Redondo Beach’s Bizarre Fun Factory

February 15, 2017, 2 Comments

Recently I found out that another SoCal institution will only be a memory, the Fun Factory at the Redondo Beach Pier, which has been an oceanside attraction since 1972. Much like Gill’s in my last post, I can claim no fond memories of birthday parties spent running around playing the dozens of arcade games or…

Welcome to Westworld

January 16, 2017, 2 Comments

Being the fan of westerns that I am, I was immediately taken in by the new HBO incarnation of Westworld. Even though I enjoyed the original 1973 film, it wasn’t without its flaws, which is why I was open to a new take on it, and I can say the show did not let me down, and…

A Stroll Down Mane Street

December 18, 2016, 1 Comment

No, that’s not a typo, I really did mean “mane” like a horse’s mane, because today I’m sharing some images from one of my favorite high desert locations, Pioneertown, and it really is Mane Street there. Just after my family left from visiting for my grandmother’s services, Patrick’s mother came to visit for a week,…

Ghost Towns along Highway 49

September 16, 2016, 8 Comments

I am sorry to report I don’t have any images from our time spent in Portland. I was incredibly busy constantly visiting with friends and family, and shopping of course! What I do have to show for our trip though are some shots I took of some ghost towns. we visited during our journey back…

Bob Baker Marionette Theater

July 27, 2016, 5 Comments

Just a few hours after arriving home from San Diego Comic Con, Patrick and I were off to LA to attend Charles Phoenix‘s show at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, a rare, if not slightly bizarre, gem in Los Angeles. I had heard about this theatre from Charles on a few occasions, but the show…

Salvation Mountain

March 14, 2016, 4 Comments

Each time I would visit Palm Springs and return home I would get asked “Did you go to Salvation Mountain?” Here’s the funny thing about where Salvation Mountain is… It’s hardly “close” to Palm Springs. Palm Springs, and its neighboring cities of Palm Desert, Cathedral City, and Indio are the closest cities of any real consequence…

Jack-O-Landia

September 20, 2015, 3 Comments

“You want to go to another weird western town?” This is how Patrick woke me up this last Thursday. Since moving I have pretty much dragged him to every old west town, be it fake or real, I could find. From Pioneertown to Calico to Knott’s Berry Farm to Paramount Ranch, I’m all about going to places that feature…

The Wigwam Motel

June 11, 2015, 7 Comments

During the week Patrick decided to surprise me with a mini, one night getaway at the Wigwam Motel in Rialto on Route 66! An icon of the Mother Road, the Wigwam Motel is a handful of concrete tipi structures that are quaint, and of course, small. There honestly wasn’t much to do in the small town…

Giant Rock

April 25, 2015, 2 Comments

When I told my dad we were headed out to Joshua Tree for my birthday he suggested we visit Giant Rock. Giant Rock is pretty much exactly how it sounds, an enormous rock out in the middle of the Mojave, and accessible only by dirt roads with small, wooden, hand written markers to point the…

Paramount Ranch

April 2, 2015, 11 Comments

One of the many things I love about California is its rich history with the film industry. The movies were born here, and there is a wide array of places to visit that offer glimpses into the magic of movie making, as well as thousands of locations to visit. Some are boasted on large billboards,…

Atomic Redhead

Bizarre & Unique

Redondo Beach’s Bizarre Fun Factory

Welcome to Westworld

A Stroll Down Mane Street

Ghost Towns along Highway 49

Bob Baker Marionette Theater

Salvation Mountain

Jack-O-Landia

The Wigwam Motel

Giant Rock

Paramount Ranch