55. Best L.A. Site for Meditating in a Dutch Windmill

It's currently award season in L.A.  In honor of the season I've created Bjork's Best Sights L.A. Award for "Best Site L.A. for Meditating in a Dutch Windmill".  Okay, you may imagine there were very few nominees in the running for this award.  Regardless, the winner is the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) Lake Shrine located at 17300 West Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades, California.  

Not only is the SRF Lake Shrine the best place to meditate in a dutch windmill in Los Angeles, but if you have been following my award winners series to date you might first decide to experience my winner for "Best Beach Reveal".  Then you may consider traveling north on the PCH to experience my winner for "Coke, Smile, Taco and Million Dollar View".  Then as fortune would have it you would simply follow Sunset Boulevard east less than a mile.  Ta Da!  You are at the SRF Lake Shrine.

The entrance is on the south side of Sunset Boulevard, which means it is to your right.  Due to all the wonderful trees that line the street and always seem to be full and green, the sign and entrance to the Lake Shrine is a little hard to see from the road.

Parking is free.  The Windmill Chapel and grounds are open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.  The grounds are closed on Mondays and holidays, and are usually closed during rainy weather.  Please call in advance if there is rain.  310.454.4114

The approximately 10-acre sanctuary is non-denominational.  In addition to meditation in the Windmill Chapel, there is flora, fauna, fish, foliage and more.  On some visits I've also seen hummingbirds and kissing turtles or should I say turtles kissing.  At least it appeared as if they were kissing.

The SRF Lake Shrine includes the only natural spring-fed lake within the city of Los Angeles.  The history of SRF Lake Shrine is interesting, as is the small museum included on the property with houses some of Paramahansa Yogananda's, founder of SRF and author of "Autobiography of a Yogi", keepsakes.

Personally my favorite time to visit is Saturday morning.  This is the only time you may find the House Boat on the property open meditation and/or perusing.

I love this place.  Not only does it feel good to celebrate this L.A. site, in my mind it is an honor.

54. A Coke, a Smile, an 89 Cents Taco and a Million Dollar View

It's currently award season in L.A.  In honor of the season, I've created Bjork's Best Sights L.A. Award for "A Coke, a Smile, an 89 Cents Taco and a Million Dollar View".  And the winner is the Taco Bell Express located in the Pacific Palisades 76 Station, 17299 Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) fortuitously located where the infamous Sunset Boulevard meets the PCH.

Not only is this the Taco Bell with the best view of the Pacific Ocean in the greater Los Angeles area, but if you decide to experience the winner of the "Best Beach Reveal" as mentioned in blog post #53 and continue travelling north on the PCH you will drive right to this site.

If you are an aficionado or Taco Bell regular you know the sodas dispensed at the majority of these food venues are Pepsi products.  I know.  One of my favorite sodas is Mountain Dew's, Baja Blast, which I've only found at Taco Bell.  Not everyone is a fan of Pepsi.  There are those who would rather go without than drink Coke and those who would rather go without than drink Pepsi.

If you are a Coke snob (and I mean that in the nicest way possible), enjoy Taco Bell food and an ocean view; visiting this site will be like experiencing the trifecta.  Feel free to smile.  

Personally, since I find my self denied Baja Blast at this Taco Bell Express, I enjoy mixing approximately one-third Cherry Coke with two-thirds Diet Coke.  It's not like I measure it or anything.  I'm just sayin'!  Don't be afraid to mix it up people.

If you are a Pepsi snob (again, nicest way), this is a Taco Bell Express.  Buy your taco at the Express.  Then buy your Pepsi from the 76 Station cashier.  Or maybe you desire to take this opportunity to gas up your vehicle as well.  Or buy a banana.  Maybe some flip flops.  A pack of gum.  Or maybe nature calls.  Restrooms are available for customers.  Ask a cashier for one of the coins you need to enter the restroom.

Regardless of what you decide to purchase to eat and drink, I strongly suggest you proceed to one of the outside tables to enjoy the million dollar view of the Pacific Ocean while you eat.

Ahhhh!  It feels good to celebrate the sights of L.A.

*****March 22, 2010 UPDATE*****

The last day of Winter, 2010, your SoCal gal took a little trek to Point Dume in Malibu, which she wrote about in the Another Winter's Withered blog post.

The site she writes about in this blog post #54 is on her way to Point Dume.  And she's gotta say the lure to stop is just too much.  It is as if her car is possessed and must pull over at this Taco Bell.

As she ordered her food, she noticed there is currently only one item on their menu that is 89 cents, the cheese rollup thing.  There are a couple of different tacos available for 99 cents.  Most everything is over a dollar.

The other thing she noticed, the machine that dispenses the soft drinks is no longer a Coke machine.  It is now an official Taco Bell/Pepsi products, her beloved Baja Blast included, soft drink machine.

She tried to find someone there who would explain to her why the change.  No luck!

For those excited this was a Taco Bell with a Coke machine, you need not fret.  Buy your Taco Bell food at the Express and your Coke product from the convenience store cashier.

How refreshing!

To learn more about Pepsi's Refresh Project, click here.

If you click here, the link will take you to a page with a webcam from this 76 Station in Pacific Palisades mentioned in this blog along with a map and an overhead view of the station.  It doesn't look as if the webcam is currently functioning and refreshing every 4 seconds as indicated.  Still, it will give you another view of this Bjork's Best Sights L.A. Award Winner.

53. And the winner for Best Beach Reveal L.A. is...

It's currently award season in Los Angeles (L.A.).  Since I am also the L.A. Sightseeing Examiner for examiner.com, I began to feel I might come up with a few of my own awards for the sights in L.A.  Here is my first submission.

Imagine you live somewhere landlocked.  Imagine you love the beach.  Imagine you've booked a flight to Los Angeles.  Now the day you have been waiting for has finally arrived.

Your airplane touches down safely at LAX.  You had checked your luggage. Your luggage has made the trip safely, as well. You tote your luggage with you to pick up the car you rented.  "Would you like an upgrade?" the rental car agent asks.  You think, "hell yeah!"  You say, "but, of course.  Thank you."

By now you are feeling good.  So good you find your self in the "this is going to be the best trip" zone.  You think, "three hours until my hotel check-in.  Where should I go first?"

That's when you remember this blog written by that CaliforniVacation woman.  Bjork something or another.  You know, like the singer but not.  You recall her writing that the best reveal of an L.A. beach involves asking your rental car agent (who you know already from the upgrade is excellent at customer service) to point you in the direction of the 405 so you can go north.

Then once on the 405 you continue until the Interstate 10 exit going west to Santa Monica.  Then you stay on the 10, which will technically end.  You stay on this road as it leads you to the tunnel that curves right onto the PCH.  When you emerge from the tunnel...there...revealed in all its glory is beach and Pacific Ocean.  And it IS glorious!

Ahhh!  It feels good to celebrate the sights of L.A.

P.S.  The video gives you an idea of the drama of the reveal, but sadly pales in comparison to the actual experience.

52. Walking Around Point Dume Beach in Malibu

There are many sights to see and activities to enjoy, especially if you enjoy nature and the beach, when you visit Point Dume (pronounced doo-may), such as starfish sightings and surfing.

After visiting Point Dume a couple of times, I wondered if it was possible to walk around the point via the beach.  Given Point Dume's landscape of massive in size and height cliffs, it seemed reasonable to me that if I was going to accomplish this feat I'd need to be at the west side beach as close to low tide as possible.

To reach Point Dume by vehicle, you need to find your way to the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway).  Where Zuma Beach and Malibu border is where you find Westward Beach Road.  Turn onto Westward Beach Road toward the ocean.  Follow the road to the pay parking lot.  Voila!  You have now arrived at the west side beach of Point Dume.

The mid-January day I was there for this monumental experiment, I managed to arrive about half an hour before low tide.  As you will see in the video, I made it past the first set of rocks (although I needed to climb them to get by).  I reached the next set of rocks.  These were the last set of rocks to go around to reach the east side.  Darn!  I was going to have to climb these rocks.

Okay.  I had decided initially I would not get dirty, wet or risk hurting my self to accomplish this feat.  I'd barely started when I got dirty.  Out went that decision.  Yet, I was still fairly willing to hold to my other two.

I looked at this second set of rocks and decided I wasn't willing to risk falling off them to prove something most likely no one cared about except me.  Not having health insurance probably factored in a bit too.

Aaaahhhhhh!  I'd come this far.  Was I really willing to give up already?  After all I'd already navigated the first set of rocks that at first glance also appeared daunting.  Aaaaahhhhhh!  I had to keep going.

I started climbing the second set of rocks. I saw tide pools in some of the rocks.  During high tide these rocks are covered in water.  Still...before I got around, I decided I really had reached the limit of what I was willing to climb.  Fear of Falling!  Self-Denial!  Darn!

So I headed back to hurry along the long-way path to the east side beach just knowing there would be some awesome surfing watching and filming to be done.

Here's what I feel was my surprising yet welcome realization as I started to trek to the east-side beach.  I began feeling a bit smug believing I had just proven walking around Point Dume via the beach couldn't be done.  Before my back began to get too red from all my self-congratulatory patting, I realized all I'd actually proven was I couldn't do it on this day.  A better climber might have.  In the summer when the water level of low tide is lower, I might have.

Anyone else thinking, "I have a date with destiny."?  Anyone else thinking, "rematch"?

51. Just Passing Through

Most of the time I write about places to see in SoCal which are pretty much permanent, like Point Dume (pronounced doo-may) in Malibu, not faces.  For this blog post I make an exception.  For this blog post I am writing about someone who is so much more than a face.  Someone who has given himself the moniker, hobo.

I feel fortunate to have spent some time with this happy-go-lucky hobo, aka Keith Salender, before the current rain-athon the greater Los Angeles area has been experiencing.

When I last saw Keith at the Manhattan Beach Pier on a beautiful and sunny Saturday, he was off to continue his trek which started in a place known for gray skies and rain, Seattle.  His destination: the U.S. Commonwealth (I like that word) of Pennsylvania.  Taking the long way.  Down the Pacific Coast.  Across the southern U. S. of A. to Georgia.  Then up the Appalachian Trail to Pennsylvania.  That's the plan.

I feel fortunate that this fine young man, who reminds me of one of my own sons, has friended me on Facebook so I may be updated on his progress.  According to a recent post, Keith has already reached Dana Point, which according to MapQuest is about sixty miles from Manhattan Beach.

Sixty miles in six days in the most consecutive rain this area has had in five years.  Did I mention accomplishing this trek by walking?  Walking!  You know...one foot in front of the other...one step at a time with his only bag of tricks, the backpack that travels with him.  I told him it reminded me of the movie, "Up In The Air" with George Clooney.  He hadn't seen it.  Guess he's been busy.

Now one might think all of this rain would make "Keith the Hobo" sad, desirous of pity or something similar.  You decide considering what this hobo has been doing to stay entertained during his slowed down trek agenda during this rain-athon.  Cry?  Hardly!  Complain?  I don't think so.  Wine?  No thanks!  He's off of caffeine and alcohol during his trip.

Keith is teaching himself songs (which he is referring to as "dittys") and recording them on his now fallen-off-a-cliff, a little-worse-for-wear ukulele.  He's also managed to find ways to upload the "dittys" to YouTube to his "Keiththehobo" channel.

Who needs a flashlight when you have that 100-watt smile to light your way.  God speed, my friend.

 *****March 22, 2010 Update*****

Keith has been following the railroad tracks that run parallel and close to I-10.  Your SoCal gal met Keith at Point Dume on January 13, 2010.  On March 13, he entered New Mexico and should be entering Texas in the next day or two.

Keith ran into an interesting phenomenon while in New Mexico's dessert, snow.  If you wish to see his video showcasing this phenom, please click here.

50. El Porto - Break in the January Rain

After previously blogging about how very little it rains in the greater Los Angeles area, this winter has pelted more rain in the last five days than almost the last five years.

A trip to my closest beach, El Porto in Manhattan Beach, found me lucky to see how the rain has effected that beach during about an hour of dry and sunny.

Even though it was only about two hours until low tide, the water reach was still quite high on the beach.  The sand was very hard and compact.  Much of the beach was covered with a dark something making the sand look dirty (noticeable in the photo below and the accompanying video).

The waves were all over the place.  In many spots the water on the shore looked as if it had a large amount of soap dumped into it leaving soap-looking bubbles on the sand.

BTW did I mention how windy it was?  You can really hear it in the video, not to mention that it's a bit funny looking seeing some of those soap-looking bubbles being blown around the beach.

The most noticeable change from less than a week ago when the winter waves had the beach and water generously peppered with surfers (see the photo below taken six days previous to this blog post)...not a surfer to be sight seen.

From the news reports on T.V. I was expecting much worse (not that I am complaining).  As I stepped into my car to leave, the rain started again.  How lucky am I?

More rain is on the way.  Please stay dry and safe people.

49. Surfing Winter Waves at Point Dume, Malibu

Point Dume (pronounce doo-may) is the western terminus of Santa Monica Bay and has been an important landmark for navigators since 1793, a mere 26 short years after the art of surfing is said to first have been observed by Europeans in Tahiti.

Most likely not one thought remotely related to the above information ran through any of the minds of the many surfers who found them selves enjoying the winter waves off the beach on the east side of Point Dume.

Let me tell you these surfers have at least one thing in common; and that's how bad they want it.

To reach this I've-seen-it-referred-to-as supremo "secret" surfing spot one must find parking, carry their surf board along the Point Dume trail which leads to the stairs one must descend to step foot on the beach.  Of course, you could jump but seriously...DO NOT!

Luckily, once down the stairs the water is only yards (as in three feet to a yard) away.  If it is around low tide time, the surfer may forgo most of the paddling to reach the catch-the-wave area by walking the beach instead.

I was fortunate enough to be at the beach soon after low tide the day I was there.  By standing on one of the huge rocks, I was able to video the surfers closely.  As you watch the video, decide for your self if it looks like it was worth the hike for the winter waves these surfers continued to return to ride again and again.

48. Starfish Wars

After last visiting Point Dume (pronounced du-may) in Malibu, I found out this is a great place to sightsee gray whales during their winter migration down to Baja, California.  When my mommy came to visit for the holiday, this seemed like a great choice as one of the things to do while she was here.

As an aside, in case you don't know I write as the L.A. Sightseeing Examiner for examiner.com.  The articles I write with them are somewhat duplicates of my blog posts for this blog.  The difference: the articles are more succinct and informational while the blog posts are more personal and sharing of my experience.  So, if you would rather read a more factual account, click here.  Otherwise, thanks for coming along for the ride as you continue to read the rest of my story about this awesome experience.

We drove north on the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) to reach the turn off right before Malibu ends and Zuma Beach begins.  This may be a little TMI (too much information) but by then after all our morning coffee drinking and the like, we needed to take a bathroom break.  I already knew that the east beach and the park where Point Dume is located does not have any "formal" bathrooms.  I suggested we stop at the bathroom.  We did.

Back in the vehicle, we drove and turned on Birdview Avenue following it to Cliffside Drive where we expected to park.  Spots were all taken.  Boo Hoo!  My man, Manny, offered to stay in the vehicle until we could get a spot while the rest of us hiked the trail to the top of Point Dume.  Remember, our goal was looking for gray whales.

So we trekked to the top of Point Dume with our binoculars and cameras.  Once at the top, I was so excited about how amazingly clear and beautiful the view was that day I totally forgot about looking for whales.  After some looking around and enjoying the view and no whale sightings, we put our attention back on the parking situation.  With our binoculars we could see Manny still didn't have a parking spot available so he could join us.  Maybe that was his dasterdly plan all along.  Just kidding, honey.

Truth is this little strip of available parking which is the closest place to park to hike to the top of Point Dume only accommodates about five or six vehicles.  And in hindsight, and I guess a glimpse into the way my mind works, knowing we were going to be walking and hiking anyway so what difference would it make how much walking and hiking we did, we could have simply parked on Westward Beach Road (farther away from Pt. Dume spots closer to the mentioned bathrooms are free, closer spots in the designated parking area are pay-to-park, plus there are outdoor public restrooms in this designated pay-to-park area) and hiked up the hill.

So while my mommy and her man, Bob, waited at the top of Point Dume; Manny and I drove down to the parking area on Westward Beach Road and then hiked up to meet them.

Still no gray whales sighted.  Still excited about how clear it was this day...so clear we could see the highrise buildings of Downtown Los Angeles.

Once we had our fill of sightseeing from the top of Point Dume, we decided to hike down to the east beach to see what we would see.  One of the things the east side beach is known for is its tide pools, which are most easily observed if you desire to stay dry when it is low tide.  Without really planning it, we lucked into being at Point Dume during low tide.

We trekked down the hiking trail until reaching the steep and lots of them stairs, which in my mind is about the only safe option of getting down to the beach to view the tide pools.  You could jump, but no exaggeration it must be at least 30 feet if not more.  Anyway, I wish to give a shout out to my very youngish and mostly fit for being 70 mommy who initially after taking a look at those stairs decided she would wait for us rather than descend them.  About five minutes later somewhere in her being she mustered up the courage to victoriously descend the stairs.  Way to go, mommy!  I love you.

Anyway, in my mind the stairs are worth the climb.  Once down on the beach there is much to explore and see (that is if you are into this kind of thing).  While I didn't see any starfish warring (the title of this blog is more an homage to the title, Star Wars), there were so many to see that I found myself very curious about these tide pool inhabitants.  What do they eat?  How do they breathe?  (BTW, thanks to wikipedia I learned they breathe or "respirate through the tube feet and through tiny structures called papullae that dot the body surface.") For your viewing pleasure, there are also a plethora of sea urchins visible at low tide.

While we went to Point Dume hoping to see some gray whales and didn't, we all agreed we enjoyed our visit and had a fun time.

P.S.  Here's a very lame joke sure to win over your 5-year old.  How do starfish war?  In slow motion.

47. Any Given Monday

Whether the tide is high or the tide is low...whether it is any given Monday or any other day of the week...one sight you can be sure to find, admire and appreciate (at least if you are me) when you visit a pier at one of the many Los Angeles County beaches are surfers joyously riding the ocean's waves.

While I have no desire (currently) to learn and join the surfers, I feel I easily share their energetically emitted joy simply in the watching.  While in a generic fashion what one sees is called surfing, each ride of the wave is unique.  Either the surfer will be different, or the sky, the waves, the water temperature, the wind, the clouds...hmmm, I guess I just figured out why I can visit the beach so often and never tire of doing so.  You never know what awaits you and your sightseeing pleasure.