It may seem surprising that I could live for more than a decade just south of Los Angeles and never really see it – but the truth is often shocking. It hardly made sense to tour the world without even seeing home, and so in the summer of 2007 I decided it was time to visit the big neighbor in the north. It was to be a traditional domestic trip – 3 days, 15 sights.
I began by driving through Santa Monica where I visited the Santa Monica Pier, playing chess in the chess park and enjoying the view from the Ferris wheel. Scooting over a street or two I visited the Santa Monica Promenade, a great place to find something to eat. I used to spend weekends in Santa Monica as a boy; the trip brought back memories. Then it was time to go north up Sunset Boulevard to stay in West Hollywood. On my way I passed the Kodak Center with the Hollywood Walk of Star sandwiched between Grumman’s Chinese Theatre and the El Capitan – sight of all movie premiers. Dinner was at Spago, a beautifully crafted experience virtually worth the price tag.
Next, I traveled even further north to the J. Paul Getty museum, where art has the interesting hobby of coordinating itself with panoramic views of the Los Angeles skyline. Driving through Bel Air and Beverly Hills I passed the University of California at Los Angeles on the right and visited the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) past Century City, then later the Los Angeles Convention Center (sight of E3, amongst other conventions). Dinner that night was at the round table restaurant of the Hotel Bonaventure, in the heart of the Los Angeles skyscraper district.
Visiting corporate headquarters the next morning, like the west-coast branch of Deliotte and Touché, was fun, but the highlight was a tour of the U. S. Bank Tower, the tallest building in Los Angeles (73 stories). In the same district, amongst famous sights like the Tribune Building and the Los Angeles Concert Hall, was the spectacular Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed in smooth layers of titanium by master architect Frank Gehry. Satisfied with my tour of downtown I began the long ride home, passing through Little Tokyo and the Glendale Galleria on my way to Disneyland. Located next to Downtown Disney & California Adventure, Disneyland was the final leg of my journey. Dinner was at the Blue Bayou under Club 33. Jumping on the Coast Network I rode by train and car back down to San Diego.
Local exploring may not be as exciting or dramatic as a trip to Paris, or an Alaskan cruise. But it helps put the world in perspective, and it helps you remember how much there is to see even in your own backyard. I doubt I’ll come back to Los Angeles to sightsee in my adult lifetime, but I’ll always be glad I saw what was just a few hours north of my first home.