Steam-driven visions of a Victorian future

Woo hoo! Disney is continuing to go full steam ahead!
 
The Disney Gallery (on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland) is proud to present Mechanical Kingdoms: Steam-Driven Visions of a Victorian Future. 

Steampunk, a subgenre of science fiction loosely built around retro-futuristic visions of a steam-powered society, has been gaining (pardon the pun) steam over the past several years. The movement, which is expressed culturally and stylistically in everything from technology and design to music and fashion, was dubbed steampunk in the late 1980s. Though certainly not part of the steampunk “wave” (at least not consciously), Walt Disney Imagineers have been creating their own visions and versions of retro-futuristic technologies since well before that time, incorporating them into Disney parks and attractions around the world.

Mechanical Kingdoms, featuring conceptual designs and ideas for an array of inventive vehicles, machines and gadgets, does share some of the same inspirations as steampunk, most prominently a fascination with the extravagantly inventive visions of tomorrow expressed by such Victorian futurists as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. So don your petticoats and bustles or your suits and old military storm coats, pull on your brass goggles, dangle your ray gun from your hip and get ready for an adventure that takes us forward into the past, as seen through the eyes of Disney artists and designers.

Additionally, Disney has another steampunk-inspired Mechanical Kingdom" surprise pin collection at Walt Disney World in Florida. These surprise pins will be released at random times throughout the year, but the first one appears to be already available.

So who is going to Disney World to get these for Me?

Bon voyage!

Treasures from the orient!

Chinese guardian lions.

Momma has more than 100 of these teapots!

Fresh exotic flowers.

This phone booth is perfect for me!

More fresh flowers.

Tea for two and two for tea....

This original life preserver is well preserved.

A gown worn by Diana, Princess of Wales.

Diana's a bit of a drag here.

Elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist!

THE BRIDGE!

My future quarters.

I liked the bellhop uniforms better!

Captain Ted. E. Bear

I did NOT want to go home!

I love the nightlife

Photo bomb!

Continuing with my long delayed adventures upon the Queen Mary, after exploring the cabin we went to a friend's house to celebrate with the happy couple.

Smoke from the QM's haunted Dark Harbor.

I, of course, had to sneak into at least one photo!

After feasting upon a delicious homemade vanilla cake with raspberry filling, we returned to the ship where I continued to explore.

Harboring no suspicions.

Outside the Queen Mary was a fantabulous haunted house called Dark Harbor, but I decided I wanted to explore the Queen Mary more.

Remember the Titanic? ALWAYS know where your lifeboat is!

Many of the ship's rooms and exhibits were closed for the night, but it was deliciously thrilling to explore at night.

I'm the Queen of the World!

The Queen Mary is known as "the haunted ship." It’s not surprising that the Queen Mary was voted one of the Top 10 Most Haunted Places in America by Time magazine!

Among the ghosts reportedly still hanging around are a sailor who died in the ship's engine room, a "lady in white," and children who supposedly drowned in the ship's pool.

Despite my detailed explorations, not a single ghost made itself known to me.

Harrumph.

To be continued....

The ship of woods

Functioning portholes!

I know this post is three weeks overdue, but I wanted to share our experiences in California.

Believe it or not, it was my first experience flying in a modern airplane ... and Momma checked me in her luggage! (She had some feeble excuse about her camera bag being her one-and-only carry-on.)

However, once we got to Los Angeles, we checked into the Queen Mary.

Art deco mirror!

What a ship!

We were lucky enough to have a stateroom with a lovely view of Long Beach through the portholes. We were pleased to find they could still be opened so we could enjoy the ocean breezes. (Not many of those in Arizona!)

Momma headed off to attend her friends' wedding and left me to explore our cabin.

Woo hoo!

How they used to heat and cool the rooms.

As previously mentioned, the Queen Mary sailed as a luxury liner (and transport) for 30 years before being purchased by the city of Long Beach, Calif., as a hotel.

Heaters for wimpy American travelers.

Many of the historic elements were left in place as the ship was converted into a stationary hotel.

The 346 original First-Class Staterooms and nine Suites are situated on three decks and all are above sea level and no two rooms are alike. Many of the Staterooms feature the original artwork found on the ship during her heyday, as well as authentic Art Deco built-ins for additional storage.

Brass bars to attach trunks to the wall.

Phew! I'm tired! I'll share more tomorrow!
  

Electric fans!

Hot and cold fresh and salt water taps.

Our most popular room! Space and luxury are the defining attributes of the Deluxe Stateroom. The preferred choice of first-class travelers back in the day, the Deluxe Stateroom also includes a large built-in headboard with bookshelves, as well as operable portholes. The rich polished wood and Art Deco décor give guests a 1930’s feel without ever sacrificing the convenience of modern amenities. Additionally, several of our King Deluxe Staterooms are on the starboard side and include beautiful Long Beach Harbor views.

Room Amenities:

• King-size bed (or two Twin beds) with plush pillow-top mattresses
• Operable portholes
• Some may include a sitting area with a table and two chairs*
• 32” LCD flat screen TV with satellite and Pay-Per-View movies
• Wi-Fi Internet
• Mini-fridge (available upon request for a fee)
• Relaxing Green Tea & Willow Archive products
• Hair dryer
• Iron/ironing board
• Rollaway bed is available (upon request)
• Authentic Art Deco mirror and original built-in storage
• Built-in Art Deco headboard with bookshelf

- See more at: http://www.queenmary.com/stay-aboard/deluxe-stateroom.php#sthash.zT6LI4Vg.dpuf

A room with a view

I'm on the Queen Mary!

Queens of the Sea

Momma and I are so excited we are both having an incredibly hard time waiting for Friday, Oct. 18.

On Friday we will be flying to Long Beach, Calif., where we will celebrate the marriage of one of Momma's oldest friends. (She has known him 34 years!)

Not only will we witness their marriage, but we'll be staying overnight on the historic Queen Mary! 

Named after Queen Mary, consort of King George V, RMS Queen Mary was the flagship of the Cunard Line (formerly known as Cunard-White Star) that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from May 1936 until October 1967.
 
She was converted into a troopship after the outbreak of World War II and ferried Allied soldiers for the duration of the war. After the war, RMS Queen Mary was refitted for passenger service.

After several years of decreased profits due to commercial air travel, RMS Queen Mary was officially retired from service. She left Southampton, England for the last time on Oct. 31, 1967 and sailed to the port of Long Beach, Calif., where she is permanently moored.

Much of the machinery including two of the four steam turbines, three of the four propellers, and all of the boilers were removed, and the ship now serves as a tourist attraction featuring restaurants, a museum, and hotel.

The Queen Mary is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation has accepted the Queen Mary to be part of the Historic Hotels of America.

The Main Street Across America

You can only imagine my geeky excitement when Momma's first cousin, once removed, came over Sunday with an old family photograph album.

The album contained photos from a paternal family trip with Momma's (from left) 18-year-old grandmomma, 42-year-old great-grandmomma, 15-year-old grand-aunt, 8-year-old grand-uncle (her cousin's father), and a hired driver. As far as we can tell, the cross-country trip took place in September or October of 1925 and roughly followed the Lincoln Highway, which became known as "The Main Street Across America."

The Lincoln Highway was America's first national memorial to President Abraham Lincoln, predating Washington, D.C.'s Lincoln Memorial by nine years. Formally dedicated Oct. 31, 1913, the Lincoln Highway spanned from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco.

As the first transcontinental improved highway for automobiles across the United States, the Lincoln Highway originally went through 13 states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California.

The officially recorded length of the entire Lincoln Highway in 1913 was 3,389 miles. Over the years, the road was improved and numerous realignments were made, and by 1924 the highway had been shortened to 3,142 miles. 

According to the notes made beneath each photo
the travelers visited:

• Mt. Vernon, Va.
• Frostburg, Md.
• Fort Necessity in Uniontown, Pa.
• Summit Inn in Farmington, Pa. 
• Rochester, N.Y.
• Niagra Falls, N.Y.
• USS Shenandoah in Ava, Ohio
• Bourbon, Ind.
• Springfield, Ill.
• Joliet, Ill.
• Hannibal, Mo.
• Clifton, Iowa
• Golden, Colo.
• Lookout Mt, Colo.
• Togwotee Pass, Wyo.
• Yellowstone, Wyo.
• Cheyenne, Wyo.
• Grand Tetons, Wyo.
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Union Peak, Nev.
• Santa Barbara, Calif.

Don't worry, I shan't subject you to all of the approximately 180 photos, but I shall hit some of the highlights. The sites of two 1925 tragedies were among the trip's highlights: the June 29 Santa Barbara Earthquake and the Sept. 3 crash of the USS Shenandoah in Ava, Ohio.

  

The Main Street of America

Have you gotten your kicks on Route 66?

We did!

Route 66 was established on Nov. 11, 1926. (Road signs erected the following year.) The highway became one of the most famous roads in America and ran through eight states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Covering a total of 2,448 miles, it was recognized in pop culture by many books as well as a hit song and the Route 66 television show in the 1960s. Sadly, Route 66 declined in popularity with the completion of Interstate 40 in 1984.

I don't know if Phoebe has ever taken the highway that is best (since she lives in Pennsylvania) but she hit three towns on this trip - although only one (Gallup, N.M.) is mentioned in the song.

The (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 lyrics read as a mini-travelogue as you head west: Chicago, Ill., St. Louis, Mo., Joplin, Mo., Oklahoma City, Okla., Amarillo, Texas, Gallup, N.M., Flagstaff, Ariz., Winona, Ariz., Kingman, Ariz., Barstow, Calif., San Bernardino, Calif., and Los Angeles, Calif.

(Winona is out of sequence with the rest of the cities because the author of the song, Bobby Troup, needed a word that rhymed with "Arizona.")

If you ever plan to motor west,
Travel my way, take the highway that is best.
Get your kicks on Route 66.

It winds from Chicago to LA,
More than 2,000 miles all the way.
Get your kicks on Route 66.

Now you go through Saint Louie
Joplin, Missouri,
And Oklahoma City is mighty pretty.
You see Amarillo,
Gallup, New Mexico,
Flagstaff, Arizona.
(Don't forget Winona,)
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernandino.

Won't you get hip to this timely tip:
When you make that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66.

Did you know, of the eight states through which the actual route passes, only Kansas and its cities (Route 66 spends just 11 miles inside Kansas' southeast corner) are not mentioned by the song?

Be our guest

After spending a day at Disneyland we headed over to California Adventure for an early dinner at Ariel's Grotto.

My Big Sister rediscovered her love for Disney princesses while we were at Disneyland, and her oldest cousin still adores Ariel.
 

Join Ariel and her friends at Ariel's Grotto for an enchanting Character Dining experience filled with music, laughter, delicious food and the opportunity to meet Disney Princesses during "Ariel's Disney Princess Celebration."

Children of all ages get to meet their favorite Disney Princesses up close and personal! It's a welcome respite after walking all over trying ot find characters - at Ariel's Grotto you can rest and enjoy a delicious meal while the princesses come to you!

We got to meet Ariel, Belle, Snow White, Mulan and Jasmine while we were there. (Thankfully, Momma got to see her childhood favorite Cinderella earlier.)

Ivy was especially excited to meet Mulan!

Give a hoot

My friend June is the original tree hugger.

She is into hippy culture, nature, tree climbing, environmentalism, and really wanted to visit the Redwood Forest.

So off we went - where we promptly found a redwood that had been cut down. June was devastated and wept while I tried to comfort her. 

The redwood species contains the largest and tallest trees in the world. (There's nothing like standing next to one of these babies to make anyone feel short - especially if you're only 18 inches tall!) These trees can live to be thousands of years old.

They are endangered due to habitat losses from logging, fire ecology suppression, development, and air pollution. 

Sequoiadendron giganteum and Sequoia sempervirens in California and Oregon are vulnerable species, and Metasequoia glyptostroboides in China is a critically endangered species. 

That's enough to make me a tree-hugger!

 

Li'l Wil

blindferret.com

Ack!

I. MUST. HAVE. ONE.

My very own Li'l Wil Wheaton Plushie for a mere $19.95.

Which came first? The Internet or Wil Wheaton? No one knows for sure, but rest assured top men are working on the answer. TOP. MEN. Since the actual Wil Wheaton lives inside the Internet, you can't actually possess him. OR CAN YOU!? You can't, but you can own your very own soft, diminutive effigy of Wil that may or may not be a horcrux containing a tiny piece of his soul. I'm just saying, give your Li'l Wil a hug and I bet somewhere in California the real one lets out an audible sigh of contentment. Set it on fire and... well, you paid your money. Do what you want. 

Wil dared Joel via twitter to draw him as a plushie. Almost a year later the little guy exists in meat space. Call it the slowest replicator ever, but living in the future is pretty neat. I know you can't wait to knit him a tiny sweater. Spacesuit or evil clown; it's your choice.

Maybe I should get two and sign HIS tummy and send it to Wheaton.

What think you?

This Week in The Civil War: Oct. 21, 1862

McClellan's last days in Union command

Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan is in his last days as commander of federal fighting forces. President Abraham Lincoln has testily written McClellan of late, exhorting him to drive after the Confederate army retreating after the Battle of Antietam in Maryland. In a letter dated Oct. 13, 1862, Lincoln reminds his top general that he should not shrink from pursuing and vanquishing the rival. "You remember my speaking to you of what I called your over-cautiousness. Are you not over-cautious when you assume that you cannot do what the enemy is constantly doing?" Lincoln writes. Although Lincoln says in the letter that his suggestions of aggressively pursuing the enemy by no means constitute an explicit order, he nonetheless exhorts McClellan to move toward Richmond, capital of the Confederacy, and cut off secessionist forces returning to Virginia under the command of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Of the foe, Lincoln says: "I would press closely to him, fight him if a favorable opportunity should present, and at least try to beat him to Richmond." McClellan, who had taken command earlyin the war amid great promise and then drilled, trained and equipped the Union war machine, has long been chided for failing to fight aggressively. Now, McClellan will ignore the latest call by Lincoln to pounce on the enemy – only to be sacked by Lincoln in early November. The Associated Press reports this week that the stringing of the telegraph across the land is revolutionizing the delivery of news of war and other affairs. AP reports on how California telegraph operators can now communicate directly with Chicago and other points – to the point that one operator in California told his Chicago counterpart while transmitting news: "Hold on `till I light my pipe."

In my dreams she still doth haunt me

I'm still dreaming about my darling Clementine. I'm so excited about her that I shall give her this outfit off my back if and when she arrives.

But you ask, why the name Clementine?

In John Ford's 1946 classic My Darling Clementine, the Earp brothers are driving cattle to California when they are told of a nearby town, Tombstone.

The older brothers ride in, leaving the youngest brother James to watch over the cattle. The Earps quickly find Tombstone a lawless town. When they return to their camp, they find the cattle rustled and James dead.

Seeking vengeance, Wyatt Earp returns to Tombstone and takes the job of town marshall to find out who was responsible.

In the meantime, a young woman from Boston named Clementine Carter arrives in town....

(Loosely based on the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, the film's plot deviates significantly from history.)

The title derives from the American western folk ballad Oh My Darling, Clementine, which is the theme song of the movie.

The song Oh My Darling, Clementine was written in 1883 or 1884 about a bereaved lover mourning the daughter of an 1849 California Gold Rush miner. He loses her in a drowning accident, although he consoles himself at the end of the song with Clementine's "little sister."

(The verse about the little sister was often left out of song books intended for children because it was morally, um, questionable.)

Peak shape

I can't believe I forgot to mention Arizona's claim to "fame" in the Civil War!

The Battle of Picacho Peak (or Pass) was an engagement of the American Civil War on April 15, 1862. The action occurred all around Picacho Peak, 50 miles northwest of Tucson, Ariz. It was fought between a Union cavalry patrol from California and a party of Confederate pickets from Tucson, and marked the westernmost battle of the American Civil War.

Steampunk with a twist

Green Tree Jewelry

Momma and I are in love.

One of Momma's students came to class wearing this to-die-for Kinetic Main Gear Pendant and matching earrings.

Not only are the gears made from wood (which makes it very lightweight) but all the gears move - as they should.

Green Tree Jewelry describes this new line of "Gear Garb" as "Steam Punk with a Twist."

Based in San Diego, Calif., Green Tree Jewelry was founded by Lance Nybye, Sr. and his son L.J. to provide affordable fun jewelry from renewable resources. All the jewelry is made here in the United States.

I wonder if they'd make some in my size. 

Orphans preferred

"Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred."

Sheesh, I could have done that! I'm young, skinny and not over 18.

Inches.

The first successful United States Pony Express run from St. Joseph, Mo., to Sacramento, Calif., began on April 3, 1860.

(Incidentally, the Pony Express headquarters was one block away from Jesse James' home in St. Joseph, where he was shot and killed on April 3, 1882 by Robert Ford.)

The Pony Express carried messages by horseback riders in staged relays across the prairies, plains, deserts, and mountains of the western United States. It became the most direct means of east-west communication before the telegraph and was vital for tying California with the Union just before the Civil War.

During its 18 months of operation, it reduced the time for messages to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to about 10 days, with telegraphic communication covering about half the distance across the continent and mounted couriers the rest.

The start of the Civil War interrupted operations and the Pony Express announced its closure on Oct. 26, 1861, just two days after the transcontinental telegraph reached Salt Lake City and connected Omaha, Nebraska and Sacramento.

The Pony Express had grossed $90,000 and lost $200,000 in 18 months.

Hmph, they wouldn't have lost $200,000 if they'd hired ME!

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Songwriter Robert B. Sherman was Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

The tongue-twisting term, sung by Mary Poppins, is like much of Sherman's work - both complex and instantly memorable, for child and adult alike.

Sherman, who died Monday, March 5, 2012 in London at age 86, was half of a sibling partnership that put songs into the mouths of nannies and Cockney chimney sweeps, jungle animals and Parisian felines.

Robert Sherman and his brother Richard composed scores for films including "The Jungle Book," ''The Aristocats," ''Mary Poppins" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

They wrote more than 150 songs at Disney, including the soundtracks for such films as "The Sword and the Stone," ''The Parent Trap," ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks," ''The Jungle Book," ''The Aristocrats" and "The Tigger Movie."

The Sherman Brothers' won two Academy Awards for "Mary Poppins" - best score and best song, "Chim Chim Cher-ee." They also picked up a Grammy for best movie or TV score.

Most of the songs the Shermans wrote - in addition to being catchy and playful - work on multiple levels for different ages, something they learned from Disney.

Another of their songs - "It's a Small World (After All)" - became one of the most translated and performed songs on the planet - a fact that Disney employees are only too well aware!

Get your kicks on Route 66

One of Momma's claims to "fame" is once interviewing Bobby Troup, who wrote (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 in 1946. (She got to write several stories about Route 66 while living in Kingman.)

Troop said the tune, as well as the words "Get your kicks on Route 66," came to him easily, but the rest eluded him, so he filled up the song with the names of towns and cities on the highway.

Well if you ever plan to motor west
Just take my way that's the highway that's the best
Get your kicks on Route 66

Well it winds from Chicago to L.A.
More than 2,000 miles all the way
Get your kicks on Route 66

Well goes from St. Louis down to Missouri
Oklahoma City looks oh so pretty
You'll see Amarillo and Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona don't forget Winona
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernadino

Would you get hip to this kindly tip
And go take that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66

Addie and Momma's Excellent Route 66 Adventure

Fans of American Girl might recall that my dear friend Molly McGuire took a trip with her family in 1946 along Route 66.

Molly's Route 66 Adventure takes readers for an eight-state ride, from Illinois to California, along the Main Street of America.

Molly's family took a side trip off Route 66 to go to the Grand Canyon, and stayed at the Bright Angel Lodge where we had lunch Tuesday!

Bright Angel Lodge, designed in 1935 by architect Mary E. J. Colter, has a natural, rustic character, and is a Registered National Historic Landmark.

It has always been a popular place to stay and the center of South Rim activity. Located just a few feet from the Canyon rim, Bright Angel Lodge is the check-in point for the world famous Grand Canyon Mule Rides.

 

Snow White and the Eight Dwarfs

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the world's first full-length animated feature, premiered on  Dec. 21, 1937 to critical acclaim at the Carthay Circle Theater in California.

Based upon the German version of Snow White first published in 1812 by the Brothers Grimm, it featured the magic mirror, poisoned apple, glass coffin, and the seven dwarves. (The dwarves first received names in a 1912 Broadway play Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and were then given different names in Disney's version.)

Before Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Disney studio had been primarily involved in short Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphony cartoons. Disney hoped to expand his studio's prestige and revenues by moving into full-length features.

Disney had to fight to get Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs produced, and the Hollywood movie industry referred to it as "Disney's Folly." He even had to mortgage his house to help finance the film's production, which eventually cost $1,488,422.74, a huge amount for a moving picture in 1937.