A massive sign of Fred Flintstone and and sign reading "Yabba Dabba Doo Means Welcome to You!"

A Visit to the Stone Age at Arizona’s Bedrock City Before it Becomes History

September 12, 2019, 6 Comments

Just a few miles south of the Grand Canyon is a place where you can, at least for a few more weeks, step into the fanciful past of the Flintstones, the modern stone age family. This is Bedrock City. This colorful town isn’t from the stone age, but actually 1972, and was built in Valle,…

The roadside sign for "El Trovatore" a brick structure stands on a hill above the motel, with a red and white sign jutting from the brick reading "El Trovatore Motel" An old rusted car sits out front.

The Star-Studded El Trovatore Motel

September 10, 2019, 1 Comment

Patrick and I just returned from a mini road trip to Arizona, and boy are y’all in for a slew of posts! But let’s start off with the first place we stopped for the night, the El Trovatore. El Trovatore is not only right along Route 66, but it is perched right on the edge…

Myself seated at a table inside Barney's, the booth is upholstered in different color vinyl, and the table features a collage made of magazine cut outs. Behind me sits a chopper motorcycle.

From Clark Gable to Jim Morrison, Route 66’s Barney’s Beanery Has Seen it All

August 21, 2019, 3 Comments

Hollywood has seen a great deal of changes over its lifetime, and one place that has witnessed it all is Barney’s Beanery. Once a humble California Craftsman home surrounded by poinsettia fields it has morphed to become one of the icons of Hollywood history, both of the film and music variety. Oh, and did I…

Exterior of Pig 'n Whistle, in a gothic font "Pig 'N Whistle" is above a metal awning that reads "Pig 'n Whistle" in neon.

Pigs, Pizza, and I Love Lucy: A Tale of Two Historic Hollywood Watering Holes

August 8, 2019, 6 Comments

In my previous post about the stunning Egyptian Theatre, I mentioned the neighboring restaurant of Pig ‘n Whistle. Today I’m here to dive more the story of Pig ‘n Whistle, its ties to Hollywood’s oldest Italian restaurant, Miceli’s, and the classic show I Love Lucy. In 1908 a man by the name of John Gage…

Myself standing in front of a wall in the forecourt that is painted with images of Egyptian gods, kings and hieroglyphs, wearing a sleeveless cream lace dress, a blue scarf with white hieroglyphs, and a blue scarab necklace.

Discovering the Hidden Treasures of Sid Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre

August 6, 2019, 5 Comments

Think you’re looking at an ancient Egyptian temple? Well, not quite. This isn’t Egypt, and this wasn’t built thousands of years ago. Try Hollywood, and 1922. This is Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre. Patrick and I have been meaning to take one of the tours offered at the Egyptian for years now, and with the theatre’s future…

The Fleeting Resurrection of the Iconic Aquarius, Hollywood’s Psychedelic Theatre

August 1, 2019, 2 Comments

In my last post I mentioned that Quentin Tarantino brought many long gone 60s LA icons back to life for his film Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, just to serve in the background. One of these icons was the Aquarius Theatre, which is just down the street from the Cinerama Dome and across from another…

Myself, wearing a white t-shirt reading "Hollywood" in red letters, and images of the Hollywood Bowl, Farmer's Market, Grauman's Chinese Theater, and the Capitol Records Building, standing in front of the white dome that is the Cinerama building. A red, white, and blue sign reads "Pacific Cinerama Theatre.

The Pacific Cinerama Dome – Hollywood’s Most Uniquely Shaped Theatre

July 30, 2019, 1 Comment

Over the weekend Patrick and I went to see the highly anticipated Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, but we chose to see it at the iconic Cinerama Dome, which is used, albeit extremely briefly, in the film. Across the front of the Dome was a banner advertising the film 1969 Krakatoa: East…

The marquee for the Orpheum theatre, which reads "Orpheum" in yellow neon script, and lines of pink and green neon above.

Electric Paradise – The Los Angeles Neon Cruise

July 24, 2019, 1 Comment

The Museum of Neon Art feels like a museum that was made for me. Not only does it restore, house, and exhibit some of the finest works of neon signage, it also offers the Neon Cruise, an incredibly unique tour of Los Angeles showcasing some of the city’s most fantastic neon signs. As sun set,…

Myself walking through the pathways of the Zoro Garden, which features short rock walls, and lush plants around.

Remembering Balboa Park’s Nudist Colony at the Zoro Garden

July 22, 2019, 4 Comments

One of my favorite places in San Diego is Balboa Park. The sprawling park features fanciful architecture housing a plethora of museums, plus multiple gardens. One such garden is the Zoro Garden, which is tucked away behind a leaf covered wall, and shaded beneath massive trees. When I first gazed upon it I wouldn’t have…

Catherine ducks under the cover of her camera to take my portrait. .

Meet Catherine Segura, the Young Woman Who is Keeping Tintype Photography Alive

July 17, 2019, 3 Comments

When you walk into Old Town San Diego, you instantly feel like you’re transported to the past. And if you’re lucky enough to be there on a weekend, then you can have a truly unique and transporting experience by visiting Catherine and her father, Clement, who do tintype portraits on the porch of the Cosmopolitan.…

Atomic Redhead

Places to Explore

A Visit to the Stone Age at Arizona’s Bedrock City Before it Becomes History

The Star-Studded El Trovatore Motel

From Clark Gable to Jim Morrison, Route 66’s Barney’s Beanery Has Seen it All

Pigs, Pizza, and I Love Lucy: A Tale of Two Historic Hollywood Watering Holes

Discovering the Hidden Treasures of Sid Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre

The Fleeting Resurrection of the Iconic Aquarius, Hollywood’s Psychedelic Theatre

The Pacific Cinerama Dome – Hollywood’s Most Uniquely Shaped Theatre

Electric Paradise – The Los Angeles Neon Cruise

Remembering Balboa Park’s Nudist Colony at the Zoro Garden

Meet Catherine Segura, the Young Woman Who is Keeping Tintype Photography Alive