HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2024 in Review

The new year brings opportunity to reflect on the previous twelve months, which can provide a future forum for growth and positive change. 2024 was a good year that I would say was fairly consistent, without too many peaks and valleys (yes, Melissa - I used the proper form of “peak”). I have still focused on keeping things local, as I recover from the whirlwind life of travel I lived pre-pandemic. Once the shut-downs hit, I realized I didn’t have much of a life here locally. I am happy to say that those roots have begun to flourish (albeit with a bit of healthy pruning along the way).

Anybody who wanted to find me this year would have a fairly high success rate if they checked Il Posto Ristorante in South Park. My definite go-to Italian place in San Diego, it earns high marks on food, service, and atmosphere.



My brain is cluttered with projects; some stay stuck in the gray matter while others are perpetually in the wings, waiting for completion. This year, I finally got around to shooting some local landmarks that I admired as I either ran or drove by multiple times, but never had camera in-hand. A number of buildings in City Heights and North Park provided a theme of 1920s Egyptian Revival Architecture, perfect for a blog post.



On the to-do list still: go back when the neon is LIT!



My niece and her fiancé paid a visit to San Diego in the Spring, with a whirlwind tour that included a trip to Lemon Grove (where my family began their Southern California journey)…



and of course Jeni’s, which remains a Daveland favorite since my first visit to one in Atlanta in October 2023.



Photo shoots continued to keep me busy, including a wedding shoot at the US Grant Hotel downtown:



Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) made her annual trip to California in May to coincide with my (ahem) 60th birthday. More Egyptian fun, as we toured the Museum of Man Us in Balboa Park before heading up to the Chateau for my momentous celebration.



Once at the Chateau, Willis found the sun and caught a few winks. He is the best little buddy a guy could wish for. To say dogs are man’s best friend would be an understatement in this case.



Waiting outside the Chateau for our Lyft before the birthday dinner. No, that’s not a cane…it’s Willis pulling on his leash!



The birthday dinner was at Dan Tana’s, my go-to Italian place when in Hollywood. Mona and I skipped the duck lips on this particular shot.



Willis sampled some pasta, but no spumoni ice cream for him.



This year also marked my first trip to the Hollywood Heritage Museum (a great experience)…



which I reached via Amtrak and Los Angeles Union Station (not such a great experience).



One of many early morning trips with Marlene to the Beginner's Diner at the Lafayette Hotel in North Park (if I’m not at Il Posto, I’m probably here):

I don’t know about the worm, but the early bird definitely got some great photos of Lou Lou’s at the Lafayette sans patrons, thanks to our crack of dawn visit.



Willis and I journeyed back to the Chateau for some R&R…



and bacon (you can see the hunger in his eyes):



A sunset hike up Runyon Canyon was just what was needed:



Always looking to check off bucket-list photo items, I stopped by the site of the former Ambassador Hotel on the way back to SD to capture some of this LA Landmark’s remnants.



The San Diego Pride 5K run gave me my best time ever: 26:08.



Thanks to Ken of Stack’s Liberty Ranch, I learned about the remnants of the trail to Gold Gulch in Balboa Park:



The former Gold Gulch from the 1935 Exposition, which is now a parking lot. Cue Joni Mitchell, please.



October brought a photo shoot for the high school homecoming dance of Marlene’s son. Look at those proud moms!



The bucket list shrunk again when I got to visit Walt Disney’s former home in Los Feliz:



Rudford’s Restaurant in North Park joined the rotation list of Daveland favorite places to eat in San Diego.



My time for the Turkey Trot 5K was not so good. Still, it was a great way to start off Thanksgiving morning before getting the meal prepared for my friends.



The Christmas season started off with a blast, as I attended my friend Jeff’s Deep Fried Christmas Party in LA.



Glad I had on the appropriate colored socks for the occasion!



For Christmas, Willis and I treated ourselves to more R&R at our very favorite spot, the Chateau Marmont. Yes, he is ready for breakfast. Something about this place just really helps reset me from the stresses of daily life. If only I could afford to live there!



Top blog posts of the year were:

1. Temple Tuesday: The Brady Bunch Connection

2. Marmont Monday: Dominick Dunne and Room 38

3. Christmas at the Lafayette

4. Tomorrowland On The Move

For 2023, my resolution buzz word was “balance.” For 2024, it was “boundaries.” While running the other day, I struggled to find another “b” word to keep the tradition going: “benefit” was the final choice. I like it because the focus needs to be on the benefit going both ways - both parties need to gain a benefit. One-sidedness rarely yields a healthy or sustainable relationship. I still need more upkeep on the other “b’s,” but just like my bucket list, they will always be works of progress.

Here’s to a fantastic 2025 - it will be what you choose to make of it. If things seem dark, do your best to find a way to shift your perspective/viewpoint. Sometimes that little shift is all it takes.

A thousand thanks to all who stop by, read my posts, and especially to those who take the time to comment. See more Daveland photos at my main website.

Happy Mother's Day!

It's hard to believe that Mothers only get one day of celebration per year, but at least today I can celebrate the tireless efforts of the ones in my family. My Great Grandmother passed away when I was only four; I have very foggy memories of her, but know that many of the traditions in my family were passed down from her. It seems only fitting that the first shot of today's post shows her toiling away in her kitchen, preparing a family feast.

This image from 1939 shows her daughter (my Grandmother) posing with her husband and two children; the little girl in front would become my Mother 25 years in the future.



This 1958 color photo shows my mom holding her first-born, aka my oldest brother. Little did she know at this point that she would end up with 3 boys.



For Mother's Day, 1966, 3 generations of Mothers were together a few months before my family moved to the East Coast. It was probably one of the last photographs of all three taken before my Great Grandmother passed away. I am in the high chair, feeding my face; some things never change. On the right in the front chair is my Grandmother's housekeeper who became a close family friend.



Last one today shows one of my favorite photos of my Mom, who is naturally preparing food for yet another family feast (sharp eyes will see the homemade Christmas fruitcake on the counter!). One day is just not enough to express all of the gratitude for how hard my Mom worked to raise all three of us to be the best that we could be. Many thanks to my Mom and all of the other Mothers out there who deserve to be thanked each and every day!



See more vintage Richard Nixon photos on my main website.

Main Street, U.S.A.: A Mirror of America

I love Main Street, U.S.A.; not just the one at Disneyland, but the historic Main Streets that have survived and continue to thrive across our nation. These streets were once the heart of every community, functioning as the center of commerce, entertainment, and social interaction.



Big cities let "squares" or "circles" serve the same function as a Main Street by providing a central meeting space for the community...just on a larger scale.



By the 1970's, Main Streets everywhere were in trouble. Architecture that many now deem historic was viewed as old and antiquated. Façades were covered over in an attempt to make businesses look more modern. Some Main Streets were ruined when freeways were built nearby, diverting people away from these quaint little towns that had once thrived.



Shopping was siphoned off to super malls that promised the purchasing experience of a lifetime, with large brand-name chains that easily squashed the local merchants.



And then a miracle happened. As the saying goes, everything old is new again. People got tired of the generic mall experience. They longed for the intimacy and unique nature of a real Main Street. Historical Preservation Organizations were formed, hideous façades were removed, and vintage exteriors were restored to their former glory.



And they lived happily ever after? Well, not quite. Things change for a reason. Something about Main Street stopped resonating with the public which is why they failed in the first place.



While Main Streets have been restored all over America and now resemble what they looked like when they were first built, they have had to adapt with the times in order to avoid becoming ghost towns again.



The days of the local grocery/mercantile concept are gone. Social hubs of the community are now served by the local coffee house, which brings a vibrancy to Main Street that was once served by the General Store.



Today's Main Streets still have intimate restaurants that use the name "Cafe," but instead of serving basic All-American fare, they use farm-to-table ingredients and put new spins on old classic dishes. This is what they have to do to make themselves unique, giving locals and tourists a reason to eat there...again...and again.



Movie houses were integral to every community, but the smaller (yet more architecturally interesting) buildings that once entertained small communities could never compete with today's multiplexes. Adaptive re-use allows these former movie houses to breathe once again as venues for musical acts and live theater.



Main Streets have also seen a change in the way they do business. Local Mom-And-Pop-style stores co-exist next to the larger chains, allowing each to be successful.



It's important to look at what was right and what was wrong about something in order to make a good decision about rebuilding it. Attempting to keep something the same for posterity is not necessarily a recipe for success.



Come back tomorrow as I examine Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A.



See more vintage & current Disneyland Main Street, U.S.A. photos on my Main Street web pages.