Lone Pine Movie Museum- Hollywood hangs out here!

These are the Alabama hills.  They are part of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mts. and are located a short way west of and behind the small town of Lone Pine, California along highway 395.  Approx. 600 movies have been filmed here.

Belongings of Bryan's favorite cowboy star Randolph Scott.

Does this place looked familiar? It should.  Some of the movies and TV made here?  Star Wars, Iron Man, Star Trek, Around the World in 80 Days, Chaplin, Django Unchained, Gladiator, How the West Was Won, Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy and Lost Horizon....there are too many to list.

A stage coach seen in many productions.

Steve McQueen on location in the Alabama Hills.  He is sitting on top of the ladder. 

A commonly used film projector when we were kids.

Incredible to see two costumes worn by John Wayne.  On the right is from the movie THE SHOOTIST.  Fake blood can be seen on his left chest area.

Boots that were worn by Randolph Scott.

An old RKO filming truck.

Costume and props from Iron Man. This is what Robert Downy Jr. wore in the opening scene.

The museum in Lone Pine has so many interesting things. Who knows what famous butts sat here?!

Photo of RD jr in Iron Man

There is a large Lone Ranger collection.

Kids today probably don't know ol' Hopalong!! There is a huge Hopalong collection among others like Tom Mix, Gene Autry and Roy Rodgers and Dale Evans.

Montgomery Clift costume.

From Gunga Din.

M

Humphrey Bogart drove this car around back in the hills.  Sorry but I have forgotten the name of the movie.

Russell Crowe wore this outfit in THE GLADIATOR

From the movie THE BORDER LEGION

Mt Whitney is in the center of the posts, on the far left is Lone Pine Peak. This is as close as we got to the hills.

I really had to talk Bryan into stopping here.  Do you know guys that focus on driving from point A to point B with determination and grit?  Even when you are retired and have no real calendar?  We had a great time exploring the area.  Sure makes life more fun and interesting (and being right about stopping never gets old).  Next stop: DEATH VALLEY

Along California 395

Hi to everyone!  We haven't run off into a ditch or gotten lost.  We have just been in the outer reaches of the internet.  Keough Springs goes way back in the family!  Great Uncle Howard was a masseuse here in the 1940's.  Nancy and Janet Curtis went there to visit and a love match was made.  This is where Aunt Janet met and eventually married her literal "Prince" at a dance at the springs.  He was a boy from Lone Pine named Prince Smith.

This place is the definition of SHABBY Chic!  Just double the shabby.  The water is the best of any springs we have been too.

This is Bryan in the soaking pool.  It is about 20 inches deep and 104 degrees. The water and the dry air really help with arthritis!

The original bath house from the 1920's

Old highway 23.  This road went from Bishop to Lone Pine.  It was made from an ancient native american trail.  This road was replaced by 395.

If you have ever known a Burke then you know they LOVE fish hatcheries.

The fish hatchery pond, ducks and some HUGE golden trout in the water!

Must be one of the best of it's kind.  Built in the 1920's.

Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental United States.  

The hatchery was an oasis in the desert.

LOVE taking photos when they are forbidden!  Schat's Bakery in Bishop........FABULOUS sandwiches and treats!!!

Our next blog is about the Alabama Hills pictured here.  We happened to be there for the Lone Pine Film Festival. 600 Hollywood movies have been made and are still being made here.

Redding, Lake Shasta, Brookings Oregon and the Rogue Riv

Photo from a hike in the Harris Beach Oregon State Park.

 The bark on a redwood tree is a foot thick.  They grow for 3,000 years because of this protection.  Could not get these two monsters in the frame.  

Doug's i phone got run over by the car behind us when we were riding through the redwoods.  It was still functioning!!

If you haven't ridden in a jet boat you can go to Gold Beach Oregon.  Truly a special experience.  Doug spotted a bear which Ruthie said, "It's just a rock!"  Our pilot Darrin reversed and we were surprised when the 'rock' dashed up the side of the mountain.  We also saw a couple of eagles, deer, osprey, and something special that thrilled the kid in front of us.  He kept saying...."I saw a squirrel!!"  He must have been from NYC.

We took turns cooking dinner with the Lutes'.  We did hobo packs one night and cowboy beans and hotdogs the other.  I am glad this was our last dinner!  Ruthie really went all the way! She made chicken parmigiana.  Well, I used a top brand of hot dogs at least.  

These Christmas Cookies were on the shelf at the RITE AID in Brookings , Oregon.  In the middle of September! It just isn't right.  

Bridge over the Rogue River. This is Doug the bear spotter.

It is now over three months on the road.  So far there has been no talk of settling down anywhere permanently.  We did get a satellite dish which has been GREAT!  I guess writing poetry by candlelight just isn't our thing.  Give us the NFL, Dancing with the stars and Sheldon Cooper!  It is nice to be able to watch TV where ever we are.
     But let me explain this photo.  This is the headstone of Bryan's grandparents.  He spent many happy summers with them in Redding along with his sisters Sue and Mary.  We made a trip around town seeing their old house and things like that.  We wanted to visit their grave but weren't sure where they were buried.  We went to the Shasta County hall of records and got a copy of his grandfather's death certificate.  On there was listed the cemetery-which we went over to right away.  We took these flowers and brushed the dust off of the marker.  We were feeling like pretty good detectives. They are buried not far from the In and Out burger that we have eaten at many times.  I wonder how often we are close to things like this and aren't aware?  It was nice.  Thank you for taking the time to read our blog.  We truly want to share the adventure and it helps us feel connected.  Sort of like the TV.  Love to all! Bryan and Mary

Real Angel's in the Sacramento Delta

Bryan's sister Mary is an actual Angel.  She married Bill Angel and they have two wonderful children. Add an awesome SIL Ed Diaz, and 3 beautiful, and intelligent grandchildren.  We played CODE NAMES, ate a lot of great food and laughed a lot.   They all live in the Bay area.

We got to visit our Burke-Angel-Diaz Family

Almost everything grows in the Delta!  There are grapes, pears, corn, tomatoes, figs, roses, watermelon, squash, and 3 or 4 crops that we had no idea what they were.  

Bryan fishing at Snug Harbor

Popeye was sighted on the deck of this boat.  It looks like it's been there for 75 years.

Locke, California.   THE oldest Chinese  town in the US.  Google it.  A classy older man told us this factoid.  The levees were built in the 1850's by the Chinese. Clint Eastwood  also filmed some scenes for his movie BYRD here.

We had another visitor named Ruthie.  This is when we were lost on a levee.  There are 1,100 miles of them here.  Ask Bryan about his 3 1/2 hour adventure in the motor home.  They  wouldn't let him on the ferry.  I was driving ahead to meet him at Snug Harbor.  When he hadn't shown up after an hour, I had to go find him.  Find a friend on the iPhone was critical to the rescue mission.

Foster's Big Horn Cafe in Rio Vista.  Peta people........never go there!!!

The ferry was FREE! We must have ridden it 40 times. I thought the ferry master was going to say, "Lady get your grocery list organized!"

The name of the ferry is THE REAL McCOY II

There is a real laid back vibe here.  It's a little bit like, Mississippi, Alabama and Hawaii combined.

Thank you Mary and Bill.  You two are THE BEST!!!!