In last week’s news, Pea Soup Andersen restaurants on the Central Coast Suddenly closed It sparked a wave of nostalgia among Californians, even people like me who had never actually eaten there.
The restaurant’s whimsical advertisements on Highway 101, featuring two cartoon chefs, are a reliable road trip landmark for someone who grew up in Ventura County, and are a formal departure from crowded Southern California. This was to confirm that he had escaped. (A restaurant in a small town called Buellton. opened 100 years agoAnd soon after that, the sign went up. )
As memories flooded in, we began to think, What are some other iconic roadside landmarks in the state?
Perhaps the best known is cabazon dinosaur, world’s tallest thermometerWinchester Mystery House, formerly stinky harris ranch, of paul bunyan statue The giant sign for Randy’s Donuts in Klamath is visible from Highway 405.
But many of our favorite attractions are a little less flashy and a little more personal.
My editor, Kevin Yamamura from Sacramento, remembered visiting here. Casa de Frutta When I was a kid, I was driving along Highway 152 to visit relatives in Watsonville.He also recommends parking your car at Mr. Ikeda’s If you’re headed to Tahoe, grab a burger and pie near Auburn.
In particular, two roadside signs along Interstate 80 stuck in his memory. nut tree A towering sign with three logos was removed in 2015 at the restaurant complex, which has not been open since the 1980s. Cows still fly over the moon When a driver passes by.
My colleague Jill Cowan, a reporter in Los Angeles, mentioned the elephant seals in San Simeon. james dean clipping Along Highway 46 in Lost Hills. Kettleman City In-N-Out; A favorite among drivers traveling between the Bay Area and Los Angeles
For me, the biggest towering highway landmark is the one I’ve seen many times. When I was a kid, I was told that the must-see San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant would soon arrive in San Diego. And the rugged Tejon Pass, often referred to as the Grapevine, on Interstate 5 once signaled that I was well on my way back to college at the University of California, Berkeley, after a vacation. He is now said to be heading back to San Francisco.
Here’s a quick compilation of some of our readers’ favorite stops.
“A few miles south of Madera, in the median of Highway 99. palm and pine — an icon of Southern and Northern California and beloved by everyone who knows where they drive. When Caltrans tried to cut them, massive protests stopped it. Later, when that pine, actually a cedar, fell in a storm, a replacement tree was planted. ” — Susan Weikel Morrison, Fresno
“For this Southern California native, his most cherished and most obvious travel landmark is Disneyland’s Matterhorn. As children, my sister and I would eagerly approach the park via Interstate 5. I looked for it. The first person to see it and shout “Matterhorn!” I won. No prizes, just the joy of being at Disneyland soon. I still look for snow-capped mountain peaks whenever I drive through Anaheim on the Golden State Freeway. My sister, who now lives in Washington state, knows exactly where I am when I yell “Matterhorn!” She connects her phone and she hangs up. ” — Cindy Media Villa (Culver City)
“We frequently drive between the Bay Area and Chico, which is about three hours northeast. Our most frequented route takes us on Interstate 5 through the town of Williams, where we Make a pit stop and grab a sandwich at Granzella’s expansive deli, restaurant, bar, grocery store, and motel complex. Its signature décor is a dining room filled with terrifying stuffed animals. They also sell political signs that are equally horrifying to my snowflake senses. We stop there anyway – great deli sandwiches.” Alicia Springer, Chico
“My favorite roadside attraction is the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. I went to school at Cal Poly, and when I returned from Los Angeles after visiting family during school breaks, It reminded me of being back in my hometown in SLO. Yes, it’s bright pink and the rooms are very retro and quirky, but that’s the charm of this place.” Caroline Inouye, Los Osos
Tell us your best story or memory about California’s roadside attractions. Email us at CAToday@nytimes.com.
And before we leave, I have some good news.
A new ocelot kitten has been born at the Los Angeles Zoo, much to the delight of zoo keepers and visitors.
This male kitten was born in September to his mother Maya at just 19 ounces. The zoo announced last month.
The kitten, which was not named at the time of the announcement, had grown to 6.5 pounds by early December and was expected to soon join her feline friends in an outdoor enclosure where visitors could see her. .
“At first he was waddling around on unsteady legs, but day by day he was getting stronger and more agile,” LA Zoo zookeeper Stephanie Zielinski said in a news release. “He has a big personality now and is brave and curious.”
Ocelots are considered endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and their native populations in Texas and Arizona have plummeted in recent decades due to hunting and urbanization. is decreasing.
thank you for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Soumya
PS it’s here today’s mini crossword.
Maia Coleman and Brianna Scalia contributed to California Today. You can contact the team at: CAtoday@nytimes.com.
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