Journey Back To 1956 Pt. 2

Welcome back to 1956. The paddlewheel of the mighty Mark Twain is churning round the green Rivers of America at Disneyland.

The more decoratively appointed Bertha Mae Keel Boat can be seen cruising the River.



A closer look:



From the dock side of the river we get an alternative view of the Bertha Mae:



as well as an Indian Canoe:



C'mon people, get the lead out! Start paddling harder!



There's a raft full of peeps ready to explore Tom Sawyer's Island.



A detailed view provides a look at Fowler's Harbor and the original tunnel for the Disneyland Railroad in Frontierland.



Our 1956 photographer sure loved the River!



I am guessing this shot of the Golden Horseshoe was taken from the treehouse (or thereabouts) on Tom Sawyer Island.



By this point in Disneyland history, the Indian Village had already been moved from its original location near Adventureland to its new spot in Frontierland.



Care to ride a canoe?



I love interior images of Fort Wilderness; if only it could be restored to its 1956 glory.



The final two shots in the collection show Knotts Berry Farm, starting with this image of panning for gold.





I have read that panning for gold is supposed to return to Knotts this year. Hooray!



More vintage (and current!) Disneyland images at my main website.

Journey Back To 1956

I'm back. I know my blog has been spotty lately, but I have been traveling, exploring, and all kinds of other things that you probably have no interest in that have prevented me from posting. I return today with a few images from a set of 21 consecutive 1956 Disneyland slides. Naturally I will be presenting them in chronological order; is there any other way? We'll start out with a few snoozers and work our way up to the big finish.

It is always interesting (to me at least) to see the Castle without the crest above the entrance.



I know...zzzzzzzzz. But for this man in 1956, it was probably pretty exciting to be visiting Disneyland during its initial year of being open.



A glimpse of Frontierland. I wish I could have grabbed this guy's camera and taken the photos myself!



This shot of the waterway between Adventureland and Frontierland is a bit more interesting!



A somewhat contemporary shot from 2012 for comparison:



Over at the Pack Mule attraction, which is where Big Thunder Mountain Railroad currently resides.



While we're at it, here's a shot of the Pack Mules from 1958/59.



Get a load of the little girl's hat; she got plenty of shade with that!



Back to 1956 we finally get to one of the images that I was most excited to acquire. This BAM shot of a Frontierland Stagecoach:



A detail of the art on the door:



The unloading of the Coach:



A detailed view:



Last one for today shows a barren Rivers of America with a Stagecoach meandering along the edge:





More vintage (and current!) Disneyland images at my main website.

July 1961 Duo

In this July 1961 you see the Horseless Carriage at Central Plaza; this fringed vehicle was last seen on this blog as a photo ops for Walt and his lovely wife, Lillian.



Here's the Snow White Wishing Well, barely a few months old:



Back in the day, Dopey once carried a fishing pole.



Today he just imitates The Fonz.



A vintage closeup of Snow White:



More vintage Disneyland photos at my main website.

Vintage Disneyland Hotel

Today let's travel back in time to the Disneyland Hotel when it had that vintage vibe that was more akin to a motel than the massive behemoth it has morphed into. Today's first image is from August 1961 and features the hotel's swimming pool. The lifeguard seems pretty chill considering what his job is.



Here's a look at the Hotel Tram which shuttled guests to and from the Park.



A closer look at the signage showing the shops at the Hotel.



This foggy January 1962 image of the Hotel also yields some nice details.



The sign for the Hotel Golf Course:



and the Blue Monorail:



More vintage and current Disneyland Hotel photos at my main website.

Trip to Santa Fe, Pt. 2

Next door to my hotel was the Loretto Chapel; day and nighttime views for you.



When I hear the word chapel, I think of something small and quaint; this 1878 structure seemed more like a mini-cathedral.





The showstopper here is the wooden spiral staircase.



From the Chapel's website:

Unable to find a decent way to get to the choir loft above without compromising seating capacity, legend says that the Sisters of the Chapel made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth and final day of prayer, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months later, the elegant circular staircase was completed and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks.



After searching for the man (an ad even ran in the local newspaper) and finding no trace of him, some concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, having come in answer to the sisters' prayers. The staircase has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support. Also, it is said that the staircase was built without nails—only wooden pegs. Questions also surround the number of stair risers relative to the height of the choir loft and about the types of wood and other materials used in the stairway's construction.



More Santa Fe photos at my main website.

Trip to Santa Fe, Pt. 1

Recently I attended the annual UCDA Design Summit in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For sparking my creativity at work (and at home), this conference was just what I needed. Today's post focuses on the host hotel, The Inn and Spa at Loretto.

Rarely do I gush about a facility, but this place definitely had it going on...day AND night!



The hotel was clean, well-appointed, and the staff was on top of their game at every level.



The room was pretty incredible, too. Spacious and comfortable, it was a great place to relax in between sessions.



A lovely balcony provided a great view of the snow(!) that appeared on our second day there.



I made sure I took advantage of the spa services and thoroughly enjoyed them.



Unlike many hotels, the in-house restaurant was fantastic.







The chef, Marc Quiñones, had done a great job with the menu and I enjoyed every meal I ate there.





Despite the chilly temperatures, I enjoyed swimming in the heated pool!



More Santa Fe photos at my main website.