This is a great slide, one of the most colorful station wagon shots I’ve ever run across. The gas station attendant checking under the hood while he’s fillin’ it up with Ethyl is the perfect finishing touch. The location wasn’t marked on the slide and I don’t recognize it so I just call it Somewhere, USA – hope that’s OK. The image is a bit soft. I never say out-of-focus, I call it dream focus or heavenly focus. Please do keep in mind this is amateur photography.

Station Wagons are icons of Americana. We had one didn’t you? It seems every family did. We had a 1972 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser. It was very mod and had three windows in the roof so if you wanted to look up and see out, you could!

The station wagon body style was originally created in the 1920’s to carry passengers and their luggage to and from train trips. That’s how they got their name – they were train station wagons. By the 50s they had evolved from utilitarian to utopian and were often the most expensive and luxurious models on the showroom floor. Cargo turned into kids, and station wagons became the ultimate family car.

Imaginative and amusing model names, spelled out optimistically in bright shiny chrome, labeled the fenders and tailgates. In 1958, station wagon model names suggested that you explore in your Desoto Explorer; voyage in your Mercury Voyager; commute in your Mercury Commuter and live in suburbia with your Plymouth Suburban. You could take a safari in your Pontiac Safari; be festive in your Oldsmobile Fiesta or go to Colony Park in your Mercury Colony Park. Perhaps be a country squire in your Ford Country Squire; Nomad in your Chevrolet Nomad; or caballero in your Buick Caballero. You could even round up cattle in your Edsel Roundup then go shopping in your Desoto Shopper

Here’s to Station Wagons and you

Two boys wearing t-shirts branded with the logo of their Catholic School experience the wild bird attraction at SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO MISSION, 1958. An old lady wearing a babushka observes from behind.

Unless I went to a mission on a field trip in fourth grade, and forgot�I’ve never been to a mission before. Until last Sunday, that is, when the desire and curiosity finally overwhelmed me enough to hop in the car and find my way to the San Fernando Mission in the San Fernando Valley. The arches and adobe walls were exactly what I anticipated. But the big surprise was the divine collection of arts and crafts spanning more than two hundred years. The ’40s “Fun with Dick and Jane” text book-style paintings of all the missions, ’50s gravel painting of Father Junipero Serra,’60s mannequins modeling religious fashions and other cheesy mid-twentieth century works are not to be missed. The Lord’s Prayer crocheted word for word in a big square doily was truly inspired.

The arts and crafts, displays, dioramas, furnished rooms, silversmith’s shop, saddle shop, coffin shop, textile loom and very well stocked souvenir shop reminded me of a early theme park-kind of a cross between Knott’s Berry Farm and Olvera Street. And seeing the Monsignor walk through the courtyard is much more exciting than seeing Mickey Mouse at Disneyland. Ironically, the San Fernando Mission was originally intended to be built next to the Pueblo, now Olvera Street, in Los Angeles. Too bad, Olvera Street and the mission would’ve been a match made in heaven.

By California standards few places are more historic than the missions. The first was built in 1769, the last, 1823. They are California’s castles. The backbone of the state’s history and monuments to the days before pioneers and gold diggers came in search of promised land.

Here’s to the Missions and you

Looking for a spectacular color scheme to liven up your home’s exterior? Let Chinatown be your influence. Decades have passed since the masses considered Chinatown a “must-see” tourist attraction, but it’s still the most colorful place in town. And in the last few years has become the address to the city’s smartest new shops, galleries and bars.

Last week I overheard a friend visiting from Dallas say "I’ve never been to Chinatown before!” Not twenty minutes later we were there. We spent the whole afternoon there eating, shopping, gawking and cocktailing.

First we had dim sum at a late 80’s time warp, The Empress Pavilion. The dining room is so big that if you had a football you might score a touchdown. Uniformed servers maneuver heavy pushcarts like they were baby carriages. They are pushing -in more ways than one- cartfuls of yummy mystery meat-filled steamed, fried and boiled savory little pockets and pillows. Just when you think you’re about to explode, here comes the dessert carriage with the most magnificent striped Jell-o you’ve ever seen.

Nourished and in the mood to shop for all things exotic, we waddled across the street to Old Chinatown. As usual the quaint 1938 themed environment inspired my imagination and made my spirit soar! Just as I was collecting myself and realizing that the wild colors, vintage neon and pagoda rooflines were reality and not a Chinese food induced dream, I spotted an open door where I had only seen a closed door before. Faster than you can say “pass the pupu platter” I was entering into REALM, a new contemporary decorative arts shop. If though I was dreaming before, I now must’ve died and gone to heaven-Chinese Restaurant heaven. REALM occupies a long defunct 1940s Chinese restaurant called The Hong Kong Caf�. The original ceramic bamboo, padded cocktail bar and gold dragon ceiling are out of this world! For your interior d�cor let REALM be an inspiration to you. REALM is at 443 Gin Ling Way, (between Hill and Broadway) Los Angeles.

Cheers to the fine folks at REALM and YOU

Two businessmen toting briefcases have just arrived. From the bias-cut control tower down, this is a perfect ultra-modern mid-century scene. A T L A N T A marks the spot; a boxy building dressed in stripes; streetlights with dinosaur necks, giant lasagna noodle roofline, elevated streets and covered sidewalks. The turquoise and white color scheme is perfectly coordinated. Even the sky matches

Last week I visited the fine city of Atlanta for the first time. The premiere of the new musical, The Color Purple, was the occasion. My dear friend, Allee Willis, co-wrote the songs. The show is AMAZING and will be a mega hit on Broadway!

While in town I ate at nearly every vintage eatery beginning with a 3am in-the-morning trip to The Majestic, a genuine diner serving since 1928. The pink neon signage was just about as exciting as the cockroaches were friendly. At The Silver Skillet, a greasy spoon diner serving since 1956, delicious banana pudding is a specialty. It’s the only place I’ve ever been where the customers write up the order on the check themselves and hand it to the waitress. At Mary Mac’s serving since 1945, heaping portions of traditional southern dishes like fried chicken are served up family style.

I got a buzz drinking namesake beverage at the museum of world’s most famous and promoted product and Georgia’s greatest claim to fame – Coca Cola. As if I wasn’t high enough already I then downed a tiki-licious rum and Coke at the 1967 Trader Vic’s in the Hilton. Then off to the grave of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind. She died tragically in 1949 after being hit by a taxi. That was followed by an outing to suburban Atlanta, to drive by the 41-year old big chicken towering five stories tall over a KFC.

My final hour in Atlanta was spent at the world’s largest drive-in restaurant, the Varsity, serving since 1928. During peak hours it takes a hundred carhops to serve the customers.

But Mother Nature provided the most surprising and unexpected experience of the journey. While on my little side-road trip to Tennessee I took a boat ride on the Lost Sea, the largest underground lake in the USA. I kept thinking to myself “this reminds me of a ride at Disneyland!”

Cheers to Atlanta, the Lost Sea and YOU

A moment frozen in time at the intersection of Vermont & Vernon

A 1965 lipstick red Lincoln Continental convertible pulls up to the intersection of Vermont and Vernon Avenues in South Central Los Angeles. The Rainbow Church welcomes, Jesus Heals and something’s going on with the Holy Ghost. On the far right you can barely see the Dunes Las Vegas Billboard advertising the Casino de Paris. That’s a topless show! Whoo-wee! And according to the Mustang billboard, Ford has “better ideas.” Take a closer look at the billboard. It says “Only Mustang makes it happen.” It is the young lady’s transformation between mousy and marvelous illustrated on the bottom of the billboard.

I love LA. I really do. The East, West, North and South of LA. I’ve spent way more time driving around neighborhoods than I would ever care to admit. Rich, middle class and poor neighborhoods – I don’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter where I go, I find something interesting around every corner.

Here’s to Los Angeles

This slide is marked “Our first trip to the fair.” Casual by most 1954 dress standards, a gentleman clad in a butter colored t-shirt, khakis and a ball cap takes a gander at the saw-tooth edged directional signs. There are so many things listed for him to choose from. What should he see next – the children’s nursery? Lagoon? Million Dollar Antique Display? Fashion show? Domestic arts? I wonder if he knows that it’s the largest county fair in the country.

Fifty years later, last Saturday in the blazing Pomona Valley heat, I led a historic tour of the event that I look forward to every year even more than Christmas, yes, the Los Angels County Fair. There is little there that doesn’t inspire my imagination and make my spirit soar. But, if I had to choose my favorite fair attractions they would have to be the sales people that hard-sell and demonstrate all those "miracle products" like carpet cleaners, ricer-dicer-slicers, and no-stick fry pans. It’s living theater at its very best.

As I was leaving the fair I spotted a young family with one of those monster red wagons stacked four feet high with boxes of those “miracle products.” It was the perfect end to a perfect day at the fair

Blazing neon, a seventeen foot flocked tree, painted icicles, two-story candy canes and shiny new Cadillacs — it’s Christmas at Casa de – 1955

Recently a fine friend of mine, Mr. Stork went to work at this legendary San Fernando Valley automotive agency. While rummaging through a drawer he discovered this amazing slide which had not seen the light of day for nearly five decades.

Casa de Cadillac is one of the most spectacular mid-century modern automotive display cases ever built. The year was 1949, the same year Cadillac introduced the Coupe de Ville. Today, Casa de Cadillac is the architectural highlight of the valley where it has been offering the finest luxury cars ever since. After 55 years the Coupe de Villes have been replaced by Escalades but miraculously the structure and signage remain virtually unchanged.

Here’s to Casa De Cadillac and to you

Mark your calendars and start making plans – the world’s largest and most spectacular county fair begins a week from today, September 10, 2004 and runs through the 26th. Every year I recommended it to even my most jaded and snooty friends and they love it too �and so will you. The kitsch-culture fest of bizarre demonstrations, shows, amusements, junk-food and displays in an historic setting is intoxicating. Not to mention a feast for all your senses. It’s has been an annual tradition since 1922

The entrance to the Fun Zone at the fair was one of Southern California’s most spectacular works of neon ever. It was built in 1950 and unfortunately unceremoniously demolished in 1980. Going to the fair every year as a kid during the 60s and 70s I remember it well. While mom was stocking up on the latest miracle carpet cleaner, no-stick frying pans and an air fern, and dad was reliving his days on the ranch looking I’d be begging them to let me go into the Fun Zone. But they thought it was unsafe for a nice boy like me. Year after year I begged them to let me go in there. Year after year they said “No, you’re not going in the Fun Zone.” Finally when I got a little older I asked “Why?” I’ll never forget the stern response. “Well son, were afraid you’ll be… KNIFED!”

Here’s to the Los Angeles County Fair and to you

Hope to see you there!!

Fish are the most photographed creature in the animal kingdom. Dogs come in second, then cats, birds and bears round out the top five. But unlike the other animals the fish are always dead. And of course, just like in this slide, someone is holding them up grinning from ear to ear.

I haven’t been fishing since I was a kid. My grandparents would take me and my big bruiser brother along with them to Puddingstone Lake near the fairgrounds in Pomona. Grandma would pack a picnic basket to the brim and we would spend the whole day just sitting there waiting for the fish to bite. I found the sport of fishing quite boring. I may have caught a fish or two, I don’t really remember. What I do remember is the bait we used � Velveeta. Guess fish like it just as much as people do.

Velveeta is the food we love to hate and hate to love. The fine folks at Kraft introduced the savory smooth treat way back in 1928. The name is supposed to make us think of velvet– the most luxurious fabric of all. Over the years Velveeta has earned a very important place in the Tex-Mex kitchen. Who doesn’t love Chili con Queso � that exotic taste treat sensation that happens when you microwave a jar of salsa with what else? Velveeta!

Here’s to you and Velveeta

Who can ever forget the Bob’s Big Boy Combo? That signature mushy double burger littered with wilted shredded lettuce, dressed with their own hamburger relish and gobs of mayonnaise served with a bonus bun in the middle. Not only was it difficult to swallow, but it was the inspiration for the Big Mac.

When I was a kid we ate at Bob’s a lot. I downed way more Big Boy Combos than I would ever care to admit. My favorite part was dipping those soggy French Fries in that big dollop of blue cheese that topped of that little bowl of iceberg lettuce. And those chocolate milkshakes served in silver goblets.

Bob’s began as a traditional hamburger stand in Glendale, California in 1936. By the late 1940s there was a handful of stylish coffee shop/drive-ins bearing the name and Big Boy logo in the Los Angeles area. The first franchise, called Frisch’s Big Boy, was in Michigan in 1952. During the 50s, 60s and 70s the chain expanded into many other states including Texas, where it was called Kip’s Big Boy.

Bob, the charming, chubby fiberglass iconic clone, with the check overalls and the Elvis coif, was to the chain what the Statue of Liberty was to the United States. While Lady Liberty held the flame, Bob Held a Hamburger

Here’s to you and Bob