Mystic Pizza, Mystic, Connecticut

"What the hell do you think Leona really puts in that pizza? "



 One of my favorite movies from the 1980's is Mystic Pizza (1988) staring Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts, and Lili Taylor. This adorable romantic comedy is about two sisters and their friend during the summer they worked at Mystic Pizza. This coming of age movie chronicles different events in each of the girls lives as they navigate love, school, work, family, and friendship.




The movie was inspired by this local pizza shop that caught a Hollywood screenwriters attention. The restaurant itself was and has been a popular location in Mystic, Connecticut since 1973. Popularity skyrocketed after the release of the movie. After the movie gained a cult following, the owners renovated the original shop to resemble the one from the movie.





















Today, the restaurant is still a full functioning pizza parlor. It is located on 56 W Main Street, Mystic Connecticut. The shop is filled with memorabilia from the movie and TVs play the movie continuously all day. You can view their menu and hours of operation on their website, www.mysticpizza.com

What do I carry in my carry on?

Even though I am a big fan of a good old fashion road trip, today the most popular and quickest way to travel is by airplane. Over my years of experience, I have mastered my craft of the perfect carry on; what is necessary and what is not? I’ve put together this list for you including pictures in hopes that it will help you with your future travels!

 

First of all, the morning of your flight, SHOWER! You don’t want to feel all gross on your flight and when you land at your destination! Do your hair, put on some simple make up, and dress cute, but comfortable! Please don’t wear pajamas or sweat pants on a flight. Often pilots will jump on a flight to get home and if you’re lucky enough to sit next to one, you’re going to want to be cute in case he is single! Come on, ladies!

 

So this is what I pack in my carryon:

 

Backpack- I prefer to use a backpack vs using a rolling suitcase. I have both, but I have found that the backpack works best for me. The reason why is because when I travel, I often visit lots of destinations and I don’t want to be lugging around two suitcases. I use a standard Jansport and it holds up perfectly for me.

  
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Passport/Travel Wallet- I ALWAYS carry my passport with me! You never know when you may meet a sexy Latino that wants you to go to Spain with him! You need to be prepared at all times! I use a Vktech travel wallet and of course, mine is pink! It perfectly holds everything that I need. It holds my passport, ID, credit cards, money, and there are plenty of other pockets to hold various different things. On the front there is a big pocket to store your boarding passes. Note: When traveling, don’t forget to inform your bank that you will be out of town! They won’t lock up your card if they know!

 

Personal Care Items- You are allowed a sandwich sized baggie full of toiletries on the plane. Usually I carry with me a travel size toothbrush, toothpaste, chap stick, anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, baby wipes, deodorant, nail file, hair ties, mini hair brush, bobby pins, headband and baby powder. I also like to have with me socks and travel slippers. I love using my pink snoozie slippers. They’re small, lightweight, and usually I will wear them through TSA. I also love to take with me an eye mask and earplugs. I’m a BIG fan of eye masks and ear plugs. They work wonders!  I don’t usually carry with me a neck pillow, but many people do when they travel. I feel that it’s bulky and unnecessary. 

 

Electronics- There are a few items that I ALWAYS keep on hand; my laptop, my ipad, iphone, ipod (thank you, Apple!), Cannon point and shoot digital camera, all chargers, AND A POWER STRIP! Do you know how many friends you will make by simply carrying a power strip with you in the airport?! Not all of the power outlets will work, so by carrying a power strip, you maximize charging outlets! I also take with me my iPhone head phones and I like to carry Sony noise cancelling headphones. The noise cancelling headphones are great because not only do they block out noises from other travelers, they also don’t disturb other passengers.

 

Accessories- A trick that I learned a few years ago was when traveling; don’t worry about wearing your jewelry through TSA. Put everything in a baggie and send it through in your carryon. You’re going to have to take it all off anyways, so save yourself some time and just have it all together. Once through security, you can wear it as much as you want. I also like to carry with me a pair of sunglasses and a pashmina scarf. Weather is unpredictable. You never know what it’s going to be like when you get to your destination. Sunglasses and a pashmina are great small items that don’t take up a lot of room but can be a BIG lifesaver!

Desert Memorial Park and Forest Lawn Cemetery, Cathedral City,California

Down near Palm Springs in Cathedral City, California, there are two small cemeteries with some very important residents. Sony Bono and Frank Sinatra are buried in Desert Memorial Park and John Phillips of The Mama's and the Papa's is at Forest Lawn. Also at Forest Lawn, is a small memorial to Rock Hudson, who was cremated and ashes scattered. If you want to go and visit this cemetery, it is south of Palm Springs off of Highway 111.

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, Los Angeles, California

This is interesting... I do believe that this is my first post about Los Angeles! My FAVORITE thing to do in Los Angeles is look up creepy locations. I can go to Hollywood and Highlands or Disneyland anytime and be that 'tourist' OR I can go and see things that are unique and different and have their lasting remark on pop culture history! So pretty much every time I visit, I like to go and see a cemetery. Laugh all you want, but they are actually pretty dang cool to see.

 

So, today I'm going to write about Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. This small cemetery is located in the middle of the city and you have to know that it's there to find it. It's literally surrounded by skyscrapers and sidewalks. This cemetery didn't start out as a celebrity burial place, but eventually did become one. There's not just famous people here; this is a real cemetery with just regular people so if you do visit, please be respectful.

 

If you're looking for this cemetery, it's address is 1218 Glendon Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

 

Rather than write about each individual resting here, I'm going to give you the Wikipedia link and it has a list of everyone that is notable.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westwood_Village_Memorial_Park_Cemetery

 

 

 

To the left of Marilyn Monroe, there is an empty tomb. Hugh Hefner purchased it years ago and when he passes, he will be buried next to her. Although Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner have never met, she was his first centerfold.

Ray Bradbury died in 2012.

Roy Orbison is buried in an unmarked grave to the right of director Frank Tuttle.

Francis and Sara Taylor were Elizabeth Taylor's parents. I noticed that there is an open spot to the left of them and I have never known why that is. Elizabeth Taylor is buried in a very grand style at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.

 

Note: This is a very real cemetery that has many other people buried here and lots of loved ones paying their respects. Please be respectful of the grounds and residents that are buried there. Once we are 6 feet under, we are all the same.

The Limelight, New York City, New York

Most of my posts take place in California (since that's where I'm from), so let's jump over to New York City for a post!

One of my favorite cult movies to watch is Party Monster (2003) starring Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green. The movie is the story of party promoters and Club Kids Michael Alig and James St. James and their journey in New York City as party kids, drug dealers, and eventually, an infamous murderer. Most of the movie takes place at a nightclub called The Limelight.

The Limelight was a very famous nightclub in New York City that was owned by Peter Gaiten and opened in November of 1983. It is located on Avenue of the Americas and West 20th Street and was once the former location of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion. Built in 1844-1845, it has a Gothic Revival style and was designed by Richard Upjohn. The building itself has been used for many reasons including a drug rehabilitation center during the early 1970s.

However, the most notorious use for this building was during the 1980's and 1990's when it became a nightclub. In the 80's, it was mostly used as a disco and rock club and has an impressive list of acts that have performed there. During the 1990's though is the time when The Limelight really became notorious. It became known for its music scene which played techno, goth, and industrial music and even more so for for it's recreational drug use and the dealers that congregated there.

The Limelight gained media attention in 1996 when a young man named Michael Alig created the Club Kids and became a huge party promoter for the club. He was excellent at his job and even traveled the country promoting the nightclub. The Club Kids were known for their flamboyant appearance and costumes that they donned regularly during their run in New York City. However, one night after an argument with his drug dealer, Angel Melendez, Alig beat him to deal with a hammer and then dismembered his body before throwing his remains into the Hudson River. Alig pled guilty to manslaughter in October of 1997 and was sentenced to 10-20 years in prison and was released on parole in May 2014.

The Limelight closed and reopened many times during the 1990's. In September of 2003 it reopened under the name Avalon but closed it's doors to the nightclub scene permanently in 2007. When I visited in June of 2013, it had been transformed into a marketplace that sold various fashion pieces. At the time that this blog was published, it was reported that the building had been turned into a gym.