Myself, wearing a red elf had, and mint green dress with red and white stripe accents, and a peppermint candy necklace, standing in front of a red door that features decor mixing the Fourth of July and Christmas.

Christmas in July at Santa’s Village

July 28, 2022, 4 Comments

My dad has many fond memories of Southern California in the 1950s and 60s, especially of its various amusement parks. One such was a theme park a little further out from the greater Los Angeles area than say Disneyland. Roughly 80 miles east of LA, nestled in the San Bernardino Mountains sits Santa’s Village, a…

Myself, wearing a tan cowboy hat, floral print western wear shirt with yellow tie with horses on it, and black jeans, leaning against "Kings & Queens" machine which features saloon girls playing poker with an outlaw figure.

Playing Through Pinball History at the Pacific Pinball Museum

July 7, 2022, 2 Comments

There is something enchanting about pinball. A spring launches a ball into a whirlwind of bumpers and obstacles, bouncing and chiming its way across a colorful board. I love the art and design of pinball machines, new or old. It’s always especially interesting when a pinball machine is based on a film or TV show,…

Myself seated on the "Throne of Love" which is painted red and has gold designs around the edge and has various indicator lights reading options such as "Wild Thing, Adorable, Hot Stuff, Sizzling Hot, Hotsy Totsy, Lovable, Passionate, A Sweet Hart, Bombshell"

Revisiting the Coin-Op Delights of Musée Mécanique

July 5, 2022, 1 Comment

Fisherman’s Wharf is an icon of San Francisco, with both the hustle and bustle of the still active fishing community along side tourists who run in and out of the various restaurants, shops, and museums. Nestled next to the iconic Grotto restaurant is my favorite place in all of San Fransisco, Musée Mécanique, an astounding…

A group of guests look over a pool that has a steep slide, which an alligator slides down. Text across a roof in the background reads "Alligator Farm." Red text in the upper right of the postcard reads "Entertaining guests at the California Alligator Farm, Los Angeles."

Sights and Souvenirs from the California Alligator Farm

March 10, 2021, 6 Comments

As mentioned before I’ve been watching a lot of TV since I’m not going anywhere thanks to COVID, and I recently binged the entire first season of HBO’s new interpretation of Perry Mason. Early in the show Mason handles a taxidermy turtle and small alligator, both which feature a paper label reading “Los Angeles Alligator…

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

July 2022 Update: The new owners have decided to keep Bedrock City open indefinitely! Visit their website for up-to-date information. 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.…

A large wooden roller coaster painted white stretches toward a blue sky. A white sign with black letters reading "Belmont Park" is attached to the coaster.

Riding Southern California’s Oldest Rollercoaster at Belmont Park

July 19, 2019, 3 Comments

San Diego really has a lot to offer when it comes to history. Many regard San Diego as the birthplace of California, as it is home to the first Spanish Mission and many more historic locations. It is also home to southern California’s oldest rollercoaster, the Giant Dipper at Belmont Park, built in 1925. I…

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

July 1, 2019, 1 Comment

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…

Inside the Redondo Fun Factory - wearing a vintage red shirt reading "Have a Coke and a smile" and wide leg blue jeans. In the background a variety of 80s arcade games, behind them a ton of vintage signs.

A Revisit to the Enigmatic Fun Factory

August 24, 2018, 5 Comments

UPDATE: The Redondo Beach Fun Factory closed October, 2019. Last year we visited the Redondo Fun Factory located on the Redondo Beach Pier after hearing news it would be closing. Over a year later the bizarre Fun Factory, with its eclectic variety of games and collection of odd signs, is still operating, but now has…

Exploring the Historic Santa Monica Pier

July 27, 2018, 2 Comments

Nothing quite says summer like a day at the beach, especially if that beach is lucky enough to have a pier filled with a carousel, roller coaster, games and more. Around the turn-of-the-century California’s coast was dotted with what was known at the time as “pleasure piers” a wooden boardwalk along the coast that offered…

Redondo Beach’s Bizarre Fun Factory

February 15, 2017, 3 Comments

UPDATE: The Redondo Beach Fun Factory closed October, 2019. Recently I found out that another SoCal institution will only be a memory, the Fun Factory at the Redondo Beach Pier, which has been an oceanside attraction since 1972. Much like Gill’s in my last post, I can claim no fond memories of birthday parties spent…

Atomic Redhead

Unique Amusements

Christmas in July at Santa’s Village

Playing Through Pinball History at the Pacific Pinball Museum

Revisiting the Coin-Op Delights of Musée Mécanique

Sights and Souvenirs from the California Alligator Farm

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

Riding Southern California’s Oldest Rollercoaster at Belmont Park

The Kitschy Kingdom of Golf N’ Stuff

A Revisit to the Enigmatic Fun Factory

Exploring the Historic Santa Monica Pier

Redondo Beach’s Bizarre Fun Factory