historic location

The dock of the island, with the large former barracks turned apartments looming above.

More than a Prison: The Gardens, Native American Heritage, and Birds of Alcatraz

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Alcatraz. The Rock. The most formidable prison in the United States. From its early years as a fort, later turned prison, and then the location of the protest that sparked the 1970s Native American Rights Movement, Alcatraz Island is now a National Park that seeks to preserve the history of the island, while also accepting…

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Myself, standing in front of the Canyon Country Store, wearing a cream cowboy hat, pink and yellow floral shirt, caramel colored fringe leather vest, and tan corduroys.

The Canyon Country Store, where 60s Music Legends Shopped and Rocked

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Separating the greater Los Angeles area from the San Fernando Valley are the Hollywood Hills, and running through them are various canyons, steep with homes built precariously into them. The most famous of these canyons is Laurel Canyon. Here the likes of Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Jim Morrison, Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons, Frank Zappa, David…

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Myself, wearing a red maxi length dress with a small print of tiny leaves, standing in front of the Pantages

Inside the Pantages Theatre: Hollywood’s Art Deco Fever Dream Movie Palace

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Over the weekend Patrick and I finally had the pleasure of seeing Hamilton, which also meant we got to go to the iconic Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The Pantages Theatre welcomed Los Angeles citizens on June 4, 1930, becoming the last movie palace built in Hollywood. Designed by B. Marcus Priteca and owned by Alexander…

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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

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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…

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The Whaley House, a small, but stately looking home made of brick featuring a white column porch.

Gallows, Ghosts, and Paved Over Graves: A Visit to San Diego’s Whaley House

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On a September day in 1852 James “Yankee Jim” Robinson was taken from an adobe jail to the gallows. Standing upon a wagon, a noose was placed around his neck. When the order was given, the wagon driver pulled away, and Yankee Jim reportedly kept his feet on the wagon as long as possible, but…

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