2016 California Trip

[Spock]

I thought I had posted an early iteration of trip plans-but I couldn't find it.

Anyway San Fran is out. We plan to fly into and out of Vegas in Mid July. I have laid out a marker for Death Valley. Otherwise, it will be a LA/Orange County/San Diego trip.

Mrs. S has laid out the marker for seeing some relatives-Probably mostly stay with her Uncle in Huntington Beach. Disney for a day. Likely go to the offshoot of the San Diego Zoo-which is their Safari Park thingie. Anybody been? Comments?

I like to read a book(s) that puts me in the spirit of where we are going on a trip.

"Water to the Angels: William Mulholland, His Monumental Aqueduct, and the Rise of Los Angeles"

seems to fit the bill.

Also want to find something about the Deserts/Death Valley in Eastern CA. Maybe reread "The Lonesome Gods" by Louis L'amour. If it were a Gold Rush region trip "The Mining Frontiers of the Far West" might fit the bill-that one is calling my name anyway-so that one is on the list.

[Bob Juch]

I thought I had posted an early iteration of trip plans-but I couldn't find it.

Anyway San Fran is out. We plan to fly into and out of Vegas in Mid July. I have laid out a marker for Death Valley. Otherwise, it will be a LA/Orange County/San Diego trip.

Mrs. S has laid out the marker for seeing some relatives-Probably mostly stay with her Uncle in Huntington Beach. Disney for a day. Likely go to the offshoot of the San Diego Zoo-which is their Safari Park thingie. Anybody been? Comments?

I like to read a book(s) that puts me in the spirit of where we are going on a trip.

"Water to the Angels: William Mulholland, His Monumental Aqueduct, and the Rise of Los Angeles"

seems to fit the bill.

Also want to find something about the Deserts/Death Valley in Eastern CA. Maybe reread "The Lonesome Gods" by Louis L'amour. If it were a Gold Rush region trip "The Mining Frontiers of the Far West" might fit the bill-that one is calling my name anyway-so that one is on the list.

You might also read "Rivers in the Desert: William Mulholland and the Inventing of Los Angeles". I was paid a tidy sum to adapt a screenplay from it. Unfortunately Germany changed their tax code so it never was made.

[Spock]

I thought I had posted an early iteration of trip plans-but I couldn't find it.

Anyway San Fran is out. We plan to fly into and out of Vegas in Mid July. I have laid out a marker for Death Valley. Otherwise, it will be a LA/Orange County/San Diego trip.

Mrs. S has laid out the marker for seeing some relatives-Probably mostly stay with her Uncle in Huntington Beach. Disney for a day. Likely go to the offshoot of the San Diego Zoo-which is their Safari Park thingie. Anybody been? Comments?

I like to read a book(s) that puts me in the spirit of where we are going on a trip.

"Water to the Angels: William Mulholland, His Monumental Aqueduct, and the Rise of Los Angeles"

seems to fit the bill.

Also want to find something about the Deserts/Death Valley in Eastern CA. Maybe reread "The Lonesome Gods" by Louis L'amour. If it were a Gold Rush region trip "The Mining Frontiers of the Far West" might fit the bill-that one is calling my name anyway-so that one is on the list.

You might also read "Rivers in the Desert: William Mulholland and the Inventing of Los Angeles". I was paid a tidy sum to adapt a screenplay from it. Unfortunately Germany changed their tax code so it never was made.

Um, if your script was called "Chinatown" you might want to contact your lawyer. (LOL)

[Bob Juch]

I thought I had posted an early iteration of trip plans-but I couldn't find it.

Anyway San Fran is out. We plan to fly into and out of Vegas in Mid July. I have laid out a marker for Death Valley. Otherwise, it will be a LA/Orange County/San Diego trip.

Mrs. S has laid out the marker for seeing some relatives-Probably mostly stay with her Uncle in Huntington Beach. Disney for a day. Likely go to the offshoot of the San Diego Zoo-which is their Safari Park thingie. Anybody been? Comments?

I like to read a book(s) that puts me in the spirit of where we are going on a trip.

"Water to the Angels: William Mulholland, His Monumental Aqueduct, and the Rise of Los Angeles"

seems to fit the bill.

Also want to find something about the Deserts/Death Valley in Eastern CA. Maybe reread "The Lonesome Gods" by Louis L'amour. If it were a Gold Rush region trip "The Mining Frontiers of the Far West" might fit the bill-that one is calling my name anyway-so that one is on the list.

You might also read "Rivers in the Desert: William Mulholland and the Inventing of Los Angeles". I was paid a tidy sum to adapt a screenplay from it. Unfortunately, Germany changed their tax code so it never was made.

Um, if your script was called "Chinatown" you might want to contact your lawyer. (LOL)

Oh, now you've gotten my goat. Chinatown is far removed from reality. The real California Aqueduct was built in the 1900s through the 1910s. The water was "stolen" from the Owens Valley many miles north of L.A. Instead of taking water from the San Fernando Valley it brought water there and allowed orchards and housing developments for the first time. And William Mulholland was not murdered.

My script was "work for hire" so I have no rights to it. If it by some miracle it gets made then my contract gives me a pretty good bunch of money, especially for an unproduced scriptwriter, from Darkwood Productions.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Mrs. S has laid out the marker for seeing some relatives-Probably mostly stay with her Uncle in Huntington Beach. Disney for a day. Likely go to the offshoot of the San Diego Zoo-which is their Safari Park thingie. Anybody been? Comments?

Mrs. Spiff and I went there 10 years ago; in fact, we stayed in Escondido (one of those time-share arrangements we got through her father, so we didn't have to pay for a hotel; it kind of split the diff between LA and San Diego).

If you have the time, I highly recommend the Safari Park, if you have time. If you can only pick one, pick the main Zoo though.

Also, look into getting a Zoo Membership. That's what we did, and it was cheaper than admission for the two of us at the two parks. There are some extras that won't help (discount tix, and a couple of free passes to the zoo). We gave the guest passes to some folks in line with a lot of kids, and they were most appreciative.

The Safari Park is a totally different animal, no pun intended. A lot of the Serengeti-type animals are in an open area that you can go through (or, rather, be driven through). Lots of space.

My personal favorite there was the Rainbow Lorrikeets, which you can feed (for a fee, of course). The trick is to get there first thing when they are hungry, and they'll be all over you.

[Spock]

>>>Oh, now you've gotten my goat. Chinatown is far removed from reality. The real California Aqueduct was built in the 1900s through the 1910s. The water was "stolen" from the Owens Valley many miles north of L.A. Instead of taking water from the San Fernando Valley it brought water there and allowed orchards and housing developments for the first time. And William Mulholland was not murdered.

My script was "work for hire" so I have no rights to it. If it by some miracle it gets made then my contract gives me a pretty good bunch of money, especially for an unproduced scriptwriter, from Darkwood Productions.<<<<

Thanks for the background. My reading on the subject has been mainly general type stuff-I think "Cadillac Desert" is the most relevant so far. IIRC, there was a lot of Owens Valley stuff in there. I get you that "Chinatown" is removed from reality, however any movie that has a scene based on land records research will always have a place in my heart.

[Bob78164]

Let me know if you're interested in a Los Angeles area BB get-together. --Bob

[Bob Juch]

>>>Oh, now you've gotten my goat. Chinatown is far removed from reality. The real California Aqueduct was built in the 1900s through the 1910s. The water was "stolen" from the Owens Valley many miles north of L.A. Instead of taking water from the San Fernando Valley it brought water there and allowed orchards and housing developments for the first time. And William Mulholland was not murdered.

My script was "work for hire" so I have no rights to it. If it by some miracle it gets made then my contract gives me a pretty good bunch of money, especially for an unproduced scriptwriter, from Darkwood Productions.<<<<

Thanks for the background. My reading on the subject has been mainly general type stuff-I think "Cadillac Desert" is the most relevant so far. IIRC, there was a lot of Owens Valley stuff in there. I get you that "Chinatown" is removed from reality, however any movie that has a scene based on land records research will always have a place in my heart.

You do land records research? I wish you lived in Missouri.

[Spock]

>>>Oh, now you've gotten my goat. Chinatown is far removed from reality. The real California Aqueduct was built in the 1900s through the 1910s. The water was "stolen" from the Owens Valley many miles north of L.A. Instead of taking water from the San Fernando Valley it brought water there and allowed orchards and housing developments for the first time. And William Mulholland was not murdered.

My script was "work for hire" so I have no rights to it. If it by some miracle it gets made then my contract gives me a pretty good bunch of money, especially for an unproduced scriptwriter, from Darkwood Productions.<<<<

Thanks for the background. My reading on the subject has been mainly general type stuff-I think "Cadillac Desert" is the most relevant so far. IIRC, there was a lot of Owens Valley stuff in there. I get you that "Chinatown" is removed from reality, however any movie that has a scene based on land records research will always have a place in my heart.

You do land records research? I wish you lived in Missouri.

It is tied into the appraisal stuff which I mostly absolutely loved doing. Why Missouri? Is there something you want to show me?

If Missouri is an open records state-I might be able to help you a little-based on how wired in the relevant courthouses are. Point you in the right direction anyway.

[Bob Juch]

>>>Oh, now you've gotten my goat. Chinatown is far removed from reality. The real California Aqueduct was built in the 1900s through the 1910s. The water was "stolen" from the Owens Valley many miles north of L.A. Instead of taking water from the San Fernando Valley it brought water there and allowed orchards and housing developments for the first time. And William Mulholland was not murdered.

My script was "work for hire" so I have no rights to it. If it by some miracle it gets made then my contract gives me a pretty good bunch of money, especially for an unproduced scriptwriter, from Darkwood Productions.<<<<

Thanks for the background. My reading on the subject has been mainly general type stuff-I think "Cadillac Desert" is the most relevant so far. IIRC, there was a lot of Owens Valley stuff in there. I get you that "Chinatown" is removed from reality, however any movie that has a scene based on land records research will always have a place in my heart.

You do land records research? I wish you lived in Missouri.

It is tied into the appraisal stuff which I mostly absolutely loved doing. Why Missouri? Is there something you want to show me?

If Missouri is an open records state-I might be able to help you a little-based on how wired in the relevant courthouses are. Point you in the right direction anyway.

I'd like to find out where my most recent immigrants lived in Carroll County, Missouri. They came in 1882 and lived someplace there. Unfortunately, the husband's name is John Smith. Actually, I don't know if he was there but the rest of his family was. I found their passenger list with just "Mrs Smith" but with all the children listed. He may have come to America earlier and then sent for the wife and kids.

[bazodee]

The only people who visit Death Valley in July are crazy German tourists. Please re-think this part of the itinerary.

It will be so hot that it will be uncomfortable/impossible to get out of your car to interact with nature. If your intent is just to drive through the park, please make sure your vehicle is well equipped and you carry emergency supplies. It is harsh and desolate, but it's also my favorite national park.