California Babylon by Kristan Lawson

California Babylon by Kristan Lawson

California: the whole world knows it as the mother lode of scandal and celebrity, mayhem and miracles, a place where nearly anything can happen - and does. Giving the lowdown on the most notorious locations across the state, California Babylon redefines tourism for the 21st century by guiding you to the places you actually want to see, whether you'll admit to it or not.

Packed with photographs and with easy-to-follow directions to each site, California Babylon unveils the real-life filming locations; scenes of rock-'n'-roll debauchery; homes and hotspots where the stars lived, dined, made love and died - and where they still do today. With this detailed, up-to-date guide, you can revisit some of the most shocking, puzzling, glamorous and tragic moments the world has ever known.

Spend the night in the very hotel rooms where Janis Joplin, John Belushi, or Hawaii's King Kamehameha died. See the site where People's Temple leader Jim Jones whipped hundreds of followers into a frenzy. Visit the orphanage where little Norma Jeane Baker dreamed of stardom. Follow in the footsteps of serial killers. Recreate the camera angles for dozens of your favorite films, from Vertigo to Pee Wee's Big Adventure. With California Babylon's help, you can also see:

*infamous crime scenes
*the homes of screen legends
*graves of the rich and famous
*assassination sites
*abandoned utopias
*restaurants and bars frequented by celebrities

Forget the endless malls and beaches! Wouldn't you rather see JFK's secret love-nest, the stage where Michael Jackson's hair burst into flames, or the alley that was the epicenter of prostitution in gold-rush era San Francisco? These are the guilty pleasures you'll actually write home about, and they're what make California the wacky, world-famous, and truly unbelievable place it is today.

Anneli Rufus is the author of four nonfiction works, including The Scavengers' Manifesto and Party of One: A Loner's Manifesto, which have received critical praise. She has written for dozens of periodicals, including the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, and Salon. She is an award-winning writer and poet. She is a resident of Berkeley, California.