My friend Cynthia and I wanted to see the Tournament of Roses Parade in person so January 1st started with the sound of an alarm clock at about 3:30 in the morning. We were in Pasadena by 4:30 driving past signs for $50, $40, and $30 parking. Luckily, we found a parking structure a block from the parade route that was only charging $10.
The parade route at that hour was a refugee camp. Tents, sleeping bags, coolers, and folding chairs filled the sidewalks and outside lanes of Colorado Boulevard. Some people were playing cards or just talking but most of these squatters were bundled up and trying to sleep. Smart folks had open pit fires or gas heaters to warm them.
The sun came up around 6:00am and by 6:30 the squatters began to break camp. Once the tents and tables were gone, there was more room for viewing. New groups came into fill the space but as crowded as it got, there was no serious rudeness or fighting. At 7:00am the only real problem was the 30-minute line for the port-o-johns. The Blue Angels flew overhead at 8:00am and the 119th Tournament of Roses Parade was officially underway. The first unit reached us a half an hour later. Here’s the official photo recap in case you missed the show.
PARADE TIPS
We sat on the south side of the Colorado to avoid staring at the sun. The TV cameras are on this side, too, so we had good viewing for most of the star talent including Grand Marshall Emeril Lagasse; Sesame Street’s Bob McGrath; and Dodgers alumni Tommy LaSorda, Fernando Valenzuela, and Steve Garvey.
We were across the street from a Famima! convenience store so coffee, water and breath fresheners were readily available in the early hours. We positioned ourselves in front of a brick planter so we’d have a place to sit while we waited.
The floats are amazing in person but they move pretty fast. Without the TV narration or souvenir program there’s no way to tell what natural materials have been used on each unit. The nerd in me missed that. On the plus side, the horses and the marching bands are much more engaging in 3-D.Getting out of the parking structure didn’t take long but it did require patience. Once free of it we drove back on Colorado which was practically deserted except for garbage, abandoned chairs and discarded mattresses.
Unless you have VIP seating in the grand stands at Orange Grove and Colorado the best experience is still watching it at home on the hi-def channel in your pajamas. Afterwards, you can head down to Pasadena and wander through the floats at your own pace for about $10.
Except for the reek of the bacon-wrapped sausages being sold next to us, we had a great time at the parade. If the weather is good in 2009, I think we’ll be back in person. Thank you Cynthia for helping cross off another item of my 100 Things to Do Before I Die list.
MULHOLLAND DRIVE
I spent the second day of the year with our friend Juliet. I offered to take her over to the Showcase of Floats but she had her heart set on touring the entire length of Mulholland Drive. She had printed a guide from LAMountains.com, charged her digital camera and loaded her iPod with “Mulholland songs” like Tom Petty’s Free Fallin’. Who could say no to that?
Named for William Mulholland—the man who devised the Los Angeles aqueduct system–Mulholland Drive is fifty-five miles of winding mountain road that starts in Hollywood and ends at the ocean. There are plenty of scenic overlooks along the way and I think we stopped at every one of them. Most had parking spaces and historical placards or nature trails; a few were just gravel turnouts with generic signage. The Groves Overlook was the most frustrating since it was named for the trees that completely obscured the view.
We crossed over familiar roads like Laurel Canyon, Coldwater Canyon and the 405. There was a Walt Disney Drive on our route, too. Not long after that intersection Mulholland switched from two-lane blacktop to dirt. We drove about a mile before being met with a fire gate and the words “Restricted Entry.” We were bummed of course but our disappointment turned to curiosity when we noticed a side road and abandoned guard shack.
We were at LA96C which was a NIKE missile control site from 1956 to 1968. After it was decommissioned, public bathrooms, picnic tables and handicapped parking were added to create what is now San Vicente Mountain Park. The dirt road we couldn’t drive on is a trail for cyclists and hikers. We spent about a half hour walking through the defunct military zone, reading the signs and taking pictures atop the three-story lookout tower. There was something to see at on every side, from downtown LA to the Encino reservoir to our eventual destination the Pacific Ocean Because of the detour we headed down to Ventura Boulevard, had lunch at Jack in the Box, and then turned south onto Topanga Canyon Boulevard to rejoin Mulholland. We enjoyed this stretch through canyon country and even spent some time in Paramount Ranch. Although used primarily for westerns, the ranch has also starred as Colonial Salem, China, and the South Seas. Because of this history, park locations include Witches’ Wood, Marco Polo Hill and Ebb Tide Trail.
You can probably guess how Medicine Woman Trail got its name. The Jane Seymour series that ran on CBS from 1992 to 1997 was shot here. Neither of us watched Dr. Quinn but Juliet and I enjoyed walking through the Western Town set that doubled for Colorado Springs. I found this Dr. Quinn photo gallery and recognized a few buildings even though the town has since been altered for HBO’s depression-era series Carnivale.We continued our drive on what was now Mulholland Highway and passed by Ed & Vern’s Rock Store, a mobile home park, and two huge satellite dishes. The rest of the drive was deserted conservation area and it was hard to believe that we were still in LA County. We crossed the Pacific Coast Highway at Leo Carillo State Park and got a few pictures before the sun went down. Then we headed south for delicious crab soup at Bob Morris’ Paradise Cove Café Malibu.
With our photo stops, meals, cultural visits and the detour, we spent about seven hours on our Mulholland drive. Juliet is so easy to hang with and always prepared! She even sent these links to the National Park Service’s downloadable maps showing trails and roads. Just for fun, she included this Wikipedia entry that discusses Mulholland Drive in pop culture. Thanks for a great day, Juliet!CASA BIANCA
That evening, Juliet, Daryl and I went to Eagle Rock to sample the very popular Italian restaurant Casa Bianca. Our meal was fine but it wasn’t worth the 45-minute wait in their cramped lobby. We’d go back if it was less crowded, but Casa Bianca is either closed or it has a line. They should change their name to “DMV.”
Waiting for a table, the three of us were walking around the neighborhood when the flashing lights of a police escort came over the hill. Was it the mayor? The governor? No, it was the City of Glendale Rose Parade float making its way to downtown Glendale. Juliet got to do both things after all.
HERITAGE SQUARE
That weekend, Daryl and I went to Heritage Square Museum which is located on the 110 about a mile east of where it intersects the 5. Eight historic structures have been moved to this slim piece of land to create a museum of life in 1800’s Los Angeles. Except for the traffic rushing by on the freeway the museum feels like a street my great, great grandparents might have walked along. The tour starts at the train station and ends at the church. In the middle are five houses and a barn. Only one of the houses is truly complete inside. The rest are slowly being refurbished as funds become available.
The museum is open Friday through Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 and has free parking. The online tour includes information and pictures of all eight structures which are best appreciated in person on a sunny day. A normal visit should last about an hour but we were there twice that since the tours, box office, and gift shop were being handled by one person.
EL TEPEYAC and GALCO’S
That night Diana, Daryl and I were at our friend Christie’s for a Wii trivia throwdown.
Christie had stopped by El Tepeyac Cafe which is rated as one of LA’s Best places for authentic Mexican food. She opened the to-go box and inside was the largest burrito I’ve ever seen. I think it covered two burners on the stove. The cashier told her that this size would feed four people so Christie bought two. Ay Carumba!
Luckily, the burrito was big on taste, too, but we barely finished two-thirds of it. We washed it down with drinks from Galco’s Soda Pop Stop. They specialize in hard-to-find nostalgia and regional brands like Bubble Up, Nehi, Sioux City Sarsaparilla, and Jeff's New York Coffee Egg Cream Soda. There are so many varieties it’s no wonder they’ve been operating since 1897. They should open a branch at Heritage Square.
Christie picked up a few bottles of Cheerwine (a North Carolina favorite) for Daryl. I recommend the Blenheim Ginger Ale and the Plantation Style Mint Julep. I was curious about Delaware Punch but decided to save that for another day since our evening of fun, food and fizzy drinks went pretty late. I hope we can do it again soon. Thank you, Christie!
PALM SPRINGS INT’L FILM FESTIVAL
Daryl and I joined my Uncle Carl the following weekend for our annual trip to the Palm Springs International Film Festival. With hundreds of titles to choose from we narrowed it down to seven. Our hands-down favorite was The Pool. It was a small story about Venkatesh, an illiterate hotel worker in India who is preoccupied with a backyard pool outside of town. The owners return and Venkatesh slowly ingratiates himself by helping the father clear the yard and by befriending the daughter. Simple performances, great camera work, solid script and winning score—which you can hear at the website—come together to create a sensitive film whose characters stay with you. Indian film fans will recognize Nana Patekar.
Hats Off! is a pleasant documentary about 92 year-old actress Mimi Weddell. She got into the business at the ripe old age of 65 the week after her husband’s funeral. Unsentimental and always in motion, Mimi lives by the motto “Rise Above It!” The camera follows her to auditions, movement classes, photo shoots and Elizabeth Arden beauty treatments as friends, family and colleagues share anecdotes about Mimi. There are also clips of her working opposite Will Smith in Hitch and playing Stanford’s grandmother on Sex in the City. The film was sold out so we had to sit in the third row but we had the best seats in the house once the film was over. Ms Weddell came down to the front of the theater amidst a standing ovation and took questions from the audience. She is an awesome lady. Sparkle is an English comedy about a cater-waiter who meets the girl of his dreams while he’s still involved with his boss Stockard Channing. Except for a misleading title, we recommended this one, too. The story and the performances by Bob Hoskins, Shaun Davis, Anthony Head and others, were top-notch.
Boystown tells the darkly comedic story of a real estate agent so fixated on populating his predominately-gay neighborhood with the young and fit that the older residents who refuse to sell to him end up dead. A sad-sack driving instructor, his unrelenting mother-in-law, her comic-book obsessed son and a germ-phobic investigator complicate his plan in this strange but sweet tale.Before the Rains is listed as a Merchant-Ivory film even though Merchant, Ivory, and their screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, weren't involved. Set against the fight for Indian independence, this tragic love story was bogged down by a sluggish script and an overdone score. The only highlights were beautiful location work and a great performance by Rahul Bose.
The Stone Angel was my least favorite film even though it had Ellen Burstyn, Dylan Baker, Luke Kirby and Juno’s Ellen Page. To avoid moving into a nursing home, Burstyn’s character escapes to a deserted lakeside cabin. The trip causes her to reflect on her disapproving father, an alcoholic husband, the gossipy town and her ungrateful kids. Skip this one and rent The Trip to Bountiful for which Geraldine Page won her Academy Award.The first Best Actress Oscar went to Janet Gaynor for her work in the 1927 silent Seventh Heaven. This hard-luck melodrama has broad performances common to the era but Gaynor won us over with her more natural style. If only the newly-commissioned score that accompanied this screening had been as subtle. Fun fact: A couple audience members had seen the movie during its first run.
Uncle Carl managed to fit in Breakfast With Scot which he described as a sentimental TV movie and Pistoleros a terrific Danish actioner in the vein of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. The 2009 Festival is already scheduled for January 8 through 19 and I’m sure we’ll be there. Titles and tickets will be available on the festival site around Christmas. Thanks, Uncle Carl!VISITORS
The following week, our friend Tahmina, was in town for a busy week of meetings. We hadn’t seen her in three years and it was so fun catching up over dinner. Thanks for making the time, Tahmina!
My sister Gail arrived last week after a fourteen-hour train/bus/metro/pack mule/dog sled trip from San Francisco. Even though we were in the wettest LA January since 1970-something, Gail spent her first day at the Getty Center under brilliant blue skies. It was so clear we could see from the snow-capped mountains to Catalina Island.
We took her to Oinkster in Eagle Rock for Carolina Pulled Pork sandwiches and Belgian Fries. In Pasadena, we visited The Gamble House and did some shopping in Old Town. On her last full day, Gail and I headed to Joshua Tree to spend a sunny, windy day with Uncle Carl and his two dogs. And then, before we knew it she was flying home to snow-covered Iowa. It was a great visit and we hope to see her again real soon.
LA FASHION DISTRICT
Gail is a big sewer (get your mind out of the gutter). In addition to catching her up on the previous two weeks of Project Runway, we took her to the LA Fashion District. Spread out over ninety blocks the area is said to be the largest selection of textiles and notions in the United States. We only went to a few fabric stores but Gail found what she wanted at a good price. It wouldn’t fit in the luggage she brought with her, so we ducked into Santee Alley and found a $20 suitcase for the flight home.
STAR SIGHTINGS
We saw Kaye Ballard at one of our Palm Springs screenings.
While at the Getty we saw Amazing Race 4 winner Chip Arndt.
Peter Paige sat behind Gail when we were at Toast Bakery Cafe.
NEXT MONTH
February is already filling up. Tell you all about it next month.
Until then,
James
