



and how it looks today:



The infamous leg out the window, 2010:



and the 2014 version:



See more Daveland Ghost Town Goldie's Place photos at my main website.

More Gonzalez Trio!

I never tire of seeing photos of Disneyland music groups, especially the Gonzalez Trio in Frontierland. Here they are singing for guests, who appear oblivious to the Latino musicians.



One of their trademark songs was "Tacos for Two," a parody of "Cocktails for Two." This youtube video isn't the Gonzalez Trio, but it does allow you to hear this humorous tune:



See more Daveland Gonzalez Trio photos at my main website.

The Original Frontierland Depot

Today we see the original Frontierland Depot, circa August 1960, before it was moved to make way for an expansion.

A previously posted shot from July 1960 showing the other side of the Depot, which now sits on the opposite side of the track and is inaccessible to guests.



A December 1962 image that shows the "new" Frontierland Depot, bathed in the glow of sunset.



See more Daveland Disneyland Frontierland Depot photos at my main website.

The Back Side of Chicken

This July 1968 image of Disneyland might seem unfamiliar to most. Using another shot from September 1969, it becomes obvious that we are looking at the outdoor seating area for the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant in Fantasyland.



This closeup view confirms it!



and this detailed view is just because I love seeing the Skull Rock Cove section of this area.



This March 1967 shot shows that this area was also a favorite area of cast members who might hang out here on their break.



I believe the beehive hairdo matches this interior shot from January 1968!



See more Daveland Disneyland Chicken of the Sea photos at my main website.

The Little Mermaid(s) August 1960

Not satisfied with faux mermaids for his Submarine Voyage attraction in Tomorrowland, Walt decided to get a few "real" ones.



These mermaids were only seen during the first year of this attraction, then disappeared until the Tencennial in 1965.



From summer 1965 through summer 1967, the mermaids could be seen for four hours a day on the rocks in the middle of the lagoon.



Another detailed closeup from the August 1960 snapshots:



A few previously posted shots in color, also from August 1960:





An undated image showing a trio of mermaids:



followed by the obligatory closeup, which shows the compartment where the female cast members changed into their mermaid costumes:



See more Daveland Disneyland Submarine Voyage photos at my main website.

Dapper Dans on Main Street, August 1960

Two from August 1960 show the Dapper Dan Quartet on Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A.

A White Wing engages them in conversation in the second shot:



I am so glad that the tradition of this Fab Four has continued. They continue to be a vibrant part of the Park.



See more Daveland vintage & current Dapper Dans at Disneyland photos at my main website.

Making Lemonade in San Diego

In the last month I have seen way more of the inside of a hospital than I would care to see in a lifetime. In this day and age though, acting as a patient advocate is a necessity if you want to make sure that those you care about are getting the best treatment possible. So what does a person do to make lemonade out of this lemony-situation? Naturally I turn to my camera. Can't complain about the view from the patient's 11th floor room. You can pretty much see all of San Diego.

The early morning drives in the dark (attempting to catch Doctors when they make their initial rounds for the day) caused me to pay attention to signage and other landmarks that I typically don't notice during the day. This neon sign for El Cajon Boulevard is a beauty, and celebrates what was once known as U.S. Route 80, the principal automobile route from San Diego to El Cajon, the Imperial Valley, and points east.



Along the way you can see Rudford's Restaurant (ate here once many moons ago after a night on the town):



The infamous Red Fox Room, which was just about the only place my late Aunt cared to dine:



The Red Fox Room was an old inn in Surrey, England and dates from around 1560.



The room was dismantled in 1926 and shipped to the U.S. for actress, Marion Davies, where it was completely rebuilt as her "Ocean House."



During the 1950's, this property was sold and the Red Fox Room was again dismantled and placed in Storage.



It is from this source that the Red Fox finally found its resting place in the Lafayette Hotel.



It's always good to stop and smell the roses; or in this case, the Fox.

See more Daveland North Park in San Diego photos at my main website.

Fountain of Two Oceans

I have walked and driven by this statue many a time, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I actually stopped to check it out. Titled "Fountain of Two Oceans," it was sculpted by Sergio Benvenuti in Florence, Italy and is located at Fifth Avenue and B Street in San Diego. Its large nude figures represent the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Benvenuti was trained in Florence by Antonio Berti, an official sculptor to the Vatican and to the Royal Family. In the United States, he also made the equestrian monument for the Broncos Stadium in Denver, Colorado.



In 1982, Patrick Bowlen, President of Bowlen Holding Inc., wanted a sculpture to be created in Florence, Italy (one of his favorite cities) at a new skyscraper being built in San Diego. Bowlen's collaborator, Florentine Dudi Berretti, came to the Fonderia Marinelli (a bell foundry and an artisan foundry that produces bronze portals, bas-reliefs, church artifacts, and bell restorations). Ferdinando Marinelli Jr. and his close collaborator Sergio Benvenuti proposed a series of drawings and sketches for a fountain that would represent the two oceans framing America. The project continued with two visits to San Diego and various visits of Berretti and Bowlen to Florence, resulting in the creation of the two enlarged models in clay and the final bronze casting.



For Lee - here's take two. Again, not much detail, but it does look like the Harbor Boulevard sign as you guessed:




See more Daveland San Diego photos at my main website.

Timber Mountain Log Ride

Another day at Knott's Berry Farm as I take you on a journey through the Timber Mountain Log Ride. Debuting in 1969, this classic attraction was recently refreshed in 2013. I can't help but get annoyed by the background tower, which takes me out of my Ghost Town haze.



The rock work doesn't quite seem up to Disneyland standards, but it still works.



Plenty of waterfalls along the queue.



A little animated gif loop of the first hill in the attraction.



The back-side of water, Knott's-style:



A nice tribute to Bud Hurlbut:



The view as I saw it up the first hill (it was a challenge keeping my camera dry!):



Lots of animatronic figures along the way:









They all look fairly realistic, but I prefer the artistic stylings of the Marc Davis figures from Pirates of the Caribbean instead vs. a figure that attempts to look perfectly human.







A few animatronic animals to give a bit of a scare:





This detailed view shows another Hurlbut tribute:



Plenty of action:



Still, this attraction just doesn't pack the same wallop for me as the Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean. Maybe somebody more eloquent can express why the individual scenes from those two attractions seem much more exciting and beg more frequent trips than the Timber Mountain Log Ride.







Another lift:









Either the blast effects were off or the grand finale just isn't very grand:



Ken Stack (of Liberty Ranch fame) and John Waite are shown finishing up their journey on this attraction:



Overall, it was a fun ride; you definitely get wet and compared to Splash Mountain, the thrills seem much more uncontrolled (in a good way!). Still, without any truly memorable characters (like the Red Headed Wench, Hitchhiking Ghosts, etc.), other than to reshoot it with my low light lens, I really can't say that I have a huge interest in riding it again soon. I have been spoiled by the Disneyland dark-ride attractions that are thought out like a very well-planned movie: perfectly designed, perfectly lit, and full of heart & humor.

See more Daveland Knott's Berry Farm Timber Mountain Log Ride photos at my main website.