Another year and a half...

2019 featured another visit to 1885 in the Sonora region of California.  The Railtown State Historic

Park really topped themselves, with additional flourishes to make the train look as closely as it did in the movie as possible!

Lots of new things made their way into the event that weren't quite finished in 2018, and there were some new folks who made it as well!  Several comic cons led our way up to the event, and it is always a treat to have the opportunity to see the United States from coast to coast.

2020 saw us repeat our annual New Orleans Comic Con.  We almost passed, but now we feel fortunate, because due to the Covid-19 world wide pandemic, it is the  only comic con we are likely to see this entire year.  As a result, fundraising has been heavily impacted, but we look toward the future for eveyone's health to improve and life to resume (near) normal.

A haircut would be nice...

Back To 1885

Terry and I have wanted to introduce fans to the Northern California area where Back to the Future Part III was filmed.  Ever since we ourselves discovered it over a decade ago, we thought folks would be thrilled to ride the actual train that was in the movie, and see the actual land the western sets once stood upon.  It is 5.5 hours north of Hollywood, but despite the remote location, we finally 'bit the bullet' and decided to create a fan convention!  It happened this September 6-9, 2018 and it turned out pretty well!  Everyone seemed to have a great time, and pitched in when we were in need of extra hands.  It was ambitious, and considering it was a first of it's kind, we were exhausted and proud.
Afterwards, many locals asked us if we'd return, and since the infrastructure had already been created, we figure, 'Why not?'
The event resulted in over $10,000 raised for the MJFF and drew fans from 6 countries and many locals who were involved in the making of the film!  We were also honored to have Dean Cundey, the director of photography and his wife Tisha join us, along with Marvin J. McIntyre, who played the memorable 'Undertaker' in the film.  Jeffery Weissman (George McFly) and his wife Kimbell were very helpful and entertaining, and 'Dangerous' Bob Widin the Asst. Prop Master was also on hand to tell tales of production and assist wherever needed!  It was a group effort and a joyous, almost spiritual family experience.

If you'd like to see more photos, videos, or even attend in 2019, visit the website www.BackTo1885.com
and visit our facebook page,
www.facebook.com/BackTo1885

Europe, 2016!

We were invited to the first Copenhagen Comic Con by our friends, the Argiris'.  They are Danish, and they spoiled us rotten.
Terry and I designed a sticker to represent the European Expedition in the time machine to give to all we encountered.
We've reached a total of 28 countries so far, driving the DeLorean and have published a booklet about it!
https://www.freewebstore.org/tothefuture/Booklet__Time_Traveling!/p4974819_17744556.aspx

Check it out, and let us know what you think!

and here's our Facebook page to stay up to date:
https://www.facebook.com/ToTheFuture.org/

Thank you,
Oliver and Terry

(here is a photo of the cast, along with artist Drew Struzan and his wife Dylan with our vehicle at the Calgary Fan Expo.)

Japan.
As mentioned in an earlier blog, I have found it a challenge to document adventure as it happens.  We do take photos, and I rely on my bride's brain to store the memories, which she does very well.
Nonetheless, time moves on, and we were invited to Tokyo for a comic con appearance with Christopher Lloyd.  We had just experienced shipping the car across the Pacific on our Hawaii expedition, so this was the same thing, only the boat would sail past Polynesia until it got to another island, further west.

The Japan experience was overwhelming.  We got to drive a time machine around the city, took in the sights, ate the food, made new friends, and raised (I think) over $10,000. for the Fox foundation!  Much more is documented on our Facebook Page,
https://www.facebook.com/ToTheFuture.org/?ref=bookmarks
I pause to make this brief update, because another big leap into the unknown awaits us later this month.  We will time travel the opposite direction, across the Atlantic, to Europe!  More stories for the book, -when there's time...

Aloha, Howaiiya?

Matson shipping company has a wonderful app to download which tracks the progress of your vehicle's crossing.

It gives you a false sense of security, creating the illusion of connection to your precious cargo.  It doesn't update daily, which is justifiable, since the boat is bobbing around in the Pacific far from any landmarks to give you perspective.  But as the ship nears Hawaii, the date of arrival expands a day, perhaps due to rough weather.  We count down to arrival, and finally the day comes!  We look at the app, and it says this:
"Your vehicle cannot be located.  Please contact the office."

And THAT is how our car began it's adventure in Hawaii!
Terry called, and they reassured us it was waiting for us at the dock, so we assumed the app had developed a sick sense of humor, and went to pick up the DeLorean.
What a relief.
We were in the islands from September 14th to November 17th, about two months.  We left the car with Matson on September 11th, so it took just under a month for the voyage.  Meanwhile, Terry and I flew to Hawaii to wait for it in paradise.  No better place to spend the time! 

My Big Plan was to use the time on the islands to write my book.  The comprehensive retelling of our time travel adventures.
That was the plan.
But if we've learned anything from this mission, plans often go askew, especially if you are in the act of adventuring.
I should have known better.

Upon arrival, we were immediately embraced by old friends from my days at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.  The loan of a truck gave us mobility and we wasted no time exploring the volcanoes and snorkeling with turtles.  We filled ourselves with pineapples, bought oversized flower bundles at the farmers market to give to all who showed us hospitality.  Waterfalls, fundraising, more sea turtles.
We got a vip tour of the Volcano Observatory, built a towering blue glass sculpture at our friends (Jeri and Jim) house, dressed up and partied on Maui at one of the world's most famous Halloween street festivals in Lahaina.  And much more.
But the book writing just couldn't catch up to the break neck pace of our explorations.
I had envisioned lazy days on a hammock with nothing to do but write.
The thought occurred to me the other day that fundraising has similarities to addiction.
It's a rush, and I look for opportunities to do more.  It's fun, most of the time, and we've become really good at it!
We were invited to join an evening concert at the Hilo Town Tavern, which was a great success.
We displayed the car on my old campus at UHH on day and the students chipped in with donations.

Everywhere we drove in the DeLorean, vacationers and islanders alike took notice and contributed in some way.  Regal Cinemas in Honolulu played the movie as we set up in their lobby.  A small turn out, but we made some new friends!
By November 17th, when we put the car back on a boat to come home, we had raised over $4000.00 for Team Fox!  A great amount for Hawaii, and a satisfying way to finish our 50th state!
Perhaps our collection of experiences, mishaps and stories will make it into a cohesive volumn some day. 
But for now, life is moving fast and we've got more adventures to gather!
ps: Check out our Facebook page for bunches of photos from our Hawaii time travels and more.
https://www.facebook.com/ToTheFuture.org

We Play for Team Fox!

We finished a gig at a medical convention in Chicago, and had a few days to spare before rendering our services again to the same company in Indianapolis.  So, we decided to spend a few days enjoying the Windy City.  Terry is from Chicago, so we stayed with some theatre friends who, incidentally, had two hound dogs -bassett hounds to be exact.  This satisfied both our essential needs for shelter AND doggie play time.  (We do miss our beagle when we're away from home.  Even if she acts indifferent to us.)
Between the time we exited one convention center and entered the other, we:
Serviced the car at DeLorean Motor Company Midwest.
Saw a play at the Goodman Theatre with friends.
Ate deep dish pizza from Chicago's own Giordano's.
Shopped at American Science and Surplus (a favorite junk treasure-hunt.)
Enjoyed a ball game at Wrigley Field.  Cubbies 4, Padres 5.  (Boo.)
Rode the 'L' around town.
Devoured some epic cinnamon buns at Ann Sather Restaurant. 

Then, a friend shared something with us on 'the Facebook.'

'Back to the Future' playing at the Music Box Theatre!

'Hmmm,' we thought.  'Might be an opportunity to do a little fund raising!'
We sent an email to the marketing director of this historic movie palace, but decided to drive by and just see what the parking situation was like.  We could see the marquee ahead, and it was a thrill to see the words 'Back to the Future' up in lights.  At least a hundred light bulbs lined the theatre face and overhang.  Opened in 1929, the Music Box Theatre retains its original architecture and design. With a dark blue interior ceiling, “twinkling stars” and moving cloud formations, it is a more charming, intimate version of the large movie palaces downtown.
We found a parking space nearby, and Terry walked in and met Collin, who swiftly brought out water and offered to set up a table for us, and make signs, etc. etc!  We explained that we really didn't need anything except a place to park, and he directed us to the 'Tow Away Zone'.  "That's our space, right in front of the theatre.  You can park there and you won't be towed away."
Perfect!
The instant hospitality was such a shock, but he explained that our email had been received, and we had been expected.  Back to the Future Part 1 played at 2:00, followed by Part 2 at 4:30.
Several parents brought their children to see the films on the big screen for the first time, and there were a few fans that came dressed for the occasion.  A young man named Michael came dressed as future Doc Brown, complete with wig, yellow long coat and clear tie.

Others had logo t-shirts, and one kid had a color-changing hat from the 'future.'
It was chilly, so at times we sat inside at the adjoining 'Theatre Lounge' while our host, Alex, offered us drinks and spun old records on the used turn table he just bought from a pawn shop.   The big windows gave us a great view of the car and all the sidewalk traffic.  Terry and I would step out to help take photos of people with their smart phones.  We could easily see when someone made a donation and could hop out the door to reward them with thanks and a special card.   Most of the traffic was pedestrians, shocked to see a DeLorean as part of the scenery along their route.  Many wore Cubs hats and jerseys, as there was another game today at Wrigley Field, just a few blocks away.  There were a few bicyclists who stopped to take a longer look.  And there were a handful of cars that put on their hazard lights and boldly stopped in traffic, exited their vehicles and took some photos before returning to their commute!
At one point, an enormous 'ROAR!' rose up from the caldera of the ball park and echoed through the streets, bouncing off the buildings.  We figured it was a home run, or maybe a double.  Or maybe even a triple!
It was an entertaining show of foot traffic, and we enjoyed each encounter, listening how some people had family members with Parkinson's, or hearing about how the films had an impact on their lives.  Some kids knew what the car was, and some didn't, but they all wanted to put their hands on it, which is just fine with us.  The DeLorean enjoys the tiny fingerprints.  One young man even asked to have a photo with us, because he had read about our travels all over the U.S. and abroad.   It's fun to be secretly famous to a fan base of 2 or 3 people!

After the two showings were over, we thanked the nice staff at the Music Box Theatre, hopped into our time machine and drove away.
The Cubbies won today. 
AND we had a spontaneous, enjoyable afternoon resulting in $251.00 raised for the MJFF.  As Harry Caray would say... 'Holy Cow!'

Seattle Port

Shipping a delorean time machine to Hawaii is stressful.  But then, if it were easy, someone would have already done it before now.
We've been saving for three years to do this, and as is common, things generally end up costing more than expected.
We were supposed to drop the car off at the shipping yard on Thursday, September 11th, with the boat leaving Sunday the 14th.  We planned our trip across the country accordingly, as well as some vehicle maintenance.
But of course, plans change. And like the butterfly effect, everything thereafter changes.
A few days before the boat was supposed to leave, the shipping broker informed us of a cancellation, and plans would be postponed for another week.
This affected our plane tickets!
While this gave us more time, it added a bit more to our expenses.  It did however, allow for some more repairs to be done to the car, and we ended up putting new tire$ on the rear, along with full balance and alignment.  Along with the care from Toby Peterson's DMC Northwest, the car has never been better.
We were then to deliver the car Wednesday, for a Saturday departure, and as we prepared it, I decided to add a label to the battery cut off switch, to make things as obvious, clear, and easy as possible for others.  I tested the switch (to remind myself which direction is off, and which direction is 'ON', so I could draw the label correctly.  What happened next was unexpected.  Lots of smoke and a burning smell rose from the fuse area!
This affected our vehicle!
After the excitement, and a rectification of the problem and repair of melted wires, we had only 1 hour to get to the docks before closing.  Terry followed in a loaner car, as we raced to the destination which was 1/2 hour away.  Unfortunately, Seattle traffic was thick, the dockyards are a labrinth and after much stressful, frenzied driving in circles, U-turns, and panicked braking, we arrived at 4:32, as they were locking the gates.  But a policeman took advantage of our misfortune and took several photos of our car before we departed.
We returned the next morning, having had a full rehearsal.  Though we were prompt, it took a while to check the car in, because most of the staff had abandoned their positions and streamed out into the parking lot to photograph the car!  So, we waited.
Finalizing all the paperwork, we were told the crossing would take another 10 days longer than previously specified by the broker.
This affected our hotel plans!
Handing the keys over to a stranger is difficult, especially when you consider finding 'reverse' in the DeLorean is a secret that only owners know how to do.  There is a learning curve to driving the car, and I had no opportunity to help teach the handful of various dock workers who would be taking the wheel.  Paranoid?  I guess so.  After all, what's the worst that could happen at this point?
The car was inspected, or 'surveyed' for damage before we turned it over to them, for insurance purposes.  I locked the car, and we departed.
The next day, we received a call that they could not load the car onto the boat, because the keys were locked inside the car!  Again, we raced to the scene, unlocked the car, which was the only car left in the lot.  Would it make it to the ship?  Was it too late?  Could my heart take much more?
This affected the number of gray hairs on my head.
Now, as I write, we are sitting in a hotel room near the Seattle airport, and the Matson app on my iphone tells me 'Your vehicle has been loaded to vessel.'
I spent most of the day in bed, trying to relax.
We'll fly Monday morning, and wait 19 days, if we're lucky, for the time machine to catch up with us on the Big Island.
We're not sure how much time we'll have on the islands.  It will take a good amount of time to arrange for, then ship the car back.  Perhaps we'll put it on a boat for return near Christmas, fly home to family, then catch up with it a month later when it finally arrives back on the mainland.

Perhaps the message, or lesson here is, start traveling while you're young.  Because it can be stressful, and physically challenging.  Both of which are easier to deal with when you're young!

Milestones!

We're aiming for Hawaii at the end of September, and this will mark our 50th state!  The only DeLorean (and a time machine too!) that has driven to (including a boat!) every state in the U.S.!
And along the way, we've managed to raise almost a quarter of a million dollars for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research!!!

Time Travel Pavilion!

In March, at the Orlando MegaCon, we gathered four (4!) different kinds of time machines together for one big fundraiser!
 
 The Tardis, from Dr. Who, The H.G. Wells Time Machine, The DeLorean, and Bill and Ted's Excellent Phone Booth!

It was fantastic, and a once in a lifetime opportunity for people to see all four at once and have their photo taken with each! Together with our friends, we were able to raise $4,665.95 for Team Fox!!!  Lots of cross-'mashups' going on with different characters posing with different machines!

From Glaciers to Coconuts!

2013 was a record year for our fundraising! Over $50,000.00 just this year!!! We reached Alaska, and met real Eskimo families! We ate Llama, which was tasty,














and even met up with Christopher Lloyd a couple of more times!

We now have only one state left to 'time travel' to, which will complete our 50 State Mission. It was a challenge driving to Alaska, but nothing will compare to our 'Voyage to Hawaii!' Terry and I plan to bring the DeLorean to at least two of the islands, Oahu and the Big Island of Hawaii. It will be a thrill to drive around on an active volcano!


 
We found a monument in the Yukon that spoke to us.  It says: "Dedicated to those who follow their dreams."
How nice!  Thank you! 

"North To The Future"

April is Parkinson's Awareness month, but at the beginning of May, we'll be driving North to Alaska! Not only is it the nation's 49th state, but it will be our 49th state to visit in the DeLorean time machine! We've got a special event lined up at the Dimond Mall in Anchorage with their movie theatre and we're looking forward to a wonderful fundraiser in the 'last frontier!'

Route 66!

After being abroad for so long, we thought a trip down the 'Mother Road' would be a good idea. Reconnect with our own country, in one of the most historic and traditional road trips there is! Beginning in Chicago, and ending at the Santa Monica pier, we spent 12 days on the road meeting restaurant owners, gift shop vendors, and motel innkeepers. And we took some pretty neat photos! The final step was a visit to 'Cars Land' at Disney's California Adventure. What a beautiful attraction, and a fitting summary of our own adventures! We highly recommend this combination Route 66/Cars Land for everyone! It's a journey of a lifetime!

The final month in Argentina!

Some Garbarino staff show their support!

I can say we never would have expected to spend a significant part of our lives in South America. (Previously, I took a trip to Venezuela with my brother and father in February for almost a month.) Then Terry and I began with the Garbarino commercial in Argentina in August, and will return home in March! (We were able to 'visit' home a couple of times for Christmas and to prepare for the tour, but it feels like it was only briefly.)
We've met some amazing fans, seen some great cities and sites, and best of all, we've been able to spread the word about Team Fox and the MJFF, while fund raising all the while! What a perfect fit! The total so far is $22,000. pesos. (which roughly converts to about US$5,000!).
That is a wonderful amount considering it is a result of what I call 'passive fundraising', meaning, we did nothing more than create an opportunity for people to donate, if they wanted to. Any amount, no expectations. There are materials they can take (again, no obligation) which mention the MJFF as well as our mission ToTheFuture.org. Partially in Spanish. So close to 100,000 pieces of information will have been distributed by the time we've finished, and we know of at least one Parkinsons patient we've helped connect with a physician, and the treatments have produced very positive results! I figure even if we had only changed one person's life for the better, that's a pretty good thing! We'll miss Argentina, and we don't know what direction we'll be heading in the future. It will take some getting used to, returning to 'normal life', though I doubt whatever we do next will resemble normal.

The Future isn't written yet. . .

Even time travelers can't predict the future. (Even if you think you know what will happen, things can always change!)
We never dreamed we'd be going to Argentina to work with Christopher Lloyd on a national commercial series for Garbarino. We flew to Buenos Aires on July 29, received the car from customs on August 11, and started filming on August 16th. Returned home September 5th.

Have you ever woken from a really great dream and shut your eyes tight, attempting to return back into that great dream?
-It rarely works!
But in October, Garbarino called again and said the campaign was going so well, they wanted us to return for a national tour with the DeLorean time machine! After the logistics were worked out, (and we arranged for our puppies and United States lives to be taken care of), we loaded the car onto a plane once more and flew 'Back to Argentina!' on November 11.
The tour is planned to end March 1st, 2012. Three full months of displaying the car inside Garbarino stores, meeting fans, and getting to see the rest of the country!
I don't know what will happen after that. No one does. I guess we'll all have to wait and see.

Still Going!

We've not kept up with the blog as we had intended. But as most of our plans have evolved, so has this one! We've collected so many great stories and photos of our adventures, we're organizing them in a different way and will eventually present them when we're done.
ToTheFuture.org was originally designed as a one year mission, but we have found that our raising funds and awareness for Parkinson's disease has become a lifestyle for us. In fact, Debbie Brooks (co-founder of the MJFF) made that very comment to Terry last year at an event!
So the mission continues. We've reached 44 states and have 6 states to go. We've had to pace ourselves, but we're getting closer! And you never know what life has in store for you.
Last August, Terry and I (and our DeLorean time machine) were flown to South America for a series of commercials starring Christopher Lloyd for a consumer electronics company called Garbarino. You can see several of the commercials and fan videos on YouTube.
We were in Argentina for an entire month, which put our lives on a different track for a while! But we had fun, learned a lot, and introduced everyone we came into contact with to Michael's foundation. (Yes, we even did some out of country fund raising!)
No sooner had we landed in Miami and picked up the car from the airlines, we drove straight to New York City to help with the NIKE Marty McFly Mag shoe campaign, in which 1500 replicas were auctioned off for the foundation. (Another creative angle for leveraging the appeal of Back to the Future to fight Parkinson's.)
So, we're still on the mission! And more adventures will follow! -We promise to share.

San Diego Comic Con

We received a call to come to the San Diego Comic Con to assist with a Team Fox fund raiser using the method Terry and I originated with our time machine! Desi DosSantos of ScreenUsed.com was featuring his DeLorean screen used in BTTF3 in the Profiles in History booth, and generously decided to use the high profile event to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research! Since it was the last minute, Terry cleared our work schedule, booked the cheapest airline tickets she could, and even found a hotel! (No small task, as Comic Con is sold out to maximum capacity crowds early, every year.) Lots of fun and hard work, as it was held over 5 days, with a preview on Wednesday night. Didn't get to see the show, and only had lunch twice during the 5 days, but it was a real blast working side by side with Desi. He's an amazing person, and a true, dedicated, tireless professional.
Several celebrities came to our booth, including Billy Zane, from the BTTF films (one of Biff's gang), and spent some time with Claudia Wells (Marty's girlfriend), and Lou Ferrigno and Ben Vereen even stopped by! Said Hello to Drew Struzan (Oliver's hero), the most famous and accomplished poster artist in the history of cinema. He painted all the posters for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, and all the other 'important' films. Now retired, he made a special appearance at the con to announce his new book featuring his lifetime of work.
We figured the show amounted to over 42 hours of work. We took hundreds of photos, and met lots of fans.
We're not marathon runners, but it sure felt like a marathon!!!
$11,131.90 was sent to Team Fox thanks to Desi and his wonderful car! Our biggest fund raiser yet!

An article from last year!

Since we're time traveling, I figure it's never too late to post an article from the past! A high school friend of mine is a talented writer and works for my home town paper. Front page, Sunday edition! He did a really nice write up and I thought it was certainly deserving of posting here, even if I have been tardy in doing so. Thank you Michael Conley, for years of friendship and your interest in our endeavors.

Ocean City Car Show 2011

Well, the show was quite different than many other events we attend. There were amazing, unique cars, trucks and motorcycles, as well as a 4-wheel drive RV camper, a drag racer, and a suped up tractor! Somehow, out of all this, and hundreds of entries, we were given a rather unexpected 'Best of Show' trophy! Go figure!
Donations were not as strong as we would have liked, but we made sure everyone who saw the DeLorean was made aware of Team Fox! We talked to lots of people, and handed out lots of cards to send them to the website and learn more about PD.

Ocean City, here we come!

We're time traveling to Ocean City Maryland to the OC Car Show. Come check out the show and all the loud hip-hop, cray-zay spectacle! We'll be accepting donations for MJFF, so bring some dollahs! :)

Future and Past

Here's the latest, and some oldness:
Time Circuits are set for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania June 17, 18, 19.
And I found a web page from the past and thought I'd post a link here.

http://www.wtoc.com/global/story.asp?s=11138015

Gold, Wood, Glass, and Frank

October 1 Friday

After a nice breakfast of cereal and bananas we check out of the Super-Super 8 by presenting the clerk with a Golden DeLorean. It was such a nice place that we had to do something to let them know that we appreciated them. Plus, now he can demonstrate where to park with a toy DeLorean, rather than a yellow Camero!

Onward to more redwoods. The Avenue of the Giants is not far away so we travel through, taking pictures and videos. It's a place that you would expect to only exist in fairy tales.

These are giant trees! Our first stop is at the Shrine Tree, it’s part of a redwood play area of sorts. There’s the tree to drive through, 2 playhouses and a fallen tree you can drive up on. We only drove through the tree.

The next tree, Chandelier is a beautiful living tree. The best of the three, and a nice shop with friendly staff. With a few passes, I think we have the pics and video we need. We do a bit of shopping in the gift shop and drive on down the road to Fort Bragg, Ca. Not to be confused with Fort Bragg NC. At Fort Bragg there is a place called Glass Beach. It’s history is that the area had been used as a dump and over the years has created it’s own unusual sand. Glass bits that have been broken and polished by the sea and sand can be found sparkling in the sunshine. We find two children running barefoot along the waterline of the glass beach, with the mother following (holding their shoes for them.)

-Not judging; just sayin’.

Another overcast day for us, but the beach still sparkles with glass, white, green and brown are the most prevalent. Colors. It’s an amazing place. The waves are more powerful and larger than our Myrtle Beach ocean. No wonder surfers love California.

Onward, we pass through a small town with a cinema, the ‘Egyptian Theatre’ playing ‘Night of the Living Dead’ -from the 1960’s! $1 gets you in to see the film, which is in black and white. 25¢ popcorn too! We later hear that the theatre still has the old organ in it, but we must press onward, as the movie isn’t playing in the daytime. On the next stop along the coast to take seaside pictures we meet an older gentleman who’s first statement is “so you are raising money for Team Fox.’ This is so unexpected and refreshing! Not the usual question we get! He’d taken a moment to carefully study and read the signs and wanted to make a donation. His donation is in memory of his friend Frank who’d passed away earlier in the week. He was sad but really glad to see the Time Machine because before Frank passed away, they’d gone together to see his favorite movie at the Egyptian Theater, ‘Back to the Future.’ He wished he could have seen us and the car. I’d like to think that Frank was watching this chance meeting from above. Our extremely random moment may have even been his way of saying, ‘Thank you for your friendship!’
A hug, in the form of a stainless steel time machine, appearing at just the right moment. It was magical.

"I've always wanted to do that!" -Doc Brown, BTTF3

October 2, 2010 Saturday

We wake early from a most icky hotel and depart quickly! Vrrroooom! We are only one hour from Jamestown; the drive takes us past peach, olive and almond groves. Jamestown is a
beautiful old town; we spend some time walking about admiring the architecture. There's even an antique store named 'Time Travelers.' Now to make our way to Historic State Park: Railtown 1897. Fans meet us as we pull into the parking lot. Jesse, a BTTF III expert, is there to great us in his BTTF t-shirt! I think he’s more excited to see us than anyone else could possibly be! We meet George Sapp, the engineer and he shows us where we should park. George has been here since they filmed Back to the Future, the longest of anyone. Bill a park volunteer shows us around some of the BTTF movie props and shares his knowledge and secrets with Jesse filling in any blanks. We ride the Armstrong, a huge turntable that the engines spin on when they come out of the round house. It was called the Armstrong because back in the day it was human strength that pushed it, now it’s air powered.

It takes about 3 hours of work for the locomotive to get warmed up and prepared to move. We watch in awe as Sierra # 3 comes out of her holding area, spins on the turntable and takes her position on the rail with the little red caboose and our D front and center. What a great picture they've prepared. We start helping folks make donations and take pictures of the car. Jim and John, (local reporters and fans of the movie) do a quick interview.

Gayle and Geoffrey, who we met in Danville at the car show, come by to say Hello. They have brought friends, Karen, Dennis and Marty. Marty is a Railtown volunteer and he takes us on a backside tour of the park. Marty shows us how the engines work, how they hand make tools, how the belts and pullies powered the bigger tools. Took us onto an old private car that was built special for Mr. Crocker the local banker, no relation to Betty. He even has the keys to Clara’s car. The one Clara stops when she realizes that she loves Doc! Universal reupholstered the seats with crushed purple velvet and gave the train car a nice facelift. It's normally not open to the public, but we get a moment to pretend we're back in time with Clara on the train!

There’s a Hollywood little red caboose made especially for the scene where Marty (Michael J Fox) jumps from his horse onto the back of the train near the end of part III. It's just a partial caboose facade, and it was placed on a flat truck on the tracks for the stunt work. It’s all so wonderful and I hope I’ve taken enough photos to capture some of the magic.

Another film crew has arrived and they set up to interview us. They are producing a documentary about DeLorean Time Machines and their owners. Sam Maccarone, Chapin Wilson and friend Jim. Very nice people and we are happy to be part of their movie.

Now it’s time for the moment we've been waiting for! To ride the train! Sierra #3 is readied and we board, greeted by a smiling volunteer and a cold bottle of sparkling Apple Cider. The train 'toot toots' and we are off down the rail. We are given a history of the train and tracks by John who is married to the lovely popcorn lady and has ridden the rails for over 12 years. There are cookies to enjoy as we roll on down the line. The ride is wonderful and we are let off to take pictures as the train does a fly by! We board again for the last leg of the trip, enjoying every second of the ride. This engine is called the ‘movie star locomotive’, because it has been seen in more tv shows and Hollywood films than any other, -including Back to the Future 3! (For the movie, they 'decorated' the train with a wood burning smoke stack shape, and added numbers on either side to read '131'.) It underwent an entire restoration and was out of commission for over 14 years. This year the star was ‘reborn’, and #3 was put back into limited operation the first weekend of the July, August, September, and October. (Only 8 days, and we were lucky enough to be there on one of them!) After everyone disembarks, we have a moment riding on the locomotive herself with the engineer! We're given the drivers seat and Oli pulls the whistle rope, just like Doc Brown!
It could not have been more exciting and emotional. A perfect day! To return the favor, we offer rides in the time machine to all the workers. As if to put an exclamation point on the dream-like day, the sky starts to darken in the distance with a slice of sun cutting through -and a rainbow appears. Returning from the final time-trip with a passenger, the car's engine suddenly dies in the parking lot. Oli turns off the headlights, stereo, effects lights and A/C. Michael Bispo, the engineer that took us for the ride on #3, jumps off our battery and we thank him for saving the day! (We had been running the display lights for a long time without any assistance of an outlet, and the battery just couldn’t recoup. And the day has flown; we realize we missed some of the park, so it is decided that we will stay the night in town (there are a couple of old bed and breakfasts, after all).

We get a room at the Jamestown Hotel (a beautiful 1800’s structure). A big boxer-dog meets us at check-in. Andie is the owner and the dog is her best friend; follows her everywhere. She allows us to plug the car in overnight, so the battery will be fresh and ready to go in the morning. The hotel is quite historic. Has burned down several times, changed hands even more, and was even once used as a hospital for injured gold miners.

The rooms are very comfortable and have private baths. Antique pull-cord toilets and clawfoot tubs with brass hardware. And the water pressure is the best on the whole trip yet!

Now we are resting after a fine dinner at the National and prepare for Sunday. Still undecided if we go to Yosemite or Hearst Mansion. We’ll decide after breakfast.

Oliver’s note: I’m resting on my side of the bed while Terry blogs on hers. My back is turned to her. My eyes are closed, and my mind is slowly relaxing from a very active day. I listen to the muffled sounds of the live band playing downstairs and the rowdy laughter of the people in the bar. I imagine this is much like it must have been in the 1800’s, so the ambient sounds are more charming than a nuisance. Then something strange happened. I feel my side of the bed settle as if someone is gently walking on the mattress near my pillow. There are ‘movement sounds’ close to my head. I open one eye to see if Terry is standing by the bedside. Nothing. Everything is still.

So I dismiss it, perhaps my imagination, or a swimmy-headed effect from the heat of the day. A few seconds later, the mattress definitely settles again, pressing down, then up, with sounds of a presence near the bed; a strange sensation.

It gets really freaky when Terry says, ‘what’s going on over there?’, questioning my restlessness.

I have been as still as a stone. Completely silent and motionless the whole time.

The next morning at breakfast, we find that the hotel is haunted, and after discussing the occurrence, we agree that the ghost was just tucking me in!