Full exterior view of Idle Hour, in the center is a large barrel with smaller buildings attached at either side.

Idle Hour: Eat Inside a Giant Hidden Dog at California’s Last Barrel Restaurant

April 15, 2026, Leave a Comment on Idle Hour: Eat Inside a Giant Hidden Dog at California’s Last Barrel Restaurant

As many of you know I’m an architecture junkie, and one of my favorite forms of architecture is programmatic, or fondly known as “California Crazy” that is to say, buildings that are constructed to look like something, which California was wildly known for. Sadly, there are very few examples left, but at Idle Hour you…

At the top it reads "Patsy Award Winners" with "1956 Wildfire (dog)" on the right, and paw prints on the left.

Paw Prints of the Stars at the Animal Walk of Fame

April 9, 2025, Leave a Comment on Paw Prints of the Stars at the Animal Walk of Fame

Burbank residents looking for a furry addition to the family may find the perfect companion at the Burbank Humane Society, but they will also find a unique piece of Hollywood history during their visit, the Animal Walk of Fame. Beginning in 1951, Hollywood started to recognize the animal contributions to the film industry, and created…

Exterior of the top portion, which features a tower of neon reading "Studio City" below the marquee reads "Bookstar" in neon and "Barnes and Noble" on the marquee.

From Movies to Books: The Studio City Theatre Barnes & Noble

June 5, 2024, 1 Comment

As mentioned before, I love a good small neighborhood cinema, and it’s always sad when one of them goes dark. But it’s even more sad when they can’t have a second life. Many go on to become music venues, but others get a little more creatively repurposed, such as the CVS in East Los Angeles,…

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

JUNE 2024 UPDATE: The Jim Henson Company has decided to sell and vacate the lot. Read more from The Wrap. MARCH 2024 UPDATE: The studio is being bought by singer John Mayer, read more via Rolling Stone. FEBRUARY 2026 UPDATE: The studio was purchased by music artist John Mayer and filmmaker McG. The pair tried…

Myself standing outside of the museum next to a pair of large golden arches, wearing a Bill Elliot racing tee, and brown and yellow shorts.

The Delightfully Bizarre Unofficial McDonald’s Museum

September 7, 2022, 4 Comments

Before McDonald’s was the global icon it is today, it was a humble barbecue joint in San Bernardino run by two brothers from New Hampshire. While their first location is no longer standing, it lives on at the First Original McDonald’s Museum, also known as the Unofficial McDonald’s Museum. Here no item is too small,…

Overview of the sales floor from the balcony, high white walls feature arched details of gold on them, the arched proscenium frames a screen, two small arched balconies sit on either side of the screen.

The Surreal Experience of Shopping for a New iMac at an Old Movie Palace

August 12, 2022, 2 Comments

A couple weeks ago my beloved iMac started show signs of age. It could barely keep up with my photo editing, and I knew its days were numbered. So I set out to get a new one. Not too long ago Apple announced they were introducing new colored iMacs. My millennial heart skipped a beat.…

Myself seated on the "Throne of Love" which is painted red and has gold designs around the edge and has various indicator lights reading options such as "Wild Thing, Adorable, Hot Stuff, Sizzling Hot, Hotsy Totsy, Lovable, Passionate, A Sweet Hart, Bombshell"

Revisiting the Coin-Op Delights of Musée Mécanique

July 5, 2022, 1 Comment

Fisherman’s Wharf is an icon of San Francisco, with both the hustle and bustle of the still active fishing community along side tourists who run in and out of the various restaurants, shops, and museums. Nestled next to the iconic Grotto restaurant is my favorite place in all of San Fransisco, Musée Mécanique, an astounding…

A large concrete jukebox frames the door to the diner. In the arch reads "Peggy Sue's DIner"

Eat to the Beat at Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner

April 25, 2022, 2 Comments

I’m always game for a visit to a 50s style diner, and when we went to Calico I knew we had to end our day at the icon of Yermo, Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner. A giant jukebox welcomes hungry patrons at Peggy Sue’s and when they pass through they enter a chaotic but delightful 50s…

A massive, foreboding, yet elegant building features curling Spanish Churrigueresque architectural details at the top and above the door. Large red letters spell "CVS" both in the middle of the building, and above the three arches at the doorway.

A Look Inside the Fanciest CVS You’ve Ever Seen

March 30, 2022, 4 Comments

Imagine you’re driving down the street and you see this… As the bold red letters spell out, this is indeed a CVS. There are thousands of them, or similar drug stores, across the country. But this one seems a little over-the-top…why is that? Well, once upon a time, this drug store was a glamorous movie…

Myself standing in front of one of the islands.

Long Beach’s Strange Offshore Oil Wells are Hiding in Plain Sight

March 22, 2022, 3 Comments

About a quarter mile off of the sandy shores of Long Beach sit four rather alluring islands, some of which feature futuristic looking curved walls and tall towers. Upon first glance they appear to be condos or part of a resort, but the truth is much, much less glamorous, as they in fact are oil…

Atomic Redhead

weird California

Idle Hour: Eat Inside a Giant Hidden Dog at California’s Last Barrel Restaurant

Paw Prints of the Stars at the Animal Walk of Fame

From Movies to Books: The Studio City Theatre Barnes & Noble

Over 100 years of Entertainment History at the Jim Henson Company Studio

The Delightfully Bizarre Unofficial McDonald’s Museum

The Surreal Experience of Shopping for a New iMac at an Old Movie Palace

Revisiting the Coin-Op Delights of Musée Mécanique

Eat to the Beat at Peggy Sue’s 50s Diner

A Look Inside the Fanciest CVS You’ve Ever Seen

Long Beach’s Strange Offshore Oil Wells are Hiding in Plain Sight