Pioneers in American Aviation History Mural at Ontario International Airport

This ceramic tile mural is titled "Pioneers in American Aviation History" by Richard Wyatt. It was installed at the Ontario International Airport in Ontario, California, in 1998. From left to right, the mural depicts Lieutenant Lee "Buddy" Archer, Ellen Ochoa, Wilbur & Orville Wright, Amelia Earhart, and Margaret Gee.

Lieutenant Lee "Buddy" Archer was one of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II and was the only African-American pilot to earn the designation of "ace" for shooting down at least five enemy aircraft.

Ellen Ochoa was the first Latina in space, serving aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1993, and she was the first Latina director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Orville & Wilbur Wright achieved the first powered, controlled, heavier-than-air flight on December 17, 1903, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Amelia Earhart was the first woman to make a non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932.

Margaret "Maggie" Gee was one of only two Chinese-American women to serve in the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II.

Views near Perris and Moreno Valley, California

These views were taken from Interstate 215 between Perris and Moreno Valley, California, on November 29, 2006. This view shows Terri Peak, part of the Lake Perris State Recreation Area. At an elevation of 2,569 feet, it is the highest point in the recreation area that can be hiked to. In the foreground is a Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers yard near Perris, California.

This is another view of Terri Peak on the left, and Big Rock on the right. Though they appear about the same height, Terri Peak is much further away on the opposite side of Lake Perris. Big Rock is approximately 180 feet tall and is popular for rock climbing. In the foreground is a Ross Distribution Center near Perris, California.

This is the rear end of a retired United States Air Force Lockheed C-141B Starlifter cargo plane at the March Field Air Museum at the March Air Reserve Base between Perris and Moreno Valley. This aircraft entered service in 1964 and was retired to the museum on November 10, 1999. The Air Force retired its last Starlifters in 2006.

This is Box Springs Mountain, which separates Moreno Valley from nearby Riverside. At 3,083 feet tall it is the highest peak in the Box Springs Mountains range. The name comes from a natural spring of water around which a resident built a wooden box to contain the flow of water.

In 1966, a letter "M" was embedded on this side of the mountain as a symbol of Moreno Valley High School. The City of Moreno Valley would not be incorporated until December 3, 1984. This was not the first letter on Box Springs Mountain, however; in 1957 a letter "C" was embedded on the other side of the mountain facing Riverside, about 1,500 feet above the University of California - Riverside campus.

John Wayne Airport

The John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, dates back to 1923. It was originally called the Orange County Airport, and it is the only airport in Orange County.

Following the death of actor John Wayne on June 11, 1979, the Orange County Board of Supervisors renamed it the John Wayne Airport on June 20, 1979. In addition to an award-winning career appearing in over 170 films between 1926 and 1977, Wayne also lived in nearby Newport Beach. 

This 9-foot bronze statue of John Wayne by sculptor Rober Summers was dedicated to Orange County on November 4, 1982. The statue was commissioned by the John Wayne Memorial Associates.

JOHN WAYNE MEMORIAL ASSOCIATES

1. Bruce & Cecilia Nott

2. The Family of Michael A. Wayne

3. The Family of Patrick Wayne

4. Melinda Wayne Muñoz Family

5. B. E. B. Geiker

6. Kae A. Ewing

7. Sy Fuhrman

8. David J. Phillips

9. Anonymous

10. Tony Altermann

11. Allan J. Carlton, Jr.

12. Rondell B. Hanson

13. Mr. & Mrs. James K. Creath

14. Anonymous

15. Olaf Wieghorst

16. Ronald R. White

17. Mr. & Mrs. Donald E. Rowson

18. Robert F. Montgomery, M. D.

19. Byron M. Tarnutzer

20. Tony & Melinda Moiso

November 4, 1982

1992 California Trip: Trees of Mystery

Our family's last stop on our 1992 California trip was Trees of Mystery in Klamath, California, on March 19, 1992. Trees of Mystery features a trail among a number of unusual trees. It also features chainsaw carvings and a museum of Native American artifacts.

One of the most impressive displays at Trees of Mystery is located at the parking lot. Massive statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe, his blue ox, greet visitors as they arrive.

The statue of Paul Bunyan weighs 30,000 pounds, and its concrete base weighs 800,000 pounds. It is 49 feet 2 inches tall, with a waist 52 feet around and a chest 66 feet around. The axe is 27 feet long and the boots are 10 feet high. It was designed by Ann Cooper and built by Ward Berg.

The statue of Babe is 35 feet high from the ground to the tips of the horns, and weighs 30,000 pounds.

Photo by Cliff West

Trees of Mystery first opened in 1946, and the first statue of Paul Bunyan was erected there that year, but it was promptly destroyed by the rain that winter. The current Paul Bunyan statue was built in 1961 and Babe was built in 1952.

Photo by Cliff West

The statues are constructed primarily of wood, chicken wire, and stucco. Paul Bunyan can wave his hand, turn his head, and wink. Before the statues were relocated to their current position in 1983, Babe could nod and blow smoke out of his nostrils.

Photo by Cliff West

One of the first trees encountered at Trees of Mystery is the Family Tree. Twelve Sitka spruce trees grow from one trunk 32 feet around. The additional trees grow out of the branches of the main tree.

Photo by Cliff West

Here are a group of trilliums that were growing along the trail.

Photo by Cliff West

This is the "Upside Down" Tree, though it is not really upside-down. It is really more sideways, with a horizontal trunk growing out of a vertical trunk. The horizontal trunk curves wildly and even crosses over the trail.

Photo by Cliff West

The "Upside Down" Tree has two trunks and two root structures. One tree grows horizontally and the other growing vertically through the horizontal trunk. The horizontal tree is always seeking sunlight.

Photo by Cliff West

This is the Octopus Tree. It gets its name from it's tangled web of exposed roots that look like tentacles. These roots also create an open space under the Octopus Tree called Nature's Underpass that children can crawl through.

Photo by Cliff West

The Octopus Tree also features a sign that reads "These are the trees you have seen in Ripley's Believe It or Not."

Photo by Cliff West

I don't know the name of this tree formation. There is a sign on it but it is not readable in the photograph; I think it says "SUN _". These trees are twisted around one another, as they each try to get as much sun as possible.

Photo by Cliff West

In this picture is the Lightning Tree, named for the jagged shape of its trunk which makes it look like a bolt of lightning.

Photo by Cliff West

I think this is the Cathedral Tree, a group of nine trees growing together in a semicircle around the root structure of a dead tree that has since rotted away. Weddings and Easter services have been conducted here.

This was the last stop on our family's 1992 California trip. After leaving Trees of Mystery we headed north towards home.