Coasts, Canyons and Deserts 2013, Day Nine- Warner Brothers, Fresno “heat” and Oakhurst “wine”

[Twentyyears]

Day Nine- Warner Brothers, Fresno “heat” and Oakhurst “wine”
Saturday 17th August

We left the lovely Sheraton early and had chosen Saturday so as to miss the weekday traffic.

I wrote many of these notes in the ipad in the car so this one has a bit of past tense to it! I thought it would be fun to copy and paste it as it was written on the drive from Warner Brothers to Fresno, with added observations from the pictures.


“So we are on the long farming area inland land drive from LA, up through Bakersfield on to Oakhurst. We have just done the Warner Brothers Studio tour first thing and it was so interesting and fun. We were allowed to take a few pictures but not many. It was a bit difficult to find we thought as once of the freeway it is not very well sign posted compared to the attraction it is.

We arrived early for our tour, third slot of the day, and they had an even earlier slot so we took it, we had a muffin and donut in the Starbucks Coffee shop , part of the great gift shop there. You are sent in in time slots and see short film then picked up in groups for your little tram. We had Rizzo as our guide and he was great, interesting without being in your face and very knowledgeable. As it was the weekend there were no stars but we did get more access. You need to take your pick I guess!




How they make all the same sets look the same was very interesting, to see the outside where the same set is used for Merlotts in “True Blood” as well as the night before it was being used as a “Mentalist” murder scene.





The town square is used for loads of “house” shots and had just been used a set up for a scene for one of our favourites “ Hart of Dixie” and the Butterstix bakery was still all set up!








The jungle/ wood area was used in Jurassic Park, ER and loads of other films and series, they just change it all around and move a lot of greenery in and out.




You forget how many shows and films they produce and this was just one soundstage! ;









Our highlight was sitting in the bleachers on the full set of “The Big Bang Theory” where the set was still there and an extra bedroom scene was set up in a hotel. It was strange seeing the set all dark, we really wanted to walk on the stairs with the broken lift- no pics, of course!




They take you into the Friends set but were not allowed to take pics on the sofa anymore, how did you manage that Natsynoo?

After this we were taken to the car holding warehouse, remember"Chuck"?

DH favourite Batman car!

You then also get 20 minutes in the Museum where you also cannot take pictures. One whole floor is Harry Potter and one is memorabilia from 90 years of movies with a lot of Batman and Superman at the moment. But they have the piano from Casablanca and lots of other costumes and props. We then had the obligitaroy spend up in the gift shop, we all bought Big Bang Theory T shirts- Soft Kitty for me, Spock,Paper, Scissors for DH and a Sheldon saying one for DS “ My Mom had me tested.”

That's all folks!

[Twentyyears]

CONT

We left WB and set of through the flat, inner farmlands to Oakhurst, via Fresno.

We had a a really nice fast, straight drive up to Fresno where we saw some fabulous "american " touring scenery;










On the way we stopped at a "gas station in the middle of nowhere and it had a special emporium attached offering these, I kid you not! Needless to say I didn't see anyone going in or our but Vidal Sasoon I think it was not!






We stopped in Fresno and finally found “The Riverpark” shopping mall to seek the elusive Nikon one! That is after DH insisted in putting in a road without the number on the sat nav; when I reminded him they aren't all that short as in England we then found ourselves in a nice dead end under a bridge. Well done sat nav , or wife no. 2 as I had christened her, telling us we had " reached our destination" LOL. We went back to wife number one and the trusty map! The heat on the route hit 100 at some points through the flatland and this was not expected here, later in Death Valley yes!

We got to Best Buy and they had DS camera in stock, yayyyy. Nikon one purchased for 299 but no extended warranty, we had seven assistants try and get an English addresses in the system. It was quite funny as they were all quite annoyed they couldn't get it done for us. They even bought us a coffee from Starbucks as one of the staff went over on a staff coffee run! And they wouldn't let us pay, for the coffee not the camera!

We stopped over the road for a late lunch/early dinner at Logans Roadhouse.

We had a lovely Steak dip SW and DS a burger. He loved the fact you could eat the peanuts and drop the shells on the floor!





This was a nice relaxed place full of locals on a sat pm, eating and watching the sport.The waitress called DS a "sweetie” and "beetroot" was all over his face! As you can expect DH lived off that for the rest of the hols- “Hello sweetie, Coke or Fanta, sweetie... “

We then set of for the climb up into the mountains and arrived at the lovely Houndstooth Inn in Oakhurst, so quaint the pictures say it all. It only has around five rooms and a few cottages round the back:













It helps that they give out free red and white wine until 9 pm, yes I did say free, from the little breakfast room!

DH and I then took ours outside to enjoy the quiet and the view whilst DS had a little TV time. We met a lovely English lady and her daughter who were on their Thelma and Louise trip. The lady had married an American years ago, moved to Minnesota and had her daughter and son. She had then divorced and moved back to England with the children when they were around seven but the children had dual nationality.Her daughter came back when she was 21 and has been working in Lake Tahoe for three years and loves it, not much money but a great sporty life. Small world as ever, she lived in Tooting where used to when we were first married too.We spent a while reminiscing about old haunts.

That's what I love about road trips, never knowing who you are going to meet along the way!

We had a nice chat over the wine and then another couple came and were singers so they stayed and had an impromptu sing song but DH and I went to bed; the mossies had started and it had been an early start for WB and then a long drive. We heard some of the singing and I am quite glad we came to bed, would have been even more impolite to leave after one song I think!

Needless to say we had a very good nights wine induced sleep!

[parisdisneyfan]

Hotel in Oakhurst looks lovely, love the little welcome westie and free wine, well what more can I say!

Think on the Friends set it seems to depend on your guide as I got to sit on the sofa and we were, what, a couple of hours behind you! We weren't allowed to walk round like last year though and we also didn't get to see the storage area but did see the jungle set, seems to be swings and roundabouts!

I got the soft kitty tee last year too, but unfortunately I find the neck to tight so it is at the back of my drawer. Can't remember what dh and ds got.

[Twentyyears]

Originally Posted by parisdisneyfan

Hotel in Oakhurst looks lovely, love the little welcome westie and free wine, well what more can I say!

Think on the Friends set it seems to depend on your guide as I got to sit on the sofa and we were, what, a couple of hours behind you! We weren't allowed to walk round like last year though and we also didn't get to see the storage area but did see the jungle set, seems to be swings and roundabouts!

I got the soft kitty tee last year too, but unfortunately I find the neck to tight so it is at the back of my drawer. Can't remember what dh and ds got.

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Thanks for reading Julia.
I think you are right, depends on the guide, day of the week, what is on etc.
We were disappointed not to sit on the sofa, mostly DS as he loves watching Friends re runs on a Sat.

[orlandosgr8]

I would really enjoy the WB tour, would love seeing all the sets etc. Your hotel looks really lovely too.

[WileyCoyote]

Great day, tour sounds good fun, shame so many no photo bits though. Loving the trip to Fresno and your hotel looks brilliant. Free wine, not to be sniffed at !

[Twentyyears]

It is a great tour and the Houndstooth Inn high on my list to stay again, one of our favs and we had good hotels all round really. I think whoever did all that research is just fab