All Aboard! A Visit to the Los Angeles Live Steamers in Griffith Park

If you have a kid or know someone with a kid under the age of 10, chances are you've spent some time at Travel Town in Griffith Park. But right next door is The Los Angeles Live Steamers, which is open for the general public to ride from 10:45am to 3pm most Sundays.

Walt Disney's Carolwood Pacific Railroad "Barn" is there, as are a Santa Fe Steel Caboose, Southern Pacific Steel Caboose and Union Pacific Steel Caboose. Steam, diesel and electric locomotives ride down the 1 1/2 mile track, through tunnels, old West re-creations and more. Riders even pass directly by Travel Town.

During the second half of October, a "Ghost Train" experience takes riders of all ages through a spooky course.

The railroad was established in 1956. Suggested donations are $3. Some pics from a recent visit with the Blogger Kids:

FRANKLIN AVENUE IN NEW YORK: Grand Centennial Parade of Trains

I arrived in New York on Saturday morning after taking the JetBlue redeye from Burbank -- not the most pleasant flight ever. But at least I got to Manhattan by 7am -- too bad my hotel room wasn't ready yet. So I walked over to nearby Grand Central Terminal, where people were already lining up for the Grand Centennial Parade of Trains. It was a celebration of old trains from the start of the 20th century straight up to now. I decided to check it out -- and it's a good thing I was there early, as the line snaked through the terminal before long. (Who knew so many people were interested in old trains?)

Among the trains were several from Los Angeles -- I thought I recognized one from Chris Nichols' birthday a few years ago. Apparently the trains' owners rode them all the way out to NY (via Chicago) from Los Angeles, and next were heading to D.C. before the trip home. All told, they took 15 days for their journey.

Here are some pics from last weekend's events.



U.S. Railway Car Post Office (1910)






On-train barber shop





People file out of Metro-North cars


Vintage MTA trains on the shuttle service between Times Square and Grand Central Station

FRANKLIN AVENUE IN PALM SPRINGS: The Living Desert

"A zoo in the desert?" asks the promo material for The Living Zoo, located in Palm Desert, not far from Palm Springs. Indeed, it seems like an inhospitable environment for a zoo -- but then again, the earth itself can be a pretty inhospitable place. And as you can see above, the Living Desert boasts some major exhibits, including giraffes and desert animals like coyotes.

Of course, young kids will probably be even more intrigued by the major model railway, which includes miniaturized versions of Southern California and U.S. landmarks. The zoo also boasts a carousel and a play area.

The Living Desert is open every day from October 1 to May 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the summer, the zoo closes at 1 p.m. (for obvious heat-induced reasons). Tix are $14.25 for adults and $12.75 for seniors, military, AAA card holders. Kids 3-12 are $7.75 and the little ones under 3 are free. Best part: If you're a member of the L.A. Zoo, the Living Desert will offer tix at 50% off -- not bad.



Zebra find some shade.



Rock and cactus garden at the Living Desert.



The Living Desert's model train exhibit.



The mini train's mini Wig Wam Motel.

Visiting Glendale's Historic Train Station

Built in 1923 -- the same year, coincidentally, as our own house -- Glendale's train station (originally the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot) boasts tons of charm. The Spanish Mission Revival building, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, underwent a major renovation in the mid-1990s as Glendale built a transportation hub around the site.

The depot, of course, famously seen in the film noir classic "Double Indemnity," now serves passengers via Amtrak's Pacific Coastliner Surfliner line and two different Metrolink lines.

Here's more info from Great American Stations:

The station features ornate front and rear entrances, each with heavily carved panel doors bracketed by twisted half-columns supporting a curved ornamental wrought-iron balcony—a false second story—all in traditional white-painted terracotta. The single-story stucco-sided building is traditionally rectangular in shape, pierced by large, deep-set and delicately-arched windows protected by original iron grillwork on the outside with a scalloped overhang. Flanking wings of recent construction are roofed in red barrel-tiles. Ornate pierced ironwork supports the Southern Pacific logo over the front door.

More pics:


Inside the station


Behind the station, waiting for the trains to pass by


Southern Pacific Line


Model of the train station

The Family That Bikes on the L.A. River Bike Path

"Look at that family on their bikes," we heard one patron at Atwater Village's The Village bakery/cafe whisper to another. Maria and I grinned. That was us.

On Monday morning, we were inspired by the beautiful Memorial Day weather to grab our bikes and go on a little adventure. It's become a Sunday afternoon tradition for Blogger Kid and I, but Maria and Blogger Baby 2.0 had been missing out on the fun. No onger. I hooked the baby trailer to my bike (for the Baby's sweet ride), and the remaining three of us got out our bikes.

Blogger Kid had dropped his training wheels about six months ago, and is now biking like a pro. That has allowed us for the first time to take him on lengthy bike rides. On Monday, we outdid ourselves. The original goal was the 1923 Glendale Train Station, as famously seen in the film noir classic "Double Indemnity." After that, we decided to get even more ambitious and hit the Village on Los Feliz.

And then... we were so close to the L.A. River bike path, we had to ride over there. And indeed, it was a blast -- cruising along the river, no fear of cars, with Blogger Kid in front. We headed north to the 134, then turned around and rode down to Atwater Village and Glendale Blvd.

Some more sights from our ride along the river:

Alex P. Keaton's Dad on Rail Safety

Michael Gross -- yes, Steven Keaton to you and me -- stars as the voice of reason in this unintentionally semi-hilarious MTA safety video. Just to make clear, driving in front of a rapidly moving Metro train is *not* a good idea.

BTW, I also learned a bit of Michael Gross trivia tonight, if you want to believe Wikipedia. The site said Gross was behind the painting that opened every episode, yet I can't find that info anywhere else, so take it with a grain of salt.

Exploring L.A.'s Railway Past in Perris

Driving to Perris, California -- deep inside the Inland Empire -- is a chore. And let's be honest, the town itself isn't that hot. (Indeed, Perris... is no Paris.)

But for Los Angeles history buffs, railroad fanatics and kids who simply enjoy choo-choos, the Orange Empire Railway Museum is worth making the trek at least once.

We hit the museum last year with Blogger Kid in tow for a special "Thomas the Tank Engine"-themed weekend. Evan enjoyed riding the trains -- but I loved climbing aboard old Los Angeles Yellow and Red cars, and examining old L.A. transit maps and memorabilia. I'm a nerd.

Some pics from the museum: