J. Allen Hynek's Evil Cinematic Twin?

Having just seen Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day (good, not great summer flick in our humble opinion), we were of course reminded of his 1977 effort Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, one of our all-time favorites. 

J. Allen Hynek was a technical advisor for the movie and had a brief cameo. He was an astronomer who became a UFO investigator, he's the person who coined the term "close encounter". He was originally a total UFO skeptic but over the years his views on the subject became more nuanced. He felt the UFO phenomenon was "real" (in the sense that people were actually seeing the things), but the origin of the objects themselves remained a mystery. 

Anywho, after seeing the movie we found ourselves ildy poking around the 'net on the topic and came across this still of Professor Hynek from the Close Encouters:

This resulted in sort of a "hey, wait a minute..." moment, because this is what Colin Firth's character (the bad guy) in Disclosure Day looked like:

 

So, grey(ing) hair, glasses, blue sportcoat, dark blue tie/turtleneck...perhaps we have an overactive imagination, but there seems to be slightly more than a passing resemblance there. Maybe it's just another crazy UFO-related conspiracy theory. The truth must surely be out there...somewhere. 

A Stupid AI "Photo To Video" Creation: The Crabby Driver Of Bodega Bay.

Because we realized a post was due too late in the day and this was already made up (using images taken at the Spud Point Crab Company).  

Drake's Beach 10 Years On

Back in June of 2016 we posted Light and shadow show @ Drake's Beach which documented a very cool (even magical, one might say) experience that was almost like a time-lapse video in real time. 

So you can imagine our sense of déjà vu as we walked along the same shoreline this past week. 

  

Alder Catkin Poking Through Invasive Cape Ivy Leaf

Muddy Hollow Trail / Point Reyes National Seashore

Another Crabby Post

Sand dollar surrounded by tiny sand crabs / Point Reyes National Seashore

Watch Out For Crabby Drivers

Possibly unlicensed operator in front of Bodega Bay's Spud Point Crab Company, purveyor of the best clam chowder in California.

 

Thing You Might See In Bolinas CA

First deployment of a TSG sticker! 

Approximate coordinates: 37°54'35.5"N 122°41'06.0"W

A Man, A Plan...

From the TSG Vintage Postcard Packet Collection

 

Summer's Here & The Time Is Right For...

...Burgers & Dogs

Bon appétit!

The Stone Glurge Gallery Of Scripps Ranch

 A local artist/philosopher's ongoing public installation of rocks inscribed with saccharin-infused words of wisdom. But hey, there's always room for a little more peace love and understanding in the world, isn't there?

Kona Marina Gates

Shelter Island / San Diego

Pinnacles 'Pecker Holes

First of all, get your mind(s) out of the gutter.

 The 'pecker we're talking about is Melanerpes formicivorus, aka the Acorn Woodpecker, commonly seen in the oak woodlands California. 

 

 

Acorn Woodpeckers are notable for drilling holes in trees (and as seen here, wooden structures) to store their 'corns for future use. These photos taken at Pinnacles National Park.

Acorn Woodpeckers are also known for their distinctive "waka waka waka" call which was supposedly the inspiration for Woody Woodpecker's famous "laugh".

Your Palindromes For The Day

It's a mystery to us what a taco cat has to to with a cave. 

You'd think they'd have something more like this:

No SASE Required

The wait is over!

After years of seeing sticker-laden surfaces on our travels and wishing we had one to add to the mix, the dream of having an official TSG sticker has become a reality. 

(pennies added for scale)

Now for the first time you can have one of these exclusive, limited edition stickers. Just send us an email with your snailmail addy and we'll have it in the mail to you in no time. 

 

NOTE: please follow the manufacturer's instructions when using your new sticker 

 

 

Beatle City Update

Thanks to Ed Carter for the memory jog. 

His image from our '87 UK trip shows that we did indeed visit at least the Beatle City building.(Still unsure if it was open at the time)

As far as the MMT bus goes, as far as we can tell the Beatle City version was the one from the movie. It was used for motor tours of Liverpool.

(photo credit: dewey02/Steve Hoffman forums)

There Are Places I (Don't) Remember

Promo pamphlet from UK trip in '87. Encountered during an archive dive while looking for something else. 

(street view photos from web image search)

Of course this seems like a must-see attraction for any fan of the famous Liverpudlians, and we certainly qualify. However, it turns out Beatle City did not exist when we were there in 1987. It opened in 1984 and operated at a loss for a couple of years before closing down. It was replaced by The Beatles Story Museum located a few blocks away on the waterfront. 

 

 

This begs the question as to how/where TSG acquired a promo pamphlet for an attraction that had been closed for over a year.  We're afraid this will remain an mystery that even Robert Stack could not solve. 

Accept No Substitutes

It has come to our attention that there is another Willard Biscuit out there on the interwebs.

Don't be fooled, we all know who coaxed the Grump celebrity out of retirement back in 2007. 

25% Of Zilch

Presented as a public service for all the Monkees fans who've ever wondered where the heck Davy's line came from.

San Simeon State Beach

They Sleep All Night And They Work All Day

Earlier this month residents of Hermitage Arms* were notified the property had been sold. The new owners have wasted no time in addressing long-neglected issues. Unfortunately one such issue is tree root damage to sewer lines and walkways, requiring the removal of this magnificent dendroid. There goes our afternoon shade, along with a thriving microclimate, home to innumerous creatures (insert sad face here).

 

*New name TBD. A flyer was posted soliciting suggestions

 with a $500 prize going to the winning resident.

 However, the new name was supposed to be announced

 a week ago so there is some mystery regarding the outcome.

The Restaurant(s) At The End Of T̶h̶e̶ ̶U̶n̶i̶v̶e̶r̶s̶e Soda Lake Road

(Disclaimer: These are actually located about 2 miles from the end of Soda Lake Road where it intersects with CA 58)

Several years ago the owner of the California Valley Motel (née Lodge) got what he thought was a deal on a couple of modular Rally's/Checkers drive-in restaurants. ($50K a piece). His fast food dreams came to a screeching halt after he discovered the price of permits and attendant infrastructure came to over a million smackeroos. So now the derelict drive-ins sit forlornly (can a modular building be forlorn?) behind the motel, gradually succumbing to the elements.

One Of Our Cooler Posts

"The Barn" Antique Store / Santa Margarita CA

Vintage Hotel Postcard Category: Pete Townshend Stayed Here.

Casual fans might be aware of the song "Sheraton Gibson" from Pete's first solo album. The Valencia Hotel (below) probably doesn't ring a bell unless you're a TSG regular and saw our earlier post "Townshend Tales: Goings-on at the La Valencia Hotel".

 

TSG'S Road Trip Dessert Treat Of Choice

Talk about rich chocolatey goodness! First encountered on offer from a hotel vending machine in Fredericksburg TX, Little Debbie's Cosmic Brownies are our go-to pick whenever we're on the road.

Now We See The Violence Inherent In The System

Alternate title: The Fremont Theater Boo Boo

Restoration work on the facade of  SLO's Fremont Theater came to a halt earlier this year due to storm damage. A large chunk of the marquee fell off which resulted in a section of the main drag being shut down. The folks in charge had a sense of humor about it though.

View From Room 209

Morro Bay CA

Grasshoppers @ The Zoo

Seen in the window of the artsy-craftsy Tessuti Zoo shoppe in Pacific Grove CA. Unfortunately they were closed, otherwise we would've added one to the TSG collection.

86'd In The Park Crest Parking Lot

We're taking this as a good sign that everything's under CONTROL and KAOS won't be erupting in town this weekend.

The ̶M̶o̶t̶e̶ Spiderweb in ̶G̶o̶d̶'̶s Dennis' Eye

El Estero Park / Monterey CA

(Apologies to Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven)

Rare Bird Alert

No, we're not talking about the 2011 album by Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers

The bird in question today: a ring-necked pheasant, spotted wandering around the complex this morning. In over 30 years living in Willow Glen, this is a first for us, although sightings have been reported in the area on local birding sites