SEP 09

Los Angeles doesn't have a football team...

so 70,000 people fill the void via UCLA football at the rosebowl (always sold out)....this week we played Kansas state.

The Catholic Big Brother organization enabled this trip...so me my assigned "little brother" decided to go root on the Bruins....(they won!)

Brian with "Bruin Burger" firmly crammed into his cake hole.

Tokyo to Los Angeles...over the Northern Pacific (near Aleutian islands bordering Russian airspace)...we passed a Korean Air 777-200 enroute to Los Angeles as well.
Calico ghost town (near Barstow California) train ride.

Calico was a silver mining town from 1820 through 1967...when it was bought by the Knott family (same family that founded the Knott's berry farm amusement part in California) and turned into a visitor attraction. The town was a near waste land when purchased...and had fluctuated greatly during its lifespan....having been burned down and rebuilt three times.

Colleen tried to intercept the Wells Fargo stage coach and got busted....

yarn spinner circa 1837

"...the new Sheriff in town is...................................a small Japanese girl?"

Suprising amount of visitors...even on a Thursday...and well AFTER labor day. We ran into Brazilians, Japanese, Russian, and French groups...and 10 to 12 buses at any given time.

Miss. Lucy Lane was the last living citizen of Calico...until she finally passed on during WWII.

Calico fire engine

We thought the entire visit would be lame...but the train ride, mine tour, asthetics, and over all presentation was actually quite good.

Hot day...100 degrees Farenheit...

L.A. County Fair doggies....

Colleen...milkin' it

T-Rex display at one of the County Fair venues....

oh my...quite tall!

All the displays moved and had audio as well...it was really cool from a child's perspective I'm sure.

early 1800's display

miniature town train model....my favorite part of the County Fair...has tons of really cool highly detailed places and people to review.

baseball game and moving pedestrians and cars within the miniature train model.

The entire (town) train model display approximated 80 meters (240') x 30 meters (90')...and would take a person a few hours just to review all the details worked into it.

Budweiser Clydesdales.........................huge.