Sleep in a Tipi & Visit the Site of the First McDonald’s along Route 66

June 11, 2015, 7 Comments

During the week Patrick decided to surprise me with a mini, one night getaway at the Wigwam Motel in Rialto on Route 66! An icon of the Mother Road, the Wigwam Motel is a handful of concrete tipi structures (not actual wigwams, which are domelike in shape) that are quaint, and of course, small. There…

Giant Rock

April 25, 2015, 2 Comments

When I told my dad we were headed out to Joshua Tree for my birthday he suggested we visit Giant Rock. Giant Rock is pretty much exactly how it sounds, an enormous rock out in the middle of the Mojave, and accessible only by dirt roads with small, wooden, hand written markers to point the…

Sleeping Where the Pioneer of Country Rock Took His Last Breath

April 22, 2015, 4 Comments

Not only do I have a long list of places I wish to visit day little day trips here in California, but also a long list of places I wish to stay at. California offers a lot with regards to unique accommodations, from the Madonna Inn to the Wigwam Motel, there are many neat places…

The Deserted Town of Desert Shores

March 25, 2015, 11 Comments

Over the weekend Patrick and I took a day trip to the Salton Sea to see what we could see (yeah, I just went there). Last March I visited the ghostly Salton Sea for the first time with my dad, but we only explored the east side of the sea. During this visit, Patrick and…

The Old LA Zoo

February 3, 2015, 4 Comments

As already established, I adore abandoned buildings. I love the spookiness that is created when nature begins to reclaim man-made structures, and it is this that sparked my interest in visiting the old Los Angeles Zoo at Griffith Park, which we went to after our turn about the Merry-Go-Round. The zoo opened in 1912, but…

Zzyzx: The Forgotten Health Resort of the Mojave

January 7, 2015, 2 Comments

After stopping at Calico, we swung by a place I had only read about, Zzyzx, California. The reason I love road trips is it offers opportunities to stop at fun, unique and sometimes bizarre stops along the way. And Zzyzx is certainly one of those. While many think of the Mojave as desolate, the area…

Calico Ghost Town

January 6, 2015, 6 Comments

This weekend’s trip to Vegas was my first visit since the late 90s, and my first time driving there. Not to mention it was Patrick’s first ever visit to America’s playground. On our way we made some stops, including the ghost town of Calico. Founded in 1881, Calico’s mines produced millions in silver, before silver dropped in price, and it…

The Isolated Spot Where James Dean Took His Last Breath

August 11, 2014, 4 Comments

On the side of the road just outside of Cholame there is a lonely stretch a road that winds between sun drenched hills there is an intersection that is the location, on a September 30th, one of the brightest stars in Hollywood was snuffed out. James Dean. I had been to the crash site of…

Hotel Del Coronado

July 16, 2014, 6 Comments

Yesterday Carla of Tiny Angry Crafter and I ran around to various vintage shops and also stopped by one of San Diego area’s most iconic landmarks, the Hotel Del Coronado. Opening in 1888, the hotel became a hot spot for US presidents and in the 1920s, for the Hollywood elite. When World War II broke out…

Death & Hollywood

March 19, 2014, 10 Comments

So if you don’t know by now, I can be kind of morbid, and after visiting The Autry (I didn’t take any photos, as the lighting and display cases proved to be difficult, and I chose instead to focus on the experience, but I highly recommend visiting as it is nothing short of spectacular!) the…

Atomic Redhead

weird California

Sleep in a Tipi & Visit the Site of the First McDonald’s along Route 66

Giant Rock

Sleeping Where the Pioneer of Country Rock Took His Last Breath

The Deserted Town of Desert Shores

The Old LA Zoo

Zzyzx: The Forgotten Health Resort of the Mojave

Calico Ghost Town

The Isolated Spot Where James Dean Took His Last Breath

Hotel Del Coronado

Death & Hollywood