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Places to Explore

Tourist traps, museums, neon, places to grab a bite to eat, and rest your head.

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

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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…

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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

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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…

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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

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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,…

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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

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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…

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

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

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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.…

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The Whaley House, a small, but stately looking home made of brick featuring a white column porch.

Gallows, Ghosts, and Paved Over Graves: A Visit to San Diego’s Whaley House

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On a September day in 1852 James “Yankee Jim” Robinson was taken from an adobe jail to the gallows. Standing upon a wagon, a noose was placed around his neck. When the order was given, the wagon driver pulled away, and Yankee Jim reportedly kept his feet on the wagon as long as possible, but…

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Myself standing on the outer balcony of the hotel, wearing a black dress with silver trim. A massive white sign reads "Cosmopolitan Hotel" in black letters.

San Diego’s Historic Cosmopolitan Hotel

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Each July the company Patrick works for hosts a massive conference in San Diego. Sometimes Patrick attends, sometimes he doesn’t. But this year he did, and like most of his conferences, I tag along to enjoy the sights of the city. This year we chose to stay in one of California’s oldest hotels, The Cosmopolitan,…

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Myself standing outside Independence Hall, a red brick building with white windows and doors, wearing a tricorn hat of red, white and blue stripes, a white t-shirt reading "Paul Revere and the Raiders" with the original flag jutting from the "Raiders" portion, and jean shorts, and platform shoes features red and white stripes and blue with white stars.

Ride with Paul Revere

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I hope my fellow Americans had a lovely and safe Independence Day. We spent the evening at home enjoying Disneyland’s fireworks from our front yard, but not before going to Knott’s Berry Farm’s Independence Hall as per my tradition for the last couple of years. While Knott’s Berry Farm’s version of Independence Hall is open…

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Myself, wearing a long sleeve, mini dress of orange, yellow, and green in a paisley print, walking into the golf course, looking over my shoulder.

The Kitschy Kingdom of Golf N’ Stuff

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Mini Golf. It’s a kitsch-tastic thing that I think everyone loves. I mean, really, if you hate mini golf, then there’s something wrong with you. Even if you’re no good at it, like me, it’s still fun to hit a ball at weird concrete sculptures. Which is exactly what Patrick and I did with some…

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