It is hard to describe Los Angeles. The city itself has more people than 23 states, and the County of Los Angeles has as many residents as Michigan or North Carolina! It has many famous beaches; it is a huge entertainment and tourism destination; it has horrible traffic and smog. On this trip, I stayed near the LAX airport to explore the beach communities of Venice and Santa Monica.
After recovering from my sickness, there was only one place to go - Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles - for their namesake dish. That is a very tasty picture. The fried chicken was perfect. The waffles were perfect. The mound of butter and syrup trifecta was perfect. Just mash everything together into one amazing bite and enjoy the calories. I am guessing the other stuff on the menu was pretty good too since others had big smiles on their faces.
Venice and Venice Beach are not fancy places. This is a place where working people go to have fun. The bohemian lifestyle and amalgam of all classes and races can be a little overwhelming or intoxicating depending on your personal attitude. Nevertheless, everyone from the street performers to the bodybuilders at Muscle Beach are there looking to have fun and enjoy the scene. It is a fun walk depicted in many movies and worth the effort. They have all sorts of food, drink, and other stuff along the walk. However, those with faint hearts should stay away. This place is real.
Just up the PCH from Venice is the Getty Villa. Even though we are now pretty environmentally conscious out here in California, we made a lot of money from oil - especially Mr. Getty. The villa was modeled after a Roman villa which is appropriate for a modern emperor living in the American Mediterranean. The place is just gorgeous with every detail done well. It is also stuffed with ancient Roman and Greek antiquities and lots of cool architecture. The cafe even makes a mean burger, even though the staff are mostly Dodgers fans!
Yes, Randy makes a great donut. This iconic spot is near LAX and packed with people in search of a good donut or doughnut. And yes, they are really good. I had a chocolate old fashioned with chocolate dough and a mound of chocolate fudge icing. The jelly filled donut was simply perfect, everything you would expect in a raspberry filled fried piece of heaven. Nevertheless, the apple fritter was transcendent. Warm, cinnamon, apple, crispy sugar - everything you expect in a wonderful combination. Go here soon. Roscoe's is just down the street.
There is just something about cruising along the beach with the windows down enjoying a sunny afternoon in Los Angeles. Too bad most of the residents are stuck in traffic heading to Costco or stuck inside fixing the garbage disposal. Fortunately those Dodgers fans can always put off their chores and head to the good side of the 405 and enjoy a beautiful day in Southern California. Enjoy the rest of my pictures below.
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