Hello Dolly

August 16, 2014
Destination: The Annenberg Space for Photography, Century City
Cost: $1.00 for parking, plus gas ($3.30 at Pili's Tacos)

A friend highly recommended a visit to the Annenberg Space for Photography and since it’s been impossible to avoid the “Country” banners hanging from light posts all over the city, I decided to venture over the hill on a hot Valley Saturday afternoon to take in this exhibit, which documents the rise in popularity of country music in America.

While I’m not a huge fan of this musical genre (excepting bluegrass), the show at the Annenberg made a compelling case for the importance of the work of some distinctive photographers in promoting country singers and musical groups and advancing their celebrity. The photos ranged in time from the birth of fiddle and banjo music in the South, to Nashville's Grand Ole Opry heydey, to portraits of current performers. There’s a large informal area in the gallery lined with director’s chairs where films about the artists are shown – which added depth to this concise show.

Prior to visiting the photography space – I ventured across the plaza to Skylight Studios to view a National Geographic documentary “The Power of Photography,” which was produced by the Annenberg to highlight a previous exhibition there celebrating the magazine’s 125 years of excellence in photojournalism. This inspiring film got me in gear for appreciating photographic art.

These two arts spaces are a welcome addition to LA’s cultural menu and a great gift from this philanthropic family. On the weekend, parking in the structure below costs only $1.00 with validation and the Gallery and Studios have no entrance fee. I enjoyed wandering among the massive Century City towers on a quiet, breezy Saturday – I have a strange fascination with empty skyscrapers, go figure.

Top it all off with a stop at Pili’s Tacos on Santa Monica near Bundy for a little snack ($1.50 tacos) and a drive up the coast and through the canyons and you have a pretty nice weekend afternoon.

Wine Country Bounty

August 9, 2014

Destination: Earth’s Bounty Kitchen and Wine Bar

Cost: $10.82

Here’s another report from my recent road trip:

My friend, Sal, lives life with zest and has a special fondness for all things gastronomic. When I first met him he was running a restaurant in Mammoth Lakes, but he left for the Napa area to "up his game." Over the past decade or so, he’s been involved in many worthy food and wine ventures – and I was anxious to visit his newest enterprise: Earth’s Bounty Kitchen & Wine Bar on Highway 12 in Santa Rosa. This project is spearheaded by Chef Christopher Ludwick, who also owns and operates Grapevine Catering. Sal and Chris have been working together for years – and now Sal is General Manager of EBK.

I arrived on a hot Saturday in mid-afternoon and was disappointed to find an empty parking lot. The large interior space highlighted the fact that I was the only customer. Most days, the restaurant and wine bar don’t open until 5:00, so I had to content myself with the deli menu. The sandwich choices were very appealing, and I settled on Zoe’s Roasted Turkey Pesto. While waiting for my meal, Sal walked into the front deli, very surprised by my unannounced visit. He explained that the new restaurant is going through “peaks and valleys” in terms of customers – I was clearly there at a low point.

I’d love to help him along the road to success. The sandwich was memorable: tender focaccia bread provided a perfect base for the turkey with pesto aioli, topped with provolone, charred red pepper, Hobb’s bacon and arugula. It came with a side salad of ultra-fresh greens tossed lightly in Chardonnay vinaigrette. What a perfect picnic item to grab for a visit to a local winery. Instead, I sat on the shady back porch along a seasonal creek bed and enjoyed my late lunch alfresco.

Judging by reviews on Yelp, Opentable and similar sites – EBK guests are having a great experience. Besides the deli/restaurant, they sell wines, cheeses, charcuterie, and other delicacies – I picked up some salami and French olives to bring as a gift to my evening hosts.

I’m not an unbiased reviewer, but Earth’s Bounty Kitchen gets my hearty endorsement. I can’t wait to travel through Santa Rosa again to check out their dinner menu – hopefully among a crowd of happy patrons.  

Outside Lands

August 10, 2014

Destination: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Cost: $133 plus gas

“You realize that life goes fast - It's hard to make the good things last.” So sang Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips during an extravagantly staged performance at the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park. Earlier, while wearing a lycra bodysuit imprinted with human musculature topped with a silver fringed cape, he danced among giant aliens. Later, he encased himself in a giant plastic bubble and crowd surfed his way to a platform on the sound booth – about 50 yards away.

This was theatrical rock at its finest and the highlight of my Sunday trek to San Francisco to attend Outside Lands for the third time. The draws for me this year, besides The Flaming Lips, were appearances by Ben Howard, Spoon, Gardens and Villa and the Killers.

I've learned that the strategy for these giant festivals is to arrive early in order to find parking and enjoy the venue before the crowd gets too large, too drunk and too out of control. After watching a few minutes of Jonathan Wilson’s opening set, I wandered over to The Barbary Tent to watch a performance by The Improvised Shakespeare Company. These guys were hilarious as they created a full Elizabethan-esque play to the audience-provided title: “Melissa Saves Her Salad.” There was a special surprise: Patrick Stewart joined in their zaniness. This was particularly magical for me as I had met Mr. Stewart in the 1970’s – hanging out with him in various London pubs and backstage at the Royal Shakespeare Company during a theater course there.

After this special treat, I stopped at Beer Lands for a Kolsch from Magnolia Brewing and a fabulous chicken tamale from Alicia’s Tamales Los Mayas. Next stop – the Panhandle Stage for a set by Hiss Golden Messenger – weird name, good southern rock band. The day was mellow until I headed over to the Twin Peaks Stage to check out electronic music from Flume. The crowd swelled with young concertgoers anxious to hear this musician I’d never heard of. I listened for a few minutes then grabbed a bourbon-and-cornflakes ice cream cup - the flavor is named Secret Breakfast - from Humphrey Slocombe and went over to the Lands End Stage for Paolo Nutini – quite the heartthrob. This put me in a good position to catch the upcoming Spoon performance – which I had to cut short to see Ben Howard at The Sutro Stage.

Speaking of heartthrobs, Ben Howard, in his quiet, unassuming way, grabbed the attention of many  young girls in the crowd – some screaming out “Marry Me!” as he dazzled with his unique guitar style and impassioned vocals. Okay, I’ll admit it – I fell a little in love, too.

Watching Ben Howard’s full set, I missed the opening of Flaming Lips, a recurring problem at this festival, with so many artists overlapping. The Lips were a revelation and performed with such vitality that I felt satisfied and decided to depart (and miss The Killers) as the crowd got sloppier and the beautiful park completely trash strewn by inconsiderate fans. I caught a few minutes of Ray LaMontagne on the way out and then walked off into the foggy dusk.

It’s hard to make the good things last, indeed – but a full day of inspiring music of all genres is great way to spend a Sunday and very good for the soul. Until next year.     

Shooting Stars

August 12, 2014

Destination: Las Virgenes Open Space Preserve

Cost: Gas only

Where do you go to watch a meteor shower in LA? I’ve been spoiled by living in the Eastern Sierra, where the night skies are inky and the Milky Way is a sparkly swath of stars. With the annual Perseid Meteor Shower peaking, I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it like I did in the mountains.

While entering Las Virgenes Canyon to hike a few weeks ago, I spotted a flyer at the trailhead kiosk announcing a Meteor Shower Party at the eastern end of the Las Virgenes Open Space Preserve. It seemed like a great way to escape city lights and enjoy the night sky.

My friend, Sarah, joined me as we made the short drive to the west end of Victory Blvd. in West Hills and headed into the Preserve. This nighttime “walk and talk” was hosted by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. At 8:00 p.m. an assorted group gathered: singles, couples and families. Our cheerful guide walked us through our solar system by measured paces as we headed up the trail. This helped clarify how far the distant planets are from our inner circle of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

When we arrived on a hilltop, the view was spectacular, but unfortunately overlooked the San Fernando Valley with its miles of glaring illumination. In spite of this, the group collectively saw six or seven shooting stars and a beautiful waning gibbous moonrise. Naturalists from MRCA had set up telescopes on the plateau, trained on Saturn. They also pointed out constellations and told tales from mythology about the heavens.

It was a beautiful warm night and we spread out blankets on the hard dirt to lie down and take it all in. While the shooting stars couldn't match the display in the remote Sierra, MRCA provided a great opportunity to enjoy the Southern California night sky and learn a few things in the process.

    

Lots of Rocks

August 11, 2014

Destination: Pinnacles National Park

Cost: $10 entry fee plus gas

A recent road trip kept me from posting blog updates, so I’ll backfill with some of these fun explorations in the northern part of our state.

Pinnacles is the newest of California's nine National Parks, achieving this status just last year. It was previously a National Monument, dating back to 1908 when Teddy Roosevelt first preserved this rocky outpost. Its location east of Soledad is a bit off the beaten track, and I’d never found the right time to visit. Since I was heading out of San Francisco late in the evening, en route to LA – I decided to opt for an inexpensive motel room in Hollister (Best Western San Benito Inn – quite nice for the price) so that I’d be in close proximity to the east entrance of Pinnacles the next morning. Summer heat necessitated an a.m. visit, but arriving on a Monday morning off season meant no crowds in the park.

After a brief stop at the Visitor Center, I headed to the Bear Gulch trailhead to visit the talus caves. This two mile loop trail was highly recommended by the park staff and it was a winner. The uphill trek wound through a shady tree-lined canyon, with majestic tufa rock outcroppings on all sides. The trail passes through several dark caves, formed by giant boulders tumbling down the hillside, and a small creek meanders through parts of the caves. I whomped my head on overhead rocks a few times – blame it on my flashlight’s  weak beam - but emerged at the summit and enjoyed the lovely view of the small Bear Gulch Reservoir. Fortunately the trip back to the parking lot along the Moses Spring Trail was all downhill, since the day was becoming hotter.

Back in the car – I drove to the end of the road at the Old Pinnacles Trailhead to check it out, but this really isn’t a place for car touring. Visitors come here to explore the 30 miles of hiking trails. I'd love to return to Pinnacles National Park in the spring for wildflowers, cooler temps, and perhaps the chance to spot a condor.

Billions and Billions of Tourists

August 5, 2014

Destination: Griffith Park Observatory

Cost: Gas only

There’s nothing like spontaneity to mess up your evening. I got an unexpected e-mail from a friend who’s visiting the metropolis. She was going to the “Sunset Walk and Talk” at the Griffith Park Observatory with her daughter and asked if I wanted to join them. It sounded fun – a casual hike from the observatory grounds up the Charlie Turner Trail to the Berlin Forest and back, with stops along the way to learn about the history of Griffith Park and look at objects in the night sky. The price was right: free.

I last visited the Observatory in November 2012 and I was really impressed with the improvements made to this historical landmark – which had been closed from 2002-2006 for an ambitious expansion and renovation.  I have fond memories of planetarium visits in college – when we’d journey up the hill to attend the  Laserium shows there. These laser-light shows set to prog-rock music were all the rage in the 70’s.

So, I thought it would be great to rendezvous with friends at this iconic local spot. I fought traffic all the way to Vermont Ave – and called my friend at 7:25, to say it didn't look like I’d make the 7:35 p.m. start time for the hike. She said she’d sent me an e-mail -  her daughter was sick and they couldn't make it.

Since I was already there, I continued up the hill past the Greek Theater until traffic came to a standstill. There were hundreds of cars lining the winding canyon roads and the closest parking spot I could find was about a mile and a half from the Observatory. It was a beautiful night for a stroll, so I headed up the road with plenty of company, eavesdropping on conversations in a variety of languages.

The exhibits inside were interesting, but crowded - with lots of little kids pushing to the front and misbehaving. It was just not the right time to be there, so after about 45 minutes I started the long dark stroll back to the car. Fortunately, I love walking – so the views of the chaparral covered canyons and expansive L.A. Basin as the city lights came on prevented the evening from being a total failure. But I will not return to the Observatory during the height of the tourist season.  

Laughs on Tuesday

Destination: The Groundlings, West Hollywood

Cost: $20.00, $2.00 parking plus gas

I usually jump at the chance to head into "the city," so when a friend called up offering a ticket to a special performance at The Groundlings, naturally I said yes.

So off to Melrose Ave. on a Tuesday night – and a visit to the legendary place that launched the careers of folks like Pee Wee Herman, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Will Ferrell. Traffic was a little challenging during rush hour, but parking was easy. There are plenty of metered spots on Melrose and adjacent side streets, with no parking restrictions after 8:00 p.m.

The show “Charlotte’s Shorts” was a series of brief humorous monologues read by a team of eight former/current Groundlings, including Laraine Newman and (oh happy day!) Lynne Marie Stewart (who played Miss Yvonne on Pee Wee’s Playhouse). These shorts were written by Charlotte Dean and directed by Dean and her mother, Tracy Newman - sister of Laraine. The audience seemed to be mostly friends and colleagues, including actress Edie McClurg.

My companion knew Tracy through her musical work, so it was fun to meet her beforehand and be treated like an insider.  After a little Google research, I learned that Tracy is an Emmy-winning comedy writer (for the Ellen "coming out" episode) and one of the founders (along with her sister, Laraine) of The Groundlings. Charlotte inherited her Mom’s funny bone. There were some riotously clever passages, well presented by these actors with fine-tuned comedy skills. You can read some of the shorts on Charlotte’s blog.

After seeing the photos of so many famous comedians adorning the lobby walls of the Phil Hartman Stage, I’m anxious to return to see a regular performance. Laughter is the best medicine.  Note to self:  don’t head back to the 101 Freeway via Highland on a Hollywood Bowl performance night.