Exterior of Grand Lodge, a Greek revival style portico with columns, with the building itself made of brick.

McMenamins Grand Lodge: 100 Year Old Freemason Retirement Home Turned Whimsigoth Hotel

October 1, 2026, 1 Comment

As mentioned earlier, we returned to Oregon for Patrick’s sister’s wedding. She chose to get married at a local campground with a beautiful lake. As her and her friends adore camping, many opted to pitch tents right on site. As for me I chose for Patrick and I to stay at McMenamins Grand Lodge, a…

Exterior of the Sacramento History Museum, a two story brick structure in a simple style.

Unearthing Early California History at the Sacramento History Museum

September 29, 2026, 1 Comment

Old Town Sacramento offers visitors a look into how California developed from a rough and tumble western town into the bustling capitol it is today. At one end of Old Town visitors can find the Sacramento History Museum. Inside is a range of artifacts from the area, along with the viral printing press area that…

Exterior of Pancake Circus. Across the top the roof comes down and painted in orange and white stripes, yellow script neon reads "Pancake Circus" below massive windows are painted in circus themes.

Runaway to Pancake Circus

September 24, 2026, 1 Comment

Sacramento is home to many things, most notably California’s capital. But if you’re looking for a bite to eat with a side of whimsy, look no further than Pancake Circus. Opening in 1961 as Al & Bud’s Platter, by Al Nahas and Hollis “Bud” Sheely, it served up pancakes and and steaks 24 hours. Later…

Railtown 1897: Hollywood’s Favorite Railroad Nestled in the Sierras

September 22, 2026, Leave a Comment on Railtown 1897: Hollywood’s Favorite Railroad Nestled in the Sierras

Last month Patrick and I ventured back to our home state of Oregon for his sister’s wedding. We decided to drive, taking some of California’s lovely backroads through gold country, and stopped at Railtown 1897, a wonderful rail museum nestled in Jamestown. While central and northern California are well known for their gold, the area…

Black and white photo of my mom sitting on a couch in front of a leaded glass window.

A Little Update

August 11, 2026, 7 Comments

Today is a post that I never wanted to make, but here I am. Things have been a little quiet lately because a couple weeks ago my mother passed. My mom lived in Idaho, so Patrick and I recently spent a week up there working on things, and we will return next month. Originally hailing…

Myself standing in front of Independence Hall, wearing a shirt with Sam Eagle on it and reading "semiquincentennial"

America’s Semiquincentennial

July 8, 2026, 1 Comment

To celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial (250th birthday) Patrick and I headed over to Independence Hall. No, not the one in Philadelphia, although I would love that one day! But the one at Knott’s Berry Farm. That’s right, Knott’s Berry Farm has its very own full scale replica of Independence Hall, and the great thing about it…

Decor on a shelf, featuring a ceramic Colonial man holding a scroll that reads "Bill of Rights" next to him is a framed postcard with an eagle on it that reads "Happy Fourth" and next to that is a ceramic figure of a woman in a blue dress holding an American flag, a large die cut American flag sits in the background.

American Dreaming 250 Years Later

July 1, 2026, 1 Comment

As long time readers know, I have a particular love for the Fourth of July, especially the kitschy items that were produced as a result of the Bicentennial in 1976. For the last few years I’ve been collecting a variety of patriotic items to decorate for the Fourth of July, and have intermittently decorated for…

View of the a grand staircase in the lobby with a fountain at the top of the staircase.

Step Into the Hauntingly Beautiful Los Angeles Theatre

June 17, 2026, 1 Comment

As mentioned in my Orpheum Theatre post, Patrick and I attended another night of Last Remaining Seats, hosted by the Los Angeles Conservancy, this time we got to step inside the Los Angeles Theatre to see one of my favorite films, LA Confidential, complete with author of the book, James Elroy, in attendance. We also…

Night time of the Orpheum marquee, a multi-colored neon sign with a LED screen advertising the LA Conservancy event. Above is a long blade style sign also reading Orpheum.

Behind the Curtain of LA’s Century Old Orpheum Theatre

June 10, 2026, Leave a Comment on Behind the Curtain of LA’s Century Old Orpheum Theatre

Downtown Los Angeles was once home to dozens of theatres, often grand movie palaces that look like they are right out of a fairy tale. As the decades went on, these once glittering monuments to the silver screen fell by the wayside, abandoned, bulldozed, or converted into stores. Today a handful cling to life, typically…

Portion of the exterior, featuring a pyramid tower and statues over the doorway.

Exploring LA’s 100 Year Old Central Library

June 3, 2026, 4 Comments

Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles is a true beacon for Angelenos, the Los Angeles Central Library. This year, the iconic Art Deco buildings turns 100. Filled with not just books, but galleries, murals, and unique artifacts, one can learn about its history through free docent led tours, which Patrick and I did…