Day Trip to Santa Monica - Sunday March 28, 2010

Well after checking out the high desert, and learning about all of those venomous creatures to watch out for when you're walking around the yard, we went on a day trip to Santa Monica.  No rattlesnakes or black widow spiders there, but like Uncle Brian says, "Safety first, keep a safe distance from rattlesnakes and an even safer distance from strangers because at least a rattlesnake has enough honor to warn you before striking". As you can see on the map, Santa Monica is a beach town, one of the shining jewels of the Left Coast.  Our trip started in the Mojave Desert (at the point marked "A") and ended in Santa Monica (you guessed it, the point marked "B").  Can you guess what that big white spot on the map is?  Remember, it's in the desert, so it's not a glacier!  If you're still wondering, here is an assignment: Google "rogers dry lake" and see what you can learn.  Here's a hint: this is where Chuck Yeager became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound in a Bell X-1 rocket plane.  So many historical things happened on and around that patch of desert that it has been designated a National Historic Landmark!

The first thing we did after arriving in Santa Monica was to walk to the bluffs, which are tall cliffs overlooking the ocean.  The view is fantastic!  The hills on the other side of the water are a town call Malibu.  You can also see all the people skating, running, walking and riding their bikes along the boardwalk on the beach.  (The boardwalk is actually made of cement.)    The weather in Santa Monica is amazing.  Air conditioners or heaters are rarely needed, and the beach is a great place to go all year round.  (Although the locals have a tough time with those brutal 60 deg F winter days.)

Santa Monica also has a famous pier.  Guess what it's called.  Santa Monica Pier.  There is a small amusement park on the pier.  Brian told me that he and Ivett rode the roller coaster a few years ago, but I didn't want to ride it.  It looked a bit rickety for my taste. 

Sunday was Palm Sunday, so we got some palms at St. Augustine by the Sea.   The church is on 4th Street in Santa Monica.  So what does that mean?  It means that the church is 4 blocks from the beach.  Great weather and beautiful ocean vistas go a long way to inspire one's sense of piety!

The flora in Santa Monica is also inspiring.  There are a lot of magnificent palm trees. Check out these amazing plants.

One of my favorite plants is called the Bird of Paradise.  Isn't it gorgeous!

In Santa Monica, the flora is spendiferous, but the fauna is mostly vagrants and pigeons and quite odoriferous.  So, we drove to Westfield Century City Mall for lunch.  Guess where that is.  It's in Century City.  Californians take great pride in their imagination.  The mall has a great Mexican restaurant called Pink Taco.  Check out that giant wooden door!

In Mexico there is a celebration called El Día de los Muertos, which means the Day of the Dead. During this holiday, people gather in remembrance of family and friends who have died.  Part of the celebration includes decorating homes and restaurants with skeleton dolls called Catrinas.  Here is a large one at the Pink Taco.   

The Pink Taco also has nice frescos.  This fresco of a man and his rooster is quite compelling.  

Ivett loves the view of Santa Monica Boulevard from the terrace at the Pink Taco.  With such a mix of money and sunny weather, there are a lot of fancy cars on the road in California, and sometimes watching the traffic on Santa Monica Blvd is like a free car show (Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley, Maserati and maybe even a Tesla Roadster).   

Ivett must like this store.  When we went there she had a smile as big as mine.

Here we are on the way back home, driving north on the infamous 405 (depending on the time of day, it's either a highway or a parking lot).  (On the East Coast, people would say "I-405" because the road is an interstate highway, but in California, people just say "the 405".) The last exit listed on the sign is "Getty Ctr Dr". The Getty Center is the large building on the top of the hill, just to the left of the 405.  It's a magnificent art museum with pieces dating back to the middle ages.   The building's facade is made of travertine imported from Italy.  The museum also has a great view of the Pacific Ocean, and you can sit on the grass and enjoy the fresh air.  (Yes, the air is fresh here.  The smog is mostly in the valleys.)  Anyone can go and enjoy the museum for free thanks to the generosity of J. Paul Getty, who made a fortune in oil and donated his art collection and over $661 million dollars to the museum.  Thank goodness for wealthy oil magnates! Getty had a simple formula for his success: 

1. Rise early

2. Work hard

3. Strike oil 

On Tuesday, we went to see one of Ivett's favorite musicians, Paul McCartney, play at the Hollywood Bowl.  I'll tell you all about it in my next post.

~ Flat Stanley