go to content go to search box go to global site navigation

California

Dark sights in California

  1. Garden of Memories Cemetery

    Steinbeck is buried in the family plot at Garden of Memories Cemetery, 1 mile south of the center.

    reviewed

  2. Cemetery

    Residential neighborhoods, off the north end of Washington St, are lined with restored Victorian houses, and the spooky old cemetery at the west end of Jackson St has many graves from that era.

    reviewed

  3. A

    El Campo Santo

    El Campo Santo, is a tiny, touching cemetery dating back to the earliest Spanish settlers. One grave near the gate was so placed because the man, 'Jesus the Indian', died while 'completely drunk'. The construction of San Diego Ave accidentally covered many resting spots, so you may notice some medallions marking grave sites embedded in the street.

    reviewed

  4. B

    Old Jail

    The aura of the Old West still lingers over Truckee's teensy historic downtown where railroad workers and lumberjacks once milled about in raucous saloons, bawdy brothels and shady gambling halls. Most of the late-19th-century buildings now contain restaurants and cutesy boutiques. The Old Jail, in use until the 1960s, is filled with relics from the wild days of yore. The visitors center has free walking-tour maps.

    reviewed

  5. C

    Historic Truckee

    The aura of the Old West still lingers over Truckee's teensy historic downtown where railroad workers and lumberjacks once milled about in raucous saloons, bawdy brothels and shady gambling halls. Most of the late-19th-century buildings now contain restaurants and cutesy boutiques. The Old Jail, in use until the 1960s, is filled with relics from the wild days of yore. The visitors center inside the Amtrak train depot has free walking-tour maps.

    reviewed

  6. D

    Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Glendale

    This humungous cemetery is the final home of such Golden Age superstars as Clara Bow, Humphrey Bogart and Jimmy Stewart. Alas, many of their graves are in mausoleums and off-limits to the public. It doesn't help that cemetery staff strongly discourage star seekers. You can download maps from the internet (for example www.seeing-stars.com), but be discreet or risk having them confiscated. The grounds are still worth a visit if only to marvel at the country-club feel of the place and oddly impressive art such as a stained-glass version of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper.

    reviewed

  7. E

    Green Hills Memorial Park

    Amid the glitz and sprawl of Los Angeles, the port town of San Pedro (San Pee-dro) keeps it real. A slice of 1960s small-town America, its high street is devoid of chain-store clutter, down-to-earth locals ask how you're doing and actually mean it, and restored vintage cars time-warp you back to American Graffiti days. Despite some sprucing up, especially along 6th and 7th Sts in the historic downtown, an air of working-class grit remains, and so do many of the dive bars where Charles Bukowski probably ruined his liver. LA's late, great bad-boy poet now rests in Green Hills Memorial Park .

    reviewed

  8. F

    Forest lawn Cemetery

    Pathos, art and patriotism rule at this humongous cemetery next to Griffith Park. A fine catalog of old-time celebrities – including Lucille Ball, Bette Davis and Stan Laurel – rests within the manicured grounds strewn with paeans to early North American history. Look out for the giant The Birth of Liberty mosaic, Boston's re-created Old North Church and bronze sta­tues of Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln or watch a movie about the American Revolution. Staff aren't helpful in locating stars' graves but you can download guides from the internet (try www.seeing-stars.com). More dead stars are at the original Forest Lawn in nearby Glendale.

    reviewed

  9. G

    Mountain View Cemetery

    OK, it’s not your typical park, but Mountain View Cemetery was designed by Frederic Law Olmstead, the man behind NYC’s Central Park, and its gardens and statuary are gorgeous. Once you overcome (or indulge) the macabre aspect, it’s a lovely place for a picnic.

    reviewed

  10. H

    Hollywood Forever Cemetery

    Rock ’n’ roll faithful flock to the monument of guitar-playing Johnny Ramone at this Paramount-adjacent boneyard. Other residents include Hattie McDaniel, Rudolph Valentino and Cecil B DeMille. From Bugsy Siegel’s mausoleum, catch the perfectly framed view of the Hollywood sign – proving Hollywood, at least here, really is forever. Watch outdoor movie screenings in the summer (www.cinespia.org).

    reviewed

  11. Advertisement