Whomever said LA wasn't walkable, doesn't have very good friends or has lost their sense of wonder. Which on both accounts are very sad.
When I first met the talented c and lovely k three years back, they talked about the amazing pilgrimage walk they did as part of their honeymoon in Spain. For practice they mapped their own route here a very daunting walk from LA to Pasadena. When they described what it was like to walk from neighborhood to neighborhood, I knew I was in. Part of my love for this city is exploring its nooks and crannies. They just had to name a time and place and I would be there, ready to walk.
We tried once on a fall day a year or so back, but our mission was thwarted by the bottomless bloody mary’s at the Bowery. As so many missions are.
Our second attempt happened the Saturday after Thanksgiving. With bellies full 7 of us set off determined to make it happen and to also work off all of that thankful goodness. We started on a hill and found ourselves on Alvarado which somehow turned into Glendale, I stopped to take pictures of signs and street art, the back of the heads of my friends. It was strangely hot. 80 after it had been so cold, I started to regret, the leggings, sweater and coat that were weighing my pack down, making my dress stick to my skin.
I was thankful for our first stop which came so much quicker than I imagined. If you think about walking from Sunset and Alvarado to the Red Lion it doesn’t seem like something you want to do, but it only took an hour-ish.
Pit stop 1-The Red Lion
It was brief, since we got there so quickly and we were determined to move on. We cheersed our great timing drank up and moved out.
We continued from Glendale blvd to Fletcher took time to take in the LA river a little swollen from the rain.
Pit stop 2- Foster’s freeze
While there, waiting for a chicken sandwich and some cones, we could have had our Stand by Me moment. Hundreds and hundreds of seagulls circling a half a mile up, but out of our way. We deduced it was a dead hooker in the alley. Some of us wanted to investigate, but we felt that it would take us too far off of our plan and we were doing so good.
A mile later we picked up a minute maid carton outside of a McDonald's that we took turns kicking all the way to Eagle Rock, at times it wouldn’t cooperate, would get caught in the legs of strangers, but we showed it who was boss. It was in tatters when we stopped in for a round of spectator bowling.
Pit stop 3- a pitcher at eagle rock (or is it all star) lanes
Everyone was still excited, we cheersed, we stretched, me showing off my tree pose another warrior one, both in dresses, maybe not the smartest. We ate veggies and dip inside the Chinese restaurant inside the bowling alley and left in search of the Oinkster. I had never been and a co-walker went on and on about its fantasticness. I was hungry, and after 3 hours veggies and dip and beer just weren't cutting it.
A wrong/right turn over to Yosemite to shorten up the trip made us miss going to the Oinkster, too far south and east, but gave us a tour of some amazing houses and we stopped to admire the handiwork of a man carving animal topiaries in his lawn, a condo unit with the best pavement for hopscotch and me to take a rest on a broke-down 1980’s dining room chair. Again maybe not the best poses in a dress.
We turned onto Colorado, staring up at the hill that would take us finally into Pasadena, a steep climb up and thankfully the wind picked up giving us the cool motivation we needed. We cheered as we reached the sign proclaiming the Pasadena City Limit and continued on to the bridge which was more beautiful in person, or maybe that was just the euphoria of feeling close to the end. Some of us were so happy that they even tried a cartwheel for the very first time.
We passed the Norton Simon where I have never been, passed the throngs of people who were out holiday shopping in old town who were definitely not moving fast enough for us. We had to make it to our last stop. Lucky Baldwin's which marked the end point for our trip.
9.7 miles in 5 hours and 40 minutes. An amazing tour of the city I love, places I had never been
And true to the name of the restaurant, we were lucky to have a friend meet us at our end point, and we all piled into her pathfinder, 8 of us giggling like high school kids packed in like sardines. Talking about the next time we are walking. This time to Venice.
P.S. read oranges and avacados post about this walk and it was featured in the eastsider. how awesome.
We tried once on a fall day a year or so back, but our mission was thwarted by the bottomless bloody mary’s at the Bowery. As so many missions are.
I was thankful for our first stop which came so much quicker than I imagined. If you think about walking from Sunset and Alvarado to the Red Lion it doesn’t seem like something you want to do, but it only took an hour-ish.
Pit stop 1-The Red Lion
It was brief, since we got there so quickly and we were determined to move on. We cheersed our great timing drank up and moved out.
We continued from Glendale blvd to Fletcher took time to take in the LA river a little swollen from the rain.
Pit stop 2- Foster’s freezeWhile there, waiting for a chicken sandwich and some cones, we could have had our Stand by Me moment. Hundreds and hundreds of seagulls circling a half a mile up, but out of our way. We deduced it was a dead hooker in the alley. Some of us wanted to investigate, but we felt that it would take us too far off of our plan and we were doing so good.
A mile later we picked up a minute maid carton outside of a McDonald's that we took turns kicking all the way to Eagle Rock, at times it wouldn’t cooperate, would get caught in the legs of strangers, but we showed it who was boss. It was in tatters when we stopped in for a round of spectator bowling.
Pit stop 3- a pitcher at eagle rock (or is it all star) lanes
Everyone was still excited, we cheersed, we stretched, me showing off my tree pose another warrior one, both in dresses, maybe not the smartest. We ate veggies and dip inside the Chinese restaurant inside the bowling alley and left in search of the Oinkster. I had never been and a co-walker went on and on about its fantasticness. I was hungry, and after 3 hours veggies and dip and beer just weren't cutting it.A wrong/right turn over to Yosemite to shorten up the trip made us miss going to the Oinkster, too far south and east, but gave us a tour of some amazing houses and we stopped to admire the handiwork of a man carving animal topiaries in his lawn, a condo unit with the best pavement for hopscotch and me to take a rest on a broke-down 1980’s dining room chair. Again maybe not the best poses in a dress.
We turned onto Colorado, staring up at the hill that would take us finally into Pasadena, a steep climb up and thankfully the wind picked up giving us the cool motivation we needed. We cheered as we reached the sign proclaiming the Pasadena City Limit and continued on to the bridge which was more beautiful in person, or maybe that was just the euphoria of feeling close to the end. Some of us were so happy that they even tried a cartwheel for the very first time.We passed the Norton Simon where I have never been, passed the throngs of people who were out holiday shopping in old town who were definitely not moving fast enough for us. We had to make it to our last stop. Lucky Baldwin's which marked the end point for our trip.
9.7 miles in 5 hours and 40 minutes. An amazing tour of the city I love, places I had never been
And true to the name of the restaurant, we were lucky to have a friend meet us at our end point, and we all piled into her pathfinder, 8 of us giggling like high school kids packed in like sardines. Talking about the next time we are walking. This time to Venice.
P.S. read oranges and avacados post about this walk and it was featured in the eastsider. how awesome.
Walking in LA is always funny for me. I ALWAYS run into someone I know, either consisting of New Yorkers who are also on-foot, or LA dwellers who pull over in their cars.
ReplyDeleteI never see you walking around L.A., but I will stay on the lookout.
ReplyDelete