Thanksgiving in Los Angeles is becoming an awesome annual event. It's always great to escape the East Coast just as it's start to get cold to spend time with family in warm and sunny California. Before heading out to Highland I did a loop through the San Fernando Valley up to Ojai and back down the coast through Ventura, Oxnard, and Malibu.
This was a great tour. I'd repeat this step-by-step every time I visit LA. I'd swap out the Reagan Center for more time in Ojai. I may add a night in Ventura or some random hotel along the coast. I may shoot up to Santa Barbara. But the bottom-line, this is a great side trip.
This was a great tour. I'd repeat this step-by-step every time I visit LA. I'd swap out the Reagan Center for more time in Ojai. I may add a night in Ventura or some random hotel along the coast. I may shoot up to Santa Barbara. But the bottom-line, this is a great side trip.
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It's a long day, living in Reseda...
I made it a quick morning in Reseda. I've been curious what this suburban expanse of Los Angeles looks like so I picked a few spots to visit and charged my own course. Reseda is lodged in my conscious memory as the town / neighborhood that a certain Daniel Larusa moved to from New Jersey. And in a rare circumstance the filming of Reseda actually took place in Reseda (I was going to visit other Valley located films like the Sandlot and Bill and Ted, only to find out they were filmed in Ogden, UT and Scottsdale, AZ, respectively) so I thought a good way to see Reseda, was to see the Reseda of Daniel Larusa. But first breakfast at Las Fuentes a Mexican Restaurant that has been serving up the Valleys best Huevos Rancheros since 1982. |
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Then a photo stop at the South Seas, the apartment complex where Daniel lived and met Mr. Miyagi. It is still going strong as the South Seas and representing the glory of the Karate Kid. Next stop, Daniel Larusa's high school, which is now an adult learning center-which works out well for a film tourist because it means you have free reign to move all around the campus. It's a beautiful educational center and it's no wonder it was chosen as a filming location.
Las Fuentes and the South Seas are located in the center of Reseda and the drive to and from these locations showcase this section of Los Angeles. Long, wide avenues. Strip malls. Suburban sprawl meets urban density.
Las Fuentes and the South Seas are located in the center of Reseda and the drive to and from these locations showcase this section of Los Angeles. Long, wide avenues. Strip malls. Suburban sprawl meets urban density.
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From Reseda my next was the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library with a brief stop in Thousand Oaks because like Reseda, I've always wondered what exactly is in Thousand Oaks. Not much. I set Google Maps for Russell Park which is a prototypical example of the master planned communities that are found throughout California. To escape the master planned environment, I drank an Americano at Longevity Coffee, which was filled with yoga moms.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is perched on top of a mountain overlooking the Simi Valley below. The Library recommends spending two to three hours touring through the exits. I was a bit skeptical until I arrived and saw how large the museum was. It would take thirty minutes to simply walk through the museum of you didn't stop and read the exhibits. The exhibits start with Reagan's early career (not much on his childhood) and does a good job explain the context from which Reagan's political views and his status as The Great Communicator were developed. Reagan started as a radio broadcaster for Cubs games in Des Moines Iowa. Without being able to view the game he had to create colorful commentary to keep the Iowans entertained at home. This eventually lead to acting roles and at one point he served as President of the Screen Actors Guild and stood up to the communists and Mafia running Hollywood. His next role was as a GE spokesman. He spent 15 years traveling across the U.S. To GE factories, spreading the corporate mission. Next stop California governor then U.S. President.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is perched on top of a mountain overlooking the Simi Valley below. The Library recommends spending two to three hours touring through the exits. I was a bit skeptical until I arrived and saw how large the museum was. It would take thirty minutes to simply walk through the museum of you didn't stop and read the exhibits. The exhibits start with Reagan's early career (not much on his childhood) and does a good job explain the context from which Reagan's political views and his status as The Great Communicator were developed. Reagan started as a radio broadcaster for Cubs games in Des Moines Iowa. Without being able to view the game he had to create colorful commentary to keep the Iowans entertained at home. This eventually lead to acting roles and at one point he served as President of the Screen Actors Guild and stood up to the communists and Mafia running Hollywood. His next role was as a GE spokesman. He spent 15 years traveling across the U.S. To GE factories, spreading the corporate mission. Next stop California governor then U.S. President.
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Hands down the highlight of the Library is the Air Force One plane which looks like it's about to take off. The nose to tail walkthrough showed how far technology has advanced and how bad 80's styles were. There are a couple of other presidential vehicles including the Marine One helicopter. There's also a room with a recreation of the Oval Office.
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I then took the long and winding road to Ojai-which is the best way to drive to Ojai. The scenic drive curved over and around mountains, through valleys, passing orange farms and ranches along the way. The route passed through the town of Summitt which had a perfect California roadside stand drive in - I challenge anyone to drive past this place and not stop for a meal. It's not happening. I ordered a party melt and tots. A block away was the Stagecoach Station, a glorious stuck-in-time grocery store. Places like this show another more remote, more calm side of California.
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I made a list of places to see in Ojai and arranged my route by closing time - visiting the places that closed the earliest first. I drove across town to Old Creek Winery. The beauty of visiting a winery on a Thursday, out of season is that you have the winery all to yourself. Old Creeks hilly location, solitude, and wine quickly relaxed me. I ordered a 6-flight tasting wine that included 3 whites and 3 reds. When I looked at the wine menu I was surprised to see the grapes came from all areas of California, except Ojai. I asked "what gives" and the bartender told me that in 2005 an insect called the sharpshooter wiped out all the vineyards in the area. Over the next decade the vineyards outsourced their grapes from other California orchards.
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The next stop was Coffee Connection. Ojai has a main commercial street but it's the haphazard zoning that I thought made Ojai distinct. On drives to destinations is wind through neighborhoods then "pop" there's a random coffee shop. After an Amerciano I wound through more neighborhoods to Bart’s Books, which has to be one of the best bookstores in the world. It's an open air bookstore with corrugated steel acting as a partial roof to cover the books in the event of a down pour.
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The next stop was Topa Mountain Winery, another outsourcing winery which is located directly on Route 33, no secluded location like Old Creek. I kind of liked the wine a little better. I opted for a glass of pinot noir over the tasting flights. For dinner I went to Ojai Deer Lodge, a place that reminded me of Woody Creek Tavern in Aspen in its low key and local vibe. One final stop- Topa Topa Brewing to break up the monotony of wine with some kolsch and pilsners.
I spent the night at Caravan Outpost, which has several Airstreams for guests to sleep in. I saw this place in several guides and it was a great recommendation. A unique stay that didn't compromise.On quality of the other amenities of a standard hotel. There was a fire pit going but I opted to sit and read in the Airstream. I'm not sure I could live in the right quarters for long but for one night it felt like a night in luxury.
I spent the night at Caravan Outpost, which has several Airstreams for guests to sleep in. I saw this place in several guides and it was a great recommendation. A unique stay that didn't compromise.On quality of the other amenities of a standard hotel. There was a fire pit going but I opted to sit and read in the Airstream. I'm not sure I could live in the right quarters for long but for one night it felt like a night in luxury.
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Because of the zig sagging I did on the afternoon I arrived it was dark the first time I drove through Ojai’s main street thus it wasn't until morning that I had my first glimpse of the city center. Ojai public and private commercial spaces have several Spanish Adobe style buildings. There's a hiking / biking trail that runs through town and connects with a park, the old city jail, and Libby Bowl, an outdoor amphitheater. I had a breakfast burrito then a coffee at Beacon Coffee before hitting the road to Ventura.
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Today was a day of winding on the coast from Ventura to Manhattan Beach. Ventura has a large Spanish era mission in the center of town, but I set my destination for a cross on top of a hill that overlooks Ventura and the Pacific Ocean. I made my way back down the hill and parked at Plaza Park. From here I walked a loop around Ventura's historical center and was impressed to see a decent restaurant and microbrewery scene. There's a couple of classic 1940s golden age of film movie theaters. I skipped the mission in favor of Ventura's other stunning public architecture feat, it's City Hall. I made a stop at Prospect Coffee Roasters which seemed to be hipster central in Ventura.
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Next stop Oxnard. The delineation between Ventura and Oxnard is striking and illustrates how segregated California is. Every place I visit in California only has white people and a few Asians. Yet white people are 36.64% and Hispanics are 39.29%. So where are all the Hispanics? They are in towns like Oxnard. That’s how different cultures live in California - segregated. I walked around Oxnard for a few minutes with a stop in Plaza Park and Heritage Square. It's nice but there's no coffee shops or microbreweries but there are more local, hole in the wall type Mexican restaurants.
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Oxnard to Malibu is one of America's great landscape drives—I think it's better heading north to south. Malibu north of point dune has a remote feel that disappears the further south, the closer to Santa Monica you get. Heading south also makes it easier to pull off on the ocean side of the road and take photos of dream houses.
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I pulled into Dukes for a fish taco lunch. Dukes does a good job of balancing a great view with a good meal at reasonable prices. A beer, a fish taco, and tip for $25 is a great value for Malibu. Back on to PCH to Pacific Palisades, which is home to several Hollywood stars like Tom Banks and Stephen Spielberg. Estate Coffee seemed to be in the center of town. Pacific Palisades has a great suburban, tree lined street feel to it. The residential area is up a hill from the Pacific Ocean and without the constant ocean views of doesn't have the beach town vibe of Santa Monica, Venice or the South Bay Communities. I'm sure Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg have ocean views from their homes.
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You need to pick your poison when driving between Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach and the best tasting poison is to hug the coast-Ocean Boulevard to Nelson Way to Admiralty Way back into PCH then through Playa del Rey. I stopped in El Segundo whose downtown hub feels livelier with each visit. It looks nicer and nicer as an alternative to Manhattan Beach. There's been a major office construction boom in this area over the last five years. While the traffic has become much worse El Segundo’s nightlife area seems to be thriving.
South Bay nights always end with a sunset at Manhattan Beach pier.
The drive in the 210 out to San Bernardino can be monotonous. The same Brown landscape and mountains to the left never seen to change. It's beautiful scenery but...it...never...changes. To break up the monotony I made a few stops.
First, the Old Los Angeles Zoo. Several wild animal habitats are open to the public and close to a parking lot making for an easy, short walk to a fun and unusual site. A great thirty minutes detour on the way to breakfast at El Huareche Aztecs on York Boulevard. I've read in several magazines that York Boulevard is LAs New hip neighborhood - I'm not sure. A bunch of poor white people living amongst Hispanics doesn't qualify a neighborhood as hip. But the Mexican food though! I will gladly take some misinformation and false advertising if it lures me to good food.
South Bay nights always end with a sunset at Manhattan Beach pier.
The drive in the 210 out to San Bernardino can be monotonous. The same Brown landscape and mountains to the left never seen to change. It's beautiful scenery but...it...never...changes. To break up the monotony I made a few stops.
First, the Old Los Angeles Zoo. Several wild animal habitats are open to the public and close to a parking lot making for an easy, short walk to a fun and unusual site. A great thirty minutes detour on the way to breakfast at El Huareche Aztecs on York Boulevard. I've read in several magazines that York Boulevard is LAs New hip neighborhood - I'm not sure. A bunch of poor white people living amongst Hispanics doesn't qualify a neighborhood as hip. But the Mexican food though! I will gladly take some misinformation and false advertising if it lures me to good food.
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The third and fourth stops were at Mantra and The Reverse Orangutan in Azusa and Glendora, respectively. Both were good places, preferred Mantras environment, TROs coffee, but both were off each town’s main commercial district.