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 standing in front of the banner advertising the Jewish Deli exhibit.

Dishing Up Deli History at the Skirball Cultural Center

August 8, 2022, Leave a Comment on Dishing Up Deli History at the Skirball Cultural Center

Being from the west coast and growing up in the 90s, the idea of the Jewish deli wasn’t a big thing around me. It wasn’t until I started watching and paying attention to television shows and films set in New York that I really began to understand this cultural phenomenon. With the rise of foodie…

Myself, wearing a cream cowboy hat, fringe leather vest, floral shirt, and tan corduroy pants, seated inside one of the red leather booths.

The Resurrection of LA’s Fred Harvey Restaurant as Sports Bar

August 4, 2022, Leave a Comment on The Resurrection of LA’s Fred Harvey Restaurant as Sports Bar

A short distance from Olvera Street, the birthplace of Los Angeles, sits one of its most iconic buildings, Union Station. The iconic Spanish Revival building has been featured countless times in movies and television, and serves as a transportation hub for visitors and locals alike. It’s also home to Homebound Brew House which offers up…

Myself, wearing a dress featuring a colorful psychedelic print with small Mickey heads on it, sitting in an orange chair next to one of the beds.

Howard Johnson’s Latest Suite is a Revival of Long Lost Disneyland Attraction

August 2, 2022, 2 Comments

Beginning in 1957 you could step into the plastic possibilities of the Monsanto House of the Future in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. Ten years later, in 1967, the House of the Future met its end, and disappeared from Tomorrowland. But just across the street from Disneyland at the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground you can…

Myself, wearing a light blue shirt with rainbow script reading "93/KHJ Boss 30" and red and yellow corduroy shorts, standing in front of the massive hot dog shaped building.

Eating a Little Hot Dog at a Giant Hot Dog! The Return of Tail o’ the Pup

July 26, 2022, 1 Comment

It has graced book covers, it has been seen featured on the big and small screen, it has been visited by celebrities like Betty White, Sigourney Weaver, and the band Devo, just to name a few. What is it? It’s a 17 foot long hot dog stand, dubbed Tail o’ the Pup, one of the…

Myself, leaning against the concession stand, wearing a straw hat, a black t-shirt that reads "Ian Malcom was Right" and green shorts, in the background one of the screens is visible.

One More Summer at the Mission Tiki Drive-In

July 21, 2022, Leave a Comment on One More Summer at the Mission Tiki Drive-In

Due to Oregon’s rainy weather my local drive-in growing up, the 99W, only operated seasonally, opening sometime in the late spring and staying open until autumn. So summer was really drive-in season, nights spent with friends and popcorn in front of a massive screen. Because of this, despite now living in California, where the remaining…

A gas station doing in an ornate Spanish Revival style, with a small cupola at the top. Faded letters read "Barnsdall Oil Co. and Rio Grand Oil Co." Blue and white tile frame old doorways and windows.

I Pulled Over for This! Neon Lights and More from our Bay Area Road Trip

July 19, 2022, Leave a Comment on I Pulled Over for This! Neon Lights and More from our Bay Area Road Trip

Sometimes when out and about I stumble across a neat sign or abandoned building, a place really cool to look at, but perhaps not much more than that and doesn’t need a blog post all to itself. This is always the case with road trips, so today I bring you a round up of some…

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

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…

Atomic Redhead

Places to Explore

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

Dishing Up Deli History at the Skirball Cultural Center

The Resurrection of LA’s Fred Harvey Restaurant as Sports Bar

Howard Johnson’s Latest Suite is a Revival of Long Lost Disneyland Attraction

Eating a Little Hot Dog at a Giant Hot Dog! The Return of Tail o’ the Pup

One More Summer at the Mission Tiki Drive-In

I Pulled Over for This! Neon Lights and More from our Bay Area Road Trip

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