This is the City...Los Angeles, California.

Left my beach front spot last Friday and headed toward the city.  First made a couple of stops in Inglewood including the iconic Randy’s Donuts.  LA loves donuts and nothing says it better than a building with a giant donut on top!

Mmmm...Donuts!

Inglewood City Hall exterior filming location of the television shows "Quincy" and "Wonder Woman"

I must digress for a moment, Los Angeles must have the worst drivers of any city in the United States.  They all drive like rejects from a stunt driving school.  Way too fast and very distracted, talking and texting on every device conceivable.  They’re involved in accidents everywhere regardless of circumstances.  Driving a vintage motorhome on the area’s freeways and avoiding these maniacs at every turn can be nerve wracking.  I managed to avoid involvement in their mayhem until today that is.  After getting a donut and coffee at Randy’s and taking some photos I was walking back to the Cortez when CRASH!!   I ran to the front of my rig to see it now had a 2014 Ford Explorer hood ornament!  My instantaneous presence prevented this wayward motorist from retreating.  Made an amiable information exchange but my souvenir of this visit included a dent, bent bumper and broken grille.  The unique Cortez grille will present the greatest challenge to repair or replace.  Fortunately no one was hurt, the motorhome was still drivable and he had insurance.

Ouch!!

Managed to shrug the incident off and continue my excursion into Los Angeles proper.  First challenge was to find parking.  Even the short Cortez was too big for the downtown parking lots.  Got chased out of the Union Station lot by a very excitable attendant.  After cruising around for about twenty minutes I found on street parking with a four hour limit nearby in Chinatown. 

Nothing says LA more than its iconic and historic city hall

View from City Hall's observation deck

The now closed LAPD headquarters Parker Center, where does Sgt. Friday work now?

Visited the landmark City Hall’s 27^th floor observation deck.  True to LA I had to use the rear entrance because Disney was on location at the main entrance filming.  Visited several other landmark buildings then on to Olvera Street and Chinatown.  Had a French dip sandwich dinner at Philippe’s, the disputed birthplace of the sandwich.  Then onto Union Station for a lively and entertaining slide show by showman, tour guide, food crafter and author Charles Phoenix celebrating classic and kitschy Americana with downtown Los Angeles as a theme park. A great program in another iconic location sponsored by the MTA.  After the program it was back to Philippe’s for desert before heading out and starting the northward trek home.

I get hungry just seeing this sign

Beachfront Property

After setting sail from the Queen Mary we headed over to the Dockweiler RV Park L. A. County's only recreational vehicle campground ON THE BEACH!  It’s operated by the County of Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors.  A very clean and well maintained set up.  I opted for a spot on the front row next to the beach.  A little pricier at $65 a day.  The only drawback is the park sits under the departure flight path for LAX runway 25L, great for plane spotting but not sleeping in late.  The dogs loved the RV park’s off-leash area on the beach.

My very own palm tree

The view

Spent most of Wednesday and Thursday seeing the sights on my bike.  Wednesday rode the perimeter of LAX for some plane spotting and visited the Flight Path Museum.  Thursday I rode my bike to Marina del Rey, Venice and Santa Monica along the Marvin Braude Bicycle Trail.  Pedaled about twenty-five miles round trip.  Grilled a steak for dinner when I got back.  Packed up Friday and headed towards downtown Los Angeles.

LAX

Lots of A-380 action

DC-3 at the Flight Path Museum

Santa Monica hates RV's

From Studio City in Hollywood!

After last Sunday’s activities decided to overnight in Studio City next to the Los Angeles River but that area is now no parking after 1:30 AM.  Found a nice quiet spot a couple of blocks away next to a golf course.  That was home for Sunday and Monday nights.  Enjoyed dinners at Dupar’s and Jerry’s Famous Delicatessen.  Monday ventured into Hollywood and explored both Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard.  Had a lunch of Chili at Barney’s Beanery.  Also went to the Farmer’s Market and The Grove.

Tuesday headed down to Exposition Park and took a personal guided tour of the Los Angeles Coliseum.  The tours are new and very interesting.  My tour guide was Bob, aka “Mr. Coliseum”.  I think he could write a book.  The Coliseum is home to the USC Trojans and seats 94,000 for football.  The NFL doesn’t consider it acceptable as a venue since they can’t sell luxury boxes.  Got to go into the press box, the USC recruiting offices, the USC locker room and onto the field.

Built in 1923 and still going strong.  Kingdome?

I hear Howard Cosell!

 

Then to the California Science Center to see the Space Shuttle Endeavor.  A great attraction which is also free.  Ultimately the Endeavor will be displayed vertically with its launch main fuel tank and solid rocket boosters attached in a new building.  The process to move the shuttle here from LAX was so involved it was considered its 26^th mission.  Definitely filled up on Tang after this.

The Mercury capsule that was "manned" by Ham the space chimp

When you have to go in space

The Space Shuttle Endeavor

The future display building for Endeavor

 

In memory of those space travelers that did not return

Apollo 1

January 27, 1967

Gus Grissom, Edward White II, Roger Chaffee

Soyuz 1

April 24, 1967

Vladimir Komarov

Soyuz 11

June 30, 1971

Georgi Dobrovolski, Viktor Patsayev, Vladislav Volkov

STS-51-L Space Shuttle Challenger

Jan. 28, 1986

Greg Jarvis, Christa McAuliffe, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee

STS-107 Space Shuttle Columbia

Feb. 1, 2003

Rick D. Husband, William McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel B. Clark, Ilan Ramon

Free Cortez parking!

HMS Queen Mary

On to Long Beach where we overnighted in the Queen Mary Hotel parking lot.  Took a guided tour of her on Wednesday.  Unfortunately the old girl isn’t looking as good as when I visited her in the 1980’s when the Wrather Corporation was managing the property.  Then she was polished and ship shape.  The Hughes Flying Boat had just opened up next door and there was a village of shops all around.  Well the Spruce Goose is gone, the dome that housed it is a cruise ship terminal, stained and run down looking.  The shops are all closed.  The Queen’s paint is now faded and peeling.  The Russian Scorpion submarine closed indefinitely for repairs.  There are some that have said publicly that the Queen Mary may have only 10 – 15 years left at best. 

Should you want to visit the actual S.S. Poseidon which was based on the Queen Mary the 22 foot filming miniature is on display nearby at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum.

Sunday...Sunday...Sunday!

Overnighted again at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris.  Started off at o’dark thirty to make our way to the Pomona for the Pomona Swap Meet and Classic Car Show at the Fairplex which starts before sun-up.   Touted as over 15 miles of cars and vendors.  My feet believe it.  Saw a vendor using a 1971 Cortez for a base that he said he was going to put up for sale at the next meet.  No Cortez parts but got a source book on Oldsmobile parts (My Cortez has a Olds Toronado 455 motor and a GM 425 transmission).  From the looks of things here the most popular classic car in Southern California is any air-cooled Volkswagen.

1951 Ford UPS truck

Look! Another Cortez!

VW's everywhere

 Then headed over to the Sherman Oaks Street Fair.  A dog friendly event with my two making lots of friends.  Got to see The Batmobile, or at least one of the “authentic” copies built by legendary customizer George Barris.

Holy flashback Batman!

 

Then headed over to Studio City for some window shopping and lunch at Carney’s Express, a hamburger/hot dog joint in an old rail car. 

Best burgers and dogs in Studio City

 

Railman's Holiday

After a tasty meal Friday night at one of the finest restaurants in Perris – Chez le Sizzler we headed over to the Orange Empire Railway Museum parking lot to overnight.  After a good breakfast onboard Saturday morning headed into the museum.  The museum is the largest railway museum in the western United States covering about 90 acres with over 200 railcars.  On weekends they run a steam train, a Pacific Electric Interurban and several Los Angeles yellow cars (streetcars).  Spent the day riding the trains and viewing the collection of railway cars and artifacts. 

Ventura County Railway #2, a 1922 Baldwin 2-6-2

Pacific Electric #717, a 1925 J. G. Brill "Hollywood" car.  Basis for the car in the movie "Roger Rabbit".  The five county red car line folded in 1961

Yellow car carbarn

L.A. Railway #1201, a 1921 St. Louis Car Co. "California" car

 

L.A. Railway #3100, a 1943 St' Louis Car Co. PCC car.  Streetcar service in Los Angeles ended in 1963

 

Got another phone call from work (that makes three so far this vacation).  Seems there was still some confusion about my return date in spite of all the arrangements that were made prior to my departure.  Good grief!

Cu...camonga

Thursday morning left out from our teepee and headed out past Barstow to Coyote Dry Lake (more on that in an upcoming post).  Then to Kramer Junction and visited Kramer Antiques and Darr Military Rentals which has quite a collection of old military vehicles(operational), signs and petroliana. On the way south made a run by at Southern California Logistics Airport where several hundred airliners are sitting, most being parted out and junked.

Kramer Junction

The "Pep Boys" at Darr Military Rentals

Southern California Logistics Airport, quite a name for an airliner junkyard

Overnighted at … no not a Walmart, but a Sam’s Club in Moreno Valley.  Spent Friday running errands.  Did stop by the newly restored 1915 Richfield service station on Route 66 in Rancho Cucamonga, now a museum.  Then headed down to Perris.  Every freeway down here is under construction, there’s an accident about every five miles and California drivers seem to have a death wish.

Century old Route 66 landmark restored

 

The Tee Pee Nazi

After fleeing Quartzsite and sightseeing our way west Tuesday of last week we ended up in Rialto, California to spend a couple of nights at the Route 66 landmark Wigwam Motel constructed in 1949 as Wigwam Village #7.  A total of seven Wigwam Villages were built across the country and only three survive today.  Roadside vernacular architecture at its finest.  Of course these motels are the basis for “The Cozy Cone Motel” in Pixar’s 2006 film “Cars”. 




The Wigwam Motel in Rialto
 

An A-1 roadside attraction

This one is absolutely immaculate and a testament to the care of its owner Kumar Patel the self-proclaimed “Tee Pee Nazi”.  I don’t think Kumar knew quite what to make of me when I showed up in my vintage motorhome with two Jack Russell Terriers as crew.  Over the next two days we had several conversations and I ended up behind the front desk with Kumar telling everyone he had just hired me.  I got quite a kick out of that.  While there are those of us that appreciate the history of the motel, many are either ignorant or don’t care and just want a cheap room.  No doubt this is where Kumar gets his “No Tee Pee for you!” alter ego.





My Tee Pee #17
 

If you ever get a chance stay here for a night or two and tell Kumar that Josh sent you!





Tell 'em "Large Marge" Sent Ya!





A week ago Tuesday I made my timely escape from Quartzsite.  It was starting to seem like an episode of “The Twilight Zone” and I was wondering if I would ever be able to leave.  I all fairness the unscrupulous repair shop was not indicative of the local populace.  Total strangers always greeted me or waved from passing vehicles.  The population here in Quartzsite is a tad over 3,600 until the snowbirds migrate south in November.  Then the population swells to nearly a million RV’ers camping out on BLM land for next to nothing. There is also the world’s largest RV show held here every year.  This is the desert and selling water and ice is big business.


Roadside water vending machine

I guess they ran out of street names in Quartzsite

 

The senior citizen RV market

Words to live by

After crossing into California I stopped at the General George S. Patton Museum in Chiriaco Summit at the sight of Camp Young the army’s Desert Training Center in WW II.  Given the extreme heat here it was dubbed as “The place God forgot” by soldiers.  An interesting little museum dedicated to a fascinating soldier.

Patton and his dog "Willie"



Next a very brief stop at Joshua Tree National Park for obvious reasons and then on to Indio for lunch at the Shields Date Garden.  I had the Shields Burger and a date shake.   Very good food.  Bought some Shields Date Garden souvenirs, again for obvious reasons. 

Nice name for a national park

What...No family discount?

Next stop was the Cabazon Dinosaurs and the now abandoned Wagon Wheel Café.  The Cabazon Dinosaurs reminded me of Flintstones Bedrock City, another roadside attraction in a state of decay and more than likely its days are numbered.

Nice dinosaur!!

 

"Large Marge" sent me!

 

Then on to Rialto’s Route 66 Wigwam Motel #7 for the night.

The Story You Are About to See Is True....

Saturday October 10, 2015 at approximately 7:00 PM headed west on I-40 at milepost 43, about 20 miles east of Quartzsite, the trusty Cortez EM-50 misfires a couple of times but then within a couple of miles stalls out and won’t restart.  Seems like it’s not getting a spark.  Called AAA for a tow.  AAA suggested looking for a shop in Blythe, California which I started researching and found a likely prospect. They dispatched a truck that was on scene in about an hour but had to call out for a flatbed to tow the Cortez. When I mentioned the shop I had come up with in Blythe the tow truck driver advised me not to go there.  When I asked why he stated “Too much crack!”  He suggested a place in Quartzsite, trusting his advice as a local I agreed.   Arrived at the shop in Quartzsite just before midnight.

Sunday October 11, 2015 spent the entire day cleaning up the motorhome and doing laundry since the shop was closed Sundays.

Monday October 12, 2015 7:45 AM the shop, which by its name proclaimed to be the best, opened and they started working on the Cortez.  Within about 90 minutes the Cortez was repaired.  The ignition coil within the HEI distributor had failed.  Cost $119.  I considered myself lucky that they had the part on hand and was on my way.  So confident that I even posted on Facebook that repairs were complete.  Spent the rest of the day tooling around town and catching up on my blog. 

As I was leaving town the Cortez began idling poorly, stalling and dieseling.  I managed to limp it back to the shop just before 4:00 PM when they close.  I was told they would get to it first thing the next day.

One of my Facebook friends, Fred Timmons, had given me a number of an acquaintance in Quartzsite.  I gave Thom Hill a call that evening and shared my dilemma.  When I told Thom which shop I was at he gasped.  This shop has quite a reputation for being less than straightforward.  Thom said he would come out with his friend Dennis and take a look at my rig on Tuesday morning before the shop opened. 

Tuesday October 13, 2015 6:45 AM.  Thom’s comments got me thinking.  I began looking at everything in the dog house.  What I discovered was spot on with Thom’s comments.  The power plug to the distributor had been just placed on enough to make contact and get me running again until it would vibrate loose breaking contact and leaving me stranded requiring another visit to the shop.  An old trick used by unscrupulous auto mechanics.  I secured the plug and waited until morning when Thom and Dennis showed up.  They agreed to follow me around town to make sure everything was AOK.  If not they were going to get me to a buddy of theirs for repairs.  We took off just as the shop opened much to the shady mechanic’s chagrin.  They made sure that everything was running good for me.  They declined my offer to buy them both breakfast.  They even followed me up the highway to the next exit just to make sure everything was good. 

 

My discovery-the scene of the crime
 

I continued on my way.  I made a stop in Blythe at Mead Automotive and RV Repair.  I could see by the number of RV’s of various makes and vintages here that this is where I should have gone.  I spoke with the owner about the incident and he told me that the tow company wouldn’t do business with his firm because he would not give them kickbacks.  I told him that both the shop in Quartzsite and the tow company picked the wrong person to try to take advantage of.  He was glad to hear that someone was going to give them their just desserts.

 

The worst

I can’t help but wonder how many people and how many times these firms have taken unfair advantage of those in difficult circumstances.  I have already filed a fraud complaint with my credit card company.  Upon my return their will be complaints filed with the AAA, the BBB, the Quartzsite Police Department and the Arizona Attorney General. 

I again want to express my gratitude to Fred Timmons, Thom Hill and his friend Dennis for their assistance.  I will return their good deeds by “Paying it Forward”.