Urban hiking in LA

Time to get publishing the blog again, after a too long hiatus! The motivation came as the unplanned side effect of a quick mid-January visit to Diane (aka NerdHaven West) in LA.

For the first time in quite a while, I hopped on a plane without my child and husband. What a strange feeling! I had no one to care for other than myself. Sounds silly, really, but it was two days of quality time, quality eats, and a refresher of traveling as an independent adult.

Before the main purpose of my visit began – helping an elderly aunt transition to her downsized home – Diane whisked me away from the airport to lunch at a hip lunch counter, Sqirl, with a friend.

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The friend let me know she was a fan of the site, and her comments encouraged me to reconsider my approach to the site and get blogging again. I’m sure NerdHaven West won’t be able to resist joining the process, despite her status as a full-time employee.

After our first meal, I felt any other cultural experiences I would have in LA would be gravy.

One my goals in LA was to take a hike. I was envisioning a hillside climb, perhaps with a reward of ocean views. The next day, as we lingered over our morning tea, Diane hatched the plan to do an urban hike down a stretch of Ventura Blvd. in the valley. Zero drive, lots of walking, interesting view of the evolution of a shopping district. Perfect!

The famous road has gastro pubs popping up from its economically fertile earth like mushrooms after a soaking rain. Around noon, we began pounding the pavement between them, garden shops, dance studios and bakeries; demonstrating an impressive range of locally owned businesses.

I started the day with a Bloody Mary (in my sensible urban hiking outfit).

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We passed landmark eateries:

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Carney's

 

 

And newcomers:

 

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The One Up

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Stir Resturant & Lounge

Stir Restaurant & Lounge

 

 

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We found religion:

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Poetry:

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Plants and garden accents:

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Sundry:

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and sunsets with those classic palm trees:

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So maybe it took us more than four hours to walk four miles, but we shared a sense of  accomplishment and a beverage at trail’s end. Oh, and we also hatched a plan to walk more rugged miles together in the future. More on that later!

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Spring at the springs

Recently, my brother and his wife visited Florida, and not for the first time. They have been to Paynes Prairie State Park. They have paddled down the Ichetucknee Springs river run, visited the town of St. Augustine, its beaches and old Spanish Forts, and even Conga-lined through some seafood joints in Cedar Key. Definitely the responsibility fell on my shoulders to find something new and exciting to do with them in my fair state.

For long 20 years friends told me about a great place south of Gainesville where you can see wild manatees AND cook pancakes on a skillet built into your table at a Spanish sugar mill turned restaurant. Why hadn’t I visited sooner? Deciding it was perfect for the kiddo, the siblings, and the parents alike, we loaded into my parents’ mini-van and took the scenic route to DeLeon Springs State Park.

Sunny but chilly weather greeted us when our nearly two-hour drive ended at our destination. We didn’t suit up, but many other visitors did brave the low-60s temps swim. After all, spring water emerges from the ground at a balmy 72 degrees.

DeLeon_SpringsThis is not my photo. I borrowed it from Astor Bridge Marina. I had one of those days when I sort of forgot I had a camera. I was living in the happy moments spent with visiting family. Because it was Sunday, we had a long wait for the pancake house. So we cruised the spring run in a pontoon boat for an hour. Among other creatures, we spotted alligators, bald eagles, turtles, herons and manatee tracks. (You didn’t know manatees make tracks? Neither did I, never having given it much thought. Under the right conditions, when the water is fairly shallow and the river bottom fairly sandy, manatees leave a clear trail of kicked up silt that hovers in the river for a time.)

But I didn’t think to break out the camera and take any pictures of the tracks, either. Here is one river boating sight I did get snap-happy about:

Family_at_DeLeon_SpringsThe peaceful trip went a long way to restoring my faith in the strength of nature. DeLeon Springs is by no means in its natural state, but it supports wildlife and a threatened wetlands ecosystem. Named after Ponce De Leon, the Spanish explorer from the 1500s who searched Florida for the fountain of youth, the springs became part of the state park system in the 1980s. The region’s fascinating history began long before. For at least 6,000 years before the Spanish arrived, the Mayaca Indians populated the area. The conquistadors started messing with the area about 500 years ago and manipulation has continued pretty much uninterrupted since. Today the springhead has been hemmed in with a stone and cement retaining wall to create constantly refreshed swimming pool of crystal clear water. But the overflow tumbles over rocks into the spring run, which still provides a home for wildlife, and flows into the 18,000-acre Lake Woodruff Wildlife Refuge. Wetlands stretch for miles on either side of the river.

The Old Spanish Mill has new life, too, as a pancake house. We made it back from our boat ride just in time to get the best seat at a table overlooking the river. Definitely photo worthy! However, we were too busy pouring batter onto our skillet for me to get a good shot. So check out some of these photos and pretend those diners are us. Maybe on my next visit I’ll have more time for photography, for I will be back.

 

 

Earth Day Blues

On one of our last days in Ko Ngai, Thailand, John and I were walking along a beach heading back to our cottage after snorkeling just offshore. Clara was trailing, picking up shells. I was thinking of what I had seen under the water and asked John something along the lines of, “What has our global/social/economic system produced that has been better than or as good as the environmental systems that were destroyed to make it?” His answer:”Nothing.”

Thai_Island_Andaman_SeaLet me explain: Continue reading

Valentine’s Day Surprise

Indonesia held promise. We weren’t going to Bali. No. When so many work opportunities presented themselves in Java, why would we hit over-touristed Bali?
As our plane began its descent at Yogyakarta Airport, I spotted two pointed mountains emerging from the clouds.
“Yep. Now we are in the Ring of Fire,” John said.
I filled in the next required line, “Burn, burn burn, The Ring of Fire, the ring of fire.” (Some things must be done.) We laughed. We successfully made it to Yogya without an overnight in Jarkarta and we were feeling good. It required catching a cab in Kuching at 5 a.m. for our first flight to Kuala Lumpur. Then a wait and another flight to Jakarta. Then a shuttle to another terminal, then a long wait until our 5:30 p.m. flight. Long day. No matter. We booked a fancy hotel (for cheap) and would soon have five-star luxury to bolster us.

Sweltering heat greeted us as we deplaned and walked across the tarmac to the terminal. Brief confusion over transport to our hotel left me drained. Then we busted a move and found our cabbie; the evening sky was dressed in neon pink and orange sari.IMG_1621

Suddenly, as can happen when traveling, I felt euphoric. Continue reading

Soup and nuts

Grand Palace Selfie

After nearly 24 hours of sitting upright in 18-inches between the arm rests of  a coach seat while flying over land and sea, John, Clara and I arrived exhausted but without incident in Bangkok at 11:55 p.m., New Year’s Eve.

We cabbed to our Riverside hotel, then wandered around the streets, which were lively because there had been a massive fireworks display Continue reading