a quick reminder that i haven't been to a dodger game in a while...

the los angeles zoo

after almost four years in this area, i finally made a visit to the la zoo.  this visit was particularily special because my daughter (let's call her "A" - she's not a baby anymore) was along for the ride.  A loved watching the various animals and her parents loved watching her expressions even more.

universal studios from above

caught this view of a local tourist attraction and surrounding area from above.

l.a. skyline

who says los angeles doesn't have a pretty skyline?

angels flight

unfortunately when we visited, the trolley wasn't operating.  still, it is an incredible piece of the los angeles landscape.  if you know much about it, you can check out the wikipedia page.

skywatching saturday from the top of the staples center

i snapped off this photo from our trip to the clippers game this week.

more skywatch friday (one day late) photos from around the blogging world can be found right here.

what is this?

we have lived in southern california for three and a half years.  i've often wondered what this downtown building is.

some kind of abstract art?
a water slide?
a loading ramp for when the aliens arrive?

so locals - help me out.  what are we looking at here?

grand central market

i'm ashamed it took almost four years for me to visit los angeles' grand central market.  if ever there was a place calling my name, it would have to be something like this.  fast food and produce from a variety of cultural backgrounds, all at affordable prices in one convenient location. 

city walk #2: little tokyo

a little while ago i mentioned that some friends had passed on a pack of city walk cards.  the other day we ventured down the gold line to little tokyo to check out the city walk there.  in the image above, meredith stands in front of a friendship knot - erected to symbolize the friendship between the city of los angeles and the little tokyo neighborhood.

we had another great experience!  looking forward to our next city walk (only 48 left to do!).

the sandwich

it wasn't long ago that i posted this photo and lamented that i had never been to the historic philippe's restaurant for a french dip sandwich. as you can see from the above photo, that was remedied.

meredith's parents were in town for a visit, and so when we picked them up from union station i suggested we take the short walk to this place. it was pretty wonderful (if not a little over-priced). i'm not sure what they put in their mustard, but it made the sandwich irresistible. i ordered the beef, but you also have the choice of turkey, lamb, or pork.

one more from the tour of california

the tour of california concluded yesterday with michael rogers (who was pictured in yesterday's post) hanging on for the victory. this shot is of a racer tearing around the corner in front of the beautiful disney concert hall.

amgen tour of california

the streets of los angeles were packed with cycling fans yesterday as stage 7 of the tour of california rolled through town. people came out in droves, lining the route of the individual time trial. although he wasn't the fastest in today's stage, michael rogers (pictured below) finished in second place and held on to the golden jersey as the leader of the race.

l.a.'s china town dragons

i've often seen these golden dragons protecting the entrance to los angeles' china town, but i had never seen them breathing smoke like this until the other day while on a bike ride.

what's the deal? have they always done this?

rosslyn hotel

a skywatch photo of the old rosslyn hotel (now housing upscale lofts) in downtown los angeles, taken on the recent tweed, mustache, and moxie ride.

more skywatch friday can be found here.

tweed, mustache, and moxie ride #3

i like this photo for many of the reasons i mentioned yesterday, but what stands out is the old insignia on the buildings. the fashionably dressed cyclists almost blend right in with their surroundings. and a brick crosswalk? were we really in los angeles? wonderful.

the growing series of photos from this ride can be found together right here.

tweed, mustache, and moxie ride #2

oh my, what a fun ride. i love this picture for so many reasons - the clothes, bikes with fenders (purely added just for show in southern california!), the fact that the group is keeping pace with a bus, the way the buildings frame the shot,... so much to like.

check out monday's post for more on the ride and the link to the flickr page with more shots from the ride.

update: some photos from another area blogger.

tweed, mustache, and moxie ride.

cicle.org jumped on the growing trend of tweed rides happening across the country and kicked things off in los angeles this weekend with the first los angeles tweed, mustache, and moxie ride. a jolly good time was had by all - fine people decked out in their vintage clothing, fabulous facial hair, and beautiful bicycles. i'll be posting more photos from the ride all week long, but if you're interested in seeing more right now, you can check out my facebook album from the ride, or the growing flickr photo album for the event.

oh my! manuel's original el tepeyac cafe

we took a nice little bike ride on saturday through griffith park and los angeles before ending up at manuel's original el tepeyac cafe - a wonderful little mexican restaurant with a unique item on their menu - A FIVE POUND BURRITO. no, i did not eat that whole thing myself, however ryan and i split it - with room to spare - and helped our friends finish off their burrito. it was a wonderful moment!

los angeles beer festival review

i'm going to pronounce it a smashing success. $40 got you in the door, a festival tasting glass, and all the 4 ounce samples you wanted (provided that the brewery didn't run out of your favorite beer).

several los angeles brewers were showcased including skyscraper, the bruery, bootleggers, and angel city (shown above). while previously i had critisized the planners for including budweiser and some other larger breweries, the festival had a great selection of really creative and tasty beers.

this picture makes me chuckle - this is a beer festival, yet you can see a spiderman poster, a guy on his cell phone, bottles of mineral water, and of course sunglasses - soooooooo los angeles.

downtown los angeles at night

i snapped this shot while at griffith park recently with some friends who were visiting from back home. it has been great to have steve and stef with us this week!