Tag: travel

R3-A2 on Vacation Part 5 (Rancho Obi-Wan)

Recommended music: Ella Fitzgerald – Winter Wonderland

We’re staying up late this #SomethingElseSunday and still looking back at some photos from my California trip a few months ago. On that trip, I brought my Star Wars Legacy Collection R3-A2 along for the adventure!

I snapped about a thousand photos that weekend, for the remainder of the evening in Petaluma, R3 remained in my pocket at my main stop: Rancho Obi-Wan! Steve Sansweet established this nonprofit museum, which Guinness World Records recognizes as housing the world’s most extensive collection of Star Wars memorabilia. The museum and its storage facilities together contain approximately half a million distinct Star Wars items.

I won’t be able to comment on every detail in the photos, since the night was such a fun blur of Star Wars excitement. Honestly, I’ve already forgotten more Star Wars things than I can remember from that night.

This first photo shows a fully pneumatic, musical Cantina Band animatronic from a store display. There’s also an original banner with an early logo and font used to promote the first film at San Diego Comic-Con in 1976.

This bike was created by writer and Lucasfilm publicist Pete Vilmur. The basic bike was one used for years at Skywalker Ranch to take visitors and employees from building to building. Then Vilmur acquired the bike and gave it a Star Wars makeover with a touch of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure before auctioning it off for charity.

Rancho has a fantastic collection of fan-made items, such as this Chewbacca mask and a Bantha craft.

This unique centerpiece has 112 vintage Kenner Star Wars figures. It’s surrounded by 575 Hasbro Stormtroopers, making for an amazing sight right when you walk into the main room.

Props to these… props!

There’s a friendly group of plush porgs filling the space between display cases.

Here are additional screen-used props, such as droid hands and 4-LOM’s crotch piece.

That’s quite a crotch piece!

There’s a big piece of the Sarlaac Pit set here, along with other props.

The giveaway at Collector Stage panels for several Star Wars Celebrations has been these little Star Tots collectibles. They’re not the rarest items, but it’s fun to see so many of them on display in one place.

I don’t have a banana for scale (since no food is allowed in the museum), but those dolls on the ends are Barbie-sized. That gives you an idea of how large the prop figures from Robot Chicken are in real life.

Vintage model kits.

Candy, trading cards, and other miscellaneous items.

There’s a very complete-looking collection of merchandise from George Lucas’ Super Live Adventure stage show, which toured Japan in 1993.

A nice collection of Star Tours theme park merchandise, both new and old.

I’m really going to try and wrap this up by the end of the year. 😄
More to come…

@ranchoobiwan
#ActionFigurePhotography
#StarWars
#ToyPhotography

R3-A2 on Vacation Part 4 (Rancho Obi-Wan)

Recommended music: Chase & Status And Blossoms – This Moment

For this #SomethingElseSunday, I’m taking another look at photos from my trip to California a couple of months ago. On that trip, I brought along a Star Wars Legacy Collection R3-A2!

Over the weekend, I took about 1,000 photos, but for the rest of this day in Petaluma, R3 stayed safe in my pocket because I had finally reached my destination: Rancho Obi-Wan!

Steve Sansweet founded this nonprofit museum, which holds the world’s largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The 9,000-square-foot building and off-site storage now hold about half a million different Star Wars items.

I forgot to get a photo of the main gate and a simple sign in the neighborhood when I arrived at Rancho, but I started taking pictures right away. Along with rare, official Star Wars merchandise, I was excited to spot random items with Star Wars themes, like R2-BQ shown here.

If seeing poultry seems strange, they actually fit right in because Rancho was originally a farm. The main building once housed chickens instead of collectibles.

There were plenty of open doors and things to see, but some areas at Rancho Obi-Wan are off limits to day guests like me. ROW is also the real-life home of Sansweet, museum President and CEO Anne Neumann, and others.

When you enter the main building, almost every space is decorated. Even the staircase is lined with Star Wars-themed license plates from all over the country.

The theming even extends to the restroom, which features dozens of household items collected over the years, including vintage Star Wars toiletries and fan-made pieces.

It looks like you can fit at least four Star Wars fans in the restroom at once to check out the memorabilia. 😄

After leaving the restroom, I passed through a smaller hallway lined with display cases of loose vintage figures, including some rare ones.

Next on the self-guided tour is the library, which has countless publications starting with this original Star Wars promotional piece. Released a year before the first film, the logo seen here with a pointy W was later redesigned before we ever saw it on the big screen.

In the library, I enjoyed browsing style guides for various Star Wars projects.

There were also many international versions of publications. Some looked familiar, but all were translated into other languages.

The library had plenty of other decorations besides books, which made it feel more like home.

Not wanting to spend all night in the library, I headed back into a hallway lined with Original Trilogy film posters before making my way to the main room. More to come…

#ActionFigurePhotography
#StarWars
#ToyPhotography

R3-A2 on California Vacation Part 3

Recommended music for this post: Van Morrison – Snow in San Anselmo

This #SomethingElseSunday, we’re spending a little more time looking at pictures from last month’s trip to California, where I was joined by this Legacy Collection R3-A2!

After a full morning and afternoon at the Presidio and around San Francisco, the party shifted north to San Anselmo. Our next stop was Imagination Park, found right in the middle of downtown San Anselmo. The park commemorates being the birthplace of two masterpieces from George Lucas’s mind – Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

Marked, not just with small plaques, but with two life-size statues of Yoda and Indiana Jones found on top of a fountain at the far end of the park.

Following the success of American Graffiti in 1973, Lucas soon developed the initial outline for Star Wars from his home in San Anselmo. A few years later, the town was also the location where he screened the first unedited footage of Star Wars to his peers. The next decade saw Lucas return to San Anselmo to begin work on that other well-known franchise, Indiana Jones.

To commemorate the importance of San Anselmo to these franchises, Lucas donated Imagination Park and two statues to the community in 2013, with the goal of creating a place where children and adults alike could stop for a moment of peace and inspiration.

Like the Yoda Fountain at Lucasfilm, the Yoda and Indiana Jones statues themselves were sculpted by Lawrence Noble, who was a part of the Lucasfilm team during The Empire Strikes Back.

The base of the Indy statue also features some great details that fit with the franchise.

A couple more individual pictures were taken amongst the group shots with Star Wars friends.

Yes, I was there too.

Before long, it was time to get back on the road and head further north. We unfortunately didn’t stick around town long enough to check out a local bar with the Blues Brothers on the roof.

That evening, we reached our destination of Petaluma, California. With a population of just under 60,000, Petaluma has a great little downtown area. Besides the many memorable scenes in American Graffiti, which were filmed here in 1972, this area is also home to McNear’s Saloon & Dining House. A Petaluma staple for more than 100 years, it was also our home for late-night libations.

The next morning, there was some downtime to watch college football and to visit Crooked Goat Brewing.

After a decade in business at their Petaluma location, Crooked Goat offers a wide variety of drinks. With a restaurant next door that delivers right to the tap room, it’s a great set-up.

This was our last big stop before the main event for the weekend. R3 and I will be back soon to share more pictures from the trip.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#Disney
#StarWars
#ToyPhotography

R3-A2 on California Vacation Part 2

Recommended music for this post: John Denver – Sunshine on My Shoulders

Well, this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re spending a little more time looking at pictures from my recent trip to California, where I was joined by this Legacy Collection R3-A2!

Following the visit to the Walt Disney Family Museum (and a quick stop at a conveniently placed beer tent), the group headed across the Presidio to visit Lucasfilm LTD. The home office for all ongoing Star Wars and Indiana Jones productions has a courtyard and lobby accessible to the public.

The Yoda Fountain in the courtyard in front of Lucasfilm headquarters is definitely the most recognizable icon here for photo opportunities .

Of course, this life-size R2-D2 in the lobby is pretty great as well.

Even if R3 could magically be full-size, the droid would still have to look on while I recreated this shot from A New Hope with the original Artoo.

R3 is checking out some books and smaller statues while Lord Vader guards this section of the lobby.

A very large K-2SO Security Droid also kept things in line from behind his velvet rope.

Some other smaller statues and props are among the bookshelves, not all Star Wars related.

To me, this King Kong statue symbolizes advancements in filmmaking that happened decades before Lucasfilm existed.

Some French film posters for classic monster films. I’m sure this is just a sample of what will be shown when this building’s landlord, George Lucas, has his own museum opening next year.

One more shot of the Yoda Fountain with a well-placed C-3PO and Grogu in the window above.

R3 posed with this giant ranger hat in the Presidio Visitor Center and kept all the focus on himself. You can upload your own picture with the hat and receive 10% off your purchase of park merchandise at their store. 😄

Heading north… R3 and I will be back soon to share more pictures from the trip.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#Disney
#StarWars
#ToyPhotography

R3-A2 on California Vacation

Recommended music for this post: Scott McKenzie – San Francisco

On this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re spending a little time looking at pictures from my recent trip to California, where I was joined by this Legacy Collection R3-A2!

While I’ve had a connecting flight in Oakland, the Los Angeles area was previously the furthest north I’d actually visited in California. Thankfully, when planning for a trip to San Francisco and some surrounding areas, this R3 droid decided to tag along.

I did have to do some last-minute work on the blog at the United Club, but R3 kept me company before the flight.

We eventually made it to Pier 39 to check out some sea lions and other attractions. Don’t ask me how R3 managed to make it out to their platform or become life-size.

The full-size R3 also wanted a slightly closer look at some birds and Alcatraz Island.

The next morning, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, R3 was back to its normal size and requested a dashboard view for the journey over the bridge.

This was the Golden Gate Bridge North Vista Point, and we arrived early enough for some great views of the San Francisco skyline without much of a crowd.

Also included at Golden Gate Bridge North Vista Point is The Lone Sailor statue, dedicated to all of the Sea Services – Coast Guard (seen here), Marine Corps, Merchant Marine, and Navy.

We eventually made our way back across the bridge to the Presidio of San Francisco National Park.

The area is much larger than I expected and also offers fantastic views of the bay from the city side, in addition to the attractions that actually brought us there.

R3 inquired about taking yoga lessons from this lady, but we definitely did not have time for that, as we really wanted to check out The Walt Disney Family Museum.

The museum was excellent, and I feel like you could spend many hours there poring over the many unique documents, artifacts, recreations, and models, including this massive model of Disneyland Park! Thankfully, they provided this cool ledge to border the short glass barrier, keeping you from getting too close. 😄

R3 and I will be back soon to share more pictures from the trip.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#Disney
#StarWars
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Cheddar

Recommended music: Creepy Cave Music – Gemstone Caves

For this #WhateverWednesday from the archives, we’re spending some time with Plunderlings Cheddar!

Around this time last summer, Cheddar accompanied me to a Foo Fighters show. At the time, this show was the highest-attended concert with the Foo Fighters as the headliner. I’m not sure if they’ve surpassed that record since.

Rocking his blue mohawk, this was Cheddar’s first rock concert (and my first in a long time). We had a great time. Yes, that is why I’ve been providing a daily dose of the Foo Fighters for the past week.
🤘😎

#FooFighters
#FooFightersConcert
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Moonraker Japanese Movie Program

Recommended music: Hideki Matsutake – Moonraker [Skip to 17:58 for the specific track]

On this #SomethingElseSunday from the archives, let’s go with this Moonraker Japanese movie program.

Last year, we celebrated the 45th anniversary of Moonraker’s debut in US theaters in 1979. At the time, the movie had the biggest box office returns of any film in the James Bond franchise and kept that spot until GoldenEye in 1995.

Even though Moonraker had been written for some time with the intention of making it into a film, it was only released before For Your Eyes because the story could incorporate a space theme to take advantage of the Star Wars craze of the time. While there is a lot to poke fun at in this film between cheesy writing and humorous intentions, it is a fun ride that takes the viewer to Brazil, France, Guatemala, and Italy (home of the hovercraft gondolas and double-taking pigeon).😉

Like other Japanese theater programs I’ve shared, Google Translate is a big help with deciphering the advertisements and behind-the-scenes info.

#MusicOfBond

From the Archives: Ghostbusters Japanese Movie Program

Recommended music: Atarashii Gakko! – Ghostbusters: Frozen Summer

On this #SomethingElseSunday from the archives, let’s go with this Ghostbusters Japanese movie program.

I wanted to share something to commemorate another 40th anniversary. Released just weeks after Temple of Doom, and arriving in theaters the exact same day as Gremlins in 1984.

Lots of cool “making of” info in here, and again with Google Translate being a big help if you don’t speak the language. Busting makes me feel good!

From the Archives: Gremlins Japanese Movie Program

Recommended music: Jerry Goldsmith – The Gremlin Rag

On this #WhateverWednesday from the archives, let’s go with this Gremlins Japanese movie program.

Another interesting item for the collection, especially since I don’t collect any of the wonderful NECA Gremlins figure, but I wanted to share something to commemorate another 40th anniversary. Released just weeks after Temple of Doom, and arriving in theaters the exact same day as Ghostbusters in 1984.

In addition to the “making of” info and pictures in here, this one has a cool pop-up style movie poster of Gizmo in a box. Fun stuff.

From the Archives: Temple of Doom Japanese Movie Program

Recommended music: John Williams – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom [I can’t think of the actual track name this matches up with the most from the original soundtrack – DM😉]

For this #WhateverWednesday from the archives, I was originally going to share something with the Temple of Doom arcade game, but I didn’t get around to shooting it yet. Instead, I’m sharing this Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Japanese movie program.

This was a pretty unique item for the collection, especially since I don’t collect any of the Indiana Jones action figure lines, but I wanted to share something to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the US theatrical release of Temple of Doom. The magazine contains lots of cool behind-the-scenes information and pictures. Also, Google Translate is a big help if you don’t speak the language. 👍

From the Archives: Mosquito in amber

Recommended music: Mark Leggett – Tale from the Amber

For this #WhateverWednesday from the archives,  I’ve got a mosquito in amber!

More specifically, it’s a diptera in burmite. Now, I don’t know if this little guy also contains dinosaur DNA, nor am I going to check, but I thought it was a pretty neat blast from the past.

From the Archives: Gobbler on Hawaiian Vacation 2

Recommended music: Creepy Cave Music – Gemstone Caves

For this #WhateverWednesday from the archives, we’re spending some more time with Plunderlings Berserker Gobbler!

These pictures were from my 2024 trip to Kauai where Gobbler was an unexpected site for folks exploring the Maniniholo Dry Cave that day.

That’s it for tonight, I am planning to put together a video at some point, but I’m happy just to share these pictures for now. Cheers!🍹😎

From the Archives: Gobbler on Hawaiian Vacation

Recommended music: Abba Geebz – Alewa … I couldn’t find the original music from this post, but this is an excellent substitute!

For this #SomethingElseSunday from the archives, we’re spending some time with Plunderlings Berserker Gobbler!

These pictures were from my 2024 trip to Kauai. Gobbler also made the trip but doesn’t always look at the camera when getting his picture taken.

These particular pics are from Hanakāpī’ai Beach after hiking a pretty grueling trail.

That’s it for tonight, and I am planning to put together a video at some point, but I’m happy just to share these pictures for now. Cheers!🍹😎

Fwush & Pepe on Nassau Vacation

Recommended music for this post: Sweet Rum – Nassau

For this #WhateverWednesday, we’re spending one more day with the Palisades Muppets Vacation Pepe, but mostly with Plunderlings Fwush!

Okay, one last reminder from me: You’ve got about eight weeks to get to Walt Disney World to see MuppetVision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios one last time before the show closes forever on June 7, 2025.

After our trip departed sunny Florida, we spent a day on the open sea and a day at Ocean Cay. The following day, we arrived in Nassau! I was very excited to port in the Bahamas as several James Bond films shot scenes there. I had a limited amount of time to find some of the shooting locations and make it back to meet up with my family near the port.

I didn’t initially make time for photos with Fwush, but he did want to join in the fun of recreating some photos of scenes from Thunderball, which was in this exact spot 60 years ago this past month. Unfortunately, this shot didn’t really work out as Fwush found a crab friend (seen above), and films definitely weren’t shot in a vertical perspective in the 1960’s…

Now this one worked a bit better as Fwush did his best Sean Connery impression:

Feeling successful in capturing a bunch of shots of Bond filming locations, we took a stroll through Atlantis Paradise Island Resort and grabbed some more pics before catching a taxi back to the port.

That’s it for tonight, and for pictures of these two on the trip. I’m planning to put the Bond pictures in a video at some point, but I’m happy just to share these pictures for now. Cheers!🍹😎