From the obvious to the obscure, Southern California (SoCal) has events and sights galore. This blog is about exploring and sharing the events and sights of SoCal.
Chances are you do not spell art B - E - R - G - A - M - O - T. That is unless you are in Santa Monica. And then you just might.
While Bergamot Station (2525 Michigan Avenue) may sound more like someplace a railroad or trolley might stop (at one time this was a stop for the Red Line trolley), since 1994, Bergamot Station, revitalized by acclaimed architecture firm, Pugh & Scarpa, has become a popular art gallery complex while retaining its industrial look and feel.
Bergamot Station is the largest art gallery complex and cultural center in Southern California. Click here to view a Bergamot Station calendar.
The facility is open Tuesday through Saturday. Hours vary depending on the venue. Parking is free.
In case all of the art viewing and/or buying has you yearning for a bit of something tasty, the complex includes the Bergamot Station Gallery Cafe.
When you think of Hollywood, what's the first thought that comes to mind? Chances are it is not the artistic medium known as theatre (or theater).
In the area of Hollywood known as NOHO (north Hollywood), a scant two blocks from the last stop on Los Angeles' subway, the Metro red line, is the NOHO Arts District, home to many theatres. Not the type of theater you go to for viewing movies, but the sort you visit for live performances.
This 60 seat, intimate theatre is a place to see live theater practiced for the pure love of the craft. Bagels, a nosh above other romances, is the name of the current production playing at Secret Rose Theatre. With a ticket investment of $22, barely more than the price of a movie ticket, you may enjoy Bagels in a venue where there is not a bad seat in the house (and the seats are comfy, too).
Even though your SoCal gal wasn't lured to the theatre to enjoy Bagels, she was happily lured to Secret Rose by a seminar for releasing excuses with facilitator, Brad Yates, champion and tapper for being magnificent. That's one of the other services Mike Rademaekers, Secret Rose Theatre's proprietor offers: theatre rental. Secret Rose Theatre, which opened its doors in 1999, is a fully equipped professional theatre. Acting classes are also available.
Like any good theatre district, there are some great eating establishments in the NOHO Arts District. So, is it wrong that your SoCal gal made a bee line for the Starbucks a mere block from the Secret Rose? After all in her mind the iced grande caramel macchiato is like a divine gift. Fresh off the awesome seminar with Brad Yates, she makes no excuses for loving what she loves.
To the NOHO Arts District, venues like the Secret Rose Theatre and to everyone and everything being divinely magnificent: Cheers.
Your SoCal gal has been living close enough to literally crawl to South Bay Celebration Church (not that she would crawl when she is able to walk) for over a tenth of her life now. Yet, she always would just walk on by.
Why would she give it a second glance? In her mind with her spiritual beliefs, she is above organized religion except maybe for venue's like Agape International Spiritual Center.
In your SoCal gal's mind, me, Lori Bjork, I am also well beyond being a challenged teen nor do I currently know any. So, no need to have it register that this church multitasks as the home of Teen Challenge Los Angeles.
It was Ray Charles' daughter's, Sheila Raye Charles, testimonial at the church Wednesday, March 24; which finally had me heading to this almost literally in my own backyard venue. Let's just say I'll never look at my "backyard" quite the same way again.
Now before I go any further; I understand this blog is not a venue to preach religion or in any way imply I am seeking to push any thing on any one or convert any one or anything like that. I truly feel every person's relationship (or lack of relationship) with divinity (whatever name you give it) is sacred not to mention an American first amendment constitutional right, freedom of religion. I wish to make it clear this blog post is meant more for entertaining and informing than anything else.
Whew! That's out of the way.
South Bay Celebration Church, 3841 West 130th Street, has been a part of Hawthorne's community for over fifty years. I found their Wednesday's service (which included Sheila Raye Charles) more welcoming than I ever expected.
One of the church's pastors, Phil Cookes, is a Hawthorne native. He was arrested for drugs, a gang member and the like before he became clean and sober over twenty-five years ago. He is a champion for the church, the city of Hawthorne and Teen Challenge Los Angeles. Like this church, Phil multitasks as the Director for Teen Challenge Los Angeles.
Teen Challenge, a faith based residential recovery program for substance abusers, is celebrating 50 years. Teen Challenge founded in New York is now an international organization. How can one not laud or applaud what this organization accomplishes? Kudos.
Teen Challenge Los Angeles also offers other community services. For instance, if you are seventeen to twenty-four years of age, show up on Tuesday at 10 am to find out more about their program to help you find employment.
As for Sheila Raye Charles, wooooow-wweeee, this Soul Sister has got some set of pipes. She dishes her personal story straight from her heart to your ears and God's (who she lovingly refers to as "Big Daddy" and don't go stealing her nickname for the Divine one, get your own, she shared). And there ain't no sugar coating on these sensational soul food dishes. Her delivery is so full of enthusiastic energy, no sugar is needed. For dessert, she sings a medley of some of her father's, Ray Charles, hit songs.
I personally found her message tasty. As I mentioned earlier, since this isn't the venue to share Ms. Charles' message, I am going to blog about it in my mind cuisine blog. If you wish to read it, click here.
Also, at the end of this blog is a short snippet of Ms. Charles' singing at South Bay Celebration Church. Her booming pipes were a bit too much for the mic on my camera. So the sound is not good. If you wish to watch a video that gives you a better sense of her awesome singing voice, click here. While that video's audio quality is a marked improvement from my video, it still does not do her singing voice justice in my opinion. I would recommend seeing Ms. Charles in person if you get the chance to. I am in the process of seeking a link listing her speaking engagements. If and when I find one, I will update this blog to include the link.
Ms. Charles has a book about her life, Behind the Shades, and a CD of the same name.
What? You don't have a blimp. Neither does your SoCal gal.
Over the years she's not too sure she's really wondered too hard about where Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company kept their blimps when they weren't flying the blue skies of America. That is until she moved back to California. Then it isn't so much that she wondered as one can't help but notice the parking for one, parking lot for the particular blimp in Goodyear's fleet known as Spirit of America.
Why? Perhaps you have heard of a freeway (some might convincingly argue is a freeway disguised as a parking lot or maybe it is a parking lot disguised as a freeway?) in Southern California, the 405 (aka Interstate 405)? About ten miles south of LAX on the 405 as you drive through the city of Carson, you can't miss the blimp parking lot from your moving vehicle. Okay, unless of course, if your eyes are shut. And if you are driving with your eyes shut...well, your SoCal gal certainly hopes that is not the case.
In case you are wondering if Goodyear blimp rides for the general public are a possibility, they are not. This has been Goodyear's policy for over fifty years.
Goodyear blimps have been a part of our culture's collective consciousness since 1925 and providing live aerial shots of sporting events since the very first time at the 1960 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.
In a place like the greater Los Angeles area where parking is usually at a premium for being the scarce commodity it usually is; it almost seems unfair that one blimp should have so much room to park. Maybe we give it a pass. After all, it is a Goodyear blimp.
It's no secret your SoCal gal loves the ocean beaches and loves to watch surfing...almost as if there is nothing else to do or watch at the beach.
So it would appear it is time for something completely different, skimboarding. Okay, maybe not completely different. There is a board involved.
A little over eighty years ago and approximately fifty miles from Manhattan Beach where the skimboarding showcased in this blog post took place, Laguna Beach lifeguards used to skimboard on pieces of wood.
Even though a piece of wood sounds about as high tech as a rock, the skimboards used today are built using technology adapted from aerospace to attain maximum lightness, buoyancy and rocker.
Unlike surfers, skimboarders stay close to shore running and throwing the board in front of them before jumping on and going for a ride.
The skimboarders in the video look like they are having lots of fun. So much fun as to almost be criminal, which would then make this form of skimming illegal too.
Gulls, what most of us refer to as seagulls, are a familiar sight on the beaches of SoCal.
In the opinion of your SoCal gal, one gull with their full adult plumage is actually majestic looking.
The majority of the time, though, you see many gulls in noisy colonies. These birds are said to be carnivores. Yet, are they smart or dumb (they do have bird brains after all), as they appear to be game enough to scavenge anything they perceive may be food?
The accompanying video shows a small plastic container full of tartar sauce, which had fallen off the Manhattan Beach Pier railing above to the beach sand below. A couple of adult gulls claimed this "find" immediately. It wasn't long before other gulls joined in. The accompanying video shows what went down.
While your SoCal gal has never been bothered or harassed personally by these bully birds, she did witness them harassing another bird who had just caught a fish at the Venice canals. There have also been reports of gulls swooping in and stealing food from people. You know what they say? Praemonitus Praemunitus.
BTW, when your SoCal gal was in Hawai'i, one of her O'ahu tour guides mentioned there are no seagulls in Hawaii. I know! Hard to believe. Is it true? Click here to find out.
With another winter withered into the past, I say, "Welcome Spring!"
It seems like only yesterday when winter had barely begun, that your SoCal gal headed to Point Dume (pronounced doo-may) in Malibu with the hope of spying gray whales migrating to Baja. Point Dume (7103 Westward Beach Road*) is lauded as a place for this very activity.
Since, she had been another three times. Each time denied even a scant glance of one of those large, magnificent mammals of the ocean known as gray whales. Thus, Point Dume seemed the perfect place to head to on the last day of winter, 2010. The hope: maybe this time a gray whale sighting awaited.
If nothing else, she went feeling if she times it just right with low tide maybe this time she'd round the point. Then she'd score a successful rematch alluded to in a previous blog post.
No whales. No way. The water level was higher than it had been at low tide last time.
Perhaps it was for the best. She hadn't allowed herself much time to make that trek anyway.
As long as she was there, though, she thought she may as well traverse that stairway to surf heaven to see what was down at the beach.
Many of the rocks that had been at the foot of the stairs were now gone. What looked to be the remains of an old boat motor that she noticed washed ashore last time...still there. And instead of going right, she decided to "go left" at the bottom of the stairs. If you are a NASCAR fan, you know what she's talking about.
Going left actually means heading away from Point Dume and heading toward another "secret" surfing spot in Malibu known as Misto.
While her camera work seems to prove she is not too skilled at walking, talking and filming without having it look like an attempt to purposely copy the Blair Witch style of filming; she knows the video provides a much better idea of the beauty that is Misto than her words ever would.
Happy First Day of Spring.
*7103 Westward Beach Road. If you click on the link, you see where Westward Beach Road is on the map. This is the area where you park for Point Dume. To get to what your SoCal gal refers to as the "Stairway to Surf Heaven", you need to walk from the parking area to the trail that leads you up to Birdview/Cliffside Drive. From here you will see about 100 yards in front of you a little parking area and some signage for Point Dume. This is where a trail begins that if you follow it brings you to the top of the stairs. Unless you jump, which I am in no way, shape or form suggesting; the stairs are about your ONLY way down to the beach.
Your SoCal gal hopes you also brought a little something else with you, the Luck O'the Irish. You needed this luck in spades to get into the happening venues. As you can see from the photo, at 7:11 pm a line was already forming.
There was a time when your SoCal gal didn't mind standing in line. Heck! Anyone with the perfect personality is able to have fun anywhere, right?
It's just that your SoCal gal had just experienced a bunch of blarney by the beach. Not to be confused with Blarney, the town in County Cork, Ireland nor with Barney, the child entertaining, purple Tyrannosaurus rex or Barney, my cousin the BMX trick biker.
As standing in line is something she would rather not do if she can help it (in this case she could), she was ready to make like a baby and head out. That was before someone stopped her advising she stay to watch the sunset. Why? This night was said to be one of the rare evenings when you can see a green flash in the sky the second the sun goes down. So she stopped.
Your SoCal gal only had one beer and that was with dinner. Can't blame it on that.
About now you are probably thinking, "Wow! That SoCal gal will believe anything."
In her defense she was lured by the promise it must be real 'cuz it is on the internet (are you laughin?)...not just some blarney a leprechaun disguised as a real life couple was trying to feed her. Not only did she stop, she filmed it too.
Turns out it is true. Click here to be directed to the Green flash Wikipedia page, if you wish to learn more about it. AND, it would have been awesome had the optical phenomenon known as the green flash been visible on this particular day when green rules.
P.S. I know! Your SoCal gal was thinking it too. "Green Flash" would be a great name for a superhero. Maybe a long, lost cousin to the Green Hornet? Perhaps the official superhero of St. Patrick's Day? Let's check the internet. 'Cuz, you know. If it is on the internet, it must be real and/or true, right?
Imagine if you will that you don't live in Southern California (SoCal). You love ocean beaches and decide to take a trip to L.A. Even though it is March, compared to your local weather, L.A.'s weather is a welcome respite.
Whoo hoo! You buy your ticket. Pack your bag. Get a ride to the airport. Land at LAX. Snag a taxi to any one of the many fine lodging establishments in the South Bay area. Check in to your room. Put on your warm weather clothes and with joyful anticipation head for the beach.
Your feet are sporting your most comfortable flip-flops (which your SoCal gal feels should be voted in as California's official footwear). As soon as you reach the sweet spot where the sand is wet and you may play chicken with the waves washing ashore, you remove your flip-flops and continue walking, walking, walking. It feels so good even when you notice what must be "locals" in long pants and jackets (for them it is cold) giving you a look like you must be crazy in your shorts and t-shirt.
You are having so much fun enjoying yourself, it takes you a while to realize you need to walk back. You stop, turn around and on your trip back take much more notice of all the amazing homes that line the beach front property. Yes, if you had to admit it, you are a little jealous even if these homes appear to be at least a football field's length from the shore.
That's when you notice one of the homes with what looks to be a tent covering it. You've never seen anything like this before. What do you think is going on with that house?
Well, if you are your SoCal gal, you deduce "isn't that clever. The people who own that home have found a great way to close up their home for the winter."
Only later to LMAO (laughing my a** off) because you are wrong...couldn't be wronger...not to mention not really thinking it through. It that was how you closed up your home for winter, why not just simultaneously launch a publicity campaign for would-be thieves that you aren't home saying, "Welcome! C'mon in. Take what you like. We aren't here."?
Later, if you walk the Strand (the walking/biking cement path that separates the beach front home from the sand), you would note the tent is because the home is being fumigated for termites. Now you know.
What's the saying for those public service announcements? "The more you know (TMYK)." Well, consider yourself served.
P.S. I dedicate this article to my mommy and Bob. They were good sports about photographing the tented home in this blog when I forgot my camera. Mahalo! I love you.
Why? Because as much as you may think there are many dining-type venues "right there" almost kissing sand along the beaches in SoCal, there are not. There are on Pier Avenue.
Despite the above, the visitors Hermosa attracts and its proximity to Los Angeles proper; the city of Hermosa Beach manages to keep a small town feel.
One time of the year this city really enjoys celebrating is St. Patrick's Day. For almost twenty years on the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day (if St. Pat's isn't on a Saturday), the Hermosa Beach St. Patrick's Day Parade has been included as part of the festivities. And your SoCal gal, me, Lori Bjork, decided to check it out this year.
The Hermosa Beach parade reminded me a little of the St. Patrick's Day parades I'd attended in St. Paul, MN only warmer and less people under the influence of green beer. The parade reminded me a little of the Memorial Day parades I participated in during elementary school in Medway, Mass. Yes, I was a brownieAND a girl scout.
Truth is I'm not sure what I expected compared to say the Rose Bowl Parade. And this parade was definitely not on that scale. I doubt it was meant EVER to be. For as the parade rolled on (and my arm got more and more tired as I filmed almost all seventy minutes of it) one thing is certain, it was all in good fun.
Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone. May the luck of the Irish be with you all day and every day.
P.S. I am including all five parts of the parade with this blog for convenience sake. While it probably wasn't the favorite part for any one else, I was excited to see not just one, but seven DeLorean DMC-12's participating in the parade. I had recently written a blog post where I mentioned the only way I would get to sightsee 9038 Melrose Avenue was with a Delorean DMC-12 and a flux capacitor. Now here were seven live and in the stainless steel (but no flux capacitor). Why? Because in the early 1980's, the vast majority of the eight thousand or so DMC-12s were produced at the DMC factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. They are viewable in part five. Enjoy!
P.P.S. The beach block of Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach is also a great place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and get your green beer. If you are going to imbibe as there as part of your celebration, while it may be tempting to walk around on Pier Avenue with your alcohol, DON'T. You will get a ticket.
One of the great things about the greater Los Angeles area is we have whatever "it" is, which makes it worthwhile for authors who wish to promote their book willing to show up at a local book store (even if it is one of many book stores in that particular chain of bookstores) for free to mingle with the people. Okay, the people who show up for the book signing.
Of course, I assume part of the incentive to show up is the author hopes people will buy the book, which the author will sign. In my rainbow colored world, I'd like to assume the author also hopes you read their book before selling the "signed by the author, first edition" on Amazon for a profit.
As I write this, last night was no exception. Jesse Ventura spoke at Borders Books, 3700 Torrance Boulevard in Torrance about his new book, American Conspiracies, to a group of at least a hundred people, your CaliforniVacation SoCal gal included.
This was the first book signing I ever attended. Not sure what moved me. Maybe some sort of cosmic somthing that first brought "the body" into my consciousness that had me name my cat, the body, in 1978 only later to vote for Jesse "the mind" for Governor of Minnesota in 1997. Still later seeing him on Leno talking about his move to Baja "off the grid" as I believe former Governor Ventura refers to it. So...I guess I was interested to see what venting Ventura might offer up.
I read recently, write about something controversial and you'll have more response than you know what to do with. This may be one of the reasons why Jesse Ventura has endured in the media spotlight for over thirty years. Love him or hate him. Agree or disagree with him. He has the courage to say what is on his mind.
While I didn't buy his book, nor do I intend to or intend to read it after seeing him at the book signing (I like to think I am more about focusing on creating fresh futures than rehashing what may or may not be past conspiracies); I enjoyed what he had to say. If most book signings are this entertaining, I feel fairly confident this won't be my last one.
At this point you may be thinking, "Lori, this is a sightseeing venue. Aren't you spending a little too much time writing about former Governor Ventura?"
No and yes.
No, because I would like to put it out there that if you are in the Los Angeles area, Tuesday, March 16th; you still have a chance to see the former governor in person at the Third StreetPromenade Barnes and Noble in Santa Monica at 7 PM.
Some of the guys I was sitting by at the Ventura event were talking about Raquel Welch at the Grove Barnes and Noble on April 6th. They would like to go there to see her and were pondering if she'd ever been a cover girl for Playboy (December, 1979). I mentioned I'd be more inclined to see Gene Wilder, in my mind the perfect Willy Wonka no matter how much I love Johnny Depp, April 5, 2010.
In closing I just wish to add a note of appreciation to all of you who read whether it is an article, a book or the CaliforniVacation blog from yours truly, your SoCal gal. Bless you and Mahalo!
"Why? Why, Lori, why?", you may be asking yourself.
Well, it just so happens this structure built in 1958 was home to the Academy Awards ceremonies from 1961 to 1968. This, in itself, was a wee surprise she thought. You know, since Santa Monica isn't Hollywood.
On the particularly lovely day in March, 2010, this auditorium was her last stop from a long list of venues to visit that had previously housed Academy Awards ceremonies. The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, designed by architect Welton Becket (also designer of the Capitol Records Building) in what is generally known as mid-20th century International Style and still available for events of many types, is an impressive sight. Yet it was a surprise monument that stole the show for Lori.
Note in the video that she looked at the tree appearing object (also in the photo) and assumed it was a tree (and, no, the sun was not in her eyes). Only to get closer to find the "tree" is a monument which was erected in 1991. The piece is entitled, "Chain Reaction" and is also known as a peace sculpture.
This peace piece is a work by Paul Conrad, who is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist. Bronze sculptures are merely a hobby.
The peace piece plaques (yes, there are two) read, "This is a statement of peace. May it never be an epitaph."
To borrow from Alfred Joyce Kilmer's infamous poem, "Trees":
"I think I shall never see a statement of peace lovely as a tree.
Yet, your SoCal gal saw a statement of peace sculpted as a tree. In her opinion it is amazing how the artist was able to fashion chains into something that looks like a tree and almost as lovely.
Since 1925 the building has had a face lift inside and out, including an earthquake retrofit in 1997. The Hollywood Professional Building currently has retail, office and living space allowing one to both live and work in this historic setting so close to the hub of the Hollywoodland Experience also known as Hollywood and Highland.
In previous blog posts, I wrote about my quest for the fifth AMPAS HQ located at 9038 Melrose Avenue. The two-parter included mention of the sixth and current AMPAS HQ at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard. Going there helped me solve the 9038 Melrose mystery.
To be honest, I am getting a wee bit weary of writing about academy stuff (even though tomorrow I plan to briefly touch on the subject). I imagine you may be a little weary of reading about it. Of course, I may be wrong. Won't be the first time. Certainly won't be the last.
Still, I did gather the info and took the time to visit and photograph all AMPAS HQs. So, I decided to briefly include location number four in this blog post, especially since its location is on another famous Hollywoodland corner, Hollywood and Vine, a mere .98 miles from 7046 Hollywood Boulevard.
If you wish to go to these first four AMPAS HQ locations yourself, but don't with to walk the distance, you might choose to subway it. The red line (I wrote about in a previous blog post) stops at Hollywood and Vine.
In my photo, included in this blog, the camera is pointed north on Vine allowing for a glimpse of another famous Hollywood and Vine building, Capitol Records.
BTW, the transformation from Hollywoodland (as the original 45 ft. high white letters spelled out) to "Hollywood" took place in 1949. In case you were wondering.
As I pondered the one way I seemed intent on writing about Mel's Drive-in, another way entered my consciousness. I loved it for its seeming novelty, as it is not something I usually think about when I eat at a restaurant. So here goes.
As I ingested my meal at Mel's, 1660 North Highland Avenue in Hollywood, on a somewhat overcast, slightly windy, almost evening, Monday in March, 2010; it didn't occur to me the depth of all that came before making it possible for me, your CaliforniVacation SoCal gal, to enjoy my meal at those particular moments at that particular space in time.
I didn't know I had Mel Weiss and Harold Dobbs to thank for building their first carhop eatery back in 1947 at 140 South Van Ness in San Francisco, replete with a staff of 14 carhops covering a 30,000 square foot parking lot. Thank you, Mel and Harold.
I didn't know that thanks to the advent of fast food, serve yourself restaurants taking over American culture while shaping the decline of the carhop eatery; that in 1972 a New York restaurant conglomerate would come in and purchase the original Mel's Drive-ins leaving the soon to be demolished restaurants perfect for then up and coming film director, George Lucas, to feature Mel's Drive-ins in his 1973 movie, American Graffiti. Thank you, fast food. Thank you, New York restaurant conglomerate. Thank you, George Lucas.
I didn't know that Mel's son's, Steven Weiss, nostalgia, restaurant know-how and persistence would see him open the first of the "next generation" Mel's Drive-ins in 1985, along with his partner, Donald Wagstaff. Thank you, Steven Weiss. Thank you, Donald Wagstaff.
I didn't know the dawn of the new millenium would see Mel's Drive-ins opened at 8585 West Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood and the one your SoCal gal visited at Hollywood and Highland, with its full-service celebrity bar. Thank you for opening these two eateries, less than three miles apart.
I did know of Mel's Drive-ins thanks to my first hand experience of the phenomenon, the American Graffiti years in the 70's. I owned and just about wore out the double album movie soundtrack, which would have no doubt drove my parents crazy if it weren't for the fact most of the songs were beloved reminders of their youth. Thank you, American Graffiti movie and soundtrack for a lot of great memories.
I didn't know the Mel's Drive-in from the movie was an actual in the physical world place until I noticed the "don't blink or you will miss it" inclusion of one of the next generation Mel's in the opening credits for the HBO show, Entourage. Thank you, Entourage and your opening credits.
I didn't know the Mel's at Hollywood and Highland isn't the Mel's in the Entourage opening credits (that is the Mel's at 8585 West Sunset Boulevard) or I probably wouldn't have chosen to eat at Mel's Hollywood/Highland location. Thank you, ignorance.
I didn't know when I first walked into the doors of the Hollywood/Highland location how great and clean the interior of Mel's would be considering the outside is not a drive-in nor really looks anything close to the original exterior one might expect of Mel's from the American Graffiti movie. Thank you to all those past patrons who refused to judge this "book" by its cover.
I didn't know the Mel's at Hollywood and Highland had a bar or a happy hour, which brought about a choice making moment: milk shake or beer? Seriously. You can't have both. Okay, you could. But can I just write, yewwwwwww! I chose Happy Hour. Thank you, choices. Thank you, Happy Hour.
I didn't know what sort of items I may encounter on the menu for food or beverage. Mel's menu did not disappoint with many choices beyond what you may expect of burgers, fries and milk shakes. The menu promised the burgers are made of ground chuck with no additives or preservatives, delivered fresh daily. Mmmmhmmm. Mmmmhmmm. Yes! They have an avocado burger. I need look no further. And as I alluded to in earlier posts, bottles of domestic beer during happy hour just $1.50 each. In a restaurant...in Hollywood...that almost seemed to me like stealing them. Not that I am complaining. At that price, it was easy to decide to order that second bottle of Bud. Thank you, burgers. Thank you, fries. Thank you, avocados. Thank you, bottles of Bud for just $1.50 each.
I didn't know if I would spill on my shirt from the juicy burger, as the menu suggests. Usually I don't need any excuse to spill, I just seem to be blessed that way. Thankfully, while my burger was the bomb (delish), I didn't spill. And for as "yewwww!" as I find beer and ice cream, I didn't know I would order their apple pie. Mel's did a sly thing with their menu, they included photos of various menu offerings. Let me say, they had some great looking dessert items that were awfully tempting. How could they know I am a sucker for french-style apple pie warmed up and served ala mode? The force...too strong. Must resist. Must be strong. Dang! That was one jam-packed-with-apples piece of pie. Thank you, apple trees and apples. Thank you, pie. Thank you, cows and ice cream.
Thank you, to my waiter, the cooks and the entire restaurant staff. Thank you to the vendors, distributors and past customers that allows Mel's to stay open. Thank you to everyone and everything which allowed me to enjoy the brief hour I occupied the space known as the Hollywood/Highland Mel's Drive-in. Thank you for every reader and everything which allows me to share this experience with the cyberworld. Mahalo! Aloha!
P.S. In an effort for full disclosure, the second photo in this blog post is not mine. It is one of the photos used in Wikipedia's web page for American Graffiti. Thus, I am including a link, here, which explains the photos copyrights. Thank you to Wikipedia for all the information it freely provides to the cyberworld.
When your CaliforniVacation: SoCal gal wrote about the Hollywood and Highland street closing, including the subway stop located there being closed, she decided she wanted to find out for herself just how subway this subway is.
In all her years in SoCal she had only adventured the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system once. That was to go to downtown Los Angeles. While that ride had been fairly painless and perhaps even a little enjoyable, the green and blue line portions of the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system are not subway lines. They run either level with or above ground.
At 20 minutes actual in subway car travel time, there is probably no faster way to get from downtown Los Angeles to the Hollywood/Highland area than the Red Line (except maybe by helicopter, blimp...where would you park them...or Scotty beaming you).
I enjoyed the three sets of stairs/escalators which are the way to street level and all the happenings of the Hollywood/Highland area. I enjoyed descending these same three levels to take the red line back to downtown Los Angeles. each level down made me feel more convinced that either I should find a really cool bat cave (ala Batman) or maybe a door to Lex Luthor's lair being so far down below sub street level.
I enjoyed, after my preconceived notion of subways from what one hears about New York's subway system, how clean and non-urine smelling the stations are and the subway cars too.
It may have something to do with the posted signs of all the things prohibited in the subway stations and on the subway cars for which non-compliance buys you a $250 fine AND 48 hours of community service.
I found helpful the computer-screen-like displays located in the stations which relay the current time and date, the times for the next train and let you know when your train is coming. That way you don't need to keep straining to try to look down the track wondering when the train might show up next. And those trains...they were right on time.
I found myself wondering about being so far underground and what if an earthquake hit. It wouldn't be fun then, now would it? Seems I was not the only one with this thought. The tunnels were built to resist an earthquake of up to magnitude 7.5. Good to know.
Compared to the bus, I found the subway cars enjoyable as they just seemed far more spacious and roomy to me.
Of course, there are always a few who don't follow the rules like the fellow on my ride back who not only was panhandling, but had a cup of coffee in his hand while doing so. He stopped to drink the coffee. Finished it. Littered his Styrofoam cup on the floor of the subway car for someone else to pick up. Then walked to another part of the subway car. No one said a word. Myself included. I noticed subway cars did have posters with a phone number you may call to report such things. My only other dislike was the panhandling. Not that it was exceedingly prevalent, but just the same, I prefer a panhandling-free ride.
One of the beauties of riding the subway is not worrying about being as alcohol-imbibing responsible as one needs to be if they are getting behind the wheel of a vehicle. It makes it easier to say "Yes" to that 10th bottle of Bud. 10! Is that wrong? Okay, truthfully, ten and I'd be passed out on the floor. Knowing I was taking the subway made it easier for me to say "yes" to bottle of Bud number two, which I enjoyed with my dinner at Mel's. It also had me seriously consider bottle number three, but I shake enough as it is when I film... More about Mel's in my next blog post.
With all this talk about how much I enjoyed this adventure, you would think I would wish to make Metro Rail my new, best, go-to choice if I wish to go to Hollywood and Highland. And if I lived downtown Los Angeles, it probably would be. When you ride only one color (for instance, from downtown L.A. to Hollywood/Highland is all on the red line), a round-trip ticket is only $2.70. Oh and before I go further, let me mention something about the Metro Rail line fares.
There is no one to buy your ticket from. You put your money in a vending-type machine and your proof of fare is spit out from the machine for you to hold onto. Why? There is no one who will collect your ticket before you get onto your Metro Rail car. Basically, you are on your honor. Before you go getting any ideas, Metro Rail personnel conduct spot checks. I experienced one. And if you recall, the price if you are caught is a $250 fine AND 48 hours of community service.
Anyway, if you ride only one color, round trip is a mere $2.70. If you are like me, someone who needs to ride the green line, blue line and red line to get to Hollywood/Highland; you are better off buying a day pass for $5. (Hey! I just realized you may not be able to find a $5 footlong, but you may find a $5 deal with the day pass.) With 79.1 miles of rail in the system, who knows, one day I just may go nuts (more nuts?) and see if I can ride them all...really get my five bucks worth.
Even with the need for three different colors to reach my destination, I was pleasantly surprised to find it only took a little over an hour. Still, as fun of an adventure as it was, I am able to reach Hollywood/Highland via La Brea Avenue in about 45 minutes or so for only a little more than $5 to cover the cost of my gas. So you need to decide for yourself what works for you. And if nothing else, it sure is nice to know the choice is available.
Did you notice? Here's a little insight to local SoCal ways. Distance is rarely measured in miles. Distance is usually measured in estimated time to traverse the journey at hand.
Normally, your CaliforniVacation: SoCal gal, Lori Bjork, is a gal of many words.
She wrote blog post no. 72 about Hollywood Boulevard being closed between Highland Avenue and Orange Avenue the week before the 2010 Academy Awards ceremony. So, she thought it would be interesting to see just how much was packed up and gone by 24 hours after the award ceremony started.
One surprise was the stop lights were removed, literally, and were being put back into place (as you will note in the video).
These images tell at least a thousand words.
What a difference a day can make!
A quick P.S. and F.Y.I. Lori arrived at Hollywood and Highland about 4:15 pm and was enthralled with the unkempt look of the curtains still hanging and flowing in the breeze at the Kodak Theatre only to note it had been removed by the time she returned from dinner at Mel's to film at 5:30 pm. That's why she decided to include the curtain in the video below.
I travel the ten blocks east on Wilshire then turn right onto La Cienega Boulevard. I pass Hayes and there on my right is a church looking building. Only I don't know for sure if it is the building I am looking for because the writing on the building proclaims it as "Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study" with nothing about the Margaret Herrick Library. The number above the door is 333. That fits. And there is supposed to be a parking structure. I don't see it.
According to oscars.org, the building at 333 La Cienega Boulevard "is a restored, refurbished, and expanded Romanesque building that originally housed the City of Beverly Hills Water Treatment Plant No. 1. Built in 1927, the building was abandoned in 1976 when Beverly Hills began to purchase its water from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District."
I drive around the block. This has to be it. Let me find a street parking space. I do. I walk to the entrance doors. I ring the bell so the security guard at the reception desk will let me in. I mention I am there to see the Margaret Herrick Library. I am sure my voice goes up at the end making it more of a question than a statement. I mean I know I wish to see the library. I just don't know if I am at the right place.
Whether the security guard noticed, she didn't let on. She asked if I was a first timer to the library. When I nodded my head up and down, she proceeded to give me the "411". First timers must fill out a form with information including name, address and phone number. You need to sign in with the time you arrive (and sign out when you leave). You must agree to their terms. This is a reference library. Nothing may be checked out. You are given a key to one of their lockers. The locker is for storing just about everything you may have brought with you. The only items you are allowed to bring into the library are paper, pencil and you. No pens.
As you walk toward the stairs, there is a monument to Douglas Fairbanks, the first Academy President. I noticed a plaque on the staircase denoting a generous donation from Kirk and Anne Douglas, among other plaques denoting donations. At the top of the stairs is where you trade your I.D. for your Margaret Herrick Library Card (which you trade for your I.D. and stays at the library when you are ready to leave). The library looks very library like, although adorned with movie related artifacts. There are tables and chairs. Some tables have computers on them, which are available for use.
I asked where I might find out about 9038 Melrose. The gal I was sent to knew the address without needing to look it up. The building was demolished. Mystery solved. It felt a little anti-climactic at that point.
The librarian helped me look on-line to inquire about any available photos of the Marquis Theater. She found two through AMPAS, but to clear copyright so I may use one was anyone's guess how long that may take. I thanked her for her help.
Remember in blog post 72 when I mention seeing the huge statue of Oscar in front of the Kodak Theatre and how it is probably as close to an Oscar as I'll ever get, but you never know? Well, at the Margaret Herrick Library...I got closer.
Before leaving, I walked the rest of the library and found at least four Oscar's on display. The one I committed to memory is Edith Head's Oscar for Costume Design for the movie, "All About Eve". You don't know how much restraint I needed to not reach out to touch and/or hold the 13 1/2 inch, 8 1/2 pound, gold-plated britannium on a black metal base statue. Respect prevailed. Or maybe it was the thought of the three people behind the reference desk who no doubt had their eyes fixed on me ready to do God knows what if I actually did touch and/or hold one.
Well...there you have it. Sightseeing the current AMPAS offices. Sightseeing the Margaret Herrick Library in the building that looks like a church, use to be about water and is marked "Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study" (the video is an outside, La Cienega side, view of the building). And the 9038 Melrose Avenue mystery has been solved. The Marquis Theater was demolished in 1976 after AMPAS moved its offices to Beverly Hills.
Mahalo. Gracias. Merci. Doumo Arigatou. Thank you. Danke. Toda Raba. Mille Grazie.
I am truly thrilled and appreciate all who visit and read my blog. I sightsee then blog about it for my pleasure and love of this area of the world I live in known as Southern California (SoCal).
I couldn't possibly read the minds of all who may read my blog. Just the same it is my desire you enjoy my blog posts (or at least find them somewhat interesting, you learned something about SoCal you didn't know or it spurs you to visit somewhere in SoCal you may not have previously considered) knowing I've sprinkled joy into every post I lovingly craft for this CaliforniVacation blog.
Lori is a Clear Light practitioner. Clear Light is high frequency modality used to restore the recipient's physical body, mind, emotional and spiritual essence to its original perfection. Clear light may also be used to raise the vibe of any physical location such as a home, business, restaurant, hotel, etc. By keeping your home and business vibe higher, you attract more of the same to your home or business.
Lori is an advocate for well-being, peace, divinity, feeling good and loving life. She loves creating, exploring and sharing. Some of her creations include nb2c (not born 2 conform) series of designs and CaliforniVacation: SoCal Style Blog.
Lori thanks you for clicking and considering the amazing advertisers who support her web real estate. Mahalo, for without you, Lori's web presences are just her playing with her self. Just sayin'!
Blessings. Namaste. Mahalo. Aloha.
P.S. Please feel free to share.
As I wrote the first post for this blog, an inspired idea popped into my mind. Others may read this and wish they could blog too, if for no other reason than the fun of it. But how, Lori? How can we blog too?
First let me remind you, if I can blog, you can blog. It is easy. It's as easy as writing the thoughts in your head, your own personal mind cuisine. If you simply want to blog as your own personal diary, therapy, appreciation list, wish list, goals or just for the fun of it; you have the choice to not give a BLEEP how good of a writer you are or how great your punctuation is. You also have the option to allow no one else to read your blog except those you give permission to.
If the only thing holding you back is getting set up, I am able to help you. Of course, this would require a monetary investment in exchange for this service (I hope you don't work for free). Once we connect and agree to terms, I'll have you up and running in as little as 10 minutes. Call me. I mean email me, lbjork9999@yahoo.com
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