Southern California
These are all from Southern California, excluding the Los Angeles Area.
"Morro Bay - California" Morro Bay, I've never been there, is kind of the coastal dividing line between northern and southern California. It's right in the middle. And I will bet anybody that you can't find a picture labelled Morro Bay that doesn't have a view of Morro Rock in it. (let me know if you find one.)ps. I think Jennifer Edwards sent me this one, thanks Jennifer!
I have no idea whether there are sea turtles in Morro Bay. But I do know that my brother in San Francisco has a giant Tortoise in his back yard that only eats fancy gourmet greens that if he doesn't get he'll eat the rose bushes. Another from Jennifer Edwards, she's great! (but from Sacramento, so she doesn't know about the turtles either.)
My father-in-law Rick picked this one up in October 2004 because we suggested that he and Karin go to Santa Barbara for a couple days on their southern California trip. Ha ha Suckers! (thanks for thinking of me, Rick!)
This was a gift from super-collector Tom Hollywood. Please see the link about him in menu. I don't really have funny story about this coin. Tom asked me if I wanted it, I grudgingly said, "OK". Now I have it. You might consider writing to him yourself.
Another gift from Tom Hollywood. It says "Midway Magic Launch Week June 7 -14 2004" Yes, I'm aware that it took over a year for me to get this coin on my web site. Some have even taken longer. But you know, once it's up there, it never comes down.
Tom Hollywood gave me this one from the USS Midway in San Diego. It turns out he works there in some capacity. If you're down there, (I've never been.) search him out and find out what he does. That's your mission if you choose to accept it.
Tom Hollywood can send you this coin, if you can find him. (I think I've given you ample clues.) The USS Midway is an aircraft carrier turned museum Docked in San Diego, California. I haven't been there. Somebody (guess who) sent this coin to me. If you want to know more than you want to know about the Midway, there's web page somebody made about it.
"USS Midway - San Diego California" a gift from super-collector Tom Hollywood. I think this is the insignia for crew members on the ship, but you already know how ignorant I am about this.
"20 Mule Team - Death Valley California" I've been through Death Valley, but I didn't get this penny there. I don't know where I got it! What I do know is that Francis Marion "Borax" Smith made his fortune there running those mule teams, and lost it in Oakland running commuter trains. Sometimes I eat my lunch near his grave in Oakland's Mountain View Cemetery.
"Wild Safari" Don't know where it is, don't know where I got this coin. I could look it up on the web, but there's really no reason to. Even this scan looks bad. The coin is nice though, so thanks to whoever it was that gave it to me. 2 weeks later... ok I was watching some home movies that my friends Woody, Nancy & Miranda made and I saw that they went to Wild Safari in Oregon last Summer... this could lead somewhere...
"Huntington Beach CA" I like the simplicity. I think Art and Carol brought it back for me from somewhere at some time. I hope they read the rant I wrote about the penny Fawn gave me.
"Palm Springs" Stephen Moore sent me this one, I think, heck I don't know who sent it. Anyway, it's a really nicely detailed engraving by Eurolink... How do I know, you ask? Well, I have the same one on a quarter that Gary Morey of Eurolink gave me back in January 2001. (I should really figure out how to scan hose quarter rolls.)
"Beat The Heat - Bun Boy - Baker CA" When you're driving to Las Vegas on Interstate 15, Baker is about the last civilization you'll see in California. You'll know you're there when you see the giant thermometer. Jimmy, Byron, and I ate at the Bun Boy on our trip in February 2002.
"Madonna Inn" What can we say about the Madonna Inn? It's the goofiest motel on the central California coast? That sounds about right. How did I get this penny? My friend Beth got it when she was the attending Graham Nash's wedding reception in May 2002. How'd she get invited? Ask her!
"Seal Beach California" Oh whoops, there's one more aquatic mammal at Seal Beach apparently. Thanks, Jamie, for all the pennies.
"Frontierland - Disneyland" Brady's friend techgirl sent me this one in May of 2002. I'm still too afraid to go to Disneyland myself. I think they have something like 200 penny smashers going at any one time. Thanks for helping out, tecgirl!
"Pocahontas - Disneyland" I got this one at the Alemany Flea Market for a quarter. See, you don't have to go to Disneyland to get these things!
"Giant Dipper - Belmont Park - San Diego" Jamie Bennett sent me this one (and a few others) from a recent trip to San Diego. The roller coaster in Santa Cruz is also called the Giant Dipper, I'm sure you know, but do you know which one is older? If you do, let me know.
"Old Town San Diego' - I've never been there so I'm not sure, but I guess San Diego, like many American cities, has tried to revitalize its inner city by turning it into a tourist attraction. Jamie Bennett sent me this penny. Update! - Sandra wrote to me about this penny!
"Seal Beach California" No idea where Seal Beach is, but I think it's somewhere near San Diego. Yup, you got it, Jamie Bennett sent this one to me.
"Seal Beach California" Remember what I said about Seal Beach before? Well, it still goes. However, I have learned from this penny that there may be mermaids at Seal Beach. Go figure...
"Seal Beach California" The picture becomes clearer and clearer. Seal Beach has all kinds of aquatic mammals. Including these porpoises... or dolphins... or killer whales? I can't tell from the picture.
"Hearst Castle" I can't tell what's happening in the scene in this penny! There are two figures, I know that, and one seems to have an arm on the other... but the face on the left one is ... I don't know. Beth brought me this one, maybe she knows what the picture is.
"I Love You! - Hearst Castle" My friend Beth brought me back a whole bunch of pennies from Hearst Castle after I complained when she went down there the first time and didn't bring any back. It just goes to show that whining really works on some people.
"Hearst Castle" I've never been there, my friend Beth gave me this penny, but according to http://www.hearstcastle.org/ this has got to be the Neptune Pool. Uh huh, you got that right, it's not the Roman Pool even though it's got some roman looking stuff around it. Thanks, Beth!
"San Simeon, CA" Informed people know that San Simeon is where Hearst Castle is. Informed people also know that it's near the Pacific Ocean and that sea lions live in the ocean. Even more informed people (people who are more informed, not another group of informed people) know that this image is also used on a penny from some other place.
"Hearst Castle" I like this penny design, but there's not much I can say about it. My friend Beth gave it to me, I think she was there with someone, but I don't know who.
"Hearst Castle" This is a picture of the tour guide at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. Depending on which of the 5 tours a person chooses, he pulls that lever and the appropriate little gate opens and directs the tourist onto the correct path. It's a pretty cool system. (The truth is I made all that up.)
"Hearst Castle" Julia Morgan designed the estate for William Randolph Hearst starting in 1919. He wanted something a little more accommodating than what they had before. She included 61 bathrooms in her design, now that's accommodations!
"San Diego, California" Cory, Callie, and Cody brought this one back for me when they went down and saw the Giants play the Padres. It's got a whole bunch of landmark names around the border: Seaport Village, Seaworld, Charger, Padres, and a url www.pennycollector.com. Last time I checked it, there was nothing there.
Another from Cory, Callie, and Cody's trip to San Diego. Those three are really moving up in Benefactor competition! Thanks you guys!
So, my friend Beth was going to give this one to me at my birthday party in May 2001, but she forgot and sent it to me with a letter instead. In the letter, she explains she found 3 machines in Morro Bay, Ca but that two were out of order, that she was carrying around a 1973 penny to smash for me, but she couldn't find it at the time, so that is why I got this little silver bellied otter from "Morro Bay, California" Thank you Beth!
Barbara Webster sent me this one from the Madonna Inn, which is near San Luis Obispo, California. I don't, of course, remember why she sent it to me, I guess she's just a really nice person! Yeah, you are Barb!
My friend Beth brought me this one. I have no idea what Ragged Point is. If you do, let me know. The only thing I know is that it's somewhere near Pismo Beach, CA or something. Anyway, thanks Beth, you're the greatest! Update! R.J. wrote to me about this penny!
This one is from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and shows a submarine with a trident.
"Stephen Birch Aquarium Museum" and shows an octopus. I guess the Birch Aquarium is also at the Scripps Institute, judging by the next penny.
"Stephen Birch Aquarium Museum - SIO UCSD" with some kind of tropical fish. I guess I ought to do some research about this place. If you know anything about it, let me know! Update! - A bunch of kind and generous people have written to me about this penny
