Dexter - Season 8 - Vogel's House

This season on Dexter, a new character Dr. Evelyn Vogel was introduced. She

knew Dexter and Deb's father.  The house below was used as Dr. Vogel's house

on the show.  While watching the show, I thought it was a very unusual looking

home and my opinion didn't change when I saw it in person.  It is a very cool

looking place in the Belmont Shores area of Long Beach.

Dexter Season 8 - Central Park, Huntington Beach,CA

In Episode 4, Season 8 of Dexter............Dexter and Deb drove their car into a lake.

That lake is in Central Park in Huntington Beach.  Unfortunately, the day they

shot this scene, I was headed to Florida. I know several people who live in the

area and they were all texting me to make sure I knew Dexter was filming there.

I'm sorry I missed it, but I was excited to watch it on the show.

 

More RHOOC

Salt Creek Grille and A restaurant have both been featured on the show.

 

More RHOOC

 

Ritz Cove is the gated community where Lydia and Alexis live on Real Housewives of

Orange County.  I heard they both just rent houses there for the filming.

 

 

 

Pelican Hill is the gated community where RHOOC housewife Heather lives with

her plastic surgeon husband in Newport Beach.  They just sold their giant mansion

and are buying land to rebuild another dream house. Pelican Hill is the same place

that Kobe Bryant lives.  It is a very nice neighborhood!

More RHOOC

This is the location of Tamra and Eddie's wedding.

Newport Beach

                                     

Real Housewives of Orange County

I love the Bravo Channel!  The Real Housewife franchise and Andy Cohen are big time favorites of mine.  Last Sunday, my dog friend Poffie and I traveled to southern Orange County to find some of the locations that have been seen this year on the Real Housewives of Orange County.

 

 

 

Tamra's Fitness Center

Right across the street is Vicky's office for

Coto Insurance.

Cut Fitness Center

Front of Vicky's office building

Sideways - Los Olivos

Several wineries were used in the filming of SIDEWAYS.  Here are a couple from

nearby Los Olivos (which is also where Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch was located)

 

 

 

Blackjack Winery (mentions Sideways)

Fess Parker Winery

Sideways - Buellton, CA

In 2004, a small film that followed two men on a road trip through California Wine Country  was released.  SIDEWAYS followed the pre martial days of Thomas Haden Church (Jack) and his best friend Miles ( Paul Giamatti). Needless to say, I loved the movie.  Recently I took a 4 day road trip and stopped at some of the locations used in the film. The first stop was Buellton.

The hotel where they stayed

The restaurant where Maya worked (Virginia Madson)

Andersen's Pea Soup Restaurant

Weird Indiana

A couple of years ago, one of my friends gave me this very cool book called

WEIRD INDIANA. It tells about unusual sites throughout Indiana.  During

my April visit, I checked out a couple places.

 

 

A giant pink elephant with a martini

Cry Baby Bridge (legend says a baby died on the bridge

and at midnight you can hear him cry)

 

I love all those books about weird and unusual places. I'm sure I'll be

visiting more.

Happy 4th of July

                                Hope you are enjoying your holiday with family and friends!

Hoosiers - Hickory Gym

 

 

This is the Knightstown Hoosier Gym from my favorite basketball movie HOOSIERS.

I had PE in this gym during the sixth grade.  I also was fortunate enough to watch some

of the filming of the movie.  Gene Hackman was very pleasant to all the townspeople.

Breaking Away - Bloomington, IN

The 1979 coming of age movie BREAKING AWAY was filmed in my home state of Indiana. It was filmed mostly in Bloomington, IN - the home of Indiana University.  While I was home for Christmas this year, my friends and I took a look back at some of the locations. Afterwards, I re-watched the movie and I can honestly say that I still loved it.



 

Delta Delta Delta house

Stohler Home

Pizza Place

I U football stadium area

Monroe County Courthouse

Gangster Squad

I knew the movie Gangster Squad was shot in the Los Angeles area, so I was eager to check it out and find some of the locations.  I didn't really expect to enjoy the movie (too much violence), but I was pleasantly surprised.  There was definitely violence, but it was well made and kept my attention (with my eyes opened 99% of the time). 

 

 

Slapsy Maxie's (an old furniture whse in Bellflower)

 

 

Chinatown

 

Final shootout location - Park Plaza Hotel

John O'Mara's (Josh Brolin) home. 

American Horror Story house



I have to admit that I was a little afraid to watch the TV series AMERICAN HORROR STORY.  Everyone kept telling me how great it was, but it was on at 10 pm.  When it came out on DVD, I decided to give it a shot (during daylight hours of course).  The first couple of episodes I watched during the day, but then it got so good I forgot it was dark,  Needless to say, I loved Season one and the subject matter didn't give me nightmares. I've stopped by to see this house a few times during the last couple of years and I am amazed by it each time.  The last time I tried to get a close up of the front porch since it was used in several episodes. 

 



 

Ebell Theatre - The Waltons



Last September,  my friend Nancy and I went to the historic Ebell Theatre in the Wilshire District to the 40th Anniversary of  THE WALTONS.  The reunion was organized by Kami Cotler (the youngest daughter Elizabeth) and the proceeds benefited the Environment Charter School.  It was a fun evening and it was amazing to see how many well know actors appeared on the show during its run from 1971-1981.  The Ebell has also been on the silver screen. It appeared in Forrest Gump as the Saigon hospital where Gump and Lt. Dan recuperate. More recently, it was the auction house that sold George's belongings in the movie THE ARTIST.

  

Crown Hill Cemetery - Indianapolis, IN

While visiting family in Indiana over the holidays, I checked out Crown Hill Cemetery. The cemetery is located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis and is the third largest non-governmental cemetery in the US. It was dedicated in1864. It sits on 555 acres,  has 200,000 graves and services about 1500 burials a year.  It also sits on the highest geographic point within the city limits. It is the final resting place of James Whitcomb Riley and John Dillinger as well as many others.



 

The view from James W. Riley's grave

Crown Hill Gateway

James W. Riley's grave (the highest point)

John Dillinger's grave

Honey Boo Boo at the Grove

I mentioned in an earlier post  that I saw Honey Boo Boo and Mama June at the Grove a few months ago.  Here are some pictures from that adventure.  She was accompanied by several paparazzi and several men and women in business attire. (I assume they were executives from TLC) Alana was in rare form that day.

Mad Men Filming

A few months ago, I read online that MAD MEN was filming at a house in the West Adams District of Los Angeles, so I loaded up and went to get a glimpse of Jon Hamm........number one on my list of Celebrities I want to meet.  I spent about three hours outside of this house. I believed that Jon Hamm was inside directing the episode.  While watching the show this season , I did see the episode that was filmed that day.  Only a couple of other guys were there waiting for him (they had Malboro cigarette packs for him to sign), so this would have been the perfect time to meet him....no crowds. The house below appeared early in the season and then again in the finale. Unfortunately that day, I never did see Jon Hamm.  Hopefully, one day I will get that opportunity.

 

 

 

 

Dexter Filming - Pasadena & Huntington Beach

DEXTER is my favorite show.  When the new season starts, I get Showtime added to my cable lineup and when the season is over, I cancel Showtime.  That's how much I love it and do not want to wait for the DVD to come out.  I'm very sad that this season will be Dexter's last.  About a month ago, I read that they would be filming at a hotel in Pasadena so I headed up to watch.  When I got home that evening, I found out they would be filming in my town (Huntington Beach) the very next day.  So, of course I had to go get some pictures of that as well.  My stalking buddy - Buddy the Schnoodle was along for the ride.