by: -RoG-

...CONTINUED

There be dinosaurs on that there trail.

Snakeasaurus!

Look out baby bronto!

Baby Triceratops' hanging out with baby crocs. Friends4evar!

Kentrosaurus always plays it cool and aloof.

Remember kids: Never get between a mama triceratops and her offspring.

Nice teeth you got there, Mr. Dimetrodon.

You think he loves the view too?

Prehistoric frog, taking a nap.

Another stegosaurus with her offspring.

Looks like some T-Rex babies are on the way.

So the lamb is standing near a T-Rex and a killer croc? Somebody's gonna have a really bad day.

I think he's angry because his head got stuck.

One nice attraction for kids is a large sandbox where they can dig for dinosaur bones.
Let's just hope the local dinosaurs haven't been using it as a litter box.

Umm... not sure what this soldier has to do with anything here at the robotic dinosaur exhibit. Yo Joe?

What better place to picnic than near a large severed dinosaur head?

Dinosaur's have neck pain too... and that's where the dino-brace comes in handy.

No Mr. Rex! Don't eat me!

Re makes a very convincing run for it.

Here's the front sign.

There's no back to it, so it looks really odd when you photograph it from the side.

This tricky prehistoric snake enjoys camouflaging itself as a palm tree.

Next, we had to head on over to another special place that was nearby...

In front of the Cabazon Dinosaurs, you'll find the classic Wheel Inn Restaurant.
It's pretty hard to miss considering it features a huge "EAT" sign with a brontosaurus and a wagon wheel covering the "A".

Not a busy day for the restaurant, but that wasn't going to stop us from enjoying a meal there.
I can only assume that nobody was there due to fear of the ghost of Large Marge.
Yes, in case you didn't realize it, this is the restaurant from Pee-wee's Big Adventure.

I absolutely LOVE the interior of this place, for it clearly hasn't changed a bit since the 1960s what with
the paper lanterns, wood paneling, quirky framed pictures, Native American folk art and a classic gift shop.
What's crazy is that they don't have a single bit of Pee-wee Herman merchandise in the shop.
They could make an absolute killing on that stuff considering how many people come there just because of the film.

This is the exact spot where they had the Large Marge memorial in Pee-wee's Big Adventure, but now
there's a bison head instead. Personally, I would've kept that memorial there to draw in more customers.

Toy trucks, random sports memorabilia, dolls and delicious pies.
The Wheel Inn Restaurant is frozen in time and I wouldn't want it any other way.

These chairs are older than you and they're comfy as hell.

Delicious.
If you enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries for lunch as much as I do, the Wheel Inn Restaurant hits the spot.

You can also become a true master of disguise for only fifty cents. What a bargain!

Cabazon, CA - Where wind is born.

Again the views are ridiculous out there.
I really gotta remember to bring a sled with me next time I visit Cabazon and Palm Springs.

Alright, it's time to head back home. Adios Dinny!

And now for a quick video featuring some of the robotic dinosaurs
doing amazing things like fighting knights and plush elephant toys:

The Cabazon Dinosaurs are a classic american roadside attraction... a relic from a simpler time when scaring the crap out of motorists with life-sized dinosaurs was more important that filling up the land with malls and restaurants. Claude Bell even wanted their eyes to glow and fire to shoot out of their mouths originally! He also planned on adding a giant woolly mammoth sculpture to the site, but passed away before it could be completed.

I can't recommend visiting these dinosaurs enough, as there really was a lot of work put into them and if you look past all the religious propaganda, you'll have a blast there. There's a reason Paul Reubens put these dinosaurs in his movie, and once you see them up close in person, you'll understand exactly why. Bell may have passed away in 1988, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that I hope his memory will continue to live on for centuries to come in the form of his amazing roadside dinosaurs.

And don't forget kids, when you get to Cabazon, be sure 'n tell 'em Large Marge sent ya!

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