A waist up shot of me standing in front of Heinold's wearing a tan cowboy hat, floral cowboy shirt, and yellow tie with a horse on it.

Grab a Drink at Oakland’s Oldest Bar, Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon

July 12, 2022, 3 Comments

Resting on the banks of the Oakland Estuary sit a pair of buildings that look like they have been plucked from a wild west set; a small wooden saloon and an even smaller log cabin, making for an odd vignette among the taller glass and steel structures, railroad tracks, and sailboats. The saloon, dubbed Heinold’s…

Myself standing in front of a slate gray sign reading "Schulz" wearing a jean jacket, a blue shirt featuring Woodstock on the beach, and tan corduroys.

Happiness Is…Visiting the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Warm Puppy Cafe

June 22, 2022, 4 Comments

There is something so incredibly charming about the comics page of the newspaper. Here, in the middle of politics, tragedy, and change, are rows and rows of little boxes, each telling their very own story. Growing up I loved turning to this page and following the lives of the characters in Stone Soup, Luann, Zits,…

Myself, standing in front of the Canyon Country Store, wearing a cream cowboy hat, pink and yellow floral shirt, caramel colored fringe leather vest, and tan corduroys.

The Canyon Country Store, where 60s Music Legends Shopped and Rocked

April 27, 2022, 8 Comments

Separating the greater Los Angeles area from the San Fernando Valley are the Hollywood Hills, and running through them are various canyons, steep with homes built precariously into them. The most famous of these canyons is Laurel Canyon. Here the likes of Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Jim Morrison, Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons, Frank Zappa, David…

A large concrete jukebox frames the door to the diner. In the arch reads "Peggy Sue's DIner"

Eat to the Beat at Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner

April 25, 2022, 2 Comments

I’m always game for a visit to a 50s style diner, and when we went to Calico I knew we had to end our day at the icon of Yermo, Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner. A giant jukebox welcomes hungry patrons at Peggy Sue’s and when they pass through they enter a chaotic but delightful 50s…

A Bite of Hot Dog History at the First Wienerschnitzel

March 24, 2022, 3 Comments

Driving down Pacific Coast Highway, this small, yet vibrant red and yellow building may not catch your eye, and if it does you may just write it off as one of the many Wienerschnitzel locations scattered across California, but this is in fact the first Wienerschnitzel! Unlike a similar hot dog counterpart (coughHotDogOnAStickcough), Wienerschnitzel has valued…

Myself standing on the staircase, the opposite staircase visible in the background.

The Sly Bar Tucked inside the Legendary Bradbury Building

December 1, 2021, 5 Comments

To the uninitiated, the Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles may not look like much, but step through its doors and you enter into one of the most fantastical buildings in LA. Standing at five stories tall, the Bradbury’s interior is an atrium with two open cage elevators, and swirling wrought iron that cascades around…

Overall view of the lunch counter. The counter runs along the left side, sweeping across the back. Black and white checkered floor allows for table seating with red formica topped tables and red and chrome chairs. A red stripe runs across the wall with red neon above. Framed Coca-Cola ads line the upper, cream portion of the wall, a large circular Coca-Cola sign sits on the back wall.

Inside the Last Operating Woolworth’s Lunch Counter

September 21, 2021, 1 Comment

November 2 2021 Update: According to an October 30 article from the Bakersfield newspaper, the Five & Dime Antique Mall shutters on November 6, but the lunch counter will try to stay open until the full remodel needs to take place, which could be as early as January 2022. “The lunch counter is staying open…

Myself, wearing a white halter top with red polka dots, and red shorts, holding a red and white In-N-Out cup, standing in front of the replica of the first In-N-Out.

A Visit to the First In-N-Out…Well Sort Of.

August 11, 2021, 4 Comments

When it comes to California history, there is certainly a lot. One aspect of California history that has become a staple of American life is fast food. Yes, one could argue that fast food started right here in Southern California, and while not typically viewed as “important” history, fast food is certainly a cultural phenomenon…

The Larry's neon sign sits at the corner of a fenced off outdoor eating area for Larry's, which features several picnic tables with red and white umbrellas near the outdoor order and pick-up windows. A large sign on the roof features a cartoon dog and reads "Larry's"

The Happy Little Neon Dachshund of Larry’s Chili Dog

July 14, 2021, 4 Comments

A good way to get me to go to nearly any restaurant is a killer neon sign, so when I spied Larry’s Chili Dog one day in Burbank I knew I had to visit, because it has absolutely one of the cutest neon sign’s I’ve ever seen! Larry’s Chili Dog has been around since 1953…

Myself, holding a chocolate donut, standing in front of The Donut Hole.

A Drive Through the Kitsch-tastic Donut Hole

June 22, 2021, 3 Comments

When it comes to architecture I’m of course a sucker for a good mid-century modern, art deco, and even Victorian, but perhaps my favorite style is programmatic architecture, aka “California Crazy” because it’s just plain fun! There are other terms for this style as well, including vernacular and mimetic architecture. This is where a…

Atomic Redhead

Eat & Drink

Grab a Drink at Oakland’s Oldest Bar, Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon

Happiness Is…Visiting the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Warm Puppy Cafe

The Canyon Country Store, where 60s Music Legends Shopped and Rocked

Eat to the Beat at Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner

A Bite of Hot Dog History at the First Wienerschnitzel

The Sly Bar Tucked inside the Legendary Bradbury Building

Inside the Last Operating Woolworth’s Lunch Counter

A Visit to the First In-N-Out…Well Sort Of.

The Happy Little Neon Dachshund of Larry’s Chili Dog

A Drive Through the Kitsch-tastic Donut Hole