Universal Studios + The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Despite several weeks of soft opening, which allowed locals to experience the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood, there was a tremendous amount of excitement in the air when my family + I visited the weekend after the "official" opening in April.

I hadn't been to Universal since my Brownie troop took a trip there in second grade, so needless to say a lot of things have changed. In addition to the Wizarding World, which was the reason for our trip, I was looking forward to revisiting the parts of the park I remembered from when I was a kid, particularly the tram tour + "Psycho" set.

The Universal experience is very 3D heavy. Many of the big name attractions are 3D themed, including the new Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, housed in the absolutely breathtaking Hogwarts Castle. (I opted out of the Journey, though I did walk through the queue, the portrait hall especially knocked my socks off.) Even the tram tour now has two 3D experiences in addition to set and backlot features, one based on the Peter Jackson adaptation of "King Kong" and another that focuses on the "Fast and the Furious" franchise. 3D is totally not my thing, but I had a fantastic time taking in the sights and sounds, from Springfield, USA to the "Waterworld" stunt show to the bronze bust honoring longtime Universal Pictures director Alfred Hitchcock placed prominently right inside the main entrance to the park. All in all, there is definitely something there for everyone. (Except postcards. There is not a single postcard for sale in the entire park, not even at the Owl Post. This is unacceptable.)

Now the focus on the purpose of the trip -- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I had avoided reading anything about it ahead of time as I wanted it to be a surprise... and it was. The very most wonderful surprise. The experience of walking into Hogsmeade, much to my surprise, nearly moved me to tears. The attention to detail, from Moaning Myrtle haunting the restrooms to the animated "Wanted" poster of Sirius Black outside the Hog's Head, to the delightful frog choir performances and, of course, Hogwarts itself, is absolutely breathtaking. One of my favorite parts of Hogsmeade is the interactive window displays that those with Olivander's wands can do a spell in front of to activate something within the display, it is entertaining while also making participants part of the experience, which is a nice touch. Again, the magic is in the details, and the Wizarding World is loaded with them. I am looking forward to our next visit, which will likely occur after the rumored Diagon Alley expansion occurs.

Please enjoy the photographs below, captioned when applicable.

Hogsmeade entrance, "Please Respect the Spell Limits"

Hogwarts Express, just inside the gate and an ideal photo spot

Know someone who deserves a howler? Stop by the Owl Post, where owls depart regularly.

Dervish and Banges, where you can invest in your own "Monster Book of Monsters"

Zonko's Tricks & Jokes

Hogwarts Castle in the morning light

Dogweed & Deathcap, Exotic Plants & Flowers

The entrance to Hogsmeade from Hogwarts, I sat here for about an hour watching both the frog choir and Triwizard Tournament spirit rally while the sun set. It was absolutely enchanting.

Hogwarts Castle at sunset, with the girls from Beauxbatons dancing on stage

Hogwarts after sunset 

All photographs © Monika Seitz Vega, 2016
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a box of photographs... part 5

I realize it has been a while since I shared any photographs from my "A Box of Photographs" series. While much time has passed, this collection of images is as significant now as it was when I first shared Part 1 of the series and wrote the following:

"Many years ago I received a huge, heavy box from a friend at Christmas. Inside was a collection of hundreds -- maybe thousands -- of photographs, all but a few black + white, each lovingly captioned on the back with date and location, chronicling a family's life from the 1930s through the early 1970s. Every moment was photographed. The illustrated story of an American midwestern military family. Accidental multiple exposures, blurry photographs, and poorly exposed images were kept and indexed just as carefully as those that were well composed. I couldn't believe my eyes."

Something significant about these photographs is that most of them have been lovingly captioned on the back. The names of those in the photo, the town it was taken in, the date... this fills in gaps, makes subjects characters rather than anonymous, actual people rather than just faces. 

I'll be focusing on these characters today, all of the photographs of Part 5 in the series are posed family portraits. Stay tuned for Part 6.

"Sept. 7, 1953. St. Louis. Before leaving on train to New York + England"

"Doug, Mar. 1960"

"Sept. '60"

"Sept. '60"

"Sept. '60"

"Sept. 26, 1961"

"Neighbors at cabin at Grafton"

"Cabin at Grafton"

"Cabin at Grafton"

Here are the first four installments, in case you missed them --

A box of photographs.... part 1.
A box of photographs.... part 2.
A box of photographs.... part 3.
A box of photographs.... part 4.

recent finds from the Orange Show swap meet

I absolutely love going to the swap meet.

Growing up in San Diego, my dad was at Kobey's Swap Meet at the San Diego Sports Arena nearly every weekend, sometimes buying, sometimes selling. I'm pretty sure this is where the "thrill of the hunt" seed was planted in me, I absolutely love searching for treasures, diamonds in the rough.

While Kobey's had segregated "old" and "new" sections of the grounds, unfortunately many contemporary swap meets are mostly "new" items and of zero interest to me. I've permanently crossed many local swap meets off of my list because of this, but there is one nearby that never disappoints -- the San Bernardino Swap Meet at the National Orange Show Fairgrounds. From the treasures waiting to be found to the characters you're destined to meet, it's very reminiscent of the countless weekends wandering the aisles with my dad.

This swap meet is massive. We usually go about twice a year, and always find something special. Last Sunday was our first outing of the new year, and we came away with a ton of great stuff, including a set of Jarts lawn darts, a clay wheeled skateboard, and, of course, some wonderful postcards to add to my collection. I'll likely share all of them here at some point, but I'll begin today with this set of Disneyland postcards from the 1970s.

The mysterious depths of the legendary Seven Seas have been brought to reality for passengers aboard one of Disneyland's air-conditioned submarines. Guests enjoy looking through portholes to view an underwater panorama of sunken treasures, mermaids, a sea serpent, and beautiful floral and fauna of the underseas world.

Brillant "Fantasy in the Sky" fireworks burst over the Disneyland Castle every summer evening as a part of the show in "Disneyland After Dark."

A ghostly ball reaches its height as frolicking spirits perch, precariously, on a huge chandelier. They are just a few of the 999 fun-loving ghosts in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.

Playful Indian elephants, at home in their own enchanted bathing pool, have a trunk full of watery surprises for guests on a cruise down the Rivers of Adventure in Disneyland.

Gazelles, gnus, zebra, lions, and giraffes tell the story and point up the law of the jungle... survival of the fittest... in this expansive grassland region along the banks of the Rivers of the World in Disneyland's Adventureland.

Playful Indian elephants, at home in their own enchanted bathing pool, have a trunk full of watery surprises for guests on a cruise down the Rivers of Adventure in Disneyland. 

Dusk comes to Frontierland as the Mark Twain steamboat makes its way past Cascade Mountain on a peaceful trip along the banks of the Rivers of America.

A bobsled finds a watery surprise in a glacial lake after twisting and careening down the icy Matterhorn Mountain.

The Rainbow Ridge Mine Train takes guests deep into underground caverns where breathtaking waterfalls, multi-colored stalactites and stalagmites are seen inside beautiful Rainbow Caverns in Frontierland.

Along the winding Seven Seaways, guests embark on the "Happiest Cruise that ever sailed" -- Disneyland's exciting musical fantasy, "It's a Small World."

Greetings from Breton Woods, N.J.

The Breton Woods club community sprouted up in the 1930s. The location was desirable because of it's proximity to the Metedeconk River. Originally a Boy Scout camp, Breton Woods was popular because its cabins were affordable for working families and the plot of land was included with the cabin purchase.

In researching the history of Breton Woods, I found this wonderful collection of home movies taken in the 1930s showcasing many of the recreational activities popular there, which included boating, parades, sports, and beauty pageants. Please click HERE to have a look.

Two Jordan's in Watts

Occasionally, if I'm early to wherever I'm headed or, better yet, on the road without a schedule, I'll get off the freeway or make a turn off my path to try to find something new. 

In October, when headed to El Segundo to see one of my favorite movies at the Old Town Music Hall, I exited the freeway in Watts. The Watts Towers were my destination but they were closed that day, instead I drove around and was pleased to find not one but two Jordan's restaurants. 

I'll be back to visit the Towers again one of these days.

since 1942, sadly the cafe closed in 2010 and remains vacant

Balboa Park Turns 100, Part 5

With mere hours left in the year of the centennial, this is the fifth + final installment of my "Balboa Park Turns 100" series.

These photographs are from October, an incredibly warm fall Saturday when my family + I headed to Balboa Park to see the traveling exhibit Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland at the San Diego Museum of Art. Despite the heat, we began across the pedestrian bridge at the gardens and worked our way to the Cabrillo Bridge + back again.

I'll keep it short by saying, in conclusion of this series, that there is no where else on earth like Balboa Park. If you haven't been, go. If you have been, return!

Happy New Year, everyone!