Hollywood Forever Cemetery

During my recent trip to California, I didn't have much time to spend in LA, but one of the top destinations on my list was the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Founded in 1899, Hollywood Forever claims to be "the final resting place to more of Hollywood’s founders and stars than anywhere else on Earth." The cemetery is famous not only for its residents, but since 2002 they've hosted outdoor movies featuring DJs, photo booths, picnics and appearances from (living) celebrities and directors.  

I was there during the day, but you bet if I lived in LA I'd be a frequent guest on movie nights. Hollywood Forever is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles, and is the only one actually located within the city of Hollywood. The cemetery is beautiful and obviously well-maintained—I never got over the thrill of seeing palm trees, which is not something I'm used to seeing in cemeteries. 

Despite being quite old, the cemetery isn't actually visually interesting in the way I usually prefer for a cemetery—crumbling, creepy and full of traditional stones—so I realized quickly that the best way to see Hollywood Forever would be to track down its famous residents (although this is Hollywood, so some of the non-famous headstones were just as entertaining).

When I inquired about a map, I was directed to the flower shop, where my only option was to purchase a map for $5. It was definitely worth it—the cemetery is huge—but I've never been to a cemetery that charged for a map (and I've been to a lot of cemeteries). I did pass it along to my friend Jim, so at least he won't have to pay when he visits. 

Hollywood Forever is by no means the only cemetery filled with celebrities in the Los Angeles area, and while there are a few contemporaries—Chris Cornell and Anton Yelchin were both buried recently—most of the interments are much older. Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American to win an Academy Award (for her performance in Gone With the Wind) wanted to be buried at Hollywood Forever, but was not allowed because at the time of her death in 1952, the cemetery was still segregated. In 1959 the cemetery was finally desegregated, and In 1999 a centotaph was erected in McDaniel's honor.

The map wasn't very easy to follow, but I did manage to track down two Ramones: Dee Dee's kiss-covered headstone and Johnny's guitar-wielding likeness. I also visited Fay Wray (King Kong), Jayne Mansfield, Mickey Rooney and Mel Blanc—the voice of just about every Looney Tunes character you can think of, and owner of one of my favorite epitaphs, "That's All Folks". 

The main attraction at Hollywood Forever for me, however, was a fairly new addition. When I visited Ferncliff in September, I was disappointed to learn that Judy Garland's remains had been moved in June of 2017, and reinterred at Hollywood Forever. She was the last one I found during my visit, and the move came with quite the upgrade. She is entirely alone (for now) in her own mausoleum, appropriately named the Judy Garland Pavilion.

Garland's Wizard of Oz co-star, Toto, died toward the end of WWII and the burial ground where he was interred was destroyed during the expansion of the Ventura Freeway. But close to Garland is a stone provided by the Toto Memorial Committee in 2011—allowing you to not only to pay your respects to Dorothy, but to her little dog too. 

Wigwam Village No. 7

When I slept in my first Wigwam Motel in 2016, I didn't have concrete plans to visit the two remaining Wigwam Villages, but I knew I wanted to eventually "collect them all." Early in 2017, I was devastated when it became obvious that my friend Jim was going to move to LA, but I tried to look on the bright side and immediately began planning a trip to the west coast. It should come as no surprise that the very first thing on my list of California must-sees was Wigwam Village No. 7 on Route 66 in San Bernardino.

Originally there were seven Wigwam Village locations—two in Kentucky and one each in Alabama, Florida, Arizona, Louisiana and California—and only the ones in Kentucky, Arizona and California have survived. No. 7, constructed in 1949, is the last one to be built and it sits on the boundary between San Bernardino and Rialto, on Historic Route 66. 

Although of course No. 2 will always be special to me as my first Wigwam experience, No. 7 was overall an even nicer experience. No. 7 has a double row of Wigwams—19 total—and it had once been in dire shape. Rooms could be rented by the hour, and a sign urging travelers to "Do it in a Teepee" hung out front (the fact that these structures are technically "tee pees" doesn't seem to have mattered to Frank A Redford, the builder of these villages). It has since undergone an extensive renovation, and in 2012 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

No. 7 has a small, kidney-shaped pool and better souvenirs than No. 2—we bought postcards, patches, pins, ornaments and key tags. There are several vintage cars sitting on the property and a circular base in the back that looks like it may have been destined to be a 20th Wigwam, but it was never finished.

The inside of each Wigwam is surprisingly spacious, and ours had two beds, a tv and a desk. I did prefer the bathroom of No. 2—with its red zig-zag tiles—but the Wigwams at No. 7 looked freshly painted, and the iconic zig-zag on the exterior was brought back during the renovation. I also appreciated all of the little details, like the lights strung between Wigwams, the Route 66 markers on the lampposts and the Wigwam-shaped room numbers. In an area full of cheap and boring roadside motels, I don't know why anyone would choose not to "sleepee in a tee-pee."

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Wigwam Village No. 7
2728 E Foothill Blvd
San Bernardino, CA 92410
Our 2/bed was $99 for a Saturday night in December

Happy Friday!

Illustration by Lindsey Frances

Things that happened this week:

This technically happened last week, but Fred Bass, the owner of the Strand bookstore died at age 89. Lindsey and I share a love of The Strand and its 18 miles of books, so she illustrated its famous building this week, as a tribute to Bass. It's also her birthday tomorrow—Happy Birthday, Lindsey!

The extreme cold finally broke a few days ago, but the temperature is going to drop again this weekend. Here's a fascinating (and upsetting) look at how the subway trains turn into de facto homeless shelters in the winter.

Everyone is talking about Oprah this week after her inspiring Golden Globes speech (and rightfully so), but Meryl will always be my number one.

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Things to do in New York this weekend:

It's the last weekend to see Gingerbread Lane—the Guinness World Record holder for "largest gingerbread village" for the past four years—at the New York Hall of Science. I've still never been to the Hall of Science, but it was originally built for the 1964/65 World's Fair and it's been on my to-do list since I moved here. On Sunday, from 2-5pm you can take home a piece of the village for free (BYOB - bring your own box or bag).

There's an Edvard Munch exhibit at the Met Breuer that I need to go see. Munch is one of my favorite artists, and although the Met has decided to start charging admission to tourists, the admission price to the Met Museums (including the Cloisters and the Met Breuer) for New York residents is still just "suggested."

The Post opens in more theaters today, and if you haven't seen it, go! I know I'm biased with my love of all things Meryl, but this movie feels so important right now.

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Things I discovered this week:

I'm always a million years late to things that are popular, but I started watching Big Little Lies this week and finished all seven episodes in two days. It was so good and I can't wait for season two, but in the meantime I'll be listening to this playlist on Spotify.

I finished reading The Leavers this week—it was so good—and started The Mysterious Benedict Society. I've already finished three books in 2018 and that puts me two books ahead in my reading challenge for the year. 

I've officially become one of those people who complains to brands on Twitter. After being turned away from Sweetgreen at lunch on Monday due to their system being down (and the fact that they no longer accept cash), I tweeted about it and they replied immediately and added a $20 credit to my account! I'm already in the cult of Sweetgreen because of their magically delicious salads, but now I'm equally impressed with their customer service. 

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David and I celebrated our three-year anniversary this week (with a free Sweetgreen lunch) and we have plans to see a few friends this weekend, but not much else on the agenda for now. We have Monday off for MLK day, and we had planned to take a tour of Eclectic Props in LIC but they had a water main break so the tour was cancelled. I already had a diner picked out (of course), but I'm scrambling to make new plans. It's supposed to get cold again here, so maybe we'll just continue watching The Godfather trilogy (we still have to watch parts 2 and 3) on Neflix. I hope you have a good weekend and enjoy your extra day off, if you have one!

First Calvary Cemetery

I've mentioned that I've been going a little stir crazy already this winter, and even after walking to work on Friday, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to all of our "bomb cyclone" snow just yet. On Sunday I bundled up (it was a four shirts, three pairs of socks and two pairs of pants kind of day) and headed to Queens. Our regular UWS diner is still closed (hopefully only temporarily) after a fire, so my mom and I had lunch at the Court Square Diner in Long Island City. After lunch, we parted ways and I headed further into Queens to the First Calvary Cemetery.

Calvary, a Roman Catholic cemetery, is one of the oldest cemeteries in the United States. It's divided into four sections and the oldest section, First Calvary, is bordered by the Long Island Expressway and the BQE. The first burial occurred on July 31, 1848—Esther Ennis, reportedly dead of a broken heart—and First Calvary was full by 1867.

I had been to First Calvary once before, back in 2014 when I first got my camera. I always had it on my mental list of places to revisit, but we watched The Godfather on Saturday—Vito Corleone is "buried" in Calvary—and whenever it snows my first instinct is to head to a cemetery. Google lists the cemetery as closed on Sundays and I've had unfortunate luck getting into snowy cemeteries before, but luckily the gates were open.

Calvary was the first major cemetery to be established in an outer borough by the Trustees of St. Patrick's Cathedral, after a cholera epidemic created a burial shortage in Manhattan. Today, more than three million people are buried in Calvary cemetery—the largest number of interments of any cemetery in the US—and the first thing you notice upon entering is just how full it seems. In many ways, the cemetery resembles a small city of its own, with row after row of tall headstones tightly packed together, a mirror image of the Manhattan skyline in the distance.

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First Calvary Cemetery
34-02 Greenpoint Avenue,
Maspeth (Queens), NY 11378
Office Hours (note that the office is closed on Sunday, but the cemetery gates were open):
Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

Palm Springs

One of our pre-planned destinations on our December California road trip was Palm Springs. My friend Jim had booked a room at the Ace Hotel and Swim Club months in advance, and I was excited because I'd always had good experiences staying in Ace Hotels (in New York, before I moved, and New Orleans). The Palm Springs location has everything you'd expect from the Ace brand including nice linens, good-smelling bath products and a photo booth in the lobby. But it also had something we didn't anticipate: a very loud party that kept us consistently annoyed for most of the night.

When we checked in, we were told that one of the pools would be "closed for an event." We were annoyed by the noise level—but to be fair, we had been warned—so we distracted ourselves by watching Pee-Wee's Big Adventure on Jim's phone. He hadn't seen it in years but it's one of my all-time favorite movies and we'd just visited the Cabazon Dinosaurs earlier the in the day.

However, once the party ended it got even louder when some guests decided to continue the music and yelling right under our room. Unless you're physically in danger or at a concert, I see no reason to yell. Ever. This was my first time in Palm Springs, and I've since heard that loud parties are not uncommon for a Sunday (or any day of the week) night, but it did sour me on this particular Ace Hotel.

I will say that the pool was very lovely (and blissfully empty in the morning), but even that couldn't make up for the additional surprise that our room bill was $100 more than our reservation amount when the taxes and resort fee were added in. Pearl-clutching aside, luckily the rest of Palm Springs was every bit as beautiful as I expected, and perhaps even more so.

Our stay was brief, but before we left we drove through some of the residential streets filled with beautiful, mid-century modern homes. I loved all of the colorful accents, metal screens and geometric shapes. It's not exactly my personal style, but I appreciate the immaculate attention to detail and design—and we made sure to fulfill our millennial duty by posing in front of a mural and visiting #thatpinkdoor.

Palm Springs is set against a backdrop of mountains so picturesque they look as if they've been cut out of cardboard and constructed for a movie set. I don't see myself jetting off to Palm Springs on the regular, but now I totally understand the Internet's infatuation with this magically-lit desert oasis.

Bomb Cyclone

I didn't leave my apartment at all on Thursday during Winter Storm Grayson, aka the "bomb cyclone," a massive winter storm that hit nearly the entire east coast. Central Park reported 9.8 inches of snow, and as much as I love to frolic in the city during snowstorms, this one was accompanied by gale-force winds and negative temperatures.

Of course I enjoy snow days and time off work, but I've been staying inside so much over the past few weeks that I began to go a little stir crazy. Despite the frigid temps, I decided to walk to work on Friday morning through Central Park, hoping to counteract my winter blues with sunshine and beautiful, snowy views.

It's been a while since I walked to/from work since it's been cold and getting dark so early, but it's really something I should do more often. It takes me about 45 minutes (longer if I'm wandering) to walk 2.2 miles door to door, which is also just about how long it takes if I ride the bus. My favorite route is through the North Woods, which isn't the most direct but it is the most scenic. 

The North Woods is one of my favorite areas of Central Park. It's heavily wooded, as the name implies, and it almost feels like a well-kept secret. It has all the features I love in other parts of the park—stone arches, tiny waterfalls, rustic bridges—and none of the crowds that can ruin an otherwise peaceful park walk. It's one of my favorite places to visit after a snowfall and this walk was exactly what I needed to make peace with this winter.

Happy Friday!

I'm trying something a little new in 2018. Instead of 365 Project posts, every Friday I'll post some fun links and feature things to do, along with an illustration from my super talented friend Lindsey. Lindsey is "dedicated to keeping a visual and written sketchbook about eating and traveling in New York City and abroad" and I love discovering new parts of the city through her illustrations. She made this lovely 2018 calendar, and you can download it here for free (and hire her for commissions!).

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Things that happened this week:

Guy Fieri's "no-star" restaurant in Times Square has closed after five years. We went last year, and let me just say that I'm not at all surprised that it closed, but I'm definitely surprised that it lasted five years after this infamous review.

On Monday night, there was a major fire at the diner my mom and frequent. It's been in business for over 50 years and we just had breakfast there on New Year's Eve. I'm hoping for a speedy recovery but I'm also nervous because classic diners like this are an endangered species here in the city.

Do you make New Year's resolutions? I don't really, but I love reading about how to actually make realistic changes to your life—this article has a lot of great tips on how to start.

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Things to do in New York this weekend:

The No Pants Subway Ride is still going on despite the bone-chilling cold (posting this information not so you can do this, but actively avoid it).

The Holiday Train Show is still going on at the NYBG until January 15th. I didn't go this year, but here are my photos from 2014 and 2013.

This is the last weekend for the Volez, Voguez, Voyagez Louis Vuitton exhibit. It's at the American Stock Exchange building and admission is free (online reservation required).

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Things I discovered this week:

Through an Instagram rabbit-hole I discovered the incredible work of Laura Plansker and immediately bought one of her handmade salami ornaments. 

I also discovered this Instagram account called UnsolvedMysteriesPeople—which is exactly what it sounds like—and it's so good.

I bought these shoes a few weeks ago after searching for years for a "sneaker rain boot" and they're not warm enough to wear in these arctic temps but they're so comfortable and for the first time in my life I'm actually looking forward to rain.

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I have no plans for this weekend, mostly because Saturday is supposed to be a high of 10 degrees. I love winter in the city (especially all of the snow we've had so far!) but this extended cold snap has really zapped me of any desire to do anything except sit under blankets and watch movies. It looks like we'll be back to somewhat normal temps next week (in the 30s), but until then a diner breakfast is probably all I'll be able to manage. My mom and I have decided that it is our civic duty to patronize a local diner every week, and we're doing a pretty good job of keeping that promise. I hope you have a great weekend, and if it's cold where you are stay warm!

South of the Border: Day

Road trips are good metaphors for how I view life in general—it's less about the big picture and more about the little moments along the way—but finally making it to South of the Border was the highlight in a year filled with novelty architecture, muffler men and silly roadside attractions. I talked a little about how the trip came together in this post, but I'm still pleased that after talking about it and saying "I need to get there!" for so long, that I finally made it happen.

It turns out that all of the little things I thought were standing in my way—money, time, someone to come with me—weren't so hard to work out once I decided to really make a plan. I get asked sometimes how I do "so much," which is relative of course —and probably skewed by my online presence, trust me there are days when I do absolutely nothing—but I get derailed by my own silly misconceptions and anxieties just like anyone. I had been planning an epic South of the Border road trip for years, but once I decided that I had to get there in 2017, everything fell into place.

It might seem ridiculous to consider seeing South of the Border as my greatest accomplishment of 2017—a year in which I also hiked the Inca Trail, deliriously sick for half of it, nonetheless. But it's less about the destination and more about having the conviction, about having a plan and following through, about recognizing what is right for your own specific life, about finding things that make you happy and about really doing them, about taking control and not being sidetracked by outside input.

There was a large portion of my life where I didn't feel in control of much. I wasn't happy with where I lived and much of my day-to-day life revolved around others peoples' schedules and feelings. It's an easy trap to fall into—gradually, and then all at once—but it can seem impossible to take the reigns again once you feel you've lost them. Of course life is full of moments and circumstances that are out of our control, but having a firm idea of what you want out of the controllable variables can make those unavoidable bumps much less scary.

We stayed overnight in the motel and our room was clean and much bigger than I expected. In the morning, it was foggy and deserted which gave the entire place a sort of post-apocalyptic feel (that I loved). We had breakfast in the Sombrero Room (again, not to be confused with the steakhouse housed in an actual sombrero-shaped building) and wandered around trying to soak in all of its brightly-colored kitsch. South of the Border has definitely seen better days (to be fair, we were also there in October) but everything looked freshly painted and well-loved.

We were just about to leave when my mom suggested that we wait a few minutes until 10 am, when the (also sombrero-shaped) observation tower opened. I was concerned about our time frame for the day, and cautious about running out of daylight but in the end she was totally right. We'd driven too far to leave without seeing everything that South of the Border had to offer. Also, admission was only $2/person and we ended up having the observation deck all to ourselves, so always listen to your mom!

South of the Border might be a silly, outdated, culturally insensitive roadside attraction—useful to most people only for the bathrooms—but it will always mean more to me than anyone could know. This trip marked a sneaky turning point in my life—it wasn't the first road trip I planned, and it won't be the last, but it was the one that made me realize that my life truly is mine.

Best of 2017: Books

I recently completed my reading challenge for this year—52 books!—and I think this may have been the most books I've ever read in a single year. I've always loved reading, but there was a portion of my adult life where I barely read at all. I've realized now that reading is such a huge part of who I am that I don't really feel like myself if I'm not excited about what I'm reading or what's next in the queue.

I've set a new challenge for 2018—60 books!—and I'm mostly confident that I can reach that number. 52 felt challenging, but not impossible and I work well under deadlines, even if they're basically imaginary. As much as I love the library, part of my reading goal this year is to read books that I actually own. I have a tendency to buy books and then forget about them once they're on my bookshelf. I love the act of browsing for used books at the Strand and I feel comforted by a bookcase full of possibility—but I also live in a tiny studio and clearing out some of that clutter (by reading and then selling the books back to the Strand) feels like a reasonable goal for the new year.

You can see past book reviews here and I still have a few to catch up on of the 52, but here were the standouts from the year:

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🏆 BEST OVERALL 🏆

The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, by Jeff Guinn

It's been a few months since I finished this book, but I can't stop thinking or talking about Jim Jones. He is one of the most (maybe the most?) fascinating people I've ever read about, and Jeff Guinn has quickly become my new favorite biographer.

Read my full review here.

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✏️ BEST NON-FICTION ✏️

Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital, by Sheri Fink

This was one of the first books I finished early in the year, and no other true story that I've read since has quite come close to being as thought-provoking. I went into this book knowing very little about the true devastation of hurricane Katrina, and I never before considered what a hospital would do with their sickest patients in times of crisis—this story isn't an easy one, but I'm still thinking about it nearly a year later.

Read my full review here.

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📚 BEST FICTION 📚

A Gentleman in Moscow: A Novel, by Amor Towles

I read both of Towles's novels this year, and as much as I loved The Rules of Civility, his second book is even better. I don't read much fiction, but this book was so richly rendered that it made me appreciate the way that a really good novel can immerse you in a world so different from your own like nothing else can.

Read my full review here.

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🔬 BEST SCIENCE 🔬

The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine, by Lindsey Fitzharris

I think I dreamed this book into existence after wanting to read about Joseph Lister and his antiseptic germ theory for so long, but it was better than I could have even imagined. If you devour books about antiquated medical practices and the pioneers of medicine like I do, you'll love this book.

Read my full review here.

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👨🏻 BEST BIOGRAPHY 👨🏻

Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson, by Jeff Guinn

This was my second book by Guinn, and I knew that he would handle Manson's life with the same expertise and natural flow that he used to tell the story of Jim Jones. Everyone has heard of Charles Manson, but there was so much to his fascinating life (and the lives of the other "family" members) than just the sordid headlines.

Full review to come.

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😂 BEST HUMOR 😂

We are Never Meeting in Real Life: Essays, by Samantha Irby

Based on cover art alone, I knew this book would be funny but I didn't expect to forcibly laugh out loud quite as much as I did. Irby's essays aren't about funny topics, but her storytelling and perspective is so hilarious that I'd want to read her thoughts on pretty much anything.

Read my full review here.

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You can see all of my book reviews by clicking on the "books" tag.
Also my favorite books of 2016 can be found here.

Project 365: Days 342-365

342/365: I took an evening flight to California, but spent the day reviewing our itinerary and decided to book an extra night in Pioneertown. I was exploring the town via Google Earth and came across this lady photographing what we later discovered to be (allegedly) the most photographed post office in the US.

343/365: California really knows how to do diners, and Jim and Tag took me to one of their favorites, Pann's, before Jim and I hit Route 66 en route to the Wigwam Motel (with a few stops in between, including the Donut Hole).

344/365: We woke up in a Wigwam (my second!), drove around the Salton Sea and explored Salvation Mountain.

345/365: Our room in the Pioneertown Motel was so wonderful, Pappy and Harriet's was a delight and the desert sunset was incredible.

346/365: We spent the day exploring some desert art and took a little hike around Joshua Tree.

347/365: Back in LA, Tag took me to another excellent diner and dropped me off to explore Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

348/365: LA continued to charm me with its diners (and proper hashbrowns!), and we squeezed in some last minute sightseeing before my afternoon flight back to New York.

349/365: New York is always so magical in the snow!

350/365: I met three friends deep in Brooklyn for dinner at Tommaso's and a little tour of the Dyker Heights Christmas lights.

351/365: One of my favorite new ornaments this year. I just couldn't pass up this happy ham leg.

352/365: My Christmas ham.

353/365: I couldn't pass up this souvenir from our stay at the Wigwam Motel.

354/365: I tried my best to get this little turd to use a cat bed, but she blatantly refused. She prefers to lay on my coats and scarves instead (I need to stock up on lint rollers).

355/365: I only have a few Christmas records, but they were on repeat for most of December.

356/365: I finished my Goodreads reading challenge for the year (a bit early)! I read 52 books in 2017, and this was number 52.

357/365: I didn't take a photo, but we went and saw The Post and it was incredible! Very relevant and of course Meryl hits it out of the park.

358/365: My mom and I had brunch at the Russian Tea Room and then saw the Rockettes at Radio City (our first time!).

359/365: I had a very Meryl Christmas, thanks in part to this wonderful ornament from my friend Shannon that I unwrapped on Christmas morning.

360/365: My mom loves a good joke present on Christmas and this year she told me that she had wanted to buy me another string of sausages, but they were sold out so she made her own. I know she expected me to trash them, but I love them so much I'm keeping them.

361/365: I guess I collect stuffed hot dogs now!

362/365: Another excellent skull to add to my collection (thanks Mike!).

363/365: I was waiting forever in line at the post office, getting annoyed that someone behind me kept brushing up against me—until I finally turned around and saw that it was this floofy dog.

364/365: Man, it's been cold but it was nice to wake up to this snowy scene—especially knowing that I didn't have to go outside all day.

365/365: Ending the year right with breakfast at our usual diner and this surprised little syrup container.

If you're reading this, congratulations! You survived 2017! What a shit year, globally, but I personally balanced out some of the political garbage fires with some real delights. I won't bore you with a full recap (that's why I bore you with this blog all year long!) but I'm just hoping for more of the same in 2018—more diners, abandoned places, roadside attractions, novelty architecture, silly road trips, Muffler Men and city adventures. 

I mostly kept up with my 365 Project, although there's always room for improvement (especially with my counting haha) and I see no reason not to continue it in 2018. Here are a few of the bigger highlights from 2017, if you're interested:

The Second Avenue Subway finally opened!
Prospect Park in the snow
The Women's March in Washington
Exploring the abandoned Staten Island Farm Colony
My first abandoned psychiatric hospital
The Big Duck!
Orange World
An abandoned amusement park
Dachshund fest
We (barely) survived the Inca Trail!
The coolest cemetery I've ever seen
I moved back to Manhattan
I saw a lot of the World's Largest things
I finally caught the Unisphere fountains at night
I bought things from buildings shaped like what they sell
I finally made it to South of the Border
I squeezed in one last 2017 road trip in December
 

✨  Here's to an even better 2018! ✨

The Donut Hole

On the first day of our recent mini California road trip, we were driving down Route 66 en route to the Wigwam Motel in Rialto. I left our itinerary open for a leisurely drive, but when I realized that we were just about 20 min away from The Donut Hole, we decided it was worth the short detour.

The Donut Hole was built in 1968 in La Puenta, California, about 30 minutes east of downtown LA. The iconic building is programmatic, or novelty architecture at its best: two huge wood and stucco donuts with a drive-through donut shop in between. You go in one donut hole, out the other and it's both a sign and building in one (like The Big Duck or Orange World or this Shell Station).

There is no mistaking what you'll be buying at The Donut Hole, and while this was the second of five locations it was the only one built to resemble donuts—and not coincidentally, the only one still in business. It's also apparently one of the most photographed donut shops in the country, and although the donuts we bought were good, the building itself is definitely the main attraction.

Recent Reads

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Assassination Vacation, by Sarah Vowell

This book was mentioned several times in the reviews of Dead Presidents—a book I recently read, and loved. Maybe it's just a case of 'dead president' fatigue, but I didn't love Assassination Vacation as much as I expected I would. Both books are similar in topic, but very different in tone and if you have to choose just one I'd go with Dead Presidents. I wasn't familiar with Sarah Vowell, a contributor to NPR's This American Life before picking up this book, but I did enjoy her personal asides and think that we'd probably be great friends if we ever met in real life. Sometimes Vowell's "historical tourism" pursuits were too obscure and light on historical significance for even me to care much about—although it's always nice to discover other people who are passionate about their interests, no matter how strange they may seem.

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The Apparitionists: A Tale of Phantoms, Fraud, Photography and the Man Who Captured Lincoln's Ghost, by Peter Manseau

This was a no-brainer for me as soon as I saw it—a book on the history of photography with a particular focus on spirit photography? Sold. I generally loved this book (and all of the photos were a nice addition), but I had one major problem with it—it's never stated exactly how William Mumler made his famous spirit photographs. Mumler was eventually put on trial for fraud and photography experts presented seven possible methods for obtaining similar results, but Mumler was acquitted and it's never explained exactly how his photographs were made (or who the "spirits" actually were). This is the one question I was dying to know when I started this, and 300 pages later I'm still left wondering.

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The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine, by Lindsey Fitzharris

I remember recently searching for a book on Joseph Lister and his revolutionary discoveries in antiseptic surgery, and coming up short. When I saw a listing for The Butchering Art on Amazon months before its release date, I checked on it frequently and impatiently awaited its arrival at my local library. It was definitely worth the wait, and I tore through this enjoyable account of Lister's fascinating life in less than a week. I read a lot about medical history, and Lister comes up frequently, so it was nice to finally fill in the gaps with more of his story. Lister wasn't working in a vacuum—he had several mentors, a very supportive father and drew heavily on Louis Pasteur's revolutionary germ theory (maybe my next biography subject!).

The subtitle "grisly world of Victorian medicine" sold me alone, and if you love reading about bone saws, gangrene and other gruesome bits of history like me than you'll love this book. Lister's lifelong passion for research and improvement is as admirable as his skills as a surgeon, and I actually teared up at the end of this book—not because of Lister's death, but because of his inspiring life and the countless lives that were saved because of it.

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America's Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories, by Bruce David Forbes

I love holidays and reading origin stories for cultural phenomena, and this book delves into why and how five holidays (Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Thanksgiving) became what they are today. Forbes presents a three-layer-cake theory that these holidays have been shaped by modern popular culture, a religious or national overlay and seasonal celebrations. Forbes is a Professor of Religious studies and might devote a little too much time to the intricacies of religions for my taste and he can be a bit dry (and corny, ending chapters with phrases like, "stay tuned!"). But this is one of those books that I came away from with an endless list of fun facts that I can't wait to trot out during each holiday season.

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The Magician and the Spirits, by Deborah Noyes

I picked up this book on a whim while at the library, because I couldn't pass up a book about Houdini and spiritualism (or great cover typography). It's a YA book, so it was an easy read, but as a result it didn't really provide me with any new insights into either subject. I already knew a lot about spiritualism from my interest in the Fox Sisters and from reading The Apparitionists, but this book just left me wanting to read a proper biography about Houdini and his fascinating life.

Holiday Windows 2017: Bergdorf Goodman

It's should surprise no one that my favorite holiday windows this year were—for the fifth year in a row—Bergdorf Goodman's. The Bergdorf windows are always so stunning that I can't imagine another store besting them—they're essentially just in competition with their own past window designs at this point. I wouldn't declare this year's the best ones I've ever seen (I still give that honor to my very first Bergdorf windows, although you never forget your first), but they're an improvement on last year's and at least as good as 2014's and 2015's.

This year's theme is "To New York with Love" and each window features a different beloved New York City cultural institution: The American Museum of Natural History, the Museum of the Moving Image, the New York Botanical Garden, the New York Philharmonic and the New York Historical Society. The windows take all year to create, and are constructed with a wide range of materials including papier-mâché, neon, video, resin casting, fiber arts, digital displays and rhinestones.

Each window was designed in a different style to reflect the architecture and mission of its respective institution. They're all wonderful, but the one that really wowed me was the American Museum of Natural History window and its bedazzled dinosaur skeletons. Of course I'd pick the one filled with (fake) bones, but if you covered anything in that many rhinestones it would be hard not to take notice.

It's not difficult to be charmed by such an expensive, flashy love letter to some of my favorite places in my favorite city, but I doubt there is another store that could ever match the Bergdorf window displays in scope, vision or execution. I actually went into Bergdorfs for the first time last week—their bathroom is very clean!—and although I quickly discovered that I can't afford anything, it's nice that anyone walking by can enjoy the quality and glamour of Bergdorfs for at least a few weeks every year.

✨ Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! ✨

Holiday Windows 2017: Tiffany // Bloomingdale's // Saks

Dyker Heights Lights 2017

This was my fifth year in a row seeing the over-the-top Christmas lights displays in the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. When I was new to the city, my first boss suggested that I go see the lights, and also recommended that we eat at the classic '60s-era Italian restaurant, Tommaso. A group of friends and I did both, and I loved it so much it became an annual tradition (some years with pizza slices and cannoli when we had less time).

This year was a little bittersweet since my friend Jim moved away, but I was honored to serve as a seasoned guide for three of my friends who had never seen the lights, or this specific part of Brooklyn before. We met on a Saturday so we had time for a leisurely dinner at Tommaso (seriously, our dinner lasted nearly three hours), where the food is delicious and affordable, and they serenade you with opera and Christmas carols while you eat.

The neighborhood first became famous for its elaborate Christmas lights displays about 30 years ago and has only grown since then—the displays now attract 100,000 people a year. If you go on a weekend night close to Christmas, it can feel like all 100,000 people are there in one night, but some of the streets are closed to car traffic, which helps a little with the crowding.

A lot of the houses are actually decorated by companies, and they display signs out front advertising their services. I haven't noticed much change in the displays from year to year, but there's something comforting in seeking out my favorite houses and finding them unchanged. Speaking of the houses, even without the help of decorations it's worth the long subway ride just to marvel at the bizarre, grandiose architecture. Each house is more elaborate and ostentatious than the next, with grand entrances, water features and menageries of stone animals. 

I have very specific ideas when it comes to how Christmas decorations should look, and even if nearly all of the Dyker Heights houses break my arbitrary rules, I still love and appreciate the spectacle and joy of it all. If I had my way I'd have a yard full of vintage, weathered, illuminated blow molds, but luckily there are still plenty of those on display each year for me to envy.

Not all of the houses participate—one of my favorites was a ramshackle, completely dark house that just had a few faded and weathered red bows scattered haphazardly around—but the main displays fall between 11th and 13th Avenues from 83rd to 86th streets. Trash cans overflow with coffee and hot chocolate cups, a Mister Softee truck is there no matter how low the temperature drops and if you don't end the night full of Christmas spirit, you weren't in the right place.

Salvation Mountain

I just got back from my second-ever trip to California, and while I'm still perplexed that anyone would willingly live in LA, I was completely charmed by the desert. We pretty much left LA as soon as I arrived—which I think is the best way to "visit" LA—and took a four-day road trip into southeastern California. I was very intrigued by the Salton Sea, but unfortunately a few of the spots I had wanted to stop at were kind of a bust.

We took a brief loop around Bombay Beach, but were put off by the fact that despite looking abandoned, it's very much still a town inhabited by real people, most of whom looked like they weren't too keen on welcoming sightseers. The International Banana Museum was closed (due to an unexpected death) but luckily, the Salton Sea was on our way to Salvation Mountain, a must-see on my itinerary. 

Located in Niland, California, about an hour-and-a-half south of Palm Springs, Salvation Mountain  is a large-scale art installation by self-taught artist Leonard Knight. Salvation Mountain isn't a real mountain, but is constructed of hay bales covered in brightly painted stucco. It's fragile and sun-bleached and despite being Instagram-famous, it's definitely something that needs to be seen and experienced in person.

Knight arrived in Slab City in 1984, a neighboring community of off-the-grid nomads, and was compelled to create Salvation Mountain as an expression of his religious faith over the years from found materials. Knight didn't own the land, and built the mountain without permission from the state. He died in 2014 at the age of 82, and the site is currently maintained by a nonprofit group, although the land is still technically owned by the state. 

I'm not at all religious, but I do appreciate people with passion and creativity, and Leonard Knight clearly had both qualities in spades. There's something about the desert that seems to attract people with singular visions to just create, and although we saw a few other installations by similarly moved men, Salvation Mountain is the most ambitious (and impressive) of them all. 

Salvation Mountain's popularity has only grown exponentially since Knight's death, and in the last year-and-a-half the number of visitors to the site has doubled. The tour buses and crowds pose a threat to the already-fragile structure—one you're encouraged to climb on, within reason—and the extreme desert climate imposes additional maintenance issues. I definitely recommend visiting in the winter, when temperatures are in the '70s and please, please be respectful of the work, stay on the yellow brick road and for the love of Jesus if you must take a selfie, make it quick.

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Salvation Mountain
Beal Road,
Niland CA, 92257
Open 6:30am-7pm daily

Holiday Windows 2017: Tiffany

Next up on the 2017 Holiday Window Tour is my second favorite of the four I visited, Tiffany & Co. Usually the Tiffany windows don't really register with me—they're smaller and usually less elaborate than Bergdorfs, Bloomingdale's or Saks—but this year I loved them so much I went back for a repeat viewing. 

This year's theme for the Tiffany windows is "A Tiffany New York Christmas" which doesn't really tell you much, but the displays are intricate, whimsical and very shiny. They feature silver articulated artist mannequins—making jewelry, carrying stacks of the iconic blue Tiffany boxes and fishing for engagement rings.

Jewelry must be a hard thing to exhibit in a window display—it's small by nature, and would be dwarfed by full-sized mannequins. As a result, everything in the Tiffany windows is created in miniature and it's a nice contrast to the life-sized spectacle of its neighbor across the street, Bergdorfs.

I've always been fascinated with miniatures—as a kid I made a bunch of miniature furniture and props for a dollhouse I never had—and I love all of the tiny tools, hats, scarves and other accessories presumably made exclusively for these windows. My favorite, however, was the miniature color wheel (it actually turns!) and hopefully one day I'll have a full-sized one to go with the aluminum tree I also desperately need. 

This year, Tiffany introduced a groan-inducing line of "Everyday Objects" including this very unreasonably-priced $1,000 "tin" can. According to the listing, "Tiffany artisans transform utilitarian items into handcrafted works of art. Sterling silver and shining vermeil upgrade this classic tin can." Despite my lack of interest in jewelry and inability to afford anything inside of Tiffany, I do appreciate the way they incorporated their jewelry into sparkly, silver-plated, magical little worlds that I can enjoy for free.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

**I originally published this post in 2014, but I've updated some of the information since**

I refuse to make a Sophie's Choice and choose which of the Home Alone movies I like more (I only acknowledge the existence of the first two), but as far as sequels go, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, is pretty much perfect.

A few of the scenes were filmed in Chicago—the McCallister house, obviously, plus the interiors of the Plaza as well as the exteriors of Duncan's Toy Chest—and Rob McCallister's Upper West Side brownstone was actually a Hollywood set. But a majority of the movie was filmed on location in New York and a surprising amount of locations are still nearly the same today as they were 25 years ago—if you're willing to forgive the movie a bit on its geographical leaps, you too can spend a day Lost in New York.

LaGuardia Airport / Queens:

Kevin arrives in New York via LaGuardia, which is technically in Queens, so the view looking west toward Manhattan sort of makes sense, until you realize that it's actually the view from Long Island City. I wish the real view from LaGuardia was even half this nice.

Queensboro Bridge / Spans the East River btwn Queens and Manhattan at E 59th Street:

Kevin takes a taxi across the Queensboro Bridge, which again isn't terribly accurate. All of the cabs I've ever taken from LaGuardia take the Triborough Bridge, but the Queensboro is much more photogenic. I walked over it once, but I wish I could still ride over it hanging out of the window of an iconic Checkered Cab.

Radio City Music Hall / 6th Avenue btwn W 51st and 50th Streets:

Thankfully the classic Radio City neon signs haven't changed in the 22 years since Home Alone 2 was filmed. The huge Christmas tree is a nice addition, and it's the home of the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. Have you ever wondered what Kevin takes a photo of across from Radio City? I wonder what happened to the rest of the Polaroids he takes during the course of the movie?

Empire Diner / 10th Avenue btwn W 23rd and 22nd Streets:

The Empire Diner has closed and reopened several times since 1992, but thankfully it is open today. Unfortunately the large Empire State Building replica is no longer on top of the diner, and I've never seen a Santa walk by on stilts, but they do make a delicious french onion soup.

Battery Park / Southern tip of Manhattan:

I went all the way down to Battery Park, only to discover that they no longer have the viewers (binoculars? what are these thing called?) that Kevin looks through to see the Statue of Liberty. Of course you can still see the famous Lady, you just have to bring your own binoculars (or ride the Staten Island Ferry, or go to Liberty Island) to get a closer look.

World Trade Center / West Street btwn Vesey and Fulton Streets:

I couldn't visit the Twin Towers for obvious reasons, and every time I watch Kevin on the observation deck (eerily alone) it makes me sad and a little uncomfortable. The observation deck of 1WTC is open now, but it's pricey so I still haven't been. You can, however, still see the sculpture that once sat outside of the Twin Towers—it survived the collapse, but is quite damaged. The unrestored sculpture had a temporary home in Battery Park, but it was re-dedicated in August of 2017 and now sits at a permanent location in Liberty Park, near the 9/11 memorial.

West 57th Street and 6th Ave:

The Sticky Bandits exit the subway at W. 57th Street, which apparently served the B and Q lines back in '92, but is now only for the F. I don't know if this was changed for the movie, since the Q is a yellow line (not orange), but it's interesting to note that the sides of the station have since been painted green, while the handrails are no longer painted at all.

Gapstow Bridge / Southeast Central Park, at the Pond near E 62nd Street:

When Kevin first meets the Pigeon Lady, aka the most terrifying of all New York personalities, he very correctly exclaims "SICK!" He spots her near one of my favorite parts in the park, the Gapstow Bridge, which is also the spot that always makes me think of Holden Caulfield asking "where do the ducks go in the winter?" (answer: they stay right here).

The Plaza Hotel / 5th Avenue btwn W 59th and 58th Streets:

Although it is no longer just a hotel, the Plaza still might be "New York's most exciting hotel experience." I am dying to stay there, but until I happen upon a pile of money (or become a guest of the New Celebrity Ding-Dang-Dong), I'll have to settle for ogling its beautiful exterior, which recently underwent a restoration and is as gorgeous as ever.

Wollman Rink / Southeast Central Park, near the Pond:

I refuse to acknowledge that the worst President in history (who actually has a tiny cameo in the movie—an excellent time for a short bathroom/snack break) renamed the Wollman Rink in Central Park after himself, or that he slapped that name on everything from the edges of the rink to the Zamboni machines, but if you go today, that's what you'll get. This is where Marv and Harry hatch their plan to rob Duncan's, and where Marv inexplicably steals gloves, hats and mittens from multiple skaters without anyone noticing.

Bethesda Terrace + Fountain / Central Central Park near 72nd Street and Terrace Drive:

Bethesda Fountain is my favorite fountain in the entire city, especially in the snow. While it's not very plausible that Kevin was chased all the way here from the Plaza, it's a beautiful filming location. I also think it's odd that there are horse carriages on the terrace—I don't think this was ever allowed, but I'd take horses over hordes of clueless tourists any day. Speaking of horses, there was some talk of them being banned, but as of now you can still catch one on Central Park South.

51 West 95th Street / Btwn Central Park West and Columbus Avenue:

Although I knew that Rob McCallister's under-construction brownstone was actually a set, I still wanted to see what was at that address. To my delight, I found a real brownstone, albeit one that doesn't look anything like the one in the movie. How fun would it be to have that as your real address?

West 96th Street and Central Park West:

When Kevin runs into the park and catches the scariest cab ever, he does so at 96th Street. One of the most interesting things about watching Home Alone 2 now, is that you almost forget that New York was a completely different place 25 years ago. I've frequented this part of the park and it's nowhere near as terrifying today (at least during the day).

Carnegie Hall / 7th Avenue at W 57th Street:

I've been inside of Carnegie Hall once, but I'll always wish that I could listen to a concert like Kevin and the Pigeon Lady, from high up in the attic. Some people write that the P.L. actually lives at Carnegie Hall, but I just got the impression that she breaks in from time to time to listen to some of the greatest music in the world, because why not?

St. Anne's Hospital for Children / Broadway at W 120th Street:

Columbia University's Teacher's College (at Broadway and West 120th Street) stands in for St. Anne's, and is an incredibly beautiful building. I got there after the sun had already gone down, but so did Kevin so I guess I timed my tour perfectly (I could have used some of that nice movie lighting though). Even though I know it's not really a children's hospital, I do wish they still put a star at the top of the massive entrance, or at least had trees flanking the doorway.

Inscope Arch / Southeast Central Park near E 62nd Street:

The second time Kevin sees the Pigeon Lady, she is by another Central Park arch, which in reality is right next to the Gapstow Bridge. It's unlikely that he would have ran all the way here after fleeing the cab on 96th street or that he would have led Harry and Marv here in the end, but it is a lovely spot—in the daylight at least. The city may have become a lot safer in recent years, but when Marv says "kids are a-scared of the dark," and "kids are a-scared of the park," I can't help but thinking that maybe so am I.

Rockefeller Center / Btwn 5th and 6th Avenues and W 51st and 49th Streets:

No Christmas movie set in New York would be complete without a trip to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Of course the first thing I always notice about this scene is that Kevin and his mom are completely alone. Yes, I'm sure the city was slightly less crowded back then, but I still find this hard to believe (and I'm totally envious). I do appreciate that the trumpeting angels do not appear to have changed at all, although I do like the lighting of the tree better in the movie than what it is today. I definitely understand Kevin's affinity for Christmas trees—and desire to spend Christmas in a non-tropical climate.

This city is completely magical during the holidays and my only wish would be for the ability to experience all of it without the soul-crushing crowds. I would take a milky-eyed cab driver or Central Park West hooker any day over a slow-moving crowd of peace-sign-throwing, selfie-taking tourists.

Haines Falls Cemetery

Back at the end of September, David and I went camping around the North/South Lake in the Catskills. On the road leading to the campground, I spotted an old church and graveyard and I made sure to bring it up the next day as we were leaving. David knows me well enough by now to know when I begin a sentence with "If we have time..." that I have a stop in mind, and although I usually make empty promises to be quick, this really was a quick stop (at least I thought it was).

The Haines Falls Cemetery is located behind the Kaaterskill United Methodist Church on North Lake Road in Haines Falls, NY. A plaque dedicated by the Haines Family Association mentions five ancestors and their families who "explored, settled and helped develop the mountaintop area beginning in the 1700s. They were a hardy breed: farmers, foresters, tanners, hunters, trappers and homemakers who helped tame this beautiful, but wild land."

I could tell from the road that the graveyard was old and it's small (I found online records for 28 graves) but has some really lovely stones. I love stones covered in lichen and moss, and fallen leaves always help to make any burial ground just a little bit spookier.

At first I didn't see anything too memorable in this cemetery, but then I saw this monument, erected "In memory of those who lost their lives in Twilight Inn Fire, July 14, 1925" and I knew I had to know more about this tragedy. From a NY Times article published on the day of the fire, it's stated that 12 people were confirmed dead and eight were still missing. Eleven of those bodies were charred so badly that identification was impossible. The fire began in the middle of the night, in the servants' wing of the hotel, possibly due to a lighted cigarette. There were so many casualties, it's suspected, because guests scrambled to take their belongings with them as they escaped.

Oh, and this cemetery also had a stone that just simply says "Allie." My full name is Alexandra, but I've been called Allie as long as I can remember, and I've never seen a headstone that hit so close to home. No last name, no birth or death dates, no epitaph, just my name. I don't intend to be buried, or ever have a headstone—and if I did it would hopefully at least have a few skulls on it— but I think it's obvious why I felt the pull of this little cemetery as soon as I saw it.