Tag: LA CA;

Day 2: Touring downtown LA

Cafe 50

This morning we met our son Tom at his place of work. After checking out the place and meeting some of his fellow artisans, we went to Cafe 50 for lunch. This is a quaint retro eatery that has walls covered in 50s memorabilia. The menu was typical of 50’s dinner, but the back page listed about 40 different milkshakes. Dennis and Tom both had a strawberry shake for dessert. The waiter placed their cherry-topped beverage on the table and then returned with what was left in the blender. With such an ample serving, the almost waddled out the door.

We took our first LA metro ride to downtown LA. Tom really knows the city and took us to some interesting spots Here are some of the things we saw.

 

City Hall, built in 1928, is often seen in movies.
Atrium at the LA Public Library

The LA public library serves the largest population of any publicly funded library system in the United States. The Tom Bradley Wing contains a number of art projects commissioned by the Department of Cultural Affairs. In the atrium, three massive chandeliers created by Therman Statom hang from the ceiling Eighteen feet in diameter and brightly colored they are fun to look down on from the third floor.

The building is a major architectural landmark in downtown LA.  It was originally built 1926. In 1993, the Tom Bradley addition was added. Though there are free docent tours of the building and its art, we did it on our own.

We also visited the many parks in the area, the Bradbury Building and Union Station. We saw the country’s shortest, Angels Flight— that runs up and down the hill between Hill and Olive streets. It does not run often, but many of you may recognize it from the movie, LA LA Land.

After traipsing around in downtown LA, we stopped at the Grand Central Market for a quenching brew. This emporium has hosted food vendors & florists, plus game nights, movies & other events, since 1917. We stopped at the Golden Road and had a Back Home Stout. The beer was dark with a strong taste of hops and molasses. It also had an APV of 11.25%. Wow!

 

La Placita Church is one of the original Catholic churches in downtown LA
Enjoying a refreshing beer at the Central Market
Frank Gehry-designed the Disney Concert Hall (on left) with striking steel architecture & pristine acoustics.Note the mountains in the background.
Victor Clothing Company mural depicts Anthony Quinn in the 1964 movie “Zorba the Greek.” It was painted on the side of the Victor Clothing Building in 1985 by Eloy Torrez and was recently restored.
So true, of Dennis towards me.

 

Day 1 in LA

Our predawn departure for LA meant traveling without coffee. I was surprised to get a delicious cup of Starbucks coffee on the leg from Sarasota to Atlanta. It tasted great with the biscotti they served.

The plane flew lower than normal to evade the headwinds, but from my window, I could only see clouds until we were over a desert just before the Continental Divide. I can’t imagine what it was like for the settlers to cross that region and I have a lot of admiration for their stamina.

At LAX, we sat on the tarmac for over an hour. The pilot said that the plane that was currently at our gate was having trouble departing. Later at the restaurant, someone told us that there was suspicious activity at the airport that prevented planes from arriving/departing, though I could not confirm the validity of this statement, it makes sense especially with all the airport security since 911.

LAX is not as pretty as other airports but is was efficient, and we were soon on our way. Though we had not planned to check our bags, we were forced to do so in Atlanta because the overhead luggage compartments were full. Since airlines now charge to check bags, more people carry them on. When there is not enough room, the last one’s to board the plane are forced to check the luggage. Of course, since you have to remove medicine, computers, and lithium batteries before checking the bags, Dennis and I had to unpack everything. Fortunately, I carry a small Sea-to-Summit day pack which I used to stow our belongings.

LA with snow on the mountains, Photo from the LA Weekly

I am stunned by the beauty of the San Gabriel Mountains that frame LA on the east. Their starkness contrasts with the city’s skyline.

We arrived at the Avenue Hotel too early for the 3:00 pm check-in and so we went for lunch at the nearby Mexican Village Restaurant. They are renown for their margaritas as well as their food. As tired as we were, we decided to return for the beverages during a future happy hour and just had wonderfully tasty authentic food.  If you come to LA, I recommend this restaurant, though Tom tells me the Mexican food sold on the food trucks is fantastic. I’ll have to compare the “roach coach” food to that of the restaurant’s.

In the evening we walked the East Hollywood neighborhood and stopped at the Guatemalteca Bakery and Restaurant. It was deciding on a treat but with the help of a customer I picked a cookie that would taste great with coffee and Dennis chose a cheesecake. I also bought a Faraon chia seed mango juice just because it was unusual. I think this drink would taste even better with rum.

We ended the day early with expectations of visiting with our son, Tom, in the morning. The weather will be warm on Thursday and Friday and then change for colder and wetter. I want to do our outdoor adventures with temperatures in the high 70s instead of low the 60s.