Faded blue neon sign for the Frontier Motel and Restaurant. A mural painted on the side of the building features a chef and the word "Cafe"

Fading Icons of Arizona’s Route 66

September 27, 2019, 9 Comments

As mentioned in earlier Arizona posts, most of our journey took us along the Mother Road, Route 66. The legendary stretch of blacktop is dotted with a combination of still functioning tourist attractions and long forgotten buildings, all begging to be photographed. So, in my concluding Arizona post, I share with you a sampling of…

Myself, wearing several turquoise and silver necklaces, a black t-shirt reading "Pioneer" in white letters, and a jean skirt, standing in front of the Painted Desert Inn.

Exploring the Bizarre Petrified Forest of the Painted Desert

September 20, 2019, 7 Comments

Not long into our road trip we noticed that the Petrified Forest was extremely close to the Wigwam Village, and we decided to visit after we checked into the Wigwam. What we didn’t realize was that the park closed so early! Leaving us only about two hours to drive through and enjoy the park! So…

Myself seated at a table inside Barney's, the booth is upholstered in different color vinyl, and the table features a collage made of magazine cut outs. Behind me sits a chopper motorcycle.

From Clark Gable to Jim Morrison, Route 66’s Barney’s Beanery Has Seen it All

August 21, 2019, 5 Comments

Hollywood has seen a great deal of changes over its lifetime, and one place that has witnessed it all is Barney’s Beanery. Once a humble California Craftsman home surrounded by poinsettia fields it has morphed to become one of the icons of Hollywood history, both of the film and music variety. Oh, and did I…

Exterior of Pig 'n Whistle, in a gothic font "Pig 'N Whistle" is above a metal awning that reads "Pig 'n Whistle" in neon.

Pigs, Pizza, and I Love Lucy: A Tale of Two Historic Hollywood Watering Holes

August 8, 2019, 6 Comments

2021 & 2022 Updates: Pig ‘N Whistle has closed, and been gutted. Read more on the heart wrenching end of a Hollywood icon from LAist and how the new owner is nothing short of a jerk from L.A. Taco. But you can still enjoy a visit to Miceli’s. In my previous post about the stunning…

Myself standing in front of a wall in the forecourt that is painted with images of Egyptian gods, kings and hieroglyphs, wearing a sleeveless cream lace dress, a blue scarf with white hieroglyphs, and a blue scarab necklace.

Discovering the Hidden Treasures of Sid Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre

August 6, 2019, 5 Comments

Think you’re looking at an ancient Egyptian temple? Well, not quite. This isn’t Egypt, and this wasn’t built thousands of years ago. Try Hollywood, and 1922. This is Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre. Patrick and I have been meaning to take one of the tours offered at the Egyptian for years now, and with the theatre’s future…

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, 4 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…

Screencap: Men take a body out of the orange and blue Laff in the Dark building, covered in a white sheet.

Tracing the Journey of Mummified Outlaw Elmer McCurdy to the Long Beach Pike

June 26, 2019, 3 Comments

Last week I talked about the history of Long Beach’s infamous Pike, including the location being used in an episode of Charlie’s Angels and The Six Million Dollar Man. What I didn’t mention was that in the Charlie’s Angels episode, “To Kill an Angel,” a man’s body is found within the Pike’s Laff in the…

The Stunning Art Deco Theatre Hidden Inside Catalina’s Casino

June 5, 2019, 6 Comments

Our main reason for visiting Catalina was to attend Catalinaland, a presentation by Ambassador of Americana, and personal idol, Charles Phoenix. Phoenix was presenting his slideshow celebrating the island in the iconic Avalon Theatre, which is located within the Catalina Casino. When chewing gum king, William Wrigley Jr. opened his “Casino” on May 29, 1929,…

Exterior of the Catalina Island Museum, a small, cream stucco colored building.

Catalina Island: A Tale of Chewing Gum, Grave Robbing, and Movie Stars

June 3, 2019, 4 Comments

On Sunday, Patrick and I finally made it over to the little island of Catalina. If you aren’t familiar with California geography, Catalina is a small island, roughly 30 miles off the coast of Long Beach, accesible by ferry from a handful of ports on the mainland. At just under 75 square miles, about 4,000…

Myself standing in front of the old west medicine wagon sits in the middle of the parking lot. It is red and reads "Gower Gulch Medicinal Ointment" and has an image of an Indian wearing a headdress, wearing a black peasant top, and a green skirt with western images on it.

The Forgotten History of Gower Gulch, Hollywood’s Western Strip Mall

May 1, 2019, 9 Comments

Gower Gulch. Sounds like a small town in the deserts of Arizona, right? But you’d be wrong. It’s in fact a western themed small strip mall that sits at the corner of Gower and Sunset in the middle of Hollywood. But why a western theme? And just how did this corner get its name? The…

Atomic Redhead

1920s

Fading Icons of Arizona’s Route 66

Exploring the Bizarre Petrified Forest of the Painted Desert

From Clark Gable to Jim Morrison, Route 66’s Barney’s Beanery Has Seen it All

Pigs, Pizza, and I Love Lucy: A Tale of Two Historic Hollywood Watering Holes

Discovering the Hidden Treasures of Sid Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre

Riding Southern California’s Oldest Rollercoaster at Belmont Park

Tracing the Journey of Mummified Outlaw Elmer McCurdy to the Long Beach Pike

The Stunning Art Deco Theatre Hidden Inside Catalina’s Casino

Catalina Island: A Tale of Chewing Gum, Grave Robbing, and Movie Stars

The Forgotten History of Gower Gulch, Hollywood’s Western Strip Mall