unique destinations

A large wooden roller coaster painted white stretches toward a blue sky. A white sign with black letters reading "Belmont Park" is attached to the coaster.

Riding Southern California’s Oldest Rollercoaster at Belmont Park

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San Diego really has a lot to offer when it comes to history. Many regard San Diego as the birthplace of California, as it is home to the first Spanish Mission and many more historic locations. It is also home to southern California’s oldest rollercoaster, the Giant Dipper at Belmont Park, built in 1925. I…

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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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Myself standing outside Independence Hall, a red brick building with white windows and doors, wearing a tricorn hat of red, white and blue stripes, a white t-shirt reading "Paul Revere and the Raiders" with the original flag jutting from the "Raiders" portion, and jean shorts, and platform shoes features red and white stripes and blue with white stars.

Ride with Paul Revere

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I hope my fellow Americans had a lovely and safe Independence Day. We spent the evening at home enjoying Disneyland’s fireworks from our front yard, but not before going to Knott’s Berry Farm’s Independence Hall as per my tradition for the last couple of years. While Knott’s Berry Farm’s version of Independence Hall is open…

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A brown sign with yellow letters reads "Moorten Botanical Garden"

Exploring the Desert Wonderland of Moorten Botanical Garden

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The annual visit to Palm Springs, which is for Pat’s work, typically means I fill the days on my own – shopping, visiting museums, etc. This year Charles Phoenix recommended I visit Moorten Botanical Garden. And when Charles Phoenix tells you to go somewhere, you go! Home to over 3000 plant varieties, Moorten Botanical Garden…

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Inside the Redondo Fun Factory - wearing a vintage red shirt reading "Have a Coke and a smile" and wide leg blue jeans. In the background a variety of 80s arcade games, behind them a ton of vintage signs.

A Revisit to the Enigmatic Fun Factory

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Last year we visited the Redondo Fun Factory located on the Redondo Beach Pier after hearing news it would be closing. Over a year later the bizarre Fun Factory, with its eclectic variety of games and collection of odd signs, is still operating, but now has a large banner reading “Open Until December 2019.” With…

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Me riding the carousel.

Exploring the Historic Santa Monica Pier

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Nothing quite says summer like a day at the beach, especially if that beach is lucky enough to have a pier filled with a carousel, roller coaster, games and more. Around the turn-of-the-century California’s coast was dotted with what was known at the time as “pleasure piers” a wooden boardwalk along the coast that offered…

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Art Installation - a faux billboard reading "The Last Stop For The Bombay Beach Resort" but with most of the letters fallen off, so it reads more like "The Last Resort"

Abandoned Resort Town of Bombay Beach Now Weird Artist Paradise

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Over the last couple days I have been entertaining one of our friends visiting from Portland. It was a whirlwind few days hitting up various tourist and not-so-tourist spots. We spent Sunday in the desert including a visit to the Salton Sea. I’ve been several times now, but it’s always worth revisiting as it is…

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Vasquez Rocks: Outlaw Hideout Turned Hollywood Filming Location

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What do Westworld, The Wild Wild West, Star Trek, Army of Darkness, and Zorro all have in common? Well, aside from being awesome, they all, at one point or another, filmed at Vasquez Rocks. For me, Vasquez Rocks is a gorgeous natural landscape that is a perfect meld of my favorite things – it is…

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