GPS show where the Beach Boys make history
Technology has done wonders for travel in recent years, and we must find more Beyond the Internet to see how they have probably changed the way that once made hotel reservations or decide where to go on that weekend getaway special. A series of travel options awaits you online, and now can book your entire trip with the simple click of a mouse.
By techno-geeks, the next frontier is the journey of GPS and I read and hear about GPS users that are on the Internet and then make a game to find specific locations using latitude and longitude. Now we bring GPS tourism.
The idea is to create your own tour using a GPS unit to find points of interest and specific directions. Instead of bombing a $ 40 for a narrated bus tour of famous places, now you can buy a GPS for $ 100 and be your own tour guide. Of course, the GPS unit can be re-used, so that the financial equation looks a little better after you have auto-ran a couple of times.
For our first GPS tour, I chose Los Angeles and, for a subject, the Beach Boys. Now for those old enough to remember the Beatles, also remember that just before the Beatles were the airwaves flooded with Beach Boys songs – probably in no small measure contributes to the population boom in Southern California as pale, cold, teeth chattering baby Boomers seek "the heat of the Sun" and the ubiquitous "California Girls" and the boys.
Fast forward to today and can understand that many of us now consider a visit to the Beach Boys' homeland as something like visiting the Cavern in Liverpool. The Beach Boys represent a distinct part of the American music culture and this may partially explain why thousands of people who still appear in the Beach Boys concert, even when only original member still playing in the group.
Here, however, we must include a word of caution. Some spouses not only "receive" what we're trying to do to make the pilgrimage to the land of the Beach Boys. When I told my wife to go to Los Angeles to make a Beach Boys history, only heard the word "beach" – hours later, I was seriously questioning his decision to come with me to go short in Hawthorne neighborhoods.
Our Tour does not cover the whole range – from the center and depressed age range, south of LAX at spectacular estates of Beverly Hills. All we needed were our trusty Magellan Meridian Gold GPS satellite receiver and a copy of "Heroes and Villains", the definitive Beach Boys book written years ago by Steven Gaines. In the book, carefully Gaines down the winding road of the Beach Boys pulled out of his early days at Hawthorne until the early 80's when drummer Dennis Wilson drowned in Marina del Rey. Fortunately, Gaines has provided many exact addresses that refer to the history of the Beach Boys.
The first address we found was El Camino College, 16,007 Crenshaw Blvd. in Torrance, where in the summer of 1961, students from Brian Wilson and Al Jardine first talked about forming the group that eventually become the Beach Boys. Just a couple of miles away, we headed for Hawthorne High School, 4859 W. El Segundo Blvd., Where the brothers Wilson and Al Jardine, spending their school years. Judging by the one age of construction, high school is probably similar to the way it looked like the Beach Boys were growing.
Just a couple of miles, and we to 3701 W. 119th Street in Hawthorne – The site where the Wilson brothers – Brian, Dennis and Carl – grew up under the authoritarian rule of his father, Murray. Today the neighborhood who lived in a lower income area, although the houses and yards were probably much more attractive in the 1960s. Unfortunately, the place where the house was located Wilson is now an open lot. It is our guess that most people living in this neighborhood have no idea of the music history that occurred on this section blank of land.
At this point our tour moved about 16 miles to Highway I-405 and a couple of years ahead in the Beach Boys' history. In 1964, Brian Wilson was living with his girlfriend's family – even while the group was making national hits – and eventually moved to a one bedroom apartment in The 7235 Hollywood Boulevard. Just as Gaines said in the book, the building is large and anonymous, and Brian grew so lonely here soon married his girlfriend of Marilyn Rovell.
A few miles to the west and we headed into 9000 Sunset Boulevard, the office building where, after great success with tours and many successes, Beach Boys opened new offices on the 8th floor. This building was like Entertainment Central time, with many great bands and artists on the location of their offices there.
More into the sunset, we arrived at 14400 Sunset Boulevard where, in the spring of 1968, Dennis Wilson arrived home at 1 am one night to find all the lights from home and a strange man, hunched, grizzled hair, which was waiting at the entrance. This was the introduction of Dennis to the family of Charles Manson, who still live in house and feed up to Beach Boy Dennis could not go home. Today, the house is only partially – or fire damage or evisceration intentional, just some sort of frame and a massive stone fireplace remain. Contractors are busy at work building a new home, but property it still has a park-like setting and is easy to imagine what that night must have been like for Dennis Wilson.
Nearby is 910 Greentree, where Brian Wilson lived in the 1980's when he was being treated by a psychiatrist for his well-publicized mental health problems. The house is isolated and has very small garden-like vegetation mature than one might imagine was there during the period of Wilson.
On the way home we went back to 2600 Benedict Canyon Road, where more happy years Dennis Wilson, had moved with his wife and two children. Unfortunately, it is a driveway closed and a security guard was waiting in his car at the door. We Now this probably belonged to someone a little more current – perhaps someone from Linkin Park or maybe the Foo Fighters.
There are other directions in the book Gaines – Dennis houses where he lived with Karen Lamm (wife of Chicago keyboardist-singer Robert Lamm), where he lived Mike Love, and even the number of sliding (C-1100), where Dennis died Marina del Rey. But a few hours of The Beach Boys nostalgia was enough – especially for my wife, who said that now goes to the beach.
This was a great day for a music fan like me, but others disagree. As my wife said: "I wish I had known it was going to spend the day chasing ghosts – I would have stayed home.
AT A GLANCE
WHERE: The tour of the history of Beach Boys – only one of the ways you can using your new GPS – mainly in a part of Los Angeles near LAX and Hollywood / Beverly Hills. Many others would be possible in the area in accordance with their interests and addresses can be found.
WHAT: This particular GPS tour is the perfect outlet for loving rock and roll music which also happens to be a techno-geek.
WHEN: Guided GPS are great at any time.
WHY: Because it's cool to use technology in new and different. And because, with a GPS is never lost.
HOW: You can find a GPS receiver at a reasonable price at Costco and other major electronics retailer – Prices continue to fall.
About the Author
Cary Ordway is a syndicated travel writer and president of Getaway Media Corp, which publishes websites focused on regional getaway travel. Among the sites currently offered by GMC are http://www.californiaweekend.com , which will help you travel California, and http://www.northwesttraveladvisor.com , covering NW beach vacations and other travel destinations in the Pacific Northwest .
RAM Magellan Meridian Mount Cradle (RAM-HOL-MA2U) @ gpscity.com
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