Bono's Pride

Fontana, CA -- Joe Bono took me on a tour of his prized, roadside diner recently. "This building has been in our family since the 30s," he said while pointing to an old photo on the wall. Bono's Deli has not been in service for a couple years but Joe is working on reopening the historic landmark very soon. Inside, the walls are lined with Route 66 memorabilia.

His family once owned 200 acres of vineyards along Baseline. The vineyards are long gone but he is trying to preserve the nostalgia by collecting wine bottles and building a wine tasting room attached to the 100-year old diner.

"You know there are probably six Route 66 enthusiast clubs out there; I belong to six of them," chuckled Bono. Looking back at the pictures on the wall, he pointed to a framed photo of he and Sonny. You mean Sonny as in Cher? I asked. Joe looked over at me with a big smile and said, "My cousin."

The large orange, pictured above, was built in the mid 1930s and was used as advertising. It used to be two miles down Route 66 but was recently moved to where it is now. Another example of vernacular architecture, which was very popular in the 30s and 40s.

Wishin' Ya'll a Happy New Year!

Burbank, CA -- The end of another year, another decade and another round of photos on the Daily Photo LA blog. What a great experience it has been, and God willing, will continue.

I met so many new people here and look forward to meeting more folks and sharing my part of the world with all of you.

Happy New year!

John

Deeply Routed in 66

Barstow, CA -- One after another popped up while driving with one eye on Route 66 and the other on buildings decorated in the old highway's glory day theme.

Route 66 El Rancho Motel

Barstow, CA -- A classic motel along Route 66 in the California high desert. Barstow is at one end of the National Trails Highway. This scenic byway gives the driver a never-ending show of historic buildings, 1930s era gas stations and cafes. Many of the building walls are abandon and surrounded by a fence but their spirit lives on.

The Bottletree Man

Oro Grande, CA -- (Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes from Los Angeles along the National Trails Highway on the old Route 66 near Barstow)

He calls himself "The Bottletree Man" or just, "The Bottleman." He also goes by Elmer. A labor of love and an expression of artistic talent, this strip of desert land is yet another classic example of what one may find along California's old Route 66.

Elmer took us on a tour of his property after talking to another interested blogger, traveling from Santa Cruz in Northern California. The Bottleman was happy to tell his story of each artifact attached to the top of every bottletree. He said he's been retired for some time now and is happy working on his on-going project. He doesn't charge anything to wander the forest of empty glass Coke, 7-Up, Royal Crown Cola and even relics like the one printed on the side: "Frank M. Towne, Pharmacist. San Bernardino, Cal. Open all night." Each tree, of course, has it's own trophy welded on top collected by Elmer and even his dad.

A few of the artifacts on the trees are a shot gun, cash register, saxophone, two California Highway Patrol helmets, an antique Radio Flyer wagon, truck horn, various wheels, and even an old dresser top mirror his mother bought used in 1939. And that's only the beginning; he has over 400 trees!

Visit Elmer either in person or his blog at bottletreeman.blogspot.com

Mako Sharks of West Covina

West Covina, CA -- Until today, I didn't realize we had Mako sharks roaming the hills of LA.

While on a trail in Galster Wilderness Park, I ran into an amateur paleontologist. Wearing a loupe around his neck and a rock pick in his hand, Keith pulled out a handful of sharks teeth and set them on white paper. He said the teeth (pictured) are millions of years old and are abundant in the hills of the Park. He also showed me a fossil of a prehistoric fish, closely related to a sardine. He said the teeth were found on the trail within the last hour!

Fascinating and quite serendipitous.

Supporting Single Moms

Los Angeles -- While standing in line at the Pantry Cafe in LA, Vince was strutting his new, Christmas shirt for the passersby. I'm not a fan of what the shirt says (or it's meaning...) but I thought the photo was worth posting.

Cowgirl in Hollywood

Many of the movies filmed in "Hollywood" are in fact in Burbank, California. I guess Hollywood simply sounds better than Burbank.

I shot this photo at a neighborhood horse stable in Burbank, about a mile from Disney Studios. No, that's not Dale Evens, that's my Saddle Pal "Scout." I took a series of shots of her in different locations throughout the property; all reminiscent of the old western do-gooder cowboy flicks of the 40s and 50s.

Ghost Town George

Randsburg, CA -- At first you might think this 2-wheel road warrior's name is Jake. But it's not--meet George.

George didn't bother removing his goggles for the photo but he sure enjoyed having his picture taken. Randsburg is full of interesting people and artifacts. Less than an hour from the Los Angeles county line, the town of Randsburg has plenty to see if you are easy to please. It doesn't have as much commercial appeal as it does character and quirky charm. The tiny town is surrounded by dozens of abandoned mines, a few car chassis and lots of dirt, wind and a passing tumble weed or two. My kind of place.

Sky on Fire

I shot this while driving home. No filter--no special effects. Pure Southern California sunset.