View of the neon for the Formosa, which is green and sits within white script letters on a red building. A black and white stripe awning juts out from the front.

The Formosa Cafe: Watering Hole for Mobsters and Movie Stars

May 1, 2024, Leave a Comment on The Formosa Cafe: Watering Hole for Mobsters and Movie Stars

L.A. Confidential is one of my all time favorite movies, and any time I can make it to one of the filming locations, I’m overjoyed. The Formosa Cafe is not only where parts of L.A. Confidential were filmed, but also where one of its most iconic scenes (ironically not in the book) happened. The scene…

Front of the Vista, a Spanish revival style building with curved details on the roof, painted yellow with white trim.

A Movie Night at the 100 Year Old Vista Theater

April 3, 2024, 3 Comments

While I grew up in the age of the multiplex, I also went to small, independent cinemas frequently. I saw Disney’s Pocahontas at Eugene’s old McDonald Theatre, which was built in 1925, and I spent many midnight screenings at the Cameo in Newberg, which opened in 1937. So I of course have a soft spot…

A singer in a sequin gown stands at a microphone.

Angel of Light: A Walk Through Horror Experience at the Historic Los Angeles Theatre

October 18, 2023, 1 Comment

While Knott’s Scary Farm may be the oldest Halloween haunt experience in Southern California, it’s far from the only one. From home haunts to the movie set horrors of Universal Studios, Southern California is full of a wide range of spooky experiences at a variety of venues. Recently we had friends rave about Angel of…

A small single story Streamline Moderne style building, abandoned with collapsing wood frame.

Lonesome Spots along California Backroads

June 29, 2023, Leave a Comment on Lonesome Spots along California Backroads

Today I’m rounding up California sights from our road trip, including many more abandoned buildings, neon signs, and even a Twilight Zone filming location! Rustic Oasis Motel, 2005 U.S. 395, Olancha. “Temporarily Closed” according to Google. Airflite Cafe, US-395, Olancha. Abandoned. Invisible Theme Park cited a CalTrans survey (although I could not locate the survey…

Myself, wearing a black cowboy hat, black Mexican Tourist jacket with green design, white peasant top, blue jeans, standing in front of the mission.

Retracing Zorro’s Escapades at Mission San Luis Rey

January 25, 2023, 2 Comments

Before we get going, I want to say that it is important to remember that the California missions have complicated histories. For some, they were and remain a place of peace, with memories of weddings and other life events, however, they also have a history of violence, slavery, and forced religious conversion, which aided in the…

Myself standing in front of the gold wings from Wonder Woman '84.

Revisiting the Warner Bros. Studio

January 11, 2023, 2 Comments

This year is a big year for the movie industry with lots of anniversaries, including both Disney and Warner Bros. Studios turning 100. While Disney’s icons are of the less tangible, animated variety, Warner Bros. offers incredible studio tours that allows guests to step inside their most beloved films and television series. Way back in…

Overview of the sales floor from the balcony, high white walls feature arched details of gold on them, the arched proscenium frames a screen, two small arched balconies sit on either side of the screen.

The Surreal Experience of Shopping for a New iMac at an Old Movie Palace

August 12, 2022, 2 Comments

A couple weeks ago my beloved iMac started show signs of age. It could barely keep up with my photo editing, and I knew its days were numbered. So I set out to get a new one. Not too long ago Apple announced they were introducing new colored iMacs. My millennial heart skipped a beat.…

Overall view of the house, which is a small white Victorian with white gingerbread details, and elements painted in red and dark blue.

Grab Some Pie at Charlie’s Cute House from Top Gun

August 10, 2022, Leave a Comment on Grab Some Pie at Charlie’s Cute House from Top Gun

Do you feel the need? The need for…nope, not speed! Pie! Yes, I said pie! Not speed! Just a few feet from Oceanside’s pier sits a small blue and white Victorian home, almost enveloped, Up style, by a gleaming hotel, this is The Famous High Pie. Originally built in 1887, the home was once known…

Myself, wearing a purple psychedelic print long sleeve dress with a gold scarf at the neck, and a purple scarf in my hair, standing in front of the lake that sits in the middle of Hollywood Forever.

Touring the Hauntingly Beautiful Hollywood Forever Cemetery

April 18, 2022, 5 Comments

Hollywood. The home to the stars – both living and dead. While Hollywood and the surrounding areas have multiple cemeteries where Hollywood’s elite have been laid to rest, none is perhaps more notable than Hollywood Forever. Smack in the middle of Tinsel Town, and butting right up against Paramount Studios, this is the final resting…

Myself walking along the rim of the crater.

A Hike into an Ancient Volcano along Route 66

February 2, 2022, 2 Comments

The legendary Route 66 often conjures imagery of neon signs for diners, a plethora of tourist traps, and gas stations. Something that perhaps doesn’t spring to mind is a volcano. But in fact there is a volcano right off of the famed Mother Road, and you can hike into it. The town of Amboy is…

Atomic Redhead

Filming Locations

The Formosa Cafe: Watering Hole for Mobsters and Movie Stars

A Movie Night at the 100 Year Old Vista Theater

Angel of Light: A Walk Through Horror Experience at the Historic Los Angeles Theatre

Lonesome Spots along California Backroads

Retracing Zorro’s Escapades at Mission San Luis Rey

Revisiting the Warner Bros. Studio

The Surreal Experience of Shopping for a New iMac at an Old Movie Palace

Grab Some Pie at Charlie’s Cute House from Top Gun

Touring the Hauntingly Beautiful Hollywood Forever Cemetery

A Hike into an Ancient Volcano along Route 66