Month: March 2023

“C” is For Crown Plaza-Our Los Angeles, California Adventure

Posted on by Debbie

We originally booked a hotel near Los Angeles International Airport in preparation for our cruise departure. After reading extensive reviews, I switched our hotel booking to the Crown Plaza,

Once I realized that we were due to sail out of San Pedro, about 30 minutes south of the airport, it seemed easier to get ourselves there for our two night stay.

We arrived later in the evening on the first of a two night stay, too tired to explore the amenities but a fresh room awaited our exhausted bodies.  Forgive the photo of our room, I forgot to take the picture when it was all put together.

We wouldn’t realize how very close to the cruise terminal we were, until the light of the next morning. Many of the upcoming World Cruise passengers were also staying there.  It was a great way to meet them before setting sail.

We chose to rent a car so we could do some sightseeing on the way to the hotel. There was a drop off point just outside the hotel, which made it easy for us to have a one way car rental.  It is also possible to get an Uber or Lyft from the airport for about $35 USD.

The main draw of this hotel is the approximation to the cruise terminal.  We could walk a mile to get there if we chose,  but handling 6 pieces of luggage across several roads might have been a challenge.

Even though the cruise terminal is within view and walking distance, it is far easier to take the shuttle. I knew that we ourselves had 6 suitcases to handle for the trip, so I imagined how challenging luggage was going to be for the many passengers who were doing the entire world tour!

When cruises are in, it is highly recommended to book your time slot the evening before or as soon as you check in.  You will be given a departure time if the shuttles are very busy. The cost of the shuttle is $5 a person and runs every 15 minutes.

When I asked about handling all of the luggage, I was told the 35 passenger busses had had 10 seats taken out to accommodate the extra bags.  There was plenty of room for all of us and since the cruise terminal is only 1 mile away, the shuttles make quick delivery of passengers to the terminal.

There are many amenities within walking distance, including a great restaurant called the Green Onion.  How could I say no to some of the best Mexican food ever?  Especially when it was only 350 feet from the door of the hotel! The area appears safe both day and night. Of course for those guests who don’t want to venture out, there is also on-site dining in the elegant hotel restaurant if you so choose.

All in all, this was an adequate hotel for our needs for the couple nights before we set sail.

If you are interested in this location, I would suggest booking through booking.com.  We were able to get our room for under $200/night (including taxes).

“B” is for Blimp-Our Los Angeles, California Adventure

Posted on by Debbie

Blimps, they are the most fascinating feats of air travel! In its most simplistic explanation, blimps are helium filled balloons, with a basket attached to the bottom.  They carry over 100 gallons of water to weigh them down since helium is literally lighter than air! They are navigated by a pilot.

As the Goodyear blimp hovered over our heads while visiting Los Angeles, we were racing against the clock to catch a photo.  We had to find a parking place near Redondo beach and hope that the sun wouldn’t cast the last rays of light before I could spring from the car all while while whipping out my camera.  No my photo isn’t perfect but that isn’t the entire purpose of playing the alphabet game is it?  We were having an adventure!

Knowing there are only about 10 blimps remaining in the world, I knew we were very lucky to be seeing this one so close to us!  To put it in perspective, there are more astronauts than blimp pilots!  The ones flying this craft tonight seem to be toying with me as they hovered overhead, then looking out to the Pacific ocean, that we would soon be embarking on for our upcoming cruise.

With such a fascination for the blimps, it is a wonder we don’t see more of them but then the most notable blimp in history was the Hindenburg and most of us still remember that tragedy which happened in 1937.  After about 60 flights that one eventually caught fire, killing 35 people and dooming the entire industry for future development.

Today the most iconic blimp remains the Goodyear blimps.  Originally developed over 100 years ago, the blimps continue to be one of the most interesting branding mediums for the company.  Goodyear has cornered the market with their blimps.  Mostly they are brought out to hover over major sporting events and offer the spectators a birds eye view as the event is broadcast from overhead.

Seating only 10 people at a time, riding in a Goodyear blimp is by invitation only and is usually reserved for charities.  Seats are auctioned off for a cost of $14,000 for 2 people!  With a 10 year waiting list, It is the rare person who will ever have an opportunity to ride in one.

The last true blimp to fly was decommissioned in 2017,  Goodyear has replaced their fleet with semi-rigid dirigible though they still refer to them as blimps since they are powered in much the same way and the term is much easier to say.

The new blimps are quieter and more easily navigated meaning they can be more readily used at major sporting events such as golf championships ensuring the Goodyear legacy will continue;

On this cool winter evening, I will revel in keeping my feet on the ground while still being close enough to this icon to see the pilots!

“A” is for Averill Park-Our Los Angeles, California Adventure

Posted on by Debbie

We would have only 1 1/2 days to explore the Los Angeles area as we waited to embark on the first leg of our World Cruise Adventure,  set to depart from San Pedro, California on January 19, 2023.  We had arrived two days before we were due to set sail, to ensure there were no last minute challenges.

We chose the Crown Plaza for our accommodations since it would be easy to get to the ship and also offered a nearby drop off for our rental car.

I am not generally a fan of big cities and prefer the quiet of the countryside and nature.  It was in this way that I had come to discover a hidden gem known as Averill Park, as I sought some refuge from the concrete jungle and traffic of the city of Los Angeles.

San Pedro is best known as a busy cruise and container port.  Located about 30 minutes south of Los Angeles airport, on first appearances, San Pedro doesn’t appear to have much to offer but since we had the rental car, getting around was fairly simple.   I was determined to find the beauty.

After arriving by plane, we had spent the first day stopping at the beaches which dot the coast between the airport and San Pedro.  Today our adventures would carry us from the hotel, to the Korean Friendship Bell, then to Averill Park and all around the Palo Verde area.

I chose Averill Park as our letter “A” because it had been described as offering spectacular views of the city and harbor.  It sounded like a delightful place to practice with my camera.

The neighborhood park was created by Herbert Averill an early developer of the Vista del Oro area of San Pedro, and was deeded to the city of Los Angeles in 1920. It has remained a peaceful oasis for local residents ever since.

Parking for our hike through the park was a little interesting. The 10 acre park is set among steeply rolling hills and the paths challenging.  We tried to guess which would offer the least resistance.  It was futile.   Since this is just a neighborhood green-space, there are no fees to park.

As we set out on our walk, I enjoyed seeing families perching their children in the gnarled wood of the amazing trees.  I imagined the memories which have been made in this over 100 year old park.

Holding the hand of my love, Alan and I enter the park along the rose lined path.  The roses were not in bloom this time of year but I could visualize the amazing colors which lead to the gazebo at the end.  In the summer, this is considered one of the top wedding venues.  I can feel the love here.

San Pedro is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, not a separate city.  With a population of over twelve and a half million, green space is at a premium. Word has been getting out about this special place. Today is a weekday but the park is still alive with activity as people breath the fresh air and escape the hustle of the nearby city. I can only imagine the droves of people who make their way here during the summer.

As we make our way down the steep hillside we round a bend in the path and I pause to take yet another photo of the amazing trees.  Arriving at the babbling brook, I breath in the newly sprouting greens of spring and gaze into the small stream  which meanders through the valley.  I think of the countless reflections of the people who have been photographed on the little stone bridge which crosses over to the other side.  Today a turtle is the only thing I see in the water.

My ears follow the sound of rushing water to the little waterfall cascading down the hillside.  This is a reminder that the path back to the car, is all uphill!

It is time for us to move to our next location.  As the sun shines bright upon my face and the turtles rest quietly on the rocks of the stream, it is hard to tear myself away from the tranquility but our adventures for the day have only just begun.  There is still much to explore, so we begin the trudge upwards.

If you would like to discover this quiet neighborhood park for yourself,  it is located at:

1300 Dodson Avenue San Pedro, CA 90732

Los Angeles-An ABC List of Adventures

Posted on by Debbie

ABC EXPLORATION OF LOS ANGELES AND SURROUNDING AREAS

Use this list to spark ideas of places to visit, experiences to create and photographs to take.  Keep building your own word list.  Check back often to see if we complete a whole alphabet!

Missing  J, X, Y

A

  • Abalone Cove (San Pedro Area)
  • Abandoned LA Zoo (Griffith Park)
  • Accomodations
  • Afternoon Tea ( Millennium Biltmore DTLA)
  • Amoeba (Large independent record store)
  • Angels Flight Railway
  • Annenberg Space For Photography
  • Animal-Hipster restaurant with an extensive menu and unique dishes.
  • Aquarium (Manhattan Beach, Aquarium of the Pacific, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium)
  • Arclight Cinemas
  • Art Walk
  • Averill Park

B

  • Beach (Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach)
  • Betegga Louie-pizza and macarons are always popular at this busy restaurant.
  • Bergamot Station
  • Betty B Dearing Trail Hike
  • Blimp
  • Bluff Cove (Palo Verde area)
  • Boardwalk (Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica Beach)
  • Bob Baker’s Marionette Theater-oldest children’s theater company in LA.
  • Book Soup
  • Brennan’s Pub Turtle Race

C

  • Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
  • California Science Center
  • California sign
  • Capital Records Building
  • Cargo containers
  • Carousel
  • Castle Peak Hike
  • Cave of Munits
  • Chorizo
  • Chinese Theater
  • Chateau Marmont Hotel-Popular amongst celebrities. Loosely resembles the Chateau d’Amboise in France’s Loire Valley.
  • Coast
  • Cove
  • Crown Plaza (hotel)

D

  • Dodger Stadium/
  • Disney Hall
  • Disneyland
  • Downtown LA
  • Descanso Gardens
  • Donut Snob-With flavors like Blueberry Earl Gray Tea and Pistachio Orange, there is something for everyone.
  • Donut Man

E

  • Exposition Park Rose Garden
  • Exposition Park
  • El Capitan Theater
  • Eaton Canyon Waterfall
  • Echo Park Lake

F

  • Father’s Office Burger (at In and Out Burgers)-don’t dare to ask for ketchup!
  • Ferris Wheel
  • Fishermen
  • Food

G

  • Getty Villa
  • Griffith Observatory
  • Grand Central Market
  • Gibbon Conservation Center

H

  • Hollywood Blvd
  • Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • Hollywood Bowl
  • Hollywood Sign Hike
  • Hollywood Forever Cemetary
  • Huntington Library
  • Hike
  • Hermosa Beach

I

  • Inspiration Point
  • In and Out Burgers
  • Ice cream (Manhattan Beach Creamery)

J

K

L

  • Lakers Game
  • LA Lakers
  • LA Waterfront cruise (cargo ships, containers, Vincent Thomas Bridge, USS Iowa and sea lions)
  • LA Zoo
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Modern Art
  • Lost Sunken City-aka the “Atlantis of California”
  • Leo Carrillo State Beach
  • LA County Fair
  • Lighthouse (Point Vincent-Palo Verde area)
  • Lucha Vovoom Burlesque Show-
  • Lookout Point Park (Palo Verde area)

M

  • Muscle Beach (Venice boardwalk)
  • Magic Castle
  • Mugu State Park
  • Melrose Trading Post Flea Market-Sunday open-air market where you’ll find antiques, vintage goods and collectibles.
  • Museum of Jurassic Technology
  • Mulholland Drive
  • Madame Tussauds Hollywood
  • Manhattan Beach
  • Mahhattan Beach Creamery (Ice cream)-try the signature ice cream sandwich made with artisan cookies
  • Malaga Cove (Palo Verde area)

N

  • Nightlife
  • Night Gallery

O

  • Outdoor Concert

P

  • Pacific Ocean
  • Pier
  • Pelicans
  • Pelican Cove
  • Portuguese Point
  • Point Vincente Lighthouse-not open to the public but can be seen from the shore. (Palo Verde area)
  • Palo Verdes

Q

  • Queen Mary

R

  • Rodeo Dr.
  • Red Car Line (trolly system)
  • Runyon Canyon Hike
  • Rodeo Drive
  • Redondo Beach

S

  • Starfish
  • Sacred Cove
  • Santa Monica Camera Obscura-self guided walking art tour of galleries and exhibits.
  • Santa Monica Pier
  • Sea lions
  • Ships
  • Show Taping (Conan, Ellen Show, Jimmy Kimmel)
  • Shopping (The Grove, Rodeo Drive)
  • Silver Lake Meadow
  • Six Flags Magic Mountain
  • Space Shuttle Endeavor at California Science Center
  • South Coast Botanical Garden
  • The Strand (Manhattan Beach)- is a 22-mile paved path extending from Pacific Palisades (close to Santa Monica) to Torrance.  Keep in mind some people refer to The Stand as the “Manhattan Beach Boardwalk.”
  • Staples Center-where the LA Lakers play

T

  • Tide pools
  • Third Street Promenade
  • Traffic
  • Trolley cars (red car line)
  • “The Rainforest”-Betty B Dearing Trail Hike
  • The Last Bookstore-check out their amazing tunnel of books.
  • The Grove-Tons of stores, dining and pop-up shops.
  • The Grammy Museum
  • Traffic

U

  • Under
  • Union Station
  • Up
  • USS Iowa Battleship
  • Universal Studios Hollywood
  • Upright Citizens Brigade Theater

V

  • Venice Beach Boardwalk-outdoor skate park, BoHo boutiques and trendy restaurants
  • Venice Canals-Man made canals built in 1905 by developer Abbot Kinney.
  • Vincent Thomas Bridge
  • Vineland Drive-In Theater

W

  • White Point Beach
  • Walt Disney Concert Hall
  • Waterfront
  • Wayfarers Chapel
  • Wacko Soap Plant
  • Wildlife Learning Center
  • Watch the Room (Don’t forget your plastic spoons)
  • Watts Towers Arts-Public art sculpture that is a California Historical Landmark and National Historic Landmark.
  • Whisky a Go-go
  • Whale watching

X

Y

Z

  • Zuma Beach