Mystery Photo Challenge-July

Can you guess where this photo was taken? 

Local Eats-D Dogs

There is a new restaurant downtown and we are happy to report they stay up late....well at least until midnight. This is perfect for a late night nosh when you get out of the theatre, which is exactly what we did. We met the owners Laurie and Daryll, who couldn't be more friendly and welcoming. They didn't tell us this, but I think that their theme is 'oversized.' I came to this conclusion after seeing the super surround bar, huge t.v. screens and the 'big ass fan' (we asked them, and yes, that is the name of the brand) in the corner. Oh, and they also serve vast amounts of beer from a wide selection. We saw one pair of gentleman sharing a 100 ounce beer (but they go up to 160 ounces, in case you were wondering) served in a glass version of what looked like an old petrol pump. We tried the parmesan garlic fries, a hamburger and custom built hot dogs, which were all excellent. We will gladly give them our business in the future. Welcome D Dogs. Stay awhile.

Build you own or choose a Specialty House Dog

Wraparound bar

Top of the 100 ounce

My custom Dog with some Bright green relish

Cheers!

M2E

The Fox Theater

We had a wonderful evening watching Hitchcock's film 'North by Northwest' at the Fox Theater Friday night. When Hitchcock made his notorious cameo right in the beginning of the film, the audience acknowledged it with a round of applause.

 I had never seen this film, and was really intrigued by the very progressive attitude of the female lead. Her role in the film and actions seemed quite forward for the time period. I also swooned over Cary Grant and appreciated his wit and snappy comebacks for every situation.  There is only one person that I have met in real life that is that quick with a quip and he was with us that evening. Nod to the brilliance of a quick wit here. 

The symbolism in this film was also fantastic. I know what a train going into a tunnel means and I giggled when I saw it. Current films don't use innuendo and mystery to this degree. I for one, like to use my imagination as I am so rarely asked to do so.  Bravissimo.

Box Office-The Fox Theater

Promenade-The Fox Theater

Mount Rushmore backdrop in bar

Blue is my favorite color neon

Lobby Bar at the Fox Theater

Lovely lights and painted ceilings

Great center seats for only $12

Rawr!

Does this make anyone else dizzy?

Let's all go to the lobby

It's strange to walk out of an old movie and see and old car, but there it was, right on cue.

Note to self: we need to move 'See Mt. Rushmore' higher up on the bucket list. 

So many things to do.......

Cheers!

Hitchcock Friday Film Festival

 More to Explore is going to the Fox Theater tonight to see North by Northwest! It is the first film in their new Hitchcock Friday Film Festival series. If you have not been to the Fox theater yet, now is the time because tickets are only $12 a person. This wilted flower from the past has been beautifully restored into a lovely theater once more.

 

We apologize that the above link is not active. If you want tickets, go here.

 

We hope to see you there. I'm easy to spot as I always have a camera in front of me. I hope to capture some great photos of this iconic building tonight.

Who's excited?

Cheers!

Fairmount Park on the 4th

I used to think of the Summer months as the time for slowing down and relaxing. This must be a throw back to my school years when Summer was framed by school work on each end of the year. Nowadays, the Summer calendar is so jam packed with activities, that I can barely keep up. We do carve out the schedule to just be in the moment, which is exactly what we did for the Fourth of July. We took the pups to Fairmount Park and spent the day there, with a picnic and a leisurely stroll around Lake Evans. It was a wonderful and memorable day. We made a quick getaway at days end just as people were swarming in to see the fireworks.  We watched them from the front yard at home, while trying to distract the pups in the house by playing classical music.

If you are like me and you have not been to this grand park in awhile, it's time to plan a visit. Right now they are hosting Summer Concerts in the Park on Wednesday nights. Check it out!

The Boathouse-Fairmount Park

Joe and Larry

Rent a Paddle boat to cruise around the lake

You can paddle around the Island of Palms

There is a tunnel under here for the boaters to pass

It's a popular place to fish-but beware- fishing line left behind entangles the birds

A watchful eye

The Famous Water Buffalo in front of the American Legion

Quietly fishing

'Have you seen my mom? She went to get lunch an hour ago'

Palm Palms

The Rose Garden

Pink rose

Red Rose

Sunset from a bench

Duck, duck, Goose!....and a Canadian one too.

Summer couple

Cheers! M2E

Local Eats-Little Green Onions

More to Explore loves to eat at local restaurants, and we have decided to share some of our favorites here with you. We will be featuring these in the future as 'Local Eats.' This is like an opinion page because, we are not being paid for our efforts.

There is some confusion as to what to call this restaurant. The sign says "LITTLE GREEN ONIONS"

but in cyberspace, it is also known as THE LITTLE GREEN ONION.

Who cares? It's still a great, little diner style place over in the Brockton Arcade.

This is one of our go-to places for breakfast. 

Their pancakes are so sweet, there is no need for syrup.

Booth, table or counter? If you sit at the counter, there are some very, cozy chairs there and you just might get the chance to chat with a regular.

The back wall constantly rotates the work of young artists with crayon skills.

Enjoy!

M2E

One Mission to rule them all

Of all the buildings in downtown Riverside, the most significant is certainly The Mission Inn. Over the years, I have seen it dually transformed by both neglect and restoration.  I even own a table sold off by the Mission in the 90's, right before Mr. Roberts stepped in, when funding was becoming critical. Ask almost any resident and they can tell you about a visit to the Inn, even if only to take guests down to see the lights at Christmas. Since my first visit at age twelve, it has been a re-occurring backdrop in my own life for family weddings, engagement parties, holiday dinners, overnight stays and of course Christmas light viewings.

Entrance to Kelly's Spa

Next time you find yourself downtown, wander in, order something refreshing and sit a spell. You just might meet someone who is new in town and you can tell them all about it.

Cheers!
M2E

Riverside Arts Walk-JUNE

Last Thursday was so much fun for my friends and I as we wandered around downtown for the Riverside Arts Walk.

First, we headed to the Riverside Arts Museum and browsed all the photography exhibits. The Photographers Artist Network had a showing from the super talented photography duo, Nancy and Paul Speaker. Paul is particularly adept at panoramic photos and it was a treat to see them displayed.

If you want to learn more about photography, PAN is the group to join. They have monthly meetings, field trips and connections to exhibition space for photographers. If your goal is improving your photography skills, they will also give constructive criticism to your work at a meeting or online. I am one of their newest members, so I hope you see improvements in my photos in the future.

Across the space was the work of the Poly High Photography Club, who showed a diverse collection of photographs. It was a delight to see. The young photographers were there ready to talk about their work, smiling at the crowds.

Art!

Atrium of the Riverside Art Museum

Old art

Performance Art by World to Dance

Support your local artist!

Downtown Rooftops

Fox Theater

I also traded some art with local artist, Raymond Argumedo that I met last month at Artswalk. If you are curious to see photos, or what prompted the swap, you can read more about it here.

Don't miss out on the next one, this event happens every month on the first Thursday from 6pm-9pm.

Cheers!