A music gift from Five Year Mission & Geek Nation Tours

Everybody's partying this year, and now Five Year Mission band and Geek Nation Tours have teamed up to present their own gift to Trek fandom—a new song and video, "Take A Ride."

Take a Look! It's just a fun freebie to everybody—all about "taking a ride" through Star Trek to "STLV," the big annual Vegas "Khaaan" that expands to five August days this year in the crazy anniversary frenzy....and doing it via the tour stops of the expanded #LA2VEgas tour that I lead.

"We commissioned a song with Five Year Mission as a gift to the Star Trek community on this most important of years," says my bud Teras Cassidy, "head geek" at Geek Nation Tours. "It is especially dedicated to Star Trek fans making trips around the world to events celebrating the 50th anniversary."

So whether that's New York, England,  your local con down the road, or your own imagination via plasmascreen, podcast or any other portal — as always, it's all about the Trek travels of the imagination... and the friends.  Vegas #STLV is sold out and the tour is closing, so it's not so much about selling as celebrating. It's just a glorious fun road-trip song fest. That's the spirit!
 
I'm gonna cut FYM a hit-break and send you to their YouTube channel for the song—and give you a very non-spoilerific still above (and below). You can also download it easily at the GNT 50th anniversary Tour page: scroll down to July 29 and click "Take a Ride" to get the song.

...And both of them ready for sharing from either Facebook page, of course.

I expect to have a full orchestral and choir arrangement by the time we set sail in San Fran for the tour in July... if I don't take it with me everywhere I go this year already. Seems like just the thing for San Diego, Scarborough and CLEVELAND as well; OKC is soooo cool already, it can only help the gloss.

If you want on the Trek Tour bus '16, jump by Feb. 26!

RED ALERT: Friday, Feb. 26 is the deadline!

If you ever thought about jumping in on our special 50th anniversary edition of the #LA2Vegas Star Trek film site tour this summer, leading into the Vegas Khaan—and with the all-new San Francisco option—please reach out to "head geek" Teras Cassidy at @GeekNationTours by end of day Friday, Feb. 26.

One way I knew this Trek year was going to be "5-0 crazy" was how the tour this year has DOUBLED in size over any other. And we've barely done any regular promotion!

So, now... with STLV sold out, amazingly—there's not much point in keeping the Tour open. Of course, you can always come if you have your #STLV ticket safely in hand... or if you just want to come hang out around the con fringes at the Rio after your awesome trek across Hollywood and/or SF —but if so, you better sound off by the end-of-day tomorrow!

Check the details .... then fill out the website form or email Teras at headgeek@geeknationtours.com —just to get the conversation started ... because this boutique company that does dozens of other "geek" tours as well—sci-fi to gaming, military to historical—will give you personal service and tweak it for you, any partners or spouses, or special needs you might have.

No wonder we've got a group twice as big as ever before (24, at last count—10 seats open; we don't open a second bus). It's taken two cycles, through 2012 and 2014, but now the word seems to be out about LA2Vegas—and 5-0 fever has not hurt any. Those GNT Trek tour bowling shirts are known around the Khaaan now, and the Facebook page albums for both past tours has more memories you can check out.  This year, with the earlier start in San Fran for many, I'll be talking for 10 days before I ever GET to Vegas—so we'll see how that goes!

Of course, there's still room to jump in on the "Kirk Memorial" one-day tour out to the Valley of Fire canyon on Tuesday, the day before the expanded con opens on Wednesday this year. It's one way to smaller leap, a smaller tab, and get a taste of what the booming Trek touring experience has become.

Wow: The real-life birthplace of the Enterprise—TODAY

Buddy Dayton Ward's reposting of this iconic 1964 photo with a reminder of the 49th birthday of the "real" NCC-1701 earlier this week was a great kick in the butt to get something done I'd meant to do for years.

Meant to, in fact, ever since we had first published that photo and many more 13 years ago in a great piece by model historian William McCullars in the old Communicator (#132). It was piece that made me realize once again that, duh, we do live in SoCal here—and that once again the future "San Francisco" had again been faked for Star Trek. About a mile from me.

For just as, say, the Bird-of-Prey "Bounty" had really set down on Will Rogers' polo field in ST IV, not Golden Gate Park... so too were the Starfleet "San Fransisco Navy Yards" actually located at ... 104 E. Providencia in Burbank. That, you see, was the 1964 location of Volmer Jensen's Production Models Shop ... and the location of that iconic photo above, snapped on the occasion as primary model contractor Richard C. Datin (at left in photo) took delivery of the 11-footer for Howard A. Anderson Effects and Desilu.

I had been meaning for years to go over, scout the area, and try to recreate the angles in that now-famous photo—and another couple more we had from William but didn't publish. It was Dec. 30, only a day later and about the same long-shadowed time of late afternoon.

What I found... was astounding. Click and compare for yourself—12/29/64 vs. 12/30/13:

The distant church, the midground building on left, and especially the motel and the brick-topped short stucco sidewalk wall at right are all intact and obviously visible. Even the sidewalk and many phone/power poles appear to be the same. Changes in trim, doors and windows plugged since 1964—all can be picked out.

This second UNPUBLSHED photo (aside from William's now-gone website), which has a bit of Jensen's shop sign, gets an updated angle too. The dang modern green-screened gate is in the way, but try to look past it and see the short stucco "fence" turn back anyway. I was staring into a late afternoon sun-blanked MacBook monitor for reference, so my angle is not as true as I'd like; I should have been further left into the street, but hey:

 

There is no photo (to my knowledge) of Jensen's shop head-on, but here's the angle of what's there today (right): a tile and flooring shop, where I met the owner's brother Tony—who was well aware of the historic nature of his brother's little enterprise. They had not received many pilgrims like me, but the notoriety of the place had been handed down from neighbors and prior owners.


All these pics are another good reminder why both Tonight Show's Johnny Carson and Laugh-In writers thought the irony of a 1960s global media capital with a "Mayberry" downtown was too much to pass up—and so "Beautiful Downtown Burbank" was as much a local joke as a worldwide catchphrase.

I got by just in time, as Tony reminded me: the downtown modernizing of Burbank since the 1990s now means that a new IKEA and parking lot are going in this year just behind the shop, and a new downtown Hilton is going in across the street —taking out all the surrounding block of old 50s-60s low-story, freeway-adjacent industrial buildings. The building across the street at left and all the low-key use will be gone in a year—as will the flooring shop's neighbors.

Somehow, THIS shop escaped the new IKEA plan buyout... so, like Independence Hall amidst tall downtown Philly, this little Burbank division of Starfleet appears to live on—for now.

(What—you think the comparison in history is too much? Get out of here, Herbert.)

An Andy Griffith-Star Trek link? Not once, but twice!

Happy Independence Day, y'all...

And while all of America joins in to mourn and remember the great Andy Griffith, who died Tuesday at the age of 86, it took a Facebook poke from Dan Madsen to remind me of a site that actually has a great Andy-Star Trek connection: a study of the commonly seen Mayberry small town exteriors at the Desilu "Forty Acres" lot in Culver City that Desilu-produced Star Trek redressed and shot wider, in "Miri," "The Return of the Archons," "Errand of Mercy," and "The City on the Edge of Forever": with an even greater link here.  "Forty Acres" (actually 29) was also the home of the Hogan Heroes' "Stalag 13" POW camp set, with "Mayberry" serving earlier for both the Superman TV series and even as Atlanta in Gone With the Wind. The large outdoor set complex was sold, bulldozed and developed more industrially in 1976.

But Mayberry-Trek lives on in film: Not Andy per se, but the iconic "Goodnight, Sweetheart" Kirk-Edith scene in "City" actually includes a stroll past the iconic "Floyd's Barber Shop" (above), whose sign is left uncovered across the whole frame as the two tragic lovers walk by, on what is of course ostensibly a 1930 New York City street.

If you want to go one more Andy-Trek connection, don't forget the yes-they-really-aired-this-concept Salvage 1 (left), which starred Andy and was executive produced by none other than ... Harve Bennett! For all its glorious 19 episodes in 1979, over a half and a quarter season—this was Harve's TV follow-up to The SIx Million Dollar Man and his last series prior to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

What's more, guess who got her first writing credits ever on that Andy-starring series in its dying weeks? None other than future TNG executive producer and Voyager co-creator Jeri Taylor!

A TOUR of the real Trekland? Guess who's leading it?

So, this guy walks up to me at the Vegas Khaaaan last year ...

And stunzap! —next thing I know I've been tractor-beamed into leading a tour for fans taking in 4 1/2 days worth of Star Trek film sites, around L.A. and en route to Vegas so as to end up—and extend through—the annual Creation Vegas blowout next August.

Well, actually, he didn't really have to stun me. Or even twist my arm—as if I had to tell you that.

You can read all about the facts of the "Exploring Trek Sites: Hollywood to Vegas With Larry Nemecek" here, but I want to talk about the feelings this all conjures up. Like how I'm flattered  to have Teras Kassidy approach me to partner with him on this Trek sites tour ... and how I'm confident to do so, knowing that his Geek Nation Tours has been doing theme tours for various flavors of "geeks" around the U.S. and Europe since 2009. And how I'm thrilled that this has been a great add to his travel agency of 13 years—so I know I've hitched my good name to one that's equally dependable.

I'm also excited to think of Trek site touring in terms of a group dynamic, and a big crowd. But not too big: one example being Teras' quality control, insisting on a one-bus limit so there's no "second class" tour-fans on the "second" bus getting just the faceless audio off a wireless mic pickup from Bus 1, or an exhausted host (ahem) hopping back and forth between stops. I've hit the Trekland sites over the years with friends and visiting "scholars," of course—I'm lookin' at you, Jorg!—but never considered how to maneuver a busload of Trekkies into these sites. And in a schedule that makes sense for fans who are also human beings needing food, shelter and plumbing.

I'm also curious to see what climes and time zones' natives decide to beam in and make up that busload, which will spend a couple days in greater L.A. and then actually hit the road for some rarer sites before we pull into Vegas just in time for the Creation clambake.  Seriously, Teras' agency reaches from Oz to Japan to the Americas and then cross the pond to the U.K. and Germany... so I hope we have quite the World Wide Warpcore of fans in the mix for this thing. They ALL can speak English, you know.

Most of all, I'm delighted to do double-duty once again: researching Trek's filming location for all series and movies. My archive of call sheets and memos, and those hundreds of interviews back to 1992, are the best source—but this has been a great poke in the butt to finish doing the legwork.

Of course, we can't go everywhere. Some are not open to groups, and we've only got 4 1/2 days! And—do you go to the obvious sites anyone can get to, like a Paramount studio tour or Vasquez Rocks? Do you play the numbers and favor Original Series or TNG or movies, or include a broad swath of the series? I've tried to factor in all series and their movies—including JJ Trek—and we have the known as well the obscure. For one thing, fans on their own won't get to go to those places with a great tour guide, and for another—well, again, I think a boatload of Trekkies from around the world will be just an awesome experience you can;t easily replicate. Of course, there are planned outs where you can take off on your own if you need your own space, so to speak.

I've already lined up one special: none other than Bobby Clark the Gorn will meet us at Vasquez Rocks—you can see him at the big cons,incuding Vegas, but how many get to hear him talk about that inhabiting that Gorn suit right on the iconic site where he so famously fought James T.? We may add a few more surprises in, too; we already have some "fudge factor" sites bneyond what you will read about, just in case we get a chance at, or have to adjust, to a Plan B due to factors beyond our control.

Seriously, folks, I just can't get across how excited I am to be a part of this. And Teras has all kinds of options for accomodating your not-so-fannish travelmate or spouse... or if you already have your Rio or other Vegas hotel reserved ... or in matching you up to a "double opccupancy" partner.  I know it has a pricetag, but if there's any way you can beam in and join us this Aug.  4-13 in Los Angeles ... and wind up in Vegas to survive the Khaaann—well, be there or be dunsel!

Diet Coke Oscars commercial has Star Trek/Paramount all over it

My jaw dropped when the new Diet Coke commercial unspooled over the Oscars show Sunday night. Did you catch it?

Well, you should know, dear readers, that it is literally dripping with Trek sauce in a full marinade. SO much so it slapped me upside the head... in a virtual way. With my own eyes.

The ad (see below), titled "Not All Stars Appear On-Screen," carried the obvious "location shoot" vista of tilted stone at Vasquez Rocks—known to you all as the Kirk-Gorn fight scene... AND Capella IV, Vulcan from ST IV and ST 2009, TNG's Mintaka III, etc, etc...

But more than that, a big chunk is shot at Paramount—and right on legendary "Star Trek Street" of the 80s/90s/Aughts. Recall the big sliding stage door, seen both opening (0:16) and closing? That's the main door to Stage 18—home to the DS9 Defiant, Bajor and "swing" sets, then Enterprise's Bridge, Engine Room/Armory/Shuttle Bay, Decon and Transporter. And, once open, you peek out from the dark stage right at the Stage 8-9 entrance (here obscured by a white trailer) and stairway, home to the TOS movies, TNG and VGR standing sets and ENT Sickbay and "swing" sets—and now home to CBS's NCIS: LA.  That upper walkway leads you to the upstairs Dreier Building offices that once housed the TNG-VGR art department and offices from set construction coordinator (and fan club honoree) Al Smutko to prop master Alan Sims to set dresser Jim Mees.  Makeup designer Mike Westmore and hair dressers Joysee Norman and later Michale Moore were there, too.

And yes, we said Stage 18. A few seconds at 0:13 are seen to be outside the small door for "Stage 14," but that's another street over — where the huge Stage 14-15 team-up is more in the scale of movies ... used for both First Contact and JJ's Star Trek.

Most film and commercials shot in the "heart of Trekland" Paramount are from over on New York street.  So, seeing these cool views from right there along Star Trek Street once again--well, I half expected to see L.Z. or Steve or Russ the security guards, or Mark Alan Shepherd halfway into his Morn makeup, wandering through one of those shots. Very cool!

Here, take a look: