YORBA LINDA, CALIFORNIA MARCH 3,2014

Entrance to Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California.

Fountain in front of Nixon's library.

A view of the Courtyard at the library.

This was known as the "Kitchen Debate" with Kruschev 1959 ...we could use some of this attitude today.

February, 1972 President Nixon was the first US president to visit the People's Republic of China since it was established in 1949.

President Nixon was know for his foreign diplomacy. ..above he is with Chinese leader Chou en-Lai and on the right with Israel's Prime Minister Golda Meier.

"There were days and hours when we needed a friend and you came right in," said Meir. "You don't know what your airlift means to us."

President Nixon's Library is on the site of his birthplace and boyhood home. It was built by his parents in 1912. It was a Sears & Roebuck's home.   It is open for tours and is California Registered Historical Landmark.

As an interesting side note...this was the cookbook used by President Nixon's mother...fate?

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA MARCH 2, 2014

We drove to Carlsbad, CA about 90 minutes south of LA  to visit Joe & Lucy Hargett and their two boys, Ashton and Ethan  Here we are at brunch with them.  Joe used to ride MX with Jon and now is a sponsor of Jon's memorial race via Western Power Sports.  Joe and Lucy were good friends of Jon and we would not have missed this opportunity to see them and their sweet boys.

After brunch we walked along the beach..Above is Ashton leaping over the rocks and on the right is "muscle man" Ethan.   We really enjoyed our visit with them and would like to thank them for showing us around their beautiful new home and this pretty area of California.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA MARCH 1, 2014

And yet another automobile museum!!  This time the famous Petersen Automotive Museum in downtown  Los Angeles. There are actually two museums here...one is downstairs in the "Vault" which is only available via a guided tour and there are NO PICTURES allowed!   We took this tour and it was so very interesting and some of the cars we saw which we could not take pictures of were: a Ferrari that Elvis Presley gave his girlfriend Linda Thompson..he later shot the steering wheel after an argument; a custom 1935 Duesenberg that Clark Gable bought for Carole Lombard; Saddam Hussein's Mercedes that he used in his parades and Steve McQueen's Hudson...these are just a small sampling of what we saw in the Vault.

Upstairs in the museum is a display of the  evolution of the automobile.  We were able to take pictures here.   At the left are Woodys.

This is a 1959 Outlaw "Big Daddy" Roth.  This is the 1st custom rod not based on a production car.

Juan & Eva Peron's (Argentina) 1939 Packard

Ghostbuster vehicle used in the movie.

1949 "Cadzilla" commissioned by ZZ Topp's Billy Gibson in 1988. Note the superheroes in the background with their cars designed by KIA in conjunction with DC Entertainment.

Guess who this belonged to?   Yep, Liberace's 1962 Rolls Royce....Glitzy!

1939 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante $1million +

1954 Plymouth Sniper designed & built by Chip Foose

OL' Yaller --description to the right.

After the Petersen Museum we took a drive through Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive...it was a very rainy, stormy day..we enjoyed the sights between storms.  At left is Rodeo Drive.

Gary spotted this Bugatti Veyron 1001HP parked on the street in front of a store called BiJan..which was also the license plate on the car.   He was so excited to see it, he yelled for me to hand him the camera...I thought he saw some wild animal on the street the way he reacted.  But no, it was a car! It goes for about $1.3million!

Signs on the famous stores on Rodeo Drive...needless to say, I did not enter any.  Who can afford these prices?!

Rainy views of Beverly Hills...again, it NEVER rains in sunny California?!

I KNEW I would see Ellen while in Hollywood!   Here she is on the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.    It was the night before the Oscars and in the left picture you can just see the white tents covering the red carpet while it continues to rain in sunny California!

POMONA, CALIFORNIA FEBRUARY 28, 2014

Our KOA in Pomona just happened to be across the street from the NHRA (national hot rod association) museum and the Pomona National Drag Strip much to Gary's delight.  So on one of the 3 rainy days in LA (it never rains in California?!) he headed over there to check out the museum.

Hot Rods!

A Von Dutch motorcyle...Dry Lakes Bike  1947 Speed Twin with Supercharger

The Moonliner  circa 1964 Best Performance: 285mph. One of several streamliners in the museum.

Exact duplicate of a 1929 Model A Street Roadster owned by Wally Parks who served as Editor of Hot Rod Magazine in the early 1950s.

Challenger 1....Mickey Thompson's 4 Pontiac engine powered record holder. First American automobile to exceed 400mph.  Circa 1960

LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA FEBRUARY 27, 2014

JP GETTY MUSEUM OFF ROUTE 405  LOS ANGELES 

Looking up at the  JP Getty Museum from RT. 405

View from the tram which takes us up to the museum.

Entrance to the museum above and walking between the buildings below.

Views of Los Angeles from the decks of the building. Just beautiful!

"Interior with Soldiers and Women" Jacob Duck @1650

"Rembrandt Laughing" self portrait @ 1628

"Shipping in a Calm at Flushing" Jan van de Cappelle @ 1649

Below are samples of just some of the art in the museum...this place was immense and full of beautiful art of all kinds. We spent at least 4 hours here.

"An Old Man in Military Costume" Rembrandt @ 1630-31

This is the Sketching Gallery where art students can try their hand at drawing the masters.  Samples of their work on the right.  Thought of you Alyssa Jacobs!

Tapestry Room --this had tapestries dating about 1641-1729

Planisphere Clock @1745-49.   This reminded me of the talking clock from the animated Beauty and the Beast which I have watched about a million times with Brooklyn.

Bed - French (Paris) about 1775-80



WE TRAVELED TO SANTA MONICA PIER AFTER THE MUSEUM

Here we are at the official end of route 66....Santa Monica Pier...notice that a seagull joined us at the sign!

A view of the whole pier

A view of the beach from Santa Monica Pier