Movie Colony Hotel in Palm Springs, California

There's nothing like staying at a unique, trendy and/or historic property to make any location more memorable. I found all of these things at the Movie Colony Hotel in Palm Springs, California. The property is located in the historic Movie Colony neighborhood, named for the numerous homes of movie stars that used to live here in the 1930's to 1960's. Notable residents included Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Cary Grant, Jack Benny, and Bing Crosby to name a few.

Designed in 1935 by famed modernist architect, Albert Frey, the Movie Colony Hotel is a prime example of Desert Modern architecture. It was one of Frey's first projects, and it only seemed to further fuel his love of the Palm Springs area. Among many other notable buildings, Frey also designed both the Aerial Tramway Station and the Palm Springs City Hall.  

The property went on to become a popular hangout for celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. There's even a bit of folklore about Jim Morrison of The Doors leaping off of the balcony of townhouse #29 into the pool here. Today the Movie Colony is a 16 room boutique hotel, and for me, it was my hub for a week during travel shoots for my Roadside California series.

Architect Albert Frey

LeMay America's Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington

Featuring a diverse collection of vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles, LeMay America's Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington is dedicated to car culture, technology, and design. 

Harold LeMay had one of the largest privately owned automobile collections in the world following his death in 2000. He stipulated that his collection be maintained and dreamed of creating a museum. In 2012 that dream became a reality and many of his vehicles are now on display at America's Car Museum and at The LeMay Family Collection Foundation at Marymount. With 165,000 square feet of exhibit space and over 300 vehicles on display, this is a car lovers paradise. Have a look at some of the incredible automotive eye-candy on display.  

Downtown Tacoma, Washington as seen from America's Car Museum.