October 19, 2015

1. Santa Monica Pier
   

You wouldn’t believe it to see me now, but Long Long Ago in a City Far Far Away, I was involved in weightlifting, not bodybuilding like Dana and Jordan, but weightlifting like it is done in the Olympics. I even won a few trophies and got my picture in the South Omaha Sun.  Is that paper still around?

Anyway, I used to read all the weightlifting magazines and in almost every issue there was an article about a place called Muscle Beach, located on the Santa Monica Pier, near Los Angeles. This place was credited with starting the physical fitness craze of the 20th century.  Even the ‘Governator’, Arnold used to hang out there.

It has always been kind of a Bucket List item for me to see this place I had read about so much.  I never did get around to it when I lived in California, but I wanted to go there on this trip.

I found the place, but realized it had changed. A lot.  It is still a place where people go to exercise, but it is not just men trying to see how much weight they can lift.  The barbells and dumbbells are gone (too dangerous one guy told me). Steve Reeves would get a kick out of that.

Now there are as many women as there are men and they have all kinds of exercises and equipment.  Some of these things look every bit as dangerous as trying to lift 400 pounds over your head.

Here are a few pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Vandenberg Air Force Base

I was stationed at this base from June, 1968 until April, 1970. That was 45 years ago and I have always wanted to go back and see it, but never had the chance – another Bucket List item. I finally made it yesterday, but it was kind of disappointing.  45 years brings a lot of changes and nothing in the area looks even remotely familiar.  The picture of the Main Gate is not the same gate I knew.  It has been completely rebuilt.  They now launch Top Secret missiles from Vandenberg, so the chances of actually getting on the base are slim and none.

When I look at the base today, the word that comes to mind is “bittersweet“.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Solvang

Not too far from Vandenberg there is a little city called Solvang.  It was founded by some Danish immigrants around 1910 and they created a city that looked like the towns they immigrated from.  Over the years, that city has stayed true to its Danish origins.  Walking around in Solvang, you really feel you have travelled to Denmark.  The shops and stores and restaurants are all built to look just the ones you would see in that country.

I visited this interesting city many times when I lived nearby.  It was good to see it again.  Here are some pics: