I am enjoying your travelogue Simon, and you are clearly a man of good taste, but these Alberta-based pedestal mounts mustn't have been on your road-side route whilst southbound from Calgary:
Calgary - Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighter
Claresholm - Canadian Car & Foundry Harvard
Lethbridge - Canadair CT-133 Silver Star
Warner - Canadair CT-133 Silver Star
When in Santa Monica, I highly recommend "The Lobster" restaurant on Ocean Ave. Reservations recommended.