Yesterday, I headed to Fullerton for an overnight with my college friend, Julie. We had an idyllic girls' night: dinner at a delicious restaurant, Boysenberry Pie at Knott's Berry Farm and then home for an incredible documentary on Fred Rogers. Wow.
Today, we awoke and headed to Balboa Island for a full day of exploring.
Our first stop was history lessons at the Balboa Island Museum whose motto is, "With Pride in Our Past, the Future Looks Bright!" I love that.
We learned about the formation of this little island near Newport Beach and a lot about the people who called it home over its long history.
Shirley Temple would get away from her Hollywood life and just be a kid on Balboa's beaches. Buddy Ebsen also lived here. The neighbors created the film Captain January together in 1936.
So many stars lived here, you could even rent a paddleboard from one. Remember Tarzan? He was the owner of the Johnny Weissmuller's Paddleboard Stand. Believe it or not, the jungle strongman was actually born a sickly child and took up swimming based on the advice of a doctor. He went on to win five Olympic gold medals, 67 world records and 52 national titles, the holder of every freestyle record from 100 yards to the half-mile. After he was discovered while swimming in a Hollywood hotel, he went on to lead a successful career starring as Tarzan— the role he is primarily known for and yes, a paddleboard renter!
We can learn a great deal about an area by watching films that were made there. Enjoy this cinemagraphic link to discover Old Balboa in the day.
The "Ok To Touch" exhibit had us both flashing back to our youth. Check out the Magnetic Gyro Wheel (green thing on the right). Oh man, as children, my brother and I played with that thing for hours. We were certainly easily amused back then. I do miss those days.
Here's a weird tie-in. Brunch was at Wilma's Patio, known for its hearty breakfasts. The idea for the restaurant germinated in the mid-1970s, when Wilma Staudinger was trying to pick tile and carpet for her new Irvine home with her husband (I lived in Irvine at that time). While trying to decide what to choose, the pair ate lunch at Van's Belgian Waffle House on Balboa Island, learned it was for sale and bought it. An initial attempt to start a restaurant there in 1975 did not do well, though Staudinger had work experience at a bakery and an A&W restaurant in Lake Tahoe (I live in Tahoe now, though the A & W is long gone- except the mug). But the couple later remodeled the space, which became Wilma's Patio in 1982. Cool history is found everywhere, right?
I'm a sucker for sand sculptures. I LOVE this one.
This Pink Melaleuca is from a tree which, according to a plaque, was planted on the Island in 1907. It is still blooming and beautiful over 100 years later.
Another plaque of interest was the one on the Rawlins-LaFetra home. John Lautner, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, built the two-story house for the late philanthropists Robert and Marjorie Rawlins in 1979. Michael LaFetra, an architecture preservationist who restored the Rawlins house, said he took on the project because he was afraid it would get torn down. Yes, cool stuff is everywhere.
A ferry ride to the Balboa Peninsula is a must... even in the rain.
We delighted in the unique items available for tourists to purchase, though we merely windowshopped.
Some greeting cards are just so dang true!
During our Island adventure, we had various weather events. Big winds, pouring rain and glorious sunshine. Wild stuff but oh so interesting.
Two bubbles found they had rainbows on their curves.
They flickered out saying:
"It was worth being a bubble,
just to have held that rainbow thirty seconds.”
― Carl Sandburg
Some quotes say it all.
As our fun girltime came to an end, Julie went out of her way to get me on a bridge to capture the sunset. What a magical day! Wow.
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1 comments:
Another action packed Denise day! Fun toys, I want the mug with whipped cream on the top (hot chocolate?), but what was that food? Scrambled eggs??? Awesome sand sculpture and flower. Unique mailbox and YAY - rainbow!
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