Palos Verdes Bowl

24600 Crenshaw Blvd. Torrance, California 90505

The Palos Verdes Bowl is the best looking bowling alley in the South Bay area, and has been around since 1958. It showcases classic Googie architecture, a really neat sign, and forty lanes of bowling fun.


The cool sign I mentioned. It has seen better days, but a little restoration would make it come back to life quite easily. Unfortunately, just behind the sign is another sign that advertises the property as "Available". With all the redevelopment in the area, I would not be surprised to see the bowling alley close and replaced with another shopping center. I would be sad, but not surprised.


A side view showing off some of the great fifties design elements.


A closer look of the same area.


On the south side of the building is "Big" Daddy's pro shop. Here you can buy all the bowling supplies you'll ever need.


A nice little sign of the pro shop.


A reverse view of the south side entrance.


A close up of the large sign. The karaoke night is pretty fun, but I never had the courage to get up there and sing. But watching other people act ridiculous is hilarious.

Visit the Palos Verdes Bowl's website here.

View more photographs of PV Bowl here.

Tags: Architecture Googie Signage Palos Verdes Bowl

Cabazon Dinosaurs- Part Three

Mr. Rex stands tall and menacing behind Dinny the dinosaur. Although he has a pretty significant belly, which may prevent him from chasing after your cars (or perhaps he has someone's car inside it), he still looks pretty awesome. On the day I visited, it was fairly cold and windy, which adds to the mood of the giant dinosaurs.


I mentioned in a previous post that these photographs were taken during a very uncertain time in the history of the attraction, and this picture shows just how easily another buyer could have purchased it and destroyed this piece of history. Thank goodness that they appear to be safe for the foreseeable future.


One last view of Mr. Rex to show his stature. instead of a car, inside the dinosaur is a museum which houses paintings of dinosaurs, and fossils. Touted as four stories tall, Mr. Rex is a truly can't miss attraction of the California desert.

Visit the Cabazon Dinosaur's official website here.

Tags: Architecture Roadside Attractions Cabazon Dinosaurs

Movieland- The Merry Widow

Considered one of the most popular movie musicals of all time, the scene depicted here at the Movieland Wax Museum is from The Merry Widow(1934), which stars Maurice Chevalier (1888-1972) and Jeanette MacDonald (1903-65). A film version of the famous operetta, the Merry Widow was so popular that Movieland created a set to honor the film in 1966. Chevalier was on hand to dedicate it, but Macdonald had recently died in January of 1965. The lighting on this tableau was pretty amazing, making it a very memorable scene.


Without the lighting, the scene does not have as much strength, and the paint job makes the figures look like burn victims. Lighting can turn an average set into a great set.


Of course all Movieland sets had these clapboard signs giving a description of the scene. Sometimes, as with this scene, an extra bit of information was provided. At the Movieland auction Chevalier's and MacDonald's figures sold for $600 each. The set pieces sold for $800, the set itself sold for $250, while the chandelier (bottom most part can be seen in picture number two) which hung above the scene sold for $950.

View Maurice Chevalier's filmography here.

View Jeanette MacDonald's filmography here.

Tags: Movieland Wax Museum Wax Figure Wax Maurice Chevalier Jeanette MacDonald Merry Widow

Cabazon Dinosaurs- Part Two

Dinny is the name of the big Brontosaurus-like dinosaur with the gift shop in it. It has housed such items as posters, toy dinosaurs, and pressed coin machines. So when you stop by and see Claude Bell's beautiful dinosaurs, take a while to check out the gift shop.


Here's another shot to give a little perspective on the size of Dinny. It is a massive structure, and it dominates the other buildings.

Visit the Cabazon Dinosaur's official website here.

Tags: Architecture Roadside Attractions Cabazon Dinosaurs