California Trek - The Voyage Home

"Only one is a wanderer.  Two together are always going somewhere." ~Madeleine in Vertigo

The idea of being an accidental tourist is not one that is appealing to me.  I want to prepare for the best time possible when I make travel plans.  Because I am all about the travel party (the fiesta, not the people in the traveling group...though, I am about them too, because they add to the party!).  When I took the train to Virginia a couple of years ago, I watched every movie with a train in it, plus all the I Love Lucy episodes when they traveled by train!   My point is, travel is only as interesting and fun as you are prepared for it to be.  So today, I want to share with you how I am getting in the California travel mindset....

Movies
Since I HATE flying and since most airport/airplane movies involving crashing, I have decided to nix air travel movies from my list.  However, there are still many movies I can rely on to get me ready for the trip back home.

1.  Vertigo - Because nothing says "vacation fun" like a movie about love, death, deception and dizziness!  Also, it is set in the San Francisco Bay Area, and ends in San Juan Batista Mission (which is 29 minutes away from where I will be staying in California!).

2.  Yours, Mine and Ours (1968 version) - Because the scene where Lucille Ball loses both her slip and her false eyelashes in the San Francisco bar is PURE Lucy genius!  But, also the scene when Frank and Helen realize they have NINETEEN children between them while riding on a San Francisco cable car is classic.

3.  Flower Drum Song - Gung Hay Fat Choy!  This musical, set in San Francisco Chinatown, is one of our FAVORITES!  It was one of the first Hollywood musicals to actually cast Asians as, well, Asians!  It also is one of the first Hollywood films that showed positive Asian culture where they main characters had a happy ending! (sorry...Spoiler alert).  But we love it for the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical farce that it is!  Plus, it stars James Shigeta...hubba hubba!

4.  Bullitt -  True Confessions...the reason I want to see this movie is because in Race to Witch Mountain, Dwayne Johnson (also a bit of hubba hubba...a BIG bit) is into the movie and can't believe another character hasn't seen it.  I should see it. And also, I like Ford Mustangs.

5.  Mrs. Doubtfire - Because Robin Williams is so funny.  But Robin Williams as a woman with a whipped cream facial is HILARIOUS, in this movie set in San Francisco.

6. Star Trek, The Voyage Home - I am not a Trekkie (though, for purposes of this blog, I am hoping to attend a Star Trek Convention in the near future with my friend who IS a Trekkie), but I love this movie!  Watching the era I grew up in, in the area I grew up in,  through the eyes of the Enterprise crew is sheer entertainment!

7. Homeward Bound II - Because who can resist Sassy, Shadow and Chance as they take risks and make friends among the homeless pet population in San Francisco?

8.  The Joy Luck Club - "The life histories of four Asian women and their daughters reflect and guide each other." - IMDB   Also, there are large helpings of beautiful scenery and guilt trips. - Jill Yuen

9.  The Maltese Falcon - Because everyone should see a Bogey movie and Casablanca doesn't happen to be set in California!  For purposes of watching movies set in California, check out Humphrey Bogart as the classic San Francisco detective, Sam Spade.

10.  What's Your Favorite???  I have shared some of my best ideas for getting in the California mindset.  How about you?  I have FOUR weeks to watch movies....leave your ideas in the comments section because right now, I

Gotta Mosey!