Travel Retro

If you want to take your retro experience one step further, why not plan a vacation around the kitsch, the cool and the swank of yesteryear? Travel Retro is a unique vacation destination website featuring the best of vintage Americana that has been revamped for today's modern traveler while preserving nostalgia from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. 

Travel Retro hunts for lost gems such as revived motor courts, vintage cabins and motels that were once vacation spots all throughout the American roadways. You can book and plan your travels right through their website for the ultimate retro experience. Their site and service is very unique and has a tremendous amount of interesting potential. I look forward to seeing their listings grow and their services expand. Their growing website will soon offer lodging, dining, attractions and a social blog for the retro enthusiast. Can you say pin-up girl road trip? ♥

www.TravelRetro.com

Step Back in Time at the Cicada Club

Photo by the talented Katie Reihman

If you love to pull out your finest vintagey frocks, display your biggest baubles and take your fancy footwear for a twirl, you must visit Maxwell DeMille’s Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles.  

The Cicada Club is a retro girl’s dream. From the moment you walk through the grand entryway of the 1928 art deco Oviatt Building, it feels as if you have been transported back in time. An opulent chandelier dangles over the dance floor setting the perfect ambiance of dazzle and mystery. The sweeping staircase frames the sides of the orchestra stage whisking you up to another level of drama from a time long ago. The upstairs walls are draped in a golden fabric leading you back to swank, cozy bar, smaller dance area, lush seating and a beautiful grand piano that you can imagine Louis Armstrong sitting down at to play a tune.

We had the pleasure of attending their special Swingin’ 60s Halloween Party and it was unlike anything I had experienced before. The guests were authentic to the period - from dressing in 60s attire to mimicking favorite characters from that classic era. And there was no real median age. Twenty, thirty and forty-somethings were swinging away to Dean Mora’s Orchestra on the dance floor right next to couples in their 70s and 80s - everyone dressed for the event and all appreciating the moment. It was magical.

The Cicada Club is open most Sunday evenings. Dinner reservations secure you a table around the main dance floor and near the band - usually a 40s style swing band. If you are just in the mood to sip cocktails, it’s generally a $10 cover charge with seating available on the second level.

www.cicadaclub.com

Egyptian Movie Theatre

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to view the old classic movies on the big screen? Imagine seeing Gene Kelly splashing around in glorious Technicolor as he danced on the streets in Singin’ In the Rain. Or watching Cary Grant and Grace Kelly captivate audiences as they were meant to back in 1955 when Hitchcock’s thriller, To Catch A Thief, debuted. If you live in Los Angeles, you’re in luck.

The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood celebrates cinema by preserving and presenting classic films. I recently saw Elizabeth Taylor’s epic picture, Cleopatra. Seeing her incredible costumes fully come to life was enough to enchant me for the four hours (yes four hours!) of the movie.  

This Saturday, July 16th,  the Egyptian Theatre is hosting a “Tiki Celebration” before playing the 1951 island fantasy, Bird of Paradise, starring Deborah Paget.  Enjoy tiki vendors; live music and performances from King Kukulele and His Friki Tikis; sip on tropical drinks and dine on island fare from Maui and Sons Restaurant while watching a Tiki Fashion Show in the Egyptian’s courtyard starting at 5 PM. It’s the perfect escape from Carmageddon if you happen to be near by!

Egyptian Theatre

6712 Hollywood Blvd.

Hollywood, CA 90028

Tiki art by Eric October who will also be featured at the Tiki Celebration.