61. Best Sight L.A. to See a Spitting Dinosaur in Front of a Pinkberry

As you most likely are aware, it is currently award season in L.A.  In honor of the season, I've created a Bjork's Best Sights L.A. Award for "Best Sight to See a Spitting Dinosaur in Front of a Pinkberry".  And the award most deservedly goes to the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.

Today's award is inspired by the line from Disney's movie, Aladdin (still one of my sons and my favorite animated movies), "Watch out, they spit!"  Of course, the genie so brilliantly voiced by Robin Williams, was referring to camels.  In my opinion the dinosaur fountain in the photo appears to give spitting a much better image.

Now if you have been following Bjork's Best blog posts so far, you know there is a method to my madness with the sights I have chosen to honor.  I've put a mini-tour (if you will) together I've decided to name, the Hotel California Tour.  The Hotel California was an award winning sight in my series.

The Hotel California (Pacific and Ocean Avenue) is located very close to the Santa Monica Pier (Colorado and Ocean Avenue), also an award winner.  By walking a mere one block north on Ocean from Colorado, then turning right onto Broadway, you are two blocks from the south end of the Third Street Promenade.

The entire promenade is three blocks long ending at Wilshire Boulevard.  Like whimsical bookends, the spitting topiary dinosaur fountains flank the north and south entrance to the promenade.  When the dinosaurs were first installed on the promenade they breathed fire at night.  This was short lived due to risk assessment.  Too bad!  I know more than a couple of people who would have found fire breathing dinosaurs to be much more cool than spitting dinosaurs.  I digress.

Much has been written about the Third Street Promenade for it is an enjoyable L.A. sight. I thought, however, it might be nice to give a shout out to the artists, Claude and Francois LaLanne, for their clever 1989 usage of copper, stainless steel and foliage which resulted in these much admired dinosaur fountains.

While there are many places to see a movie, be entertained by street performers, buy a book at Barnes and Noble, grab a Latte, or eat a tasty breakfast at Barney's Beanery (just to name a few of the sights you'll find on the Third Street Promenade too); if you wish to see dinosaurs spitting in front of a Pinkberry there's only one place: The Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.

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

P.S. To find out more than you probably ever wished to know about the Third Street Promenade's history, click here.