Wedged Between Armageddon and L.A. - Seal Beach, California

When those temperatures soar well over 100 degrees, Southern Californians head to the beach, often en masse. 

We usually wait until school starts back up so we can avoid the crowds but, when we do head to the beach, we usually head to the closest one to our house which is either Seal Beach or Long Beach.

These days, it's Seal Beach that wins the tug of war most of the time.

Originally called Anaheim Landing, the city incorporated a little over a century ago. In 1916, a popular trolley park called The Joy Zone opened on the beach with roller coasters and other attractions served by the region's red cars of the Pacific Electric line.

A few of the stores along Main Street...running from Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) to the pier...have old pictures of the amusement park hanging on their walls.

An old red car serves as a museum in a city park located on Electric Avenue...the former right-of-way for the railroad.

Strawberry farmers gather their crops next to bunkers that may or may not hold nuclear weapons (the Navy's not saying one way or the other). It's part of the massive Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, the primary loading depot for arming Navy ships on the West Coast. 

The massive Navy base stretches from the other side of the 405 freeway to the ocean, where the big Navy ships can just fit into the dock to load up on munitions.

Adjacent to the Navy base on Seal Beach Boulevard are the massive buildings where the second stage of the Saturn V rocket was built before pushing astronauts towards the Moon.

The San Gabriel River, on the other side of town, serves as a boundary between Seal Beach and it's neighbor, Long Beach. It's also the dividing line between Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

For us, it's a 35 mile drive down the length of the 605 freeway to get there. On the rare days when there's good traffic, we can make it from our driveway to parking spot in 40 minutes. Most days, it's a little over an hour.

There's no real good public transportation to Seal Beach anymore...even after the trolley's were destroyed, we could take an RTD bus down Rosemead/Lakewood Boulevard to get here cheap...but if you were dedicated, you could take Metro's Blue Line light rail line to downtown Long Beach, transfer to the water taxi, which would take you to the county line in Alamitos Bay, then you could walk across a short bridge to the city.

It's better to drive and, if you have a handicapped placard, there are two spots in front of the pier, several more in the beachfront parking lots, and a couple on the street at City Hall, two blocks inland from the pier.

We don't spend a lot of time on the sand anymore but you can easily park next to it or take a ramp down from the pier to set up your temporary beach empire. It's not far to get to the water if you'd like to take a dip (call the lifeguard office at (562) 430-2613 if you'd like to arrange a free beach wheelchair). 

If you like to watch the surfers, though, you might want to head out on the pier for a better look. Seal Beach has long been known as a beach for beginners to learn the sport, if you want to see more expert surfers, you might want to head south to the next pier at Huntington Beach to watch.

It's a pleasant walk out to the end of the pier. There used to be a Ruby's Diner here but that burned down a few years ago. Now, it's just a place to take in the ocean sights, see the skyscrapers of Long Beach to the north, chat with the fishermen (or drop a line yourself, no license required on California's piers), and sometimes see the oil workers board their boat to take them to the oil rigs you see offshore.

After taking in the sights and smells of the sea, we'll retreat along Main Street to get something to eat or maybe drink. There are four Irish pubs along this short stretch of downtown...The Irisher, Clancy's, O'Malleys, and Hennesey's. I'm told (but have no official confirmation) that the Irish influence is because of all the Irish smugglers that used to use the beach as a way to get contraband alcohol onshore during Prohibition.

We find that we usually end up at O'Malleys, which serves solid food in a happy Irish atmosphere. 

The best time is in winter on a chilly day when you can set up in front of their warm and cozy fireplace.

After dinner, we'll head across the street and a half block towards the ocean to cap it off with one of the delicious desserts of Sweet Jill's Bakery. Their specialty is fresh from the oven cinnamon rolls which they'll ice with glaze to your specifications on the spot.

Fresh air, ocean breezes, and the feeling that comes over you from spending the day at the beach. It's all good and after satiating our hunger, it's time to go back to the reality of the heavy 605 traffic to make our way home.

Darryl Musick
Copyright 2018 - All Rights Reserved

CLASSIS TRIP: A Day in the Park, Yosemite National Park

Standing in this spot, I’m realizing had I’d been here 15 years ago I’d be dead…swept away to a watery doom. Yet, today, it’s dry with brown, dormant grass and a placid, harmless looking river gurgling through the meadow.

Watch the Video!

Could there really have been that much water here, turning this great valley into a giant fishbowl?  Apparently so, according to the sign with a simple horizontal line several feet above my head.  This line marks the peak of the floodwaters back in 1997 that filled the floor of Yosemite Valley that very, very wet year.

Apart from pondering my imminent doom, we start off on the trail that winds along the bottom of the valley, here and there wandering over to the Merced River. It’s a smooth trail, either paved or built as a boardwalk, suitable for wheelchairs, bikes, and strollers.

From our parking spot at the chapel, we’re treated to expansive views of the tallest waterfall in North America. 

Yosemite falls travels almost half a mile straight down to the valley floor before winding up in the Merced River.

The stark granite cliffs that let the falls plunge are perhaps the park’s most famous feature. They surround you here…envelop you…and overwhelm you, especially if it’s your first time here.

Carved by frozen glaciers a million years ago, the U-shaped valley is one of the world’s iconic sites. The shear faces not only inspire vertigo but serve as sudden drop-offs for upper level creeks and streams. Yosemite valley is home to at least 8 major waterfalls. The already mentioned Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Falls the easiest for a casual visitor to see.

We’re here on a mild winter day which means the meadows are a dormant brown while the 60 degree, sunny weather has us wearing short sleeves. Since it’s winter, the high country road up to Glacier Point is off-limits to us being closed for the season at Badger Pass ski area. The slopes at Badger Pass are also closed this winter day for lack of coverage.

After winter, a drive up to the point is a must where you can not only get some of the best views of the park but you can walk right up to a several thousand foot precipice and gaze straight down to the valley below. Not to worry, there’s a sturdy stone fence to keep you up on top…for the more adventurous, a nearby hike to Taft Point can give you those same views without anything in your way. Truly an adventure for the brave.

Continuing on we get to Swinging Bridge, which no longer swings, and offers a wheelchair friendly route across the river to the other side of the valley. The middle of the bridge affords more spectacular views of the giant falls.

The clear pools of the Merced under the bridge offer a spot to view the large, wild trout in the water below.

After our hike along the valley floor, along the river, and through the forests, we decide to take a break from the park and head outside to a spot our innkeepers told us about.

Just off of highway 140, on Triangle Road towards Mariposa, we find Butterfly Creek Winery down a steep, one lane road. With the winery in a barn and the barrel house nearby, we find the owner and a couple of workers relaxing after a hard day of pruning…along with about a half-dozen dogs wandering around.

The pups are friendly and one dachshund named Jake immediately jumps in our car when we open the door.

“That’s Jake, he thinks anytime a car door opens it’s his cue to go for a ride,” winemaker Bob Gerken tells us. Jake’s a cute and friendly guy and he accompanies us into the tasting room.

Bob enthusiastically pours us a tasting tour of the winery and I buy a case of his best.  It’s a friendly, laid-back, and unpretentious winery…my favorite kind.

Back in Yosemite, we head to the village to take in a drink at The Ahwahnee, one of the classic National Park lodges of America. The interior is vast and brooding once you get off of the small entrance lobby. You can see why Stanley Kubrick used the interiors as inspiration when he filmed “The Shining.”

Out back, the lawn melts into the park while kids splash…even on this winter day…in the outdoor pool.  5,000 tons of granite were used in the construction of this building. It was made to last.

We have one more stop to make on this day to the park.

Just beyond Bridalveil Falls is a tunnel that marks the transition from the valley to the high country. We pull into the parking lot for the famous Tunnel View. It’s here that we finally get above the trees and take in a view of the entire valley.

It is awe-inspiring and breathtaking…even if everybody in the park had the same idea at the same time.

-Darryl
Copyright 2012 – Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved.

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: American Wheat Beer Taste Off

What do you do when life gives you lemons?  Make lemonade, of course.  Or put a wedge in your wheat beer.

We taped the video below as a normal taste off and found when we went to edit it that the battery had died in the microphone, leaving us with no sound at all.  So what to do?  Make and old fashioned silent movie!

Watch the Video!

Go ahead and watch.  We taste test Sam Adams Coastal Wheat beer, which already has a splash of lemon in it, against the Widmer Hefeweizen from Portland, Oregon.

Which one do we like best?  Watch the video to find out.  I will tell you that we tried both with and without the lemon and found that we liked it with the lemon best in each case.

Cheers!

Darryl

Heading Home from Nova Scotia

It's been a fun and eventful couple of weeks checking out history, natural phenomena, and even riding out a hurricane in Halifax, Nova Scotia but now it's time to make the long flight home.

Unfortunately, there are no direct flights from California so we have to change planes in Calgary before getting our last flight back to San Francisco. In between, we have a 16 hour, overnight layover.

To make things easier for us, I book a suite at the Delta Hotel, located in the terminal of the Calgary airport.

It's not an accessible room but Tim's wheelchair will fit in and, really, we're just looking for some comfortable beds to spend the night in before catching our connecting flight in the morning.

Calgary is a big airport. Lots and lots of walking here and it's not always easy to tell the domestic checkin from the international. The U.S. has its own departure hall on concourse E.

This is because U.S. Customs and passport control are here in Calgary, processing you before you board, so when you get home you can just collect your luggage and leave. It's kind of a neat system, saving you a lot of time when all you want to do is just go home.

The flights are uneventful but we were delayed an extra two hours in Calgary. It sure was nice to get home.

Ending Up Our Nova Scotian Adventure

We've got one more full day in Halifax before it's time to head home. Let's head out into the city and pick up a few last sights before we leave...

Fairview Lawn Cemetery is a bit out of our comfortable walking distance so we take the number 21 bus from the waterfront. It's about a 20 minute ride on the fully accessible bus and we're let off about a block from the front gate.

Watch the Video!

In April of 1912, the Titanic went down about 700 miles out to sea from Halifax. The city was the closest to the accident site with the means necessary to mount a rescue and recovery effort. Much of what had to be done was to recover bodies from the icy seas.

The White Star company offered to pay burial expenses for the victims on the condition that they be buried in Halifax and with a modest headstone. Anything beyond that would be at the expense of the survivors. 121 are buried here at Fairview Lawn, 10 are buried next door at the Baron de Hirsch Jewish Cemetery, and 19 are interred at Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery.

Signs at the gate point the way to the plot in the back of the grounds where the Titanic victims are buried. It's about a quarter mile walk from the front gate.

We browse the head stones, most are the company-provided basic version while a few are a bit more elaborate, and try to imagine the stories behind each one. Some are still unidentified.

The one that is most poignant is a baby who could not be identified. At least at first...more recent DNA testing has revealed the baby to be Sidney Goodwin. An updated tombstone sits at the base of the 'unknown' one while someone has provided a photo of baby Sidney. Many people leave toys and coins for Sidney on his monument.

Many trees in the park are toppled from Hurricane Dorian's visit a couple of days ago. That day, we hunkered in our hotel room to wait it out. The power in and around the cemetery is still out days later.

Moving on from the cemetery, we walk past the Public Gardens. It has been closed since the storm and would remain that way for the duration of our trip. We never got to go inside.

A few blocks away, we visit one of the city's oldest buildings, St. Paul's Church which dates to the city's founding in 1749. Inside are plenty of artifacts covering the almost three centuries since such as the Royal Pew for the Queen or King, the old pipe organ, and even a few Titanic artifacts.

A couple of different things, though, date back to the Halifax Explosion of 1917. When a French explosives ship collided with a Norwegian ship on December 6th, the resulting cataclysm was the largest man-made explosion the world has ever seen until nuclear weapons came along.

Outside, you can see what looks like a silhouette in one of the windows. There are a few stories about what happened, the most morbid is that a head flew through the window from the explosion and all attempts to remove the shadow that remained have failed and a ghostly apparition remains.

The docent, however, sets us strait. The window broke in the explosion, the resulting damage looked like a silhouette, and that had a resemblance to the pastor of the church so they put two panes of glass on either side to preserve it.

Another is in the entrance. When you look up, you'll see a metal bar embedded in the wall. This was blown from the explosion over a mile and a half away and has been sticking out of the plaster ever since. 

Just up the street is St. Mary's Cathedral. This Catholic church is about two centuries old, has plenty of beautiful artwork inside, and makes for a very handy, accessible bathroom stop.

Back down by St. Paul's Church is the Old Burying Ground. This cemetery is so old that it filled to capacity in 1844 so it closed before most of Canada's major cities were even founded.

About 1,200 headstones are here although there's more than ten times that number of bodies rotting in the ground. The grave of Robert Ross is here, who burned Washington D.C. and the White House during the War of 1812.

On the other side of St. Paul's is the Five Fishermen restaurant. This is curious because in 1912 it was a mortuary. The dining room upstairs was used to embalm bodies from the Titanic.

Caskets of Titanic victims stacked up outside of what is now the Five Fishermen restaurant

It's supposed to be a good restaurant and we wanted to eat there but, alas, it's not wheelchair friendly.

Now, it's back to the waterfront. 

Back at the Maritime Museum, we see the HMCS Sackville docked outside. This historic ship, a submarine hunting Corvette, had a legendary career attacking U-Boats in World War I. 

It also served in World War II and the Korean conflict.

Today, self guided tours are available for free. I go onboard and shoot the video you can watch below.

Watch the Video!

Unfortunately, the Sackville is tight, full of steps, stairs, ladders and other obstacles so wheelchairs would not be able to go onboard.

We've got one more stop on our sightseeing tour. Maud Lewis is a famous Canadian artist (you can pose inside a frame of her recreated artwork on the waterfront, above). She was disabled and lived with her husband in poverty in a shack in Marshalltown on the bay side of Nova Scotia. 

She sold her works to travellers out of her home and became a renowned artist.

Her shack, which she painted from top to bottom, inside and out, has been relocated to a gallery specifically built for it at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

We go to take a look, admiring her artwork hanging on the walls.

Here's Tim next to the door of her house, on display in the gallery.

With that, we've seen everything we want to see and will head back to the hotel to rest up for the trip home.

Darryl Musick
Copyright 2019 - All Rights Reserved

THE COCKTAIL HOUR: The Bolo

A classic drink from the Prohibition era, the Bolo.

Watch the Video!

Here is the recipe...


INGREDIENTS (Two Drinks):


3 oz. light rum
1 oz. lime juice
2 oz. orange juice
4 dashes of bitters


Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker half full of ice. Shake and strain into two cocktail glasses.


Cheers!

Darryl