Livin' the American Dream in Retro Trailers

There is no more beautiful piece of Americana. As you travel down the road you can hear Roger Miller crooning King of the Road.That shiny silver, that retro style, what is a more glorious form of freedom than an trailer. You are the King of the Road.



VINTAGE TRAILER RENTALS

If you are itching to catch some nature in style, there are places where you can rent trailers and take them to Yosemite, Big Sur, Joshua Tree, Coachella or what-have-you. People are using them as both wedding props and honeymoon destinations. They are the perfect way to see the U.S.A. while being perfectly self-sufficient and incidentally quite camper-chic.

The great deal that I found in the Southwest is located in Arizona, where you could travel to the Grand Canyon in mid-century glory.
http://www.airstreams4rent.com/affordable.htm

Here are a few places to rent trailers in So Cal and have the vacation of your retro dreams.


Restoration DestinationsRestoration Destinations puts the pricing starting at $150 per night. http://www.restorationdestinations.com/index.html



SilvertrailerFor higher end rentals, Silvertrailer are these very chic Airstreams that can be rented for events and travel. http://www.silvertrailer.com/

Hicksville

For a more stationary experience, if you don't want to be negotiating driving the trailer around yourself, you can spend some cool desert nights at this hip trailer park/hotel, complete with dipping pool and astroturf.
http://www.hicksville.com/

The best part about this spot is that it comes complete with a recording studio with wood paneling and rustic chandelier. Who knows what lovely songs may come from starry desert nights.

BUYING AND DECORATING YOUR OWN TRAILER

What cold be more fun than actually owning your own little clubhouse that you can take with you anywhere? It does seem rather luxurious, since the starting prices for an Airstream is around $35,000. Of course, if you invested in some of the other vintage trailer models you could surely get them for less.

If you are lucky enough to be able to buy one, chances are they might require some restoration. Perhaps the photos below can be inspiration, these are as tempting as cotton candy at a Sunday fair.

image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/28057482@N05/7606702682/

Let's go!

Beautiful Bowie: The Man Who Fell to Earth

In honor of Bowie's triumphant return and in celebration of his birthday yesterday, I got to digging up some of my favorite photos of his glory days (though, don't get me wrong, he is still glorious). I love him especially in The Man Who Fell to Earth, which I think is very reflective of who he really is, a beautiful alien.

Bowie Clockwork Orange (above)

Stills from the Man Who Fell to Earth. (above and below)

Thin White Duke.

Ziggy Stardust.

David and Angela Bowie in the Ziggy days.

Here is a self-portrait Bowie painted in the style of Egon Scheile.

Painting by Sebastian Kruger.

Mr. Stardust in The Hunger.

Bowie and Buster Keaton.

The

Man

Who

Fell

to

Earth.

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MOD BABES OF YESTERDAY - L.A. Vintage spots

THE MOD BABES OF YESTERDAY

L.A. VINTAGE SPOTS TO FIND YOUR OWN MOD DEALS

Of course there are tons of places to find vintage clothes in Los Angeles, but these are my top three favorites.

1. MELROSE TRADING POST Hands down, this is my favorite spot for vintage everything. They sell clothes, vintage hifi's, mid-century couches, deco dressing tables and pink velvet chaises. The last time we went we found original animation cells from the cartoon Fat Albert (which is now framed on my boyfriend's desk.) I perused three bins of 1930's and 40's photographs of soldiers, L.A ladies and children. I bought three of these photos since I was working on a film that was set in the 40's and needed them as props, but I like the people in the photos so much that I still have them, even though they are someone else's relatives.

This spot is well worth your time because there is just so much to see. I have found many good deals here and every price is negotiable. I hate negotiating and even I talked a guy down 25 bucks. You are expected to haggle at a flea market, so if you aren't haggling over the price then you aren't doing it right!

Some interesting stuff at MTP:

2. POLKADOTS AND MOONBEAMS
This is a super chic spot that is truly is one of my favorites for selection and price. It is located in Mid-City West which is a kind of vague, in-between area near the Beverly Center. It is comfortable and spacious, and the best part is that the staff is helpful and honest about whether something suits you. My friend was getting ready for the Oscars (she is a journalist and she needed to get dolled up for the event), and the sales person helped her find just the right dress, earrings and purse, all the while she very down-to-earth and making jokes and picked the more modestly priced things rather that the big ticket items.

The other reason I love this store is because if you don't find what you are looking for in the vintage store, there is another part of the store next door that sells new clothes, many of which look vintage. This side is pricier but not bad if you want something nice. A lot of times I prefer the stuff that just looks vintage since the fit is usually better. This place is nearly impossible to leave empty-handed.
http://www.polkadotsandmoonbeams.com/

3. LEMON FROG
This is a cozy little well-curated spot in Echo Park. I found a great pair of boots like the ones Audrey is wearing in this pic. And they even fit my big 'ol size 9 feet (huge by vintage standards. And pretty big now too, I guess. Don't judge me!)

It has a good vibe and a nice selection. This is what a vintage shop should look like.

http://www.lemonfrogshop.com/

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Bowie is Back. A New Single for Major Tom

David Bowie has been hiding out for the last eight years. Ever since his stint with Arcade Fire back in 2006, there hasn't been a peep from Mr. Stardust. There were rumors that he was ill, there were no personal updates on his website, and he even refused to play the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.

But today, low and behold, on his 66th birthday he has returned with a single that is a somber triumph "Where Are They Now?" The single's lyrics are reflective, and quite solidly based in Berlin. We get the idea that his surroundings are quite familiar but that it is he who is out of sync. It seems when he sings the lyric "walking the dead" he is conjuring up ghosts, then he sings "a man lost in time" about himself as he wonders through the streets. We get the idea that he is feeling quite small in the crowd. With a chorus that is so similar to the verse you barely notice it's happening, and such a subdued climax that seems it is a memory of a climax rather than an actual climax, the song captures this emotion perfectly.



BOWIE'S BERLIN DAYS OF THE PAST

The somberness of this single made me think of the tracks at the end of Low. I got thinking about his younger days in Berlin in the late 70's, when he shepherded Iggy Pop after Iggy kicked dope. In a 1979 interview in Rolling Stone, Bowie explains that he had to leave Los Angeles because he was caught up with drugs and what he called "toxic people." Bowie said "It drove me utterly and totally out of my skull in Los Angeles. I got very near the edge. I did fear for my sanity. Well, I didn't, actually; I was fortunate enough in that I had a couple of friends who sent me off to Jamaica to recuperate, and said, 'Don't go back to America.' So I didn't. And I ended up in Berlin."

What transpired after his exodus from America was a golden age in his productivity, it seemed he was flooded with ideas. He was young, handsome and in great demand. In 1979, when he was interviewed by Rolling Stone, he was making the film "Just a Gigolo" with Kim Novak. Even though he was being offered hundreds of roles, he resented being typecast as an oddity: "I play either awkward people or fanatics. The right person in the wrong time. Or the wrong person in the right time. Never will I quite match."

Here is the link to the full Rolling Stone article: http://www.bowiegoldenyears.com/articles/791004-rollingstone.html

Maybe he was "the right person at the wrong time" to become a big name actor, but in the music world he has been the right person at the right time. "Where Are They Now" is one of his best songs in years and it is beautiful in its restraint. It's kind of a sleeper for a solo single, but maybe he's just a little melancholy these days. That suits me fine, because I am a little melancholy these days too. I will be looking forward to the album, which will be released in March, but if the single is any indication it should be an absolute pleasure. Happy Birthday, Mr. Stardust.

Bowie and Iggy Pop in Berlin

Mod Babes of Yesterday

COOLEST SPOTS IN THE MALIBU AREA

THE COOLEST SPOTS IN THE MALIBU AREA

“Happiness consists in realizing it is all a great strange dream.” ― Jack Kerouac

The Los Angeles area has lots of beaches, like Santa Monica and Venice Beach. I, personally, am not really a fan of either. Santa Monica is too sterile and Venice is too dirty, but there is dreamy and glorious nature to the north in Malibu. It takes a little longer to get here from L.A. proper, but the beauty here will knock you out. The following are some of the coolest places to let your hair down.

EL MATADOR BEACH
For Drama and seclusion there is no better place. You must walk long staircases that cling to the cliffs down to the beach. The rock formations and coves are romantic and rugged. Have a picnic and sit back and dream about pirates and mermaids. It is remote, so there will be no one to distract you.

I have seen them riding seaward on the waves,
Combing the white hair of the waves blown back,
When the wind blows the water white and black.

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea,
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown,
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.

Excerpt from T.S. Eliot


FOR YOUR PICNIC
It is not legal to drink on the beach, but that has never stopped me and my friends, and a picnic is always better with wine. I'm not advocating breaking the law (hey, I'm a lover not a fighter) but if you choose to add vino to your picnic (maybe near the beach rather than on the beach) there are these pretty cool wines that are sold by the glass in grocery and convenience stores, which I think are a convenient idea.
------ Copa Divino wine by the glass--- https://www.copadivino.com/

THE MALIBU INN
This is a kitchy place with old western saloon doors straight out of a spaghetti western. You can sit in the woodpaneled vintage interior or on the outdoor patio showcasing an old VW bug. This place radiates the sun-addled surfer/hippie vibe and does not take itself seriously. I highly recommend the "Highway to Hell" burger, which features jalepenos and chipotle. Some of the prices are a little high for a divey spot but there are $2 Taco Tuesdays if you are on a budget. It's a fun little spot with a pool table, and it is also a venue for bands with a Beach Boys bent. It's a fun little spot just across the street from the ocean.

http://www.themalibuinn.com/

THE CORNELL TASTING ROOM
An amazing little known spot is a gorgeous old western style tasting room in Malibu/Agoura Hills high country. If you do a tasting you can sit a long grand table under a chandelier surrounded by photographs and art by local artists. A great little place. Then head next door to The Old Place for a bite. http://www.cornellwinery.com/

THE OLD PLACE CORNELL
After you get a nice little buzz going, mosey on over to the old west style saloon with gourmet grub. A moonshiner shack with a piano in the corner, this is a warm and fun hangout especially when bands play.

http://www.oldplacecornell.com/

“Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry.” ― Jack Kerouac