Experiencing L.A. on Malibu Canyon Road, Malibu

Malibu Canyon Road is a scenic two lane mountainous road connecting the 101 Ventura Frwy to the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. It's a great way to get from Santa Monica and the westside of L.A. to Agoura, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura. 

I was in town last November, heading back up the coast. I've driven through Malibu Canyon many times, but never stopped for photos. 

First stop, just off the Pacific Coast Highway, was Pepperdine University. Pepperdine is "a Christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership." Great campus - with some spectacular views of Malibu and the Santa Monica Bay. 

Just a mile up the road - and yet worlds away. Parts of Malibu Canyon look similar to what you'd find in Arizona or Utah.

There are some spectacular rock formations. 

In October 2007, yet another "Malibu fire" roared through this area. The vegetation is making a comeback, especially along the stream bed of the canyon itself. As I've commented before, a fire every ten years is much less dangerous than one every thirty or forty years. Significantly less to burn. 

Unfortunately, the densely populated hillside communities of Pacific Palisades, Brentwood haven't experienced wild fire since 1978. In the case of Bel Air, Beverly Hills, and the Hollywood Hills, since 1961. Without controlled burns, when fire hits these communities - which WILL eventually happen - it's going to be devastating.

If you want to stop and enjoy Malibu Canyon Road, plan on heading north from the PCH. There are several turn outs along the way where it's safe to stop and take photos. 

My car at one of the turnouts. The canyon is amazing, especially when you consider it's just a couple of miles from the ocean - and part of the the second largest metropolitan area in the US. 

It comes as no suprise that ten of thousands of cars use this route every day to commute between the inland valleys and employment centers on the westside. 

While there are curves along the way, if you want some SERIOUS curves, try Topanga Canyon Road - a similar canyon road about six miles to the south.

A final view of the canyon - and the creek below. 

Anyone know if it's possible to hike along the creek? 

Malibu Canyon Road continues another mile past this tunnel, where it becomes Las Virgines Canyon Road. No turn outs or way to safely take photos, so my photo safari had to end here. 

Malibu Creek State Park, which our family visited once, is another couple miles north. 

Continue on, and you'll hit the Ventura Freeway (aka the "Ventura Highway" - for those of you who remember the old song by the '70's band America).

Happy motoring - just keep your eyes on the road, and take advantage of the turnouts.

View Malibu Canyon Road, Malibu in a larger map


© 2013 www.experiencingla.com


-

Experiencing L.A. at Sunset & the PCH

Two years ago I was driving along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) just south of Gladstones Restaurant at Sunset Blvd in Pacific Palisades around 10am on a Friday morning.

What caught my attention was how how incredibly crowded the surf spot was. I'd never seen it so packed.


I pulled over and took a few pictures. Here's a wide angle shot - the rock outcropping to the right is where Gladstones Restaurant (corner of Sunset Blvd & PCH) is located. For people out of the area, this is all within the city limits of Los Angeles.


A winter storm elsewhere in the Pacific made for some ideal surf conditions here in Southern California.

Surfing is perhaps the only sport I can think of where those involved don't necessarily want others to join them (especially at "their" spot).


Everyone was crowded in this one spot because this is where the waves were really breaking. A couple hundred yards away, the water was literally empty. And, of course, with temperatures (water temperatures) in the 50's, everyone was wearing a full wetsuit.


I love this shot. One photo. Twelve guys up on three (or is it four?) different waves. Wow.

And how many guys are waiting for the next set? Over fifty. It was a Friday morning. Don't people have jobs? Oh yeah, forgot: this is L.A.

View Sunset & the PCH, Pacific Palisades in a larger map

Here's a map to this "not so secret" surf spot, located a quarter mile south of the intersection of Sunset Blvd. and the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) in Pacific Palisades.

photo credit: Don Bartletti, Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, a storm somewhere in the Pacific this week (January 2, 2012) made for some great surf. This is from Los Angeles Times photographer Don Bartletti, with a link here to a series of outstanding photographs from the most recent swells.

© 2012 www.experiencingla.com - originally posted 1/17/2010

Frostie Freeze Meets La Salsa

Here's a couple of quick "then & now" photos from Los Angeles:

Middle America "Frostie Freeze" tranformed into a Latin America "La Salsa".

Burgers tranformed to Tacos.

Joe transformed to José.

Loss An-je-les tranformed to Loce Ahng-hail-ais

Located at 22800 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, this stand was originally a Frostie Freeze. Built in 1949, it had a larger than life "road side attraction" Burger guy on the roof. This photo was taken by yours truly back in 1984.

In 1987 the restaurant was sold to the La Salsa chain, and the Burger guy was tranformed into the Taco guy. Here's a link to the changes that were made.

While these road side attraction figures are not unique to Los Angeles, this is the only one I'm aware of that's received this kind of extreme make-over. Certainly symbolic in many ways of Los Angeles. That would be the real Los Angeles (not the L.A. everyone sees in the movies).

View La Salsa, Malibu in a larger map

.© 2011 www.experiencingla.com

Summer in the Rearview Mirror

Driving up the 101 - the Pacific Coast Highway - earlier this year, I spotted an old surf wagon in the rearview mirror. Had to take a pic. 

Anyone out there know the year and model? Looks like something from the 1940's. LOVE the surfboard on the roof. That's what caught my attention.


As this is the last weekend of the summer, figured this was an appropriate photo. Actually, these photos were taken last January. That's OK. Thanks to wetsuits and a Mediterranean climate, people surf year round in Southern California. 

You get extra points if you know where along the 101 this was taken.


As an aside, there's reason why Angelenos (and Southern Californians) refer to freeways as "the 405" or "the 10" or "the 101". These freeways all have names. Beautiful names. The San Diego Freeway, the Santa Monica Freeway, the Ventura Freeway. 


Originally, people talked about taking the Pasadena Freeway north . . . or the Santa Ana Freeway south. Eventually, the Interstate (or state highway) numbers were substituted for the names. The Pasadena Freeway became the 110, the Santa Ana Freeway became the 5. Generally, I prefer the names. 


Enjoy the last weekend of the summer. Hopefully not stuck on a freeway. 


© 2011 www.experiencingla.com  




.

Not the Getty

High above the Pacific Coast Highway, sporting incredible ocean views, sits the Getty Villa. It's the former home of billionaire J. Paul Getty, and was the original Getty Museum. The much larger Getty Center in Brentwood now houses most of the artwork, but the Getty Villa Malibu (technically in Pacific Palisades) still features the Getty Greek and Roman Collection.

You can easily spot the Getty Villa on the hill driving up or down the PCH. It's a recognizable landmark to both visitors and residents alike. There's just one problem.

It's not the Getty.

The building you're looking at is known as Villa de Leon. Built in 1926, it's a large private residence overlooking the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades. Ever since J. Paul Getty began opening up his estate to the public in the mid 1950's, people have assumed that the huge mansion perched on the hill is "the Getty." Even among people who live in the area, it's probably one of the most mis-identified buildings in Los Angeles.

Villa de Leon sits above the entrance to the Getty Villa, hence the confusion. The Getty Villa is actually not visible from the street and is located up a private road off the PCH.

The Getty Villa (above) is in an incredible setting, with amazing Greek and Roman artifacts, and best of all - free admission.

Meanwhile, Villa de Leon sits overlooking the Pacific, continuing it's job as one of the most mis-identified landmarks in Los Angeles. According to International Listings.com it's currently for sale for $15 million. Not sure if the foundation has been worked on since these pictures were taken a couple years ago, as closer inspection reveals:

Major cracks. Click on the image above, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

The problem ultimately isn't the house - it's the hillside it was built on, part of which has collapsed during winter storms, taking an entire garden terrace with it. Ouch. Reminders of "building your house on the rock" (see the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:24-27) come to mind.

The home is located at 17948 Porto Marina Way, Pacific Palisades, 90272. Here's a view from the top showing the extent of the collapse of one of the hillsides.

Zillow gave the home an estimate between $3-$5 million since 2001. It apparently sold for 10 million dollars in 2007. Zillow currently has it valued at around $8.9 million.

These pictures were taken a couple of years ago. Looks like a lot of work was being done on it.

Obviously the owners of this property are in a completely different league than most of us.

Thanks to google (which I've used many times on this blog) mere mortals like us can have an idea what the interior looks like.

photo credit: http://www.intlistings.com/listing/10000062.html

Nice floor. Reminds me of Hearst Castle but, ironically, on a "smaller scale."

Can't argue that the street it's on, Porto Marina Way, has a great view of the Pacific Ocean. This is looking south towards the PCH with Santa Monica in the distance.

Getting back to the original idea - calling 17948 Porto Marina Way "the Getty Villa" doesn't make it the Getty, even if a majority of people do so.

As a Christian, I'm reminded that Christianity isn't based on popular opinion, or what a majority of people think, but on historic fact. Almost two thousand years ago, St. Peter, an eyewitness to Jesus' life, ministry, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension wrote:

"We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." (II Peter 1:16).

The resurrection of Jesus isn't true because Christians believe it - we believe it because it's true.

I found yet another website incorrectly listing Villa de Leon as the Getty Villa: Angel City Art

photo credit: http://www.angelcityart.com/so-cal-ACA.html

And while on-line "stories" and (much more common) "word of mouth" continue to perpetuate that the big house on the hill is the Getty Villa, the facts reveal something else.

A trip to the actual Getty Villa is worth your time (visit the website ahead of time - you need a parking reservation). Here's some thoughts and tips from a previous blog post.

And be sure and give a shout out to Villa de Leon when you visit.

originally posted 11/18/08

© 2010 www.experiencingla.com

Sunset, North of Sunset

Sunset over the Pacific Ocean, one mile north of Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, California. November 4, 2009

Last Fall, I had a chance to hear a professor at Cal State Northridge speak on Christian stewardship of the environment. He made some convincing arguments, including a statement I had never thought of before: the ability to see and enjoy the creation helps point individuals to the Creator.

The New Testament states that "since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).

Air pollution, water pollution, toxic waste, acid rain ... the list goes on. They affect not only the quality of human life, but also humanity's ability to see and recognize their Creator. The complexity and beauty of creation point to a Creator. The inability to see and enjoy God's creation makes it harder to recognize Him.

Los Angeles has both wonderful climate, beaches, the ocean, mountains, palm tree lined boulevards .... as well as a sprawling and sometimes gritty urban environment. I appreciate the work of men and women a generation ago to vastly improve the air quality here in Los Angeles (traffic has replaced "smog" as a major problem) and those who are currently working to improve the water quality of the Santa Monica Bay. Helping improve not only the quality of life, but the ability to see and enjoy the Creator's handiwork.

Including a sunset.

(originally posted 11/7/09) © 2010 www.experiencingla.com

.

Gladstones: Friday Morning, January 8th

Thursday January 8th I was driving along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) just south of Gladstones Restaurant at Sunset Blvd (in Pacific Palisades) at about 10:30am.

What caught my attention was how how incredibly crowded the surf spot was. I'd never seen it so packed.


I pulled over and took a few pictures. Here's a wide angle shot - the rock outcropping to the right is where Gladstones Restaurant (corner of Sunset Blvd & PCH) is located. For people out of the area, this is all within the city limits of Los Angeles.


A winter storm elsewhere in the Pacific made for some ideal surf conditions here in Southern California.

Surfing is perhaps the only sport I can think of where those involved don't necessarily want others to join them (especially at "their" spot).


Everyone was crowded in this one spot because this is where the waves were really breaking. A couple hundred yards away, the water was literally empty. And, of course, with temperatures (water temperatures) in the 50's, everyone was wearing a full wetsuit.


I love this shot. One photo. Twelve guys up on three (or is it four?) different waves. Wow.

And how many guys are waiting for the next set? Over fifty.

It was a Friday morning.

Don't people have jobs?

Time to get back to mine . . .



.

Sunset Blvd & the PCH: L.A.'s Most Visible Surf Spot

Sunset Blvd & the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) may or may not be L.A.'s best "surf spot" - but it is definitely one of, if not the, most visible. Located in Pacific Palisades (technically within the city limits of Los Angeles), the PCH just south of Sunset Blvd hugs the coast for about 1/2 a mile, giving some great unobstructed views of the surf and surfers below - even as you're just driving by.


These photos were taken about 6:30am on a recent Thursday morning. Overcast skies are known locally as "June Gloom" - late night and early morning fog which can last throughout the spring and summer. Even in August, everyone was out in full wetsuits.


The waves were also pretty small, but there were still a lot surfers out.


What caught my eye weren't just the guys (and gals) on surfboards, but the large number of those paddle surfing, officially known as Stand Up Paddle Surfing (SUP) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddle_surfing


Originating in Hawaii, Paddle Surfing was introduced to California around the year 2000 and is growing in popularity. It apparently allows surfers to catch smaller waves ... and to get a better view of incoming waves.


The guys paddle surfing seemed to be the only ones catching any waves.


Pretty wild seeing a group of 3 or 4 guys standing up waiting for the next set. There's - of course - no keel on these, or any other surfboards, so standing up requires an incredible amount of balance.


There were also a number of pelicans (no doubt meaning a lot of fish) just behind these guys. Nearby I saw a small school of dolphins.


Even an overcast morning with minimal waves gives evidence to the Creator's handiwork.


.