Zzyzx: The Forgotten Health Resort of the Mojave

January 7, 2015, 2 Comments

After stopping at Calico, we swung by a place I had only read about, Zzyzx, California. The reason I love road trips is it offers opportunities to stop at fun, unique and sometimes bizarre stops along the way. And Zzyzx is certainly one of those. While many think of the Mojave as desolate, the area…

Pioneertown: The Town Built by Celluloid Cowboys

December 18, 2014, 7 Comments

During our stay at Hicksville we visited a place that could only exist in California, Pioneertown. I had visited in Pioneertown back in March (though did not blog about it) with my dad, who grew up with heavy doses of the western TV shows in the 50s, which is all how Pioneertown began. Western stars…

Treasure Island

August 26, 2014, 4 Comments

After visiting Mission San Juan Bautista, we took a very quick detour to visit another filming location, the Treasure Island Administration Building, located on Treasure Island between San Francisco’s downtown and Oakland. The building is one of the most accessible filming locations from one of my favorite films, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. While Petra…

The Isolated Spot Where James Dean Took His Last Breath

August 11, 2014, 4 Comments

On the side of the road just outside of Cholame there is a lonely stretch a road that winds between sun drenched hills there is an intersection that is the location, on a September 30th, one of the brightest stars in Hollywood was snuffed out. James Dean. I had been to the crash site of…

Death & Hollywood

March 19, 2014, 10 Comments

So if you don’t know by now, I can be kind of morbid, and after visiting The Autry (I didn’t take any photos, as the lighting and display cases proved to be difficult, and I chose instead to focus on the experience, but I highly recommend visiting as it is nothing short of spectacular!) the…

The Ruins and Oddities of Route 66

March 18, 2014, 21 Comments

It’s no secret that I am a fan of roadside Americana. While I love to see these 50-plus year old businesses alive and well, my real passion is photographing the abandoned Americana. I love seeing what time and nature does to man-made structures and objects. So when my dad said he wanted to drive down…

The Grievous Angel

March 17, 2014, 4 Comments

One of the things I really wanted to do this trip to Palm Springs was go to Joshua Tree. But not for the reason many would want to visit this gorgeous park. While most come for the beauty of the landscape, or for cycling or to climb the unique rock formations, my visit was a…

The Salton Sea: Remnants of California’s Rivera

March 16, 2014, 10 Comments

Well, we’re home from California! And with lots and lots of photographs! I’m so eager to share my experiences and photos from this trip. My dad tagging along meant I got to go out and do so many wonderful things! And I’ll be sharing them all with you over the next few days. But today we…

Palazzo Lavaca

March 12, 2013, 10 Comments

Our time here in Austin is winding down, and it’s been a hit and miss adventure. I finally did some decent shopping yesterday. But right now I really want to share with you the fantastical location we hung out at for a good chunk of our trip. Many companies at SXSW rent out homes or…

The 25 Cent Mechanical Wonders of Musée Mécanique

May 7, 2012, 4 Comments

What a trip! While I had loads of fun, I can say I am certainly glad to be home. The main reason I tagged along on Patrick’s business trip to San Francisco was to visit the various filming locations of Hitchock’s Vertigo. And honestly, I didn’t have much interest in other things. However, the lure…

Atomic Redhead

Bizarre & Unique

Zzyzx: The Forgotten Health Resort of the Mojave

Pioneertown: The Town Built by Celluloid Cowboys

Treasure Island

The Isolated Spot Where James Dean Took His Last Breath

Death & Hollywood

The Ruins and Oddities of Route 66

The Grievous Angel

The Salton Sea: Remnants of California’s Rivera

Palazzo Lavaca

The 25 Cent Mechanical Wonders of Musée Mécanique