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Los Angeles, California
As the sun comes up shining down on the 10, I did too much living and I'm dying again
If I am in Los Angeles, there are a few things that I’m going to try and do no matter what. First I’m going to end up at an In-N-Out Burger at some point. I don’t have a favored one, but I’m sure I’ll be able to find one somewhere, and if all else fails, there’s always that one by the airport. I’m also going to find some excuse to visit the Getty, maybe because of some exhibition that I’ll probably end up skipping when I actually get there and instead just wander the courtyards and gardens like I always do. I’ll also find some excuse to go take the Metro downtown to Grand Avenue for an architectural pilgrimage that includes this building, Our Lady of the Angels, the terrific cathedral designed by Rafael Moneo, whose alabaster windows still look good after all these years.
While Our Lady of the Angels is worth seeing, the star of Grand Avenue is (of course) Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall. And if I have the time, I’m going to take the (kind of) secret hiking path that circles around the building, complete with all of the stairs, blind corners and posing Instagram models you can ever hope for.
I am not an especially big baseball fan, but if I lived in Los Angeles, I would definitely be a Dodgers fan. I love their retro stadium, even though it still confuses me to no end getting around the different concourse levels. And the parking is terrible, as are the skills of the people parking there (so, so many cars were parked over the lines). And the way they do fireworks night is insane- they allow people to watch the fireworks on the field, then close off the field haphazardly as it fills up with too many fans creating a helicopter atop the embassy in Vietnam vibe. But, despite all that (and in some cases because of all that), it’s still one hell of a place to see a baseball game. Let’s go Dodgers.
When I think of the Getty, I think of the Getty in Brentwood, the one off the 405 with the insanely deep underground parking, the funny little tram, the great mountaintop views and all of the courtyards and gardens that are just made for wandering about. But that Getty isn’t the only Getty to see. The other Getty is the Getty Villa, which also has courtyards and gardens and great views, but a far different vibe. The Getty Villa in Malibu holds is a recreated Pompeii villa and holds the Getty’s ancient art collection, creating an immersive experience that is really unmatched in the US, except possibly by the Cloisters in New York.
Since we were in Malibu already, we decided to head north up to see some of the coast with a goal to stop at Point Dume, which is apparently pronounced Point Doo-may and not Point Do-o-o-o-m as I kept saying and (usually) still say.
The park, with a beach, a cliff and some trails was one of those many places that you see in and around Los Angeles that feel familiar because so many things were filmed there. Later I found out that this location was used as the beach where they found the Statue of Liberty at the end of the original Planet of the Apes movie (I hope I didn’t inadvertently spoil the ending for you). And it was used in The Big Lebowski (for the firepit scene, not the ashes one) and, most importantly, as a lair for Doctor Evil in one of the Austin Powers film. Maybe it is Point Do-o-o-o-m after all.
Sure the beach was nice, but the trails up the cliffs and bluffs were way, way better. Views stretched up and down the coast, and directly below, sea lions barked or made whatever noise it is that sea lions make that kind of sounds like a bark.
Even though it feels like we’re just getting started, it’s time to leave Los Angeles already. For me it’s not that hard to leave, since it’s hard to imagine that I won’t be back there again in the not so distant future. So after visiting two Gettys, two Broads, expressing concern over LACMA’s master plan, expressing loss over Arclight Hollywood, watching firework chaos in Chavez Ravine and sea lions at Point Dume, it’s already time to head back to LAX and deal with that mess once again and then whatever new surprise delays Newark Terminal C has to offer back home.
Even though we’ve already left Los Angeles, we have two more pictures from Burbank, one from my photo-ready retro motel and another from our balcony side table at Castaway, overlooking the valley and the lights for one last view, for one last time. For now.
