Captain Mike and the Mark Twain
The Mysterious Benefactor gives and gives, and yet he asks for nothing in return. What a guy!
Guests are anxiously awaiting their chance to ride on a gen-u-ine Mississippi sternwheeler; and while they wait, Captain Mike himself entertains the crowd. He must have complimented that young girl on her hat! You can see it comes naturally to him, he's a people person. He likes them, and they like him. We're going to be see a lot of Captain Mike soon!
The next three were taken from the lower deck where guests got the best views, and they got to sit down. It's sort of the equivalent of riding in the front bubble of the Monorail, when you think about it. This is a neat view, with Frontierland/New Orleans Square visible on shore. It's surprising how big it all looks from here. Notice the "Hussong's Cantina" shirt, you used to see those regularly in the 1970s!
Here's another pretty view; the columns of the stately Haunted Mansion can just be seen through the trees, and the Columbia is moored in Fowler's Harbor. The trees have grown to such a degree that the charming, ramshackle buildings in the harbor can't be seen at all.
The trip is just about over; just like photo #2, the river and even the shore beyond look as if they could go on for miles. I can't help imagining the feeling of the gentle breeze and the warm sun, the sound of the sternwheel's splashing, and the tinny sound of the prerecorded spiel. Wouldn't you love to be there?
Thanks as always to the Mysterious Benefactor.
21 comments:
I think seeing those Hussong’s Cantina shirts regularly probably depended on where you lived. I don’t remember ever seeing one.
In the second photo, next to the Hussong’s ad, the woman is either suppressing a yawn or reacting in shock to something. Her husband has his movie camera ready just in case.
Whaddya think the wait time for Pirates is, assuming they have the entire queue open inside? Maybe 20 minutes?
Thanks again, MB & MP.
In the first pic, we can see both Pepsi-Cola and Pendleton (?) signs through the Mark Twain structure. Wonderful images today!
I like the shot that includes the Mansion and Columbia. Such crunchy Disneyland goodness! It reeks of atmosphere. Reeks! Thanks, Major!
Major-
The views from 'the backside of people' never looked lovelier-! I think that young girl in the first image is suffering from severe dental pain. Poor thing. (Perhaps if she heads over to the Barber Shop next to the El Dorado Hotel in Rainbow Ridge, 'Doc' Sutter will have her all patched-up in a jiffy).
Thanks, Major.
Thanks everyone, for the birthday wishes.
The bow of the Mark Twain was like the Monorail front car, it filled up fast. My favorite place on the Mark Twain is the stern above the paddle wheel. Yes, your traveling backwards but it's a look into the past.
Belated birthday wishes to a fellow July birthday human. Hope it was a good one Mr.R.
That first pic is a great people shot. A lot of happy going on between that family and you know who. I say that because I can't remember the name of that fellow. I know I know it but it's not available at the moment. Getting old sucks.
That is a nice, diverse, Disneyland group of folks in pic #2. Nice shot.
I agree with Mr.R. Got to ride up front on the monorail, but never did the bow seating. That filled up to fast.
Thanks Mysterious B. and Major.
"Wouldn't you love to be there?"
So much it hurts!
I approve of all the guests in stripey shirts; that's how you dress for a boat trip. Bonus points to the girl in navy-and-white shirt and white pants. I bet she broke into a spontaneous hornpipe as soon as the camera looked away.
"The backside of people," LOL!
@ DrGoat-
Actually, the name is as plain as the nose on your face. It's actually in the title of the post, and in the second paragraph. (Perhaps a good night's sleep...)
Major, thanks to you and the MB, this is the closest I have ever come to riding in the nose cone of the Mark Twain.
I would love to be there, and especially with the whole GDB crew.
Chuck, you can probably find all this on the internet now, but Hussong's was a bar in Ensenada, which is about a day-drive distant from the California border. For some reason that escapes me, or perhaps that I never knew, it was vogue in some circles to drive down for the day, drink up (and who knows what else) and come back with the commemorative t-shirt.
I walked by Hussong's once, but we didn't go in, as the kids were too young to indulge. We didn't drive, it was a stop on a short cruise from Long Beach. At that time, I couldn't see anything to recommend Hussong's, either driving or cruising. Looked like a dive bar to me. Other's opinions may vary. I was a little nervous at the municipal police with automatic rifles on every corner, and I was glad to get back the ship.
JG
Chuck, it’s true, I’m sure Hussong’s Cantina shirts were common in SoCal, and other places where people would be more likely to go to Ensenada. It does look like that one woman is yawning, but I admit that I’ve had trouble sleeping the night before I’m supposed to go to Disneyland. I’m not sure how much they could alter the queue inside the “Pirates” building (increasing the number of times guests have to go back and forth), but I’ll bet 20 minutes is a pretty good estimate.
Andrew, wow, you are really looking for those tiny details!
Stu29573, yeah, I think that view is particularly pretty. It definitely reeks!
MRaymond, when will your birthday be next year? Kidding! I’m sure that standing at the stern would be nice, probably because most people want to see where they’re headed, so you won’t have to deal with crowds!
DrGoat, it seems that Captain Mike was just a people person, and he could be gregarious all day long. It sounds exhausting to me! And hey, you didn’t have to remember you-know-who’s name, I put it right in today’s title! The one time my date and I decided to absolutely try for the seats on the bow of the Mark Twain, the Disneyland Band boarded and took those seats! So we went one level up so that we were right above them. That was still pretty neat.
Melissa, stripey shirts were pretty common in the 1970s. The girl in the striped shirt and white pants looks like she could be a crew member in “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”!
Nanook, ha ha, trust me, I miss stuff like that all the time, and even catch errors in my own posts (usually at 4:30 in the morning) that drive me crazy.
JG, I guess I should qualify that I would like to be on the bow of the Mark Twain… in 1978! Based on the most recent photos of the crowds, I would not want to be there now. As for Hussong’s Cantina, it seems that kids in high school (the partiers) wore those, even though they were below drinking age. Perhaps Ensenada did not have an age restriction? No idea. I’m not into bar hopping or heavy drinking anyway, so I’d be more than happy to walk right past Hussong’s. I've been to Ensenada, but didn't even think to look for that cantina.
Speaking of knowing names:
I was eating lunch with a group of friends a couple days ago and, all being in our 60s, we talked about how we all hesitate before saying anyone’s name (when talking to them) - because we aren’t as sure of ourselves (like we used to be). Ugh. Another fun trait of being over 60.
Great pictures! Thanks, MB & MP!
Nanook,
Well, I am abashed. I haven't had a good night's sleep in a while, but that's no excuse. I'm going back to accelerated decrepitude. The 60s and 70s finally caught up with me.
As far as my nose, I've never had anyone not notice it, except yours truly.
Nanook, I have never thought of it before, but what a great piece of theming missed by the Imagineers.
The visitor First Aid should have been a Doctor's Office on Main Street, East Center Street, or as you say, the Doc's somewhere in Frontierland. Only children and 5/8 scale people could be ministered to in Rainbow Ridge however.
JG
JG, sounds like the Rainbow Ridge office was just for minor injuries.
@ JG & Chuck-
You both need to start charging for jokes. (At least in Rainbow Ridge they'll be a place for the Singer Midgets... if they happen to practice dentistry, that is-!)
You can sue the Rainbow Ridge Doctor for malpractice, but only in small claims court.
JG: Disneyland First Aid is located in the Main St. Medical Building right between the Baby Center and the Plaza Inn. It’s a somewhat watered down version of a slightly more elaborate structure that had been planned at one time.
Lou and Sue, ha ha, my mom used to go through several kid’s names before she got to the right one (when calling us)! We always thought it was hilarious. And she sees my older brother more often than me, so she sometimes calls me by his name without thinking.
DrGoat, if this is the worst thing gaffe you ever make, I think you’re doing pretty good!
JG, those are all good ideas, though I could see why they wouldn’t want to put the First Aid/Doctor’s Office on Main Street, people would walk in all day thinking it was either some sort of shop or “show”. I think every shop should have had a jar of leeches - in fact every shop TODAY should have a jar of leeches.
Chuck, D’OH!
Nanook, I think JG and Chuck should be charged for those jokes!
Melissa, D’OH!
Mike Cozart, I’ve never set foot in the First Aid location (thankfully), but it sounds somewhat tucked away; I still can imagine people walking in expecting some sort of entertainment.
Major, I'm chuckling at your last comment to me because LOTS of times, over all my years, my dad called me by my mom's name (he still does occasionally) - and my mom would call me by her sister's name. And I'm an only child. Though, come to think of it, it was less confusing when my mom called me by her sister's name - because when she'd call "Sue," my dad would respond also (thinking she said "Lou.")
My goodness, this is one of the funniest threads in some time.
Nanook, Melissa, Chuck, Mike, thanks so much. I knew the official First Aid was in that semi-hidden location, but I’ve never visited. “Small Claims Court”, that just won’t measure up.
Major, Sue, in the last years, my dad thought I was his youngest brother, which was ok, we were both named John. At that time, I was the same age that he last saw him. I sometimes call my daughter by her mothers name when they are both right in front of me.
JG
I'll say Mike was one of a kind...and that is an understatement. He played his part perfectly. KS
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