Myself, wearing a cream cowboy hat, yellow shirt with a large white Cadillac and script reading "Nudie's Rodeo Tailor" and jean shorts with white stars, standing in front of blue neon reading "DeSoto Pharmacy" hangs near the ceiling. Large red neon spelling "BOWL" and the neon sign for the Palomino.

Revisiting Treasures from the San Fernando Valley at Valley Relics Museum

June 10, 2021, Leave a Comment on Revisiting Treasures from the San Fernando Valley at Valley Relics Museum

Imagine loving an area so much you accidentally create a museum. That’s exactly what Tommy Gelinas did with his love of the San Fernando Valley. Gelinas owned a screen printing studio and began filling it with bits and pieces from the Valley, such as neon signs, menus, figures, and so much more. Eventually his collection…

Myself, wearing a black cowboy hat, black tee reading "Bounty Law" and jean shorts, leaning against a large sign reading "The Red Dog" in large red letters.

The Red Dog, the Saloon that Once Served Trigger right at the Bar

June 8, 2021, Leave a Comment on The Red Dog, the Saloon that Once Served Trigger right at the Bar

When I first went to Pioneertown in 2014 with my dad, we wondered through a desolate western town where the only activity was dirt blowing across the street. Completely devoid of people, we peeked through the windows here and there, windows of legitimate businesses, though closed, and faux ones with pun based names such as…

Accidental Icon: How the Hollywood Sign Became a LA Mainstay

June 3, 2021, Leave a Comment on Accidental Icon: How the Hollywood Sign Became a LA Mainstay

Recently Patrick, myself, and some friends decided to conquer the Hollywood sign hike. We hiked up steep dusty trails that wove their way for over three miles through Griffith Park, finally reaching the peak and it got me thinking about the amazing history of this accidental symbol of Tinseltown. As America entered the roaring 20s,…

Returning to Disneyland after Over a Year Away

June 1, 2021, 2 Comments

Disneyland is known for open being every day of the year, and has only had unplanned closures as a result of tragedy or safety, with the closures only lasting one day, but last year all of that changed, when COVID shut down Disneyland for over 365 days. On April 30 Disneyland reopened, but Patrick and…

Close-up of the neon sign atop the shack's red roof reading "Tommy's Hamburgers & Hot Dogs"

Tommy’s Burgers Turns 75

May 28, 2021, 5 Comments

Before embarking on our Koreatown tour, we stopped at Tommy’s for a bite, and it just so happened to be their 75th anniversary! This small shack might not look like much, but it’s here where chili burgers first made their mark in Southern California. Born to Greek immigrants in Oklahoma City, Tom Koulax arrived in California…

The signage for Catalina Liquor, all of which is backlit plastic. Above the door is a sign that is an abstract of various arms intertwined holding martini glasses.

Exploring Koreatown’s Past with the King of Neon

May 26, 2021, 2 Comments

One of my favorite places is the Museum of Neon Art, which saves neon signs in addition to displaying contemporary works by neon artists, and even offering classes to keep the art of neon alive. Additionally, they offer amazing tours, which are typically done via a double decker bus. However, due to COVID they have…

Myself standing in front of the entrance to the Jurassic World ride, my back to the camera holding my shawl out wide. The shawl is white with various tropical leaves on the edge and text reading "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth" The grey stone arch for Jurassic World is above me with blue text reading "Jurassic World"

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth

May 24, 2021, 2 Comments

Back in 2019, at the annual Her Universe Fashion Show, Adria Renee appeared (and won!) in a beautiful Jurassic Park inspired ensemble, complete with a wrap based on the iconic banner reading “When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth.” I was completely in love with it. Then last year she announced her shawl would be part of…

Andre's at an angle. Two over arching "dog legs" stretch across the small walk up restaurant, painted orange. A nearly all glass front has showcases the items available. A seating area is off to the left.

Andre’s Drive-In

May 21, 2021, 4 Comments

When out and about, Patrick and I often seek out the older restaurants, and it’s even better when they have a great old sign. However, I’m still a bit on the wary side of dining due to COVID, especially indoors, so I was thrilled to find Andre’s! A 1950s drive-in restaurant, complete with great architecture,…

A green neon sign reads "Wool Growers Restaurant Cocktails" and features a sheet by a fence.

Neon Sheep! A Giant Shoe! And More! Exploring Bakersfield’s Americana Gems

May 19, 2021, 4 Comments

As mentioned in my last post, Bakersfield has a lot of vintage neon still out in the wild, plus a few pretty amazing backlit plastic signs, which was one of the reasons we wanted to visit. And boy did we find some great signs, plus we stumbled upon some abandoned locations as well. “John’s” 14441…

Visiting Merle Haggard’s Home and More at Kern County Museum

May 17, 2021, 4 Comments

Being vaccinated means I feel a bit more comfortable going out and doing some things, and I’ve been itching to get on the road for a little day trip. I recently heard that Bakersfield had a wealth of great neon signs, which are a favorite subject of mine, including an entire courtyard display dedicated to…