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R. Hyde reports a recent visit to Desert Tower in the Southern Cleveland National Forest, CA, only ten miles from the Mexican border. Although he calls the place "well worth a stop" and insists "you won't be disappointed," he describes it as "a dusty museum of antiques, Indian artifacts and rocks" with "a pile of rocks that have been carved into various fanciful creatures, including lizards, fish, Indians, turtles...."
[03/17/1997]Desert View Tower:RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
- Address:
- In-Ko-Pah Rd, Jacumba, CA
- Directions:
- From Jacumba, go 4 miles east to I-8, go 3 mi NE on I-8 to the In-Ko-Pah turnoff, just before where the hwy splits. Go 1 mi N.
- Hours:
- Daily 9-5 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 619-766-4612
- Admission:
- Adults $6.50
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
Caren and Carl share their unmatched collection of naked ladies, unicorns, African-Americans in love -- all on display. Was in Portland, then LA.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Directions:
- Chinatown. On the west side of New High St. just north of Ord St., and a block east of N. Broadway. Close to US Hwy 101/Santa Ana Fwy exits 2A and 2B.
- Hours:
- 2020-21: Reported closed.
- Status:
- Closed
Classic towering fiberglass statue made in the 1960s to promote roadside businesses. "El Salsero" wears a Mexican hat and holds a taco platter.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Address:
- 22800 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA
- Directions:
- On the ocean side of Hwy 1/Pacific Coast Hwy, 5.5 miles west of its intersection with Hwy 27/S. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
- Admission:
- Free
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
Pinko Alex Madonna Has Things His Own Way
Alex Madonna, the cantankerous 82-year-old owner of the amazing Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, CA, has made local yuppies see pink by freshening the paint on the sign that beckons motorists off U.S. 101 and into his famous motel.
The sign, which has always been a garish pink -- as are many of the walls, carpets, and pieces of furniture within the Madonna Inn -- had been fading, so Madonna had it repainted. Some local residents, who have never liked the sign or the Inn, have complained that Madonna made it even pinker than the original. A neon green border now also graces the sign, and detractors claim that it was never there to begin with.
Alex Madonna built his Inn in 1958, filling it with pink things (its restaurant serves pink French toast) as well as showers and sinks made out of rocks, many caveman-themed motel rooms, and a waterfall urinal in the lobby men's room. Connie Pearce, the general manager (and Alex Madonna's daughter), says she wants to open a European-style topless swimming pool on the 2,200-acre property.
According to the Los Angeles Times, some residents have complained that Madonna's new paint job is "overly bright and out of character," for the Central Coast California town, which in recent years has seen an influx of SUV-driving, latte-sipping yuppies from the north and south. Alex La Chapelle, a spokeswoman for the local Chamber of Commerce, told the paper that, "Some people might think it sends the wrong message."
The town, which only had black-and-white pictures of the original sign to go on, has dropped the matter.
[09/10/2001]- Address:
- 100 Madonna Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA
- Directions:
- W. of US Hwy 101 on Madonna Rd.
- Phone:
- 805-543-3000
- RA Rates:
- Major Fun
- Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
"Ronald Reagan: Happy Times, Happy President" -- Photo send-off on the occasion of the death of the 40th US President, June 4, 2004.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
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Here's a photo of the Tower from our visit a few years ago.