Greetings from LA

Brewery Artwalk

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:14:38 +0000

Some of my LA adventures are there for the taking virtually any day. But others are more elusive, as they only occur once, or perhaps twice a year. Like a planetary alignment, I have to be in the right place at the right time. That occurred today, when I was finally able to visit the [...]

YACC (Yet Another Crystal Cove)

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:48:16 +0000

See that picture on the left? OK, that’s my view as I type this post. That alone should constitute its own post. What an amazing place to write – assuming one can avoid all the distractions outside. This place never grows old. Whether it’s cold and rainy, or sunny and warm, I love coming here [...]

Close Encounter of the Airport Kind

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 23:14:31 +0000

You know it by sight: the LAX Theme Building, home of the Encounter Restaurant. It’s an icon of 60s architecture, originally planned as a domed hub for the airport, and later scaled back to its present design. Despite my numerous trips to the Los Angeles International Airport, I’d never paid the Encounter a visit; I’d [...]

Mt. Rubidoux Sunrise

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 21:32:12 +0000

A few years ago, friend and hiking buddy D told me about a cool hike she had done at Mt. Rubidoux in Riverside. What I remember most about the conversation was that she said it was the site of a famous Easter Sunrise service each year. This year, when she asked what I was doing [...]

A New Year – 1953?

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 02:23:48 +0000

The year ended with a variation on an activity I really enjoyed earlier in 2012 – once again, I took the vintage sleeper cards down to San Diego. But this time, I was joined by 3 more friends, and a whole extra car, the Overland Trail that has served me well on many wine train [...]

Great LA Walk 2012

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 16:49:38 +0000

The Great LA Walk has become an annual event for me. I look forward to the next one as soon as one ends. This year, I was looking forward to hiking the length of Melrose Avenue with several die-hard friends. Well, I didn’t make it. To be fair, I knew that before it started. I [...]

Outstanding In The Field

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:55:14 +0000

Take a couple of friends, add locally-grown produce, artisan meats and biodynamic wine and serve it up right at sunset in a picture-perfect setting — and you’ve got Outstanding In The Field. I became aware of this organization when they held an event last year in my friends’ vineyard. It looked like a great concept, [...]

Hop On Over to the Bunny Museum

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 22:50:26 +0000

Sometimes it takes visitors to inspire adventure. S was visiting from NJ and stuck in LA a few extra days courtesy of Superstorm Sandy. I had Friday off and volunteered to spend the day with her. So what to do? We began with a quick stop in Downtown LA. Although it was somewhat hazy, it [...]

Coffee Bar Revisited

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 04:03:47 +0000

Here it is, just over a year after my first post on Coffee Bar – and I’m glad to see that it’s turned out pretty much as hoped: a great morning stop on the way home after a Friday or Saturday night in Hollywood. Not only does Coffee Bar continue to hand-brew some great coffee, [...]

El Dorado Park Nature Center

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 03:45:10 +0000

I discovered an unexpected delight on Friday when I visited the El Dorado Nature Center in Long Beach. Friends J, V, K and M were visiting from out of town and had a few hours to meet me. The catch was that my car would be in the shop – so the requirements were that [...]