Disneyland Double Exposed, 1961 by Charles Phoenix

Dapper Day is my faaave day of the year to experience Disneyland. It's the day everybody dresses up in their beautiful best and struts their stuff in the original Magic Kingdom and California Adventure!

This magical event is a perfect match for my …

RETRO DISNEYLAND SLIDE SHOW – Dapper Day Edition

WHEN: Sat, Sept. 19 – 12 noon to 1:15-ish

WHERE: Anaheim – Downtown Disney's AMC Theater

TIX & INFO

And now … Disneyland Double Exposed, 1961

Sleeping Beauty's Castle is slightly double exposed on the House of the Future. Its medieval meets mid-century! Medievalism and modernism have never been so close. For a mere, but marvelous ten years, between 1957 and 1967, Disneyland's legendary all-plastic House of the Future was just outside of Tomorrowland, perched on a pedestal, steps from the castle. They both represent fairy tales – one speaks of the future and the other of the past.

But who is supposed to be posing for this pic? Is it the twins wearing matching puffed-sleeved-pinafore party dresses over white bobby socks and black patent leather? Or is it the woman who wears sensible yet stylish shoes and her two followers, whose stride seems clearly interrupted?

The Other TWA Rocket: Lost & Found, Kansas City, MO by Charles Phoenix

The TWA Rocket to the Moon is an icon of Disneyland's early days. It was the centerpiece and crowning outer space touch of the original Tomorrowland, "the world of 1987." But that wasn't the only TWA Rocket to the Moon. I'm not talking about the smaller scale "tribute" to the original that stands in Tomorrowland today.

In 1956, TWA's big bad boy, Howard Hughes, ordered a copy of Tomorrowland's TWA rocket and prominently perched it atop TWA headquarters in Kansas City MO, where it stood for, well, I'm not exactly sure. When the rocket was removed, through what had to be an odd set of circumstances, it wound up in a trailer park somewhere in suburban Kansas City...

Steering the Mark Twain! by Charles Phoenix

Behold the glory of the Mark Twain, the prettiest paddle wheeler on the planet. Divine in every Dixie detail, it’s the ultimate old-timey attraction in Disneyland’s Frontierland and has been since the day it was launched, 60 years ago. Here, you see it in 1957.

Over the years, I’ve boarded that beauty more times than I can remember, and enjoyed that round-the-island journey enough times to have gone down the entire Mississippi river at least once.

So, what a surprise it was when I heard you could actually “drive” the Mark Twain, and then get a certificate that says “I drove the Mark Twain,” or something like that.

Bubblelator, Lost and Found, Des Plaines, WA by Charles Phoenix

The iconic Space Needle is the most famous landmark from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. Understandably so, since it was the expo's centerpiece and crowning touch! To this day, thank goodness, it remains the super star of the Seattle skyline! But, it's not the fair's only mid-century modern leftover.

The beloved Bubbleator also survived. During the brief, but meaningful, run of the fair, then all the way until 1984, the world's only bubble shaped elevator transported peeps for a short, memorable ride up and down one floor.

At some point, shortly thereafter, the Bubbleator wound up in the front yard of a home in suburban Des Plaines, WA, just south of Seattle. When I found out it was still around, I decided it was high time I went on a field trip adventure to find it! The exact address of its whereabouts wasn't online. Fine with me, I really didn't want to know. I knew the town it was in, so I decided to just show up and start asking locals, "Where o' where is the Bubbleator?"

Meet Modernist Mary Jane by Charles Phoenix

Meet Mary Jane !!! … Only original owner of a Richard Neutra Home !!! … Custom built for her and her husband and their three daughters in Redlands, CA in 1952 !!! …

I had the unforgettable pleasure and privilege of meeting her and touring her epic home recently, while prepping for my REDLANDSLAND SHOW !!! …

She said Neutra had a habit of popping in for a visit around dinnertime because he didn't like eating in restaurants!

And all that original furniture !!! … I KNOWWW !!! …

Make no mistake about it, Mary Jane is pillar of Redlands, CA society and a force of nature !!!

Cheers to Mary Jane, Richard Neutra and YOU !!!

Edsel on Parade, 1957, by Charles Phoenix

I knowww, it's mesmerizing! That double-decker, deep-dish horse collar grill and all-around "Queen From Outer Space"-age styling is more than we mere Earthlings are hard-wired to comprehend.

We're lovin' the trio of beauty queen wannabees mistaking the back seat as a throne for three. Sit gently, please, those convertible top bows are brittle and breakable!

In 1957, the Ford Motor Company introduced their all-new and very ballyhooed Edsel, not as a new model, but as a whole new marquee, an entirely new line of cars...

'The Thing' at Last, Dragoon, AZ

Traveling the southwest in any direction on Interstate 10, it's impossible to miss the impressive parade of billboards promoting "The Thing."

What is it, is the very reason to stop at this iconic American roadside attraction, celebrating 65 years (50 at this location), exhibited in an old shed 60-ish miles east of Tucson.

I'd never been there until recently, road-tripping from Texas to California. If nothing else, it's a chance to stretch your legs and satisfy your curiosity. So, that's exactly what I did.

The first surprise is that it costs just one dollar to see whatever it is you're going to see. Having no idea of what to expect, I eagerly dropped a dollar and opened the door to this time-honored curiosity...

Tail O’ The Pup Lost And Found, Los Angeles, CA, 1962 by Charles Phoenix

Strung pennants blowing in the breeze, an Arden Ice Cream truck passing by and a Ford convertible parked at the curb provide a perfect backdrop for Los Angeles' most playful architectural icon. The famous fast food stand is world class. There is no better place in the known universe to enjoy a hot dog...

Pretty In Titty Pink, Modernica Factory, Vernon, CA by Charles Phoenix

In the world of mid-century mod home décor, Modernica is a pillar of civilization. For the last 25-ish years, they have been manufacturing and handcrafting a wildly wide variety of no nonsense fabulous furnitureness. Most of it in SoCal, at their over the top facility in Vernon. And what a thrill it was to get a private tour of it...

Downtown LA’s Classic Local Foods, Olvera Street, LA, CA by Charles Phoenix

Everywhere I travel, I always ask, "What's the local food here?" Seems every place has something edible they're known for, and our beloved downtown LA is no exception.

Among the classic downtown foods we enjoy on my "Disneyland" tour of Downtown Los Angeles, delicious eggrolls at Hop Louis, since 1941, fantastic French Dip Sandwiches at Phillipe's, since 1908, mouth-watering, fresh strawberry whipped cream cake from the Phoenix Bakery, since 1938, and tasty taquitos at Cielito Lindo, where they've been perfecting the recipe since 1934! And believe me, they've perfected it! I call these shredded beef-filled, rolled, deep-fried corn tortillas served with green chili sauce LA's original Olvera Street food...

Found Frank Lloyd Wright, Scottsdale, AZ by Charles Phoenix

Welcome to the DAVID and GLADYS WRIGHT HOUSE in Scottsdale, AZ.

David's daddy-O, Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the home for his son and daughter-in-law in 1952. It's the new superstar in the galaxy of Frank Lloyd Wright's masterworks.

Thankfully, it was recently saved from the wrecking-ball (shocking, but true) and is currently being faithfully restored and readied for public tours, for the first time...

Neon Boneyard Museum, Las Vegas, NV by Charles Phoenix

The Neon Boneyard is the heart and soul of Las Vegas.

To stroll thru this time-travel treasure trove of over-the-top, mostly mid-century, vintage Vegas signage and other extraordinary Sin City artifacts is like being transported to some sort of parallel universe, where you are thrilled to feel about 3 feet tall. The signs are way, way bigger than you thought, when you are standing right next to them.

The fact that all of these sensational signs were saved is nothing short of a MIRACLE. 

Epic Roadside Dinosaurs – Cabazon, CA by Charles Phoenix

Beloved epic land-of-the-giants scale roadside Dinosaurs delight in, Cabazon CA since 1964 !!! …THANK YOOOU PEE WEE HERMAN !!! … for immortalizing these roadside relics in your totallyyy classic BIG ADVENTURE movie !!! … which, of course … happens to be one 'o my faaave flicks of alll time !!! … I KNOWWW !!! … And yes these are the greatest fake dinosaurs on earth !!! …


By Charles Phoenix


*Cabazon is a roadside attraction just west of Palm Springs, off the I-10.

"I Love You" Meatloaf by Charles Phoenix

Every holiday deserves its own very special meatloaf, and Valentine's Day is no exception… 

This classic tattoo/I Love Lucy inspired, savory dinner dish of deliciousness is the latest from the Charles Phoenix Test Kitchen …

Ketchup topped meatloaf for two, served on a bed of buttered mashed potatoes, decorated with fresh red, green and yellow bell peppers, brussel sprouts, grape tomatoes, carrot spikes and a crabapple !!! 

Go to HERE to watch how it's made...with love.

THANKSGIVING CHERPUMPLE: THE TURDUCKEN OF DESSERTS by Charles Phoenix

The Cherpumple is an original recipe from the Charles Phoenix Test Kitchen, and the most talked about new dessert to come along in years.   It’s a three-layer cake with a pie stuffed in each layer. YUM! Cherpumple is short for CHERry, PUMpkin and apPLE pie. The apple pie is baked in spice cake, the pumpkin in yellow and the cherry in white. I DARE YOU TO TRY IT AT HOME!

Vince’s Spaghetti Ontario, CA, 2014 by Charles Phoenix

The spaghetti of our lives! My fave is served at Vince's in my hometown of Ontario, CA. Vince's is the world's largest spaghetti restaurant. Homespun and family run, since 1945. Talk about hometown pride! I've been enjoying the spaghetti dining experience there for as long as I can remember.

Theme Building, LAX, 1961 by Charles Phoenix

The Theme Building rocks my world, always and without fail. Nothing reaches out and says, "Yooou've arriiived" in Los Angeles quite like this iconic, sci-fi styled superstar.

In 1961, it gracefully landed on earth as the centerpiece and crowning touch of the ultra modern jet-age expansion of LAX.  Much more than just an airport accessory, the space age structure houses a non-revolving, but helluva-view restaurant, and up top there's an observation deck with an even better view. Who knew?

CHRIS’ & PITT’S AT DUSK, BELLFLOWER, SOCAL

There’s something interesting around every corner, no matter where u go.

And the corner of Bellflower and Artesia Blvds, is no exception. For it is there that, snuggled in the vast sea of suburbia, sits one SoCal’s most precious places. Chris’ & Pitt’s BBQ. This Bellflower beauty isn’t just any old BBQ joint, oh NO! ‘Tis the greatest streamline, modern. faux log cabin BBQ diner joint on the planet.

 

This sensational showstopper has been serving up mouthwatering meats since 1949. I’m not sure when it got lavished with that spellbindingly brilliant log cabin coat of paint. Whenever it was, this is faux painting fabulousness like I’ve never seen before. Not to mention, that well lit, wrap-around signage, the pair of red wagon wheels, all those turquoise scalloped window frames, and that gorgeous glittering neon sign. The overall color theory is genius, too.

All that and ham, beef, pork and ribs too. What, specials for $9.95? That’s a small price to pay for this delicious piece of history. No matter how you slice it, Chris’ & Pitt’s Bellflower is priceless. Long may it stand! Now, please pass the BBQ sauce!

 

BTW, this charmer and dozens of SoCals other underrated, unknown and misunderstood architectural gems and jewels, will be celebrated like they never have been before in my ARCHITECTURE IN LOS ANGELES – Live Slide Show Performance

Sunday, Oct 12

in Los Angeles

 

CLICK FOR TIX AND MORE INFO

 

Think: Lost and Found Mid-Century Mod, Tiki, Googie, Theme Parks And Much More!

 

This one-night only show is your past and present guide to SoCal’s classic and kitschy drive-ins, coffee shops, supermarkets, bowling alleys, shopping centers, extreme houses, dingbat apartments, fast food stands, amusement parks, themed environments and more all in glorious color !!! … Be prepared for your local pride to swell!

 

Here’s to Chris’ & Pitt’s and YOU!

Charles Phoenix

MERMAIDS in MONTANA, Great Falls, 2014

As if the turquoise upholstery, multi-colored, giant bubble carpet and grass shaky ceiling isn’t enough to count the Sip ‘n Dip as an honest to goodness great American kitsch classic, it is one of two remaining vintage bars in the country, with a window into a motel swimming pool.

And no you’re not having erotic, aquatic dreams. Mermaids abound around this who-even-knew-it-existed watering hole. If you need a room, no prob!

This mermaid manor is also a motel, the O’Hare Motor Inn, erected way back in 1962.

Where there are mermaids, there is music. In this case, lovely, live Hammond organ music played by “Piano Pat,” a Sip ‘n Dip legend. She’s been playing there for 50 years!

 

Life is full of wonderful surprises. Discovering this irresistible cocktail of Tiki, mermaids and Piano Pat music, in the last place we’d ever expect to find it is certainly one of them.

 

It’s high time I hop on my horse and head the Sip ‘n Dip way.

 

I can’t wait to say: “My, what a nice tail you have!”

 

Cheers to the mermaids, Piano Pat and YOU !!!

 

Charles Phoenix (CharlesPhoenix.com)

1958 Oldsmobile Fiesta Station Wagon, 2014 by Charles Phoneix

Long before this very 1958 Fiesta Station Wagon by Oldsmobile made it to the auction block, was a classic dream-car day I'll never forget.

One fateful Friday evening in the late 80s, I was going through the Recycler classified ads and found this uber-rare, space age spectacular listed for sale...