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Hello Dear Readers! Sometimes, when I start to do research for the week’s pressing matters, I think I’ve got nothing to talk about and then somehow, magically, there’s much to discuss. Such is the case this week, here’s what we’ll be exploring:

April's Cool • All Aboard • Japanese Garden • Butterflies • Who’s Out & Who’s In?

April 1st has always been fun, but never has it been celebrated with such relish and detail as it gets from the online community. Sometimes the offerings are so convincing that you may end up needing a scorecard to check against, and that's where the following website may come in handy tomorrow:


From last year.

AprilFoolsDayOnTheWeb.com brings you the most complete listing of April Fools' Day Jokes that Web Sites have run each year from 2004 all the way up to today. Make sure you check out the full list, and if you have a site that is not already listed, please add it.

Here's the link to their site: April Fools' Day On The Web and get updates via Twitter here: Follow @AprFoolsDay


Disney train enthusiasts ... The fine Carolwood Foundation folks have let me know there are still a few seats available for this year’s rail trip, here’s the scoop:

By special arrangement with the Pacific Coast Railroad, we will reunite the combine with the other passenger cars of the fabled "Retlaw 1" consist. This is something that has not happened in over 35 years, and there are no guarantees that it will ever happen again after the combine moves to its permanent home by Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn in Griffith Park. The combine has not carried passengers since 1974, so this event presents a very rare opportunity to ride aboard what Walt himself proclaimed to be his favorite part of the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad.

A first for this trip is that we will have two separate Amtrak trains pulling private cars to San Luis Obispo. The domed coach Silver Lariat will originate in Oakland and includes presentations by Disney Legend Floyd Norman and Pixar story artist and voice talent Jeff Pidgeon. The Silver Splendor, dome coach from our Spring 2010 trip, will depart Los Angeles and features talks by Walt Disney Imagineering SVP Tony Baxter and WDI Principal Concept Designer Ray Cadd. Whichever train you chose, you'll start your journey Saturday morning, enjoy lunch on board and arrive in San Luis Obispo that afternoon.

The rail trip will take place on May 21st and 22nd and costs $575 for passage aboard the Silver Lariat or Silver Splendor. For all the details on the trip and information about purchasing tickets, visit: http://www.carolwood.org/event.html


One of my favorite places to hang out (besides Disneyland, of course) is the Huntington Library in nearby San Marino. The gardens are stunning and the art collection, superb. The Huntington is about to embark on a year-long refurbishment of their beautiful Japanese Garden so hurry and visit ... the Huntington Library’s Japanese Garden closes on April 4th, last day to see it is Sunday April 3rd.

A year is a long time to go without that gorgeous space:

Renovation plans call for a complete historical restoration of the Japanese house, repairs to the central pond system and water infrastructure, renovation of the original faux bois (false wood) ornamental trellises, improvements in accessibility, and modifications to the landscape and hardscape.

One of the highlights of the project will be the installation of a ceremonial teahouse, donated to The Huntington by the Pasadena Buddhist Temple. Built in Kyoto in the 1960s, the teahouse, called the Arbor of Pure Breeze, will be rebuilt on a picturesque ridge on the southwest side of the Japanese Garden surrounded by an authentic tea garden.

For more information on the Huntington Library’s Japanese Garden visit this link. Also of interest — the Huntington’s blog about what’s going to happen in the Japanese Garden. The Huntington Library is located near Pasadena in the city of San Marino, approximately twelve miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles at 1151 Oxford Road. For more information call: 626.405.2100


Have you ever experienced walking through a space filled with butterflies ... beautiful creatures flitting all around you? A few years ago I got to enjoy this treat at New York’s Natural History Museum. It was steamy and hot (apparently, butterflies like humidity) and it was a grand and glorious thing to behold.

I don’t know why I’ve never taken the time to do the same thing at my hometown’s Natural History Museum. And that’s something I intend to correct shortly when the Butterfly Pavilion at Los Angeles’ Museum of Natural History opens in a few weeks:

The Butterfly Pavilion is a beautifully landscaped seasonal exhibit where over the course of the summer, more than 40 different butterfly and moth species call home. Here is your chance to wander into their world and better understand the environment that is needed for their survival.

The Pavilion of Wings is located just outside the main Museum building on the South Lawn and special ticketed admission applies. Tickets are sold in half hour intervals throughout the day at a rate of $3 for adults, $2 for students and seniors, and $1 for children. Museum Members are free of charge. The Pavilion is open from April 10th through September 5th, 2011 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with the last tickets sold at 4:30 PM. For more information visit this link.

Poor Whoopi, she’s getting no theme park love. First Ms. Goldberg gets ousted from Disney California Adventure’s Superstar Limo and Golden Dreams ... okay I guess that’s not technically correct, it’s the attractions that got the axe, not specifically Whoopi (and could I be more excited to see what’s taken Golden Dreams’ place? Can’t wait for The Little Mermaid — Ariel’s Undersea Adventure to open, can you?). Now, Whoopi’s also getting the heave-ho from Universal Studios Hollywood’s Tram Tour. From their press release:

The Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood, which has taken over 150 million visitors behind the scenes of the movie and television industry's biggest hits, will introduce a new video "host" this spring as comedian Jimmy Fallon, star of NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," becomes the ride's "virtual Studio Tour Guide."  Jimmy will be introducing a series of videos that will be seen on the Hi Definition monitors located in each Tram car to augment the "live" narration provided by Universal Studios Hollywood's tour guides.

Fallon said, "We really had fun with filming my role. We brought some writers out from our show and added some jokes, more play with the Studio Tour guides, the tram drivers and we added a song or two. The tour itself is a classic, a really great experience. For anyone with any interest in show business, it's all there: the glamour, the glitz, all the hard work that goes into making a movie or a TV show can be experienced on the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour. I'm very happy to be a part of it."

Hmmmm, sounds interesting. I wonder what Jimmy will come up with, gotta get myself up to Universal sometime soon and have a look.

For more information about Universal Studios Hollywood visit: http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com


Okay, that wraps it up for this week, I think I’m going to head out to Critter Country and get one of those yummy blueberry pies. Have you tried those things? Mmmmmm!

Want to know what I’m up to? Then you need to follow Pressing Matters on Twitter. You never know what you’ll find there — food, museums, shopping, Disneyland!

Follow me along as I search for the all the latest Pressing Matters & tweet about what I find:

I’ll leave you and say goodbye until next week when we meet again to discuss more...

If you'd like to submit something to be considered for the column, please send it to both Sue and Al at the following email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected] with the words "Pressing Matters" in the subject line. Due to our already extensive email loads we won't be able to acknowledge each submission, but those under consideration may get a note from us asking for more details. Representatives from the items chosen are invited to answer questions from readers at the forum linked at the end of each column.

FTC-Mandated Disclosure: As of December 2009, bloggers are required by the Federal Trade Commission to disclose payments and freebies. Sue Kruse and Al Lutz did not receive any payments, free items, or free services from any of the parties discussed in this article. They pay for their own admission to theme parks and their associated events, unless otherwise explicitly noted.


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© 2011 Sue Kruse

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