Wandering Close to Home
Sunrise from my bedroom window.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes”. – Marcel Proust
Sunrises, sunsets; so glorious. One of the many things I have chased during my wandering in all parts of the world and yet the glory occurs every morning outside my bedroom window, if only I woke up early enough to see.
I have had a fantastic summer, so much to be grateful for and the year is not yet over but I have also enjoyed basking in the beauty so close to home.
The Hammer Museum in the heart of UCLA territory of Westwood. All summer I have been wanting to visit but it wasn’t until one recent Saturday I was able to make my tracks there.
I remembered my last visit, many years ago and the thought-provoking exhibit that I had seen at that time. While I enjoyed the old masters in the Armand Hammer Collection, I enjoyed some of the other exhibits as well including bee sculptures.
I did also want to try out the newly refurbished restaurant that has gotten great reviews but as it turned out they were shutting down for a private event just as I made my way down there. Ah well! this will only give me another opportunity to visit.
I found my imagination captured by this Gangster Gardener exhibit that focuses on revitalizing communities in Los Angeles.
On an enviable seafront location in Malibu stands this beautiful mansion that was once a wedding gift and started out as a summer home only to eventually become a real home to Rhoda and Merritt Adamson.
Built in 1929, the house has beautiful, handcrafted touches and the most gorgeous tiles throughout the house. What I found most fascinating is that everything in that house was locally sourced and crafted including the furniture.
No photography inside the house and the only way to see it is via a docent led tour that is really worth it.
My friend @Achint was my wandering companion on this visit. What a great way to meet friends, exercise a little wanderlust and enjoy a superb lunch in good company.
Fortunately, the outside garden does not have a photography restriction and the ornated fountains have a very Spanish and Moorish (shades of Alhambra) touch.
With the Pacific Ocean swathed in the marine layer that is so much a part of the coast at this time of the year, ghostly images of surfers, and the Malibu Pier played hide and seek as we walked outside.
My friend Jane made a short stopover in Los Angeles on her way to New Zealand with her friend Lisa. I gave them the 5-cent tour of Los Angeles which included this preening sea lion in Marina Del Rey amongst other things.
And then the magic happened. As we drove along the Pacific Coast Highway, the sun broke through the crowds and he beautiful blue vista appeared. We might have been on a tropical island so beautiful was the sight of Santa Monica in the distance and people walking the seashore looking for seashells.
I got my new iPhone 16 and wanted to give it a whirl and work out the kinks and settings on the camera before I headed out on my next big trip. So, I decided to drive along the coast and stop for a fabulous sea food lunch along the way. My friend @malachana was my fellow wanderer on this trip.
As we got to Mugu Rock which is a man-made phenomenon not too far from the naval base the sky was beautifully blue, and the rock stood out. I however decided to walk a little further so I could get a good frame with the rock silhouetted against the water and lo and behold the marine layer decided to drift right over and veil everything. From that point on the cover never lifted and I ended up with grey drifting ghostly pictures in time for a Halloween theme.
The seagulls were pretty friendly and seemed to be gazing at the grey clouds waiting for the sun to break through even as a few intrepid ones lifted off to investigate if there was blue beyond the grey.
Since it was not to be, I decided to save my camera experiment for another day and after enjoying fresh seafood along the coast at Neptune’s Net a popular motorcycle and surfing hangout near the coast we made tracks for home.
I love books and bookstores so one morning I decided to combine my next camera testing experiment with a visit to the Lost Book Store in Montrose, a quaint town nearby.
An old-fashioned toy store, a carpet store, a lot of interesting restaurants. To my delight I found out that the owners are opening a store soon near my neighborhood. Can’t wait to check that one out when it opens.
It was a glorious morning, and my camera took great pictures or so I think as I made my way along this city block enjoying the sunshine and ambiance.
Then it was a visit to the nearby park that has a lake and ducks on it. Not only did I enjoy my walk snapping pictures of ducks and water and people, but I also gave my camera a workout.
A little bit of this and a little bit of that helps to manage the wanderlust while I’m home and dreaming of the next big trip around the blue yonder.