Family Time in L.A.

Thanks to all who’ve been emailing to congratulate us on our newest family member.  The past couple of weeks have been quite the family extravaganza.  Over the past two weekends Grandparents Deb and Bill came in from Las Vegas, Tante Tash flew in from Pennsylvania, and Grandparents Wayne and Betsy arrived from New Hampshire.  Jess and Pete were very tolerant of all the family members flocking in to pay homage to Nora - despite being tired and still a little overwhelmed with the new addition to their home.  On the other hand, Nora was quite the little lady, saving her fussy moments for Mom and Dad – how considerate! 

Of course, there was never a moment when a camera wasn’t out with shutters snapping - usually mine!

The star of the show, Nora Mae.

The new family, Pete, Jess, and Nora.

Grandma (Deb) getting in some cuddle time.

Grandpa (Bill) holding precious cargo.

Tante Tash and Nora meet for the first time.

Naptime for Opa (Heinz) and Nora.

Nana (Betsy) checking for dimples.

Pure joy from Poppi (Wayne) over his first granddaughter.

And of course, Oma (me) got her turn snuggling in with the star.

Everyone debating politics... or the Nora cuddling schedule!

When we weren’t busy cooing and making silly faces at Nora, Heinz and I managed to fill our time. 

One day we drove over to Rancho Palos Verdes to see the Wayfarers Chapel.  The church, built in 1951, is on the National Registry of Historic Places.  It is sponsored by the Swedenborgian Church and is made almost entirely of glass. 

Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright) designed the chapel and surrounding gardens.  He used only 30 and 60-degree angles because they occur naturally in snowflakes, crystals, and tree branches.  Redwood pillars rise from interior stone planters like giant tree trunks.  The plants in the planters were chosen because they are found on the forest floor and are intended to make the exterior and interior spaces one.  The trees on both sides of the exterior of the chapel are coastal redwoods.  The stone capping the altar is a variety of Palos Verdes stone called moss back. 

The Wayfarers Chapel

Indoor columns of redwood with interior plantings.

Coastal redwoods line the outside of the chapel.

It was a little weird to see the following sign on the way to the chapel.  Seems the local area is not the most stable ground in California.

Gosh, can't wait to travel this section of the highway!

On another day we checked out the Tattoo Expo at the Fairplex in Pomona - our first ever tattoo event.  No, we did not get one, but we did see some really bad tattoos, as in, “What in the world were you thinking when you got that?”, bad.  But there were also some really terrific tattoos walking around.  It’s not really our thing, but we could appreciate the art.

Adding more tropical flowers.

Patience and a tolerance for pain are virtues in this type of art.

On the way into the Expo we spotted an outdoor model train display, so of course we had to stop in and see what it was all about.  Turns out that the Fairplex Garden Railroad is considered the oldest miniature railroad in the U.S.  It began in 1924 as a static display for the Los Angeles Fair.  By 1935 it had morphed into a hand-built operating train in 1/2- inch scale and had moved into its current 100 x 300 foot outdoor location.  In 1997 members of local miniature railroad clubs replaced the original display with G-gauge model railroads and trains.  There are over 9,800 feet of track, and up to 30 trains can run at one time.  According to the website, there are approximately 2,000 linear feet of underground pipes and conduits to support the operation and nearly 18 miles of electrical wiring.

The theme of the display is the history of California and the role of the railroads.  The exhibit depicts scenes of mining, logging, mission life, business and residential development, industrial areas, and oil drilling.  The railroad runs through mountains, farmlands, lakes, rivers, towns, and deserts.  There is a working switchyard to move cars and engines between trains, load and unload cargo, and all the other activities of a railroad yard. 

If you love model railroads here’s a link to a great view of this one from the viewpoint of the engine: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSKxp9PhTWY

Old West town along the railroad.

A vintage train moving on down the tracks.

A more modern train heading west.

Heinz checking out the switchyard.

We are always looking out for the fun and unusual, but never expected to find it while hitting a drive-through for breakfast.  Check the fancy wheels on the vehicle in line ahead of us.  Turns out that just down the road from the Navy Base (where we were staying) was Leisure World - a retirement community.  Apparently the smell from the fast food restaurant is too much at times, and appetites MUST be quenched.

Styling through the Carl's Jr. drive-through - yes, there is even a dog on her lap.

We took two drives along Mulholland Drive, one by motorcycle and one by car.  We've heard a lot of oohs and aahs over the years about this drive - but we found it to be a bit of a let down.  The road travels through the Santa Monica Mountains and is featured in movies, songs, and novels.  It opened in 1924, built by developers investing in the Hollywood Hills residential site.  The road is 22 miles long, mostly two-lane, and connects two sections of U.S. Route 101.

Our first drive was by motorcycle along the Mulholland Highway portion, and Heinz and I had to stop at the Rock Store.  This is one of the most famous biker hangouts in the world - located halfway between Malibu and Calabasas.  The building is made of volcanic rock and was built as a stagecoach stop circa 1910.  In 1961 Ed and Vern Savko bought the building and turned it into a small grocery.  Over the years the motorcycling community discovered it as a genial place to stop while riding the winding road and the Savko’s eventually closed the grocery and turned the building into a small café and bar.

The Rock Store

Our second drive was by car along the Mulholland Drive portion, between the Hollywood Bowl and I-405.  The route does offer spectacular views of the Los Angeles Basin, the San Fernando Valley, and the Hollywood sign, but you have to stop at the various vista points to see these views.  While it is home to some of the most exclusive and expensive homes in the world, they are set back from the road and seldom seen. 

Overall, the general opinion of Heinz, Tash, and me was “ok, been there, done that, it’s a non-event,” although Pete and Jess assured us that it is much more spectacular in the winter when the smog has blown out and the foliage is greener.

Hollywood sign from a Mulholland Drive overlook.  The sign originally read Hollywoodland and was created as an advertisement for local real estate development in 1923.  It was preserved after the movie industry made it big in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Valley from Mulholland Drive.

Tash and Heinz picking out familiar landmarks from a Hollywood Bowl overlook.

Of course, I had to make a pilgrimage the Long Beach Farmers Market and went just a little bit crazy with all the fresh fruits and vegetables picking up fresh nectarines, asparagus, local wildflower honey, potatoes, and on and on.  And then I saw them…Maui onions…absolutely HAD to buy a couple.

Maui onions with a large yellow onion in the middle.  So what do you do with a 4 lb. onion?

Caramelize it and make an onion tart of course.  There was enough in one Maui onion to make a tart, an omelet, and still have half left over to tuck into the freezer for another day.

Our last expedition was down to Olvera Street.  This is the original old town of Los Angeles.  The area was designated a California State Historic Landmark in 1953.  It is a quaint and colorful area and celebrates the Mexican culture of Los Angeles’ past.  There are over 80 shops, vendor stalls, and restaurants along this 4-block street.  Tash, Heinz, and I stopped in at La Golondrina Mexican Café for tasty food and nice margaritas, followed by some strolling and shopping among the shops and vendors.

Tash and her pomegranate margarita.

Colorful vendors along Olvera Street.

Lucha libre (Mexican wrestling) masks for sale.

Shop on ladies, I'll wait here in the plaza.

We’ve torn ourselves away from Nora and moved on to Edwards AFB again, for a few days of routine maintenance on the vehicles.  Heinz is also washing all the ocean salt off the rig, the car, and the motorcycle.  It’s hot here, but we missed the 105+ temperatures - it’s just in the high 90’s instead.  No problem, the air conditioners are working like a dream.

I’ll leave you with more photos of that amazing new grand-daughter instead of our usual friends of the day…

Hey, hey, HEY, that’s mine, give it back!

Uh Heinz... it's Betsy's turn to hold the baby.  Baby?  What baby?  I don't have the baby!

Humph! So this is what all the fuss has been about.  It can't even bark for heaven's sake!

Oh No! I just know you're gonna pull this picture out when my first date arrives to pick me up!!

  

Is she in there?  What’s she doing?

Whoa, you people are wearing me out!  Good Night!

Waiting on the baby...

I suppose that if you are waiting for the birth of your first grandchild there are worse places to do so.  Heinz and I have been here about two weeks and that stubborn baby finally made its appearance and introduced itself.  Sigh... if you think were impatient you should talk with Jess.  She finally drew up an eviction notice and on Sunday, July 7, 2013 the world welcomed Nora Mae, all 9 lbs., 15 oz. and 21 inches of her highness.

Nora Mae, aka Princess Burton.

Day 2...Man, this whole wide-open-world thing is tiring!

Mom watching Opa.

Opa checking out the new arrival.

 

Bonding with Opa.

We are hanging out in Seal Beach, CA on the south end of the Los Angeles area.  The Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station has a wonderful RV park just off an inlet from the ocean - it is one of the cleanest and best-kept camps we've been in so far.

View from the living room.

A large part of the naval base is the Seal Beach Wildlife Refuge.  There's a great little native plant botanical garden behind the ranger station and I've spent some wonderful time there with my camera in hand.  Well, I could NOT stay away - Heinz politely declined to keep going down with me and stayed home to work on the toy box.

Island Morning Glory

Bush Sunflower

Matilija Poppies, each bloom is bigger than my hand!

Heinz putting on the final touches.

Ready to hit the road to their new home.

Excited new mom checking it all out.

Hmmm, which do I like the best?

Of course we have tried some "local" restaurants - local in L.A. can be up to 30-40 miles across town and 1 to 2 hours away in traffic, so we go when we're already out and about.  The "kids" introduced us to one of their favorite pizza places, Pitfire Artisan Pizza.  It's a local chain that serves individual sized pizzas, salads, and pasta dishes.  Heinz opted for the Sausage Pizza with sweet fennel sausage, tomato sauce, fontina and mozzarella cheeses and red onion.  I decided to be a bit more eclectic and went for the "Be an Artist" pizza and chose my own ingredients: mozzarella and goat cheeses, basil, and mixed mushrooms (button, oyster and shitake).  Both were quite yummy.

Heinz has been collecting stories about local restaurants from Sunset Magazine, so we've tracked down a couple of them.  The other day we dropped in at Umami Burgers.  This is a local chain with a somewhat limited menu, but wow, what a taste sensation.  Heinz chose the Truffle Burger, house-made truffle cheese with a truffle glaze and I went for the Hatch Burger, 4 kinds of green chiles and house-made white cheddar cheese.  The burgers looked pretty small when they arrived, but we walked out stuffed.  The burgers are house-ground, hand-formed patties and the sauces, cheeses, and house-baked buns just keep upping the flavor.  We both agreed that this was one of the best burgers either one of us has ever had.

Umami Burger

Another spot on Heinz's list is Wurstkuche.  This restaurant features 20 or so different sausages with various toppings.  Heinz and Jess ordered the Hot Italian while I decided to try one of the "exotic" sausages and got the lamb with Mediterranean spices.  They were both fantastic!  In fact, they were so good, Heinz and I got a second round.

Last night we went to Walt's Wharf in Seal Beach as I was craving fresh seafood.  This is a nice place about a block off the beach in downtown Seal Beach.  It was a relaxing place with excellent food.

My choice, bacon lacquered carmelized jumbo scallops.

Heinz tried the Cioppino - seafood stew with clams, mussels, crab, shrimp, and scallops.

First up in activities was a night at the Hollywood Bowl to see Emmylou Harris in concert.  It was a great night for a concert - the weather was perfect, the crowd was friendly, and the music enjoyable.  We packed up snacks of summer sausage and smoked salmon (thanks, Bill and Connie, they were great!), cheeses, crackers and a nice bottle of white Zin.  Before the performances began and during the breaks, we snacked and watched the crowd.

The Bowl is the largest natural amphitheater in the U.S., with seating of nearly 18,000.  It opened in 1922 and for the first 5 years featured crude wooden benches for the audience and an open stage for the performers.  In 1927, Frank Lloyd Wright's son, Lloyd Wright built a pyramidal shell out of left-over lumber from a production of Robin Hood.  This has been regarded as the best shell the Bowl ever had from an acoustic standpoint.  However, the Southwestern design was considered to be too avant-garde, and it was demolished at the end of the season.  Lloyd Wright tried again in 1928 with a fiberglass shell in the shape of concentric 120-degree arches, with movable panels that could be used to tune the acoustics.  It was designed to be easily dismantled and stored between concert seasons.  For some reason this was not done and the shell did not survive the winter.  In 1929 Allied Architects built the shell that stood until 2003 when it was replaced with the current shell.  This one incorporates the prominent front arch of the 1926 shell, the broad profile of the 1928 shell, and the unadorned white finish and general lines of the 1929 shell.

Hollywood Bowl

Next up was the La Brea Tar Pits and the Page Museum, devoted to displays of fossil findings in the pits.  This was one of the places we always wanted to see when we were stationed at Edwards AFB, but never quite got around to.  Tar pits are composed of heavy oil fractions called asphaltum, which seeps from the earth.  The La Brea Tar Pits seep from the Salt Lake Oil Field, which lies under much of the Fairfax District of downtown Los Angeles.  The oil reaches the surface and forms pools at several locations in Hancock Park, becoming asphalt as the lighter fractions of the oil evaporate.

This seeping has been happening for tens of thousands of years.  From time to time, the asphalt would form a layer 2-4 inches deep - enough to trap even the largest of animals.  The surface would be covered with layers of water, dust, or leaves.  Animals would wander in, become trapped, and eventually die from starvation, dehydration, or attack by predators.  If attacked, the predators would often also became stuck - their skeletons are now being excavated.  Since most of the predators at that time hunted in packs there are many more predator bones (versus prey) found in pit excavations.  Among the species associated with the La Brea Tar Pits are mammoths, dire wolves, short-faced bears, ground sloths, and saber-toothed cats.  Paleontologists have also discovered fossilized insects, plants, and pollen grains.  Only one set of human remains has been found, a partial skeleton of a woman, dated to approximately 10,000 years ago.

One of the La Brea Tar Pits with a mammoth statue.

Close-up of the tar surface, the bubbles are caused by methane gas being released.

Entrance to the Page Museum.

Dire wolves on the prowl.

Mammoth skeleton on display.

See and touch station, showing off a saber cat head.

After strolling around the Page Museum we headed across the park to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, better known as LACMA.  This is the largest art museum in the western U.S., attracting nearly a million visitors annually.  Its holdings of more than 100,000 works span the history of art from ancient times to the present.  The collections are housed in five buildings and include some of the world's most famous art and many more less well-known, but fabulous artworks.

                             

The Treachery of Images (This is Not a Pipe), Rene Magritte, 1929.

Madonna made of gessoed cloth, 1700's

Draped Christ figure, plaster, 1600's.

Egyptian mummy.

Last Friday we headed out to the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens.  Heinz seemed a little hesitant, but was willing to take me.  Turns out he thought I was wanting to go to a local library that had a garden by it - boy, was he surprised.  The Huntington is a collections-based research and educational institution founded in 1919 by Henry Huntington, a Los Angeles businessman who made a fortune in railroads, utilities, and real estate holdings in Southern California.  During his lifetime, he amassed the core of one of the finest research libraries in the world, established a significant art collection, and created botanical gardens with plants from all over the world.  The Huntington is located on 207 acres in Pasadena and is an oasis in the middle of the city.  

The Library is considered one of the largest and most complete research libraries in the fields of British and American history and literature.  On display among other rare books is a Gutenberg Bible printed on vellum in 1450, the first major book printed on movable type in the western world (Chinese printers had already been printing with movable type using a different process).  

There are three buildings holding the art collections and rotating special exhibits.  The Huntington Art Gallery, completed in 1911, was originally the Huntingtons' residence.  Highlights of the 18th century art include Gainsborough's Blue Boy and Houdon's bronze Diana the Huntress.  The Virginia Scott Gallery holds American art including works by Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper, and Frederic Church.  The Chandler Building provides space for temporary exhibitions.  The current exhibit is prints featuring California wildflowers.

The Chandler Building.

Mojave Tulip

California Poppies.

The Gardens consist of more than a dozen themed gardens covering 120 acres.  Among the most remarkable are the Desert garden with mature cacti and other succulents from around the world; the Japanese Garden featuring a Japanese teahouse and moon bridge; and the Chinese Garden with a lake, and five stone bridges.  

Garden statuary.

Barrel cacti in the Desert Garden.

Wooly Torch, native of Bolivia.

White Glory cactus, native of Sonora Desert.

One of many jasmine beds.  Sure wish I could send the fragrance along with this picture, Heavenly!

Entrance to the Japanese Garden.

  

Gardenia in the Japanese Garden.  Once again, the scent was wonderful.

Water lily in the Chinese Garden pond.

Magnolia blossom, these trees were all over the grounds.

Columbine in the Shakespeare Garden.

We have other plans pending for sights around the city interspersed with oohing and cooing at the baby.  In the meantime, here are our friends of the day.

Yeah, yeah, I'm just not impressed by that saber-toothed cat...

Ground squirrels are EVERYWHERE around the park.

Beverly trying to figure out why Heinz quit scratching her.

Boris, bored with us all.

Please come out and play!!  (Beverly urging the baby on)

Clementine exploring the living room.