After a great night of sleep in my hotel, it was time to hit the city. Yesterday I had asked for some suggestions on what to do and I got lots of ideas. Checkout time was at noon so I stayed about as long as I could before leaving my bag with the front desk and finding some lunch.
I went to a place near my hotel that was supposed to have good tacos. I got a few different kinds and they were all really good. An interesting thing about Southern California is that people always tell me the tacos will be life changing and that I’ve never had good Mexican food before. Don’t get me wrong, the tacos were good but I’ve had similar all over the country.
Most of the suggestions I got were food, but I can’t really eat ALL day. (Not until I’ve put a few hundred miles in anyway.) One of my friends suggested the LA County Modern Art Museum. I looked it up, and while it wasn’t too close to my hotel, I figured it was worth the Uber ride there.
The first thing I saw was an outdoor installation called Levitating Mass. It’s a huge rock hung over a sunken walkway. It’s very simple but interesting and massive.
The inside of the museum was also super cool. They had a collection of “modern” paintings from up to 100 years ago with a huge installation from Picasso and some other famous painters.
There were also some contemporary pieces like the giant metal band and a collection of dresses from Alexander McQueen.
Another reason I decided to visit LACMA was because it was next door to the La Brea Tar Pits. The tar pits are a place where natural asphalt seeps up from the ground. I had learned about them before and always wanted to see them.
Around the park there were lots of places where tar just bubbled up from the road. If you were downwind of a pit it smelled like a freshly paved road. The museum also had lots of fossils that have been found in the pits like mastadons, wolves, and giant sloths.
After the tar pits and museum I got in an Uber across the city to visit what the internet called “the best brewery in LA.” Upon arrival I found that two of their beers were brewed in collaboration with two breweries in my neighborhood in Seattle. What a small world.
After the brewery I walked to Phillipe The Original. Phillipe’s claims to have invented the French dip sandwich. I like to consider myself a bit of a French dip connoisseur so I had to give it a try.
The sandwich was simple and delicious. I’d love to dive a little deeper into their menu when I have more time. Unfortunately I had to get back to my hotel and then the bus station.
After getting my bag at the hotel I hopped on a scooter and rode the mile and a half to the bus station. I don’t know why Greyhound stations are always in rough parts of the city, but I was glad I wasn’t walking.
The ride started out pretty smooth and empty but after a few stops it filled up and got really loud. I’m not going to sleep much tonight.