LODGING IN L.A. need not be extravagant; while the Beverly Hilton surely has its charms, we doubted we’d have enjoyed it more than this modest guesthouse with a luxurious koi pond and garden—and free parking.
California, here we come
THE NATIONAL OLDTRAILS ROAD, a precursor to Route 66 from 1912 to 1926, followed the course of the National Road in the east and railroads and Indian trails in the west for more than 3,000 miles coast to coast. | WIKIPEDIA
BOTTLEDUP In Oro Grande, California, Elmer’s BottleTree Ranch invites curiosity-seekers to wander its two acres of glass and metal whimsies at will. Our favorite: an array of rusting typewriters, inviting creativity by camera.
WILDFIRE INTHE MOUNTAINS The Summit Fire, which scorched thousands of acres in San Bernardino County, was allegedly started July 10 by the use of illegal fireworks, a county fire official told the Victorville newspaper.
HOLLYWOODLAND Throngs of selfie-seekers make the trek up to the Hollywood sign—officially dedicated on July 13, 1923 as a real-estate promotion—before the City of Los Angeles shortened it in 1949 to better promote the move industry.
MOVIE MAGIC K a y ’s touchstone on Hollywood Boulevard was the Dolby Theatre, since 2002 home to the annual Academy Awards and its red-carpet preview.The Dolby will remain host of the Academy Awards through the 100th Oscars in 2028, then will relocate to the PeacockTheater in downtown Los Angeles beginning in 2029.
TAKE ME HOME Fans of John Denver—like Barbara—know that the singer-songwriter’s life journey took him from his birthplace in New Mexico, to Fort Worth and Lubbock, Texas, to Aspen, Colorado and ultimately to his final day, in California—but finding his star ontheHollywoodWalkofFame right beside where we’d parked our car was a song-worthy moment of serendipity. Just substitute“California”for“West Virginia” in the famous song; the syllables work perfectly.
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If America’s Route 66 would come to be known as The Mother Road, then the National Old Trails Road was the grandmother.
First laid out from Baltimore, Maryland, to Los Angeles, California, in 1912 with…
