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, 13 Comments

Lost Places Update: Paramount Ranch been recategorized as a Lost Place. On Friday, November 9th, 2018, Paramount Ranch fell victim to the Woolsey Fire that tore through the Malibu, Thousand Oaks and Agora Hills areas. Paramount Ranch was reduced to cinders with only the train depot from Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and church built for…

The Deserted Town of Desert Shores

March 25, 2015, 11 Comments

Over the weekend Patrick and I took a day trip to the Salton Sea to see what we could see (yeah, I just went there). Last March I visited the ghostly Salton Sea for the first time with my dad, but we only explored the east side of the sea. During this visit, Patrick and…

The Old LA Zoo

February 3, 2015, 4 Comments

As already established, I adore abandoned buildings. I love the spookiness that is created when nature begins to reclaim man-made structures, and it is this that sparked my interest in visiting the old Los Angeles Zoo at Griffith Park, which we went to after our turn about the Merry-Go-Round. The zoo opened in 1912, but…

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…

Atomic Redhead

Bizarre & Unique

Giant Rock

Paramount Ranch

The Deserted Town of Desert Shores

The Old LA Zoo

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