What a difference a day makes - last night’s PaleyFest attracted an entirely different crowd from those who attended Modern Family the previous night. I was familiar with some of the Lost fansites - but that still didn’t prepare me fully for the Lost fans themselves. (I should have known, based on the fact that Lost is apparently quite popular at ComiCon) While we were waiting in line, we were passed by people wearing everything from Dharma Initiative t-shirts to full-fledged uniforms. And more than one Dharma vehicle passed us, though thankfully I didn’t see any VW buses go hurtling by. The previous night had set a PaleyFest record with about 1400 attendees - until this one sold out and had about 1900 fans present.
The observant may recognize an audience member or two...
This event wasn’t as star-studded, though we did have appearances from Terry O’Quinn, Nestor Carbonell, Michael Emerson and Zuhleikha Robinson. But it was every bit as interesting, as writers, directors and producers gave us interesting background to the series’ 6 years - and hints about how it might soon wrap up. O’Quinn and Emerson were suprisingly funny - something you don’t really get a sense of from their on-screen personae.
Once again, others have done a great job with recaps, so I’ll leave the descriptions to them.
TV Tango - TV Squad - Entertainment Weekly
2 down, 3 to go: Dexter, FlashForward and Glee. Given the fans for Lost, I’m kind of scared for what I’m going to encounter at Glee…
Tags: PaleyFest
One of LA’s not-so-secret-anymore secrets is the PaleyFest. Run by the Paley Center for Media, it’s an annual event in its 27th year that focuses on notable television shows. Usually, the shows are new ones in their first season, but the festival also recognizes ones like Lost and Dexter that are ending a run or have had some other impact.
I haven’t gone for several years, but this year promised to be a good one, with new shows like Modern Family, Glee, and FlashForward as possible features. Sure enough, all of them were announced on the line-up, and I decided to score some tickets. It was much easier this year, as the event is being held in the 1800-seat Saban Theatre instead of previous venues like the DGA Theatre or the ArcLight Hollywood.
Seat prices varied by section, so I thought seats might actually be assigned and spare some of the agony of arriving early for a good seat. However, it turned out that within sections, the seats are open. But when the doors opened at 6PM, my party had no problem finding good seats together. In fact, we wound up sitting right behind the cast when they entered just before the screening began.
As is typical, this event began with a screening. The episode we watched hasn’t even aired yet - it’s Fears, scheduled for March 3rd, and I’ll be among the first to say it’s a riot! There were some especially funny lines and hilarious situations.
As fun as it was to watch the episode, the real treat began when the actors took to seats on the stage and engaged in conversation with the moderator (Billy Bush of Access Hollywood) and the audience. We got a real sense of how surprised and thrilled the cast and creators are with the success of the show, and they consistently commented on their individual good fortune in being a part of something so well-received. It was especially interesting to get perspective from Ed O’Neill and Julie Bowen, veterans of other sitcoms. They noted that this one goes quickly, which not only gives them more personal time, but keeps it “fresher”. Ed wasn’t planning to come back to TV, but upon reading the script he knew he had to: “My god, now I’ve got to go back to work!”.
We got a good sense of where the line between actor and character falls. Yes, Sofia talks just like on the show; no, Eric doesn’t parade about like Cam, though he gave a spontaneous demonstration. It was fun to hear them talk about their encounters with fans, including one involving a homeless fiddler under a bridge in Central Park. As with any brilliant comedy, the situations were inspired by real life, and we learned how the broken remote control and the parent in underwear while the teenager is ichatting were events in the life of creator Steve Levitan. One wonders whether his wife was naked under her overcoat.
I was so focused on the panel that I didn’t write any of it down. Fortunately the organizers at PaleyFest were tweeting up a storm, and you can read them after the jump. I also found a great wrap-up here.
Coming up tonight - Lost!
Tags: Modern Family, PaleyFest
Modern Family is without a doubt the best show on the air. A perfect cast and incredibly funny writing makes me long for each Wednesday evening.
As far as I can tell, the show doesn’t go out of its way to signal its location (as opposed to Flash Forward or Dexter, for example). The focus is more on family than locale. But especially with Cam & Mitchell’s Mediterranean-style duplex, it seems that many of the exterior shots are done in Los Angeles. So it’s been fun to watch the show and try to figure out where things are locally situated.
Some are very easy - when Cam and Mitchell met their friend Sal for drinks, it was obvious from the signage that it took place at Jones on Santa Monica Blvd. And friends of mine in the San Gabriel Valley recognized the Cup ‘n’ Cake store that Gloria drove her car into as being a coffee shop in South Pasadena.
But how do you find a house in a city that has thousands of them? Fortunately, the work was already done by another blogger. I simply took down their addresses and set out on my own to find each home. Brentwood was my starting point, where I got a shot of the house where Jay and Gloria live. Then off to the lovely tree-filled neighborhood of Cheviot Hills for the Dunphy residence. And finally, a short distance away, and right next to the Fox lot where the interior scenes are recorded, I visited
the home of Cam and Mitchell. And fortunately, most residents don’t seem to mind the popularity of their “new neighbors”.
On the subject of Modern Family, I’m looking forward to the beginning of the Paley Fest this coming Friday. The featured opening show is - wait for it - Modern Family, and most of the cast and creative team will be there. I’m sure there will be some cool insights into the show to blog about. Stay tuned 
Tags: film locations
The food truck craze continues in LA. After my initial experience at Kogi, I’ve been looking for opportunities to try more. The Frysmith truck has piqued my curiosity ever since I read about it last August. But their delays in opening, as well as a schedule which has them mostly in LA, kept us apart.
I had hoped to visit Frysmith and other trucks at the first annual LA Street Food Festival. But so did thousands of other people. I got there a few minutes early only to find lines wrapping for blocks. I gave up and later learned that some people waited hours, only to be turned away as vendors ran out of food.
Saturday presented a window of opportunity for me and Frysmith to come together, and I seized it. They were going to be at the Museum of Natural History at lunch, and I was slated to be in Hollywood at 2. So I got there around 11:40. Though they published hours from 11:30 - 3, they were not yet open and I was parked at a meter. I even debated leaving after waiting about 15 minutes.
Am I ever glad I didn’t! I was second in line when they opened, and ordered the Kimchi Fries - golden friend potatoes, topped with kimchi, kurobata pork belly, green onions and cheddar cheese. The combination was amazing, and the portion a decent one. I quickly scarfed them down but enjoyed every delectable minute.
Tags: yum
Once I got it into my mind that I was headed for Borrego Springs, I next turned to that crucial question - where to stay? My Google search on Anza Borrego lodging turned out to be a godsend, for it pointed me to a New York Times article on the area, and then toward The Palms At Indian Head.
Frommers pretty much nailed the description when they said “It takes a sense of nostalgia and an active imagination for most visitors to appreciate Borrego Springs’s only bed-and-breakfast.” I had done some additional research on Yelp and TripAdvisor, and the reviews ranged from compliments to whines. “What the heck,” I figured - “it’s just one night”. And I’m delighted to report that I fell in the category of those loving it.
The Palms is not the kind of place you want to see in bright light. Though it underwent a renovation in the 90s, the years leading up to it weren’t kind. The owners have done a remarkable job in making it livable, but you can still see where the ceilings have leaked, and you can feel where the floors give more than they should.
But that’s pretty easy to look past, for what the Palms instead has to offer is friendly service, an amazing setting, and tons of character. The decor is mid-century modern meets “Design on a Dime” - a melange of different styles that is at once funky and comfortable. The guest room we had was actually a suite - 2 queen beds and a separate living room with chairs and a sleeper sofa. It was done in a sort of southwestern style that seemed to match the desert setting more than the mid-century architecture of the inn. But the beds were extremely comfortable, with plenty of pillows, and the room had nice homey touches like a Yahtzee game, a small book library, and walking sticks that we could use while we visited.
For a place with only 12 rooms, it seemed much bigger. Part of that is because there are plenty of nice common areas. The lobby is spacious and opens up onto the poolside patio. And the pool itself is gigantic - Olympic sized. Indeed, the inn at one time accommodated many more guests in a series of bungalows, but the years of neglect took their toll and they are now just interesting ruins that remain on the property.
Throughout the property are mementos that speak of its history, when Hoberg’s Desert Inn catered to the likes of Bing Crosby, Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. When night comes and the soft lights come on, it’s not too hard to imagine those days again. Time may have favored Palm Springs over Borrego Springs, but with slower development, Borrego Springs seems to have held on to those days a little better.
The on-site bar and restaurant bring in people not staying on the property and help to make The Palms feel larger and more active. When we arrived at 2:30, people were still enjoying lunch on the patio. We made reservations for dinner and were seated in the wonderfully cozy bar, where we could enjoy our meal and watch the Olympics. The food was really good, especially when you consider the challenges of getting food and drink to this isolated part of the state.
The staff were all-around friendly and helpful, and that just clinched the experience. And they seem to take things at their own pace - service was slow, but we had it in our minds that we were in no rush. My only regret was that we only booked one night. There is such a good vibe to the Palms that I’d love to go back and take a day just to relax, with no plans and no distractions.
Tags: Beyond LA
Situated a mere 40 miles as the crow flies from Palm Springs, Borrego Springs seems a world apart from its ritzier cousin. But while Palm Springs got the railroad, the celebrities, and the crowds, in Borrego Springs, you can still see the desert all around you. It may not be as polished, but it’s certainly more authentic.
With a 4 day holiday weekend, I wanted to get out of town, and L volunteered to join me. Our route took us down to Oceanside, and then east along highway 76. The first stop was the Pala Casino - a large but attractive complex in northern San Diego County. A few hours later (and several dollars poorer), we continued on our journey. The highway took us up into the mountain country, where the road was flanked by beautiful oak trees. It went through some beautiful open country and 
past Lake Henshaw, which was formed by damming the San Luis Rey river. When highway 76 ended, we turned north for a few miles onto highway 79 and then off onto county road S2. Once on the country roads, we were truly in the boondocks. We drove along the plateau for a few miles, and then suddenly were presented with the entire Borrego Valley below. A few miles down the steep grade, and we found ourselves in Borrego Springs.
Though it was high season, the village had a pretty sleepy feel. Most of the people we saw seemed to be northern snowbirds who were looking for a quieter (or cheaper) place to winter. The town had a golf course or two, some gift shops, and a few places for entertainment. I can’t imagine spending all winter here, but with the whole of Anza Borrego State Park surrounding it, there are outdoor activities galore.
Our lodging for the evening was at The Palms at Indian Head, and I’ll devote a whole post to that. Once settled, we headed out for a little hike into the nearby Palm Canyon. The late afternoon light wasn’t ideal because the mountains to the west blocked it, but it was a pleasant hike through the desert. Along the way we saw a myriad of desert plants and birds, rabbits, and even the elusive bighorn sheep high up the slopes. The palm oasis was a worthwhile destination as well. It was surprising to see such a flow of water coursing through the otherwise very dry canyon.
After dinner, we set up cameras to see if we could capture the night sky. Borrego Springs is an international dark sky community, and it lived up to its distinction. The stars were brilliant against the coal black sky.
The night didn’t seem to last long — we had heard the Borrego sunrises were spectacular, and so were back outside before 6AM. The rave reviews were warranted, and I very much enjoyed hearing the morning birds, and watching the sky slowly brighten in the east, while the sun warmed and illuminated the mountains and desert to the west.
After a leisurely breakfast, we headed out of town by a different route. We had the whole day ahead of us and decided to see the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea wasn’t much to write home about, but the road to it from Borrego Springs was a different story. Along the way, we witnessed flame-red flowering ocotillos and deep-gullied badlands that looked like they were taken straight out of a western. We even saw a turn-off to an old calcite mine, accessible by 4WD vehicle. I definitely want to come back to hike it.
About the only bad part about the weekend was how quickly it passed. But now that I’m reminded of how close the area is - and have a great place to stay - I hope it won’t be long before I’m back. I hear desert wildflowers can be spectacular in an El Nino year…
