The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 as seen in On Her Majesty's Secret Service and driving by Diana Rigg's character. The red car features black details on the hood, including the silver head of a cougar in the center.

A Revisit to the Petersen Automotive Museum

February 16, 2022, 2 Comments

Last week my dad was in town, mainly so we could attend a NASCAR race at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (while a historic location and event, it won’t be featured on the blog, but you can see a few snaps on Instagram), however we also went to Disneyland and visited a few museums, including the…

A rounded room with a gold chain curtain and small display cases housing Oscars. A small round red velvet couch sits in the center.

Celebrating Movie Magic at the Academy Museum

November 9, 2021, 3 Comments

Over the last few years Hollywood has been working hard in the former May Company building, overhauling it to turn it into the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Earlier this fall it finally opened, and we visited last weekend. Fair warning, this post includes spoilers of classic films such as Citizen Kane and Psycho. With…

Myself, wearing a black cowboy hat, a Koffin Kats tee, and black pants, standing in front of a large banner reading "40 Years of Fear The Evil Dead" featuring the Deadite version of Cheryl.

Cult Classic Evil Dead Celebrates 40 Years with Exhibit at the Mystic Museum

September 23, 2021, 3 Comments

Longtime readers of the blog will know I’m a big Bruce Campbell fan, so when I heard that Burbank’s Mystic Museum was planning an Evil Dead exhibit, I was extremely excited and couldn’t wait to visit! The Mystic Museum spawned from the vintage and oddities shop, The Bearded Lady, and has offered a rotating exhibit…

Myself, wearing a white t-shirt with a bald eagle holding a bell with text reading "Bi-Centennial 1776-1976 Proclaim Liberty thruout the Land" standing near a variety of antique printing presses

Independence Day Celebration at the International Printing Museum

July 6, 2021, 2 Comments

For Christmas last year I got Patrick a membership to the International Printing Museum. Honestly I think museum memberships make for brilliant gifts, but I digress. Because of his membership we received a postcard advertising their Independence Day Celebration on July 3, and it sounded like the perfect way to spend part of the Fourth…

Myself, wearing a cream cowboy hat, yellow shirt with a large white Cadillac and script reading "Nudie's Rodeo Tailor" and jean shorts with white stars, standing in front of blue neon reading "DeSoto Pharmacy" hangs near the ceiling. Large red neon spelling "BOWL" and the neon sign for the Palomino.

Revisiting Treasures from the San Fernando Valley at Valley Relics Museum

June 10, 2021, 2 Comments

Imagine loving an area so much you accidentally create a museum. That’s exactly what Tommy Gelinas did with his love of the San Fernando Valley. Gelinas owned a screen printing studio and began filling it with bits and pieces from the Valley, such as neon signs, menus, figures, and so much more. Eventually his collection…

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 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…

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

July 15, 2019, Leave a Comment on Gallows, Ghosts, and Paved Over Graves: A Visit to San Diego’s Whaley House

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…

Myself standing in front of the blacksmith shop, where a giant prickly pear cactus resides, wearing a black dress with silver trim.

How One Book Saved Old Town San Diego

July 11, 2019, 6 Comments

After checking in to the Cosmopolitan, we explored Old Town for a bit, going in and out of the various museums and shops this unique state park has to offer. Old Town San Diego State Park is made up of a variety of authentic buildings from the 19th century and early 20th century, along with…

Exterior of the Catalina Island Museum, a small, cream stucco colored building.

Catalina Island: A Tale of Chewing Gum, Grave Robbing, and Movie Stars

June 3, 2019, 4 Comments

On Sunday, Patrick and I finally made it over to the little island of Catalina. If you aren’t familiar with California geography, Catalina is a small island, roughly 30 miles off the coast of Long Beach, accesible by ferry from a handful of ports on the mainland. At just under 75 square miles, about 4,000…