Myself, standing outside the Bate's Motel, as Norman steps out of the office.

Hop Aboard a Glamor Tram for the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Studios Tour

May 15, 2024, 1 Comment

The movies and tourism go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly. The most movie centric tourist location in California is without a doubt Universal Studios, which this year celebrates the 60th anniversary of its famous Studio Tour. However, welcoming tourists has been part of Universal’s history for well over a hundred years. On…

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…

Myself standing in front of the barn, behind me a large white sign atop the porch that reads "Hollywood Heritage Museum Lasky-DeMille Barn Est. 1913"

Farm to Fame: Tales of Glitz, Glamor & Eminent Domain at the Hollywood Heritage Museum

April 17, 2024, Leave a Comment on Farm to Fame: Tales of Glitz, Glamor & Eminent Domain at the Hollywood Heritage Museum

At the turn of the 20th century despite its bustling downtown core Los Angeles still had many agricultural elements and in 1901 Jacob Stern built a little barn on the corner of Selma and Vine, just one block south of what would become the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Over the next century the little barn…

Myself standing in front of a large pink wall that features a burst of yellow and inside it reads "Pink's Since 1939" in red letters.

Pink’s Hot Dogs: A Home Spun and Family Run Hollywood Icon

February 28, 2024, Leave a Comment on Pink’s Hot Dogs: A Home Spun and Family Run Hollywood Icon

Driving down La Brea in Hollywood and you might spy a long, snaking line by some vibrant pink murals of hot dogs, if you’re wondering what everyone’s in line for, the murals and the color are exactly it! Pink’s Hot Dogs, and these dogs are a real Hollywood icon, serving movie stars, humble locals, and…

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

What do Charlie Chaplin, Gram Parsons, and Kermit the Frog all have in common? They have all worked inside this quaint English cottage inspired complex. If it weren’t for the large statue of Kermit the Frog dressed like Chaplin’s “The Tramp” this collection of buildings may be unassuming, but instead he highlights the unique and…

Recreating Gram's GP cover, myself seated in a chair, wearing a jean jacket, black tee, striped pants, and black boots. Behind are arched alcoves with gold fabric hanging in them.

Celebrating my Birthday at the Infamous Chateau Marmont

April 26, 2023, 8 Comments

For my birthday this year Patrick and I spent the weekend at the famed Chateau Marmont. While the Chateau has become a well known for a variety of reasons, for me it’s important because it’s one more place linked to my favorite musician, Gram Parsons. Built to resemble a French chateau, Chateau Marmont looms alluring…

The large rooftop neon sign for the "Roosevelt Hotel" which spells out its name in red neon letters.

The Neon Gods We Made – Revisiting the Los Angeles Neon Cruise

September 21, 2022, 3 Comments

Unless you’re super new to the blog, then you know I adore neon. There is something about the almost alchemy like art that is neon, and I love seeing it. One of the best ways to see the neon of Los Angeles in the wild is by taking the Neon Cruise, offered by the Museum…

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, wearing a purple psychedelic print long sleeve dress with a gold scarf at the neck, and a purple scarf in my hair, standing in front of the lake that sits in the middle of Hollywood Forever.

Touring the Hauntingly Beautiful Hollywood Forever Cemetery

April 18, 2022, 5 Comments

Hollywood. The home to the stars – both living and dead. While Hollywood and the surrounding areas have multiple cemeteries where Hollywood’s elite have been laid to rest, none is perhaps more notable than Hollywood Forever. Smack in the middle of Tinsel Town, and butting right up against Paramount Studios, this is the final resting…

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

November 11, 2021, 2 Comments

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…