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.