Secrets of the Haunted Mansion

by Erik Olsen on

I think it’s safe to lament that Disneyland has not been the same since Walt died. Sure, they’ve added some new
attractions. Space Mountain many years ago, and then California Adventure and what not more recently. But think about
some of those early rides, the ones that still operate and treat kids to the kind of real life…or, well,
animatronic…characters that make their eyes pop out. Think of the Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion.
Isn’t it odd that Disney never built anything as cool as these two rides ever again? Why is that? Are we too wowed
nowadays by digital effects, so the folks at Disney figure a new ride won’t sell? Or maybe it’s just too expensive to
build new rides like this. Or perhaps Disney has just lost its creative mojo.

Whatever the case, here we are on the cusp of Halloween, and I am thinking about the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.
And so I do a little searching around, and lo, check out this fascinating site about the history and development of
Disney’s Haunted Mansion.

First, look at the section on layout to see how the
whole ride looks for an architect eye’s view. You can then
listen to actual sound effects from the ride (if these
don’t bring back childhood memories, I mean COME on). Finally, the
effects page is filled with fascinating information and
pictures about the Disney artists of yore pulled it off.

Road Read: Arizona Watering Holes

by Kelly Amabile on


Over the past two years, lifelong friends June Stahl and Gordon Beale traveled around the state of Arizona, visiting
historic bars, saloons and taverns. They compiled what they learned into a book that came out this month,

Arizona Watering Holes, Unique Saloons and Taverns. This
USA Today article tells
more about the pair’s story — they were originally going to tour taverns across the US, but then cut it to one state,
because of Beale’s “fascination with Arizona”. I wonder if this could be the first in a future series?

Hawaii Dispatch: 3 Tasty Tourist Traps

by Adrienne Wilson on

If you can head straight to the North Shore without stopping at the huge
Dole Plantation pineapple fields you’re probably a serious surfer interested in nothing, but
the enormous waves. In any case you are a person of strength, will-power, and the complete opposite of myself. I have
never had a problem pointing out my faults. On the other hand is there anything wrong with dragging your feet,
lagging, through fields and fields of pineapple simply letting the day go by? Not really.

Though it wasn’t my intentions to stop at the Dole Plantation, I felt it deserved a couple minutes of my time.
And a couple minutes was all it received. I would have spent 45 minutes trying to find myself out of one of the
largest pineapple maze’s in the world if I wasn’t so anxious to make way to
the beach, so I had to pass. If you’ve got the time I suggest the tour, as well as a ride on
the Pineapple Express and a stroll through the plantation garden. That will pretty much give you the
full Pineapple experience with one exception. Tasting the ice cream… Even if you weren’t quite in the mood for ice
cream seeing everyone else parade around with the delicious dessert will probably send messages to your brain that
you must and will not live without it. The light, fruity, Pineapple, soft serve, ice cream wouldn’t be my first
choice but it makes for a lovely afternoon treat.

More ramblings to come on the North Shore, dining, and all the other places I’m trying to rediscover as I conquer
Oahu. Again.   

Road Read: Traveling Literary America

by Kelly Amabile on

B.J. Welborn has compiled a collection of over 200 homes and historic sites of famous writers in

Traveling Literary America. Welborn provides directions, facts and historica tidbits for landmarks famous for their
association with literati such as Edgar Allan Poe, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Lack London, Thomas Wolfe, Alex Haley and even
Dr. Seuss. SeveralMark Twain sites are also included: the cabin where he stayed during the Gold Rush in California, the
town of Hannibal, Mo., where he grew up and the house in Hartford, Conn. where he created Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. All
50 states are represented, and the literary sites are organized by geographic region. Sounds like a great read and
resource for planning a road trip.

Welborn is also the author of
America’s
Best Historic Sites.

National Parks Traveler

by Erik Olsen on

I have raved here so often about how great our national parks are, that I sometimes wonder
if people think I’m loony. The fact is, my first real job after college (after being a sailing instructor and a ski
area photographer…both of which failed to impress my parents) was with the Department of the Interior. For those who
don’t know, the DOI is the federal agency in charge of almost all public land. It
encompasses the Bureau of Land Management, the
Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park
Service (among others). While I am no fan of bloated government, there are many agencies that do a superb and
admirable job making sure that America’s natural legacy is preserved and protected. Among them, the National Park
Service is the jewel in the crown.

And so all this salutary babble about the NPS leads me to show you this
very good site run by a solo blogger about the Park Service. It
gives the lowdown on the NPS and provides some very insightful posts on the state of the NPS today.