Day 35: Santa Barbara to Bakersifeld

The day started off dreary and then turned to rain. I’ve had what feels like 20 straight days of perfect weather so I really can’t complain. Still, a lot of photos came out pretty marginal. Here are a couple fun signs from Pismo Beach where you can see the rain streaks:

***************************************

I can’t remember the name of these flowers but we had a yellow version in my yard when I was growing up. They pretty much grow like weeds in Southern California. What I like about them is how they close up at night to stay warm. Seems awfully smart and animal-like to me.

***************************************

The dogs got to see lots of wildlife today: ostriches, buffalo, longhorn cattle, goats, etc. But what really sent them into a tizzy was this colt or filly at the Madonna Inn. The youngster, probably only a couple weeks old, was running laps and acting like an idiot. But my dogs were acting even more idiotic. Nik does what I call pogo-ing (bouncing up and down as far as he can without hitting the roof) and barking like mad. The rest of the family always chimes in, too, and Gremlin hits decibels that will make your ears bleed. I didn’t manage to get a shot of the young horse running but he’s here at the center of this photo:

***************************************

These cute statues are at the Splash Cafe in San Luis Obispo. I assume they are clam people? The two shots are of the one on the ground, the other is on the roof.

*********************************************************

The rain finally subsided during a torturously long trek from the coast across the mountains to the Central Valley. I got to Fresno late afternoon and then headed up another mountain to visit my mother in Lake Isabella. I hadn’t seen her in over ten years so it was great to finally get together.

Day 34: Oxnard to Santa Barbara

It was an eerie stroll down memory lane for most of the day. Trying to remember what was where in my old hometown of Ventura. So much has changed in 28 years! I went by the house that I grew up in and it was very derelict and depressing. I even checked out a couple of my old schools. I had no memory that my elementary school was Streamline Moderne:

*******************************************

or that my high school (Buena High) had Mid-Century details:

*******************************************

Inside that auditorium was a cosmic lamp fixture that must’ve been there when I was there. Of course, we only ever entered from the side and I probably never even saw the building’s legs or this thing:

*************************************************

I do remember the “Orange Peel” (not sure if it’s still called that) — I guess named for its abstract shape in back. This is where they did big school announcements and the stage from which we graduated. It’s in the center of the school on a big patch of grass on the “Quad” (although I never really saw what was so quad about it). The Peel wasn’t painted these bright colors back then.

*******************************************

Ventura also has this mid-century library which I spent a lot of time in during my youth. The photo doesn’t show it well but there are freestanding letters in front. The color was a lighter blue back then. I’m glad they haven’t messed with the facade.

*******************************************

Perhaps the oldest business in town (1900s?) was Peirano’s, across the street from the Mission on Main Street. It was still a market when I left in 1980 but, alas, is a restaurant now. I just wish they had kept their name off the original brick glass. Main Street is still an interesting mix of new businesses and thrift stores.

*******************************************

In addition to the Ventura stuff, I went way out of the way to see Grandma Prisbrey’s Bottle Village — a place I had always wanted to see and heard a lot about growing up. It has nearly been destroyed a few times and is truly a special place that deserves some true funding and restoration. Among the bottle houses, pathways and other interesting stuff were these pretty plants, succulents known as “hen and chicks”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hens_and_chicks

*******************************************

By the time I got to Santa Barbara, it was already getting dark but I think I managed to get the shots I need so I can move further northward tomorrow. In contrast to all the wealth and beauty of Santa Barbara was this “double decker” bus that sure appears to be from a different era:

Day 33: Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood

I really cranked today to finish up the L.A. stuff. I can’t believe what I accomplished in the past few days. The rest of the trip will seem laid-back after this. No more mega cities with zillions of stops per hour. It may be less exciting, but I won’t miss the traffic. I really have to really trim things from my itinerary now. Only about ten days left and about half that time will be spent on the interstates hauling it back to New York.

The dogs were prisoners most of the day as Mama was an absolute maniac and there were few places to cut them loose. Poor Nik and Grem were driven crazy by the smells and sights of the ocean as we drove up Pacific Coast Highway from Malibu to Oxnard. I will make it up to them tomorrow somehow.

Just another Streamline Moderne building on the Miracle Mile:

*************************************************

And just another gorgeous apartment building in Hollywood:

*************************************************

Perhaps the most famous of all story book houses (the Spadena House in Beverly Hills):

*************************************************

A mid-century detail that’s probably not long for this world. This was originally a waterfall with multi-colored glass pieces. It was originally a bank, now a church, and there is talk of demo-ing the place for something bigger & better.

*************************************************

I haven’t seen these bushes in a couple decades. At least I know what this one is! Bottle brush, for obvious reasons:

*************************************************

There’s really not much weird about “Hollyweird” anymore — but at least I found this place on Melrose (technically in L.A.). The Max Azria clothes store features an art installation of tree branches shaped to look like curly hair:

*************************************************

Here’s a pair of nice rusty signs in Beverlywood:

*************************************************

I love all the product paintings in L.A. I don’t remember them back home.

*************************************************

And lastly, I have to include a Sunset Blvd. billboard. This one’s pretty sexist but I do love the giant bra add-ons anyway: