Santa Paula - 1

Shop Santa Paula - Ventura County  2019

Listos Pa La Foto - Ventura County  2019

Mountains, orange groves and a stop at the Fillmore Starbucks: the "faster route" promised by Google Maps had already been delayed when a sign pointed me towards the Santa Paula downtown area. Of course I had to stop and walk around with my small Canon G5X.

Listos Pa La Foto Plaque - Ventura County  2019

Ventura County

Mountains, Erosion - Ventura County  2019

Pines, Chaparrel - Ventura County  2019

Early Wednesday morning I dropped Hali off at the Burbank Airport for her flight to SFO. My plan was to travel north for some photos, staying one night in Arroyo Grande and one night in Monterey.

OK, so my normal route out of Los Angeles is to take Highway 101 through the San Fernando Valley to Ventura County and points north. But after leaving the airport I had no idea how to get over to 101 . . . so I turned on Google Maps and told it that my destination was the Santa Barbara Mission (I've figured out that GPS programs like specific destinations). Right away the authoritative voice of the GPS lady started giving me directions, telling me that her route would avoid some severe traffic issues on 101.

Much to my surprise I soon found myself traveling north, not on highway 101, but on highway 5, going towards the Grapevine. After a while I realized that the GPS program was taking me in a wide loop: up highway 5 towards Magic Mountain, then back towards the coast through Fillmore and Santa Paula.

So, I was avoiding traffic, but at the same time seeing a part of California that I hadn't visited in a long time. In the end, multiple photo stops used up whatever time savings I had gotten by taking the (very scenic) roundabout route. But I was in no hurry.

Orange Groves - Ventura County  2019

El Pollo Loco July 4th Display

El Pollo Loco Display - Los Angeles  2017

So, not from the most recent L.A. trip. (Two years ago.) Still . . .

Backyard Flowers

Flower #1 - Los Angeles  2019

Flower #2 - Los Angeles  2019

Photos taken in Joe and Pat's backyard garden. Joe has been concentrating on planting California natives . . . maybe that's what these are. (?)

Torn & Glasser

Torn & Glasser - Los Angeles  2019

Torn & Glasser Items - Los Angeles  2019

After having lunch at Grand Central Market we drove in a loop back to Olympic Boulevard, passing block upon block of homeless encampments. 60,000! Far larger than anything we've seen in San Francisco.

Anyway, as we were circling about we were surprised and pleased to notice off to our left Torn & Glasser's L.A. downtown distribution center. (Hali's parents, Milt and June Torn, owned and operated Torn Ranch, a gourmet gift store in San Rafael starting in 1975.) So, there's definitely some connection to Torn & Glasser in years past . . . not exactly sure what it is.

So we had to stop. Quite the flourishing business! Hali had a nice chat with one of the long time store employees.

UPDATE: from the comments, judit (Hali's sister) writes:

"Torn & Glasser was started by our grandfather, Louis Torn and his wife's brother, Jake Glasser. There were other Glassers involved as time went on, but I don't know if Louis's sons Milt or Ralph worked there.

"It was a pretty exciting place to visit when we were kids in the '50s, people and machines making date confections (with tastes for us), big burlap bags of nuts, the noise of a small factory."

Hali, Torn & Glasser - Los Angeles  2019

Monday Dog Blogging

Dog (Fairfax Avenue) - Los Angeles  2019

Has been featured on the blog before.

California's Finest / Date Palm

California's Finest - Los Angeles  2019

Date Palm - Los Angeles  2019

So, most of the L.A. photos were taken with a Canon G5X. After my first G5X went missing in Vancouver I bought another used one on Amazon. So far it's been doing fine! At one point I was afraid that Canon would "update" it and I, of course, would have to spring for the new model.

But no. It's starting to seem likely that the camera is going to be a one of a kind model. Fine.

MOCA

Mike, Joe (MOCA) - Los Angeles  2019

Balloon Dog Plates (MOCA Store) - Los Angeles  2019

While wandering around after taking the Angels Flight ride to the top we visited the Museum of Contemporary Art's gift shop.

Cute balloon dog plates! A steal at $11,000! ($9,900 for members.) And probably quite the investment, 'cause I'm sure that Jeff Koons will someday rank right up there alongside Thomas Kinkade. As for me, I'm gonna hold out for a bunny plate.

Earlier posts: - Joe & Mike reflections at Disney Hall.

- Monday Balloon Dog Blogging.

MOCA Dog Plate Page

Angels Flight

Angels Flight, City Hall - Los Angeles  2019

Angels Flight, Buildings - Los Angeles  2019

"Bosch had ridden the inclined railroad as a kid and had studied how it worked. . . . The two matching cars were counterbalanced. When one went up the side-by-side tracks the other went down. . . . He remembered riding on Angels Flight long before Bunker Hill had been reborn as a slick business center of glass and marble towers, classy condominiums and apartments, museums, and fountains referred to as water gardens."

--Michael Connelly, Angels Flight

We could see Angels Flight from the multi-story parking lot where we found a spot. Of course we had to make our way there, and pay the $2.00 round-trip fare for a ride.

Angels Flight, Interior - Los Angeles  2019

L.A. Downtown

Bus Stop, Mural - Los Angeles  2019

Beethoven, Palm Trees - Los Angeles  2019

We've been wanting to visit the downtown part of L.A. for some time now . . . both of us used to work in the Civic Center area but we knew there has been a lot of new construction in the intervening years. Joe served as our chauffeur . . . after parking we visited Pershing Square (seen above).

L.A. Afternoon

Wash & Dry - Los Angeles  2019

Dior Backstage - Los Angeles  2019

We spent an annoying amount of time trying to find a parking spot in Culver City. So, after trying and failing in the parking quest, we ended up at a random taqueria on Venice Boulevard.

Hali's fish tacos were pretty good, she says. The less said about Mike's quesadilla the better.

iPhone photos.

Taqueria (Venice Boulevard) - Los Angeles  2019

L.A. Morning

Sugar Scrub - Los Angeles  2019

Frank's - Los Angeles  2019

We walked over to the Farmers Market for breakfast, checking out some of the interesting sightems on the non-trendy part of Fairfax Avenue.

Stainless Steel Door (Farmers Market) - Los Angeles  2019

Monday Cat Blogging

Sadie #1 - Los Angeles  2019

Sadie #2 - Los Angeles  2019

Sadie, who lives on Ogden Drive in Hollywood. Last seen in 2018.

Fairfax / Melrose Sightems: Melrose Avenue #64

Embrace Your Genius - Los Angeles  2019

Igor - Los Angeles  2019

If I had any journalistic ambitions, I'd be doing a bunch of Googling to try to decipher the images. Or I would have gone into one of the security-guard adorned stores on Fairfax and interviewed the employees about their ultra-trendy merchandise.

If.

Pink Runtz - Los Angeles  2019

L.A. Landscaping

Plants & Wall - Los Angeles  2019

Hydrangeas - Los Angeles  2019

Some nice stuff seen on Laurel between Beverly and Third.

L.A. Motel

Beverly Laurel - Los Angeles  2019

Flamingo Pool Toys - Los Angeles  2019

Hali found a new motel to stay at this time. Nicer than my regular place, but more expensive, of course.

Grapevine

Highway 5 (Grapevine) - Kern County  2019

Taken from the small Highway 5 off-ramp area of Grapevine. Some restaurants, gas stations, and this view.

Highway 5 South - 2

Highway 5 South - Stanilaus County  2019

Parking Lot - Stanislaus County  2019

Hali managed to take a quick snap of Mike at the viewpoint. Again, lots of rain!

Mike with Olympus E-M1II - Stanislaus County  2019

HIghway 5 South - 1

Aqueduct Viewpoint Parking Lot - Stanislaus County  2019

California Aqueduct - Stanislaus County  2019

On our way driving down to Los Angeles last month. I always like to stop at this particular viewpoint. Much more rain than expected!

Monday Deer Blogging

Deer (Dominican University) - Marin County  2019

Wandering around the Dominican University campus, seen as we were returning to our car.

iPhone photo.