Myself standing in front of a large stamp mill.

Remnants of the Mojave Desert at Route 66’s Goffs Schoolhouse Museum

March 17, 2022, 3 Comments

As mentioned in my Needles post, we were lucky enough to make it to another museum along Route 66 before the sun went down, the Goffs Schoolhouse Museum. While the building started out as a schoolhouse, today it showcases the history of Goffs and the Mojave Desert, both inside the schoolhouse itself as well 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…

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…

A rounded room with a gold chain curtain and small display cases housing Oscars. A small round red velvet couch sits in the center.

Celebrating Movie Magic at the Academy Museum

November 9, 2021, 3 Comments

Over the last few years Hollywood has been working hard in the former May Company building, overhauling it to turn it into the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Earlier this fall it finally opened, and we visited last weekend. Fair warning, this post includes spoilers of classic films such as Citizen Kane and Psycho. With…

Exterior of the Aztec, a teal painted structure with various Mayan influenced designs along the corners, edges, and doorways.

A Look Inside the Strange and Haunted Aztec Hotel of Route 66

July 1, 2021, 9 Comments

Sitting along Foothill Boulevard in Monrovia is what a first glance appears to be some sort of ancient temple, but upon further inspection, it’s actually a hotel, the Aztec Hotel. Last week Patrick and I joined other curious visitors for a tour of this Route 66 oddity, hosted by Craig Owens of Bizarre Los Angeles.…

Myself, wearing a cream straw cowboy hat, yellow shirt red text reading "Red Dog California Cold Beer Restaurant Cocktails Good Vibes" and featuring a woman diving into a martini glass, and jean shorts, standing on a bridge over a small stream, surrounded by a variety of green plants.

The Fairy-esque Wonderland of Ferndell Trail

June 24, 2021, 1 Comment

Griffith Park is perhaps one of Los Angeles’ greatest tourist attractions, as it has so much to offer. From museums to the observatory to the Hollywood sign and the miles of trails it has for pedestrians, equestrians, and cyclists, there is something for everyone. And while there are miles of trails, perhaps the most enchanting…

Angled view of the tower, red script reading "Sears" is just above the front doors.

Ghost of Consumerism Past: Almost 100 Year Old Abandoned Art Deco Sears of Boyle Heights

June 16, 2021, 3 Comments

“Boyle #1008 1995 Store of the Year Los Angeles District” reads the plaque on a trophy topped with a curvaceous angel. But this trophy doesn’t rest inside a display case, or on the shelf in an executive office. Instead it sits on a dust covered desk along a loading dock of the empty husk of…

Accidental Icon: How the Hollywood Sign Became a LA Mainstay

June 3, 2021, 1 Comment

Recently Patrick, myself, and some friends decided to conquer the Hollywood sign hike. We hiked up steep dusty trails that wove their way for over three miles through Griffith Park, finally reaching the peak and it got me thinking about the amazing history of this accidental symbol of Tinseltown. As America entered the roaring 20s,…

The signage for Catalina Liquor, all of which is backlit plastic. Above the door is a sign that is an abstract of various arms intertwined holding martini glasses.

Exploring Koreatown’s Past with the King of Neon

May 26, 2021, 3 Comments

One of my favorite places is the Museum of Neon Art, which saves neon signs in addition to displaying contemporary works by neon artists, and even offering classes to keep the art of neon alive. Additionally, they offer amazing tours, which are typically done via a double decker bus. However, due to COVID they have…

A green neon sign reads "Wool Growers Restaurant Cocktails" and features a sheet by a fence.

Neon Sheep! A Giant Shoe! And More! Exploring Bakersfield’s Americana Gems

May 19, 2021, 4 Comments

As mentioned in my last post, Bakersfield has a lot of vintage neon still out in the wild, plus a few pretty amazing backlit plastic signs, which was one of the reasons we wanted to visit. And boy did we find some great signs, plus we stumbled upon some abandoned locations as well. “John’s” 14441…

Atomic Redhead

1920s

Remnants of the Mojave Desert at Route 66’s Goffs Schoolhouse Museum

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

The Sly Bar Tucked inside the Legendary Bradbury Building

Celebrating Movie Magic at the Academy Museum

A Look Inside the Strange and Haunted Aztec Hotel of Route 66

The Fairy-esque Wonderland of Ferndell Trail

Ghost of Consumerism Past: Almost 100 Year Old Abandoned Art Deco Sears of Boyle Heights

Accidental Icon: How the Hollywood Sign Became a LA Mainstay

Exploring Koreatown’s Past with the King of Neon

Neon Sheep! A Giant Shoe! And More! Exploring Bakersfield’s Americana Gems