Mini Field Trips

Vintage Locomotive at Travel Town

We're still on vacation! Taking two entire weeks off from work has been great! The first week we were involved with Christmas Day preparation. After that, we've just been lazing about and taking little side trips around town. Los Angeles is a vacation spot, you know! We love being tourists in our home town.

On New Year's Day we like to visit some sort of park area that we've never been to OR that we haven't visited in a long time. I'd never been to Travel Town in Griffith Park. Larry hasn't been there in decades.

It was cold and crisp on January 1, 2019

There wasn't any traffic on New Year's Day! We arrived at Griffith Park in under 30 minutes. Travel Town was a grand idea in the late 1940s to have a sort of "petting zoo" of trains, locomotives, freight cars and trolleys for the children of Los Angeles. There is also a little train that runs around the park for children most days. The choo choo was running when we arrived. I must say, most of the trains are a bit run down. Larry remembers it being a much more colorful and vibrant place, but it's still interesting. There is a collection of vehicles in a big barn-like area and also a little museum and gift shop.

Casey Jones, the legendary railroad man, carved out of a tree trunk!

Another day during vacation, we ventured down to Huntington Beach to take a stroll through Island Baazar, the largest collection of ukuleles for sale that I have ever seen! Island Baazar  aka Ukulele Paradise, also holds classes, festivals and performances. There's a uke jam group that meets there on Thursday nights. If I lived in Huntington, I'd be there all the time! This is really the best selection of different brands of ukuleles under one roof.

Island Baazar in Huntington Beach

I wanted to buy this beautiful Ohana concert ukulele with the cutaway body and beautiful inlay, but I already have an Ohana concert uke!  I did purchase a capo, a new ukulele strap and some other little gifties for the UkeLadies.

Pretty!

We were hungry after looking at all of those ukuleles, so I took a tip from the Godfather of Orange County, Gustavo Arrellano, and drove up the block to Fuji's Burgers for some fusion tacos. Yum! Teriyaki Tacos are fab. Thanks, Gustavo! 

Today I dropped by the C.C. Strummers Thursday meet-up at Veteran's Auditorium in Culver City. My ukulele guru, Cali Rose leads the group and she invited me to stop by while on vacation. I know many of the members because they are or have been in our Ukulele Workshop at Boulevard Music. We ran through a few fun songs and generally had a great time. One of these days, when I retire, I will be become a member!

Vacation isn't quite over. I've also managed to work on some knit and crochet items that have been asking for my attention. We still have a few more days for adventures!