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…

Visiting Merle Haggard’s Home and More at Kern County Museum

May 17, 2021, 4 Comments

Being vaccinated means I feel a bit more comfortable going out and doing some things, and I’ve been itching to get on the road for a little day trip. I recently heard that Bakersfield had a wealth of great neon signs, which are a favorite subject of mine, including an entire courtyard display dedicated to…

Myself outside of the Taco Bell, holding a crunchy taco, with a fountain in the background

A Trip to Timothy Leary’s Favorite Taco Bell

May 13, 2021, 4 Comments

Lost Places Update: The Laguna Hills Taco Bell has been recategorized as a Lost Place. Sadly, on September 7, 2021, the Laguna Hills Taco Bell closed. Read more from the LA Times here. * * * Alright, I guess it’s time to get it out in the open…I love Taco Bell. I know, say what…

A group of guests look over a pool that has a steep slide, which an alligator slides down. Text across a roof in the background reads "Alligator Farm." Red text in the upper right of the postcard reads "Entertaining guests at the California Alligator Farm, Los Angeles."

Sights and Souvenirs from the California Alligator Farm

March 10, 2021, 6 Comments

As mentioned before I’ve been watching a lot of TV since I’m not going anywhere thanks to COVID, and I recently binged the entire first season of HBO’s new interpretation of Perry Mason. Early in the show Mason handles a taxidermy turtle and small alligator, both which feature a paper label reading “Los Angeles Alligator…

Sitting on a blanket in front of my orange tree, wearing a white sweater, with two orange brooches, and a skirt featuring various California landmarks, while reading.

California Dreamin’ is Becomin’ a Reality

February 10, 2021, 5 Comments

Since moving to California I had dreamed of having my very own orange tree. I imagined the joy of stepping outside, plucking an orange off the tree for fresh orange juice in the morning or for an afternoon snack. When we moved into our house a little over three years ago I hemmed and hawed…

Myself standing in front of a western style outhouse with cacti in front, wearing a Cerro Gordo tee and western style jeans.

Vicariously Exploring the Ghost Town of Cerro Gordo on YouTube

January 6, 2021, 3 Comments

Amid COVID-19 I’ve been watching a lot of TV. Like, a lot. In my New Year post I mentioned watching a lot of DC content, but something else Patrick and I have been watching for the last several months is on YouTube actually, Ghost Town Living. A couple years ago a listing for an entire…

Massive trees edge a street and are decorated multi-colored lights.

A Drive Down the 100 Year Old Christmas Tree Lane

December 15, 2020, 2 Comments

Amid this pandemic, there is a strong need for fun, while of course staying safe. And with the Christmas season, I’m even more thankful for festive holiday lights, including Christmas Tree Lane, an LA area tradition that just turned 100, laying claim to the “oldest large scale outdoor Christmas display in the world.” Normally, Christmas…

A photograph of oranges on trees with snowcapped mountains behind makes up most of the postcard. A poinsettia in the upper left, and a golden poppy in the lower right. Text below the image reads "Orange and Snow Capped Mountains." Text across the top reads "Christmas Greetings from California" And text along the left reads "A right good time to you and yours This bright and happy season."

Vintage California Christmas Postcards

December 10, 2020, 2 Comments

A couple years ago I started to share my collection of vintage Christmas cards, but there is a various specific part of this collection have decided to share with you this year, vintage California Christmas postcards. As many of you know, Christmas is a bit different here in California, especially Southern California. Most of us…

A girl dressed in a German style dirndl holds a camera on the left. A girl in hula attire holding a camera stands on the right. In the middle text reads "YOUR SOUVENIR PHOTO FROM Clifton's Los Angeles, California." Below a ribbon reads "The Brookdale The Pacific Seas" Images of a deer, church, water wheel, thatch hut, ukulele, and pineapple.

The Lost Art of Nite Club Souvenir Photos

April 29, 2020, 9 Comments

It’s no secret I’m a fan of collecting vintage California souvenirs, and awhile back Patrick and I stumbled upon a souvenir photo from the Hollywood Palladium, which was tucked inside a delightful folder. It combined my love of California souvenirs and his love of photography, so we decided to start collecting vintage nite club souvenir…

Myself seated in front of the faux orange stand.

Tracing California’s Orange Roots at the Citrus State Historic Park

February 6, 2020, 7 Comments

The orange is one of the most iconic things about California. Southern California’s climate makes it a perfect place to grow citrus, and thanks to advances in irrigation, processing, transportation, and the addition of the Washington navel orange, California’s citrus industry boomed in the late 1800s, as oranges and their citrus cousins made for California’s…