So, I'm already back in good olde Germany, but I still haven't told you about our last few days in the States. And yes, I actually had that song on my mobile when we were in the US.
I stopped writing when we arrived at the West Coast, where we stayed in Santa Monica, because let's be honest; I did not want to drive through LA at night without a navigational system looking for a hotel or motel with a vacancy. So we just drove past Pasadena, around LA until we hit Santa Monica Boulevard, where we just stopped at the first Inn we saw, which happened to be the DaysInn. We managed to stumble into the lobby, where David, the night clerk, listened to us babble for a while, and then suggested we take a king deluxe room with a patio, because that way, we'd be paying the least for staying in relatively comfortable quarters.
Santa Monica Blvd at 5am
The patio was the best thing ever. The next morning when I woke up to a hazy LA sky (well, Santa Monica sky, as SM for some reason isn't part of LA), I did some morning yoga on there before searching out the next Starbucks as the others got themselves sorted for our first day in LA.
Now, let me tell you, LA is a strange city. Because...there is no such thing as the City of LA. There is Beverly Hills, there is Downtown LA, there is Hollywood, Universal City, but... it's all so weirdly spaced out and every neighbourhood is so different from the next, you just can't get a feel for the city. In Hollywood, you have to be overrun by tourists who saw something or someone they want to take a photo of, or gang-harrassed by five different "up and coming" hip hop artists wanting to sell you their records, asking you your name and then telling you they signed the CD for you so you had to pay for it. And when you want to leave telling them to fuck off, somebody tells you, you are disrespecting them. It's scary and scarily organised tourist rip-off over there. But the Dolby Theatre and the Chinese Theatre were actually nice to see, there was a great vibe inside and the Walk of Fame, in spite of getting old pretty soon, was kind of nice, because you've seen this thing so often, it's such a big part of our modern day (pop)cultural upbringing that something would have been missing had we not gone to see it.
Loved the Dolby Theatre
Before that, however, we did my favourite part of the tour: we drove up the winding path of Mulholland Drive and stopped at the vantage point where everybody stops. And we saw the Hollywood sign. Another thing you got to see when in LA. Also, Mulholland Drive was fun to drive along and the views from up there over the cities of LA was fantastic.
a little smoggy
After having enough of Hollywood and that part of town, we took the subway to Downtown LA, where...there was nobody. Everybody seemingly spent their days in Hollywood with exceptionally rare encounters of human beings in the streets of Downtown LA. We had a look at the third biggest cathedral in the world, Our Lady of the Angels, a...rather modern cathedral that was not really that exciting, then we saw the Disney Music Hall, which was architecturally impressive. From there we strolled a little bit through the "historic" part of town, as it was labeled, even though "historic" at the West Coast seems to mean something different from historic at the East Coast. But I really don't mean to crap on Downtown LA, as it has impressive official buildings like the Civic Center and the City Hall, the LA Times Building and so on. And then there's the historic cable car at Angel's Flight connecting two streets so people don't have to climb the steep stairs up from Hill Street to Olive (which looks cool even though it's not in service anymore).
Opposite Angel's Flight there is this great market hall, Grand Market Hall, where they sell all kinds of exotic food, for example Berlin specialty Currywurst. And bratwurst with sauerkraut. Just putting everything German into one bun! :D
We returned to dolby Theatre and had dinner at Johnny Rockets, a diner chain, we took a liking to in DC. They have the greatest milkshakes!
From there on we drove down Sunset Blvd and decided to not visit the Whiskey A-Go-Go, because there was a line around the block. Through Beverly Hills' nice and cozy streets we made our way back to our palm tree-lined home street and then on to Santa Monica Pier.
The Pier is the official End of the Route 66, so we left that adventure officially behind us now. It was amazing how much action there was even at night. Even the beach was packed with people hanging around the lifeguard towers. It was a noisy crowd and we were a little tired already, but when we stumbled across an arcade, our evening was made, in spite of parking drama before (inside tip: don't drive your own car down to Santa Monica Downtown at night, you need 15min for a distance that takes you about three by foot and parking space is none existent), and the howling masses. We played games and then went on toward the end of the pier, where people were actually quietly fishing. A whole forest of fishing poles was hanging into the water and we watched for a while, looking out on the ferris wheel lit ocean in front of us. Ferris wheel lit? Well, yes, because the ferris wheel at Pacific Park ON the Pier along with the roller coaster ON the actual Pier could be seen for miles. We dropped into bed tired and still a little estranged by the city.
On Sunday, I was able to drop in at Crossfit LA, which was only a three minute walk from us. Pretty impressive for a city in which everything is at least a ten minute car ride away. The troup down there is the greates pack, and they were bantering and included me right away into their AM-crew. I didn't feel like an outsider, but like a part of that team.
After that we had breakfast and made off to Venice Beach. Where I fell totally in love with the ramshackle buildings and almost gypsy lifestyle while the other two were a little...meh. They didn't realy like it. They were fascinated by all the sports over there. And well, for me it was paradise, there was an area with rings, pull up bars etc, a Crossfitters training heaven. And then I got to rent a surfboard and try it out, even though the fun was cut short by a lifeguard telling me the weather conditions weren't good for beginer's and I shouldn't surf without someone watching me in such weather. The rental guy was cool, just telling me, it was okay and if the lifeguard says it, it's better to follow his advice. And I should hit him up the next time I was in LA. Even though I was wearing a Patriots hat and he could never lend me a bike because he doesn't need deflated tires.
That evening and afternoon was kind of lost, because we didn't do much, exhaustion finally geting to us. And we'd have to leave kind of early the next morning.
I drove down to the beach at 5am to go for a run and some yoga and when I came back, we had breakfast, packed the car and started on our way to the Pacific Coastal Highway, also known as The One. Even though it's the 101 in a lot of places. We said goodbye to a city that didn't make any sense to us as a whole, but had some pretty nice places. I will defnitely come back to Venice Beach some day, and I still need to see Malibu and Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach and Anaheim...and I want to see LA in more than 20 degree Celsius. :P
Either City Hall or the Civic Center, either way: Downtown
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Opposite Angel's Flight there is this great market hall, Grand Market Hall, where they sell all kinds of exotic food, for example Berlin specialty Currywurst. And bratwurst with sauerkraut. Just putting everything German into one bun! :D
We returned to dolby Theatre and had dinner at Johnny Rockets, a diner chain, we took a liking to in DC. They have the greatest milkshakes!
From there on we drove down Sunset Blvd and decided to not visit the Whiskey A-Go-Go, because there was a line around the block. Through Beverly Hills' nice and cozy streets we made our way back to our palm tree-lined home street and then on to Santa Monica Pier.
The Pier is the official End of the Route 66, so we left that adventure officially behind us now. It was amazing how much action there was even at night. Even the beach was packed with people hanging around the lifeguard towers. It was a noisy crowd and we were a little tired already, but when we stumbled across an arcade, our evening was made, in spite of parking drama before (inside tip: don't drive your own car down to Santa Monica Downtown at night, you need 15min for a distance that takes you about three by foot and parking space is none existent), and the howling masses. We played games and then went on toward the end of the pier, where people were actually quietly fishing. A whole forest of fishing poles was hanging into the water and we watched for a while, looking out on the ferris wheel lit ocean in front of us. Ferris wheel lit? Well, yes, because the ferris wheel at Pacific Park ON the Pier along with the roller coaster ON the actual Pier could be seen for miles. We dropped into bed tired and still a little estranged by the city.
Pacific Park from the quieter end of the pier
On Sunday, I was able to drop in at Crossfit LA, which was only a three minute walk from us. Pretty impressive for a city in which everything is at least a ten minute car ride away. The troup down there is the greates pack, and they were bantering and included me right away into their AM-crew. I didn't feel like an outsider, but like a part of that team.
After that we had breakfast and made off to Venice Beach. Where I fell totally in love with the ramshackle buildings and almost gypsy lifestyle while the other two were a little...meh. They didn't realy like it. They were fascinated by all the sports over there. And well, for me it was paradise, there was an area with rings, pull up bars etc, a Crossfitters training heaven. And then I got to rent a surfboard and try it out, even though the fun was cut short by a lifeguard telling me the weather conditions weren't good for beginer's and I shouldn't surf without someone watching me in such weather. The rental guy was cool, just telling me, it was okay and if the lifeguard says it, it's better to follow his advice. And I should hit him up the next time I was in LA. Even though I was wearing a Patriots hat and he could never lend me a bike because he doesn't need deflated tires.
That evening and afternoon was kind of lost, because we didn't do much, exhaustion finally geting to us. And we'd have to leave kind of early the next morning.
They love this kind of lettering
Bikers, skaters, surfers, basketball players, bodybuilders, gypsies, and survival artists
I drove down to the beach at 5am to go for a run and some yoga and when I came back, we had breakfast, packed the car and started on our way to the Pacific Coastal Highway, also known as The One. Even though it's the 101 in a lot of places. We said goodbye to a city that didn't make any sense to us as a whole, but had some pretty nice places. I will defnitely come back to Venice Beach some day, and I still need to see Malibu and Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach and Anaheim...and I want to see LA in more than 20 degree Celsius. :P
beachy panorama with lifeguard tower 16
Morning beach yoga at lifeguard tower 18
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