The video features Jay signing his book Knott’s Berry Farm: The Early Years inside the famed Chicken Dinner Restaurant on Aug 29, 2009. Nearly 300 people lined up to see the author – including Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter.

[Photo courtesy of The Knott’s Berry Farm Museum]

A nice feature over at The OC Register quotes Jennings as saying ”I hope my book brings back fond memories of when families visited Knott’s Berry Farm and Ghost Town and the sheer fun and joy of walking up and down Main Street“. Indeed it does! With all the recent hubbub about D23 it’s nice to see a little history and street-cred being bestowed on Orange County’s original theme park!

There was a book signing on Saturday but, alas I was being burned alive in LA on that day so I was unable to attend. There is something to be said for an event that is smaller, more personal and rich with history. I encourage you to check it out the KBF Museum web site and of course, order that book! One more photo after the jump…

I cannot accurately describe how much I want that blue platter in the back! Swoon!

[Photo courtesy of The Knott’s Berry Farm Museum]

There are so many things I love about Old Towne Orange (the houses, the people, the shops just to name a few), but I have one spot that has been my favorite since I discovered it several years ago.
Pitcher Park-

Pitcher Park sits at the corner of Almond and Cambridge in an entirely residential area, minus the school across the street. The park is small, taking up no more width than 1 house and no more length than 2 houses. It has benches, tables, greenery…all the things you expect to find in a park. But when you look closer, you see the little details that I love so much about the park.
Well don’t just sit there, follow the link to hear what they are and see more pictures!

I’ve done much research on the park and little information is available. It wasn’t until I googled the original property owners’ names, Henry and Grace Pitcher, that I got anything of significance. According to this LA Times article Henry and Grace moved to Orange from Kansas in 1912. They lived on this property until the late 1980s. At some point, Henry built himself a honey house (picture below) and a barn (also picture below). When the family donated the land to the city in 1992, work began to restore the two structures. Today they look amazing and serve a purpose. The honey house holds the equipment for the OC Beekeepers. They are at the park every 4th Sunday for a tour of the honey house and the use of the equipment. The barn holds not only many of the tools used by the Pitchers, but also Orange’s first museum, the Orange Fire Museum. It is open Saturday & Sunday from 11am to 3pm.

Now let me talk about the drinking fountain pictured above. I couldn’t tell you how old it is, but I would put this drinking fountain to be circa early 1900s for sure. As far as an exact year I couldn’t begin to guess, but isn’t it so cool looking? I’ll admit, I get a little weary when I want to drink out of it. Thanks to the design, when you step on the pedal you have to wait for the water to rise through the fountain and eventually come out. I love it though.

Fire flower!

The flowers. Oh the flowers. I don’t know how many different types of flowers there are, but they’re all BEAUTIFUL!

Apples!!!!....or Nectarines. I forget.

Fruit! There’s all different types of fruit trees and plants here. The ones I remember are apples, nectarines, peaches and avocado. I’d be willing to bet there’s a citrus somewhere too. Also, my guess would be that there are persimmons there because there is an Annual Persimmon Party held at the park. I’d really like to go because it says they provide park history, but shocker of all shockers….I have school. BTW Sunday is the 8th, not the 9th. In case you wanted to mark your calenders.

A barn!

A honey house!

Buildings! Here you see the barn and honey house I mentioned above.
The last few pictures are random pictures from the park. For more information on the park, click here!
I hope you get the chance to check out the park. It’s really beautiful.

Maroon leaves? Neat!

Butterfly! See him in the middle? I always see them in the park when I go.

A little artistic shot to leave you with.

[Unfortunately Metblogs does not support the embedding code for this video. Just click the link below the preview picture and you'll be whisked off to Vimeo's web site]

CLICK HERE TO SEE Home Movies At DisneyLand – 1956 from Jeff Altman on Vimeo.

I was reading through an Adventures By Disney magazine at work, and came across a picture of Neuschwanstein Castle. I’ve included a picture below:

Purdy.

Look familiar to anyone?? Come with me past the jump for more pics and comparisons to Orange County’s 1st castle.

Imagine walking from your sunny bedroom downstairs to your fog filled dining room.

It’s said that when Walt was looking for inspiration for his “real life” Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, he looked to Bavaria, Germany. Anyone who’s been to Disneyland once can see the resemblance, but in case you’ve forgotten, I’ve included a picture of that too:

Home sweet castle

I know. You’re thinking “Of course Disney would send it’s ‘adventurers’ to something ‘Disney-fied’” but you can’t tell me you wouldn’t love to see something like this in person. I love how many ideas they took from the original castle. Even the double spire!

If you’ve never heard of the Adventures By Disney, and you’re someone who wants to travel, but don’t like the hassle of planning everything or you’re not sure what your kids would like, I’d suggest checking it out! They actually do a lot of very interesting, educational, exciting things! Just looking at their magazine makes me want to travel the world immediately.
For now though, I guess I’ll just stand in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle and imagine I’m high in the hills of Bavaria, Germany. Who wants to join me??

Main Exhibit Hall

The OC Fair wasn’t always host to giant $2 million shows or an exhibit hall-turned-”As Seen On TV” playroom.

The fair used to (*gasp*) showcase the surrounding cities that make up the county. Here we see Tustin’s “Farm Center” and a little special appearance by San Diego County. Times were a little less “in your face” back then. But they still loved comics, though probably not as much as we do.

But this was 50 years ago, 1949.

WHAT: MUZEO’s popular Guitar Hero Competition continues with an all-new version entitled “Bizarre Guitar,” in honor of the Bizarre Beasts exhibition now open at MUZEO. “Bizarre Guitar” participants will receive prize points for the following activities: Guitar Hero scores, wearing a costume, bringing a friend, answering trivia questions about the exhibition and more. Every one wins. Prizes range from MUZEO tickets for future exhibitions to cool posters and MUZEO totes. Top scoring Guitar Hero participants will be entered into a $100 grand prize drawing. Winner announced at 4:30 PM. Must be present to win.

WHEN: Saturday, JUNE 27, 2009 (10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.)

WHERE: The MUZEO 241 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92805Hours: 10 AM to 5 PM daily INFO: (714) 95-MUZEO • (714) 956-8936 • www.muzeo.org Parking available in the structure at Center Street Promenade and S. Lemon St.

HOW: Admission: $13 for adults and $9 for children (12 and under) to participate and enjoy the exhibition, MONSTERS & BEASTS, Hairy, Scary and Unleashed. For more information and to register for Bizarre Guitar www.muzeo. 241 S Anaheim Boulevard, Anaheim, CA, 92805www.muzeo.org 714.95.MUZEO 714.956.8936

Dopey Dick Nixon

In 1955, Vice President Richard Nixon visits the less-than-1-month-old Disneyland Park in Anaheim, CA. Of the Seven Dwarfs whose names grace the cars in the “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” ride, “Slippery Dick” chooses “Dopey.”

Strong work Mr. Vice President.

Whenever we go to the Huntington Beach pier and eat at Ruby’s, I always remember the restaurant that used to be there.

Yup, I’m talking about The End Cafe.

Instead of the corporate slickness embodied by Ruby’s, The End Cafe was good old-fashioned eats at a family-owned business. I was particularly fond of their grilled cheese sandwich, a perfect symphony of just the right amount of gooey cheese and thick egg bread.

My friends and I ate there not long before its second incarnation was destroyed by storms in 1988. The first building was destroyed, again by storms and the accompanying large waves, in 1983. We were on the second story, and the view was lovely, as always. If only I had known that was going to be the last time I would eat there. I surely would have at least taken a picture.

And while I’m glad a similar destruction hasn’t visited Ruby’s, I kind of wish they had fixed the stuctural problems the first time so that Ruby’s wouldn’t even be there. Sorry, Ruby’s.

Sure, Alice Gustafson owns Alice’s Breakfast in the Park at Huntington’s Central. I’ve not eaten there, but I’ve heard they serve a mean French Toast.

But, it isn’t quite the same. I miss you, End Cafe.

Madame Modjeska

Here sits the famed Polish Shakespearean actress Madame Helen Modjeska in front of her home in Santiago Canyon in 1898. She came to America in 1876, and 12 years later, her husband Count Bozenta had this home built for her. The home is now a National Historical Monument. Though in 1906 the home was sold, actors and actresses flocked to the area for years, buying up the little cottages that sprung up in the area. The residents would later name this portion of the canyon after her.
In 2007, 109 years after this photo was taken, there would be a fire that would damage or destroy 22 homes in peaceful Modjeska Canyon…