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Atomic Redhead

Unique Destinations, Weird History and More…

  • Places to Explore
    • Filming Locations
    • Roadside Americana
    • Bizarre & Unique
    • Abandoned
    • Architecture
    • Historic Locations
    • Sleep & Eat
    • Museum Visits
    • Natural Beauty
  • Amusement Parks
    • Disney
    • Knott’s Berry Farm
    • Universal Studios
    • Unique Amusements
  • History Lessons
    • The Wild West
    • California Dreamin’
    • Strange Tales
  • Tips, Guides, & Reviews
    • Travel Guides
    • Books, Movies & TV
    • Home & Decor
    • Product Reviews
    • Shopping Tips
    • Wardrobe Tips
    • Vintage Beauty
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion & Style
    • Our 1954 Home
    • Holidays
    • Found Treasures
    • Cooking with Vincent
    • Cosplay & Cons
    • Activism
    • Life
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Bizarre & Unique

Creepy sculptures? Giant painted rocks? Yeah, I’m into it.

A brown sign with yellow letters reads "Moorten Botanical Garden"

Exploring the Desert Wonderland of Moorten Botanical Garden

March 11, 2019, 2 Comments on Exploring the Desert Wonderland of Moorten Botanical Garden

The annual visit to Palm Springs, which is for Pat’s work, typically means I fill the days on my own – shopping, visiting museums, etc. This year Charles Phoenix recommended I visit Moorten Botanical Garden. And when Charles Phoenix tells you to go somewhere, you go! Home to over 3000 plant varieties, Moorten Botanical Garden…

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Myself standing outside the main doors, wearing a straw hat, a white peasant top, and maroon skirt that features gathering in an asymmetrical design.

The Outlet Mall Masquerading as an Assyrian Palace

February 5, 2019, 5 Comments on The Outlet Mall Masquerading as an Assyrian Palace

If you’ve ever driven along Interstate 5 through Commerce, just outside Los Angeles, you’ve likely spied a grand ancient looking palace and perhaps wondered “What on earth is that!?” Well, it’s an outlet mall actually. Yes, an outlet mall, known simply as The Citadel. But it wasn’t always that way. The building was actually built…

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To the left, the Babylonian arch/bridge, over six stories in height. A white elephant sits atop a pillar to the right, also towering over five stories tall.

The Shopping Mall Based on the Set of a Silent Movie Flop

August 29, 2018, 4 Comments on The Shopping Mall Based on the Set of a Silent Movie Flop

Located at what is considered to be the center of Hollywood, among grand old movie palaces and tourist traps is the Hollywood and Highland shopping center, with a Forever 21, Victoria’s Secret, Sephora, and more. But this isn’t just any ol’ shopping center, it’s attached to the Dolby Theatre (formerly the Kodak), the home of…

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Inside the Redondo Fun Factory - wearing a vintage red shirt reading "Have a Coke and a smile" and wide leg blue jeans. In the background a variety of 80s arcade games, behind them a ton of vintage signs.

A Revisit to the Enigmatic Fun Factory

August 24, 2018, 5 Comments on A Revisit to the Enigmatic Fun Factory

UPDATE: The Redondo Beach Fun Factory closed October, 2019. Last year we visited the Redondo Fun Factory located on the Redondo Beach Pier after hearing news it would be closing. Over a year later the bizarre Fun Factory, with its eclectic variety of games and collection of odd signs, is still operating, but now has…

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Standing next to one of the traveling theaters, where puppets sit.

Peek Inside America’s Oldest Puppet Theater

July 20, 2018, 1 Comment on Peek Inside America’s Oldest Puppet Theater

Recently we visited The Bob Baker Marionette Theater for a friend’s birthday. It was our second visit to what is the oldest puppet theater in the United States, and it was just as trippy and wonderful as the first time. For the afternoon we got the party room all to ourselves before the show, and…

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Art Installation - a faux billboard reading "The Last Stop For The Bombay Beach Resort" but with most of the letters fallen off, so it reads more like "The Last Resort"

Abandoned Resort Town of Bombay Beach Now Weird Artist Paradise

June 5, 2018, 1 Comment on Abandoned Resort Town of Bombay Beach Now Weird Artist Paradise

Over the last couple days I have been entertaining one of our friends visiting from Portland. It was a whirlwind few days hitting up various tourist and not-so-tourist spots. We spent Sunday in the desert including a visit to the Salton Sea. I’ve been several times now, but it’s always worth revisiting as it is…

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Shields Date Garden

March 12, 2018, 4 Comments on Shields Date Garden

Shields Date Garden has been on my radar for sometime, but there was always something else I wanted to do in and around Palm Springs more every time I was there! But this time I was hellbent on going and getting my hands on a famous date shake! Okay, so first, what is Shields Date…

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Paramount Ranch: Set to Screen

February 2, 2018, 5 Comments on Paramount Ranch: Set to Screen

Over the last week my friend Mel (of Deela Designs) was staying with us. Mel is a fellow cosplay friend, with a passion for all things nerdy, and during her stay we had many fun adventures, including a visit to Paramount Ranch. Like me, Mel enjoys HBO’s Westworld, and after she heard about my visit…

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The Weird and Hidden Figures of Old Trapper’s Lodge

July 31, 2017, 7 Comments on The Weird and Hidden Figures of Old Trapper’s Lodge

Off the 101 lies Pierce College in Woodland Hills, and on its campus is a unique and downright bizarre sight, a collection of concrete sculptures depicting old west figures, along with a faux cemetery featuring rather colorful epitaphs. What is this exactly? Well, it’s the remains of Old Trapper’s Lodge. Built in 1941 by a…

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The Abandoned Movie Ranch of Corriganville

March 6, 2017, 2 Comments on The Abandoned Movie Ranch of Corriganville

Over the weekend Patrick and I visited Corriganville Park, the former location of Corriganville, a western backlot and amusement park of sorts from 1949 to 1965. Corriganville was built by movie and TV actor Ray Bernard, but better known as Crash Corrigan. After going on a hunting trip in Simi Valley with fellow actor, Clark…

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Janey Ellis

Atomic_Redhead

Janey 🍊 California Blogger 🌵 Cosmic American Fashion, Amusement Parks, Unique Destinations, & Weird History 🗺

Jumping on the Character/Cosplay/Cosplayer bandwag Jumping on the Character/Cosplay/Cosplayer bandwagon. Yes, I cosplay. It’s been awhile, and this cosplay photo is YEARS old. I want to reshoot it in Pioneertown or somewhere... Anyway, in case you’re unfamiliar, this is Dixie Cousins from the Pilot of my fav TV show The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. If you’re unfamiliar and into @shemp_malone then you’re really missing out.
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BLOGGED! Our patio revamp is done!!! See more on t BLOGGED! Our patio revamp is done!!! See more on the blog! 🌵 Link on profile! 
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#vintagehomedecor 
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Before the pandemic I used to spend a weekend each Before the pandemic I used to spend a weekend each month with the lovely people of @greenbirdanaheim picking up trash. Since the pandemic I started taking walks and it didn’t take long to notice trash in the gutters, alleys and parking strips of my own neighborhood. So I grabbed some tongs (only $1.50 at @target !) and an old bucket and got to work. Today, in about a mile loop Patrick and picked up a whole bucket full of trash. Shocking, right? April is Earth Month and I strongly encourage you to get out there and help clean up your own area! It’s a nice way to stay active, soak up some vitamin D, and keep your streets clean. I still miss the people from @greenbirdanaheim especially @kevinandjody ! They always had something to teach me and are some of the kindest most passionate people when it comes to Anaheim. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay green! 💚♻️💚
On the blog: how you can help the AAPI community. On the blog: how you can help the AAPI community. Link on profile.
BLOGGED! We have been working on revamping our bac BLOGGED! We have been working on revamping our backyard patio including getting some swellegant garden gear from @missgardenglory . 🌵 Link on profile.
Don’t want to go to the store to get Easter card Don’t want to go to the store to get Easter cards? Visit my Etsy shop where you can buy and print at home a variety of vintage Easter cards! 🐰 Link on profile!
{PRE-COVID PHOTO} Last night Patrick and I receive {PRE-COVID PHOTO} Last night Patrick and I received our first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. How? We spent the last couple of days running around to various CVS and Walgreens locations between 4 and 5 pm, asking if they had any doses left over from no-shows at the end of the day. We were told no several times, we were put onto wait lists, we were told to call back, and then at one location we were told to return at 6:15. We returned and received the last two doses that were left over. These are doses that would have gone to waste. We did not “jump the line.” We did not lie about work or medical issues. This is a reasonable and ethical way to receive the vaccine prior to the April 15 opening for everyone 16 years and older here in California. I can honestly say I was on the verge of tears, but also in shock. I couldn’t believe this was finally happening. I have barely left our house in a little over a year. But even with the vaccine I’m still going to be extremely cautious. Vaccines aren’t 100%, and we still haven’t reached heard immunity. I have several outings planned, once our second dose as kicked in, that are outdoors, and probably won’t involve being around a whole lot of people. I don’t know when I’ll feel comfortable dining inside again or going to an indoor cinema. It’s going to be slow going but it’s movement! 🎉
Today’s prompt for #StandUpForAAPI : Favorite bo Today’s prompt for #StandUpForAAPI : Favorite book(s) by AAPI authors. 

Gram Parsons is my favorite musician and former Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres wrote a biography on him. He also wrote an autobiography called The Rice Room: Growing Up Chinese, From Number Two Son to Rock ‘n Roll. Which is currently on my reading list. George Takei is known for his role on Star Trek and being an active member of the LGBTQ+ community, but he also spent part of his childhood in an internment camp during WWII. He recently wrote about his experience in the form of a graphic novel, which I highly recommend. 

If I am completely honest when it comes to books, I mostly read non-fiction, biographies, history, culture. And this week has shown I am greatly lacking in works by AAPI authors. I would like to change that and try to find books about the AAPI experience, especially here in California.
Today’s prompt for #StandUpForAAPI : Call to Act Today’s prompt for #StandUpForAAPI : Call to Action. Slides by @travelling.the.pages 

Support AAPI businesses and creators. Listen to AAPI voices. Learn about the AAPI experience and learn how to safely intervene in racist situations.

EDIT NOTE: I have tried to share this multiple times with tags in the slides. Each time it failed to post. I also just tried to edit it and tag people and it failed to save the edits. I may try to do small edits tagging a few people at a time.
This week AAPI authors and bookstagrammers have cr This week AAPI authors and bookstagrammers have created a series of prompts to raise awareness around the violence and hate crimes targeting the AAPI communities. 

Today’s prompt: Take a selfie holding a sign with the hashtag #StandUpForAAPI and tell us why you support the AAPI community. 

Why do I support the AAPI community? Why not? No human should suffer or be judged based on their race or heritage. My friends and neighbors should be able to be able to walk the streets without fear. There is literally no reason NOT to support the AAPI community.
I miss all of this. I miss exploring. I miss stepp I miss all of this. I miss exploring. I miss stepping into history. I miss the weird. The bizarre. The abandoned. The museums. The filming locations. This is my biggest passion. Not doing this is like asking a painter to survive a year without access to paint or paint brushes. I must keep reminding myself to be thankful for my privilege and situation. I am thankful for my health. I am thankful for Patrick’s job that has continued through this. I am thankful for my backyard. I am thankful for my home and that I do not have to share walls, hallways, or facilities with neighbors. But here we are a year later, and I face massive depressive episodes more frequently. Seeing people being vaccinated is a double edged sword. The end is in sight but more people are going out. And it’s adding to my depression. I will be spending less time on social media until being vaccinated. I was good. I did my part. I stayed home. I’ve filled the last year with sewing projects, painted the kitchen, revamped the office, reopened my Etsy shop, made custom cat houses, landscaped the front yard, cleaned out my closet, we are currently revamping the backyard, and I have binged show after show. But nothing, absolutely nothing brings the joy that being out in the world did. I can’t wait to be vaccinated. I know I’m at the bottom of the list, as I should be. But it’s rough.
At the turn of the century Los Angeles had an Alli At the turn of the century Los Angeles had an Alligator Farm where you could ride the scaly creatures, watch them “shoot the chutes” and more. In the 1950s it moved to Buena Park. See and read more of this unique tourist destination on the blog! 🐊 Link on profile!
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#weirdcalifornia 
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(PRE-COVID photo!) Happy International Women’s D (PRE-COVID photo!) Happy International Women’s Day! Take a moment to thank a woman in your life, your mom, your friends, etc. A special thank you to women of the LGBTQ+ community and women of color. Your work does not go unnoticed, and your road has been more difficult. Thank you.
A cat’s life is such a hard life. Loafing in the A cat’s life is such a hard life. Loafing in the sun. Meals daily. Lots of pets and scratches. Blissfully unaware of a global pandemic. #catsofinstagram
BLOGGED! ‼️ WandaVision spoiler warning! ‼️ The photos in this post and the blog post itself contain spoilers from WandaVision! If you’re up to date check it out! Link on profile! Who else is excited for the finale?!
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