Family Bonding



Riding the Tram - Questioning Look from Porter

Happy Faces - Disneyland Tickets in hand

The Queen Mary

Steam Stacks and Life Boats on the Queen Mary

Pilot House - Queen Mary

Control Panel in Engine Room

While at Huntington Harbour, our son Duane and grandson Porter came for an extended weekend visit.  Duane and Porter used the time for a father-son bonding trip and we also celebrated Duane’s birthday, an opportunity for parent bonding.  Playing mini golf is one of Porter’s favorite activities so that was on the itinerary plus Duane had planned a surprise trip to Disneyland for Porter.  We told Porter we were going to use the rental car for a trip to Home Depot which would take the entire day, ugh.  Porter wasn’t too happy about the idea but went along with it anyway, what a sweet boy.  As we got closer to Disneyland, Porter saw signage that made him question our true destination, “oh that must be advertising for Disneyland” we told him.  “What a big parking structure, wow; we need to wait in line to find a place to park!”  As we rode the tram into Disneyland, he was beginning to figure it out and was so happy when he saw the word “Disneyland” on his entrance ticket.  What a great time we had!  Favorite rides included Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Space Mountain, Star Tours, and the Big Thunder coaster ride.  We equally enjoyed the evening fireworks, parade, and the “fantasmic” show.  Our weekend itinerary also included a visit to The Queen Mary located at Long Beach.  The RMS Queen Mary was considered the grandest ocean liner ever built when she left on her maiden voyage in 1936.  She sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line and was built in Clydebank, Scotland along with her sister ship, the RMS Queen Elizabeth.  Traveling by steamship from Europe to New York City was considered the most regal mode of travel of that bygone era.  During WWII the Queen Mary served as a troopship, transporting over 800,000 troops and traveling more than 600,000 miles, filling a significant role in the war effort.  Today she serves as a luxury hotel and entertainment venue, open to the public for self-guided tours.  We walked through the ship, touring the pilothouse, engine room, officer’s quarters, and sun decks.  We also went on a guided tour called the “haunted tour.”  This group tour took us further below decks where we saw the swimming pool used by notable guests of the cruise liner and then deeper yet (below the water line) where the boilers that powered the ship once stood.  It was damp and dark, accompanied with stories about unfortunate accidents and ghostly figures that haunt the ship.  A water breach in the hull was simulated with the use of a water pump – it was so realistic that anyone who didn’t know better might be scared to death.  We were impressed with the enormous inner workings of the ship – the massive size of mechanical components and the custom engineering required.  The engine room for example is several stories tall, and what appeared to be a large pipe was actually one of three prop shafts.  The gear boxes were huge as were the condensers that condensed the exhausted steam (by cooling with sea water) back into fresh water.  It was all very fascinating.  We spent the following day relaxing after breakfast and did a little souvenir shopping.  The toughest part of our weekend visit was saying goodbye; we sure miss being with our family but we’re also grateful to know our sons are doing well in their careers and keeping busy.

One of Three Prop Shafts

Porter standing over an Anchor Chain