Photo Essay: The Delightfully Uncrowded Bloom at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Anza-Borrego hasn't had a "superbloom" since Spring 2019—but I still wanted to go check it out this year, just in case I could find some blooms.

 

Photo Essay: The Agricultural Beginnings of a Classic Car Collection

The Motte Historical Museum in Menifee, California had its grand opening in 2013, after being founded by John Victor and Evelyn Motte through their estate.   

 

The Mottes are one of the oldest pioneering families in Riverside County's Perris Valley, not too far from Temecula. They established Motte's Romola Farms in 1910—and in the 1940s, Frank, Charles, and John Victor partnered up to create the Motte Brothers agricultural enterprise.

Photo Essay: Inside 50 Years of the Walt Disney Archives, After a Yearlong Wait

I don't post a lot about museum exhibits that aren't permanent—mostly because most of my posts have a long tail of readership, and I think it's frustrating to come across something that closed or moved on months or years ago.

   

But this time was different—because although I'd been to the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California before for great events and exhibits, this latest show really knocked my socks off. 
 

Photo Essay: Noshes and Late Nights at Canter's Deli on Fairfax

The Beverly Grove neighborhood of Los Angeles has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to groovy and historic coffee shops to visit—from Norm's on La Cienega to Swinger's Diner on Beverly and Dupar's at the Original Farmers Market. 

 

But Canter's on Fairfax—at the edge of the nationally-landmarked Beverly Fairfax Historic District, one block north of Beverly Boulevard on Fairfax Avenue—holds a special place in my heart, as it's located in a former movie theater. 

Photo Essay: A Pit Stop at Bravo Farms, Midway Between Bakersfield and Fresno

About 30 miles south of Fresno, California along historic Highway 99 is Bravo Farms in the tiny Central Valley town of Traver.

 

A Shot Towards Ending the Pandemic

I'd marked the date "March 15" on my calendar—that was the date that I would become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. 

I'd signed up for all the notifications, but I didn't trust that they would actually notify me in any timely manner. 

And I'd already completely lost trust in my primary care physician in LA, who's lost my test results before and forgotten that I'd been in for a physical—likely distracted by her stint on reality TV. (But that's a story for another day.) 

So, I knew it would be up to me to sign up to get the jab the moment the spots opened up online. 

I tried to book an appointment a few days before just to see what would happen. I reached the equivalent of an internet brick wall. 

But on the night of Sunday, March 14, I saw a message online that indicated that spots for the new eligibility tier had opened up early—and in the hour before midnight, I began clicking around to find a place to get the shot. 

Patience isn't one of my virtues. After trying two of the local hospitals and one of the local pharmacies, I gave up and typed in "Valencia, CA" as my location.

 

Upon the One-Year Anniversary of the Pandemic Times

"How long do you think this is gonna go on?" my friend asked.

"At least a couple of months," I said, despite the authorities telling us it would only be three weeks. 

"Really? That long, you think?" she said. 

"Oh yeah."

 Warner Grand Theatre, San Pedro (taken 4/25/20)

C'mon Ride the Hot Dog Train: Studio City Edition

Carney's Restaurant is a family-owned business with two Los Angeles locations—the Sunset Strip and Studio City, both housed in vintage rolling stock. (A third location in Glendale is no more.)

 

Pandemic Amusements: Downtown Disney & California Adventure's Buena Vista Street

It had been two years since I'd been to Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California. And almost a year since it closed for the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. 

 

Photo Essay: Cruisin' Through A Custom Car Show at Six Flags Magic Mountain

When I first drove through Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California back in November 2020, seeing the theme park that way just blew my mind—even in the dark, with only Christmas lights to illuminate the park's permanent features. 

So I jumped at the chance to attend the West Coast Customs Cruis’n the Park Car Show—this time during the day—which opened to the public the last weekend of February 2021.