My Mind Bloggles

LOST Tour: Getting My Locke On

2012-01-24T21:34:00.004-05:00

Before saying good-bye to the crash beach I got my Locke on with a pose that ended up being a mash-up between his sitting-on-the-beach look and his I-am-SO-in-tune-with-this-Island moment. With apologies to Terry O'Quinn...

For a man who just regained the use of his legs Locke sure did a lot of sitting around the first few days.

The crash beach, the penultimate stop on our tour with Hawaiian Escapades, was a highlight. Could the final location possibly top it?

LOST Tour: Crash Beach Repurposed

2012-01-24T19:17:00.006-05:00

Although the Oceanic 815 survivors departed the crash beach mid-way through season 1, the same beach location reappeared several times during the series run.

Although in the show the tail section crashed on a different part of the Island far away from the main fuselage, in fact the same stretch of beach was used for both crash sites.

Mokule'ia Beach reappeared later in season 2 when Bernard tried to recruit fellow survivors to create an S.O.S. message in the sand.

In season 5's Follow the Leader Richard Alpert and The Others (great band name!) set up camp on the same stretch of real estate.

LOST Tour: Crash Beach Hillside

2012-01-17T18:33:00.005-05:00

A range of tree-covered hills backstops the crash beach. Their most memorable appearance is probably during the pilot when the Oceanic 815 survivors first hear the Smoke Monster. (A layer of CGI trees was added in the foreground.)

The beach is quite narrow. Farrington Highway stretches along most of its length, with the slopes stretching skyward from its inland shoulder.

This valley between two of the hills is also recognizable in a few shots.

Finally, this shot looking back on the beach from the water gives a wider view of the hills.

LOST Tour: Crash Beach Surf and Sand

2012-01-17T18:04:00.007-05:00

Now friends I bring you to new heights of OCD-iastic pleasure as we explore the soft sand and warm turquoise waters that surround Oceanic 815's final resting place.

@Scoutpost managed to catch me in one of her shots; I think this was shortly after I dipped my hand in the ocean surf. (I *may* have imagined this, but I could have sworn I heard someone whisper "now you are like me" immediately afterward.)

Below photo courtesy @Scoutpost

As with other Island locations, the beach is almost a character in and of itself. Think back on all the tender moments and violent confrontations that occur on its shore. Remember all the comedy and drama that unfold in its waters.

LOST Tour: Post-Pilot Crash Beach

2012-01-12T20:50:00.005-05:00

One of many Island mysteries is the curious relocation of Oceanic 815 wreckage which occurred between the time of the pilot and the subsequent episode, Tabula Rasa. My understanding is that several months passed between shooting the pilot and the episode 2; during that time the wreckage was moved from the beach to Dillingham Airfield, just across the road. When the plane was returned to the sand it was setup in a location further west. A comparison of the following two screencaps, the first from the pilot and the second from episode 8, Confidence Man, illustrate the move.

Although our tour stuck to the region where the pilot was filmed, here's a blow-up (no pun intended) of the general area where most of the later crash beach scenes were shot.

The following screencaps feature scenes from several season 1 episodes which occur on the crash beach.

This shot was taken from our van, emphasizing the proximity of the crash beach to the road.

File under art imitating life -- as season 1 filming progressed the winds picked up on the beach (visible in several episodes) and the decision was made to have our castaways move from the unprotected crash beach to an area with calmer winds and less dangerous surf. The migration was written into the twelfth episode of season 1, Whatever the Case May Be.

LOST Tour: Crash Beach Trees

2012-01-09T22:12:00.006-05:00

Two trees on Mokule'ia Beach received significant airtime on LOST -- one (which I'll call the crooked tree) has since died but the other remains (as of August 2011), though unfortunately it doesn't look very healthy either.

It is amazing how the same location is re-used to represent different parts of The Island.

The two trees can often be seen in the distance during scenes set on the crash beach.

The shots of Desmond and Charlie heading out toward the Looking Glass seem to be shot by the crooked tree...

...but the shots of Mikhail shooting at Desmond, which are intended to be at the same fictional location(note the cable in the sand beside Mikhail), were shot near a different tree.

LOST Tour: Oceanic 815 crash site

2012-01-04T19:26:00.012-05:00

It is arguably the greatest opening sequence in television history. A man regains consciousness lying in a palm grove within a dense forest. A golden lab scampers by. The man wears a dark suit. He is injured, but manages to struggle to his feet. In his pocket a tiny bottle of vodka -- the kind you might find in a mini-bar or on an airplane. Despite his distress the man picks himself up and races off through the jungle. He bursts onto a sandy beach. Surveying the coastline, his eyes finally light upon a chaotic and horrifying scene...

Despite a wealth of material I've still had somewhat of a hard time piecing together the precise location of the Oceanic 815 crash on Oahu's Mokule'ia beach. I believe this is the area where Jack's emergence onto the beach was filmed (note the tree in the background):

The foilage visible as Jack sees the destruction for the first time seems to be from the edge of this large cluster of tall shrubs:

Below photo courtesy @Lottery_Ticket.

This shot is from within the shrubs, looking toward the debris field:

And this is my attempt to provide a Jack's-eye-view of the scene circa August 2010.

...and a similar shot from a little further back.

Here is a clear shot of the beach along which the airplane wreckage was strewn for the pilot. (When the plane was brought back to the beach to shoot the rest of season 1 it looks as if it was setup a little further west.)

Buy a real aircraft, slice it up and ship it by frieghter to Hawaii. Unpack it, weld some pieces back together, then scatter it across a public beach. Piece of cake!

The tree in the background to the right of Jin is one of two that were located just behind the group of shrubs shown in earlier pictures. Only one of the two trees remain as of August 2010.

Behind-the-scenes of the pilot shoot, taken from the season 1 DVD.

The LOST pilot. All departments firing on all cylinders to produce one of the finest examples of filmed entertainment.

I wore this silly grin for the entire duration of our visit.

LOST Tour: Long Con Service Station

2012-01-01T16:30:00.003-05:00

The service station at which Sawyer and Cassidy pulled their first con is located just off Farrington Highway on Oahu's North Shore. At the time of filming it was called Eric's Expert Service, and this name can be seen on-screen in the episode The Long Con. It has since been renamed to Waialua Service.

LOST Tour: Palm Grove

2011-12-22T21:13:00.004-05:00

DillinghamRanch, which currently hosts an equestrian center, lies just off the Farrington Highway on Oahu's North Shore. From the highway one can see a fairly large palm grove which has been part of several LOST shoots, most noticeably the pilot. This is where Sawyer "shot a bear!"

Guys, this isn't just a bear. That's a ... polar bear.

LOST Tour: Richard Alpert's Tree of Life

2011-12-21T17:37:00.005-05:00

Another of our drive-by LOST sightings was the tree at which Richard Alpert buried his wife's pendant in the 1860s, and under which he encountered Isabella's spirit in 2007.

Below photo courtesy @Lottery_Ticket

The area has a very interesting and unusual look as seen from the road. It seems to be a combination of the tree's scale relative to its neighbours and the vividly green vegetation that surrounds it.

I remember thinking the tree looked fake when I first watched Ab Aeterno. I guess this is another example (the London scene with Widmore and Sun also comes to mind) where reality seems unreal.

I didn't fully catch it on first viewing, but I believe these two shots are meant to capture the same location separated by 140 years. Presumably the little 1860's sapling grows into the majestic 21st century tree.

LOST Tour: Mister Eko's Neighborhood

2011-12-18T20:23:00.006-05:00

Our first North Shore stop was the Waialua Sugar Mill, a former sugar mill which closed about fifteen years ago and now houses several retail stores. It (with some aggressive colour timing) stood in for Mr. Eko's Nigerian village in the episodes The 23rd Psalm and The Cost of Living.

The mill also appeared briefly in the Sawyer-centric ep The Long Con.

The 23rd Psalm is one of the strongest season 2 entries, and the unique look of the soil and landscape around the mill helped sell the African backstory.

This structure, no doubt part of the sugar production process at one time, now sells various locally-made soaps and other items. I picked up a few gifts here.

LOST Tour: Man of Science, Men of Faith

2011-12-10T13:13:00.009-05:00

Just before heading to the North Shore, let's visit one more downtown Honolulu LOST location -- St. Andrew's Priory, home to the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew.

This area was used on several occasions, representing several different locations. It first made an appearance in the first Charlie-centric episode, The Moth, from season 1.

I missed the opportunity to visit the Church interior, which I believe was used for this scene with Charlie and Liam.

St. Andrew's re-appeared briefly in the Eko-centeric episode ?.

In season 3's Catch-22, St. Andrew's transformed into the monastery at which Desmond attempted to become a man of God. Notably, it served as the backdrop for Desmond's first meeting with Penny.

St. Andrew's stands-in for Oxford University during Desmond's search for Daniel Faraday in the season 4 stand-out The Constant.

Des returns to Oxford looking for answers in season 5's Jughead.

St. Andrew's makes a final appearance during Faraday's graduation ceremony in The Variable.

You haven't been planked 'till you're planked Kiwi-style.

LOST Tour de Stade

2011-11-26T19:35:00.005-05:00

After a few stops in Honolulu our Hawaiian Escapades van set off for its final destination -- Oahu's North Shore. On the way we passed by Aloha Stadium which appears in three episodes of the show.

Its first appearance is in the season 2 opener, Man of Science, Man of Faith. It serves as backdrop to a chance encounter between Jack and Desmond, a meeting which precedes their time in the Swan Station by several years.

The Season 2 finale, Live Together, Die Alone, revisits the same night but shows us an emotional conversation between Desmond and Penny that occurs immediately prior to his run-in with Jack.

A final visit to the stadium occurs in the flash-sideways, shortly after Desmond "wakes up". This time Penny runs the tour de stade. I guess even in the after-life one has to stay in shape.

LOST Tour: Bus Be Burkely

2011-11-21T19:49:00.009-05:00

Season 3's Not In Portland features one of the more abrupt deaths in series history when Juliet's ex-husband is hit by a bus in front of his Miami workplace. After checking out some downtown Honolulu's LOST landmarks our Hawaiian Escapades tour made a quick drive-by of the building used for these scenes.

This is a better view, taken by Ryan Ozawa in October 2006 around the time that the episode was filmed.

Below photo courtesy Ryan Ozawa.

And this is how it appeared on-screen as Edmund Burke exits the building, walks toward the road, then runs into Juliet.

Several trees with lovely violet flowers can be found near the road. The first picture below was taken during our tour drive-by, the second during filming, and the third is lifted from the episode.

Below photo courtesy Ryan Ozawa.

There is also a very cool easter egg that is barely visible on-screen. Check out the bus in the upper left of the below screen cap.

The bus, which may or may not have an Other behind the wheel, has a major impact (literally) on the life of Edmund Burke. The side of the bus whooshes by in a fraction-of-a-second during the episode. Look familiar?

This behind-the-scenes shot from Ryan Ozawa provides a clearer view. "Full of Nuts", just like the LOST production team! (And LOST fandom, for that matter.)

Below photo courtesy Ryan Ozawa.

LOST Tour: Fort Street Before Our Eyes

2011-11-13T18:30:00.016-05:00

The Fort Street Mall is a pedestrian-only shopping area that stands-in in for London in several episodes of LOST, most notably Flashes Before Your Eyes but also Greatest Hits and Dead is Dead.

At 915 Fort Street stands the American Savings Bank which doubles as the headquarters of Widmore Industries. A telltale pattern of inlaid circular lights gives the location away. This is the building that an angry and confused Desmond departs after his meeting with Charles Widmore in Flashes, Charlie busks here in Greatest Hits, and this is the location at which Charles Widmore receives Ben's call informing him that daughter Penny is about to be Linusized.

The Widmore Industries signs look to have been practical rather than CG. One of them is visible in a behind-the-scenes shot below.

Below photo courtesy Ryan Ozawa, taken during a November 2006 shoot.

After exiting the Widmore Industries building Desmond swings left onto Fort Street only to run into...

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

... Charlie Pace, pre- Drive Shaft. These scenes were filmed at the intersection with Merchant Street.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

About a block away, near the corner of Fort and Merchant one can find the satellite city hall entrance which doubled as a London underground stop.

Below photo courtesy Ryan Ozawa, taken during a November 2006 shoot.

This shot gives a sense of the geography of the scene -- the Widmore Industries building is immediately to the left of Desmond and the underground sign can be seen behind him.

The scene with Desmond and Eloise together on a bench was also filmed near the intersection of Fort and King. The Londony buildings in the background are CG.

LOST Tour: Rose in Winter

2011-11-10T21:26:00.007-05:00

Although I found Bernard's on-Island antics in season 2's S.O.S. somewhat ho-hum, I did enjoy the Rose and Bernard flashback which included their first meeting one cold and snowy night. That scene was filmed on a stretch of Marin Street between Smith and Nuuanu in downtown Honolulu.

I'll award Bernard a silver prize for second-best LOST faceplant.

The Sayid/Shannon awakening scene in The End was also filmed in this area.

Below photo courtesy @Scoutpost

The brick building houses O'Toole's Irish Pub. The pub interior is featured in Flashes Before Your Eyes.

Below photo courtesy @Scoutpost

At the end of Marin Street lies another pub -- Murphy's Bar and Grill. Its interior is used in flashback scenes from Homecoming and Lockdown.

Below photo courtesy @Scoutpost

LOST Tour: Coffee with Christian and Claire

2011-11-08T19:22:00.003-05:00

Following our most awesome tour of LOST sets in Paradise Park we drove to the Kahala Mall for lunch. We dined at The Counter, a burger-and-shake joint that was briefly co-owned by Daniel Dae Kim. The food was great -- I particularly enjoyed the milkshake.

Although it was not part of the official Hawaiian Escapades itinerary, a group of us popped into the mall to take a look at the area used to film the scene where Christian Shephard and daughter Claire conversed over coffee.

At the time we didn't have a solid reference as to exactly where the scene was filmed, so I just took a best guess at the location. Looks like I picked the wrong side of the mall; it seems to me that the far wall in the first screencap below is the Jamba Juice storefront. The chairs and tables inside the mall still match quite nicely.

LOST Tour: The Temple

2011-11-05T12:15:00.010-04:00

Our final stop in Paradise Park was the set which served as the entrance to the the Others' temple. As with several other cases like the 4-toed statue and the lighthouse, the temple was a combination of practical outdoor plus a CGI set extension.

The pond in front of the temple is real and was still present during our visit.

Unfortunately an offshoot cult of mirror-Sulu fans have spray-painted "Oh my" on the temple's second level.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

Everyone in our tour group patiently waits their turn for a photo op at the temple door.

Below photo courtesy @Lottery_Ticket

Times are hard -- the temple gardener and lawn maintenance teams have been let go.

This is the pond in front on the temple. As I've gone through episodes picking out screen shots I am always amazed at how the choice of camera lens, filter and placement can increase the grandeur of a location or set.

The exit from the underground tunnels that lead from the outer perimeter to the temple is also located in this area.

LOST Tour: The Hydra Island Cages

2011-10-24T22:01:00.009-04:00

I've just learned within the last few days that ABC is planning to tear down the remaining Lost sets in Oahu, including the Jughead structure, the Orchid Station, the Temple, and the Hydra Island cages. This would be a terrible loss not just for Lost fans but for Oahu tourism as well. Hopefully ABC can be convinced otherwise.

The Hydra Island cages are located just a few steps away from the Orchid Station in Pleasant Park. My understanding is that the buildings and walkways near the cages were already in place but the two main cages were built by the Lost crew.

The next two screencaps show the location as it appeared early in season three, followed by its appearance in season 6.

Again two similar screencaps, the first from season 3 and the second from season 6 after Widmore's people had set up shop.

The Hydra Station emblem was just barely visible on the walkway canopy during our visit; in fact it wasn't until our guide explicitly pointed it out that we noticed it at all.

As with the Orchid, the cages have seen better days. However, the Orchid set we visited had always been shown on-screen in a dilapidated state so the additional decay wasn't overly jarring. The state of the cages was a bit more shocking, particulary considering that they must have been touched up in early 2010 to shoot the scenes with Widmore's team.

I seem to be in the minority, but I really love the cage scenes during the early part of season 3. The whole bit with Sawyer puzzling out the water and biscuit reward system was very entertaining. That mechanism has been removed, but one can still see the troughs into which the water flowed.

Although Sawyer is its most frequent resident, Jack also spent time in the larger of the two cages following his intentionally botched surgery on Ben's tumor.

Kate's cage is in even worse shape, with only two partial walls left standing.

Alas, Kate's cage-climbing days would seem to be over.

Is it just me, or did Kate never look lovelier than she did sans makeup in a dirty sundress sitting somberly in her cage?

For your consideration ... we all sat in hushed reverent silence as @kiwilostie re-enacted Kate's cage scenes.

However, I had a somewhat negative reaction when he asked me to help recreate the scene from I Do -- you know the one.

There are several covered walkways in the area. Some make appearances in a few season 3 episodes.

LOST Tour: The Bamboo Jungle

2011-10-19T22:17:00.003-04:00

After the overwhelming awesomeness of The Orchid Station we needed to lighten things up a bit. Here is my interpretation of an alternate reality in which that bamboo pole that grazed Jack in the pilot was about one foot to the right....

The shot was taken in a patch of bamboo near The Orchid but as far as I know it didn't make an on-screen appearance.

LOST Tour: The Orchid Station

2011-10-16T14:59:00.011-04:00

Aside from Kualoa Ranch, Paradise Park seems to have the highest concentration of LOST locations. Our tour of this area began with a highlight of our trip, a visit to the Orchid station.

Much like Ben, Locke and Hurley, our first glimpse of the Orchid was partially obscured.

Drawing closer, we marveled at the distressed columns and walls jutting out from the forest foliage.

What a thrill to actually step into the Orchid! This is where Ben surrendered to Keamy; where Locke searched in vain for anthuriums; where Jack and Locke had their final on-Island confrontation! (Not to mention the time travelling bunnies!)

Although much of the set is still present, the plant holders are now mostly empty.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

These set photos taken from LOST magazine issue #18 show what it was like during shooting of There's No Place Like Home.

"There's no such thing as miracles"

"You know, Jack. You know that you're here for a reason. You know it. And if you leave this place, that knowledge is gonna eat you alive from the inside out...until you decide to come back."

We lingered inside for quite some time, trying to explore every corner and absorb every echo of what had gone before.

Keamy, how can you not be happy -- you're in the f'ing Orchid, man!

Some of the props within the Orchid seem to have been moved around a bit, but as the two photos below show (the first taken during our tour and the second from LOST magazine) many of them are still present and in their original condition.
The "stone" staircase appeared in several key scenes. It and several other parts of the set are made from fibreglass; we had to tread carefully lest we fell through.

@kiwilostie was pleased as punch that, unlike Locke, he had no problems finding the elevator door.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

The door was one of the set pieces that seems to have been moved following the There's No Place Like Home shoot.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

As this behind-the-scenes shot from LOST magazine shows, the door was originally hooked up to a mechanism to provide vertical motion.

This view through the Orchid elevator door was Locke's last of Jack until they met up for a final time three years later.

A few view of the awesome Orchid walls from our 2011 tour...

... from There's No Place Like Home ...

... and from LOST magazine.

One unfortunate fact became clear ... those LOST sets that have been left up in the outdoors aren't going to last for long without a little TLC. One of the Orchid walls has fallen and several other sections are in varying states of disrepair.

Reluctantly we made our way out of the Orchid. Fortunately Pleasant Park had a few additional LOST treasures in store for us just around the bend.

LOST Tour: Cave entrance

2011-10-14T23:30:00.004-04:00

Shortly after finding Shannon's long-lost inhaler (love that season 1 callback!) Jack and Hurley enter the "rape cave". Turns out these shots were filmed beside Kapena Falls. The cave entrance is in fact just a slight depression in the rock face; a combination of camera angle, editing and Sir Foxy's acting acumen sells the illusion.

LOST Tour: Kapena Falls

2011-10-08T22:11:00.010-04:00

Our first real immersion into hardcore Island foliage occurred during our visit to the Kapena Falls. The trails here have seen many footsteps, including those of several candidates.
A narrow stream meanders through the forest, every so often encountering a small drop. In the season 1 finale Jack, Hurley, Arzt et. al. crossed the water here on their way to the Black Rock.

Ever-adventurous @Lottery_Ticket swung over the stream on jungle vines.

@Lottery_Ticket immediately recognized this area as one visited by Hurley; sure enough she was right!

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

Danielle Rousseau led Locke and the others through the same area in the season 1 finale, Exodus.

Dozens of banyan trees cover the area. Some of them made it onscreen in the season 2 finale Live Together, Die Alone and in Lighthouse from season 6.

This is the view looking upstream from our location, followed by the view looking downstream.

The LOST scenes filmed at Kapena Falls are spread out over several different locations along the stream.

LOST Tour: Across the Strange Beach

2011-10-05T08:08:00.012-04:00

Our KOS Tour lasted only two hours and was focused strictly on the Kualoa Ranch. The following day, Thursday July 28th, 2011, we set out on a full-day LOST tour with Hawaiian Escapades that covered many locations throughout Oahu.

Our first stop was Lana'i Lookout followed by the Makapu'u Trail.

Next we made a quick stop at Waimanalo beach. (I believe it was between Makapu'u and Waimanalo that our tour guide noticed a sign on the side of the highway indicating that Hawaii 5-0 was filming nearby. We did stop briefly but didn't spot the crew.) The beach doubles as Thailand in the season 3 "classic" Stranger in a Strange Land.

The CGI crew added a few extra islands to those which are actually present off the coast.

Two pensive travelers enjoy the soft sand and hot sun. Unfortunately we forgot to bring our kites. Fortunately we forgot to bring Achara.

Jack executes his flat-on-his-back-injured-looking-up-at-the-sky performance that we will see again in "The End".

This same location is also featured in Across the Sea, both as the beach where Claudia washes ashore, and the beach where Jacob finds the game of senet.

This is the view looking left (when facing the water).

The water is a beautiful, clear turquoise. If I were to be washed up on a beach this is the one I would choose! (Bonus points if Claudia was stranded as well!)

A stand of trees rises up from the sand's edge. This is the area where Jacob and Barry hung out as kids.

The scenes where BIB sees his mother were shot a little further away from the beach in the same forest.

Sayid and the Blowfish

2011-10-02T19:04:00.012-04:00

Conveniently located just a few stumbles away from the Park Shore Hotel elevator is LuLu's Bar and Restaurant.

The restaurant features a retro-surfer decor, great breakfasts, thick burgers, and daily happy hour. Odds are if the Oahu 4 weren't checking out Lost locations they could be found here.

LuLu's is open to the beach on one side and to the park housing Honolulu Zoo on the other, a beautiful view any time of day.

@Lottery_Ticket and I forgot to coordinate our shirts one day. How embarrassing. We walked around with these menus hiding our faces the entire morning.

Below photo courtesy @Scoutpost

This is the one and only non-alcoholic beverage consumed by the Oahu 4 at LuLu's.

Here is the start of a typical happy hour at Lulu's during our stay.

And here we are fifteen minutes leader. Our fearless leader @kiwilostie demonstrates the proper way to consume as many drinks as possible. Also note @Lottery_Ticket's hands in the middle right part of the frame.

Below photo courtesy @Scoutpost

Half an hour in. @Lottery_Ticket's arms have taken full flight. Meanwhile @kiwilostie has taken a flight of his own -- to the bar to order another round.

Ten minutes later. All four of us stare in glassy-eyed wonder at the blowfish which line Lulu's ceiling. We argue about which Lost character each looks most like. This one is clearly Desmond.

One night we hung out at LuLu's for some live music. The band was energetic, if a little juvenile. However, the Oahu 4 only had eyes for the bass player. Imagine if you will the love child of Sayid Jarrah and Ron Jeremy. "Medically impossible," you object? "Pe shaw!" I respond. For here, my friends, proof positive that such a union did in fact occur.

Below photo courtesy @Scoutpost

LOST Tour: Gag Reel

2011-09-26T19:40:00.006-04:00

Hurley's golf course marked the end of our KOS Tour of the Kualoa Ranch. Looking back it is hard to believe we packed so many stops into a mere two hours. I leave you now with a few shots that comprise our gag reel from that day.

First, witness the fear and the bravery of two rather tall Commonwealth lads as they take on The Island's fearsome Smoke Monster (and lose).

Fooled ya! That wasn't the real Smoke Monster, just a bit of blackened cotton coupled with KOS's award-winning ginormo-vision camerawork.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

You'll need to look very carefully, but this polar bear isn't real either! How do they do it?!! And check out my look of subtle terror. Good thing I had a big strong Kiwi to protect me!

We were extremely fortunate that day to find an actual DHARMA van in the jungle. Against our tour guide's objections we recreated the scene where Sawyer & Jin give the van an initial push. So apparently these vans are prone to tipping and flipping. Who knew?

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

LOST Tour: Playing a Round on Hurley's Golf Course

2011-09-21T18:40:00.012-04:00

One of many genius season 1 plot points is Hurley's creation of the "Island Open" golf course, first seen in the episode Solitary. Not only does it give the show a chance to showcase more of Oahu's natural splendor, but it also gives the characters an opportunity to relax, chill out, and have fun for the first time since their crash. The location was also featured in later episodes -- ...In Translation, Collision and the mobisode Jin Has a Temper-Tantrum on the Golf Course. The Oahu 4 were delighted to find the Island Protector himself there to welcome us.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

Three of the Oahu 4, along with our guide, make their approach to Hurley's golf course.

The golf course is located at the far end of the Kualoa Ranch, close to open water. Imagine yourself standing on the golf course, facing the water -- the peaks below are to your front right, extending out to the water.

This would be the view looking back over your left shoulder. The distinctive row of palm trees can be seen in several scenes from the show.

Here I am getting into the swing of things. I am wearing Hurley green to honor the man and his chillin' dream.

Below photo courtesy @Lottery_Ticket

I'm not quite sure why the golf course warrants a sign while other iconic locations don't, but as Dan would say: whatever happened, happened.

This is the over-the-right-shoulder view down the valley from the course.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

My putting game was dreadful that day, but I'm going to blame our tour guide who had only brought along an 8-iron.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

This view looks out toward the water, slightly left of center. The two distinctive humps in the middle of the frame can be spotted in several scenes.

I didn't get a picture of the view directly down the valley, but here are a couple of screen caps which show that perspective.

My roommate @kiwilostie was overcome with giddy glee at the many awesome sights we experienced at the Kualoa Ranch.

LOST Tour: The Place Where Barry Smashed a Wine Bottle

2011-09-17T18:56:00.011-04:00

With so many magical spots to choose from it's hard to pick a favourite from our tour of the Kualoa Ranch, but if pressed I just might choose this one, which I like to call "the place where Barry smashed a wine bottle." It is featured in the final scenes of the sterling season 6 episode Ab Aeterno, when Jacob and the Man in Black (Barry to his friends, of which he has none) reflect on newcomer Richard Alpert and discuss MIB's assassination attempt.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

The LOST production team would have been hard pressed to find a more beautiful location -- no CGI work needed here!

My favourite photo of the Oahu 4. The MIB log is now gone (no doubt into some crazy LOST fan's collection) and in its place is a much less comfortable stump.

Be they real or fictional, everyone enjoys the breathtaking views across this part of The Island.

"Good brother, I gift you this nearly empty and somewhat rancid bottle of red wine to make amends for my outrageously awesome WIN earlier today."

In Jughead, Locke first sets eyes on the Others 1950s camp from a location very near MIB's log.

Below photo courtesy @Lottery_Ticket

The first photo is taken near MIB's log. Note the outline of the hills which also appear in the shot of Locke and Juliet.

The 1950s camp huddles in and around a strand of palm trees in the valley. Today the area is populated by udders rather than Others. (Ba-da-boom.)

It would have been cool to venture into the valley to see things from that perspective, but unfortunately we stuck to the high ground.

Of course busybody Locke couldn't resist striding into camp to visit his old (really old!) buddy Richard Alpert for the first time (kind of).

An ill-timed time jump separates the group from The Others and sends Charlotte ever closer to her demise. The drama continues into the first few minutes of The Little Prince.

We couldn't leave such an iconic location without performing a ritual first practiced by the ancient Egyptians -- planking.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

This is a view not soon forgotten. It is one of the many reasons why we have to go back!

LOST Tour: Hurley's Suspension Bridge

2011-09-15T21:07:00.009-04:00

While trying to find their way back to Rousseau in the season 1 episode Numbers, Hurley, Sayid, Charlie and Jack come upon a suspension footbridge. The "far side" posts of the bridge are still in place at the Kualoa Ranch.

The "near side" posts looks a little bit different, so I'm guessing that those shots were taken at a different location with a couple of tree parts playing the role of bridge posts.

The vertiginous cliff seen in the episode is actually just a small outcrop, at best 20 feet high, right off the dirt road that snakes its way through the ranch.

The LOST VFX team along with the actors and Sir Michael Giacchino play a huge role selling the sequence.

LOST Tour: The Road to Shambala

2011-09-13T22:15:00.009-04:00

I often smile while watching episodes of LOST, but the one sequence which elicits the biggest joytastic ear-to-ear grin involves Hurley, Charlie, and an old DHARMA van hurtling down an Island slope to the tune of Three Dog Night's Shambala. Magic time! I go on at length about it here, but suffice to say Tricia Tanaka is Dead is probably the funniest and certainly one of the cheeriest episodes of LOST's 6-year run.

If the background peaks are any indication it seems that the van started its drop somewhere in this area of brush.

Here is the slope upon which Hurley and Charlie made their own luck. (The rocks near the end of the run are apparently CGI.)

The plummeting van sequence is expertly shot and edited, and features fantastic facial expressions for Messrs. Garcia and Monaghan.

Wash away my troubles, wash away my pain

With the rain in Shambala.
Wash away my sorrow, wash away my shame
With the rain in Shambala.

Everyone is lucky, everyone is kind

On the road to Shambala.
Everyone is happy, everyone is so kind
On the road to Shambala.

How does your light shine, in the halls of Shambala?

A beautiful instrumental version of the song closes out the episode as Hurley takes a final spin .

Later in season 3 we learn how the DHARMA van arrived at this part of The Island, and it is one hell of a story -- The Man Behind the Curtain.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

LOST Tour: Jughead

2011-09-09T14:24:00.009-04:00

Our next stop on the KOS Tour of Kualoa Ranch was special because it involved a custom-built prop that had been left in its original filming location. Although the bomb is no longer present (duh, it exploded in 1977), the wood structure that held it remains exactly as it appeared in the season 5 episode Jughead.

Below photo courtesy @Lottery_Ticket

The Jughead cradle stands alone in the middle of a clearing that is surrounded on three sides by brush and low trees. During filming it seems to have either been a bit drier than it was during our visit, or perhaps the set dressers gave it a more "stomped on" look for filming.

The show tended to use an angle which showcased the mountainside and the open water in the distance. Here are a few other angles.

These two views are separated by 56 years and a universe of imagination.

The rods which helped secure Jughead are still visible.

The Jughead site is actually visible from the logs where Ana Lucia attacked Goodwin, providing a wider perspective on the clearing, the mountainside, and the brush from which Sawyer and Juliet emerge.

LOST Tour: Goodwin Death Log

2011-09-05T15:04:00.008-04:00

The next stop on our KOS tour of Kualoa Ranch was the area where Ana Lucia and Goodwin had their heart-to-heart talk in season 2's The Other 48 Days. Here @kiwilostie plays Goodwin and @Lottery_Ticket takes on Ana Lucia's role.
Afterward I had a turn as well. Note my substantially hammier take -- I subscribe to the William Shatner school of acting.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

The frame isn't big enough to contain the power of my performance. Fortunately our tour guide didn't pull a full-size stake out of the trunk of his Hummer.
The mountain range visible from this location is stunning, and one can see how the director Eric Laneuville (who also helmed The Other Woman) takes advantage.

Goodwin's final resting place seems to be in the same general area as the logs, though I didn't eyeball the exact spot while we were on the tour.

LOST Tour: Ricardo Alpert's Canary Island Home

2011-09-04T17:30:00.008-04:00

Although it is onscreen for only a few seconds, Richard Alpert's home in the Canary Islands plays a pivotal role in his backstory. Here his wife Isabella succumbs to tuberculosis, starting a chain of events that ultimately leads Richard to The Island.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

It seems that the rock walls are original, but rock extending along the roofline was added by the LOST team. (Or perhaps they temporarily removed the thatch to expose the extra rock, its hard to say.)

@Lottery_Ticket stood in the doorway for several minutes deep in thought, perhaps imagining a rendezvous with the returning Spaniard. If only 150 years didn't separate the two! (Not to mention that pesky difference between reality and fiction.)

There is actually a second cottage in the same location sitting a little to the left of the one that served as Richard's home, though it doesn't get any screen time.

LOST Tour: Galaga in Dry Dock

2011-09-03T19:14:00.011-04:00

Inside Cooper Battery (a.k.a. The Tempest) we discovered the Galaga submarine model featured in several episodes of season 3 and season 5.

It seems that the Kualoa Ranch folks submitted the winning bid at the LOST Auction held back in August 2010.

Ironically, we first see the Galaga in the episode where Locke blows it to smithereens, The Man from Tallahassee. In true LOST fashion, its screen time increases following its demise.

The best view of the Galaga exterior can be found in the episode One of Us in the scenes where Juliet first arrives to The Island.

The Galaga is also present for another important Island arrival -- young Benjamin Linus in the season 3 episode The Man Behind the Curtain. Chronologically this is the sub's first appearance.

In Lafleur, Galaga eavesdrops on the 1974 conversation Sawyer has with Juliet in which he convinces her to stay on The Island for a few extra weeks...

The exiled Charles Widmore leaves The Island aboard Galaga in season 5's Dead is Dead.

Sawyer and Juliet are forced aboard Galaga during the DHARMA Initiatives evacuation of The Island in 1977, as seen in Follow the Leader.

Galaga makes a final appearance in Season 5's finale, The Incident.

LOST Tour: Tempest Station

2011-09-02T20:02:00.009-04:00

No LOST Tour would be complete without a visit to a DHARMA station. The first stop of our tour within Kualoa Ranch proper was Cooper Battery, a remnant of World War II that served as the entrance to the Tempest Station.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

The LOST crew did a nice job disguising the dirt road that passes by the entrance.

Some of the interior of Cooper Battery also made an onscreen appearance. Further inside are a few rooms which now house artifacts related to some of the movies and TV shows that have shot in the Kualoa Valley. We'll take a closer look at one of these in a subsequent post.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

Here's a view taken from just outside the entryway, looking back toward the ocean. Note the tree in the upper right, which is also visible as Juliet enters the station.

There are a few scenes with Jack, Kate, Juliet, and Charlotte outside the station but other than a quick shot of Juliet and Charlotte exiting it looks like they were filmed at a different location which featured somewhat more cinematic flora.

LOST Tour: The Docks of Moli'i Fishpond

2011-08-30T16:15:00.017-04:00

I wouldn't be surprised to see a glossy coffee table tome titled The Docks of Moli'i Fishpond appear in bookstores at some point in the future. Just in behind Mr. Eko's drug shack we found two docks but unfortunately neither of them seems to have made a LOST on-screen appearance.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

Nevertheless we enjoyed spectacular views, both towards the water and looking back towards land from the dock.

We could see another dock in the distance but it is unclear whether it was featured on the show.

I don't recall seeing Chinaman's Hat while at Moli'i fishpond (though it is visible from some areas of the shore), but did manage to get a shot of it from the Hummer on the way back to Kualoa Ranch.

Although we didn't see them in person on our tour, let's still take a look at the dock-centric episodes of LOST, starting with D.O.C.

Jin made a similar, earlier visit to his father during season one's In Translation.

John Locke made the Galaga go boom in the sterling Season 3 ep The Man from Tallahassee. Due to the cover of darkness it is hard to confirm whether this was shot a Moli'i fishpond, but if I were a betting man I would guess that it was.

Juliet's first steps on The Island were seen in the Season 3 episode One of Us.

Ben and Man in Black return to The Barracks in Season 5's Dead is Dead.

Charles Widmore's banishment from The Island in the same episode was filmed at the same dock, slightly redressed.

Daniel Faraday returned to The Island by sub in 1977, as seen in The Variable.

The Season 6 episode Recon introduced a dock at Hydra Island, where Charles Widmore docked his submarine.

Desmond "The Package" Hume surely did not enjoy seeing this dock upon emerging from Widmore's sub.

The Candidate features the best LOST action scene set on and around a dock.

Perhaps the most famous dock used on LOST is in fact not located on Moki'i Fishpond; it is the Waikane Pier which is found a little further south along the coast. I did spot it from a distance as we drove along the highway but unfortunately didn't get a photo.

LOST Tour: Building by Moli'i Fishpond

2011-08-29T19:24:00.009-04:00

Our KOS Tour began with a quick drive off the Kualoa Ranch to the Moli'i Fishpond. A small building close to the shore hosted Mr. Eko and drug smugglers in The 23rd Psalm and served as Sayid's construction site in The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

Apparently the interior scenes for The 23rd Psalm were shot within, as were the scenes between Sun and Jin's father from the the season 1 episode In Translation.

The is the view from the other side of the building, an angle not used in the show. It gives a better look at the magnificent tree that is rooted nearby. It is featured prominently in the both Psalm and Bentham.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

KOS Tour on Kualoa Ranch

2011-08-28T20:37:00.007-04:00

Following our self-guided exploration of a few LOST shooting locations Wednesday morning we made our way to Kualoa Ranch for the start of our "official" LOST tour.

Following a hearty lunch we had a few minutes to check out the area behind the Visitor's Center. Even without a LOST connection this area would be worth visiting for its lush, sweeping vistas.

We booked the 2-hour LOST-only tour of Kualoa offered by KOS Tours. As the hour grew near several KOS Hummers pulled into the ranch parking lot.

I wonder if each of their "Got Lost?" Hummer license plates features one of The Numbers?

Below photo courtesy @Lottery_Ticket

@Lottery_Ticket, @Scoutpost, @kiwilostie and I met our guide (whom we quickly realized was a DHARMA Initiative mole, but more on that later), piled into our silver-grey Hummer, and set a course for adventure! (Though our minds were not necessarily on a new romance.)

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

Oahu: Scoping out Queen's Surf Beach

2011-08-27T17:38:00.006-04:00

Before hitting one of the highlights of our LOST tour -- Kualoa Ranch -- let's take a quick tour of Queen's Surf Beach. It is the section of beach immediately in front of the Park Shore Hotel where @Lottery_Ticket, @Scoutpost, @kiwilostie and I stayed while in Oahu. Although formally part of Waikiki Beach, I found QSB to have a distinctly different vibe -- significantly less crowded and with more of a mix of tourists and locals.

QSB hosts Sunset On the Beach, an ongoing series of movies and television premiers which air on a 30-foot outdoor screen. @Lottery_Ticket watched the Season 6 premiere of LOST here back in 2010. The 2nd season premiere of Hawaii 5-0 screens in September. Unfortunately nothing played during our July 2011 stay.

The sand is soft and the ocean water warm. I provided our group a demonstration of my greatest talent -- the ability to sleep anywhere, anytime -- by falling asleep in the sand our first day there.

Along with the surfboarders there are many folks on bodyboards. A walk along the beach is complicated by the need to sidestep bodyboarders, usually young kids, who come flying up the shore.

In this area several narrow seawalls jut out into the ocean. The next two shots are taken near the end of a wall located little east of Queen's Surf Beach.

As I walked along the wall I noticed a group of black forms near its end which seemed to be moving. A closer examination identified them as crabs, including one I nicknamed Sebastian.
If the bikinis and six packs aren't enough, Diamond Head adds even more visual interest to a day spent at Queen's Surf Beach.
A little further east is the Kaimana Beach Hotel. It is very lovely to walk in and around this area, which also features the Honolulu Zoo, Kapiolani Park, and the Waikiki Aquarium.

Finally, here's the view of Queen's Surf Beach after a few drinks at Lulu's. (And there WILL be a post dedicated to your exploits there, @kiwilostie!)

LOST Tour: Byodo-In Temple

2011-08-26T19:30:00.011-04:00

After visiting Lana'i Lookout and the area around the Makapu'u Trail Wednesday morning we drove on to the Byodo-In Temple. The temple is featured both in the scenes where Jin and Sun are engaged (House of the Rising Sun) and the scenes where they are later married (The Incident).

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

Once again we were treated to a visual feast, this time the perfect blend of man-made elegance and natural splendor.

What a perfect backdrop for Jin and Sun's special day.

I particularly love the look Jin and Sun gave me when they noticed I had crashed their wedding. I figured if Jacob can do it, why not me?

One slight disappointment -- the pond in front of the temple had been drained, perhaps for cleaning or repairs.

Fortunately there is another koi pond to the side of the temple.

Here are a couple of different views of the temple, angles that didn't appear on the show.

Detail of the roof. Apparently there is a large Buddha within the temple but I didn't venture inside to see.

The temple grounds are filled with lovely plants, trees and flowers; a pleasing mix of heights and colors.

There are gravestones in behind the temple. I found one of the names to be of particular interest. Didn't spot Paulo, though.

LOST Tour: The Other Makapu'u Trail

2011-08-25T21:25:00.012-04:00

The morning of Thursday July 28th brought us back to the parking lot of the Makapu'u trail, this time with our Hawaiian Escapades tour guide. Rather than retread the path which leads upward toward the Makapu'u lookout, we instead took a different, less-traveled trail that led directly to the coastline. It is the same trail that Michael was led down by Tom Friendly, Alex, Danny Pickett, and the other Others in the episode Three Minutes.

This little oasis of red reminds me of the red flowers that used to pop up now and again in the jungle.

In the distance we could make out the standing black rock that marked our destination.

We encountered some resistance from the indigenous wildlife. This little critter seemed intent on blocking our passage.

Fortunately @kiwilostie was packing heat (a firearm, that is), so we were able to overpower the beast and continue our trek.

As is apparent in the screenshot, LOST's CGI masters spruced up the rock formation tom make it even more recognizable.

The Others and their hostage approach the decoy camp. This area is located at the base of the hill on which stands the black rock.

Ben also strolled near this area in the episode Every Man for Himself, shortly before revealing to Sawyer the existence of Hydra Island.

The behind-the-scenes picture below shows that the fake DHARMA door was placed in the rock wall located beneath the standing rock.

Below photo courtesy Ryan Ozawa / The Transmission

The coastline in this area is dark, rocky and forms a sheltered inlet with several rocky "arms" stretched out into the water.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

Below photo courtesy Ryan Ozawa / The Transmission

Now this is the photo which confuses me. It looks below that the fake DHARMA door is actually on the north side of the alcove rather than the south side beneath the standing rock. Either it is an optical illusion or perhaps they set it up in both places to get different shots.

Below photo courtesy Ryan Ozawa / The Transmission

Ben, Sawyer, et. al. trudged up the slopes somewhere nearby.

Another shot of the cove's north side, which can also be seen behind Michael and Danny in the subsequent screencap.

Sayid scrambles across the rocky terrain in a scene from Live Together, Die Alone.

Had to get my picture with at least one celebrity this trip!

This is the view southward from the rocky cove.

@kiwilostie ventured up the hill to get rock-eye view of the scene.

Below photo courtesy @kiwilostie

@Scoutpost imagines the day when The Others set up shop on this ground.