After arriving in LA, we took I 10 West, which runs into Coastal Rt. 1 - directly into the famous Malibu area. A bit of a let-down though. Malibu really consists of rows of townhouse-like sturctures crammed together, wall to wall, with Hwy 1 (a busy 4 lane) running three feet by them. Of course the houses face the beach and Pacific ocean. Pulling out of the built-in garage onto the highway must be quite a feat.
We turned right onto Malibu Canyon Rd, drove by Pepperdine University (bastion of Republican think tanks), and proceeded about 8 miles north to the campground. The campground itself is in a very nice valley. Rolling green hills and rocky outcrops give it a feel of being in Oregon. Hard to imagine that Big, Bad L.A. is just a few miles away.
Our campsite is great! There are just a few campers in the park - mostly tenters. We like tenters - they are usually quiet and go to bed when it gets dark. We also like to watch them in the rain, and on a cold morning, jumping around to get warm (We call their dance the "Tenters Stomp".
The sign explains the unusual geology of the area, making it visually interesting and desirable for movie making. The mountains in the background from our campsite may be familiar to you - they are the ones in the opening scene of MASH. As a matter of fact, the MASH series was filmed in the back of the park.
In the main parking lot were lots of "movie vans" containing filming equipment. I asked a worker what was being made today, and he replied "Witches Mountain". Maybe soon we will take our bikes into the back part of the park and see whats up. Mimi wants to volunteer to be an "extra".
Tuesday is "Boardwalk Day". We took the bikes to the Santa Monica area and began riding several miles along the boardwalk. It was chilly and overcast, chasing away the crowds that are usually present.
These are some shops that line the boardwalk in some areas.
One area that I wanted to see was Muscle Beach. It's part of a sports complex by the City of Venice. But, "Where's the beef?" Nobody was working out! Mimi was disappointed, wanting to see some beefcake.
Santa Monica peer is very photogenic. An amusement park, shops, and resturants jut into the ocean.
The Great Zoltar still lives. He's been updated to speak Spanish if you push the red button. Your future will now cost a dollar!
An art tool by the pier. This concrete roller is about 6 ft high and weighs several tons. There are designs imprinted on it, so that when it rolls on the sand, it makes a flat surface with lots of patterns. It was made in the '80's when cities had money to blow.
We had lunch on the pier, eating at "Bubba Gumps" a shrimp house. Although lunch was $30, it was good. Mimi had cajun shrimp peelers and I had a chicken salad.
On the way back to the campground we saw some beautiful houses on the cliffs overlooking the beach. This is where the serious money resides.
Unfortunately, nature doesn't respect money that much. Here is a place where a major landslide occurred. Wonder what nice house took a ride down to the highway?
Tomorrow: The Getty Museum
No comments:
Post a Comment