Olvera Street: A walk through ‘La Placita Olvera’ in Downtown LA

August 27, 2015September 14, 2015Leave a comment

Here’s a look of a stroll I took down Olvera Street one hot summer day. Olvera Street is an outdoor marketplace that houses stores, sit-down restaurants, food stands, museums, historic monuments, and a performance plaza. It is an area that is colorful, vibrant, and full of culture. Talk about history, ‘La Placita Olvera’ is considered one of Los Angeles’ oldest historic sites. There are seven museums and four historic monuments located on the premises. Among these buildings includes the oldest existing residence of Los Angeles, Avila Adobe, which dates back to 1818. Strolling through the grounds you can stop to watch a live performance, listen to a mariachi band, drink a fresh fruit water (agua fresca), or munch on delicious rolled tacos (taquitos). There is so much to see and do. I was only able to capture a small portion. Hopefully it inspires you to take a stroll.

“The Olvera Street Mexican style outdoor marketplace is an internationally renowned space for visitors to casually stroll, people watch and enjoy foods, cultural souvenirs and traditional live entertainment.” – Calle Olvera

Shops

Clothes

Olvera Street

Native Dancers

Plaza tree

Watermelon and Horchata

Museum

Aztec dancers

Pico House

Restaurant

Taquito stand

Entrance by plaza tree

Aguas Frescas

Olvera Street

Dolls

Performance area

The Last Bookstore: Books, Art, and Records in Downtown LA

August 25, 2015August 27, 20152 Comments

Here’s a peek inside The Last Bookstore. The store is various levels with rooms within rooms and things to see around every corner. If you try to go visit, be aware that certain rooms and stores close before the rest of the bookstore. I missed the chance to explore a couple of rooms because of this. But other than that, I was able to peek around the majority of the place. The Last Bookstore looks like something that should belong on the set of a Harry Potter movie. When I saw the wall of photos I was almost expecting the faces to start following me across the room. It’s a truly unique place and a really fun find.

“The Last Bookstore is California’s largest used and new book and record store. Currently in our third incarnation, we began in 2005 in a downtown Los Angeles loft.” – Last Bookstore

Inside book hall

Random book aisles

Books flying in the corner ceiling

Book loop

Wall of paintings

View overhead

Up close wall of paintings

The Last Bookstore Mannequin

Secret light switch

Inside vaulted book room

Half mannequin

Curved book hall

View from above

Star Wars books

Book ailses

Drawings on the wall

Vaulted book room

Scary books

Alice in Wonderland style sign

Windy book aisles

Up close of flying books

Book aisle with book light switch

Flying bookshelf

Industrial art

Check out my previous post for the address! 😉

Four Unique and/or Weird Things To See in Downtown Los Angeles

August 17, 2015January 17, 20161 Comment

Los Angeles is where I call home (for the majority of the time that is). So it’s funny for me to think that I’ve never really explored the downtown area. Now that I have a friend that lives in the area, I’ve been spending a significant amount of time falling in love with the city. Here’s a list of four weird and/or unique things to see in downtown Los Angeles. The best part, it’s all within a two block radius so you don’t have to worry about parking. 😉 Enjoy!

Downtown Los Angeles Map, center point Main and 5th – Click to enlarge.

The Varnish

118 EAST 6TH STREET
Los Angeles, CA 90014

Imagine yourself entering a French dip restaurant. Walking past the host to the back wall only to find an unmarked door which leads to one of downtown LAs oldest speakeasys. If this sounds like fun to you then make your way to The Varnish, located in the back of Cole’s restaurant. It is a small dark intimate space which offers amazing cocktails and an exclusive vibe. They don’t allow overcrowding so you have to wait outside of the speakeasy for a table. Grab a seat at the bar at Cole’s while you wait. Where else can you grab a French dip sandwich one minute and then sip a Moscow mule in a speakeasy without ever stepping outside?

PEDDLER’S CREAMERY

458 SOUTH MAIN STREET
LOS ANGELES, CA 90013

Have you ever heard of an ice-creamery where you can pedal for a free scoop? Well I hadn’t heard of it until I stumbled upon Peddler’s Creamery. Now the thought of having to exercise for 20 minutes before I can get some ice cream isn’t the most appealing thing to me, but some people go for that kind of stuff! So check this place out, even if it’s just to be a lookey loo to watch others bike for their scoop.

Angel Wings on Main by Colette Miller

ANGEL WINGS ON MAIN

448 S Main STREET
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Located right next to Peddler’s Creamery is the Regent Theater. What makes this place unique are the art installation pieces by Colette Miller. A pair of angel wings located on the sliding gates. Make sure to get there before the place opens, or else you’ll miss your chance for a photo-op.

The Last Bookstore. Not sure if that was a reflection on my forehead or an orb. ;p

THE LAST BOOKSTORE

453 S Spring Street
LOS ANGELES, CA 90013

Now, The Last Bookstore may not really be the last bookstore but it is considered one of California’s largest. The store carries new and used books as well as records and art installations. You’ll find surprises around every corner… literally!

Moonlight Beach Sunset: Encinitas, California

August 1, 2015August 3, 2015Leave a comment

Do you have a favorite spot to watch the sunset? Or a special place to go to think?

On a recent road trip down the coast to San Diego, I discovered the most amazing location in Encinitas, Moonlight Beach. I got there right around 8pm and just stood at the edge of the water, taking in the scents, sights, and sounds. The waves washing up the shore, my toes dug into the sand, and the smell of salt in the air with a faint scent of a bonfire burning nearby. There’s just something so serene and mysterious about the ocean. I stood there for a while, allowing the space to clear my thoughts, closing my eyes for a bit to just listen to the breaking sound of the waves. As the sun set, I tried to capture the imagery as best as possible through these photos; however, photos just don’t do it justice.

Interested in visiting Encinitas or Moonlight Beach? Find more information on the San Diego County website. 🙂

Kona Cafe: Breakfast at the Polynesian Village Resort, Disney World, Orlando, Florida

July 7, 2015July 29, 20151 Comment

Kona Cafe is my favorite breakfast place when visiting Walt Disney World. Located across from the Magic Kingdom theme park, it is easily accessible by monorail, boat, or car. Kona Cafe is probably best known for their Tonga Toast, a banana-stuffed sourdough french toast rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with a strawberry compote. Yum! Now that I have your attention let’s talk breakfast. Kona Cafe offers lunch and dinner options, but breakfast is really what they do best. During this visit we ordered a variety of items and shared. The portions are not huge so if you go with a large appetite I would recommend that you order one dish per person to share. The breakfast menu consists of various island flavors. The Liliko’i Juice Is fantastic. It is a subtle and sweet blend of orange, passion fruit, and guava juice. Guava and passion fruit complement each other so well and have the ability to transport you back to Hawaii. The Macadamia-Pineapple Pancakes are served with a delicious macadamia nut butter and pineapple sauce. The Tonga Toast is amazing, but it’s the strawberry compote that really takes it to the next level. It tastes almost like a strawberry smoothie. When you taste it, you’ll want to just drink it up. 😉 Check out this recipe from the official Disney blog if you want to try to make your own: Tonga Toast. Here are some photos from the trip. Enjoy!

Kona Cafe Menu

Lilikoi Juice, $4.49

Condiments: Strawberry Compote, Maple Syrup, Butter, and Ketchup

Egg White Omelet: Roasted Red Peppers and Goat Cheese with a side of Fruit, $10.99

Macadamia-Pineapple Pancakes: Served with Macadamia Nut Butter, Pineapple Sauce, and your choice of Ham, Bacon, or Sausage, $10.49

Tonga Toast: Banana-stuffed Sourdough French Toast rolled in Cinnamon Sugar and served with a Strawberry Compote and your choice of Ham, Bacon, or Sausage, $12.99

Ham and Cheese Omelet: Served with Home-fried Potatoes, $11.49

Pork Sausage

Portion view

Tonga Toast Inside View

Here’s an insider tip: If you don’t have time to have a sit down breakfast or don’t want to spend that much money, checkout Capt. Cook, a casual quick service cafe located downstairs at the Polynesian Resort. While they may not have all of the same breakfast offerings as Kona, they do offer the Tonga Toast at a cheaper price, which is definitely worth a try!