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.

60. Super Bowl Sunday Tradition: Surf City Style

The Super Bowl had its 44th meeting February 7, 2010.  Over all of those many years, no doubt many families, groups of friends, clubs, fantasy football leagues...you name it...have built treasured traditions for enjoying this day of revelry.

Chances are you may have read "Surf City" and thought the tradition might be something like say, I don't know, surfing.  Good guess, but no.


What I am referring to is Huntington Beach's Surf City USA Marathon.  For years this marathon has been scheduled the same day as Super Bowl Sunday.  For the 20,000 participants (plus volunteers, friends, family and cheering onlookers) of the sold out Surf City USA Marathon 2010 part of their Super Bowl Sunday tradition meant an early wake up call and a trek to the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) by Main Street (also the intersection for the Huntington Beach Pier) to get ready to walk or run their chosen event; 5K, 1/2 marathon, full marathon.  For those who don't recall, the 5K is about 3.2 miles.  The 1/2 marathon is about 13.1 miles with the full marathon clocking in at 26.2 miles.

Thanks to my sister, Patty, who has been running marathons for years now; the Surf City USA Marathon has become a Super Bowl Sunday tradition for some of my family.  She is the only one who runs the full marathon.  This is the first year my brother, Frank, has run the 1/2 marathon.  This is the third year my mommy has walked the 5K, every year clocking a little better time than the year before.  Other family members also participated in the 5K. Since many of them still live in Minnesota this event is also a great excuse to enjoy some warmer weather.

Let me tell you, you have to get up pretty early in the morning for this event.  Full marathoners' start was at 6:30 AM.  5K started twenty minutes later.  If any of you recall, I am not the most thrilled about getting up early in the morning.  I intended to be at the finish line early enough to film my mommy crossing it.  Somehow I miscalculated, especially drive time to Huntington Beach.

I like to feel like I live in the center of the Los Angeles metropolitan area being barely four miles southwest of LAX.  Huntington Beach is in Orange County and about 35 miles away.  Sadly by the time I reached the finish line it was a few minutes after 8 am.  I missed all of my family who participated in the 5K crossing the finish line. If you watch the overview video of the marathon and Surf City USA I include with this blog post, you may wonder if I had been throwing back a few cocktails.  I blame it on not being used to motivating so early in the morning.

I wish I could use too early in the morning as my excuse for missing filming my brother crossing the finish line.  I was attempting to save camera battery and had calculated he might not cross the finish line for at least another ten minutes.  Ooooop.  There he is.  Crossing.  The photo above was the quickest I could get my camera to film anything.  Congrats, Frank!  Truth is this was only his second half marathon. I figured it would take him longer, especially considering how much liquid fun he had the day before.  

Somehow I seemed to have missed my sister crossing the finish line, as well.  Actually, I'm convinced I filmed it.  It's just I filmed from the 1/2 marathon side of the finish line in order to have the Huntington Beach Pier and ocean visible.  Less than 2,400 of the participants ran the full marathon.  Of the remaining 18,000, a lot of them were 1/2 marathoners crossing the finish line at three, four, five, ten at a time.

 

While I was a little sad about seeming to have let down my entire family in a photographic way, I was psyched to film the female winners of the half and full marathon and the male winner of the full marathon.  Sorry to the male winner of the half marathon.  Click here, to see the marathon results.  I must have dozed off for a moment.  (that's my official story)  Those who finish the event receive a medal shaped like a surf board.

Huntington Beach's Surf City USA marathon used to be named the Pacific Shoreline Marathon.  Huntington Beach wasn't always known as Surf City USA either.  You may have heard of the "Surf City" song.  It was the first surf song to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963.  If you are too young to remember, you may have thought "Surf City" is a Beach Boys song.  You'd be wrong; but you would also be right.  Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys gave the song to Jan Berry and Dean Torrance of Jan and Dean.  It is Dean Torrance who is credited with convincing elected officials to nickname Huntington Beach as Surf City USA.

Huntington Beach is also known for its 8.5 miles of uninterrupted beaches and consistent waves making it excellent for surfers.  The Huntington Beach Pier, which begins at the end of Main Street at the PCH, is one of the longest in California.  At the end of the pier is a two-level Ruby's Diner.  My camera did run out of battery while on the pier before reaching Ruby's.  This cinched my decision to eat there.  I like their food, but they also had an outlet so I could charge my camera battery.

This ended up being quite fortuitous.  As I sat down in my booth on the upper of the two levels at Ruby's, out the window for my viewing pleasure were about ten or so dolphins swimming, jumping waves and having a grand ole time.  I didn't get to film them, but the sight of them playing is forever etched in my memory.

I was a little surprised to have no wait at Ruby's.  Then I decided that if I had just ran three, thirteen or twenty-six miles, the last thing I might wish to do is walk another 1800 feet to reach my food destination.

The first few blocks of Main Street in Huntington Beach are a great place to shop for souvenirs or find a fun venue to enjoy a bite to eat.  There is a Surfing Museum about a block north of Main Street at 411 Olive Avenue.

All in all there is much to do, see and enjoy when you visit the Huntington Beach Pier area, whether it is your Super Bowl Sunday tradition or any other day of the year.

I dedicate this blog post to all the finishers of this year's Surf City USA Marathon.  Congratulations!

59. Best Sight L.A. for Playing Air Hockey on the Pier

It's currently award season in L.A.  In honor of the season, I have created a Bjork's Best Sights L.A. Award for "Best Sight L.A. for Playing Air Hockey on the Pier".  And the award goes to the Santa Monica Pier.

Now if you have been following my "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'm putting a mini-tour together I have decided to name, The Hotel California Tour.  Coincidentally, the Hotel California was the previous blog post award winner.

Located at Ocean and Pacific Avenue, the Hotel California is a very close neighbor, just a few blocks, to the Santa Monica Pier at Ocean and Colorado Avenue.  It just seemed perfect to create a category worthy of honoring this well-known pier.

Right about now you may be thinking, Lori might have awarded the Santa Monica Pier for being the most world famous pier of those in the greater Los Angeles area; included in many movies, TV shows and music videos.

 

She might have awarded the Santa Monica Pier for being the longest pier in the greater Los Angeles area at 2,000 feet.

She might have awarded the Santa Monica Pier for being the only pier in the greater Los Angeles area with a Ferris wheel and amusement park on it.

She might have awarded the Santa Monica Pier for being the best pier in the greater Los Angeles area for anglers.

She might have awarded this pier for being free and open every day of the year, 24/7.

She might have awarded this pier for being the pier to stand under to practice yelling like Peter Klaven in the movie, "I Love You, Man".

She might have awarded this pier for being the only one with a pier-adjacent carousel and an aquarium under the pier.

Right about now you may be thinking, Lori might have awarded the Santa Monica Pier for many things which make it one of the premier, must-see sights it is.

In response, I would share that for me the Santa Monica Pier is the only pier in the greater Los Angeles area with air hockey tables.  And, its where I played air hockey with my grown son and won.  Once.  And, yes!  To add insult to injury (for my son, that is), I did a little celebration dance after my momentous victory.

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

P.S.  For those not staying at the Hotel California, the video below shows walking from the parking structure at Colorado and 2nd to the pier all the way to the end of the Santa Monica Pier.  Enjoy!

58. Best Sight L.A. of a Hotel with the Same Name as that Eagles' Song

It's currently award season in L.A. (okay, I'll admit it's almost always some sort of award season in L.A, but that would be too long to write all the time).  In honor of the season, I have created a Bjork's Best Sights L.A. Award for "Best Sight L.A. of a Hotel with the Same Name as that Eagles' Song".  And the award goes to the Hotel California, 1670 Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica (866.571.0000).

So, Yes Virginia, there is a Hotel California.  As far as I know, there are three; my award winner, its sister hotel in San Francisco and one in Italy (the country).

As I was writing this blog post, a the thought popped into my consciousness, "inquiring minds may be curious if this is the actual hotel the specific members (Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey) of the Eagles credited with writing the song, Hotel California, were referring to".  Being the hard hitting journalist I am (are you laughing yet?  More likely I am a soft inquisitive blogger.), I called the Hotel California.  What the heck.  Didn't you notice?  It is a toll-free number.

I asked the gal who answered the phone how long this Hotel California has been in business.  12 years.  Just look how willing I am to bring you the skinny, the low down, the...well, I think you get the gist. Couldn't be the same hotel. As most of us know, the song Hotel California was first released in 1977.  Do the math. Of course, had I read the entire Wikipedia page dedicated to the Hotel California song, I would have saved myself a phone call.

Now if you have been following my "Bjork's Best" blog posts so far, you know there is a method to my madness with the sights I've chosen to honor.  The mini-tour I've been putting together began with you imagining your arrival at LAX with the excuse of having a few hours to burn before checking in to your hotel.  What if your hotel was the Hotel California?  I mean if we are imagining, right?  Maybe you even refer to your CaliforniVacation visit as your Hotel California Tour because you stay at the Hotel California.  

If you've been following "Bjork's Best", you were last at the best sight to Park and Surf (or park and watch surfing) from the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).  When you get back in your car, you simply continue going south on the PCH until you pass the exit on your left for Interstate 10.  Take the next exit on your left which brings you up the hill to Ocean Avenue.  Turn right onto Ocean Avenue.  Barely a block later on your right is the entrance to the hotel parking lot.  Pull in before you see the sign in the photo. 

I have had the pleasure of touring the hotel.  I put together a little video from the tour included at the end of this blog post.  In the interest of full disclosure, I share that I have never stayed over night in one of the rooms.  The Hotel California isn't paying me to write this piece nor does it even know I am.  My interest is purely from a place of nostalgia and love for the Eagles' song, Hotel California.  If I didn't live in L.A. but was planning a trip to L.A., I think it would be a fun place to stay.  The hotel seems reasonably priced compared to other hotels in this area, especially for basically being on the beach in Santa Monica.

Yet, it is not right on the beach.  The video shows the property is connected to a staircase you must descend in order to be beach level.  If you have a problem with stairs, this may not be the place for you.  Also, there is no pool, hot tub or exercise facility located on the property.  However the rooms look clean and well-maintained.  They offer a complimentary continental breakfast.  The particular room I show in the video is actually one of what they consider their suites.

The beauty of the Hotel California's location is that once you check in, you are within walking distance of the Santa Monica Pier, the Third Street Promenade and if you walk the beach going south, you run into Venice's beach and infamous boardwalk.  Depending on how long you stay in L.A. for this Hotel California Tour, you may never have to get back in your vehicle again (there is an extra fee for parking your vehicle in the hotel's lot) until you "boo hoo" sadly must return to the airport.

Ahhh!  The Hotel California.  Such a lovely place...to enjoy that bottle of Rosenthal wine to celebrate the sights of L.A.

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

57. Best Sight L.A. to Park and Surf

It's currently award season in L.A.  In honor of the season, I have created a Bjork's Best Sights L.A. Award for "Best Sight L.A. on the PCH to Park and Surf".  And the award goes to "the stretch of free parking just south of Sunset Boulevard on the side of the PCH".

Now if you have been following my "Bjork's Best" blog posts so far, you know there is a method to my madness with the sights I've chosen to honor.  The mini-tour began with your arrival at LAX with the excuse of having a few hours to burn before checking into your hotel.  The first sight is the "best beach reveal".  Then continuing north on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) to enjoy a coke, smile, taco and million dollar view.  Then turning onto Sunset Boulevard to see the SRF Lake Shrine.  Then back onto Sunset Boulevard headed to the PCH.  Then turning north about 11 miles to experience wine tasting at Rosenthal's Malibu Winery Tasting Room.  

From Rosenthal's turn left back onto the PCH going south.  As you start driving south on the PCH, you will notice there are places where you may pull off to the side of the road and park for free with the beach and ocean within steps from your vehicle.  If you surf, simply grab your surf board and paddle out to ride some waves.  Yet a "best" implies a winner.  Since it's my game, I get to decide what wins and why.

I chose the stretch just south of Sunset Boulevard because for one, it fits the criteria.  For two, say you have been following "Bjork's Best Sights" blogs and you think, "Hey, this little mini-tour this CaliforniVacation woman has been suggesting seems like something I'd like to try, but not the Malibu portion."  Since this award winner is just south of Sunset Boulevard on the PCH, you may still hit this sight from the SRF Lake Shrine.

If you are a beach lover like me who doesn't surf, this is also a great sight to simply pull off the road to watch the surfers while listening to the intoxicating sound of the waves crashing into the beach shore.  Intoxicating, yet with no harmful side effects.

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

The above photo was taken from the beach looking east.  Yes, that white dot in the sky is the beautiful full moon.  Also, that is my buddy, Ace, with the walking stick.  It is his official beach walking stick, which he found, coincidentally, almost a year ago at this very beach.

This photo is a view of the PCH just south of Sunset Boulevard looking northwest minutes before the sun set the day I snapped this photo.

The video below is almost a real-time view of driving down the PCH from the Malibu Pier to the sight we celebrate in this blog post.  I edited out about three minutes worth of PCH that simply shows residential homes in order to keep the video under the 10-minute YouTube limit.  So, if you wish to know what the view from your car would look like, this one's for you.  Enjoy!

56. Best Sight L.A. on the PCH for Wine Tasting a Local Vineyard's Wine

It's currently award season in L.A.  In honor of the season I've created a Best Sights L.A. Award for "Best Sight L.A. on the PCH for Wine Tasting a Local Vineyard's Wine".  And the award goes to the Rosenthal Malibu Winery for its tasting room at 26023 Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Malibu, California (310.456.1392).

I have a couple of reasons for blogging about Rosenthal's wine tasting room.  I started my award themed blogs with "Best Beach Reveal" continuing on with "Coke, Smile, Taco, Million Dollar View" to "Meditation in Windmill" to this.  All of these sights have something in common: their proximity to the PCH. When I finish with the series, my intention is you will be inspired to enjoy the mini-sightseeing tour I've dubbed the "Hotel California Tour", which might easily be enjoyed over a two or three day stay in L.A.  A method to my madness.  Who knew?

If you've been reading my blog posts or my articles from my sister gig as the L.A. Sightseeing Examiner for examiner.com, you know I have an affinity for Point Dume (pronounced doo-may) in Malibu.  I've written about it a few times, like my blog post, "52. Walking Around Point Dume Beach in Malibu".  For whatever reason, just about every time I drove to Point Dume on the PCH I'd notice the Rosenthal Tasting Room.  The last couple of times I found my self mentally commenting, "I want to go to there."  It seemed like a great fit for the next stop on this mini-sightseeing tour I am putting together; because after you finish at the SRF Lake Shrine, you turn left back onto Sunset Boulevard.  Then you take a right onto the PCH heading for Malibu.

Now I have to say that for whatever reason in my mind where I was going and would ultimately be writing about, Rosenthal Tasting Room on the PCH in Malibu, I thought was me visiting their actual winery.  I thought I'd get to tour the winery and then do some wine tasting during and after.  Plus, I had it in my mind that it was maybe only about five miles, at most, up the PCH once you turned off Sunset.  Wrong!  The tasting room is a good 11 miles from Sunset Boulevard.

I also considered waiting until my mom came to visit on a Tuesday, so we could enjoy the vineyard and tasting together.  We both like ourselves a little vino.  I was glad I checked their website,

http://www.rosenthalestatewines.com/visit.html
The tasting room is closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Plus their hours are seasonal and subject to change.

So I called on this fine Saturday to find out when the least busy time is to come check it out.  They open at 11 am.  It was already after 11 am, which is a least busy time.  I was advised that train wouldn't be leaving again until after 4 pm.  They close at 6 pm.

Still under the influence of my misconception that I was getting a vineyard tour and wine tasting, I left to arrive at Rosenthal's no later than 4:30 pm allowing my self plenty of time to enjoy the entire experience.

I pull into the parking lot, get out of my car and twirl around a couple of times with the intention of taking in the 360-degree view to determine where to go first.  I couldn't find any signage to direct me to where to start this winery tour.

"Okay", I thought.  "Let me get out my camera and start taking some photos and see if I notice what to do."

That out of the way.  Me: still clueless.

You see the tasting room is located on a privately owned piece of PCH frontage property, which includes the Beaurivage Restaurant and leases the space to Rosenthal Winery the tasting room occupies.

About this time I fortuitously spied a gentleman walking in the parking lot who looked like he might work at the facility.  At this point I was beyond my usual shyness and happy to stop to politely ask him for the 411.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Rosenthal Winery and it is located in Malibu, but on Mulholland.   The winery is not set up for public tours.  What IS located at the site on the PCH is the aforementioned restaurant (not affiliated with Rosenthal Winery) and the tasting room/gift shop.  Just tasting!

I have to say I honestly felt a little let down.

Now this very helpful gentleman, who I told I was visiting with the intention of writing about Rosenthal, directed me to one of the owners working the tasting room.  This owner was sure to give me all the attention, help and information I desired.

A funny thing happened on the way to my walking into the tasting room.  I decided not to let on to anyone that I would be writing about this for my CaliforniVacation blog or my sister gig as the L.A. Sightseeing Examiner for examiner.com.  I wanted to see how your average "Joe Blow Newbie" might be treated.

Into the tasting room/gift shop I walked.  People already there (and yes, it was not that busy at this point) seemed to know what they were doing.  They also seemed to be enjoying themselves.  A good sign.

Being a first-timer, I had no clue what the protocol was.  So I looked around at the gift shop offerings, the posters on the wall and the people while walking around in the tasting room.  No one behind the bar said anything to me.  What the "blank" was I waiting for?  I have a mouth.  I know how to use it.

I made contact with one of the gals behind the bar.  "KK" according to her name tag, which I wrote down for future reference.  "So, what's the scoop?" I asked.  That's when KK got out the two sheets of paper everyone else seemed to be sporting and writing on.  One sheet listed the 15 different wines available for tasting with their price per bottle and a box to fill in if the particular wine listed is one you wish to taste.  The other sheet listed and described the wines.

Let me just be honest here.  Most of the time my wine buying experience consists of the "two-buck chuck" at Trader Joe's (which interestingly to me is three-bucks in Arizona...but I digress).  Sometimes, I'll go as high as six or seven dollars a bottle for a Riesling, which is one of my favorite white wines.  Without the label to guide me though, I'd have a hard time discerning one red from another.  The same goes for the white.  So, the sheet which described the wines, I found to be helpful.

Now your wine tasting choice is either the regular, which means for $12 you taste four different wines of your choice or the premium, which means for $15 you taste eight different wines of your choice.  Of the choices you are to choose half white and half red.  Two of the fifteen possible choices are reserved for Wine Club Members Only.  I'm not going to get into the wine club member info.  If you are interested, click here.

I chose the regular for $12.  After all I was driving.  The first wine I chose just had to be their Reisling.  Sadly, not as sweet as I like mine.  My last choice, their 2004 Rosenthal Cabernet Sauvignon, was my favorite.  I chose it because the sheet mentions its mocha aroma.  This particular choice is also their most costly bottle ($31.20) of the thirteen choices available to non-members.

I am happy to report that KK was delightful and knowledgable.  She patiently answered all my questions, which included her sharing that the tasting room is only a mere four years old.  Yet it has been successful enough to have since spawned three other wine tasting room venues in Malibu.

Even though each taste of each individually chosen wine amounted to only about a sixth of a glass (meaning the actual wine consumed with four tastes is equal to about one glass full), I admit I was beginning to feel that warm sensation and relaxation coming on from just this small amount.  Maybe a good wine is worth it.  Made me glad I chose the 4-taste regular and not the 8-taste premium.

So what did I conclude?  As I drove home part of me was thinking that my trip was a bust.  It was farther away from Sunset Boulevard than I hoped.  There was no vineyard tour.  It was just a place to go taste some wine from a local vineyard.

Still, a vineyard in the greater Los Angeles area does seem novel enough to write about.  It still was on my mini-sightseeing tour route for the most part.  And I had fun.  If you enjoy the "vino", I think you would have fun too.  Plus, instead of trying to guess which wine you might enjoy, tasting helps you make a more informed decision.  And when you purchased your chosen bottle, you have something to bring back with you to your hotel room for a proper "celebrating the sights of L.A.".

Since you are reading this, you know which part of me won this debate.

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

P.S.  If you are reading this before 2/14/2010, Rosenthal Winery is offering a tour of the vineyard for Valentine's Day.  It sounded like fun.  I would call first (310.456.1392) to get more info and make sure there is still availability.

P.P.S.  When I was looking at this #56 blog post in published format to proof read, I noticed the Google Ad at the end of the post was for Passages Malibu (TM) - The World's Premier Addiction Cure Center.  Just sort of struck me funny.

That's all.

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.