Hidden Gem of So Cal #17

TV & Movie Animal Walk of Fame: Burbank, CA

Location: Lat 34° 11' 11.3865" N Long -118° 19' 21.597" W

1150 North Victory Place Burbank, CA

Burbank Animal Shelter

Cost: Free

Offbeat Frontier Article: Famous Animals Walk of Fame

Hidden Gem of So Cal #16

Airplane Parts Sculpture: Los Angeles, CA

Location: Lat 34° 3' 11.9916" N Long -118° 15' 3.0096" W

250 Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA

Cost: Free, MOCA - $10

Website: Click Here

Offbeat Frontier Article: In Plane Sight

In Plane Sight

In the ongoing theme of downtown Los Angeles (in fact just a few blocks away from the Telephone Parts Mural) is contemporary art, what's more offbeat than that? In fact in front of The Museum of Contemporary Art (well kind of in the middle, on top) there is an awesome sculpture made entirely of airplane parts.

Airplane Parts Sculpture

Nancy Rubins' Chas' Stainless Steel, Mark Thompson's Airplane Parts is a 25 foot tall, 65 foot wide sculpture that is made entirely of old airplane scraps, wired together to make this beautiful behemoth. This huge mass of chaos takes a uniformed shape.

Apparently (by apparently, I mean through the internet), around 1000 pounds of stainless steel wire is used to keep it together.

We can rebuild it, we have the technology

Pretty sure this is used in the season finale of "Lost".

And just because this seems like a good time to reference a classic (despite it has nothing to do with anything other than it shares a name)

While marveling at the "Cessna Tree", take a trip down stairs and check out what MOCA (hip short hand for the Museum Of Contemporary Art, keep up) has to offer. There were some great exhibits on display. A few pieces from Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, and I personally enjoyed a photography collect from Robert Frank. Various photos from the 1950s, across America.

Parade - Hoboken, New Jersey

Then of course some we didn't quiet understand some

Edward Ruscha's Chocolate Room

and other's we were awestruck, but had no idea what was happening.

Doug Wheeler's RM 669

I am Jor-el, master of scheduling

In the Offbeat Frontier there is no better place to look for a memorable offbeat sights than an old visit to a museum of contemporary art.

Mural Mural On The Wall

A few weeks ago Offbeat Frontier ventured to downtown Los Angeles. (Angles Flight Article) While lost in the urban jungle we stumbled upon a really neat mural. On the AT&T building (located on Grand Avenue, between W 3rd and 4th Streets) there is a 3D mural dedicated to "the golden age of telephones" and how it shaped the world we live today.

Bell Communications Around The World

The "Bell Communications Around The World" was designed by Anthony Heinsbergen. The greatest part about the mural is that old telephone parts were used in its design. Bells, transistors, and switchboards connect the continents and takes us back to the days of calling operators and using something called "phone book" to look up numbers for prank calls.

Operatorus: Greek God of Dropped Calls

We did notice one thing, in the artist's representation of the world it seems that Japan is missing. As a leader in advanced technology for the past 20-30 years it seems odd to not represent the nation. It took some careful observations, but we ended up finding Japan on the mural.

Japan in 5 Years Time

*Note: The mural was built in 1961, so that's probably why Japan was forgotten. It is a known fact that Japan has time travel technology (they are simply not sharing it with us). They most likely traveled back to the 60s and persuaded Heinsbergen to represent Japan as some sort of transformer robot island.

According to Roadside America, there is a "Time Capsule of Communication" that is supposed to be unearthed at the 50th Anniversary of the Building. Which happens to be in 2011.

Offbeat Frontier has some ideas of what we will find next year in the "Capsule of Communication":

1) 2 Dixie Cups and String

2) The Red Phone from the Batman TV Series

3) Edison's patent for text messaging (which he stole from Samuel Morse)

*This joke I am proud of, but afraid not all who read it will get. A thinking man/woman's joke.

Hidden Gem of So Cal #14

Korean Bell of Friendship: San Pedro, CA

Location: Lat 33° 42′ 34.84″ N Long 118° 17′ 37.73″ W

3601 South Gaffey Street, Los Angeles

Cost: Free

Website: Click Here

Offbeat Frontier Article: Bell Of The Ball

Bell Of The Ball

Since the previous attraction blog post, Angels Flight, referenced a film location (we found the park featured in 500 Days of Summer), Offbeat Frontier decided to continue with the theme of uncovering "movie magic" with Hidden Gem #14:

The Korean Bell of Friendship in San Pedro

What great film could this be from? Speed? Money Train? Cool Runnings? Not even close, we are surprised that those would be your answers. Nope the Korean Bell of Friendship was featured in...

The Usual Suspects

Located at Angel's Gate Park (Fort MacArthur) in San Pedro, the Bell was given to the United States as a bicentennial gift from the Republic of Korea for fighting in the Korean War. We gave them eleven seasons of M*A*S*H*.

Modeled after The Divine Bell of King Seongdeok the Great of Silla

The complex has an amazing view of the ocean that makes it the visit even more tranquil.

The "Belfry of Friendship" (Ujeong-ui Jonggak)

So take a friend or enemy and feel the power of international friendship (in bell form)

Hidden Gem of So Cal #13

Angels Flight: Los Angeles, CA

Location: Lat: 34° 3' 3.3815" Long: -118° 14' 59.1947"

351 South Hill Street Los Angeles, CA (Entrance on Hill and Grand)

Cost: 25 Cents per ride or 5 rides for $1

Website: Click Here

Offbeat Frontier Article: Angels Flight

Angels Flight

The Los Angeles area is world famous for its horrendous motorways. Somehow it takes 20 min to travel anywhere within a 10 mile radius. Bogus, however did you know that the city has a functioning, energy saving, cost effective light rail system? A solution at last!

But ... there is always a catch... it is only available downtown... and takes you one block up a hill (from Hill St to the top of Bunker Hill on Grand and vise versa)... but it's cheap, real cheap. For only 25 cents you can commute on the shortest light rail trail in the world, Angels Flight Railway!

Entrance on Hill Street

Virtual Ride Courtesy of Offbeat

Built in 1901, its a functioning funicular (a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slop, the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalancing each other). Though it has been through two variations, so it's not the original, it is still awesome. And it just reopened in March after a nine year closure.

Taking the midnight train to anywhere

Adjacent to the railway is Angel's Knoll Park , for fans of the film 500 Days of Summer, the park bench with the view of the city landscape (most of which are parking lots) is located for your viewing pleasure.

Summer & Tom on the bench, 500 Days of Summer

Angel's Knoll Park

The bench has a plaque making it official. On a clear day, you can see a bum drinking liquor on it.

Didn't want to risk getting a closer picture at "500 Bench"

If you are visiting the downtown area, this is a must see. Angel's Flight and the park, I did not mean the drunk on the bench.

Funicular-ific!

Hidden Gem of So Cal #12

Wigwam Motel #7: Rialto, CA

Location: Lat: 34° 6' 26.3376" Long: -117° 21' 0.018"

2728 W. Foothill Blvd (Between Baseline & Highland)

Rialto, CA

Cost: Free to take a look, to stay $50-$80

Offbeat Frontier Article: Check Out Time ... High Noon

Click Here

Hidden Gem of So Cal #11

World's Largest Dinosaurs - Cabazon, CA

Location: 33° 55' 12.9504" Long: -116° 46' 22.242"

50800 Seminole Drive
Cabazon, CA 92230-2304

Cost: $5 for Robotic Dinosaur Museum, Dinny Gift Store Free

Website: Here

Offbeat Frontier Article: Cabazon Spares No Expense! Dinosaurs!

Click Here

Hidden Gem of So Cal #10

Pioneertown, CA - Western Movie Set

Location: Lat: 34° 9' 25.42" Long: -116° 29' 49.5323"

Mane Street Pioneertown, CA

Cost: Free

Website: Here

Offbeat Frontier Article: How The West Was Fun

Click Here

Nation Bound #1: Underground Salt Museum (KS)

Underground Salt Museum: Hutchinson, KS

Location: Lat: 38° 2' 34.9984"" Long: -97° 52' 4.417"

3504 East Ave G

(At Airport Road)

Hutchinson, KS 67501

Cost: Around $15 for an Adult (Best to call for a reservation)

Website: Click Here

Offbeat Frontier Article:

Journey to Center of Kansas - No Dorothy References Please

Click Here

Journey To The Center Of Kansas

Journey to the Center of Kansas No Dorothy References Please

The city of Hutchinson, Kansas (referred as “Hutch” with the in crowd) is home to many of the Sunflower State’s treasures. The Kansas State Fair is held there, they have a municipal airport, and better yet a Sonic Drive-In. But it is 650 feet below where the true offbeat prize is stored. No, not Jimmy Hoffa, but The Underground Salt Museum. A museum underground, jackpot! The Underground Salt Museum takes the visitor through the wonderful world of a salt mine (still active a few miles away), touching on the history of mining, the folklore, and I guess some geology stuff.

Scene From You Only Live Twice?

Only 28 people can take the tour at a time, due to either a shortage of hard hats, insurance, or oxygen availability. You take a 90 second elevator ride 650 feet below in total darkness. Pretty creepy when you're surrounded by kids with no parental supervision. The Doors open and your destination reached. (which has an uncanny resemblance to a James Bond villain’s layer)

From there you take a tour of the tunneled out catacombs, along the way you see such "Mine Marvels" like a “Macgyver-isc” vehicle (apparently what ever equipment the miners brought down could not be brought back up for repairs, thus they had to be inventive), the guide shows you various mine shafts explaining the engineering techniques, problems, and life underground. If that wasn't enough to tickle your fancy, you even get some rock salt (Bangarang!).

Once the tram tour concludes you get to walk around and gawk at old machinery, cardboard cut outs, and better yet, well lit blocks of salt.

A Well Lit Block of Salt

The best part about this tour is that it’s not just about “science” (which can be cold and not call you the next day after a night out).

Because of the conditions inside the mine (the constant temperature and dryness) it is ideal for archival storage of film, television masters, props, and other semi-important documents.

The Underground Vaults & Storage currently house masters of The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, and Star Wars. Unfortunately you can’t go into the storage area, but they have some other classic props on display: The weather device from Twister, Dorothy IV, or even this Cinema gem:

Mr. Freeze - Batman & Robin

Offbeat Frontier plans to visit this great attraction many times in the future, as it is one of five things to do when you are visiting your folks for the holidays. The other four involve playing the Wii.

More Pictures:

Film Storage, you bet!

Data Storage Evolution Exhibit or

Set Piece from War Games donated by Matthew Broderick

They told me there was a Salt Minotaur and that

I should not go exploring alone. I did as I was told.

Keeping it Classy Underground

Hidden Gem of So Cal #8

Flying Cars (Sort of): Sunland, CA

Location: Lat: 34° 16' 0.984" Long: -118° 18' 5.004"

Penrose St

Northern inside Corner of Telfair ave and Penrose St. Sun Valley. Sign for a junkyard.

Cost: Free

For an Offbeat Frontier Article:

Putting Sunland on the Map

Check out This Post