Vacation

Cousin Jackie and her new friend at the Tar Pits

I'm on vacation this week. I've been taking this opportunity to hang out with friends and family, shop and see a few sights around our beautiful City of Los Angeles!

On Monday, I met up with a few cousins from Chicago. They were in California for the wedding in Santa Barbara on Saturday. Well, Emilio, the son of my cousin Richie is waaaaay into that X-Box game, "L.A. Noire." The game consists of solving a number of crimes in Los Angeles, circa 1947. The creators of the game used many L.A. landmarks and familiar locations in the game. Emilio asked me if I knew where certain places in L.A. were, like The Tar Pits, Union Station, Musso & Frank's Restaurant, The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the location where the Black Dahlia's body parts were dumped. Yes, yes and yes! I knew them all. I am L.A. Ell, after all!

"Levitated Mass" viewed from the walkway underneath the Rock

We zoomed up to the La Brea Tar Pits, just north of our house. We viewed the tar bubbling up right in the middle of the park. There were some archaeologists digging up a few vertebrae and bones in one of the pits. Emilio's sister, Jackie had her photo taken with the statue of the wooly mastedon (I think). Then, we walked over to view "Levitated Mass"...that huge rock transported from the San Bernardino desert and set into this trough on the former May Co. parking lot. You can walk under the rock. It's impressive, but does not look as huge as it did perched on the back of this truck on Vermont Avenue in South L.A. on it's way up to the Miracle Mile.

My Cousins, Jackie, Emilio, Jo, Richie and Jessica in the walkway under the Rock

Next stop...Canter's Deli for lunch. The kids loved all the Guns 'n Roses memorabilia at Canter's, including all the Rap and Hip-Hop clothing stores on this newly hip section of Fairfax Avenue.

Next stop...Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Blvd. The lobby of the Roosevelt is one of the most stunning hotels in Los Angeles. The massive amounts of Spanish Tile are breathtaking. Well, the minute Emilio got a look at all of the action on Hollywood Blvd., he didn't want to go any further. I left Emilio with his family to see Grauman's Chinese Theater, Musso & Frank's, The Egyptian Theater and the many other landmarks along the street. Luckily, their Auntie, my cousin Jo was along as an alternate L.A. tour guide!

Annenberg Space for Photography, Century City

Yesterday I zoomed over to Century City to see the photo exhibit at the Annenberg Space for Photography. The current show is fabulous and so nostalgic..."Who Shot Rock 'n Roll." Wow! The photos on display are incredible. The documentary showing in the little theater makes the whole exhibit that much more meaningful. It's a must-see!