Dining at Madison on Park

One of my favorite things about living in San Diego are the historic neighborhoods spread throughout the city, each with their own character. My very favorite is University Heights, which is where I lived for a few years when I moved back to San Diego in 1999. Completely walkable, it is filled with some of my favorite restaurants, watering holes, and unique shops. A few years back, the restaurant Madison on Park opened, and it quickly became the “go-to” spot for me to take people to when I wanted to provide a memorable dining experience.



Clean and simple in design, it has a unique indoor/outdoor vibe all at once. A barrel-shaped ceiling is overhead with openings on either side that let the fresh air in.



Speaking of fresh, no plastic faux flower arrangements here.



The drinks are magnificent, with the Motor Bike being one of my faves. Yes, it tastes as good as it looks.



The Portabella Fries, served with avocado cilantro aioli and chipotle pepper sauce are a new favorite. If this is what vegan eating is about, sign me up!



I often get the Pork Chop here (out of this world!), but this time I tried the flank steak, and it too was delish.



See more University Heights photos at my main website.

Way-Back Wednesday: The Farmer's Daughter

Located across the street from the LA Farmer’s Market and CBS Studios, The Farmer’s Daughter Motel opened in the 1960s. This October 1963 image shows it before it became a “no-tell motel” in the 1970s. Looks like there’s a vacancy folks!



Today, it is the Farmer’s Daughter HOTEL, and has been completely remodeled into a hip (yet still very retro) place that weary travelers can rest their heads.



See more Farmer’s Daughter photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Fred Astaire is Melting

In this publicity still for Shirley’s 1936 film “Stowaway,” she is shown between takes of the “You Gotta S-M-I-L-E To Be H-A-P-P-Y” number where she dances with a dummy that is supposed to represent Fred Astaire. It wasn’t until I acquired this photo that I realized just how primitive and creepy the dummy’s face was. No wonder Shirley appears to be pulling her own face away!



Wondering if this was just a test dummy, I decided to look at my other still from this number and dang if it wasn’t the same dummy, looking as if his face had come straight out of a creepy horror movie.



“Freddy, your face is melting!”



The prop man who put this together obviously did not bother making it look much like the real Fred Astaire!



See more Shirley photos at my main website.

Mickey For Monday

This trio of lovely ladies is being charmed by Mickey Mouse in Town Square, circa January 1965. This particular style of Mickey was seen in the Park from 1962 until about 1969.

In February 1962, Mickey still had the melting face look:



By July of 1962, he looked a lot less scary:



This previously posted shot is from December 1967:



By the time September 1969 image was captured, he had transitioned to a regular bow tie:



See more Disneyland Character photos at my main website.

The Mickey Clock, 1970

Here’s a new one for me; I had never seen this clock face for the Sleeping Beauty Castle heralding in the new year, which happened to be 1970 in this image.



Only eleven months later I’d be making my very first trip to Disneyland!

See more Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle photos at my main website.

Loading up the Pack Mules

Let's enter our time machine and travel back to January 16, 1965, when Disneyland guests could ride a REAL mule in Frontierland and get a taste of the old west. Yup...something uncontrolled at the Park that would make the legal department go NUTS!!! The little mining town of Rainbow Ridge can be seen in the background.



Here’s a previously posted ground-level view of the loading area:



See more Disneyland Pack Mule photos at my main website.

A Kop on Main Street

I really do miss the Keystone Kops; well...not sure if miss is the right word since I never really experienced them at Disneyland as an adult, but I do think they belong back on Main Street, U.S.A. They were a vibrant part of the Park, and at times they even played music. It appears that in this July 21, 1965 photo that the Kop is explaining the ticket book to a guest.



And for those who want a closer look at the ornament on the hat…



See more Disneyland Main Street photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley does the Charleston

This charming photo of Shirley is from the summer of 1948 and shows her doing a Charleston step. From the publicity blurb:

Even in the early 1900's the girls were not quite so prim and proper as we imagine, but just about the same as they are today as is proven by Shirley Temple as she runs out of the house to meet her date in RKO Radio’s period comedy romance, “Baltimore Escapade,” in which she co-stars with Robert Young and John Agar.



Released April 19, 1949, the movie was retitled “Adventure in Baltimore.” The opening of the movie features a montage of Shirley portraying a young girl from 1948:



A Modern American Schoolgirl from 1925 who gets busted by the Principal for doing the Charleston:







Then we travel with Shirley back to 1913, where she was dancing in this post’s first image:



And finally 1905, the setting of the movie, where we see Shirley painting a china cup:



Barbara Bel Geddes was originally to star in the film, but her complaints about appearing in another period piece (her previous film was “I Remember Mama”) caused her to be replaced by Shirley. John Agar, Shirley‘s first husband, replaced Melvyn Douglas as the love interest. Lucky Barbara and Melvyn; the film ended up losing $785,000 at the box office. Don’t let that deter you from seeing it; Shirley is wonderful in this cute low-budget “Meet Me In St. Louis” style film, especially when she is dancing with wild abandon outside the Principal’s office or when she is reunited with Robert Young, her former costar from 1936’s “Stowaway.”

See more Shirley photos at my main website.

Palm Springs Adaptive Reuse

I am always leery when well-meaning groups attempt to resurrect historic theaters, restaurants, etc. There was a reason they failed in the first place; why not save the building AND use some creative thinking to figure out a more feasible purpose for it that will succeed?



Designed by mid-century modern architect E. Stewart Williams, the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center (wow, that's a mouth full) is such a building.

This 1960 classic mid-century international style structure began its life as the Santa Fe Federal Savings & Loan until it became a Design Center Museum in 2014. Recently it was designated as a protected Class I Historic Site. The current exhibit is Hugh Kaptur: Organic Desert Architecture.



Consisting of vintage architectural plans and models, it was love at first site for me!







Elements of the original Savings & Loan have been retained, adding dimension to the story of the museum.









More Palm Springs adaptive reuse stories to come! See more Palm Springs photos at my main website.

Flag Day at Disneyland

What better way to celebrate Flag Day than with these vintage images of the daily ceremony held at Disneyland's Town Square? This first photo is from 1958. Note how reverent guests are as the two flags are lowered.



This next quartet of sequential images are from April 1960. The Disneyland Band, led by Vesey Walker, heads towards their Town Square destination.



The band assembles around the flag for a few patriotic tunes:



The flags being lowered:



After folding them into triangles, Disneyland Security stores them away until the next day.



See more Disneyland Flag Lowering photos at my main website.