Visiting California - LA and San Fran

[sparky]

Hi all

I am finally getting a chance to visit California in early June and would love to see some old 1950s and 1960s American cars, 1950s .

Hoping to visit some car museums, car shows/meets, 1950s Americana and also model train shops.

So far my itinerary is as follow:

Los Angeles 6 - 10 June
Peterson Auto Museum
Toyota USA Museum
Burbank House of Hobbies
ALL-GM CAR SHOW & SWAP MEET GM at Woodley Park 8 June
Nethercutt Collection

San Francisco and Napa Valley 10-14 June back to Switzerland on the 15th

Blackhawk Museum
Peggy Sue's Cruise Santa Rosa

Some of my wish list of American cars to see hopefully are:
1958 Edsel Citation convertible
1958 Ford thunderbird
1957 Plymouth Fury
1948 Tucker Torpedo
1957 Ford Retractable hardtop
1956 Lincoln Continental

Any further ideas of what to visit and see especially car meets would be grateful.

Regards

Grant
Switzerland

[Jerry]

Dear Grant,
First, Welcome to California and hope you have a very enjoyable time.
I suggest you add "Bob's Big Boy" drive-in, in Toluca Lake to your itinerary. Toluca Lake is located between Burbank and Glendale on Riverside Drive , and is in Metro Los Angeles. Friday nights are a must for car fans of any era , for this is where car fans come to see and be seen. Bob's is a very "50's " place to eat and is also located near the studios of Warner Bros. and Disney. Again, it only happens on Friday nights.
Jerry

[sparky]

Dear Jerry

Thanks for tip. I will try to squeeze this into my schedule.

By the way do you know if Mels Diner in San Fran Lombard street worth going to as it was reconstructed the building used in American Graffitti. Also was thinking of going to Petaluma in Napa Valley.

Thanks

Grant

[Jerry]

Dear Grant,
I am curious how your trip turned out, and did you find your steak dinner. Sorry I was unable to meet with you, while here. Please P M me if you wish.

Thanks,

Jerry

[sparky]

Hi Jerry

Thanks for being curious and following up ;D

I had an excellent time in LA and San Fran. I got the best to experience American car culture and 50s culture in my short time.

I was able to choose my hire car from a range of compact cars as soon as I picked it up from the LA Airport. I choose a retro styled Chevy HHR to cruise the freeways of LA. Only in the US that you get this spoilt for choice.

Highlights from the Peterson museum was the Tucker, lowrider and life size hot wheels display.

The Auto Driving museum was really cool especially the ride in the Model A Ford and Lincoln Premier 57.

The GM Car Show in Woodley Park was great I got to see and hear some very unqiue cars. The 1950s station wagons, Pontiacs and Buicks were by far the most interesting and rare as well as some of the convertible 1950s Oldsmobiles.

Missed out on going to Bob's Big Boy on Friday night but still went to get a taste of an Amercian Icon on Saturday night.

Also in LA visitied a couple of Model Railroad stores including Burbanks House of Hobbies. Looks like it was a popular place to get stuff as it had a lot of turn over and held alot of new stuff.

I was able to pick up the Rod Stewart edition of Model Railroader for a buck!!

San Fran and Napa was different again. Was able to realise a dream and hire a Cadillac (couldn't hire it in LA as my wife was not with me and she would not be impressed if I did not let her get the opportunity to ride in it)

The highlights include:
-Cable car ride down to Fishermans wharf
-Driving down Lombard Street (Crookiest Street)
-Petaluma where Amercian Graffiti was filmed
-Californian State Railway museum - Sacramento

I wanted to see the Edsel in Towe Car Museum but it was out for repair, what a pity.

All in all I got to see alot of cars that I had always wanted to see as well as do some things I always wanted to do in the US. e.g. ate at Mel's diner and In and Out.

However, it looks like I need to visit again some day as it looks like some of the American 50s cars I would like to see are quite rare even in the US as I did not get to see all the 50s cars on my wish list. e.g. Edsel 1958, Mercury Turnpike Cruiser and 1956 Lincoln Continental.

Thanks for your tips especially Bob's Big Boy

Grant
Switzerland

[Jerry]

Dear Grant,
It appears you had a full trip and were unable to see everything on your wish list. The Nethercutt Collection is a must. Two museums of which one is open to the public without reservations and the second museum, across the street, you must have reservation. In-n-Out and Bob's Big Boy are all L A car culture. Friday night at Bob's ,Toluca Lake, You can see about any thing. A friend saw a completely restored Tucker, and the "cyclop" light blew his mind. You definiately must do it again. Glendale closes off four blocks downtown for "Cruise Night". It is a Family Night with "50's" music "live", and cars from as early as can be found to 1973. Start planning. Glen, at BHH said you were in; sorry to have been out of town.

Jerry