Overall view of the Gran Salon with its rose marble columns and collection of cars.

The Mechanized Wonder of the Nethercutt Collection

April 14, 2022, 2 Comments

Earlier I shared the impressive Nethercutt Museum. While the museum is amazing, and free, visitors have the option to extend their visit and tour the Nethercutt Collection, a paid ($10 at the time of our visit) tour showcasing even more cars, unique mechanical musical instruments, and more. Visitors enter the Collection via the basement, known…

The Incredible Automotive Museum built by a Cosmetics Empire

April 12, 2022, 2 Comments

Sometimes I go somewhere and I am just so knocked on my feet I’m not even sure where to begin to share it with you. This is the case for the Nethercutt Museum and Collection. In fact, this place is so massive it’s actually receiving two blog posts! The Nethercutt is probably best known as…

Myself standing in front of massive mural featuring a train, bridge, broken down car, and Spike, the cartoon beagle brother to Snoopy.

A Visit to Needles, Home to Spike and the Remains of a Grand Train Depot

March 15, 2022, 3 Comments

Before Interstate 40 arrived through the southwest, there was Route 66, and before that the railroad. And if you traveled any of them to California, Needles was that first city to welcome you to the Golden State. The connection to Route 66 makes Needles proud of its history, but there is much more, much of…

Stepping Aboard Angels Flight, the World’s Shortest Railway

January 19, 2022, 3 Comments

When it comes to Los Angeles, often times things can disappear without a trace, and never return, but thankfully that isn’t what happened to the “world’s shortest railway” known by the charming name of Angels Flight. While on railroad tracks, Angels Flight doesn’t travel in a loop or even on flat ground, but rather at…

Myself standing on the staircase, the opposite staircase visible in the background.

The Sly Bar Tucked inside the Legendary Bradbury Building

December 1, 2021, 5 Comments

To the uninitiated, the Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles may not look like much, but step through its doors and you enter into one of the most fantastical buildings in LA. Standing at five stories tall, the Bradbury’s interior is an atrium with two open cage elevators, and swirling wrought iron that cascades around…

Visiting Merle Haggard’s Home and More at Kern County Museum

May 17, 2021, 4 Comments

Being vaccinated means I feel a bit more comfortable going out and doing some things, and I’ve been itching to get on the road for a little day trip. I recently heard that Bakersfield had a wealth of great neon signs, which are a favorite subject of mine, including an entire courtyard display dedicated to…

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 boy and girl bite into the same apple inside a pumpkin. Text at the top reads "Halloween."

The Long Lost Matchmaking Rituals of Halloween

October 21, 2020, 6 Comments

When it comes to holidays about true love, one typically thinks about Valentine’s Day, and not Halloween. But yes, the time of year we typically associate with more macabre imagery used to have a rather romantic element, the rituals of Halloween matchmaking. Some of the earliest noted methods of Halloween matchmaking are from 18th century…

Long Form: Removal of Confederate Monuments

July 21, 2020, 5 Comments

Unless you are totally new here, then you know that I value history. I love it. I have a degree in it. I live for it. Much of this blog is dedicated to history in one way or another. So…when I hear people crying “They are erasing history!” it should be an alarm bell to…

Six cameras of various styles are lined up at the bottom. Blue script reads "Patric's Camera Collection Vol. 1"

Patrick’s Camera Collection Vol. 1

March 25, 2020, 5 Comments

When Patrick and I first started dating he was well on his way to a career as a photographer, and I soon learned he didn’t collect anything. Now, coming from a family of collectors I was a little shocked. Some years previously I had purchased a cute vintage camera and decided to gift it to…

Atomic Redhead

1900s

The Mechanized Wonder of the Nethercutt Collection

The Incredible Automotive Museum built by a Cosmetics Empire

A Visit to Needles, Home to Spike and the Remains of a Grand Train Depot

Stepping Aboard Angels Flight, the World’s Shortest Railway

The Sly Bar Tucked inside the Legendary Bradbury Building

Visiting Merle Haggard’s Home and More at Kern County Museum

Sights and Souvenirs from the California Alligator Farm

The Long Lost Matchmaking Rituals of Halloween

Long Form: Removal of Confederate Monuments

Patrick’s Camera Collection Vol. 1