We've written about the Cabazon Dinosaurs before, but they're so awesome, so iconic, that we have to show them to you again. The Cabazon Dinosaurs are a classic roadside attraction in Cabazon, California. Their website describes them this way:
The Cabazon Dinosaurs have long been regarded as one of the most iconic roadside attractions. Featured in cult classics such as Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure and The Wizard, the dinosaurs have staked their place in pop culture.
I've been a fan of the dinosaurs since I was in high school, when I was obsessed with Pee-wee's Big Adventure. If you don't remember, Pee-wee and Simone watch the sunrise from inside the T. Rex's mouth. Turns out it was filmed on a soundstage, not actually in the Cabazon dino's mouth, as explained by Lindsay of the blog "I am not a stalker":
That scene was not actually shot inside of Rex's mouth, though, but on a soundstage at Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank. You can see some great photographs of what Rex's mouth actually looks like here. In real life, his mouth is not nearly as big as the set replica that Tim Burton created for the film, nor is there a large pink tongue on which to sit.
I was finally able to see the dinos for myself this week, when I stopped by on my drive from Phoenix to Los Angeles. They did not disappoint! And as a bonus, the T. Rex was painted like Santa Claus for Christmas!
For much more info on the history of the dinosaurs, read the rest of Lindsay's entry here.
