Thankful Me

  The Famous Rocks at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area jut up toward the blue sky I'm living in southern California this year, and decided to use my exploration of the area as my focus for the #AtoZChallenge. I'm concentrating on free to see places, though I will include locations that require a parking fee. This is the twenty-second post in the series.  Even if you have never visited Vasquez Rocks, you've probably seen them on the big (or small) screen. Wikipedia has an article that lists nearly 300 movies and TV shows that have filmed at that location. Whether your interest lies in the entertainment industry, history--the place gets its name from the Robin Hood-esqe Mexican bandito from the 1800's, Tiburcio Vasquez--or nature, Vasquez Rocks has something for you. Vasquez Rocks Natural Area is free to enter, and parking is also free. I recommend stopping at the visitor's center, not only to pick up maps and information about the different trails, but also to view some o

  The exterior of Union Station in Los Angeles, with tall arched openings for doors and windows I'm living in southern California this year, and decided to use my exploration of the area as my focus for the #AtoZChallenge. I'm concentrating on free to see places, though I will include locations that require a parking fee. This is the twenty-first post in the series. I decided I wanted to take public transportation when I went to visit Olvera Street, because I wanted to be sure to visit the historic Union Station. It is billed as "the largest railroad passenger terminal in the Western United States." When I stepped inside, I felt like I was transported back in time.  The arched walkways and beautifully tiled floors add a sense of opulence.  The painted ceilings and the large round light fixtures in the cavernous waiting area draw the eye upward The Art Deco style clock keeps passengers informed of the time The large leather chairs in the waiting area look like they sho

  A black locomotive appears to be smiling at the Travel Town Museum I'm living in southern California this year, and decided to use my exploration of the area as my focus for the #AtoZChallenge. I'm concentrating on free to see places, though I will include locations that require a parking fee. This is the twentieth post in the series. Travel Town Museum in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California, is a must-visit for any little ones who are fascinated by trains. On the weekday I visited, most guests had children with them, but I was not the only adult unaccompanied by minors, so if trains are your thing (and even if they aren't), Travel Town makes for an interesting stop. Parking and admission are free. Some of the trains are out in the open, and a couple are even available to reserve for private parties. Most of the trains are in a train shed, though, protected from the elements. One of the locomotives at Travel Town Museum A couple of rows of trains in the train shed Lo

  A plaque titled "St. Francis Dam Disaster Site" tells the history of the dam failure  I'm living in southern California this year, and decided to use my exploration of the area as my focus for the #AtoZChallenge. I'm concentrating on free to see places, though I will include locations that require a parking fee. This is the nineteenth post in the series.  Until recently, I had never heard about the St. Francis Dam nor its history. I had heard of William Mulholland--he's the man who is recognized as the one who brought water to Los Angeles via the aqueduct system--but I didn't realize that the St. Francis Dam disaster effectively ended his career. The dam was completed in 1926, only to fail in 1928 hours after Mulholland himself had inspected it. When the dam collapsed, the subsequent flood killed over 400 people, making it one of the worst disasters in California history.  Rubble from the dam can still be seen, though locating it was a bit tricky. The plaque

  Sign at the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville, California states it is a Route 66 Roadside Attraction I'm living in southern California this year, and decided to use my exploration of the area as my focus for the #AtoZChallenge. I'm concentrating on free to see places, though I will include locations that require a parking fee. This is the eighteenth post in the series.  I drove to Victorville, California for the express purpose of checking out the California Route 66 Museum. I had a brief moment of panic when I checked Apple Maps navigation, as it listed the museum closed for the day, but a quick phone call assured me that the museum was indeed open. (And I was able to submit an edit to the app, which has since updated the business hours.) Anyway, word to the wise: always check with the location you are attempting to visit to verify that it is open.  The museum and parking are free, and the staff is friendly and welcoming. Route 66 came into being in 1926, when the U

A blue and white "JEOPARDY!"  sign on a tan building, with a sign labeled, "The Alex Trebek Stage" to the left of the doors I'm living in southern California this year, and decided to use my exploration of the area as my focus for the #AtoZChallenge. I'm concentrating on free to see places, though I will include locations that require a parking fee. This is the seventeenth post in the series.  I didn't decide to participate in the A to Z Challenge until mid-to-late March, so I was pleasantly surprised that free tickets to Jeopardy! were still available for April tapings. If you want to be in the studio audience, this is the link I used for tickets. I invited a friend to join me just days before the taping, and she was able to get a ticket, too. We drove down to Culver City together and then it was "hurry up and wait" until the time for the recording. First we sat on benches in the parking garage. Benches in the garage, with banners advertising