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Thursday, December 22, 2022

Merry Christmas

John and Laureen at JandLResearchandExploration want to wish you the a most joyous Holiday Season for you and your family. It is the time of year to remember all those we love. 

 Reach out and share that love. 

                              It will be more meaningful than one can imagine.



 

Friday, December 16, 2022

Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles

 During my travels, museums are always of interest. Walking along pathways in various, and often eclectic museums is a wonderful experience. There is so much to learn; so much to take in. But sadly, there never seems to be enough time to explore every nook and cranny. 

Exploring every nook and cranny can find the adventurer locating a hidden treasure or a very large and hungry rodent. 

And each structure containing historical knowledge is different. Laureen and I learned this recently during a visit to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

One of the first things that grabbed my attention was when a very friendly and attentive docent who walked up to me with a drool bucket. 

“Why did she hand me this?” I asked Laureen.

As I turned, a bright and shiny 2005 Bugatti Veyron hypercar came into view. My chest started getting tight, tears slowly slipped out of the corners of my eyes, and I felt light-headed.

Laureen handed me a napkin. “You’ve overflowed your drool bucket.”

Who wouldn't feel faint of heart looking at these cars

The Petersen Automotive Museum was opened on June 11, 1994. It was first located within the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County before moving to a defunct but historic department store along Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles.

If my research is correct, the original site of the car museum was Ohrbach’s, a part of the Seibu Department Store worldwide chain. I have no idea what they sold, but probably this and that since it was a department store. It was a large and strangely windowless building, but when it closed in 1986, and Robert Petersen purchased the property in 1992, it was perfect for his dreams.

And why would Robert Petersen want to buy a windowless building? The answer was quite simple.

But first, who was Robert Petersen?

He was born in 1926 in East Los Angeles but later moved to the High Desert where he graduated from Barstow High School in 1942.

Yes, Barstow High School. How cool is that? Then again, First Lady Bess Truman, actress Jean Harlow, and many other famous folks join the ranks of those who graduated from small public schools.

There you go, big city types with your big city schools. 

During World War II, Robert served in the Army Air Corps. After the war, he moved back to the Los Angeles area where he worked at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) as a publicist.

A lifelong car enthusiast, his father had been a mechanic and Robert often worked alongside him on various vehicles, his heart belonged under the hood.

After being laid off from MGM, Robert decided to put his energies in the realm he loved, automobiles, especially hot rods which were taking America like a large thundering storm.

But in a good way.

Also having a great knowledge in the media market, along with a few fellow associates, he decided to publish a magazine called, Hot Rod. The publication coincided with the first ever hot rod exhibit in Los Angeles, if not the entire United States, during the late nineteen forties.

The magazine was sold at the hot rod exhibit for a price which barely covered the cost of publishing, but its popularity grew so quickly that soon over fifty thousand copies were being sold on the open market per month.

His knack for publishing what the public wanted was uncanny. Throughout his publishing career, Robert oversaw the publications of Car Craft, Sports Car Graphic, Motor Trend, Guns & Ammo, Motor Life, Teen, Tiger Beat, and many others.

The bottom line: he was extremely successful and his love for the automobile never faltered.

So, in 1992, when Robert and his lovely wife, Margie bought the defunct Ohrbach’s, it was the ideal location for an automobile museum.

With no exterior windows, Robert knew the extreme sunlight would not pour through the building causing damage to the vehicles he wanted to be put on display.

Each year, more and more vehicles went on display: Hollywood celebrity cars, exotic foreign vehicles, unique one of a kind prototypes of vehicles, futuristic imaginations, and the more the merrier for the Petersen’s.

The crowds loved the museum and soon it was decided that the museum needed a new look. Not just any new look but an entirely new and innovative design.

Petersen Automotive Museum

What else would the Petersen’s want.

In 2015, over one hundred million dollars in renovations took place, totally changing the entire look of the complex.

The architectural firm, Kohn Pedersen Fox was hired and went to work on the old building. What they came up with, in my opinion, is a mixture of modern art meets modern art.

But then, I’m a writer, not an artist.

The design which was created must have been what Robert and Margie had hoped for. A unique setting to house their inventory of automobiles.

The new exterior façade of the building consisted of one hundred tons of 14-guage type 304 steel in 308 sections, 25 supports and 140,000 custom made stainless-steel screws.

The museum reopened on December 7, 2015.

It is rumored that the first guest stated, “The building looks so awesome.”

The second guest may have said, “The Petersens are artistic geniuses.”

The third guest, who may have been a Los Angeles police officer may have replied, “This building looks like its speeding down the highway. Time for a ticket.”

As one approaches Petersen’s, the red and stainless-steel ribbons enwrapping the building are a cause to stop in amazement. Though the appearance may seem radical, a closer look allows a view that shows the imagination behind the entire entity. An automotive museum which features not only vehicles from pretty much every decade of the industry, but one not afraid to venture into the future of where vehicles may be going.

Even flying machines may be on display

“This is going to be fun,” I slurred to Laureen, as we were directed to the third floor to start our self-guided tour of the museum.

She only shook her head. “Stop over there with all the other guys and empty the drool bucket before we get in the elevator.”

The Petersen Automotive Museum covers probably about a billion square feet over three floors, each jammed packed with every conceivable vehicle ever produced nationally or internationally.

Real snow-mobiles

Of course, there is the Vault in the basement of the building, where more exotic, famous, and expensive vehicles are stored. An additional fee is charge for that entry, and when I went to the purchase the tickets, the lady in the booth looked at me as if in recognition.

“I’ve read your articles,” she said.

I smiled. “How nice.”

“I don’t like some of them,” she replied. “No vault for you.”

We returned to the elevator.

As the doors of the elevator opened on the third floor, there was nothing but vehicle after vehicle all lined up allowing the visitors to inspect up close and personal.

We walked in front of, alongside, and to the rear of some of the most beautiful vehicles I have ever seen. And some others were just fun; they brought back memories.

I took a million photos, jotted down notes but then forgot about everything and just enjoyed the ride from massive floor to massive floor.

There was the Batmobile, the Ghostbusters’ hearse, the DeLorean from Back to the Future, and so many more Hollywood vehicles.

There were luxury sedans, coupes, and some pretty fancy camping trucks. It was as though the rich and famous had decided to use the third floor as their own parking lot.

I was again lightheaded.

On the next floor was something truly special. A tribute to Bond, James Bond aptly entitled: Bond in Motion.

John R Beyer assisting James Bond

It should be noted that the museum changes 'special' attractions throughout the year - we made it just in time for the Bond exhibit.

In 1958, the author Ian Fleming published ‘Dr. No,’ and four years later the beginning of a cinematic legacy was born. This exhibit of Bond film vehicles was in honor of the sixtieth anniversary of that first look at MI6 special agent 007.

In 1962, the film Dr. No was released starring the Scottish actor, Sean Connery. 

“I thought he was British,” I said to Laureen.

“Who cares, he was so handsome,” she replied.

A couple of women near us nodded in agreement. I believe it was the beginning of a conspiracy.

The adventures of James Bond were on full display with the incredibly wide variety of vehicles that had shared the silver screen with the character in the twenty-five movies released thus far.

The 1964 Aston Martin GB5, the 1977 Lotus Wet Nellie, the Neptune submarine, and so many more that it took an hour just to inhale the history of this not-so-secret agent of British Intelligence.

The Original Aston Martin

All were choregraphed in order of appearance on the big screen, with descriptions of the film in which the vehicle was featured. A classic walk through time starring some of the most iconic vehicles known to movie goers.

A little action on the set

The bottom floor was just as awesome, though. There were hyper-cars, super-cars, electric cars, and motorcycles from the past to the future.

No idea - but looks incredibly fast

This Petersen Automotive Museum is not just for car lovers, but for all who respect the imagination it took to create such works of automotive genius and beauty.

For further information: https://www.petersen.org/








Monday, November 28, 2022

Cruising the Danube in Vienna

 Laureen was busy pouring over a stack of tourist pamphlets in the small apartment we had rented for our stay in Vienna.

It was a very nice spot called MyPlace, located along Vorlaufstrasse in the city Center of Austria’s capital city.

I liked the name.

“Where’d you stay in Vienna?” 

“My place,” I would answer, with a touch of a Viennese accent.

“Must be nice to have your own place.”

“It was,” I said with a slight bow, showing my gracious side.

Our home away from home
The weather had not turned out to be what we had expected, much like whenever travelers travel. It was supposed to be raining and cold much of the time as we trouped about the city of nearly 2 million folks.

The 20 suitcases Laureen had packed for the trip, were loaded to their bulging zippers with winter jackets, rain jackets, jackets with two pockets, jackets with hoodies, and jackets within jackets.

We could have worn shorts and tank tops most days. The Nanook of the North wardrobe was not necessary for this outing. Thank goodness there were 19 other suitcases for this eventuality.

“How about a lunch cruise along the Danube?” Laureen asked.

“I like boats,” I said. “But only if lunch includes schnitzel. Has to have schnitzel or count me out.”

She nodded. “It does and it’s three hours of sightseeing along the river.”

Something about a three-hour cruise gave me a pause for a moment. 

“Gilligan will not be aboard,” Laureen said.

We donned our yachting gear. Blue jeans, t-shirt, sneakers, and a light sweatshirt in case the sun decided to disappear behind a silly cloud or two during the river trip.

The Danube is the second longest river in Europe: 1,770 miles of blue flowing water starting in Germany and passing through ten countries before emptying into the Black Sea. The Volga in Russia is longer by approximately 400 miles, but only travels through the one country, so who cares?

We were going to be eating schnitzel on the Danube.

Now, that's a meal
Our ship was to be the DDSG Blue Danube for the lunch cruise. I have no idea what DDSG stands for though – I asked around at the docks but was only met with a couple of salty crew members who prattled something in German.

All flags were flying aboard the DDSG Blue Danube
I smiled and believed they had said something about my shoe being untied. I looked; it wasn’t.

One of the captains, Matthia S. Krista, is quoted as saying. “As one of the most livable cities in the world, Vienna is always worth a visit. For tourists as well as for locals who want to enjoy the view from the water. I am pleased to be able to look after you safely on board our ships.”

In all transparency, I lifted that quotation from the company’s website.

Arriving dockside along the Schwedenplatz in the Danube Canal area, we were greeted by very friendly crew members who reminded us not to fall while boarding.

“That warning ruined my day already,” I said.

Laureen Beyer ready for the cruise
The Blue Danube, our cruise ship, was long and spacious, with two decks: the top view deck on top, and the bottom view deck on the bottom. 

No sooner had we taken a beautiful spot on the top deck with our own table and fabulous views of the river and the city than our waiter appeared as if by magic.

It was Vienna, after all.

“Could I interest you in a beverage before we depart?”

Ah, Vienna.

Like trains in Europe, the cruise started right on time – punctuality is greatly admired and adhered to by Europeans. As the dock lines slipped off port and the bow thrusters churned away in the fast currents of the Danube, I looked at my watch.

“Right on time.”

“I have three minutes past the hour,” Laureen replied.

“American time, I’m on Austrian time.”

Five minutes into the cruise and I'm loving it
The river is wide, plenty wide enough to accommodate a couple of ships the size of the Blue Danube which could easily pass each other if there were a need. There wasn’t and it was more than an hour before any other boats came into view.

What was in view were wonderfully beautiful sights of the city as we drifted by.

River Danube has beautiful sights thru Vienna and beyond
One of the first sights to be seen was the Urania observatory, the oldest observatory in Vienna, built in 1910. During World War II, the observatory’s cupola, along with some of the more fragile astronomical equipment were destroyed by allied bombings. In 1957, the observatory was reopened to the public.

Green trees lined the shorelines of the Danube River, and as we gently cruised, we got a taste of what it would be like living along a real river.

The Mojave River may be a river, but I do not foresee any cruise ships powering by Apple Valley, Victorville, or Hesperia anytime soon.

“Look, mom,” a young tike on a Mojave river cruiser may say. “Is that water I see in the river?”

“No, you are thinking of the Danube.”

The Romans called the river, the Danubius, which is from an ancient Celtic word meaning, appropriately, to flow, and was shortened during modern times to simply the Danube.

History has flowed along the stretches of this waterway for eons. As water transportation played such a powerful role with empires, as it still does today, many a historical figure had ventured the width and length of the river Danube.

In 1529, the Ottoman Empire, after crushing Hungary, ventured to the city of Vienna along the Danube and laid siege. The Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent, had over 100,000 soldiers against the defending Viennese army of only 21,000. But after just two short weeks the Ottomans gave up and left the territory.

Rumor has it that Suleiman the Magnificent blamed the failure on his younger brother, Ahmet the Mediocre.

Following the dismal siege, another 150 years of constant rivalry would erupt between the Ottoman Empire and the Hapsburg Dynasty in Austria.

Soon, we entered the Freudenau lock not far from Danube Island, along the Danube Canal. We had never been in a lock before, and it was exciting.

The lock
Note: we need to get out more.

The locals refer to the Freudenau lock as the largest bathtub in Vienna. It is huge, containing more than 80,000 cubic meters of water.

I have no idea what that means but it is a lot of water contained in a long narrow channel with huge metal gates on either side that close as our boat entered the lock.

“We’re locked in,” I said to the waiter as he brought a fresh Gosser to our table.

He smiled and walked away.

“Do you think he has heard that before?” Laureen asked.

“I doubt it,” I replied.

The Danube is such a vital route to ship goods here and there that the lock has over 13,000 ships passing through each year. Not only that, but the site is also used for hydroelectric power.

Ingenious and fun.

Everyone was enthralled with the lock
Twenty minutes later, our ship was raised to the current level of the Danube River, and we were on our way again.

The locks, (there is another on the route), were installed years ago to stop the flooding which periodically would occur in the city of Vienna when the Danube would swell and pour over its banks. 

Danube Island came up fast to the starboard.  The 13-mile-long island separating the Danube River from the Danube Canal, is a recreational mecca for the citizens of Vienna. There is hiking, running, biking, and skating. There are beaches for swimming, water sliding, surfing, water skiing and boat rentals.

Not a great shot of Danube Island, me and not the camera
In all fairness, being from Southern California, there was no way this guy was going to jump into the Danube, where on a good day it feels like two degrees above freezing.

The Viennese are some tough people.

The island also boasts the world’s biggest trampoline center, called the Danube Jump.

We did not check that out.

Along the shorelines popped up little fisherman cabins which are used by individual families to hunker down while using nets in the river for commercial fishing purposes. There are one hundred of them, or so said the lady over the ship intercom system.

A very fancy fishing cabin along the River Danube
The Blue Danube continued cruising along pristine shorelines, bustling pedestrian walkways along the banks, tall modern buildings, tall historical buildings, and just a wonderful exploration of all Vienna had to offer from the comfort of our chairs.
Beautiful hotels awaiting Vienna guests in posh rooms
In the distance were the spires of St. Stephen’s Cathedral completed in 1578. Slowly, the Danube Tower, the tallest structure in Austria rising over 800 feet above the land came into view. Then the Ernst Happel Stadium appeared on port, the largest stadium in Austria which can seat over 50,000 football fans and was completed in 1931.

Observatory in Vienna along River Danube
One landmark after another slid by and each as interesting as the last.

We had not thought of taking a daytime cruise, but it turned out to be a great way to see the city and get an idea of where to travel once we were on dry land again.

It worked, and the schnitzel was delicious.