My Back to the Future field trip

WonkaKid

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
I decided to take a little field trip today to visit two of the BTTF locations I’ve wanted to see since I moved to LA from Chicago. The first was the Twin/Lone Pines Mall (Facebook allowed me to check in there :-)) where Marty first encounters Doc Brown’s Delorean time machine. The JCPenney is now a 24 Hour Fitness. Here are a few pics.

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This is about the point from which the Delorean launched for the first time. It had to accelerate to 88 MPH to initiate the time travel, as many of you will recall. I tested if I could reach that speed in the short distance available. I didn’t even come close ;-). Perhaps I’ll return soon with a performance car and try again.
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The is the site where Marty happens upon the Lyon Estates construction shortly after he arrived in 1955.
(Movie pic for reference)
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How it looks today.
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Lastly, I stopped by Doc Brown’s house. It was on my way home anyway.
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Back to the Future is my favorite movie of all time. When I lived in SoCal, I spent many days hunting for filming spots for fun (was easy as people blogged about it already). BTTF and The OC were particularly fun to hunt for.

IIRC, the hardest to get to (aside from the remote locations and the studio owned farms (ie Golden Oak owned by Disney where BTTF filmed) that are closed to the public) was Hilldale 2015 since it’s in a gated community in El Monte.

Happy hunting! Now go find the tree where Marty starts his final run back to 1985 in the first film!
 


So fun! I re-watched that movie just a few days ago. My 17 year old son came downstairs during, saw me watching it, and said he had re-watched it himself the night before. A family favorite!
 
Yes! Across from the Greek Theater parking lot. Easy to access, a quick google map search and it’s still relatively identifiable (that tree has grown 30+ years, though).
Hmm. Just stopped by there this morning and couldn’t find it. The tree must have changed a lot because this is the closest thing I could find. Nothing else was even close (unless they’ve removed the tree entirely). Do these look about right?
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I just had to go dig out this picture of me in the Delorean at Universal Studios Hollywood 20 years ago. I was SO excited!
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I don’t even know if it’s still there, but at the time it was my dream come true!
For years, the car from the movie sat out for enthusiasts to see and touch at Universal. Some fans got it ultimately and restored it. Apparently it hadn’t been well cared for.
 
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“Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.” The second leg of my Back to the Future field trip. Marty McFly’s house, the entrance to Lyon Estates (a few blocks north and east of stately McFly manor) and Hill Valley High.
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Whittier High (A.K.A. Hill Valley High) The campus is completely gated and locked so this is as close as I could get... without climbing a fence, which is something well within my capacity (if not my history). I didn't, however, want to risk being labeled a slacker by HV's finest. Again ;-).
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The road by which Marty, Jennier and Doc leave at the end of the movie (or at least it's the one in front of the correct house).
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A pretty pic from the campus of Whittier High (A.K.A. Hill Valley High).
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