Myself, wearing a light brown cowboy hat, pink and yellow floral top, squash blossom necklace with green stones, blue jeans, carrying suitcases up to the green trim French doors.

The Olympic Legacy of Palm Springs’ Oldest Hotel

March 15, 2023, 1 Comment

Resting in the shadows of the San Jacinto Mountains sits the eclectic complex known as Casa Cody, said to be Palm Springs’ oldest and longest continually operating hotel. This unique hotel has an interesting history, but perhaps its gold medal winning room is its vintage Olympic Village cottage. Unless you are one of the greatest…

Myself standing outside of the museum next to a pair of large golden arches, wearing a Bill Elliot racing tee, and brown and yellow shorts.

The Delightfully Bizarre Unofficial McDonald’s Museum

September 7, 2022, 2 Comments

Before McDonald’s was the global icon it is today, it was a humble barbecue joint in San Bernardino run by two brothers from New Hampshire. While their first location is no longer standing, it lives on at the First Original McDonald’s Museum, also known as the Unofficial McDonald’s Museum. Here no item is too small,…

Gorgeous Streamline Moderne Firestone turned Brew Pub

August 31, 2022, Leave a Comment on Gorgeous Streamline Moderne Firestone turned Brew Pub

Driving down La Brea in Los Angeles you may pass by a beautiful streamline moderne Firestone station, complete with its iconic bowtie neon sign standing tall over the streetlights, but don’t expect to get your tires replaced here. Instead you’ll find beer and tacos, this is All Season Brewing Company. Built in 1937, and dubbed…

Myself, wearing a dress featuring a colorful psychedelic print with small Mickey heads on it, sitting in an orange chair next to one of the beds.

Howard Johnson’s Latest Suite is a Revival of Long Lost Disneyland Attraction

August 2, 2022, 4 Comments

Beginning in 1957 you could step into the plastic possibilities of the Monsanto House of the Future in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. Ten years later, in 1967, the House of the Future met its end, and disappeared from Tomorrowland. But just across the street from Disneyland at the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground you can…

Myself, wearing a light blue shirt with rainbow script reading "93/KHJ Boss 30" and red and yellow corduroy shorts, standing in front of the massive hot dog shaped building.

Eating a Little Hot Dog at a Giant Hot Dog! The Return of Tail o’ the Pup

July 26, 2022, 1 Comment

It has graced book covers, it has been seen featured on the big and small screen, it has been visited by celebrities like Betty White, Sigourney Weaver, and the band Devo, just to name a few. What is it? It’s a 17 foot long hot dog stand, dubbed Tail o’ the Pup, one of the…

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…

A gas station doing in an ornate Spanish Revival style, with a small cupola at the top. Faded letters read "Barnsdall Oil Co. and Rio Grand Oil Co." Blue and white tile frame old doorways and windows.

I Pulled Over for This! Neon Lights and More from our Bay Area Road Trip

July 19, 2022, Leave a Comment on I Pulled Over for This! Neon Lights and More from our Bay Area Road Trip

Sometimes when out and about I stumble across a neat sign or abandoned building, a place really cool to look at, but perhaps not much more than that and doesn’t need a blog post all to itself. This is always the case with road trips, so today I bring you a round up of some…

To the right stands the tall sign reading "Motel Inn" and to the right is the one remaining, Spanish Revival style building, with the lone wall from the restaurant in the middle in the distance.

Remnants of the Motel Inn, the World’s First Motel

July 14, 2022, 3 Comments

Just off Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo sits a tall sign reading “Motel Inn Restaurant & Lounge First Motel in the World” but pull over and you’ll be welcomed not by a jolly proprietor, but instead by a chain link fence and only one building and a lilting facade just beyond it. This is…

A waist up shot of me standing in front of Heinold's wearing a tan cowboy hat, floral cowboy shirt, and yellow tie with a horse on it.

Grab a Drink at Oakland’s Oldest Bar, Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon

July 12, 2022, 2 Comments

Resting on the banks of the Oakland Estuary sit a pair of buildings that look like they have been plucked from a wild west set; a small wooden saloon and an even smaller log cabin, making for an odd vignette among the taller glass and steel structures, railroad tracks, and sailboats. The saloon, dubbed Heinold’s…

Myself, wearing a tan cowboy hat, floral print western wear shirt with yellow tie with horses on it, and black jeans, leaning against "Kings & Queens" machine which features saloon girls playing poker with an outlaw figure.

Playing Through Pinball History at the Pacific Pinball Museum

July 7, 2022, 2 Comments

There is something enchanting about pinball. A spring launches a ball into a whirlwind of bumpers and obstacles, bouncing and chiming its way across a colorful board. I love the art and design of pinball machines, new or old. It’s always especially interesting when a pinball machine is based on a film or TV show,…