While still a teen, Edward James Olmos -- yes the actor -- once fronted a rock/psychedlia band. They were called Eddie James and the Pacific Ocean (cuz nothing's bigger than the Pacific Ocean!) & played the Sunset Strip, including Gazzarri's, in the 1960s. We need a reunion show!

At the Vista's screening of PTO's new movie (I enjoyed it), they're handing out business cards for moviegoers to "check off" seeing the film in 6 different formats. I propose these formats for when it hits the home market: -Beta -VHS -LaserDisc -DVD -BluRay -Streaming

MTA's proposal of a monorail over the 405? Been there, done that. After Disneyland opened its monorail in 1959, Alweg & other firms drafted monorails for freeways, like the 101 thru DTLA. But as new modes, there were concerns parts would be hard to come by if there were problems.

On the Sunset Strip, in the former House of Blues site (now a commercial bldg.), Roy's restaurant was a record exec & musician hangout from 1976-1982. Similar to steakhouses with lockers for your wine bottles, Roy's had private rooms to keep one's cocaine stash for "dessert."

UNREMARKABLE POSTCARD SERIES, No. 93. Compton, Calif. 1953. Compton Blvd., looking east from Willowbrook.

Decades before Disneyland trotted out its beloved Electrical Parade, the LA Coliseum hosted a stunning Motion Picture Electrical Parade with 20 lit-up floats. Produced by the studios, it showcased advances in technology & Hollywood's input in the recently completed 1932 Olympics.

Before it became Bossa Nova restaurant, the A-frame-facade building at 7181 Sunset Blvd. was a Famous Amos Cookies outlet, opened by Wally Amos in 1975. His son Shawn went to my school & we did a field trip, trying his new cookies before they went global! The store closed in '88.

For their first time, the Dodgers will hit 4 million in home attendance for 2025 today. Not technically true, though. In 1982, 3,608,881 fans went thru the turnstyles. But if one included no-shows, it was 4,000,000. Only in 1992 did the NL start going by "total tickets SOLD."

One thing I've always loved... the "Snoopy bridge"! In 1971 Charles M. Schulz donated 12 panels of Peanuts drawings to adorn the ped crossing over Wilbur Ave. near Tarzana Elementary School, where he had a connection. Tarnished over the years, the community restored them in 2024.

When Walt Disney died in December 1966, this was printed on the front pages of newspapers the next day.

My next book event...

Dear young'uns... in the wake of the 1st Earth Day, we oldtimers from the '70s used to have "paper drives." The whole fam would save & lug old newspapers to the school parking lot. The school raised funds by selling the papers to mills. Personal recycling bins ended the drives.

After including the Santa Monica Pier on a post yesterday, Robert Redford's passing reminds me of that time he took a break from "The Sting" shoot at the pier in 1973 to push for its preservation when Santa Monica was thinking of tearing it down. (h/t Forgotten Los Angeles.)

How car-centric was LA during its frenzy of freeway building? In 1961, a proposal to alleviate traffic on PCH was a 6.5-mile causeway spanning over Santa Monica Bay from SM to Malibu, anchored by artificial islands mined from Palisades' hills. Gov. Pat Brown vetoed it in 1965.

Imagine dropping by the Van Nuys Teen Center in 1975 & seeing a local band of upstarts named Van Halen rocking out in their spandex. The group just started playing on the Strip but blanketed non-concert venues for years, building a devoted following before their '78 album debut.

For weekend warriors looking for a fun 10,000-steps walk for this pleasant weekend, may I suggest El Segundo, a favorite jaunt from my "10,000 Steps a Day in LA" book. A mostly flat loop taking in the beach, downtown, 1920s & mid-century landmarks, and some good eats!

At Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, its display case includes a David Lynch Big Boy. Created by Todd Rogers & titled “Burbank, 2:30 PM (Thinking of Blue Velvet)," it's an ode to the director's many years at Bob's hashing out ideas, fueled by his two faves: coffee & chocolate milkshakes!

Ah, 1967 and the Summer of Love. No, brothers and sisters, this is not Haight Ashbury. It was Griffith Park on Easter 1967, the first of several Love-Ins where young folks gathered near the merry-go-round to promote the counter-culture movement in their own expressive ways.

The first Trackless Trolley in the United States was built in 1912, rumbling up Laurel Cyn. from Sunset Blvd. Built by Charles Mann to promote his bungalows and an inn, the free-standing, overhead wire-driven cars were scrapped in 1918 after the unpaved road kept washing out.

The Oriental Theatre (originally the Granada) opened at 7425 Sunset in Hollywood in 1921. During Van Halen's heyday, Eddie Van Halen posed by the marquee in 1982 ("Conan the Barbarian" was playing). Coincidence or not, Guitar Center took over the cinema site a couple years later.

I was telling someone the other day there was a time when we could cut out vinyl records from the back of a cereal box and they didn't believe me. I reminded them "It was the '70s" and then they understood. The Monkees and Jackson5 (Alpha-Bits) were 2 of the bigger singles.

In 1948 Robert Mitchum was busted for smoking marijuana (a then-felony) at a house off Laurel Cyn that the LAPD called a "reefer resort." He served 50 days in lockup. "My career is in ruins," he lamented. Hardly... folks loved him even more & his conviction was later overturned.

The Los Feliz 3 (originally 1 auditorium) opened in 1934 & still thrives. But just as impressive to this Dork is that the theatre has retained the same phone number for at least 75 years. (In this 1960 ad, "N" & "O" represent "6" & "6," short for the Exchange name "NOrmandie.")

CSUN's orange grove includes a 270-foot meandering stream and pond modeled after native wetlands. Can you tell it's turtle-breeding season?

UNREMARKABLE POSTCARD SERIES, No. 91. La Habra, Calif. ~ Early 1960s.

In 1992, Caltrans approved art sculptures designed by Lars Hawke at the Sherman Way exit off the 170 Freeway. Poorly maintained, it was mowed down by an errant motorist in 2023. (I could write a whole chapter on the number of public statues damaged by cars in LA history BTW.)

Can we just talk about how amazing it is that there's a mama black bear raising her cubs in Topanga Canyon, the 1st time in generations in the Santa Monica Mountains? The opening of the Wildlife Crossing over the 101 should lead to more ursine incursions from the Santa Susanas.

Ever wondered about the ruins of a building on the east side of PCH by California Incline? It was a series of beach clubs, including the Sorrento Beach Club in this 1936 photo. The structure was demo'd in the early '60s. The backside was left as a retaining wall against erosion.

During the 1984 Olympics, freeway off-ramp signs were mounted with pastel-colored placards for Olympic events, like this one on the 405-North for "Tennis/Gymnastics." (h/t Freeways of LA) Doubt we'll see this for the "carless" 2028 Games. But note the lack of traffic during 1984's!

For all you old Busch Gardens lovers, or if you've ever wanted to know about the "Bridge to Nowhere" behind the Anheuser-Busch plant -- I wrote about it back in the day for HuffPo... the bridge led to the log ride and bird sanctuary & is still standing... www.huffpost.com/entry/the-va...

Besides Knott's log ride, the log ride at Busch Gardens in Van Nuys (RIP, 1979) was the bomb. Not only did it go thru an enclosed bird sanctuary with roving parrots (background), but you rode in a freakin' mock beer keg. Sadly, the attraction lasted only six short years.

When the Sylmar Earthquake rocked LA on February 8, 1971, it damaged the Olive View Hospital so badly, it had to be bulldozed. When the hospital's electric wall clocks were gathered, all of them (give or take) reflected the moment the quake struck: 6:01 a.m. and 42 sec.

Looks like Valley Plaza in North Hollywood is finally going to be torn down. In its 1960s-mid-1980s heyday, it shone as an outdoor suburban mall. Its tower was the tallest in Valley upon opening. UA Theatres started showing 2nd-run films in the 1990s, heralding its death spiral.

1923 aerial of the Hollywoodland sign shows the reach of Harry Chandler. The LA Times owner/speculator was a co-principal of the Hollywoodland development, came up with the idea for the sign, and headed up the syndicate that bought up much the Valley, seen here behind the sign.

Has there ever been a nuttier Freeway Series like these last 3 games? FYI the first Dodgers-Angels match-up was an exhibition game in 1962 at the Halos' field in Palm Springs (the Angels won, 6-5). The 1st regular-season Freeway Series was in 1997 (start of interleague play).

Sambo's was the IHOP of 1970s, its name an amalgam of founders Sam and "Bo." They also adorned the diners with all things Sambo, the Indian/dark-skinned boy of kids' stories. Didn't age well. Name-change to Sammy's was a bust, and the last Sambo closed in Santa Barbara in 2020.

Next time you hike Topanga State Park, thank Mary Pickford. In 1930 America's Sweeheart legally fought to stop Alphonzo Bell (Bel-Air mogul) from building a huge quarry near Santa Ynez Falls that would've led to more cement plants & industrial exemptions, preserving 11,000 acres.

UNREMARKABLE POSTCARD SERIES, No. 90. Pasadena, Calif. 1965. Colorado Blvd., looking west.

Two things you could ALWAYS count on along Sunset and Hollywood boulevards in 1970s/early '80s Hollywood... Streetwalkers, and folks like this kid... (pic is 1976, same year as young Tatum O'Neal hawking Star Maps in the Bad News Bears!)

I'm a sucker for shady creekside dining, so imagine my joy in stumbling upon Pedalers Fork, a rustic hideway in Old Town Calabasas that overlooks Calabasas Creek. Love their whole set-up, which includes a bike repair shop and great locally sourced food.

Revisiting the old Victory Drive-In at 13037 Victory. From the air... then and now. A good rule of thumb is, if you see a massive, unorthodox-shaped parking lot like the one on the right, there's a good chance it sits in the footprint of an old Drive-In Theater.

During Jimmy Carter's Habitat for Humanity days, the group installed 30 solar-powered systems for 1st-time homebuyers in South LA & San Pedro. Carter's love for solar energy was evident in 1979, when solar panels were installed on the White House. Reagan removed them in 1986.

If you love craggy rocks (with E-Z access), head to Garden of the Gods, a hidden gem in Chatsworth right off the 118 Fwy. The weird formations have appeared in tons of movies, including the "Man from Colorado" (1948) in which the "Tower" and "Sphinx" formations are well-featured.

Glorious image of snow & the Victory Drive-In (1949-1977) at 13037 Victory. I saw one movie there: "American Graffiti." "The Enforcer" was one of the final films to play before closing. Now a CVS shopping center, but hey, the steel rails (left) above Tujunga Wash are still there!

Here's a 10,000-step walk from my "10,000 Steps a Day in LA" book thru the less-skanky, more hilly part of Hollywood, taking in Hollywood Heights, Whitley Heights, Magic Castle, Yamashiro, the Bowl, the Barn and other historic places. E-Z Metro access at Hollywood & Highland.

When KFC went public on the NYSE in 1969, it made two high-profile brand expansions -- a Colonel's hotel chain, and Kentucky Roast Beef (a rival to Arby's), which spread throughout SoCal. Both ventures flopped. Maybe the Colonel should've shilled Chicken Fried Steak.

In the 1950s, then-actor Ronald Reagan was a spokesman for General Electric and living at 1669 N. San Onofre Dr. in Pacific Palisades. For extra publicity, GE outfitted the house with their latest applicances. The Reagans moved out in 1982. The "GE House" sold for $22M in 2017.

The backdrop of every family beach trip to Ocean Park/Santa Monica in the early '70s: The slummy remnants of old Pacific Ocean Park, slowly deteriorating and arson-ridden. I witnessed its last big fire in July '74 during a camp outing. The POP pier was razed by the mid-'70s.

RIP Bill from Bill's Burgers, at 98 years old. This man was a legend, flipping burgers for decades at his joint off Van Nuys well into his 90s while practicing the credo of "do one thing and do it right." www.yelp.com/biz/bills-ha...

Came across this gas station driving thru Taft, California. (Bakersfield also has one.) Strange as the name is, it's a lot better than their second choice, which was Fart Contest.