Disney to dismantle iconic California sign

Disney is in the midst of a major overhaul at its California Adventure theme park in Anaheim, and the latest change is the removal of an iconic sign at the entry.

The California sign – really more of a monument than a sign, with letters spelling California stretched out in front of the park – will be removed next month.

That sign has been in countless family photos over the years, as many groups gather around it to take a picture before entering the park each day.

The letters get a makeover for certain seasons and for special events. When the theme park opened its World of Color show this summer, the letters were in technicolor. This holiday season, they have candy cane stripes.

The remodeled entrance will echo the design of the legendary Pan Pacific Auditorium, and look a lot like the gate at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida.

That fits with the park’s re-theming, which is supposed to reflect back on Southern California in the 1930s, after Walt Disney arrived and started his studio.

The official Disney Parks blog reports that the CALIFORNIA letters will be kept for “possible future use.”

[Image credit (CALIFORNIA sign): Flickr user PunkJr]

Daily Pampering: Ring in the 2011 at Stonepine Estate Resort

Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? New Years is a time to celebrate. Whether it is reveling in the glory of a successful year or looking brightly to what could be in the new year, New Year’s Eve stands as cross road of revelry and reflection with those closest to you, and what better way to celebrate both than with Stonepine Estate Resort’s New Years Gala?

With package accommodations ranging from $2,000 to $3,750, Stonepine is offering the perfect location for ringing in 2011. With this package, guests receive a three night stay in a Deluxe Stonepine Accommodation complete with a full European breakfast daily. On New Year’s Eve, Stonepine will host a night of dinner, dancing and salsa lessons. At the stroke of midnight, there will be a Champagne toast, and throughout the evening guests will be able to purchase raffle tickets to win a week’s stay in a private villa at Mauna Kea Resort in Hawaii.

After a fun night out, nothing says New Year’s Day like a scrumptious brunch featuring Bloody Marys, Ramous Fizzes and a complete deli buffet in the Blacksmith Bar. The package also comes with the choice of a riding lesson or a massage for two in the privacy of your suite. With a deal this good, why not stay an extra night? A complementary fourth night will be included for those looking to avoid holiday traffic or a good excuse to extend their getaway.

Now that’s what we call a good start to 2011.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Photo of the Day (12.06.10)

Trailer parks get a bad rap. They’re the punchlines of tornado jokes and referenced in conversations about rednecks. Sadly, modern-day trailers are pretty devoid of personality and feed into the stereotypes. There was a time, however, when trailers seemed like magical devices. They even looked futuristic. Those were the golden (are should I say silver) days of the Airstream.

There are still Airstreams on the road. However, if owning a trailer is not for you, you can simply head to Hicksville Trailer Park in Joshua Tree, California. That’s what you see in this photo by Flickr user Amy Widdowson (Full disclosure: Amy is a friend of mine and one of the talented people behind NileGuide. Did you know that they are running an awesome holiday contest right now?). At Hicksville, you can sleep in an Airstream, bone up on your archery and just enjoy the chromed-out nostalgia of it all. Not a bad way to spend a weekend if you ask me.

Taken any great photos of trailer parks? Or maybe just some interesting travel photos in general? Why not add them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Daily Pampering: Red Carpet package at Spa Montage Beverly Hills

Awards season is fast approaching … and now you too can make like a Hollywood A-lister, thanks to Spa Montage at Montage Beverly Hills. Book the “Ultimate Pre-Red Carpet Spa Experience” to take care of every beauty need.

Begin with an anti-aging facial, designed to hydrate, firm, and offer immediate, photo-ready results. A connective tissue massage will help firm and contour, and you’ll also enjoy a penetrating Oxygen serum. Next, enjoy Body Sculpting therapy to assist in removing cellular waste and retained fluids. Customize the treatment for focus on your own personal “trouble spots” like the abdomen or thighs. If you dare to bare, follow with a back facial, where your therapist uses steam therapy to lift out impurities plus exfoliation and gentle extractions to ensure your back is as camera-ready as you are. The facial ends with a muscle-melting back and foot massage. Complete your day with an detoxifying body wrap and hypnotic scalp massage.

You’ll also get the oxygen serum, anti fluid gel, dry body brush and hydrating lotion to take home and continue your red carpet-ready glow for weeks to come.

The full day package starts at $1,050 (and can be spread over several days if desired) and includes four coordinating treatments designed to prep the body from head-to-toe. Naturally, the package also includes access to the Spa Montage facilities and rooftop pool, plus a welcome glass of bubbly or blueberry tea upon arrival. The treatment package is available through March 2011.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

10 U.S. Cities where profanity prevails

He, we’re all prone to a bit of profanity every now and then – some of us more than others. I’ve had my ass butt handed to me by the Gadling editors over my (finally) occasional use of some foul language, though I’ve taken steps to (as they say) improve myself. Well, I was happy to see when flipping through my RSS feed that I’m not the only person who likes to drop an f-bomb every now and then. In fact, there are entire cities engaging in such behavior, according to a recent article on Business Insider.

So, how am I going to pick my next home? Well, I’ll start by looking at the 10 most obscene cities it the United States. Strangely, New York isn’t on the list, probably because we have a small vocal minority that engages in the sorts of foul phrasing, while the rest of the city tends to be squeaky clean.

So, who’s on the list? These are the 10 cities and towns where you’re most likely to find mouths washed out with soap.1. Ashburn, Virginia
There are only 90,000 people here, but they know how to cuss! The Washington, DC suburb made its first time on the list a big one, coming in at the top spot.

2. Tampa, Florida
Tampa found a way to climb from #8 in 2009 to #2 in 2010, something of an accomplishment, according to a handful of people.

3. Herndon, Virginia
What is it about Virginia? Is there something in the water? A problem with the schools’ vocabulary lessons?

4. Rochester, New York
Who cares?

5. Irvine, California
The fourth-best place to live in the United States has achieved this distinction because you can say whatever the fuck you want.

6. Newark, New Jersey
Duh.

7. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Someone must have brought Miss Manners to the largest city in Pennsylvania – it ranked third the past two years, according to Business Insider.

8. Louisville, Kentucky
It ranked #10 last year and #1 the year before. So, there’s a bit of a backslide here, but it hasn’t been too bad.

9. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Like Virginia (and California), Pennsylvania makes the list twice.

10. Los Angeles, California and Las Vegas, Nevada (tie)
Did you really think these two wouldn’t make it?

Curious about how Business Insider came up with the results? Check out the “methodology”:

To find the most obscene cities in America, we plugged the “seven dirty words you can never say on television” — made popular by George Carlin — into Google Trends. We gave each city a score for each of the seven words, assigning more points to cities ranking higher up on each list.

If there’s a better use for the internet, I have yet to see it!

[photo by DanCentury via Flickr]