California Dreaming: Southern California
Since we have traveled to so many spots in our great state, we are currently in the process of categorizing them in Southern and Northern California. All of our posts can currently be visited at the regular California Dreaming tab. We arbitrarily chose Fresno as the dividing line between So Cal and No Cal.
September 29, 2020
A Gem of a Museum! Bowers Museum – Santa Ana Visited: September 2020 When Tracy and I heard that the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana was going to open back up, I immediately hopped online to secure early timed-reservations for the second day. It had been nearly nine months (seemed […]
August 1, 2020
Magical & Mystical Gardens Lotusland – Santa Barbara (Montecito) Visited: July 2020 For the past couple of years, Tracy and I have talked about traveling to Lotusland, a 37-acre estate and botanic garden located in the Montecito foothills near the city of Santa Barbara. Lotusland actually features more than 20 […]
June 13, 2020
Artful Los Angeles Icon Getty Center (The Getty) – Los Angeles Last Visited: January 2020 In January 2020 BC (Before Covid), Tracy and I popped over to one of the area’s most prestigious museums, the Getty Center, early on a Sunday morning. It’s located on a 900-foot hilltop that sits […]
May 26, 2020
Gorgeous Global Garden … And Peacocks, Too! Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden – Arcadia Visited: May 2020 Thankfully, now that outdoor museums and gardens have opened, Tracy and I can escape our home to visit gorgeous environs, some located very near to where we live. One such slice […]
August 28, 2019
Home Sweet Art Gallery Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens (European Art Edition) – San Marino Last Visit: August 2019 Since we have already taken an extensive tour of the Botanical Gardens (in a previous post), on this excursion to the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens we’ll […]
April 30, 2019
The Indoor/Outdoor Museum Experience Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens (Garden Edition) – San Marino Last Visit: March/April 2019 With the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino (just south of Pasadena) celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019, I thought it would be a good time […]
April 3, 2019
A Trip Back Through Time Valley Relics Museum – Van Nuys The Valley Relics Museum has long been on our radar to visit, and luckily our procrastination (I’m a pro when it comes to that) turned out to our advantage because this unusual museum recently relocated to a space more […]
October 27, 2018
Hail Hale! Mount Wilson Observatory – Mount Wilson October 2018 Tracy and I had talked about visiting the Mt. Wilson Observatory on numerous occasions. However, we wanted to wait for a clear day to make the trek up Angeles Crest Highway in the San Gabriel Mountains to see it. This […]
August 28, 2018
“I’m Not A Crook!” Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum – Yorba Linda Visited: August 2018 When Tracy asked me what museum I wanted to visit recently, I answered, “Nixon’s the one!” We had visited the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum five years ago on the 100th birthday anniversary […]
July 6, 2018
Taking Flight Angels Flight Railway – Los Angeles Tracy and I had not visited Angels Flight Railway since 2010, a time long ago when I was skinnier, had darker hair and actually not embarrassed to wear San Diego Padres gear in public. Angels Flight has an interesting, and even tragic, […]
April 2, 2018
… Where No Spacecraft Has Gone Before! Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Tour – Pasadena/La Cañada Flintridge Visited: March 2018 One can’t talk about the “Space Age” without including the major accomplishments and innovations created by the brilliant minds at Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s research facility. That’s why I was so […]
February 15, 2018
Hooray For Hollywood! Hollywood Museum – Hollywood Visited: February 2018 Wham!!! Pow!!! Bam!!! Holy Campy Hollywood History Batman! Once we heard there was a special exhibit featuring the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder Robin, Tracy and I carefully slid (not as young as we used to be) down the MaiTai […]
January 31, 2018
Back In The Saddle Again Autry Museum of the American West – Griffith Park (Los Angeles) Visited: January 2018 Four years ago, Tracy and I visited the Autry Museum of the American West (then called the Autry Museum National Center) in Griffith Park, but before I could write anything about […]
December 13, 2017
Star Trekking Griffith Observatory – Los Angeles Visited: December 2017 If you want to see some real stars when you visit the Hollywood area, forget Hollywood; this place is it! The Griffith Observatory is one of Southern California’s most famous landmarks, and millions of visitors have gotten spaced out here […]
November 10, 2017
The Tao of Tom Thien Hau Temple – Los Angeles Visited: November 2017 Entering Chinatown in Los Angeles, Thien Hau Temple beckoned me on a unique journey, where, unbeknownst to me at the time, I would eventually experience the “Tao of Tom.” Once again, this was a Southern California landmark […]
October 25, 2017
England Comes To Pasadena Church of the Angels – Pasadena Visited: October 2017 It’s not often I mistake Southern California for the English countryside, but a few days ago while driving in the Pasadena, South Pasadena, Highland Park Triangle, for a brief moment I felt like I’d been transported to […]