Fest 2005 Reports

[Patti Feinberg]

Maybellique, I noticed your nice picture. Who is in the photo besides JK & TLATKLS?

Thanks,

Patti

[Maybellique]

In my sig tag? The man on the left would be Jeffrey Combs. He's another favorite actor of mine from Star Trek: Deep
Space 9 (Weyoun). The woman "hugging" John Karlen is Hudson Leick, Callisto from Xena. It was a dream come true
meeting KLS and JK. Now I'd like to meet my other two favorites: the other two depicted in my sig tag pic. ~DJ

[Nancy]

Thanks for all the great reports.  Love the story about Lara and the daiquiri, but guess one thing that puzzles me is why someone would bring a blender all the way to a con?? Well, guess it saves on paying for expensive hotel bar drinks....

Not only that but convenience.  At the New York Fests, I have brought a blender (and booze makings) to utilize in the room for the benefit of friends and friends-to-be and friends-at-the-moment-because-I-have-a-blender-and-drink-makings.   I just refuse to pay $7.00 plus for a drink I intend to have more than one of and you can't beat the comfort of being in a room with your buddies.  The savings is a big big plus.

Nancy

[Bobubas]

Thanks for all the great reports.  Love the story about Lara and the daiquiri, but guess one thing that puzzles me is why someone would bring a blender all the way to a con?? Well, guess it saves on paying for expensive hotel bar drinks....

I just refuse to pay $7.00 plus for a drink I intend to have more than one of and you can't beat the comfort of being in a room with your buddies.  The savings is a big big plus.

Amen to that Nancy. Actually, $7.00 would be a bargain price these days. I believe the Cosmos the girls were drinking in the lounge in Tarrytown were around $12.00 each. I don't believe anyone has ever carted one of the blenders home on the plane. It usually goes home with a local. 

[LdyAnne]

Well We have had quite a dew detailed reports of the fest. My report is about my adventures before the fest:
There are more detailed reports of the actual festival activities elsewhere and because this year was more about friends than the stars this report will focus on related festival adventures.

My adventures started on Tuesday night when I checked into the Highland Garden hotel. For those in the know this is the same hotel where Janice Joplin Oded, though luckily not in the same room. The room had a great view of the garden and pool area. The room itself was right out of the fifties and had about that many years of coats of paint. The beds felt like they were vintage and the bathroom was clean but very small. Wednesday morning I headed to Disney Land to make my pilgrimage to the 50th anniversary celebration. I wanted to go on It's a Small World because when we were there in 2002 it was on rehab. This was the very same ride Walt designed for the ¢â‚¬Ëœ64 New York worlds Fair and since I went on it then I wanted to relive that time. I road several attractions, The Train, The Haunted Mansions, Indiana Jones, Jungle Cruise, Tikki Room, It's A small World, and Mr. Toad. I took lots of pictures even asking people to take mine, did a little shopping, bought the obligatory gold mouse ear hat with my name embroidered and some pins. The park was fairly full and the waits were long at some of the rides but I had arrive early and by the time I left at 3 pm I felt I had done quite a bit and was ready to leave as the sun was getting to me. I had to get moving and get back to the hotel to get ready for the evening's events

I got back to the hotel just in time to get a shower and dress for dinner and the theater. I met some of the gang in the lobby; they were going to walk over to the Marriott to meet more of the group and then to the restaurant all with in a couple of blocks. Since I had already walked quite a bit that day at the park, opted to drive. I beat everyone there by several minuets even though traffic was heavy and I missed my turn. We ate at Miceli's Restaurant; it has been around since 1949 and was a great place, a ton of atmosphere. We had about 20 people and were joined by Jonathan Harris from the Collinsport Players. We headed after dinner to the Pantages Theatre to see Wicked. What can I say, the theater was just beautiful, ornate and grand. It was hard to leave the lobby to head to our seats for looking at the beautiful details and decorations in the lobby. Our seats were great fourth row on the right side. If the lobby was beautiful the theater was twice that. The set had this wonderful mechanical dragonhead jutting out above the curtain. During the opening number the head moved and breathed smoke. The play was wonderful to coin a phrase. It was so good that I called David during the intermission to get another set of tickets for when the tour comes to Tampa. We already have tickets with our series but it is such a great show that I have to see it twice when it is here. I won't ruin the story for anyone who plans to see it, but it is the prequel to the Wizard of OZ focusing on the relationship between the two witches Glenda and the Wicked Witch of the West.

After the play we were to go to a bar next to the Henry ford theater across the street but because there wasn't a play on at that theater the bar was closed. We tried a couple of other neigh by spots but despite the reputation Hollywood seems to close up after 11pm on a weekday night. I headed to the car as others in the group thought to find an open bar in the Marriott. Along the way a few more joined me for the ride back. I want to thank Bobulas   for organizing the whole outing dinner and the theater it was the best!
                            to be continued.......

[LdyAnne]

Thursday was to be a momentous day. Pat and I started out to find Viewmont, Roger Davis' construction project that he touted at the 2002 Festival. Pat had cobbled directions together from the Viewmont web site and mapquest. We headed up in to the hills round and round the curves of the Hollywood hills. Turning on to Viewmont we spotted the walls and construction. We drove past and up the street looking for a place to safely park. Just a block past the entrance was an area that was ideal and we parked. Walking back up the street we passed the construction board that listed the building site plan and the construction contacts with Roger Davis as the On-Site Supervisor. Never in our wildest dreams did we think he would actually be there. Our plans were to take a few pictures of the construction and leave. As we started up the entrance to the construction we were halted from the shouts of a man on the second floor of one of the houses. He asked whom we were and what did we want. Thinking fast I said we were architecture students wanting to take some pictures of the construction. Well he said from his lofty position he couldn't let us up due to insurance and to wait there. Disappointed at being caught we were prepared to be bummed rushed off the property just as the man approached we both realized that it was Roger. Dressed in jeans a long sleeve shirt, leather work-gloves and a big straw hat to shield him from the brutal sun. As we saw whom it was Pat said we know him from the DS festivals and Roger's attitude toward us changed. The hostility in his voice from thee first was gone. He asked how we found this place and was surprised to learn it was from the Internet. He explained again that due to insurance purposes he couldn't let us go any further but invited us to see his house neigh by as a consolation. We followed him to his back yard and to most beautiful pool over looking Beverly Hills with the water fading into the horizon. It is and infinity pool, I saw that the water actually flows over the edge and is caught in a troth just below the edge on three sides. It was a wonderful effect. Roger was gracious in allowing us to photograph him by his pool, the back of his beautiful house and the front. He took quite a bit of time with us and let us even take a picture with his camera and wonderful 35mm Nikon that had a tremendous wide angle lens. We were blown away and very grateful for the time he took with us and we thanked him and took our leave. We really did not believe our luck and were grateful that we had proof after of it.

[LdyAnne]

Before our next little adventure we had lunch at the oldest deli in Hollywood, Canter's Deli, a Hollywood landmark for the past five decades. As we ate a great lunch we soaked up the ambiance and mused over the surly waitress who looked as if she had been there as long as the building.

We headed out toward Greystone the mansion used in both the 1991 series and the doomed 2004 remake. We didn't see the house as we drove up the steep winding driveway to the parking lot above the house and gardens. We didn't really know what direction to go to find the house from the vast parking lot. We headed down a path that was shaded and led to what must have been the pool. There was a large rectangular brick area surrounded by what looked like the coping around a pool.  A white tent that may have been put there in preparation for a wedding covered this area. A pool house was at one end with changing rooms/bathrooms for women and men. It was a beautiful quite and shady area perfect for a pool too bad it was filled in.

We continued making our way around the walk until we came upon the house. We were on the side that had the drive. There were a lot of school children around and most seemed to congregate in the covered area where the main entrance to the house was. As we stepped over book bags and children we made our way to the beautiful ornate glass doors to peer inside. It was dark and back lit from the sunlight coming up the stairs from the windows across the house. On either side of the entrance was a dark wooden staircase that was ornately carved. The ceilings looked plastered and had designs and adornments. We looked around the inner courtyard and it's lovely fountain and the requisite tower (two actually). These towers were much smaller compared to the original Collinwood, Seaview.

We made our way around the house peering in the windows as we can eventually coming to the terrace area of the house. Large glass doors face the terrace to a magnificent view of a sloping hillside and Beverly Hills beyond breathtaking is all I can say. This is where the light was coming from when we were at the main entrance. It was here that Pat noticed a door in the far corner of the terrace was ajar. We quickly went in as there was no one around to halt our exploration. We found our selves in a large room with a fireplace. We took turns photographing ourselves in the room. We ventured out to other rooms and into the main hall and the entranceway we had seen through the glass doors. We were careful not to be seen by the horde of children who were camped out in the shade of the entrance. We explored only a few rooms off the original room we entered keenly aware that we could be caught any moment. We reached as far as the kitchen but although there was more on that side of the house we decided to take our leave as we heard others in the house. Not knowing if they were, like us, explorers or park officials who could have us arrested we exited with our pictures and memories and a bit of regret we did not go further.

We headed back to the parking lot by another route that took us past another terraced garden area that had a wonderful view of the house and grounds.  It was here we ran into a couple who had just come from the Justice of the Peace and were taking pictures on their wedding day. I offered to take one of the couple framed by a beautiful fountain. This is a wonderful place to visit and explore. The best part is that it is free to visit.

The day as full as it was to that point was not over as yet. We headed to the Max Factor building which houses the Hollywood History Museum. A wonderful art deco building that was once a security building housing property of the Hollywood elite when they traveled abroad. During the heyday of Max Factor this was a beauty salon where hair and makeup reigned supreme. The first floor of this three-story building reflected this with rooms dedicated to the hair color and makeup of Blonds, Brunettes and Redheads. The upper floors had a hodgepodge of artifacts and memorabilia of various stars from the likes of Mae West, Marilyn Monroe and Bob Hope as well as some props and early types of movie cameras. There wasn't any rhyme or reason to the displays but it was all fascinating. The basement held the set of Lector's cell from Silence of the Lambs. I opted out of that part of the tour.

Later that night we attended a showing of the film Psycho at the Egyptian Theater. It was great to see this classic in such a historic theater.

And That is just up to Friday. I will post that report later. Hope you have enjoyed it so far. I am working on putting my pictures on line and wil post a link when I have it complete.

LdyAnne

[Midnite]

And That is just up to Friday. I will post that report later. Hope you have enjoyed it so far.

Absolutely!

I am working on putting my pictures on line and wil post a link when I have it complete.

I'm looking forward to seeing them. 

[ProfStokes]

Thank you so much, LdyAnne, for sharing your adventures with us!  It sounds like you and Pat had quite an exciting time.  I do look forward to seeing your other pictures; this one of Roger at Viewmont is priceless.


ProfStokes

[PennyDreadful]

 Thanks for sharing your experiences LdyAnne!  That's a great pic of Roger Davis, and it was really cool of him to show you his house.  That pool is amazing!

[victoriawinters]

A pool house was at one end with changing rooms/bathrooms for women and men. It was a beautiful quite and shady area perfect for a pool too bad it was filled in.

LA County has a pesky rule that you have to have a six feet tall fence around a pool area to keep out the wee little ones.  Having a fence would have ruined getting to see that.  So, they filled it in.  Seems to be the best solution considering.

Great reports and pixs.