Things That Aren't Here Anymore

Here's some things that people loved to visit. They still would, if only they were still around.

First, here's a list of places that may or may not exist today or they have been put off-limits due to a variety of reasons from around the world.

It is from Travelerz:

They begin with:

Everybody loves a good vacation and an opportunity to travel and explore. But what if we told you that some of the most stunning tourist destinations in the world are now off-limits? Popular spots our grandparents used to enjoy are no longer accessible, or simply no longer exist, and we are to blame. Take a look back at the vintage travel hotspots that are now confined to history, for an opportunity to appreciate what's lost forever!

To see them, go here.

Here's a couple of videos by the late Ralph Story that is Los Angeles-centric. It is a video of "Things That Aren't Here Anymore". 

KCET: Seven COVID-19 Travel Tips

Above, in flight over Salt Lake City, Utah. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As summer travel season rapidly approaches, it may be a good time to start thinking about where and how to travel.

Some airlines have been good about social distancing (such as Delta and Southwest Airlines) and others have been reckless (such as American Airlines, who had people packed in their planes like sardines in January). Cruise lines are starting to gear up, with some new guidelines. RVs and tent camping has seen a surge in interest since last year. That doesn't seem to be abating.

Whatever why one chooses to travel this summer, KCET (PBS in the Los Angeles area) has seven tips on traveling safely.

They start with:

After over a year of travel restrictions, health guidelines and safety protocols, it finally may seem like a good time to get out of the house to visit somewhere else. But as things open up, and the risk of travel takes a nosedive, it's also a good time to brush up on your travel savvy. After all, we're living in a new world now — not quite a post-COVID world, but one that's certainly still evolving.

Travel might not be quite like the "Before Times" quite yet — or ever — but it's entirely doable. And it can still be wonderful.

Whether you're ready for a day trip, a weekend getaway or your first bona fide vacation in forever, here are seven tips for getting back out there and exploring the world beyond your own backyard.

If you're not ready to travel quite yet — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends against non-essential travel, even if it's currently allowed — it's not too early to start planning that first trip for the summer, fall or even the holidays.

To read more, go here. 

Visit California's National Parks...From Your Couch

Above, Upper Yosemite Fall. Photo by ArmandVaquer.

There will be a special marathon of episodes of travelogues by the late Huell Howser on President's Day.

According to KCET:

Burbank, Calif. – Jan. 24, 2018 – KCET, the nation’s largest independent public television station, announced today that on Mon., Feb. 19, beloved KCET host Huell Howser will return with a special “National Parks and Monuments” Presidents’ Day Marathon highlighting the best of Huell Howser’s CALIFORNIA’S GOLD and VISITING WITH HUELL HOWSER. The marathon will follow Howser up and down the California coast visiting popular locations such as Nixon’s birthplace, Reagan Ranch, Yosemite National Park and many more.  The marathon will air on Presidents’ Day from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PT only on KCET in Southern California. 

Additionally, KCET announced that starting on Feb. 19, its primetime schedule will feature some of the most rare and seldom-seen episodes of both CALIFORNIA’S GOLD and VISITING WITH HUELL HOWSER in the 7 p.m. weekdays timeslot.

To read more, go here. 

Huell Howser Marathon On New Year's Eve

Above, the late Huell Howser.

If you happen to have no plans for New Year's Eve or just staying home and a travel fan, you may want to catch some Huell Howser travel programs.

KNBC Channel 4 in Los Angeles reported:

Indeed, the KCET Huell Howser New Year's Eve Marathon is now part of the last day of the year for many of his fans, the people who dig budget travel, colorfully spun yarns, and, above all, the congenial and conversational Mr. Howser. The television host passed away near five years ago, in January 2013, but his positive-spirited legacy lives on through his public television presence and many on-the-road travelogues. 

Seven of those travel-oriented episodes, including popular outings and a few "rarely seen" treats, will air on KCET beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017. On the roster? A visit to the Hollywood Sign, an adventure in Joshua Tree National Park, and a spectacular saunter at Hearst Ranch, just to name a few destinations. 

"California's Gold" and "Visiting with Huell Howser" will both be featured in the Huell-happy line-up.

I was fortunate enough to meet Huell Howser years ago a the Campo de Cahuenga adobe near Universal Studios Hollywood.

To read more, go here. 

Little Tokyo's Atomic Cafe

Above, The Atomic Cafe at its original location.

Back in the 1980s, I watched a movie on Cinemax called, The Atomic Cafe. It was a documentary of the atomic (and hydrogen) bombs with loads of footage of bomb tests and the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, plus old propaganda films. I still have the movie on tape, but it is available for viewing on YouTube (I recommend it).

When I saw the title of an article on the local L.A. public television station KCET, "Atomic Cafe and the Old Brick Building in Little Tokyo," I just had to take a look.

A century-old building in Little Tokyo is meeting up with the wrecking ball to make way for a new Metro station. The building houses The Atomic Cafe.

According to the article:

When news spread about the demolition of the old brick building at First and Alameda Streets in Little Tokyo, it was a sign that the city had committed itself to the future. The century-old building will be replaced by a new Metro subway stop, slated to become a major transportation hub that will transform the way we travel through downtown. This may be good news from an urbanist perspective -- but what about the history? Should we be paving over a precious link to the past in the name of progress? 

Last February a large crowd gathered inside the building (now a branch of local chain Senor Fish) to honor its legacy. Much of the conversation centered around the Atomic Cafe, which occupied the building for almost three decades and best known as an after-hours hangout for the local punks and weirdos in the '80s.

 It is an interesting article and it shows, once again, that another piece of Los Angeles history won't be around.

To read the article, go here.

Huell Howser Dies At 67

NBC-Los Angeles is reporting that "California's Gold" host Huell Howser has died.

They report:

California television personality Huell Howser, known for his affable interview style as he toured some of the state's landmark locations, died Sunday night at age 67, according to KCET.

The article said he died of natural causes.

Howser is best known for his magazine-style shows on California landmarks and history.  I met Howser on January 12, 1997 at a plaque dedication event at the Campo de Cahuenga adobe near Universal City. I was there with Platrix Chapter No. 2 of E Clampus Vitus.  We dedicated a plaque commemorating the 150th anniversary (or sesquicentennial) of the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga.

Recently, Howser made some radio advertisements for Ford Motor Company.  He will be missed.

To read more, go here.

UPDATE:  100.3 FM "The Sound" had a very nice tribute to Huell Howser tonight.  They played some recordings of Howser's over the Mamas and The Papas' "California Dreamin'."