We have been spending the last few days doing things with Mark and Carol. Yesterday we drove around downtown Los Angeles in their convertible. It was a warm, gorgeous day and felt more like a warm July day in Tacoma than a day in mid March. We had nice lunch at "Phillipe's" which has been open since the early 1900's and is the home of the original "French Dip" sandwich. Definitely, the best French Dip sandwich we have ever had. If you visit Los Angeles and want to see Olivera Steet (the oldest street in LA) and the classic architecture of the train station this restaurant is in that same neighborhood.
Today the four of us went down to Marina Del Rey and had lunch at "Shanghai Red's" eating outside by the water and watching the boats of the marina.
The four of us have also been watching "Survivor", "Amazing Race", and "Dancing With The Stars" together, loudly belittling anyone who we deem unworthy. It's a lot of fun watching together and chopping up each other's favorites.
March weather has been great and spring has sprung in LA. When we leave in four days I know we are going to miss the constant warm sunshine and t-shirt and shorts weather. This beachside RV park fills up on the weekends then empties out during the week. The last couple of weeks we have seen more kids and teenagers come down to the beach for the weekend and the park has kind of beach party feel on Friday and Saturday nights. It give the place more energetic feel which I really like. It does not get loud and rowdy however. but you can sit out in the afternoon and hear music drifting through the park. Last Sunday someone was playing Beach Boys music and the mood was complete.
We are heading down to Venice on Saturday for once last breakfast at the Sidewalk Cafe. It's hard to describe Venice Beach on the weekend. It's something you just have to expericence. I am going to buy a Venice Beach sweatshirt while we are there. Susan bought one last week and I really like the look, a red zip up hoody.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
March Madness
The last two day the weather has been cooler and foggy at the beach. Not cold but not the usual sunshine either. It makes it easier to spend time watching the NCAA Basketball Tournament, game after game. Washington won its first game but is currently getting a lesson from Purdue. It does not look good for our local guys but the games have been exciting and since I have not watched NBA games this year (since my Sonics are now in Oklahoma) I am enjoying the college game a lot more.
The weather has cleared and the sun returned this afternoon so I may watch rest of the game outside on the compartment TV while smoking a cigar. We have another week here and Susan and I plan on taking the little Jeep down the coast highway and exploring the beach towns near us. Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo all have nice little beach restaurants and shops along the water. I will take more pix for the blog and also shoot some more video of the area. I am still kicking myself for not bringing our bicycles with us as here along the bike path would be the ideal place to ride and the park in Palm Springs would have been another great place to cruise around. Next year for sure.
We have been getting with Mark and Carol and watching "Dancing With The Stars", "Survivor", and "The Amazing Race" as a group since all of us watch those shows regularly. I'm still watching "Lost" religiously and sometimes "American Idol' but I am losing interest in the latter. None of the other shows interest me and not much sports going on before the tournament started.
The weather has cleared and the sun returned this afternoon so I may watch rest of the game outside on the compartment TV while smoking a cigar. We have another week here and Susan and I plan on taking the little Jeep down the coast highway and exploring the beach towns near us. Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo all have nice little beach restaurants and shops along the water. I will take more pix for the blog and also shoot some more video of the area. I am still kicking myself for not bringing our bicycles with us as here along the bike path would be the ideal place to ride and the park in Palm Springs would have been another great place to cruise around. Next year for sure.
We have been getting with Mark and Carol and watching "Dancing With The Stars", "Survivor", and "The Amazing Race" as a group since all of us watch those shows regularly. I'm still watching "Lost" religiously and sometimes "American Idol' but I am losing interest in the latter. None of the other shows interest me and not much sports going on before the tournament started.
Venice Beach
Even the dogs are over the top in Venice. These are leashed outside the Sidewalk Cafe with their mistress eating on the other side of this low fence.
Venice Beach
If you like to "people watch" then Venice Beach is the place for you. Weekends are crowded but all the crazies come out for the big crowds.
Mann's Chinese Theater - Hollywood
Mann's is known for its courtyard of footprints of the stars dating back to the 1930's.
Name a major movie star and you can find their foot and handprints at this location.
Some of my favorites are Steve McQueen, Natalie Wood, Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, John Wayne, John Travolta, Meryl Streep.....and so many more.
It was very crowded along the boulevard the day we were there.
Gladstones Deck
As we were having lunch we saw Peter Townsend of the rock group "The Who" enjoying lunch at the beach.
For the younger of you he wrote and performed the rock opera "Tommy" as well as many hits including "Pinball Wizzard" etc.
The Who's songs are the theme songs for all the "CSI" television series.
Gladstones restaurant
We had lunch with Paul and Linda at Gladstones Restaurant on the beach at the foot of Sunset Boulevard.
I love the Seafood Cobb salad which has tons of shimp and crab as well as lox laid across the top with two oysters on the half shell on the side.
We ate on the deck in the sunshine.
Model shooting on Rodeo
They were shooting a fashion ad while we were on Rodeo Drive. A lot of people were gathered around the shooting. Junior Paparazzi.
More Rodeo Drive
Lots of flower baskets along the drive. It makes it hard to believe that winter can look like this.Rodeo Drive
A Rolls outside the Beverly Willshire Hotel where "Pretty Woman" was filmed. Right across the street is the start of Rodeo Drive.
Back to Dockweiler's in Los Angeles
We are spending our last three weeks of winter (March) in Playa Del Rey just south of Santa Monica on the beach. We are 15 minutes from Mark and Carols house, Pat and Ed Tatman are spending a couple of nights there, and my sister Linda and bother-in-law Paul are spending a week here at Dockweilers so we can all get together for the next few days.
We had some fun on the Santa Monica Pier, at Venice Beach, in Hollywood, and in Malibu. The weather has been very good and I forgot how much I like staying at the beach. Next year our schedule will be November at the beach in LA, December-February in Palm Springs, and March on the beach down toward San Diego.
Paul and Linda at Paradise Cove where many beach movies were filmed including "Gidget" which started the surfing phenomenon.
Palm Springs recap
We had such a great time at Outdoor Resort we are already planning our return next year.
The amenities; golf, pool, spa, cafe, mini mart, exercise rooms, plus the way people make you feel at home makes this a great location. And then there is the desert weather which is sensational. It is hard to believe that this place is in the desert and the grounds are so lush. Here are a few pixs of the park.
The amenities; golf, pool, spa, cafe, mini mart, exercise rooms, plus the way people make you feel at home makes this a great location. And then there is the desert weather which is sensational. It is hard to believe that this place is in the desert and the grounds are so lush. Here are a few pixs of the park.
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