#Flowers near Bixby

[rathbones-flair-flowers]

Flower Delivery near Bixby

[aristocraticvision]

Chapter 94: The Wedding (Part 3)

The Marchand family chapel was small, but opulent. Once used regularly for family services, today, it was only used occasionally for christenings, memorials and other private ceremonies.

Yet today, it was decorated more than Stephen had ever seen it, and he smiled as he stood near the alter, where Archbishop Anscom stood waiting, a broad smile on his usually serious face.

Yes, the dowager princess had outdone herself with the décor – although Stephen suspected that the volume of flowers, ribbon and garland had more to do with the change in venue than it did with any intentional planning. The chapel was significantly smaller than St. Thomas’ Church, where the event had been planned initially. Yet the effect of so much beauty in one small space was almost intoxicating – a feeling Stephen felt was rather appropriate for such an important and long-awaited event.

He stood alone, but could feel the presence of everyone he loved at his side. His mother glowed in her seat in the front row, while his second mother, Lady Olivia, gazed at him with so much love that it hurt his heart. There, too, was Devon, his cousin and heir, sitting next to his domineering mother, the Lady Augusta. But today, not even her presence could cause him any annoyance.

These family members, few as they were, were surrounded by others – friends, coworkers, even servants such as Bixby, Sam Benedict and others Stephen favored. There, in front of them all, he would pledge his life and his love to his beloved Elizabeth.

The organ music swelled, and his heart did as well as he saw Elizabeth enter the chapel on the arm of her brother – and his friend – Jason Howes. She looked radiant, and he had to consciously steady himself as she glided down the aisle, smiling from ear to ear. He quickly realized that he was doing the same.

As she reached the front, Jason offered Stephen his sister’s hand, which Stephen took tenderly in his own. He smiled at Jason, who had been one of his best friends and confidants since boyhood. Now they would truly be brothers.

If she was nervous, Elizabeth didn’t seem to show it, wearing a smile equal to Stephen’s own. Archbiship Anscom prayed, then looked up to smile at those assembled in the chapel.

“We are gathered here today in the sight of God and these witnesses to join His Royal Highness Prince Stephen III of Weston and the Right Honorable Elizabeth Howes in the bonds of holy matrimony,” he said. “While we are but few, compared to the hundreds who would normally help this happy couple celebrate their union, those here represent the friends and family members Stephen and Elizabeth will rely on most in the coming months and years as they build a life and a family together and lead our nation to its destiny. Each of us bears a solemn responsibility before God to support this couple as they grow and prosper as man and wife – and as prince and princess.”

Then, in front of their friends and family, the two exchanged their vows.

“I, Stephen Michael George Arthur Phillip Marchand, Sovereign Prince of Weston, take thee, Elizabeth Vivienne Sarah Howes, as my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, forsaking all others, for as long as we both shall live.”

And, in return:

“I, Elizabeth Vivienne Sarah Howes, take thee, Stephen Michael George Arthur Phillip Marchand, as my lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, forsaking all others, for as long as we both shall live.”

“Then, by the power vested in me by God and his church, I pronounce you man and wife,” he said. “Your Royal Highness, you may kiss your royal bride.”

Stephen eagerly followed his instructions, then the couple turned to those gathered in the chapel as the archbishop introduced them as man and wife for the first time.

“I present His Royal Highness Stephen III, Sovereign Prince of Weston and his wife, Her Serene Highness Elizabeth, Princess of Weston. May God bless and keep them both.”

The room erupted into applause – one of the benefits of a smaller, more intimate ceremony was that emotions could be shared more openly -- as Stephen and Elizabeth walked down the aisle toward the chapel doors.

Emerging from the chapel doors into the bright midday sun, Stephen and Elizabeth found themselves under a canopy of drawn sabres, thanks to the honor guard assembled along the carpet to their car.

The car would whisk them back to the palace, where they would make a quick appearance before the media as man and wife before preparing for the reception and celebratory dinner that evening.

BEGINNING | PREV | NEXT

Continent of Oceana | History of Weston | History of Corwyn | History of Torenth

[maccahotney]

// King of Yesterday • Jude // Like we did (windows down) • The Maine // Tokyo Sunrise • LP // Near to you • A Fine Frenzy // (Just like) starting over • John Lennon // Twice in a lifetime • Paul McCartney // This never happened before • Paul McCartney // Oh! Darling • The Beatles // What hurts the most • Rascal Flatts // Dear friend • Paul McCartney // Rush • Ferras // This one • Paul McCartney // Mind games • John Lennon // Tug of war • Paul McCartney // All you need is love • The Beatles // Dreaming of you • Cigaretts After Sex // My obsession • Cinema Bizarre // Fireside • Brett Bixby // Faded • Alan Walker (Sara Farell Cover) // Universe and U • KT Tunstall // Far away • Nickelback // Tonight • FM Static // It’s only love • The Beatles // Here today • Paul McCartney // Call me back again (live) • Wings // If I fell • The Beatles // (Forgive me) my little flower princess • John Lennon // Jealous guy • John Lennon // Like a star • Corinne Bailey Rae // Two of us • The Beatles // La javanaise • Madeleine Peyroux // Don’t let me go • Raign // Here, there and everywhere • The Beatles // Rough ride (live) • Paul McCartney // Confidante • Paul McCartney // Real love • The Beatles // In my life • The Beatles // Somedays • Paul McCartney // And I love her • The Beatles // Free as a bird • The Beatles // Woman • John Lennon // The songs we were singing • Paul McCartney

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[unchartedterritoria]

Dangerous (Sam Drake x OC) - Chapter 7

In case you don’t want to read it here, the whole work can be found on A03:

AO3 Chapter 7 Link

Previous Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6

Chapter Summary: Sam and Faith head off on their journey and someone else is soon on their heels.

Faith glanced at the wall clock in her apartment. 4:35PM. Sam and Faith had agreed to meet back at her apartment by 5 PM, each of them had things to do and provisions to get before setting out for Illinois. Nathan had assured both of them Faith would be safe running a couple of hours of errands now that the Laginas had agreed on a ceasefire and Jasper Nox had seemed to have crawled back into whatever Georgia hole he crawled out of.

As she stuffed the last of her clothes in an oversized backpack, she heard the key in the lock of her apartment door. She glanced up as Sam walked in, swinging the metal door shut with a kick of his foot causing a loud thunk. Faith recognized the large green army duffel Sam set down on the couch from the motel room but not the smaller black one he put on top of it. Sam put a hand on the back of his neck, giving the tense muscles a rough squeeze and stretch.

“You get everything?” He asked.

She cinched the neck of her backpack closed and dropped it next to the smaller one on the floor.

“Snacks, clothes, cash, and Bible,” Faith announced as she pointed to each backpack and her green army medic bag she used as her purse that sat on her bed. “How about you? You get everything?”

Sam unzipped the black duffel and threw a small flip phone at Faith. “Burner phone for you, burner phone for me. Sent Nathan the numbers already so we can get a hold of him. Each one has the others number programmed in that way we're set in case we get separated. Leave your phone here, pull the battery and the SIM card.”

Faith nodded, storing the new phone in her purse and taking out her old one. She popped out the battery and SIM card, throwing the whole works on her bedspread.

“What else...whoa. Whoa. Hey now.” Faith stammered as she turned to see Sam holding out a handgun to her.

“Wrap it in a shirt, throw it in your bag. It's just in case,” Sam gently insisted. Faith stepped back with her arms wrapped around herself tightly, shaking her head no.

“Sam, no, I don't do guns.”

“Take the gun, Faith.”

“No, I don't do guns. I've never shot one, I don't like holding them, I don't like being near them. Nope, nuh uh. I don't do it,” She said, still furiously shaking her head.

“You wanted treasure hunting 101? Here ya go. Lesson one, be prepared in case shit goes down now take the goddamn gun,” Sam said with frustration. Faith reached out and carefully took it from his outstretched hand. She grabbed an errant gray t-shirt that was thrown over the back of her computer chair and wrapped it, taking great care to avoid touching anywhere near the trigger. She reopened her pack and nestled the gun in a hidden inner pocket and closed it again quickly.

“That it?” Faith asked Sam.

“Rental car's parked out back. Good to go?” He questioned. Faith nodded and grabbed up her gear, slinging what she could over her shoulders and headed towards her door. She shut it tight behind her and Sam, the click a little louder to her than normal, as if the universe was giving her signal, some subtle nod that it would be quite a while before she would be back and hear that sound again. Faith shoved the keys in her jacket pocket and headed towards the buildings set of elevators.

“You give the rental guy a fake name?” She asked as she walked down the hallway of apartment doors.

“Yeah.”

“Justin Case?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Too obvious, Russell P. Bell.”

“You really like the letter P for a middle initial don't you?” She questioned as she stopped in front of the elevators.

“Not really.”

The elevator dinged, announcing its arrival as the doors slid open. “I bet it's your real middle initial.” Faith said as she stepped into the elevator. Sam let out a chuckle, “No, it's not my middle initial.”

Faith pressed the button for the main floor. She gasped, a thought striking her. “Your middle name is Phineas, isn't it?” She said as she looked at Sam, nodding with a goofy smile that made her look like she had just figured out a deep, cool secret of the world. Sam stared at her strangely at a complete loss for words as the elevator doors slid closed in front of them.

Sam turned the key to the small SUV, the engine kicking over and roaring to life. Their gear safely stored in the back seat, Sam put it in drive and turned out the gravel parking lot. Faith slid down a little in her seat, adjusting her seat belt snug across her chest. She watched Sam fiddle with the radio, scanning for a station across the FM band that came in clear. She slid her seat back and propped her feet up on the dash of the rental. “Better,” Sam proclaimed, finally stopping his search as Creedence Clearwater Revival came through the surprisingly decent speaker system of the car. Faith cozied herself down against the door of the car, watching the world go by her in the mirror. She caught a glance of her apartment building. This was it, everything that was comfortable, every known in her life was in that building and she was watching it get smaller and smaller. She glanced beside her and saw her mother sitting in the driver's seat instead of Sam, John Fogherty's voice mixing in her head with hers and her mothers as they sang. Her mom turned to her and told her, “Sing out Faith! Don't be afraid. Be bold, be brave! That's where the fun is Baby!” A smile beaming at her as her mother leaped right back into the chorus of the song. Faith blinked, the sight of her mother replaced with Sam. He sang under his breath as he fished around in a jacket pocket for a lighter. She smiled and looked back into the mirror, seeing the last of her building fade out of her sight.

Be bold, be brave! That's where the fun is Baby!

LYONS, GEORGIA

Jasper Nox sat perched with perfect posture on an ornate white wicker veranda chair. The screened in porch let the gentle breeze of the warm, humid day through while keeping out the pesky bugs that came along with it. The sprawling high society farmhouse sat on 75 acres of well-kept land filled with corn, onions and peach trees. He held a well-worn paperback in his good hand. Jasper had read this tawdry romance novel many times and each time he reread it, it became funnier and funnier with its absurdity. Jasper considered all manner of romance and love absolutely ridiculous, it created unnecessary complications in one's life.

“Mr. Nox sir?” A man said as he approached Jasper, carrying a glass full of crushed ice and Dr. Pepper.

“Ah, thank you, Wallace!” Jasper said, setting his book down on the glass top coffee table in front of him. Wallace handed him the glass, making sure to put it in his fully functioning hand. Jasper took a sip, drops clinging to his red mustache. “Wonderful, wonderful,” He muttered to himself in satisfaction and set the glass on a coaster next to his novel.

“Sir, I heard from our man we left on the ground. Victor Sullivan made it,” Wallace said, trying to keep the undercurrent of nerves out of his voice.

“Yes, yes I heard. Unfortunate. Marty Lagina must be losing his touch. Well, a thorn in my side to be removed on another occasion. Anything else?” He asked, fiddling absentmindedly with the wedding band on his right hand.

“Sam Drake and the girl are on the move. They set out by car yesterday. Car rental agent didn't know exactly where they were headed, but Drake estimated the added mileage to be 500 for one way.”

“And what do we know about the girl?”

“Faith Evelyn Spencer. 29. Cook with a Bachelors in Communications, only child, mother passed six months ago from kidney failure, no other living immediate family.”

“Have Bixby look into this girl a little more. Nathan Drake might be a pompous wisenheimer but he knows his relics. If he says this girl has the second Lincoln Bible in her possession, I am inclined to believe him. I want to know who she is and how she came to acquire it before they do. Then, have him and his men head to Springfield,” Jasper ordered Wallace in his southern Georgia drawl.

“Springfield, sir?” Wallace questioned.

“If you want information on Lincoln, you head to where the man was born and raised. Make sure he knows retrieving the Bible is the top priority. Bringing in Drake and the girl alive would be preferable, I do love a good bargaining chip, but tell Bixby it's not a necessity,” He said, his instructions came across as a man talking to a toddler and not a middle aged man.

“Very good sir, will there be anything else?”

Jasper looked out the side of the screened in porch towards a large magnolia tree that preceded the acres of peach trees.

“The magnolia is looking a little peaked. Make sure Mrs. Nox tends to it. I think she's around the side of the house. That will be all Wallace, thank you,” He said, taking his hand away from his wedding band and picking up his book again. Wallace left to find Mrs. Nox as Jasper straightened his back in his chair, smoothing his linen shirt down his large frame. He flipped open his book to the marked page where he left off. The hero was about to swoop in and rescue his lady love and proclaim his everlasting love any page now and Jasper was anxious for the absurdity to begin. A door on the side of the muted yellow house banged shut while Jasper flipped the dogeared corner of the book up and turned the page. Wallace pushed a wheelbarrow of dirt towards the magnolia, a small flowerbed surrounding it of cardinal flowers. Jasper's eyes flew over the lines of type with the expertise of a person that had read the book many times over. An amused smile spread across his thin lips and a gleeful chuckle came from deep in his barrel chest. His laughter grew as his hero professed his feelings for his love line after line. The silliness of how useless a feeling but yet how important it was thought to be. Wallace took a shovel and spread the dark fertilizer over the growing flower bed. Wallace took another shovel full out of the wheelbarrow, a small metal plate attached to the inside back wall of the tub. Inscribed on it was a name, DOROTHEA NOX, in perfect script.

Jasper continued to giggle as sipped his Dr. Pepper, stole a glance outside to the flowering tree. At least my wife is useful, he thought gleefully and flipped another page forward in his book.

[redscbdoils]

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The post Cbd Oil For Dogs Hips And Joints appeared first on Reds CBD Oils - Buy your CBD Oil products Near me.

[jonathanbelloblog]

A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear

Yesterday I crossed the street to visit Marilyn Monroe. The platinum-haired beauty wasn’t much of a car enthusiast—the only automobile she’s said to have ever owned was a 1956 Ford T-bird she received as a Christmas gift—but she did appear in the 1950 John Huston movie The Asphalt Jungle, the title of which I appropriated for the monthly column I’ve been writing for roughly 15 years now. So she’s in my “club.” Playboy founder Hugh Hefner lies immediately to Marilyn’s left, having long ago purchased the marble crypt so he could be assured of sleeping forever next to the star whose photograph became his magazine’s first-ever centerfold.

Hugh was a car enthusiast; he especially loved German metal. Among his wheels: a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman limo, a 1959 300SL roadster, and a 1972 BMW 3.0CS. Some folks even say the name of Hefner’s groundbreaking monthly was inspired by the then-newly defunct Playboy Automobile Company. (Playboy co-founder Eldon Sellers’ mother worked for the car company’s sales office in Chicago.)

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park is tiny at just 2.5 acres and, if you didn’t know where to look, all but impossible to find. Its entrance is hidden away behind a few nondescript office towers on Los Angeles’ busy Wilshire Boulevard. But I walk there often. It’s nearby, quiet, and peaceful. Filled with flowers and handsome trees. And on a per-square-foot basis, it hosts more celebrities than the lunchtime dining room at Spago.

When I walk past the graves of Monroe, Hefner, and the many other storied names at Westwood Memorial, I can’t help but pause and try to imagine the lives they led—working under the lights, the parties, the beautiful homes, the interactions with fans and critics, stardom’s delirious highs and crushing lows. But of course I also wonder: What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

Near the Monroe and Hefner crypts rests crooner and actor Dean Martin. (He died on Christmas Day in 1995.) The Sinatra pal and Rat Packer owned a slew of sweet rides, including a ’76 Stutz Blackhawk and a car I once profiled in Motor Trend Classic, the avant-garde 1962 Italian-American Ghia L6.4—one of just 26 ever built. (Sinatra had one, too.) Edgy as it may have been (the L6.4 was based on the striking 1957 Chrysler Dart concept car), the Ghia wasn’t cool enough out of the box for “The King of Cool,” so Martin had famed Hollywood car customizer George Barris (of original Batmobile fame) tweak his with an extra helping of suave. A little research suggests the car was last sold in 2012 with an asking price of $199,500. The Ghia was said to be in immaculate, unrestored condition—with only 46,000 miles on the odometer. I’ll have to whisper that to Dino on my next visit.

Actress Natalie Wood is buried under a tree amid the central lawn, having mysteriously drowned off SoCal’s Catalina Island in 1981. She was just 43 years old. Two-plus decades before her death, at age 19 and already a huge star, Wood purchased a brand-new 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster—and promptly had the car painted bright pink. A subsequent owner, not surprisingly, had it repainted back to its original Silver Blue—but the red leather interior and highly desirable Rudge wheels remain as Wood enjoyed them. The car—restored to concours condition—sold at auction in 2014 for $1.84 million, well above estimate. Whenever I stop here, Wood’s grave always seems to be adorned with flowers, but the day of my December visit, someone had also placed a small Christmas tree. It had tipped over in the wind, so I set it back up straight and tucked it in, remembering how gorgeous Wood looked when I first saw her in 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause. And how alive.

What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

His crypt not far from Monroe’s, actor Robert Stack, like Wood and Hefner, was also the proud owner of a Mercedes 300SL roadster. Although probably best known to contemporary audiences as the blundering Captain Rex Kramer in 1980’s Airplane! or as the host of Unsolved Mysteries, in 1960 Stack was the rising young star of ABC’s hit drama The Untouchables, where he played famed Chicago law-enforcement agent and Prohibition enforcer Eliot Ness. It’s said that every day Stack would drive down Sunset Boulevard on his way to the studio and, passing an auto showroom, stare at a bright green ’57 SL on display. Finally, his wife, Rosemarie, threw up her hands and said, in effect, “Just buy the darn thing!” Yet Stack didn’t do so, telling a MotorTrend writer in 1998, “I’d never pay that much money for a car for myself.”

Natalie Wood had her 300SL roadster painted pink.

As fate would have it, though, Stack didn’t have to spend a dime. Unbeknownst to him, Untouchables producer (and I Love Lucy star) Desi Arnaz bought the car for Stack, a gift for his having won the Best Actor Emmy for 1960. Stack owned the SL right up until his death in 2003. A decade later, the car—now painted dark red but otherwise almost completely original—sold at auction for $808,500. Sorry, Mr. Ness, but that good news merits a cold martini.

Actor Jack Lemmon, who died in 2001 at the age of 76, has the best headstone in Westwood Memorial. It reads simply: “Jack Lemmon”—then, below, “In.” Yet the two-time Oscar winner was the complete opposite of a car guy. In a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lemmon’s son, Chris, confessed: “[My dad] was the worst friggin’ driver. He wrecked a magnificent sports car for pretty much every film he ever did. For How to Murder Your Wife, he wrecked an Aston Martin. During Tribute, he wrecked a vintage MG that he bought from Bill Bixby [late star of the 1977–82 hit CBS series The Incredible Hulk].” Lemmon’s grave lies in a prime spot, at the end of a line of four that includes actor Carroll “Archie Bunker” O’Connor, legendary writer-director and Lemmon favorite Billy “Some Like It Hot” Wilder, and actor Peter “Columbo” Falk. It’s a 12-foot walk of fame.

For me, Westwood Memorial isn’t a sad place; it’s a celebration of lives lived uniquely—and full-up. It’s also, at times, a reminder of the utter absurdity and unpredictability of existence. (The child star of the 1982 horror hit Poltergeist, Heather “They’re heeerrrre!” O’Rourke, rests in a crypt near the entrance; she was only 12 when she died of septic shock in 1988.) Thankfully, near Lemmon lies comedian and actor Rodney Dangerfield; inscribed under his name on the headstone: “THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.” Mr. “I don’t get no respect” died in 2004, just shy of his 83rd birthday. Whether Dangerfield gave one whit about cars, I don’t know, but every time I come to Westwood Memorial, I’m uplifted by memories of the comic’s hilarious stand-up routines, many of which revolved around his wife and her lousy driving. One of my faves: “My wife took her driver’s test . . . oh, she was happy. She got 18 out of 20! Yeah, two guys jumped out of the way!”

The post A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[jesusvasser]

A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear

Yesterday I crossed the street to visit Marilyn Monroe. The platinum-haired beauty wasn’t much of a car enthusiast—the only automobile she’s said to have ever owned was a 1956 Ford T-bird she received as a Christmas gift—but she did appear in the 1950 John Huston movie The Asphalt Jungle, the title of which I appropriated for the monthly column I’ve been writing for roughly 15 years now. So she’s in my “club.” Playboy founder Hugh Hefner lies immediately to Marilyn’s left, having long ago purchased the marble crypt so he could be assured of sleeping forever next to the star whose photograph became his magazine’s first-ever centerfold.

Hugh was a car enthusiast; he especially loved German metal. Among his wheels: a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman limo, a 1959 300SL roadster, and a 1972 BMW 3.0CS. Some folks even say the name of Hefner’s groundbreaking monthly was inspired by the then-newly defunct Playboy Automobile Company. (Playboy co-founder Eldon Sellers’ mother worked for the car company’s sales office in Chicago.)

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park is tiny at just 2.5 acres and, if you didn’t know where to look, all but impossible to find. Its entrance is hidden away behind a few nondescript office towers on Los Angeles’ busy Wilshire Boulevard. But I walk there often. It’s nearby, quiet, and peaceful. Filled with flowers and handsome trees. And on a per-square-foot basis, it hosts more celebrities than the lunchtime dining room at Spago.

When I walk past the graves of Monroe, Hefner, and the many other storied names at Westwood Memorial, I can’t help but pause and try to imagine the lives they led—working under the lights, the parties, the beautiful homes, the interactions with fans and critics, stardom’s delirious highs and crushing lows. But of course I also wonder: What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

Near the Monroe and Hefner crypts rests crooner and actor Dean Martin. (He died on Christmas Day in 1995.) The Sinatra pal and Rat Packer owned a slew of sweet rides, including a ’76 Stutz Blackhawk and a car I once profiled in Motor Trend Classic, the avant-garde 1962 Italian-American Ghia L6.4—one of just 26 ever built. (Sinatra had one, too.) Edgy as it may have been (the L6.4 was based on the striking 1957 Chrysler Dart concept car), the Ghia wasn’t cool enough out of the box for “The King of Cool,” so Martin had famed Hollywood car customizer George Barris (of original Batmobile fame) tweak his with an extra helping of suave. A little research suggests the car was last sold in 2012 with an asking price of $199,500. The Ghia was said to be in immaculate, unrestored condition—with only 46,000 miles on the odometer. I’ll have to whisper that to Dino on my next visit.

Actress Natalie Wood is buried under a tree amid the central lawn, having mysteriously drowned off SoCal’s Catalina Island in 1981. She was just 43 years old. Two-plus decades before her death, at age 19 and already a huge star, Wood purchased a brand-new 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster—and promptly had the car painted bright pink. A subsequent owner, not surprisingly, had it repainted back to its original Silver Blue—but the red leather interior and highly desirable Rudge wheels remain as Wood enjoyed them. The car—restored to concours condition—sold at auction in 2014 for $1.84 million, well above estimate. Whenever I stop here, Wood’s grave always seems to be adorned with flowers, but the day of my December visit, someone had also placed a small Christmas tree. It had tipped over in the wind, so I set it back up straight and tucked it in, remembering how gorgeous Wood looked when I first saw her in 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause. And how alive.

What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

His crypt not far from Monroe’s, actor Robert Stack, like Wood and Hefner, was also the proud owner of a Mercedes 300SL roadster. Although probably best known to contemporary audiences as the blundering Captain Rex Kramer in 1980’s Airplane! or as the host of Unsolved Mysteries, in 1960 Stack was the rising young star of ABC’s hit drama The Untouchables, where he played famed Chicago law-enforcement agent and Prohibition enforcer Eliot Ness. It’s said that every day Stack would drive down Sunset Boulevard on his way to the studio and, passing an auto showroom, stare at a bright green ’57 SL on display. Finally, his wife, Rosemarie, threw up her hands and said, in effect, “Just buy the darn thing!” Yet Stack didn’t do so, telling a MotorTrend writer in 1998, “I’d never pay that much money for a car for myself.”

Natalie Wood had her 300SL roadster painted pink.

As fate would have it, though, Stack didn’t have to spend a dime. Unbeknownst to him, Untouchables producer (and I Love Lucy star) Desi Arnaz bought the car for Stack, a gift for his having won the Best Actor Emmy for 1960. Stack owned the SL right up until his death in 2003. A decade later, the car—now painted dark red but otherwise almost completely original—sold at auction for $808,500. Sorry, Mr. Ness, but that good news merits a cold martini.

Actor Jack Lemmon, who died in 2001 at the age of 76, has the best headstone in Westwood Memorial. It reads simply: “Jack Lemmon”—then, below, “In.” Yet the two-time Oscar winner was the complete opposite of a car guy. In a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lemmon’s son, Chris, confessed: “[My dad] was the worst friggin’ driver. He wrecked a magnificent sports car for pretty much every film he ever did. For How to Murder Your Wife, he wrecked an Aston Martin. During Tribute, he wrecked a vintage MG that he bought from Bill Bixby [late star of the 1977–82 hit CBS series The Incredible Hulk].” Lemmon’s grave lies in a prime spot, at the end of a line of four that includes actor Carroll “Archie Bunker” O’Connor, legendary writer-director and Lemmon favorite Billy “Some Like It Hot” Wilder, and actor Peter “Columbo” Falk. It’s a 12-foot walk of fame.

For me, Westwood Memorial isn’t a sad place; it’s a celebration of lives lived uniquely—and full-up. It’s also, at times, a reminder of the utter absurdity and unpredictability of existence. (The child star of the 1982 horror hit Poltergeist, Heather “They’re heeerrrre!” O’Rourke, rests in a crypt near the entrance; she was only 12 when she died of septic shock in 1988.) Thankfully, near Lemmon lies comedian and actor Rodney Dangerfield; inscribed under his name on the headstone: “THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.” Mr. “I don’t get no respect” died in 2004, just shy of his 83rd birthday. Whether Dangerfield gave one whit about cars, I don’t know, but every time I come to Westwood Memorial, I’m uplifted by memories of the comic’s hilarious stand-up routines, many of which revolved around his wife and her lousy driving. One of my faves: “My wife took her driver’s test . . . oh, she was happy. She got 18 out of 20! Yeah, two guys jumped out of the way!”

The post A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[eddiejpoplar]

A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear

Yesterday I crossed the street to visit Marilyn Monroe. The platinum-haired beauty wasn’t much of a car enthusiast—the only automobile she’s said to have ever owned was a 1956 Ford T-bird she received as a Christmas gift—but she did appear in the 1950 John Huston movie The Asphalt Jungle, the title of which I appropriated for the monthly column I’ve been writing for roughly 15 years now. So she’s in my “club.” Playboy founder Hugh Hefner lies immediately to Marilyn’s left, having long ago purchased the marble crypt so he could be assured of sleeping forever next to the star whose photograph became his magazine’s first-ever centerfold.

Hugh was a car enthusiast; he especially loved German metal. Among his wheels: a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman limo, a 1959 300SL roadster, and a 1972 BMW 3.0CS. Some folks even say the name of Hefner’s groundbreaking monthly was inspired by the then-newly defunct Playboy Automobile Company. (Playboy co-founder Eldon Sellers’ mother worked for the car company’s sales office in Chicago.)

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park is tiny at just 2.5 acres and, if you didn’t know where to look, all but impossible to find. Its entrance is hidden away behind a few nondescript office towers on Los Angeles’ busy Wilshire Boulevard. But I walk there often. It’s nearby, quiet, and peaceful. Filled with flowers and handsome trees. And on a per-square-foot basis, it hosts more celebrities than the lunchtime dining room at Spago.

When I walk past the graves of Monroe, Hefner, and the many other storied names at Westwood Memorial, I can’t help but pause and try to imagine the lives they led—working under the lights, the parties, the beautiful homes, the interactions with fans and critics, stardom’s delirious highs and crushing lows. But of course I also wonder: What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

Near the Monroe and Hefner crypts rests crooner and actor Dean Martin. (He died on Christmas Day in 1995.) The Sinatra pal and Rat Packer owned a slew of sweet rides, including a ’76 Stutz Blackhawk and a car I once profiled in Motor Trend Classic, the avant-garde 1962 Italian-American Ghia L6.4—one of just 26 ever built. (Sinatra had one, too.) Edgy as it may have been (the L6.4 was based on the striking 1957 Chrysler Dart concept car), the Ghia wasn’t cool enough out of the box for “The King of Cool,” so Martin had famed Hollywood car customizer George Barris (of original Batmobile fame) tweak his with an extra helping of suave. A little research suggests the car was last sold in 2012 with an asking price of $199,500. The Ghia was said to be in immaculate, unrestored condition—with only 46,000 miles on the odometer. I’ll have to whisper that to Dino on my next visit.

Actress Natalie Wood is buried under a tree amid the central lawn, having mysteriously drowned off SoCal’s Catalina Island in 1981. She was just 43 years old. Two-plus decades before her death, at age 19 and already a huge star, Wood purchased a brand-new 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster—and promptly had the car painted bright pink. A subsequent owner, not surprisingly, had it repainted back to its original Silver Blue—but the red leather interior and highly desirable Rudge wheels remain as Wood enjoyed them. The car—restored to concours condition—sold at auction in 2014 for $1.84 million, well above estimate. Whenever I stop here, Wood’s grave always seems to be adorned with flowers, but the day of my December visit, someone had also placed a small Christmas tree. It had tipped over in the wind, so I set it back up straight and tucked it in, remembering how gorgeous Wood looked when I first saw her in 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause. And how alive.

What did this person drive? And did their cars outlive them? Are their wheels in museums or still prowling the streets today?

His crypt not far from Monroe’s, actor Robert Stack, like Wood and Hefner, was also the proud owner of a Mercedes 300SL roadster. Although probably best known to contemporary audiences as the blundering Captain Rex Kramer in 1980’s Airplane! or as the host of Unsolved Mysteries, in 1960 Stack was the rising young star of ABC’s hit drama The Untouchables, where he played famed Chicago law-enforcement agent and Prohibition enforcer Eliot Ness. It’s said that every day Stack would drive down Sunset Boulevard on his way to the studio and, passing an auto showroom, stare at a bright green ’57 SL on display. Finally, his wife, Rosemarie, threw up her hands and said, in effect, “Just buy the darn thing!” Yet Stack didn’t do so, telling a MotorTrend writer in 1998, “I’d never pay that much money for a car for myself.”

Natalie Wood had her 300SL roadster painted pink.

As fate would have it, though, Stack didn’t have to spend a dime. Unbeknownst to him, Untouchables producer (and I Love Lucy star) Desi Arnaz bought the car for Stack, a gift for his having won the Best Actor Emmy for 1960. Stack owned the SL right up until his death in 2003. A decade later, the car—now painted dark red but otherwise almost completely original—sold at auction for $808,500. Sorry, Mr. Ness, but that good news merits a cold martini.

Actor Jack Lemmon, who died in 2001 at the age of 76, has the best headstone in Westwood Memorial. It reads simply: “Jack Lemmon”—then, below, “In.” Yet the two-time Oscar winner was the complete opposite of a car guy. In a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lemmon’s son, Chris, confessed: “[My dad] was the worst friggin’ driver. He wrecked a magnificent sports car for pretty much every film he ever did. For How to Murder Your Wife, he wrecked an Aston Martin. During Tribute, he wrecked a vintage MG that he bought from Bill Bixby [late star of the 1977–82 hit CBS series The Incredible Hulk].” Lemmon’s grave lies in a prime spot, at the end of a line of four that includes actor Carroll “Archie Bunker” O’Connor, legendary writer-director and Lemmon favorite Billy “Some Like It Hot” Wilder, and actor Peter “Columbo” Falk. It’s a 12-foot walk of fame.

For me, Westwood Memorial isn’t a sad place; it’s a celebration of lives lived uniquely—and full-up. It’s also, at times, a reminder of the utter absurdity and unpredictability of existence. (The child star of the 1982 horror hit Poltergeist, Heather “They’re heeerrrre!” O’Rourke, rests in a crypt near the entrance; she was only 12 when she died of septic shock in 1988.) Thankfully, near Lemmon lies comedian and actor Rodney Dangerfield; inscribed under his name on the headstone: “THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.” Mr. “I don’t get no respect” died in 2004, just shy of his 83rd birthday. Whether Dangerfield gave one whit about cars, I don’t know, but every time I come to Westwood Memorial, I’m uplifted by memories of the comic’s hilarious stand-up routines, many of which revolved around his wife and her lousy driving. One of my faves: “My wife took her driver’s test . . . oh, she was happy. She got 18 out of 20! Yeah, two guys jumped out of the way!”

The post A Walk Among the Stars: Visiting the Hollywood Royalty of Yesteryear appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[hotspreadpage]

Pinterest, Google or Bing: Who has the best visual search engine?

Visual search engines will be at the center of the next phase of evolution for the search industry, with Pinterest, Google, and Bing all announcing major developments recently. 

How do they stack up today, and who looks best placed to offer the best visual search experience?

Historically, the input-output relationship in search has been dominated by text. Even as the outputs have become more varied (video and image results, for example), the inputs have been text-based. This has restricted and shaped the potential of search engines, as they try to extract more contextual meaning from a relatively static data set of keywords.

Visual search engines are redefining the limits of our language, opening up a new avenue of communication between people and computers. If we view language as a fluid system of signs and symbols, rather than fixed set of spoken or written words, we arrive at a much more compelling and profound picture of the future of search.

Our culture is visual, a fact that visual search engines are all too eager to capitalize on.

Already, specific ecommerce visual search technologies abound: Amazon, Walmart, and ASOS are all in on the act. These companies’ apps turn a user’s smartphone camera into a visual discovery tool, searching for similar items based on whatever is in frame. This is just one use case, however, and the potential for visual search is much greater than just direct ecommerce transactions.

After a lot of trial and error, this technology is coming of age. We are on the cusp of accurate, real-time visual search, which will open a raft of new opportunities for marketers.

Below, we review the progress made by three key players in visual search: Pinterest, Google, and Bing.

Pinterest

Pinterest’s visual search technology is aimed at carving out a position as the go-to place for discovery searches. Their stated aim echoes the opening quote from this article: “To help you find things when you don’t have the words to describe them.”

Rather than tackle Google directly, Pinterest has decided to offer up something subtly different to users – and advertisers. People go to Pinterest to discover new ideas, to create mood boards, to be inspired.  Pinterest therefore urges its 200 million users to “search outside the box”, in what could be deciphered as a gentle jibe at Google’s ever-present search bar.

All of this is driven by Pinterest Lens, a sophisticated visual search tool that uses a smartphone camera to scan the physical world, identify objects, and return related results. It is available via the smartphone app, but Pinterest’s visual search functionality can be used on desktop through the Google Chrome extension too.

Pinterest’s vast data set of over 100 billion Pins provides the perfect training material for machine learning applications. As a result, new connections are forged between the physical and digital worlds, using graphics processing units (GPUs) to accelerate the process.

In practice, Pinterest Lens works very well and is getting noticeably better with time. The image detection is impressively accurate and the suggestions for related Pins are relevant.

Below, the same object has been selected for a search using Pinterest and also Samsung visual search:

The differences in the results are telling.

On the left, Pinterest recognizes the object’s shape, its material, its purpose, but also the defining features of the design. This allows for results that go deeper than a direct search for another black mug. Pinterest knows that the less tangible, stylistic details are what really interest its users. As such, we see results for mugs in different colors, but that are of a similar style.

On the right, Samsung’s Bixby assistant recognizes the object, its color, and its purpose. Samsung’s results are powered by Amazon, and they are a lot less inspiring than the options served up by Pinterest. The image is turned into a keyword search for [black coffee mugs], which renders the visual search element a little redundant.

Visual search engines work best when they express something for us that we would struggle to say in words. Pinterest understands and delivers on this promise better than most.

Pinterest visual search: The key facts

Over 200 million monthly users

Focuses on the ‘discovery’ phase of search

Pinterest Lens is the central visual search technology

Great platform for retailers, with obvious monetization possibilities

Paid search advertising is a core growth area for the company

Increasingly effective visual search results, particularly on the deeper level of aesthetics

Google

Google made early waves in visual search with the launch of Google Goggles. This Android app was launched in 2010 and allowed users to search using their smartphone camera. It works well on famous landmarks, for example, but it has not been updated significantly in quite some time.

It seemed unlikely that Google would remain silent on visual search for long, and this year’s I/O development revealed what the search giant has been working on in the background.

Google Lens, which will be available via the Photos app and Google Assistant, will be a significant overhaul of the earlier Google Goggles initiative.

Any nomenclative similarities to Pinterest’s product may be more than coincidental. Google has stealthily upgraded its image and visual search engines of late, ushering in results that resemble Pinterest’s format:

Google’s ‘similar items’ product was another move to cash in on the discovery phase of search, showcasing related results that might further pique a consumer’s curiosity.

Google Lens will provide the object detection technology to link all of this together in a powerful visual search engine. In its BETA format, Lens offers the following categories for visual searches:

All

Clothing

Shoes

Handbags

Sunglasses

Barcodes

Products

Places

Cats

Dogs

Flowers

Some developers have been given the chance to try an early version of Lens, with many reporting mixed results:

Looks like Google doesn’t recognize its own Home smart hub… (Source: XDA Developers)

These are very early days for Google Lens, so we can expect this technology to improve significantly as it learns from its mistakes and successes.

When it does, Google is uniquely placed to make visual search a powerful tool for users and advertisers alike. The opportunities for online retailers via paid search are self-evident, but there is also huge potential for brick-and-mortar retailers to capitalize on hyper-local searches.

For all its impressive advances, Pinterest does not possess the ecosystem to permeate all aspects of a user’s life in the way Google can. With a new Pixel smartphone in the works, Google can use visual search alongside voice search to unite its software and hardware. For advertisers using DoubleClick to manage their search and display ads, that presents a very appealing prospect.

We should also anticipate that Google will take this visual search technology further in the near future.

Google is set to open its ARCore product up to all developers, which will bring with it endless possibilities for augmented reality. ARCore is a direct rival to Apple’s ARKit and it could provide the key to unlock the full potential of visual search. We should also not rule out another move into the wearables market, potentially through a new version of Google Glass.

Google visual search: The key facts

Google Goggles launched in 2010 as an early entrant to the visual search market

Goggles still functions well on some landmarks, but struggles to isolate objects in crowded frames

Google Lens scheduled to launch later this year (Date TBA) as a complete overhaul of Goggles

Lens will link visual search to Google search and Google Maps

Object detection is not perfected, but the product is in BETA

Google is best placed to create an advertising product around its visual search engine, once the technology increases in accuracy

Bing

Microsoft had been very quiet on this front since sunsetting its Bing visual search product in 2012. It never really took off and perhaps the appetite wasn’t quite there yet among a mass public for a visual search engine.

Recently, Bing made an interesting re-entry to the fray with the announcement of a completely revamped visual search engine:

This change of tack has been directed by advances in artificial intelligence that can automatically scan images and isolate items.

The early versions of this search functionality required input from users to draw boxes around certain areas of an image for further inspection. Bing announced recently that this will no longer be needed, as the technology has developed to automate this process.

The layout of visual search results on Bing is eerily similar to Pinterest. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Pinterest should be overwhelmed with flattery by now.

The visual search technology can hone in on objects within most images, and then suggests further items that may be of interest to the user. This is only available on Desktop for the moment, but Mobile support will be added soon.

The results are patchy in places, but when an object is detected relevant suggestions are made. In the example below, a search made using an image of a suit leads to topical, shoppable links:

It does not, however, take into account the shirt or tie – the only searchable aspect is the suit.

Things get patchier still for searches made using crowded images. A search for living room decor ideas made using an image will bring up some relevant results, but will not always hone in on specific items.

As with all machine learning technologies, this product will continue to improve and for now, Bing is a step ahead of Google in this aspect. Nonetheless, Microsoft lacks the user base and the mobile hardware to launch a real assault on the visual search market in the long run.

Visual search thrives on data; in this regard, both Google and Pinterest have stolen a march on Bing.

Bing visual search: The key facts

Originally launched in 2009, but removed in 2012 due to lack of uptake

Relaunched in July 2017, underpinned by AI to identify and analyze objects

Advertisers can use Bing visual search to place shoppable images

The technology is in its infancy, but the object recognition is quite accurate

Desktop only for now, but mobile will follow soon

So, who has the best visual search engine?

For now, Pinterest. With billions of data points and some seasoned image search professionals driving the technology, it provides the smoothest and most accurate experience. It also does something unique by grasping the stylistic features of objects, rather than just their shape or color. As such, it alters the language at our disposal and extends the limits of what is possible in search marketing.

Bing has made massive strides in this arena of late, but it lacks the killer application that would make it stand out enough to draw searchers from Google. Bing visual search is accurate and functional, but does not create connections to related items in the way that Pinterest can.

The launch of Google Lens will surely shake up this market altogether, too. If Google can nail down automated object recognition (which it undoubtedly will), Google Lens could be the product that links traditional search to augmented reality. The resources and the product suite at Google’s disposal make it the likely winner in the long run.

Pinterest, Google or Bing: Who has the best visual search engine? syndicated from http://ift.tt/2maPRjm

[kellykperez]

Pinterest, Google or Bing: Who has the best visual search engine?

Visual search engines will be at the center of the next phase of evolution for the search industry, with Pinterest, Google, and Bing all announcing major developments recently. 

How do they stack up today, and who looks best placed to offer the best visual search experience?

Historically, the input-output relationship in search has been dominated by text. Even as the outputs have become more varied (video and image results, for example), the inputs have been text-based. This has restricted and shaped the potential of search engines, as they try to extract more contextual meaning from a relatively static data set of keywords.

Visual search engines are redefining the limits of our language, opening up a new avenue of communication between people and computers. If we view language as a fluid system of signs and symbols, rather than fixed set of spoken or written words, we arrive at a much more compelling and profound picture of the future of search.

Our culture is visual, a fact that visual search engines are all too eager to capitalize on.

Already, specific ecommerce visual search technologies abound: Amazon, Walmart, and ASOS are all in on the act. These companies’ apps turn a user’s smartphone camera into a visual discovery tool, searching for similar items based on whatever is in frame. This is just one use case, however, and the potential for visual search is much greater than just direct ecommerce transactions.

After a lot of trial and error, this technology is coming of age. We are on the cusp of accurate, real-time visual search, which will open a raft of new opportunities for marketers.

Below, we review the progress made by three key players in visual search: Pinterest, Google, and Bing.

Pinterest

Pinterest’s visual search technology is aimed at carving out a position as the go-to place for discovery searches. Their stated aim echoes the opening quote from this article: “To help you find things when you don’t have the words to describe them.”

Rather than tackle Google directly, Pinterest has decided to offer up something subtly different to users – and advertisers. People go to Pinterest to discover new ideas, to create mood boards, to be inspired.  Pinterest therefore urges its 200 million users to “search outside the box”, in what could be deciphered as a gentle jibe at Google’s ever-present search bar.

All of this is driven by Pinterest Lens, a sophisticated visual search tool that uses a smartphone camera to scan the physical world, identify objects, and return related results. It is available via the smartphone app, but Pinterest’s visual search functionality can be used on desktop through the Google Chrome extension too.

Pinterest’s vast data set of over 100 billion Pins provides the perfect training material for machine learning applications. As a result, new connections are forged between the physical and digital worlds, using graphics processing units (GPUs) to accelerate the process.

In practice, Pinterest Lens works very well and is getting noticeably better with time. The image detection is impressively accurate and the suggestions for related Pins are relevant.

Below, the same object has been selected for a search using Pinterest and also Samsung visual search:

The differences in the results are telling.

On the left, Pinterest recognizes the object’s shape, its material, its purpose, but also the defining features of the design. This allows for results that go deeper than a direct search for another black mug. Pinterest knows that the less tangible, stylistic details are what really interest its users. As such, we see results for mugs in different colors, but that are of a similar style.

On the right, Samsung’s Bixby assistant recognizes the object, its color, and its purpose. Samsung’s results are powered by Amazon, and they are a lot less inspiring than the options served up by Pinterest. The image is turned into a keyword search for [black coffee mugs], which renders the visual search element a little redundant.

Visual search engines work best when they express something for us that we would struggle to say in words. Pinterest understands and delivers on this promise better than most.

Pinterest visual search: The key facts

Over 200 million monthly users

Focuses on the ‘discovery’ phase of search

Pinterest Lens is the central visual search technology

Great platform for retailers, with obvious monetization possibilities

Paid search advertising is a core growth area for the company

Increasingly effective visual search results, particularly on the deeper level of aesthetics

Google

Google made early waves in visual search with the launch of Google Goggles. This Android app was launched in 2010 and allowed users to search using their smartphone camera. It works well on famous landmarks, for example, but it has not been updated significantly in quite some time.

It seemed unlikely that Google would remain silent on visual search for long, and this year’s I/O development revealed what the search giant has been working on in the background.

Google Lens, which will be available via the Photos app and Google Assistant, will be a significant overhaul of the earlier Google Goggles initiative.

Any nomenclative similarities to Pinterest’s product may be more than coincidental. Google has stealthily upgraded its image and visual search engines of late, ushering in results that resemble Pinterest’s format:

Google’s ‘similar items’ product was another move to cash in on the discovery phase of search, showcasing related results that might further pique a consumer’s curiosity.

Google Lens will provide the object detection technology to link all of this together in a powerful visual search engine. In its BETA format, Lens offers the following categories for visual searches:

All

Clothing

Shoes

Handbags

Sunglasses

Barcodes

Products

Places

Cats

Dogs

Flowers

Some developers have been given the chance to try an early version of Lens, with many reporting mixed results:

Looks like Google doesn’t recognize its own Home smart hub… (Source: XDA Developers)

These are very early days for Google Lens, so we can expect this technology to improve significantly as it learns from its mistakes and successes.

When it does, Google is uniquely placed to make visual search a powerful tool for users and advertisers alike. The opportunities for online retailers via paid search are self-evident, but there is also huge potential for brick-and-mortar retailers to capitalize on hyper-local searches.

For all its impressive advances, Pinterest does not possess the ecosystem to permeate all aspects of a user’s life in the way Google can. With a new Pixel smartphone in the works, Google can use visual search alongside voice search to unite its software and hardware. For advertisers using DoubleClick to manage their search and display ads, that presents a very appealing prospect.

We should also anticipate that Google will take this visual search technology further in the near future.

Google is set to open its ARCore product up to all developers, which will bring with it endless possibilities for augmented reality. ARCore is a direct rival to Apple’s ARKit and it could provide the key to unlock the full potential of visual search. We should also not rule out another move into the wearables market, potentially through a new version of Google Glass.

Google visual search: The key facts

Google Goggles launched in 2010 as an early entrant to the visual search market

Goggles still functions well on some landmarks, but struggles to isolate objects in crowded frames

Google Lens scheduled to launch later this year (Date TBA) as a complete overhaul of Goggles

Lens will link visual search to Google search and Google Maps

Object detection is not perfected, but the product is in BETA

Google is best placed to create an advertising product around its visual search engine, once the technology increases in accuracy

Bing

Microsoft had been very quiet on this front since sunsetting its Bing visual search product in 2012. It never really took off and perhaps the appetite wasn’t quite there yet among a mass public for a visual search engine.

Recently, Bing made an interesting re-entry to the fray with the announcement of a completely revamped visual search engine:

This change of tack has been directed by advances in artificial intelligence that can automatically scan images and isolate items.

The early versions of this search functionality required input from users to draw boxes around certain areas of an image for further inspection. Bing announced recently that this will no longer be needed, as the technology has developed to automate this process.

The layout of visual search results on Bing is eerily similar to Pinterest. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Pinterest should be overwhelmed with flattery by now.

The visual search technology can hone in on objects within most images, and then suggests further items that may be of interest to the user. This is only available on Desktop for the moment, but Mobile support will be added soon.

The results are patchy in places, but when an object is detected relevant suggestions are made. In the example below, a search made using an image of a suit leads to topical, shoppable links:

It does not, however, take into account the shirt or tie – the only searchable aspect is the suit.

Things get patchier still for searches made using crowded images. A search for living room decor ideas made using an image will bring up some relevant results, but will not always hone in on specific items.

As with all machine learning technologies, this product will continue to improve and for now, Bing is a step ahead of Google in this aspect. Nonetheless, Microsoft lacks the user base and the mobile hardware to launch a real assault on the visual search market in the long run.

Visual search thrives on data; in this regard, both Google and Pinterest have stolen a march on Bing.

Bing visual search: The key facts

Originally launched in 2009, but removed in 2012 due to lack of uptake

Relaunched in July 2017, underpinned by AI to identify and analyze objects

Advertisers can use Bing visual search to place shoppable images

The technology is in its infancy, but the object recognition is quite accurate

Desktop only for now, but mobile will follow soon

So, who has the best visual search engine?

For now, Pinterest. With billions of data points and some seasoned image search professionals driving the technology, it provides the smoothest and most accurate experience. It also does something unique by grasping the stylistic features of objects, rather than just their shape or color. As such, it alters the language at our disposal and extends the limits of what is possible in search marketing.

Bing has made massive strides in this arena of late, but it lacks the killer application that would make it stand out enough to draw searchers from Google. Bing visual search is accurate and functional, but does not create connections to related items in the way that Pinterest can.

The launch of Google Lens will surely shake up this market altogether, too. If Google can nail down automated object recognition (which it undoubtedly will), Google Lens could be the product that links traditional search to augmented reality. The resources and the product suite at Google’s disposal make it the likely winner in the long run.

source https://searchenginewatch.com/2017/09/28/pinterest-google-or-bing-who-has-the-best-visual-search-engine/ from Rising Phoenix SEO http://risingphoenixseo.blogspot.com/2017/09/pinterest-google-or-bing-who-has-best.html

[alanajacksontx]

Pinterest, Google or Bing: Who has the best visual search engine?

Visual search engines will be at the center of the next phase of evolution for the search industry, with Pinterest, Google, and Bing all announcing major developments recently. 

How do they stack up today, and who looks best placed to offer the best visual search experience?

Historically, the input-output relationship in search has been dominated by text. Even as the outputs have become more varied (video and image results, for example), the inputs have been text-based. This has restricted and shaped the potential of search engines, as they try to extract more contextual meaning from a relatively static data set of keywords.

Visual search engines are redefining the limits of our language, opening up a new avenue of communication between people and computers. If we view language as a fluid system of signs and symbols, rather than fixed set of spoken or written words, we arrive at a much more compelling and profound picture of the future of search.

Our culture is visual, a fact that visual search engines are all too eager to capitalize on.

Already, specific ecommerce visual search technologies abound: Amazon, Walmart, and ASOS are all in on the act. These companies’ apps turn a user’s smartphone camera into a visual discovery tool, searching for similar items based on whatever is in frame. This is just one use case, however, and the potential for visual search is much greater than just direct ecommerce transactions.

After a lot of trial and error, this technology is coming of age. We are on the cusp of accurate, real-time visual search, which will open a raft of new opportunities for marketers.

Below, we review the progress made by three key players in visual search: Pinterest, Google, and Bing.

Pinterest

Pinterest’s visual search technology is aimed at carving out a position as the go-to place for discovery searches. Their stated aim echoes the opening quote from this article: “To help you find things when you don’t have the words to describe them.”

Rather than tackle Google directly, Pinterest has decided to offer up something subtly different to users – and advertisers. People go to Pinterest to discover new ideas, to create mood boards, to be inspired.  Pinterest therefore urges its 200 million users to “search outside the box”, in what could be deciphered as a gentle jibe at Google’s ever-present search bar.

All of this is driven by Pinterest Lens, a sophisticated visual search tool that uses a smartphone camera to scan the physical world, identify objects, and return related results. It is available via the smartphone app, but Pinterest’s visual search functionality can be used on desktop through the Google Chrome extension too.

Pinterest’s vast data set of over 100 billion Pins provides the perfect training material for machine learning applications. As a result, new connections are forged between the physical and digital worlds, using graphics processing units (GPUs) to accelerate the process.

In practice, Pinterest Lens works very well and is getting noticeably better with time. The image detection is impressively accurate and the suggestions for related Pins are relevant.

Below, the same object has been selected for a search using Pinterest and also Samsung visual search:

The differences in the results are telling.

On the left, Pinterest recognizes the object’s shape, its material, its purpose, but also the defining features of the design. This allows for results that go deeper than a direct search for another black mug. Pinterest knows that the less tangible, stylistic details are what really interest its users. As such, we see results for mugs in different colors, but that are of a similar style.

On the right, Samsung’s Bixby assistant recognizes the object, its color, and its purpose. Samsung’s results are powered by Amazon, and they are a lot less inspiring than the options served up by Pinterest. The image is turned into a keyword search for [black coffee mugs], which renders the visual search element a little redundant.

Visual search engines work best when they express something for us that we would struggle to say in words. Pinterest understands and delivers on this promise better than most.

Pinterest visual search: The key facts

Over 200 million monthly users

Focuses on the ‘discovery’ phase of search

Pinterest Lens is the central visual search technology

Great platform for retailers, with obvious monetization possibilities

Paid search advertising is a core growth area for the company

Increasingly effective visual search results, particularly on the deeper level of aesthetics

Google

Google made early waves in visual search with the launch of Google Goggles. This Android app was launched in 2010 and allowed users to search using their smartphone camera. It works well on famous landmarks, for example, but it has not been updated significantly in quite some time.

It seemed unlikely that Google would remain silent on visual search for long, and this year’s I/O development revealed what the search giant has been working on in the background.

Google Lens, which will be available via the Photos app and Google Assistant, will be a significant overhaul of the earlier Google Goggles initiative.

Any nomenclative similarities to Pinterest’s product may be more than coincidental. Google has stealthily upgraded its image and visual search engines of late, ushering in results that resemble Pinterest’s format:

Google’s ‘similar items’ product was another move to cash in on the discovery phase of search, showcasing related results that might further pique a consumer’s curiosity.

Google Lens will provide the object detection technology to link all of this together in a powerful visual search engine. In its BETA format, Lens offers the following categories for visual searches:

All

Clothing

Shoes

Handbags

Sunglasses

Barcodes

Products

Places

Cats

Dogs

Flowers

Some developers have been given the chance to try an early version of Lens, with many reporting mixed results:

Looks like Google doesn’t recognize its own Home smart hub… (Source: XDA Developers)

These are very early days for Google Lens, so we can expect this technology to improve significantly as it learns from its mistakes and successes.

When it does, Google is uniquely placed to make visual search a powerful tool for users and advertisers alike. The opportunities for online retailers via paid search are self-evident, but there is also huge potential for brick-and-mortar retailers to capitalize on hyper-local searches.

For all its impressive advances, Pinterest does not possess the ecosystem to permeate all aspects of a user’s life in the way Google can. With a new Pixel smartphone in the works, Google can use visual search alongside voice search to unite its software and hardware. For advertisers using DoubleClick to manage their search and display ads, that presents a very appealing prospect.

We should also anticipate that Google will take this visual search technology further in the near future.

Google is set to open its ARCore product up to all developers, which will bring with it endless possibilities for augmented reality. ARCore is a direct rival to Apple’s ARKit and it could provide the key to unlock the full potential of visual search. We should also not rule out another move into the wearables market, potentially through a new version of Google Glass.

Google visual search: The key facts

Google Goggles launched in 2010 as an early entrant to the visual search market

Goggles still functions well on some landmarks, but struggles to isolate objects in crowded frames

Google Lens scheduled to launch later this year (Date TBA) as a complete overhaul of Goggles

Lens will link visual search to Google search and Google Maps

Object detection is not perfected, but the product is in BETA

Google is best placed to create an advertising product around its visual search engine, once the technology increases in accuracy

Bing

Microsoft had been very quiet on this front since sunsetting its Bing visual search product in 2012. It never really took off and perhaps the appetite wasn’t quite there yet among a mass public for a visual search engine.

Recently, Bing made an interesting re-entry to the fray with the announcement of a completely revamped visual search engine:

This change of tack has been directed by advances in artificial intelligence that can automatically scan images and isolate items.

The early versions of this search functionality required input from users to draw boxes around certain areas of an image for further inspection. Bing announced recently that this will no longer be needed, as the technology has developed to automate this process.

The layout of visual search results on Bing is eerily similar to Pinterest. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Pinterest should be overwhelmed with flattery by now.

The visual search technology can hone in on objects within most images, and then suggests further items that may be of interest to the user. This is only available on Desktop for the moment, but Mobile support will be added soon.

The results are patchy in places, but when an object is detected relevant suggestions are made. In the example below, a search made using an image of a suit leads to topical, shoppable links:

It does not, however, take into account the shirt or tie – the only searchable aspect is the suit.

Things get patchier still for searches made using crowded images. A search for living room decor ideas made using an image will bring up some relevant results, but will not always hone in on specific items.

As with all machine learning technologies, this product will continue to improve and for now, Bing is a step ahead of Google in this aspect. Nonetheless, Microsoft lacks the user base and the mobile hardware to launch a real assault on the visual search market in the long run.

Visual search thrives on data; in this regard, both Google and Pinterest have stolen a march on Bing.

Bing visual search: The key facts

Originally launched in 2009, but removed in 2012 due to lack of uptake

Relaunched in July 2017, underpinned by AI to identify and analyze objects

Advertisers can use Bing visual search to place shoppable images

The technology is in its infancy, but the object recognition is quite accurate

Desktop only for now, but mobile will follow soon

So, who has the best visual search engine?

For now, Pinterest. With billions of data points and some seasoned image search professionals driving the technology, it provides the smoothest and most accurate experience. It also does something unique by grasping the stylistic features of objects, rather than just their shape or color. As such, it alters the language at our disposal and extends the limits of what is possible in search marketing.

Bing has made massive strides in this arena of late, but it lacks the killer application that would make it stand out enough to draw searchers from Google. Bing visual search is accurate and functional, but does not create connections to related items in the way that Pinterest can.

The launch of Google Lens will surely shake up this market altogether, too. If Google can nail down automated object recognition (which it undoubtedly will), Google Lens could be the product that links traditional search to augmented reality. The resources and the product suite at Google’s disposal make it the likely winner in the long run.

from IM Tips And Tricks https://searchenginewatch.com/2017/09/28/pinterest-google-or-bing-who-has-the-best-visual-search-engine/ from Rising Phoenix SEO https://risingphxseo.tumblr.com/post/165828034765

[sheilalmartinia]

Pinterest, Google or Bing: Who has the best visual search engine?

Visual search engines will be at the center of the next phase of evolution for the search industry, with Pinterest, Google, and Bing all announcing major developments recently. 

How do they stack up today, and who looks best placed to offer the best visual search experience?

Historically, the input-output relationship in search has been dominated by text. Even as the outputs have become more varied (video and image results, for example), the inputs have been text-based. This has restricted and shaped the potential of search engines, as they try to extract more contextual meaning from a relatively static data set of keywords.

Visual search engines are redefining the limits of our language, opening up a new avenue of communication between people and computers. If we view language as a fluid system of signs and symbols, rather than fixed set of spoken or written words, we arrive at a much more compelling and profound picture of the future of search.

Our culture is visual, a fact that visual search engines are all too eager to capitalize on.

Already, specific ecommerce visual search technologies abound: Amazon, Walmart, and ASOS are all in on the act. These companies’ apps turn a user’s smartphone camera into a visual discovery tool, searching for similar items based on whatever is in frame. This is just one use case, however, and the potential for visual search is much greater than just direct ecommerce transactions.

After a lot of trial and error, this technology is coming of age. We are on the cusp of accurate, real-time visual search, which will open a raft of new opportunities for marketers.

Below, we review the progress made by three key players in visual search: Pinterest, Google, and Bing.

Pinterest

Pinterest’s visual search technology is aimed at carving out a position as the go-to place for discovery searches. Their stated aim echoes the opening quote from this article: “To help you find things when you don’t have the words to describe them.”

Rather than tackle Google directly, Pinterest has decided to offer up something subtly different to users – and advertisers. People go to Pinterest to discover new ideas, to create mood boards, to be inspired.  Pinterest therefore urges its 200 million users to “search outside the box”, in what could be deciphered as a gentle jibe at Google’s ever-present search bar.

All of this is driven by Pinterest Lens, a sophisticated visual search tool that uses a smartphone camera to scan the physical world, identify objects, and return related results. It is available via the smartphone app, but Pinterest’s visual search functionality can be used on desktop through the Google Chrome extension too.

Pinterest’s vast data set of over 100 billion Pins provides the perfect training material for machine learning applications. As a result, new connections are forged between the physical and digital worlds, using graphics processing units (GPUs) to accelerate the process.

In practice, Pinterest Lens works very well and is getting noticeably better with time. The image detection is impressively accurate and the suggestions for related Pins are relevant.

Below, the same object has been selected for a search using Pinterest and also Samsung visual search:

The differences in the results are telling.

On the left, Pinterest recognizes the object’s shape, its material, its purpose, but also the defining features of the design. This allows for results that go deeper than a direct search for another black mug. Pinterest knows that the less tangible, stylistic details are what really interest its users. As such, we see results for mugs in different colors, but that are of a similar style.

On the right, Samsung’s Bixby assistant recognizes the object, its color, and its purpose. Samsung’s results are powered by Amazon, and they are a lot less inspiring than the options served up by Pinterest. The image is turned into a keyword search for [black coffee mugs], which renders the visual search element a little redundant.

Visual search engines work best when they express something for us that we would struggle to say in words. Pinterest understands and delivers on this promise better than most.

Pinterest visual search: The key facts

Over 200 million monthly users

Focuses on the ‘discovery’ phase of search

Pinterest Lens is the central visual search technology

Great platform for retailers, with obvious monetization possibilities

Paid search advertising is a core growth area for the company

Increasingly effective visual search results, particularly on the deeper level of aesthetics

Google

Google made early waves in visual search with the launch of Google Goggles. This Android app was launched in 2010 and allowed users to search using their smartphone camera. It works well on famous landmarks, for example, but it has not been updated significantly in quite some time.

It seemed unlikely that Google would remain silent on visual search for long, and this year’s I/O development revealed what the search giant has been working on in the background.

Google Lens, which will be available via the Photos app and Google Assistant, will be a significant overhaul of the earlier Google Goggles initiative.

Any nomenclative similarities to Pinterest’s product may be more than coincidental. Google has stealthily upgraded its image and visual search engines of late, ushering in results that resemble Pinterest’s format:

Google’s ‘similar items’ product was another move to cash in on the discovery phase of search, showcasing related results that might further pique a consumer’s curiosity.

Google Lens will provide the object detection technology to link all of this together in a powerful visual search engine. In its BETA format, Lens offers the following categories for visual searches:

All

Clothing

Shoes

Handbags

Sunglasses

Barcodes

Products

Places

Cats

Dogs

Flowers

Some developers have been given the chance to try an early version of Lens, with many reporting mixed results:

Looks like Google doesn’t recognize its own Home smart hub… (Source: XDA Developers)

These are very early days for Google Lens, so we can expect this technology to improve significantly as it learns from its mistakes and successes.

When it does, Google is uniquely placed to make visual search a powerful tool for users and advertisers alike. The opportunities for online retailers via paid search are self-evident, but there is also huge potential for brick-and-mortar retailers to capitalize on hyper-local searches.

For all its impressive advances, Pinterest does not possess the ecosystem to permeate all aspects of a user’s life in the way Google can. With a new Pixel smartphone in the works, Google can use visual search alongside voice search to unite its software and hardware. For advertisers using DoubleClick to manage their search and display ads, that presents a very appealing prospect.

We should also anticipate that Google will take this visual search technology further in the near future.

Google is set to open its ARCore product up to all developers, which will bring with it endless possibilities for augmented reality. ARCore is a direct rival to Apple’s ARKit and it could provide the key to unlock the full potential of visual search. We should also not rule out another move into the wearables market, potentially through a new version of Google Glass.

Google visual search: The key facts

Google Goggles launched in 2010 as an early entrant to the visual search market

Goggles still functions well on some landmarks, but struggles to isolate objects in crowded frames

Google Lens scheduled to launch later this year (Date TBA) as a complete overhaul of Goggles

Lens will link visual search to Google search and Google Maps

Object detection is not perfected, but the product is in BETA

Google is best placed to create an advertising product around its visual search engine, once the technology increases in accuracy

Bing

Microsoft had been very quiet on this front since sunsetting its Bing visual search product in 2012. It never really took off and perhaps the appetite wasn’t quite there yet among a mass public for a visual search engine.

Recently, Bing made an interesting re-entry to the fray with the announcement of a completely revamped visual search engine:

This change of tack has been directed by advances in artificial intelligence that can automatically scan images and isolate items.

The early versions of this search functionality required input from users to draw boxes around certain areas of an image for further inspection. Bing announced recently that this will no longer be needed, as the technology has developed to automate this process.

The layout of visual search results on Bing is eerily similar to Pinterest. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Pinterest should be overwhelmed with flattery by now.

The visual search technology can hone in on objects within most images, and then suggests further items that may be of interest to the user. This is only available on Desktop for the moment, but Mobile support will be added soon.

The results are patchy in places, but when an object is detected relevant suggestions are made. In the example below, a search made using an image of a suit leads to topical, shoppable links:

It does not, however, take into account the shirt or tie – the only searchable aspect is the suit.

Things get patchier still for searches made using crowded images. A search for living room decor ideas made using an image will bring up some relevant results, but will not always hone in on specific items.

As with all machine learning technologies, this product will continue to improve and for now, Bing is a step ahead of Google in this aspect. Nonetheless, Microsoft lacks the user base and the mobile hardware to launch a real assault on the visual search market in the long run.

Visual search thrives on data; in this regard, both Google and Pinterest have stolen a march on Bing.

Bing visual search: The key facts

Originally launched in 2009, but removed in 2012 due to lack of uptake

Relaunched in July 2017, underpinned by AI to identify and analyze objects

Advertisers can use Bing visual search to place shoppable images

The technology is in its infancy, but the object recognition is quite accurate

Desktop only for now, but mobile will follow soon

So, who has the best visual search engine?

For now, Pinterest. With billions of data points and some seasoned image search professionals driving the technology, it provides the smoothest and most accurate experience. It also does something unique by grasping the stylistic features of objects, rather than just their shape or color. As such, it alters the language at our disposal and extends the limits of what is possible in search marketing.

Bing has made massive strides in this arena of late, but it lacks the killer application that would make it stand out enough to draw searchers from Google. Bing visual search is accurate and functional, but does not create connections to related items in the way that Pinterest can.

The launch of Google Lens will surely shake up this market altogether, too. If Google can nail down automated object recognition (which it undoubtedly will), Google Lens could be the product that links traditional search to augmented reality. The resources and the product suite at Google’s disposal make it the likely winner in the long run.

from Search Engine Watch https://searchenginewatch.com/2017/09/28/pinterest-google-or-bing-who-has-the-best-visual-search-engine/

[angelamhiller-blog]

You Need to Obtain Recommendations From Any type of Real Estate Representative Before Employing Them

Right here, you can locate all sorts of ideas as well as techniques on making one of the most from the property sale you are taking on. If you do unknown these tricks, your real estate sale will not be the best sale that it could perhaps be. Get the results you desire when you comply with these pointers.If any individual has ever used any type of type of tobacco in your house, or if you have a family pet, you will have to deodorise your house to neutralize the odors. Obtain carpetings and also ugs skillfully cleansed. Individuals intend to come into a residence that scents fresh and clean. No matter just how tidy your home is, if it smells negative it will certainly not offer.Don't be shocked if the real estate market recovers more quickly than you anticipated, so you may want to resist on selling your residence till it does. While slumps typically seem like they will certainly never end, healings can come remarkably swiftly. Lots of experts anticipate the market to begin recovering in the near future.Show off your storage area. Potential customers are crazy about homes with lots of locations to place their stuff. Ensure that they could see any type of as well as all storage areas that your residence needs to offer. Clear out storage rooms, maintain the attic clean, and don't overload the garage with boxes. Rent a storage space unit if needed to make sure that all your stuff isn't really taking up their prospective area.Lots of researches have actually shown that an objective that is composed is most likely to become a reality. When acquiring or offering a house, take a min to document the objectives that you have. Establish a budget and also a routine to deal with and you will certainly discover it quite valuable in either side of the market.When offering your home, stage every room to ensure that it has a purpose. Customers don't want to be puzzled by an area that could be a workplace or could be a game room. Pick one purpose as well as adhere to it. Usage furniture that is suitable for that objective as well as include a couple of ornamental touches as well.Before you place your home on the marketplace, you should make certain it remains in the very best form feasible. There is no have to do expensive upgrades. Get rid of clutter. This will certainly make the residence appearance larger. Do simple repairs. If you have actually been ignoring a busted cooking area drawer, after that currently is the time to fix it. Painting any type of areas that require it. Trim the backyard and also plant some flowers. Take advantage of what you have to catch and also keep a customer's interest. Houses for sale bixby OK When showing the house that you are selling to prospective customers easy things can make a big difference. Make them really feel as comfy as feasible so they could more conveniently picture themselves residing in your home. A clean lawn, fresh coat of paint and a clean residence will certainly make this a much easier job for the possible purchaser.Occasionally making one of the most out of your sale in the property could be very challenging. This site is brimming with all kind of suggestions that will certainly assist you get much more from your realty sale. Beginning incorporating these pointers right into your sale, to get the most profit from your realty endeavor.

[resbooth]

28 California-Road-Trips- Itinerary Planner-"Like Chicken Soup For The Soul"

California-Road Trip Itinerary Planner

by Tricia Stigler June 27, 2017

28 Reasons a California Road Trip is Good For The Soul!

Our nation is full of so many beautiful wonders that most people have never seen. Why travel outside our country when it is do dangerous? Support the communities within our borders. The California Coast road trip is essential to visiting the USA or west coast. From tip to tip its cities, coastal towns, and nature are unmatched Take a road trip!

Hotels Nearby.

By Grant Marek and Lizbeth Scordo Updated On 02/14/2017 at 10:38AM EST

@grant_marek

Monterey Cypress Tree Tunnel | Lyubov Pogorela/Shutterstock

The cypress “tree tunnel”

Point Reyes  Located in between the Pacific Ocean and Tomales Bay (and inside of the Point Reyes National Seashore) you’ll find this Monterey cypress “tree tunnel” that leads to an old Point Reyes wireless telegraphy receiving station built in the 1920s. Doesn’t matter if you catch it with a patch of early morning fog enveloping either end, or with the afternoon light breaking through its interlocked branches, either way, you’ll feel like you’ve won the damn day.

From Yosemite and Big Sur, to Joshua Tree and Santa Barbara, California is home to some of the most beautiful places on the West Coast, nay, the country, nay, THE WORLD… OK, reverse nay, still just the country. It’s beautiful enough that no matter how many Half Dome hikes you take, you’re still never even going to scratch the surface of all the Instagrammable wonder that the Golden State has to offer.

 But that doesn’t mean we’re not gonna help you try: Here are the 28 most beautiful places in California you didn’t even know existed.

Alamere Falls

Point Reyes Oh this? It’s just a waterfall. THAT FLOWS DIRECTLY INTO THE OCEAN. A rare “tide fall,” it’s found by following the Coast Trail from the Palomarin Trailhead on a 8.5-mile round-trip hike. Pro tip: Stop at Bass Lake along the way if you’re into rope swings.

Hotels In The Area – Point Reyes -13 Hotels

Bowling Ball Beach

Point Arena Named after the spherical sandstone creations, which look like bowling balls (and also, just regular balls), Bowling Ball Beach is located way the hell up Hwy 1. If the tide level is just right, this is one of the most SWTF (Seriously What The F*ck) things in California.

Hotels in the area – Point Arena – 6 Hotels

The Glory Hole

Lake Berryessa The California drought has kinda ruined this one, but when the water levels are right and you’re near the east side of the Monticello Dam at Lake Berryessa, this open bell-mouth spillway (basically what lets them release flows of dam water into Putah Creek) is one of the coolest things you’ll ever stare into (from a very, VERY safe distance) in your life. Creepy bonus: The lake was the site of one of the Zodiac murders!

Hotels in the area – Lake Berryessa – 10 Hotels

 La Tour-Pirates Tower

Laguna Beach Turns out, Orange County’s only “lighthouse” (known as “Pirate Tower” to locals) was actually a 60ft structure built in 1926 to help California State Senator William E. Brown get from his home on the top of the cliff to the beach below (there’s a metal staircase inside).

Hotels in the area – Laguna Beach – 53 Hotels

Painted Canyons

Mecca Located about an hour southeast of Palm Springs, this is hands down one of the most unique California “hikes” you’ll ever go on, largely because it’s a LADDER hike (!) through a narrow and actually really refreshingly cold gorge formed years ago by the San Andreas Fault. The whole “Painted Canyons” name is thanks to the walls, which are washed with pinks, reds, grays, browns, and greens — especially when you first pull into the canyon. Bonus: A few years back, some wonderful person replaced the wood ladders with metal ones. (Thank God.)

Hotels in the area – Mecca – 113 Hotels

Natural Bridges

Vallecito Known to geology nerds as a “karst,” the Natural Bridges were formed when the rushing waters of Coyote Creek eroded through a layer of soluble bedrock and created this Aladdin-caliber Cave of Wonders. Best part? If you really want to explore this thing (and you can), you’re gonna need a bathing suit. Basically if you’re going to California Gold Country, you’ll want to also be going to here.

Hotels in the area – Vallecito – 11 Hotels

Pfeiffer Beach

Big Sur McWay Falls (NorCal tidefall No. 2!!) gets a lot of the Big Sur attention — as it should, it’s freaking ridiculous — as does Bixby Bridge (also great), but Pfeiffer Beach might actually be the gem-ier gem. Not only does it have THE INSANE ROCK FORMATION PICTURED ABOVE (get an Insta of the keyhole at sunset if you want to set a new likes record), but it also has purple sand. Yep. Purple. Sand.

Hotels in the area – Big Sur – 6 Hotels

Fern Canyon

Gold Bluffs Beach Steven Spielberg chose this as the location for The Lost World: Jurassic Park because 1) holy crap look at it, 2) it’s an international Biosphere Reserve (what does that even mean???), and 3) it’s a narrow gorge carved out by Home Creek with walls hugged by seven types of ferns, some of which date back 325 million years. It’s a short trail, so double back on it. Twice. OK fine, thrice.

Hotels in the area – Gold Bluffs Beach – 12 Hotels

The Seven Teacups

Johnsondale One of the coolest natural wonders of the Sierras, the Seven Teacups has been described as one of the world’s (WORLD’S!) most spectacular canyoneering challenges. And that’s the rub on this one — you need, like, ropes and stuff to climb it. But if you do (or find a friend who knows what the hell they’re doing and can carry you up or something) you’ll be rewarded on the way back down, which people have been known to take inflatable killer whales and alligators down (just, duh, make sure the water depth is OK before you kill yourself). This is a must-read if you’re gonna actually try this thing. And you should. Because holy shit look at this thing guys. LOOK AT IT.

Hotels in the area – Johnsondale – 9 Hotels

 Glass Beach

Fort Bragg While years of dumping Fort Bragg garbage along the coastline in the ’50s and ’60s was mostly the worst thing ever, it wasn’t totally and entirely, thanks to Glass Beach — a beach filled almost entirely with sea glass. Just don’t take any of it with you — because of souvenir hunters and the waves (which are constantly grinding down the glass), it’s actually diminishing. Don’t be that guy.

Hotels in the area – Fort Bragg – 31 Hotels

Mossbrae Falls

Dunsmuir Yep. That’s in California. One of the most scenic waterfalls in the Golden State, Mossbrae Falls are fed by springs, which course down a moss-covered canyon wall and create this eye-bulger. Just make sure you use the right access point — one of the trails is closed.

Hotels close by – Dunsmuir – 17 Hotels

Enchanted Forest

Shady Dell This way WAY Northern California redwood forest on the Lost Coast is like any other redwood forest, except it’s known as the Enchanted Forest (!!!) and is home to insane candelabra trees and the three fairy godmothers who’re trying to keep Princess Aurora safe. Maybe. Seriously though, the Lost Coast is one of the true gems of California, and this right here is one of the true gems of the Lost Coast.

Hotels in the area – Enchanted Forest – 26 Hotels

 Poppy Reserve

Antelope Valley Fields of the California state flower, literally for as far as you can see. It’s one of those things that makes you feel incredibly small in the grand scheme of things.

Hotels in the area – Antelope Valley – 6 Hotels

Zabriskie Point

Death Valley Ninety-nine percent of Death Valley is super death-y. But 1% — this 1% — comes alive. Named after a VP of an old borax company who used 20-mule teams to transport borax (Wikipedia-five!), it’s maybe the most beautiful-looking rock place in the entire state. Also it was featured prominently on U2’s The Joshua Tree album cover. So there’s that.

Hotels in the area – Death Valley – 6 Hotels

Inspiration Point

Anacapa Island It might look like Hawaii, but it’s actually a tree-less uninhabited island 2,400 miles away from there in the good old Golden State, and just 12 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara. After grabbing a boat over to Anacapa from Ventura or Oxnard Harbors, you can start the relatively easy 2-mile figure-eight loop hike that takes you past various sights (including the last permanent lighthouse built on the West Coast) and overlooks, but none as awe-inducing as Inspiration Point, where you’ll get a view of a couple of islets and the heftier Santa Cruz Island off in the distance.

Hotels in the area – Ventura – 51 Hotels

Hetch Hetchy Valley

Yosemite You’ve probably already checked out many of Yosemite’s heavy hitters, but you may well have skipped this out-of-the-way valley tucked away in the northwest corner of the park, a good hour-plus drive from the Yosemite Valley floor. It comes complete with multiple lakes, meadows, waterfalls, soaring peaks, a (somewhat controversial) reservoir, and plenty of excellent wildflower viewing in the spring. Best of all, thanks to its remote-ish location, hiking trails are often gloriously uncrowded.

Hotels in the area – Yosemite – 174 Hotels

Kelso Dunes

Mojave Desert What happens when sand blows in for 25,000 years? It piles up until you’ve got 45 square miles of sand dunes that reach 700ft tall and an area that sure does look like it would make a great backdrop for the next Star Wars movie (and, actually, scenes from the original were shot not all that far away). Just driving through is cool enough, but you can also take a marked 3-mile hike and do this trippy “singing sand” thing with your feet while you’re at it.

Hotels in the area – Mojave – 10 Hotels

Burney Falls

Burney You don’t have to worry about catching these falls on a good day as they pretty much never stop flowing thanks to the underground springs that feed into them from above. At 129ft-high and 250ft-wide, the whole thing is pretty massive, flowing 100 million gallons of water every day into Lake Britton. Bonus: The falls sit within pine-dotted McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, a solid spot for hiking, fishing, and camping.

Hotels in the area – Burney – 4 Hotels

 Indian Canyons

Palm Springs If you’re looking to actually see an oasis, this is the real-deal. A bubbling stream in the middle of a canyon preserve just a few miles from Downtown Palm Springs keeps this cluster of thousands of palm trees growing and green all year long, making it one of the world’s largest fan palm oases. You’ll have to pay nine bucks to get into the tribal-owned preserve, so spend the day hiking one or more of the multiple trails, passing pools, streams, waterfalls, and maybe even some bighorn sheep and tarantulas (for real, we’ve seen them) along the way.

Hotels in the area – Palm Springs – 205 Hotels

 Bumpass Hell

Lassen Volcanic National Park

It may not smell beautiful thanks to the sulfur, but as the largest geothermal area in the park, the scene is pretty stunning with boiling mud pots, active steam vents, geysers, and color-stained soil and rocks. And if you’re wondering about the awful name, the place was named after Kendall Vanhook Bumpass, a miner who, in the 1860s, slipped into one of the mud pots and had to have his leg amputated as a result of the burns. So, you know, stay on the trails.

Hotels in the area – Lassen Peak – 7 Hotels

Spring Mountain

Napa Valley

Once you take the 5-mile drive from the valley floor below, you’ll be 2,600ft up, on the eastern side of the Maycamas mountain range, where the views of the mountains, rolling hills treetops and vineyards in the distance are pretty insane. And — bonus — you’ll get to taste wine afterward as the Spring Mountain District sits right on the border of Napa and Sonoma Counties and is its own appellation, home to a few dozen (really good) wineries.

Hotels in the area –Napa Valley – 157 Hotels

Abalone Cove Shoreline Park

Rancho Palos Verdes

This secluded cove on the Palos Verdes coastline feels a gazillion miles away from Los Angeles in part because it’s about 30 miles from Downtown, which actually equals a gazillion in LA freeway math. It encompasses a couple rocky beaches, clear tide pools featuring the park’s namesake, and even an actual cave (exciting!). You can traverse the area via multiple trails to the top of the bluffs (look out for Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Wayfarers Chapel), and back down to the pools. Note that part of one pool is currently closed thanks to unstable cliffs (nothing like ruining a perfectly good day with a cliff falling on you), but there are others to check out, so bring those funky-looking water shoes if you have ’em.

Hotels in the area – Rancho Palos Verdes – 74 Hotels

Cap Rock

Joshua Tree

There’s amazing scenery and those funky Joshua Trees everywhere you turn in this 800,000 acre national park that blends two different deserts, but visitors often stay closer to the edges of the park. For this wonder, you’ll want to head deep into the park to check out this groovy-looking rock formation with a boulder sitting on top of it (which at certain angles looks like it’s defying gravity) against a backdrop of JTs. You’ll get the most beautifulness for your buck in the early AM. It’s also become a makeshift memorial to musician Gram Parsons, since his remains are buried there after a couple of his friends stole his body from the airport and incinerated it in the park. It’s a long story…

Hotels in the area – Joshua Tree – 12 Hotels

Black Sands Beach

Sausalito

Yes, this beach on a pristine cove is adjacent to one of the country’s biggest metropolises, but since access requires a decent trek down (and then an even more strenuous one back up), it manages to stay pretty desolate. And the beach is actually made up black sand (but you knew that), so it heats up nicely, providing a little warmth in the face of those blustery NorCal days. Which is maybe why you’ll probably spot some nudists here and there… so at least take your socks off.

Hotels in the area – Sausalito – 19 Hotels

   Secret Sea Caves

Cabrillo National Monument

These super-cool oceanfront caves beyond the tide pools and cliffs within this San Diego national park have technically been closed to the public for years, and we’re not telling you to break any rules or laws, but people seem to still keep going to them at low tide and posting videos like these, photos like these, and instructional posts like these. Just saying.

Hotels nearby – Cabrillo National Monument – 29 Hotels

Rainbow Falls

Mammoth Lakes

You’re pretty much guaranteed to see a rainbow (but no promise of a unicorn) if you time it right at this 100ft waterfall, thanks to all the mist the falls put out. Your best bet at getting some good rainbow pics is midday when the sun is high in the sky. The length of hike to get there varies and depends on where you park, but figure at least a 3-mile round-trip… and make sure to continue on to check out the lower falls too.

Hotels in the area – Mammoth Lakes – 993 Hotels

Hidden Beach

Klamath

Rugged and rocky bluffs covered in lush spruces? Check. Washed-up driftwood strewn about? Check. A giant rock jutting out of the ocean with a pine tree growing on it? Yep, that too. The thing is, this beach is not just hidden, but more or less completely off the radar of most visitors to Redwood National Park, where the secluded spot can be reached only via some coastal trail hikes with nary a redwood tree in sight.

Hotels nearby – Klamath – 6 Hotels

More Road Trip Remedies To Keep You Well.

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Original Source: 28 California-Road-Trips- Itinerary Planner-"Like Chicken Soup For The Soul" from Reservation Booth