Overview of the sales floor from the balcony, high white walls feature arched details of gold on them, the arched proscenium frames a screen, two small arched balconies sit on either side of the screen.

The Surreal Experience of Shopping for a New iMac at an Old Movie Palace

August 12, 2022, 2 Comments

A couple weeks ago my beloved iMac started show signs of age. It could barely keep up with my photo editing, and I knew its days were numbered. So I set out to get a new one. Not too long ago Apple announced they were introducing new colored iMacs. My millennial heart skipped a beat.…

Myself, leaning against the concession stand, wearing a straw hat, a black t-shirt that reads "Ian Malcom was Right" and green shorts, in the background one of the screens is visible.

One More Summer at the Mission Tiki Drive-In

July 21, 2022, Leave a Comment on One More Summer at the Mission Tiki Drive-In

Due to Oregon’s rainy weather my local drive-in growing up, the 99W, only operated seasonally, opening sometime in the late spring and staying open until autumn. So summer was really drive-in season, nights spent with friends and popcorn in front of a massive screen. Because of this, despite now living in California, where the remaining…

The tops of some of the trees, which include an antique phone, "Enter Only" sign, and chair.

The Weird and Wonderful Glass Forest of Bottle Tree Ranch

February 23, 2022, 3 Comments

In my Amboy Crater post, I mentioned Patrick and I are intermittently traveling the full stretch (or as much of it that is accessible) of Route 66 through California, with the eventual plan to do a lengthly blog post sharing the unique sights from the Arizona border to the sunny shores of Santa Monica. However,…

A photo of a darkened drive-in movie theatre with a light red haze over the top. Red, dripping text reads "10 Spooky Movies" Other text reads "Something for Everyone! Zombies! Ghosts! Killers! Monsters! Possessed Animatronics!"

10 Spooky Movies to Watch this Halloween

October 13, 2021, 5 Comments

While I love a good spooky movie any time of year, October is still really the best time to curl up with a cozy blanket, some popcorn, and watch a movie that will send some chills down your spine. The horror genre is really quite vast, and goes beyond the the classics and bloody slasher…

A low, single story building has an overgrown front yard area, and weeds growing through the cracks of the sidewalk. Banana trees have grown as tall as the roofline.

The Ghostly Remnants of the Old LA County Poor Farm

February 25, 2020, 6 Comments

Within the small LA suburb of Downey sits what appears to be a ghost town. A mixture of overgrown, charred, and boarded up buildings sit behind chainlink fences topped with barbed wire, and gates locked with multiple padlocks. What is this ghostly place? It is what remains of the Los Angeles County Poor Farm. For those…

Myself, wearing a cream dress with teal, yellow, and red pine trees printed on it.

Step into Whoville during Grinchmas

December 26, 2019, 1 Comment

The fanciful town of Whoville from How the Grinch Stole Christmas pops up in the middle of Universal Studios each holiday season, and while I’ve missed it the past couple years, I was darn sure to make it this year! While there may be three versions of How the Grinch Stole Christmas now, Grinchmas pays…

Donald Duck gestures to myself, wearing a green University of Oregon shirt, featuring him as the Oregon Duck, and I hold my hands in the shape of an O, a common practice to show team spirit.

Ruffled Feathers: Donald Duck and the University of Oregon

September 5, 2019, 5 Comments

It’s football season, and while I may not be a football fan, I am reminded of my alma mater, the University of Oregon, and its unique mascot history with Disney. Yes, as you may already know and can see here, Donald Duck was (and still kind of is) the mascot for the University of Oregon.…

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…

Myself standing with the Cyclone Racer Bridge in the background, wearing a t-shirt with a female sunbather and the Cyclone Racer in the background, and red shorts.

The Rise and Fall of the Long Beach Pike

June 20, 2019, 23 Comments

Towering above shops like H&M, Forever 21, and The Gap is what appears to be a rollercoaster, yet no cars race by, and no screams of riders can be heard. Upon closer inspection, it is no rollercoaster, just bridge built to look like one. But, why? Let’s take a trip back in time, all the…

To the left, the Babylonian arch/bridge, over six stories in height. A white elephant sits atop a pillar to the right, also towering over five stories tall.

The Shopping Mall Based on the Set of a Silent Movie Flop

August 29, 2018, 4 Comments

March 2022 Update: Ovation Hollywood, formerly known as Hollywood and Highland, is currently undergoing a $100 million remodel after being purchased for $325 million in 2019 by Gaw Capital, a Hong Kong real estate investment firm. The remodel started in 2021 with the removal of the elephants, and continues in removing the Babylonian elements, replaced…

Atomic Redhead

2000s

The Surreal Experience of Shopping for a New iMac at an Old Movie Palace

One More Summer at the Mission Tiki Drive-In

The Weird and Wonderful Glass Forest of Bottle Tree Ranch

10 Spooky Movies to Watch this Halloween

The Ghostly Remnants of the Old LA County Poor Farm

Step into Whoville during Grinchmas

Ruffled Feathers: Donald Duck and the University of Oregon

The Kitschy Kingdom of Golf N’ Stuff

The Rise and Fall of the Long Beach Pike

The Shopping Mall Based on the Set of a Silent Movie Flop