San Diego Vacation Part 3: A Lake and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Command Museum

By: Andrew Bermudez

     Hello! Since my mom isn't able to finish up this series, I've taken it upon myself to "take up the reins" and finish this story up. This is certainly several months overdue!

     The next morning, we woke up and, to our dismay, the weather had already reached sweltering conditions. Oh, well, we figured. At least we were planning to spend the day down at the waterfront. However, we didn't need to go that far to get to a body of water. In fact, we could see a body of water outside our hotel window.

     Located right next to the hotel is this park that, in the middle, features a lake. To "warm up" for the day (as if the sun hadn't done that already), we took a hike through this small park before packing up and heading to our first stop for the day: The Marine Corps Recruit Depot Command Museum.

     The museum features several exhibits about the United States Marine Corps, from the Mexican-American War, to World War II and The Vietnam War, and beyond. The museum is also located on an active military base, so checking in with security was needed. However, it was worth it, as the museum really caught my attention. Granted, it wasn't flashy like, say...the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, but that really worked in this museum's favor. Being low-key allowed the museum to emphasize what we're all here to see: the artifacts! And artifacts they had! Rare World War II Japanese weapons, a weapons vault, a gallery of medals, artillery, and more are just some of the items this museum houses. Don't believe me? Take a look at the pictures below.

     After checking out the artillery pieces in the courtyard and discovering that the gift shop doesn't sell any pins (I'm an avid pin collector), we headed out to the waterfront area of San Diego. But that will be saved for another day, when I'll detail the Maritime Museum and Kansas City Barbecue, which is, well...you'll find out next time. Until then, happy travels!

Sarah Thunder's World Travels: Old Florida Family Vacation Photos

By: Sarah Thunder

     Currently, I'm on location in Great Zimbabwe, waiting for the next scene in Johnny Thunder and the Wisdom of the Ancients to be shot. However, due to our strict closed set policy, I cannot provide any photos.

      However, I did find photos from an old family vacation from several years ago, when we went to Cape Canaveral, Florida. We also went to Walt Disney World, but the photos we have from there didn't turn out that well. Anyway, we got to see a lot, including the museum, the space center tour, and more. Here is a selection of some of the better photos.

Dad enjoyed this photo op in the museum.

Each day, we took a bus to Cape Canaveral from our hotel. We even got souvenir guest passes! 

A display showing the inside of a space station.

The museum cafe went along with the design of the rest of the facility.

Dad had to pay $30 for this photo of me, but it was totally worth it! You should have seen the harness they used to hold me in place.

While we were on the bus tour, we got to see a rocket launch into space! We were quite a ways away from it, but it was a sight to behold.

Mom poses in front of the lunar lander display.

     If I remember correctly, we went on this vacation back in 2006, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. If I could, I would do it all over again.

     In the meantime, though, Andrew plans on completing the San Diego vacation overview. Why he hasn't finished it yet, I don't know. He's probably been busy, so I should give him some slack. Well, I'm off to work on another scene, so happy travels!

Photos from Knott's Berry Farm

By: Andrew Bermudez

     Right before Christmas, my brother and I got the chance to visit Knott's Berry Farm. After all, being an EMT now, Daniel can get himself and one guest in for free. It was also the most opportune time, as the entire park was decorated for Christmas and we live only a short distance away. How could you refuse an offer like that? With Christmas only a few days away, we gathered our snacks and headed down to Buena Park.

     Owned by Cedar Fair, Knott's Berry Farm is located in Buena Park, CA and is just 10 minutes away from the Disneyland Resort (depending on traffic, of course). This facility actually predates Disneyland by a few years, but did not become an admission-charged theme park until later. Here are just some of the photos we took that day.

The entrance to Pony Express, a roller coaster where you straddle a pony, then accelerate away for this 20-second ride.  

This old west schoolhouse is now in Knott's Berry Farm, acting as a gift shop.

We take a ride on a Knott's Berry Farm classic: The Calico Mine Train!

Bandits rob the steam train.

The skyline for Knott's Berry Farm

The finale for the ice show, It's Christmas, Snoopy!

One of the floats in the Peanuts Christmas Parade

A nighttime decoration in Camp Snoopy.

There is plenty of action to be seen in the Wild West Stunt Show.

The secret weapon is revealed (Cue dramatic music)!

     At the end of the day, we were...er...less than impressed. Granted, many of the attractions we've experienced are either the highest quality possible or nearly so, but very few excuses can be made about the state of this park. Only three of the attractions we experienced (Mystery Lodge; Wild West Stunt Show; It's Christmas, Snoopy!) could easily fit in with big-budget attractions at another theme park without modification, most of the attractions are jarring, big, and compete for space in an unnecessary way, and the theming of the lands could be better. You could even say that the Boardwalk area of the park makes LEGOLAND California's Fun Town look like Disney California Adventure's Buena Vista Street.  O.K. That might be an exaggeration, but you get the idea. If nothing else, though, Ghost Town looks decent and has plenty of interesting museums, curio shops, and street entertainment. That is, if you're Knott (Get it? *GROAN*) facing any direction in which jarring roller coaster track dominates the skyline.
     However, Knott's Berry Farm is still considered a piece of history. In fact, one of the gift shops in Ghost Town is an actual designated California historical landmark. If you have a knack for the old west, the Peanuts characters, and/or roller coasters, then consider planning a trip at the Knott's Berry Farm website. You can also check admission prices, refurbishment schedules, operating hours, and more there as well.
     While we're still on the subject, be sure to check out this great article on Theme Park Insider, where a pressing question is asked: Why do regional theme parks, like Knott's Berry Farm, keep on building roller coasters, when the strong competition from elsewhere is investing in big-budget dark rides like Radiator Springs Racers and Transformers: The Ride - 3-D?

Happy New Year and the Future of Vacation: Unlimited

By: Andrew Bermudez

     Happy new year to you all! While no one voted on the poll last year, it still gave readers a look into the wide variety of new offerings that debuted last year. While there are not a lot of new attractions opening this year, this year is still significant for Vacation: Unlimited. Why, you may ask? Because in April, Vacation: Unlimited will officially end to make way for The Film School Challenge. But what does that mean for this journal and the contest entries? To ring in the new year, here is a step-by-step run-down of how Vacation: Unlimited will be ended.

1. This month, the list of contest winners on the "Vacation: Unlimited" page on the Mustache Maniacs Film Co. website will be removed. The buttons to the entries currently list which position they received in the contests. The Christmas-themed photos will also be removed, along with any older photos.
2. To wrap it up, the final two parts of the San Diego Vacation will be posted in here, complete with pictures!
3. In February, the Vacation: Unlimited awards will be held, which will honor the best journal entry, re-iterate the results of the two contests, honor the best new attraction of 2012, reveal the most popular journal entry, and more.
4. In March, as The Film School Challenge draws near, the "Vacation: Unlimited" page will be turned into the "Past Events" page. Most of the pictures, the Vacation: Unlimited music, and the link to the Travels of Johnny Thunder blog will be removed. The contest entries, the link to this journal, the bonus video, and the main image will remain.
5. Even after Vacation: Unlimited ends, posting in this journal will continue! After all, there are big plans for another big vacation this summer, and we want to share it all with you!

     I hope this clarifies any misunderstanding you may have had about the ending of "Vacation: Unlimited." If there is anything else you are confused about, let me know in the comments, and I'll try to get back to you. Until next time, happy travels!