Mentone Beach - Highland California

Today I was looking for an old bridge in the "Inland Empire" area of Southern California. This is clearly not desert, but it is certainly not urban, or even suburban either. It is on the fringe of a town. The fringes are where the most interesting places and people are usually found. 

For a few reasons, this might be my favorite finds. Those of you have been following my articles for a while know that I've been to a ton of odd and/or interesting places, so saying that this might be my favorite, is no small thing.

The bridge I was looking for is somewhere in the distance on the left side of the photo. When I saw this though, I immediately pulled over to take a couple of photos. I was just about to climb back into the jeep, when the gate opened and a guy walked out. We said hello, and I told him that I love places like this. He introduced himself and invited me in! I was so happy!

A giant chicken, the Statue of Liberty, and some very old outboard boat motors.  

Muffler Man! This version is of course Paul Bunyan. To show you how big this guy is, look at the door between his legs. 

On each side of Paul Bunyan is an ornate ship smokestack. I didn't think much of that fact until the owner (Pete) told me they were from a "paddle wheeler" that used to be moored in Newport Harbor. It was refitted to be a floating restaurant, and served in that capacity for many years. I live maybe 20 miles from there, and ate in there a couple of times. The name of the ship was the Ruben E. Lee.

There is an airplane on the roof of his house. It isn't just any airplane though. It was used in the movie 1941, starring John Belushi.

Just look at all the stuff in this photo! It looks like something you might see on the TV show American Pickers. Guess what? You will see it on American Pickers, because they were recently there filming!

You are looking into the back of a 1956 Ford F100 pickup. This model was only produced for four years. I have a 1953 F100. Very few of these trucks have this large rear window. They were built in 1956. I have to admit, that I was a little jealous. 

 Nice legs...

The owner and resident artist!  

So much to love in this photo. A 1937 Plymouth pickup truck, vintage trailers, and an airplane! Oh yeah, don't miss the porthole utilized as a rear window in the truck. 

 Art Deco meets Steam Punk

An outdoor water bed. I wish I had more photos of the amazing deck areas that are under a giant California Pepper tree, that Pete planted about 35 years ago. It is so shady and comfortable there. This is where you'd find me on a hot "inland empire" day. (not necessarily in the bed, but under the tree).

 Folk art dragon

 I think this lady had been on the horse awhile, because she looked very tired.

Pete showing me the inside of a really large tee-pee. It had a large fire ring inside of it, with plenty of flat rocks to sit on. A nice spot to spend a cold evening.

Nice sunroof! 

 Another plane!

 Piano guts

 Hybrid

 An old Harley Davidson that burned in a wildfire.

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It's no secret that I love this stuff, and this kind of place. Further, I really connected with the owner. Pete and I are just about the same age, from the same generation, both Vietnam Vets, and from the same area. I enjoyed our conversation just as much as I did his place. I spend quite a bit of time in this area, and for sure I'm going to be going back.


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Day Trip to Santa Catalina Island

It's true! We really don't spend all of our time in the desert. These photos were taken on a fairly recent day trip to Santa Catalina Island. You may not have heard of the Island, but you've probably heard the song (if your as old as I am anyway). Just like the song says; it's 26 miles across the sea.

 Our ride from Newport Beach to the island

 The boat is a high speed catamaran, so the 26 mile trip is pretty quick.

Newport Harbor

 A fellow passenger, lost in his thoughts. My favorite photo of the day

 A little car ferry between Newport and Balboa Island

Newport Harbor ghetto. You can probably pick up one of these houses for about $5,000,000.00. The larger ones go for two or three times that much. 

 Dolphins everywhere! It was a gray and gloomy day, and the light sucked for photos!

 This is the town of Avalon. The one and only town on the Island. It has a nice harbor. The residents don't have cars.

The Wrigley mansion (yes, as in Wrigley Chewing Gum). In addition to a chewing gum dynasty, the Wrigley family also owned the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs used to come to the island for spring training.

Yeah, I know this photo is all askew, but it seems to be the only one I took that gives you a good view of all the different sized boats/ships that anchor in the harbor. No marina here.

 "The Casino" I'm not sure if it was ever actually a casino, but it has been used for a ton of other things.

 You can see the Wrigley mansion almost at the top of the hill (on the left)

 Check out the condos on the side of that cliff. Not for me!

Many years ago, I learned to scuba dive in the little cove beneath the condos. 

Just because I loved her face. About two seconds after the photo was taken, she gave me the stink eye. 

 They call it a submarine, but I'm not sure if it actually goes under water.

Lost and found 

 Time to go back to the mainland

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 If you ever find yourself in coastal southern California, this place is a must see.  

There are several really nice boutique hotels in Avalon. There are also miles of hiking trails and beautiful primitive areas.

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