![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The great adventure has commenced!
Sep. 3rd, 2019 01:11 am We departed on Friday afternoon, rather later than we wanted to, because of the kids...we're traveling with GK's son (The Kid), his girlfriend and two friends (Whiny and Whinier). We drove to Kingman, only to find out the Travelodge had lost our reservations...took an hour to straighten that out. By then, it was ten at night...the kids walked to a nearby Denny's, I crashed in the van while GK argued with the motel and the site she'd booked through. We finally got two rooms. I don't know about the kids, but ours was very bare-bones. By then, I was exhausted and slept a full eight hours.
On the way out of town, we slid through Walmart--the kids needed a few things, and I found pool shoes and a cute dress for $3 (clearance, yay!). From there, it was a bit over 300 miles to LA. GK and I listened to my iTunes--I started with "A" when we left on Friday--and so it happened that with exquisite timing, I crossed the California state line with the theme from "For a Few Dollars More" playing spiritedly.
GK rented an Air BnB for two nights. It turned out to be a great location, although the apartment itself was very no-frills--she and I had to share a rock-hard queen-sized bed--and the landlord didn't have enough keys and that part was a pain, because it needed keys not just for the apartment, but for the elevator. The tower of Los Angeles City Hall was visible from the balcony, which was awesome--boomers would recognize it as the Daily Planet building from the old Superman series. That was one of the things on my Architecture Slut's LA Bucket List, so I was immediately thrilled.
Sunday was our one full day in the city, The kids wanted to go explore Little Tokyo. Meanwhile, GK and I went off on our own. Had breakfast at Burger King: Impossible Burger is pretty damn tasty, FYI.
First thing we did was get my hair cut. When I showed them my inspiration pic, the gal immediately exclaimed, "Ronin!" and I knew I was in good hands. GK picked up the tab at a very classy place, a salon that caters to men's cuts called "Hammer and Nails".How classy are they? Services come with a free adult beverage. I had a well watered-down bourbon--first drink I've had in a year or so--and sat back to be sheared like a sheep. I now have stubble on the sides and a little fluff on top. It's light and breezy and it's not straggling in my face and I don't have to DO anything to it. Although it's interesting to look into the mirror and see my dad....
From there, she dropped me at the Petersen Automotive Museum for a couple hours while she visited with an old friend from high school. I had the best time! Three floors of fabulous cars, Everything from Frankenstein's car from the original "Death Race 2000" to cars from Mad Max to street rods to the one that made me have palpitations, the first-ever production Shelby Cobra. (Signed on the dash by Carroll Shelby himself.)
Afterward we drove around for a couple hours--got to see the Ennis-Brown House (Frank Lloyd Wright) which is up in the hills and only accessible by a twisty little barely two-lane road. Saw the Hollywood sign albeit at a distance. Drove past the Chinese Theater, through Beverly Hills. Had dinner at Trejo's Tacos, which was yummy--I had the blackened salmon bowl, GK had spicy shrimp--and then we cruised Rodeo Drive on our way back to the apartment. Wow. I knew it was high-end, but that was beyond my expectations.
Back at the apartment, the kids were squabbling--a lot of drama about their dinner orders. I won't go into the details, but the bonhomie seems to be wearing a bit thin.
This morning, we got up early and picked up. the apartment and everything to turn the keys back over to the landlady at 11. Then we drove past a few more places on my bucket list. Saw all of City Hall (not just the tower), Union Station and the exterior of the Bradbury Building. Then we visited the La Brea Tar Pits as a group. "La Brea" means "the tar", so the name is basically the Tar Tar Pits. That was pretty cool. Or maybe I ought to say it was interesting, because it's been hot AF--it really IS the humidity!
Lunch was an Italian place called Maria's on Pico. Really really good, except for the cannoli, which was meh. The trouble is, I grew up eating real New York cannolis--finding what I consider a REAL cannoli is a difficult prospect outside the Tri-state area.
Now we're a few miles from The Kid's school, in a hotel on the beach...Thankfully, they're in a different room on the other side of the hotel, because tensions are escalating. The Kid has issues, Girlfriend is sweet but not overly bright and the other two are brats, no two ways about it. If I was GK, I think I would've put Whinier onto a bus home by now; lucky from him I'm not. They're all ungrateful little monsters, but Whinier is the worst. Anyway, tomorrow GK is taking The Kid to campus and dropping him off to get his room assignment and she'll return with the Brat Pack later. I'm planning to sleep in, eat leftovers and maybe even do some constructive writing.
It's a nice hotel--not a chain--but it has one glaring lack--there's no desk or table. I've had to set my laptop up on the luggage stand, which is not the most ergonomic solution, but it works.
Love to all!
(Sorry about the typos. I neglected to pack my mouse and I fucking hate the touchpad on this thing.)
...
GK rented an Air BnB for two nights. It turned out to be a great location, although the apartment itself was very no-frills--she and I had to share a rock-hard queen-sized bed--and the landlord didn't have enough keys and that part was a pain, because it needed keys not just for the apartment, but for the elevator. The tower of Los Angeles City Hall was visible from the balcony, which was awesome--boomers would recognize it as the Daily Planet building from the old Superman series. That was one of the things on my Architecture Slut's LA Bucket List, so I was immediately thrilled.
Sunday was our one full day in the city, The kids wanted to go explore Little Tokyo. Meanwhile, GK and I went off on our own. Had breakfast at Burger King: Impossible Burger is pretty damn tasty, FYI.
First thing we did was get my hair cut. When I showed them my inspiration pic, the gal immediately exclaimed, "Ronin!" and I knew I was in good hands. GK picked up the tab at a very classy place, a salon that caters to men's cuts called "Hammer and Nails".How classy are they? Services come with a free adult beverage. I had a well watered-down bourbon--first drink I've had in a year or so--and sat back to be sheared like a sheep. I now have stubble on the sides and a little fluff on top. It's light and breezy and it's not straggling in my face and I don't have to DO anything to it. Although it's interesting to look into the mirror and see my dad....
From there, she dropped me at the Petersen Automotive Museum for a couple hours while she visited with an old friend from high school. I had the best time! Three floors of fabulous cars, Everything from Frankenstein's car from the original "Death Race 2000" to cars from Mad Max to street rods to the one that made me have palpitations, the first-ever production Shelby Cobra. (Signed on the dash by Carroll Shelby himself.)
Afterward we drove around for a couple hours--got to see the Ennis-Brown House (Frank Lloyd Wright) which is up in the hills and only accessible by a twisty little barely two-lane road. Saw the Hollywood sign albeit at a distance. Drove past the Chinese Theater, through Beverly Hills. Had dinner at Trejo's Tacos, which was yummy--I had the blackened salmon bowl, GK had spicy shrimp--and then we cruised Rodeo Drive on our way back to the apartment. Wow. I knew it was high-end, but that was beyond my expectations.
Back at the apartment, the kids were squabbling--a lot of drama about their dinner orders. I won't go into the details, but the bonhomie seems to be wearing a bit thin.
This morning, we got up early and picked up. the apartment and everything to turn the keys back over to the landlady at 11. Then we drove past a few more places on my bucket list. Saw all of City Hall (not just the tower), Union Station and the exterior of the Bradbury Building. Then we visited the La Brea Tar Pits as a group. "La Brea" means "the tar", so the name is basically the Tar Tar Pits. That was pretty cool. Or maybe I ought to say it was interesting, because it's been hot AF--it really IS the humidity!
Lunch was an Italian place called Maria's on Pico. Really really good, except for the cannoli, which was meh. The trouble is, I grew up eating real New York cannolis--finding what I consider a REAL cannoli is a difficult prospect outside the Tri-state area.
Now we're a few miles from The Kid's school, in a hotel on the beach...Thankfully, they're in a different room on the other side of the hotel, because tensions are escalating. The Kid has issues, Girlfriend is sweet but not overly bright and the other two are brats, no two ways about it. If I was GK, I think I would've put Whinier onto a bus home by now; lucky from him I'm not. They're all ungrateful little monsters, but Whinier is the worst. Anyway, tomorrow GK is taking The Kid to campus and dropping him off to get his room assignment and she'll return with the Brat Pack later. I'm planning to sleep in, eat leftovers and maybe even do some constructive writing.
It's a nice hotel--not a chain--but it has one glaring lack--there's no desk or table. I've had to set my laptop up on the luggage stand, which is not the most ergonomic solution, but it works.
Love to all!
(Sorry about the typos. I neglected to pack my mouse and I fucking hate the touchpad on this thing.)
...