In this section of Roadside Peek, visit some of the Roadside
Giants that dot the roadside.
Dino
Cabazon, CA Photo courtesy Ralph Squillace
The Cabazon Dinosaurs is an interesting story on its own. This
postcard image shows the dinosaur glowing by moonlight.
The Cabazon Dinosaurs remain open, with Dinny’s gift shop and a dinosaur walk featuring more than 100 additional figures, along with a dino dig and gemstone and fossil panning. Seasonal colors keep giving the original giants fresh looks, but they remain unmistakable from the highway. Good to see these two haven't followed their restaurant into extinction. 10-26
Bono's Historic Orange (Closed)
Route 66 Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here’s a refreshing reminder of California’s citrus-growing days. Bono's Historic Orange stood beside the family’s restaurant along Route 66 in Fontana, advertising its original purpose without much need for lettering.
Orange-shaped juice stands once dotted California’s highways, inviting motorists to pull over for a drink near the groves.This example was rescued from another Fontana location and brought to Bono’s in the 1990s, continuing a roadside tradition the restaurant had once celebrated with an orange stand of its own.
UPDATE: A March 2022 preservation report placed the orange in Fontana’s public works yard, awaiting repairs and relocation through the Fontana Historical Society. Fortunately, this little piece of citrus history was saved. 10-26
Lindsay Giant Olive July 05
Lindsay, CA Photo courtesy papaT
Yes, indeed, that’s a huge olive. The Lindsay Giant Olive makes quite an impression for something usually found in a much smaller can. Standing on its display base, this oversized piece of produce gives travelers another reason to stop in California’s agricultural heartland. 08-06
The olive formerly stood at the local olive growers’ cooperative before moving to the Olive Tree Inn and Restaurant. Lindsay was once known as the “Olive Capital of the World,” so an enormous olive made a suitable advertisement for the town’s signature crop.
The cooperative’s closure in 1992 marked a difficult chapter for the community and its growers. The surviving sculpture recalls the industry that helped put Lindsay’s name on grocery shelves far beyond the Central Valley.
Lindsay Olive
Linsay, CA Photo courtesy Linda Persons
Check out the simple shape and dark finish. No smiling face, waving arms, or flashing arrow needed here. This fellow gets attention by being considerably larger than expected. Finding it in a motel parking lot adds another surprise to the trip, especially for anyone who arrived looking only for a room.
UPDATE: The former Olive Tree Inn became a Super 8 motel, and the giant olive remains in the parking lot. The business name has changed, but this reminder of Lindsay’s agricultural past has kept its place. 10-26
Chiat Day Binoculars
Venice, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out these enormous Binoculars on Main Street in Venice. Rising between the adjoining office buildings, they make the driveway entrance rather hard to overlook. No need to bring a pair of your own to find them. 01-07
Completed in 1991 for advertising agency Chiat/Day, the complex combines buildings designed by Frank Gehry with binoculars created by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The hollow barrels contain interior rooms, while the eyepieces serve as skylights. Quite a different view from the usual office window.
UPDATE: Long associated with Google’s Venice offices, the Binoculars Building was offered for sale in 2025. Its oversized entrance remains one of the neighborhood’s most recognizable sights. 10-26
Here’s a refreshing reminder of California’s citrus-growing days. 
Lindsay Giant Olive July 05
Lindsay Olive
Chiat Day Binoculars
