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…

Angled view of Johnie's Coffee Shop, a blue and stripe butterfly roof hangs low, with red letters reading "Johnie's Coffee Shop and Restaurant"

Step Inside the Googie Masterpiece Johnie’s Coffee Shop Thanks to Artist Gary Baseman

May 21, 2026, 2 Comments

Every time I would visit the Petersen Automotive Museum or the Academy Museum I would gaze longingly at Johnie’s Coffee Shop. The red, white, and blue Googie masterpiece has sat empty since 2000, and I longed to step inside. Well, I finally got that chance, thanks to artist Gary Baseman. Baseman was born in LA…

Myself wearing an American flag inspired jacket and vintage bicentennial tee featuring Washing crossing the Delaware, and red corduroy pants.

Muzeo Reflects on America’s Bicentennial & Anaheim’s Skateboarding History

May 19, 2026, Leave a Comment on Muzeo Reflects on America’s Bicentennial & Anaheim’s Skateboarding History

This year marks America’s semiquincentennial, or to put it plainly, 250th anniversary. Anaheim’s local museum, the Muzeo, put together a small exhibit showing off the American pride we had back in 1976, when it was the bicentennial. As a lover of the kitsch that resulted from that, I was eager to check it out and…

Straight on view of the Victorian, a large, three story Victorian style building, painted a pale green with white trim, with bay windows and turrets on each side, a large square bay window above the door, and a small cupola at the top in the middle.

Risen From the Dead: The Victorian Mansion Frankenstein’ed from Bunker Hill Homes and a Catholic Poor House

May 6, 2026, Leave a Comment on Risen From the Dead: The Victorian Mansion Frankenstein’ed from Bunker Hill Homes and a Catholic Poor House

The other day Patrick and I were driving in an area of the Valley we don’t often find ourselves in, and we stumbled upon the most bizarre Victorian monstrosity. A quick turn around and we stood beneath a towering building simply dubbed The Victorian. My brain was boggled, because while elements certainly seemed genuine from…

The Jolly Trolley, a red and yellow trolley rides the tracks of Toontown.

Travel Back to Disneyland in the 90s

April 22, 2026, Leave a Comment on Travel Back to Disneyland in the 90s

Being a millennial means my childhood, and a fair amount of my teenage years were captured on film. Recently I stumbled across a collection of photos from visits to Disneyland made in the early 1990s. Awhile ago I shared photos of a visit to Universal in 1997, and I thought let’s do that again, but…

Full exterior view of Idle Hour, in the center is a large barrel with smaller buildings attached at either side.

Idle Hour: Eat Inside a Giant Hidden Dog at California’s Last Barrel Restaurant

April 15, 2026, Leave a Comment on Idle Hour: Eat Inside a Giant Hidden Dog at California’s Last Barrel Restaurant

As many of you know I’m an architecture junkie, and one of my favorite forms of architecture is programmatic, or fondly known as “California Crazy” that is to say, buildings that are constructed to look like something, which California was wildly known for. Sadly, there are very few examples left, but at Idle Hour you…