Standing next to one of the traveling theaters, where puppets sit.

Peek Inside America’s Oldest Puppet Theater

July 20, 2018, 1 Comment

Recently we visited The Bob Baker Marionette Theater for a friend’s birthday. It was our second visit to what is the oldest puppet theater in the United States, and it was just as trippy and wonderful as the first time. For the afternoon we got the party room all to ourselves before the show, and…

Old photograph of the exterior of The Pink Pussycat, painted pink and black, including a large mural of a cat rubbing against a fishnet covered leg.

The Pink Pussycat College of Strip Tease Where Yesteryear’s Strippers Learned Their Craft

July 11, 2018, 8 Comments

Imagine you are a woman living the high life in early 1960s Hollywood, you have a great husband, who after working hard as a door-to-door salesman, elevates himself to running a haberdashery in Beverly Hills and then enters the nightclub business. It’s a classy life. Then, one day, your loving husband comes home and tells…

Bronson Canyon – The Batcave and More

February 6, 2018, 1 Comment

Over the years on the blog, I have made my love of two particular TV shows, Batman and The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., very apparent, whether through cosplay, cons, museum visits, or filming locations. One thing these two shows have in common is the use of the Bronson Canyon and Caves as a filming…

Vilma the Unconquerable

January 15, 2018, 3 Comments

Last December I had the pleasure of meeting sisters Miriam and Victoria, who I found out had quite the amazing treasure in their family. Their mother, Vilma, had been a camera girl at the legendary Clifton’s Cafeteria, as well as at other hot spots in old LA, including Chinatown and The Pike. Not only was…

Valley Relics

March 8, 2017, 1 Comment

2020 Update: This post features photos from Valley Relics Museum’s older location. For a more updated look at their museum, please see this post. After visiting Corriganville, Patrick and I headed to Valley Relics Museum. Valley Relics is a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the San Fernando Valley, with a wide array of…

Goodbye Gill’s

February 1, 2017, 2 Comments

Lost Places Update: As the title implies, Gill’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream has closed its doors and is therefore a Lost Place. * * * Last Sunday was a sad day in the Los Angeles history books, Gill’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream at Los Angeles’ Original Farmers Market closed up shop after 80 years scooping…

The Hidden Tiki Bar Inspired by a Long Lost Tropical Paradise

November 13, 2016, 2 Comments

April 2026 Update: After years of ups and downs and intermittent closures, Clifton’s has new owners. I hope that the change will result in more regular hours. After much anticipation, Clifton’s (which I have blogged about on several previous occasions, including its grand re-opening, Thanksgiving, and the first Fur & Feathers in LA) finally opened…

Bob Baker Marionette Theater

July 27, 2016, 5 Comments

Just a few hours after arriving home from San Diego Comic Con, Patrick and I were off to LA to attend Charles Phoenix‘s show at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, a rare, if not slightly bizarre, gem in Los Angeles. I had heard about this theatre from Charles on a few occasions, but the show…

Sabado en la Plazita

July 18, 2016, 13 Comments

Over the weekend a few friends and I got together for a Saturday afternoon at Olvera Street, dining on delicious Mexican food, peeking into the museums, and shopping the unique stalls and shops along the oldest stretch of Los Angeles. We dined at Casa La Golondrina Mexican Cafe, which opened in 1928, and is located within…

The Ancient History of California at the La Brea Tar Pits

January 17, 2016, 5 Comments

Over the weekend Patrick and I went to the La Brea Tar Pits. Finally! We had been wanting to go since we moved, but I wanted to wait until I found myself a piece of jewelry featuring my favorite prehistoric creature, the saber-toothed cat (formally known as the Smilodon), which I happily found on Etsy…