Myself seated on a bench just outside the roller rink above you can see the pipe organ that hangs above the rink.

Oaks Park: One of the Last Trolley Parks is Home to America’s Oldest Roller Rink

October 7, 2026, Leave a Comment on Oaks Park: One of the Last Trolley Parks is Home to America’s Oldest Roller Rink

Located on the banks of the Willamette River is a true treasure of Portland, Oaks Amusement Park. Not only is it one of America’s oldest amusement parks, it is home to the oldest roller rink in the United States. In 1905 the Portland area was gearing up for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. Meanwhile…

The Jolly Trolley, a red and yellow trolley rides the tracks of Toontown.

Travel Back to Disneyland in the 90s

April 22, 2026, 1 Comment

Being a millennial means my childhood, and a fair amount of my teenage years were captured on film. Recently I stumbled across a collection of photos from visits to Disneyland made in the early 1990s. Awhile ago I shared photos of a visit to Universal in 1997, and I thought let’s do that again, but…

Full exterior view of Idle Hour, in the center is a large barrel with smaller buildings attached at either side.

Idle Hour: Eat Inside a Giant Hidden Dog at California’s Last Barrel Restaurant

April 15, 2026, Leave a Comment on Idle Hour: Eat Inside a Giant Hidden Dog at California’s Last Barrel Restaurant

As many of you know I’m an architecture junkie, and one of my favorite forms of architecture is programmatic, or fondly known as “California Crazy” that is to say, buildings that are constructed to look like something, which California was wildly known for. Sadly, there are very few examples left, but at Idle Hour you…

Exterior of the Punk Rock Museum, a black brick building with neon green letters painted on it reading "The Punk Rock Museum"

You will Not Want to be Sedated at the Punk Rock Museum!

September 2, 2025, 1 Comment

Las Vegas has its fair share of odd museums, from the Mob Museum to the Atomic Testing Museum, there is no shortage of unique things to look at, so it doesn’t surprise me that Vegas is home to the Punk Rock Museum. Opening in 2023, artifacts from the punk music scene are displayed over two…

Close-up of the neon and bulbs above the marquee reading "The El Capitan Theatre"

Backstage at the Lavish El Capitan Theatre

July 31, 2024, 1 Comment

Los Angeles has many glorious movie palaces scattered throughout, one incredible theatre is the El Capitan, located in the heart of Hollywood. Recently Patrick and I got to go behind the scenes of this historic theatre, and just a few days later returned to see Deadpool & Wolverine, so it should be noted that this…

Perched atop a small hill overlooking the Bates Motel is the ominous Victorian Psycho house.

Universal Studios Circa 1997

June 19, 2024, Leave a Comment on Universal Studios Circa 1997

Universal Studios Studio Tour celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, and when I was working on my blog post about the celebration, it got me thinking about how much has changed in the last couple of decades since my first visit back in 1997. Patrick and I recently cleaned out the garage and stumbled across…

View of the neon for the Formosa, which is green and sits within white script letters on a red building. A black and white stripe awning juts out from the front.

The Formosa Cafe: Watering Hole for Mobsters and Movie Stars

May 1, 2024, Leave a Comment on The Formosa Cafe: Watering Hole for Mobsters and Movie Stars

L.A. Confidential is one of my all time favorite movies, and any time I can make it to one of the filming locations, I’m overjoyed. The Formosa Cafe is not only where parts of L.A. Confidential were filmed, but also where one of its most iconic scenes (ironically not in the book) happened. The scene…

An English cottage style complex with an arched gateway reads "The Jim Henson Company" and atop one building is a large statue of Kermit the Frog dressed in Charlie Chaplin's The Tramp outfit, of a black suit, bowler hat, and bamboo cane.

Over 100 years of Entertainment History at the Jim Henson Company Studio

November 28, 2023, 1 Comment

JUNE 2024 UPDATE: The Jim Henson Company has decided to sell and vacate the lot. Read more from The Wrap. MARCH 2024 UPDATE: The studio is being bought by singer John Mayer, read more via Rolling Stone. FEBRUARY 2026 UPDATE: The studio was purchased by music artist John Mayer and filmmaker McG. The pair tried…

Myself standing in front of the gold wings from Wonder Woman '84.

Revisiting the Warner Bros. Studio

January 11, 2023, 2 Comments

This year is a big year for the movie industry with lots of anniversaries, including both Disney and Warner Bros. Studios turning 100. While Disney’s icons are of the less tangible, animated variety, Warner Bros. offers incredible studio tours that allows guests to step inside their most beloved films and television series. Way back in…

The entrance to the Archives exhibit, a large mirrored walk-thru sculpture spells out "100" and I stand in the first 0.

D23 Celebrates 100 Years of the Disney Studio

September 14, 2022, 1 Comment

Last weekend was the long anticipated event, D23 Expo (originally slated for last year, but pushed back due to COVID), return! The three day event celebrates all things Disney and takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center (conveniently located just across the street from Disneyland) and includes exhibits, panels, and shopping. It’s something I’ve attended…