Overall view of the Perish Motel" a Googie style sign reads "Perish Motel TV" in red and white with a large white arrow pointing toward the rooms.

One-of-a-Kind Roadside Sights from Oregon, Idaho & Utah

June 9, 2023, 2 Comments

After Nevada, we continued briefly into Oregon before arriving at our destination of Idaho. While visiting with my mother, we still took some time to drive around and I found so many great signs and more! After wrapping up our visit, we drove into Utah before eventually arriving in Vegas. So today I bring you…

Angled view of some of the buildings of Virginia City, which include mostly two story buildings of wood facades in the "old west" style of square fronts.

A Stroll through Historic Virginia City

May 23, 2023, 1 Comment

Recently Patrick and I went on a road trip to visit my mom in Idaho, and anyone who knows me knows I love a road trip. While the route was somewhat familiar, as we had done it before, we made a few fresh stops, including spending some time in Virginia City. Virginia City is similar…

Small, single story, boarded up adobe buildings sit just past a sign reading "Casablanca Inn"

The Remnants, Remains, and Random Snapshots of 2022

February 1, 2023, 1 Comment

Sometimes when Patrick and I go out we find ourselves pulling over when we spy a vintage sign, or a unique or abandoned building. Often these places never have enough meat to them for their very own post (and more often than not, the photos get forgotten about as a result), or they get relegated…

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 outside of the museum next to a pair of large golden arches, wearing a Bill Elliot racing tee, and brown and yellow shorts.

The Delightfully Bizarre Unofficial McDonald’s Museum

September 7, 2022, 2 Comments

Before McDonald’s was the global icon it is today, it was a humble barbecue joint in San Bernardino run by two brothers from New Hampshire. While their first location is no longer standing, it lives on at the First Original McDonald’s Museum, also known as the Unofficial McDonald’s Museum. Here no item is too small,…

To the right stands the tall sign reading "Motel Inn" and to the right is the one remaining, Spanish Revival style building, with the lone wall from the restaurant in the middle in the distance.

Remnants of the Motel Inn, the World’s First Motel

July 14, 2022, 3 Comments

Just off Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo sits a tall sign reading “Motel Inn Restaurant & Lounge First Motel in the World” but pull over and you’ll be welcomed not by a jolly proprietor, but instead by a chain link fence and only one building and a lilting facade just beyond it. This is…

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, 2 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…

The dock of the island, with the large former barracks turned apartments looming above.

More than a Prison: The Gardens, Native American Heritage, and Birds of Alcatraz

July 1, 2022, Leave a Comment on More than a Prison: The Gardens, Native American Heritage, and Birds of Alcatraz

Alcatraz. The Rock. The most formidable prison in the United States. From its early years as a fort, later turned prison, and then the location of the protest that sparked the 1970s Native American Rights Movement, Alcatraz Island is now a National Park that seeks to preserve the history of the island, while also accepting…

Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the LA County Fair

May 25, 2022, 1 Comment

Since moving to California in 2014, I had yet to make it to the Los Angeles County Fair. But I just knew I had to go this year, and the LA County Fair turned 100! Los Angeles County tried and failed six different times to start a county fair (while nearby Orange County had it…

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, 3 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…

Atomic Redhead

Historic Locations

One-of-a-Kind Roadside Sights from Oregon, Idaho & Utah

A Stroll through Historic Virginia City

The Remnants, Remains, and Random Snapshots of 2022

Retracing Zorro’s Escapades at Mission San Luis Rey

The Delightfully Bizarre Unofficial McDonald’s Museum

Remnants of the Motel Inn, the World’s First Motel

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

More than a Prison: The Gardens, Native American Heritage, and Birds of Alcatraz

Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the LA County Fair

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