Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Los Angeles

Los Angeles – Amtrak Train to Tucson

[I originally posted this in July 2018 about a trip in January 2018, but I’ve reposted it to fix the broken image links]

My initial plan for this trip was to explore the United States for a month, being reliant on Amtrak to transport me around. I intended on going to around eight cities and would spend a couple of days in each of them. That partly happened, although there were some problems with closed routes.

So, I settled on going from Los Angeles to Tucson, from Tucson to El Paso, from El Paso to San Antonio and then flying from San Antonio to New Orleans. I then had another series of cities after that to visit, but I used plane and bus to get to them. This masterful plan was dented when Amtrak mailed me two weeks before my trip to tell me the train from El Paso to San Antonio was cancelled and they were providing no alternatives. Fortunately, Greyhound buses filled in the gap….

So, the first part of my journey was from Union Station in Los Angeles, California to Tucson Station in Arizona.

I’d been to Union Station on numerous previous occasions and taken many photographs. So this time, I limited myself to just taking a photograph of the tower since it was a warm and pleasant evening.

The departures screen in the main departures hall.

On my previous Amtrak trips I’ve just waited in the departures hall until the train is called. I felt that something seemed different about this trip though, and so I went to the customer services desk to ask if there was anything else that I needed to do. It turned out that this was a good decision of mine.

The man at the customer services desk was particularly helpful and explained that I needed to go and queue up to get a ticket. Instead of giving me directions, he decided to close the desk and escort me to where I needed to be, another helpful touch.

I then spent around thirty minutes in a queue to get a ticket, but that meant I could choose whether I got a window or aisle seat. The Americans (or at least they all seemed American) in the queue was conversational which made for a more entertaining wait. I went for a window seat so that I could look out of the window at California and Arizona, although I forgot it got dark at night and this was primarily a night train….

This was my view for most of the journey…. (not the same hill obviously, but different ones).

Around twenty minutes before departure time there was a call for passengers, so I went to wait on the platform. I hope Dylan and Leon get to see these trains soon, as they are large and slightly clunky, but I think they’re rather beautiful.

Moving the train towards the end of the track is apparently a more complex procedure than it might at first appear.

Ready to board. It looks a bit of a crowd, but the boarding was organised so that individuals could wait outside their carriage. A staff member then welcomed us individually and guided us towards our seat.

It’s hard to give an indication of seat size, but the leg space is substantial and far in excess of that I’ve experienced in any other country. Even if the person in front reclines, it makes absolutely no difference to the comfort of the person behind them.

When I was in the departures hall at Union Station a young guy came up to me and asked if he could borrow my charger. The railway station has a reputation for hawkers and people begging, and I was a little suspicious. I told him that I didn’t have the right adaptor for the plugs there, but I could charge it on my laptop, which I did. This didn’t seem risky as I currently had his phone and he had nothing of mine. All was well, he thanked me and that was that.

Anyway, it transpired that I was seated next to him on the train, which seemed rather a coincidence (the seating was allocated, so he didn’t just sit there). He was a pleasant and helpful guy, and he asked again on the train if I could charge his phone. Which I did, and that’s what is in the photo above.

The guy gave me a can of Pepsi for my help, and so I then agreed to charge his e-cigarette thing. Which promptly leaked. But he was happy 🙂

Getting nearer to Tucson in the early morning.

The train didn’t go that quickly if I’m being honest, but it was relaxing and comfortable. There were cabins on board for those who wanted them, although they’ve quite a bit more money.

Safely arrived in Tucson. The ticket cost around £28 and I thought that this was perfectly good value for money. I was slightly disappointed that there was no wi-fi on the train, but I understand that they’re actively trying to work on this across the network.

Overall, this was a very acceptable way of being transported from one city to another. The train was quiet on boards, there were plenty of toilets and numerous guards were available for any passenger who needed help. I was marginally disappointed I couldn’t get the train from Tucson to El Paso as it had been cancelled, but we arrived into Tucson on time. One final thing, I like that the guards go down the train waking any customer up who is still asleep before their stop, it’s a reassuring service….

August 13, 2025
Los Angeles – McDonald’s (Pasadena)

[I originally posted this in July 2018 about a visit in January 2018 and I’ve reposted it to fix the broken image links]

The photo above isn’t mine, I took it from Google Maps. This McDonald’s intrigued me though as it the first walk-thru outlet of theirs that I’ve been to. That is they have a drive-thru counter and also a walk-thru counter where customers have to order outside. There are no inside counters at all, which struck me as novel.

The actual reason I went in McDonald’s wasn’t to get food, it was to escape the rain. Pasadena decided to flood when I visited and I had another fifteen minutes walk to get to the hotel.

Although all of the orders were taken outside, there was a relatively small inside dining area.

There’s the sum total of my purchases, a 99 cent unlimited soft drinks cup. Bargain. I stayed quite a while but the rain didn’t really dissipate.

August 13, 2025
Los Angeles – Stout Burgers and Beers (Santa Monica)

[I originally posted this in July 2018 about a visit in January 2018, but I reposted it to fix the broken image links]

This combination of a beer and burger microbrewery sounded intriguing, and since it was too hot in the sun of Santa Monica, it seemed a rather good idea. Stout have five restaurants throughout the country, of which three are in the wider Los Angeles area.

Feeling rather brave, I also decided to dine outside in what felt a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere. The interior was though quite minimalist, with lots of brick and wood being visible.

The extensive drinks menu which was well balanced between the different types of beer.

There was a choice of six different stouts and I’d have been disappointed with anything less given the restaurant’s name. This is the Vanilla Cash stout, with tastes of vanilla and coffee. It’s a nitro beer, so it has a smooth texture and a beautifully smooth flavour. The taste of vanilla lingered and it complemented the burger well.

The Mr. America burger, with aged cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red onion and relish. The burger was served well done but it was still juicy and full of flavour.

Overall, this was a relatively expensive dining option, but the service was friendly, efficient and personable. The quality of the food was high and I liked how the menu gave pairing suggestions between the burgers and the beer that was available.

August 13, 2025
Los Angeles – Blaze Pizza (Pasadena)

[I originally posted this in July 2018 about a visit in January 2018, I’ve reposted it to fix some broken image links]

Just after I arrived in Pasadena it started to rain. The roads started flooding with the quantity of rain, so it seemed that an early lunch would be a rather good idea. This pizza restaurant, which is part of a national chain, seemed well reviewed and was on the way to my hotel. This restaurant is their outlet on East Colorado Boulevard, which is also on the historic route 66.

Firstly, the service was quite ridiculous insomuch as it was near perfect. There’s often talk from restaurants in the UK how they want their staff to engage with customers, to build up a rapport, to be conversational and welcoming. It rarely happens. Here, they had it down to a fine art.

I took a leaflet by the door to get an understanding of the different pizza options available. The process is similar to Subway, that you walk down a line and select the pizza and other items that you want, before paying at the end. I mentioned to the first staff member that it was my first visit, and she proceeded to offer a comprehensive introduction to how the process worked.

Then, after she had introduced herself and the concept, she then introduced me to the other staff members along the line. She was conversational and friendly, it is hard to imagine a friendlier introduction to a restaurant, but it never felt over the top or forced.

There’s an open and slightly industrial feel to the whole restaurant, which soon got much busier. The pizzas are cooked in just a few minutes and customers go and collect them from the counter.

Unlimited Dr. Pepper, a side salad and a pizza, all of which were at the temperature I expected, were neatly presented and tasted of an excellent quality. The pizza base was thin and crispy, the toppings were evenly spread and there was a depth of taste to both the pizza and the salad.

I think that covers most eventualities.

This was my first visit to a Blaze Pizza outlet and I discovered later on that Pasadena was the home of the chain, which might explain the near perfect customer service. It’s a shame that I don’t live closer (it’s hard to justify popping over to Pasadena for lunch) as I’d have this as my go to fast service restaurant….

August 13, 2025
San Juan Capistrano – Morning Walk

From mid-May 2019, these are the photos from my little morning walk along the seafront at Capistrano Beach. Capo Beach was badly damaged by the weather last year and so there are some construction works afoot to try and fix it, with evidence of the half disappeared basketball court in the below photos.

There are some photos of the damage at http://www.meetsanclemente.com/south-orange-countys-beaches-are-rapidly-disappearing/.

May 24, 2019
Los Angeles – Laguna Art Museum (The Cook Book by Ruth Peabody)

Painted by Ruth Peabody in 1925, this painting is apparently showing a pensive looking women planning what meal to cook. Peabody gave the painting to Laguna Art Museum in 1966 and I liked the pose and look of the woman in the artwork. Although, as ever, I’m confused as to why the items on the table are painted in what I consider a clunky way which is out of perspective, but I’m sure it’s very artistic indeed.

May 24, 2019
Los Angeles – Laguna Art Museum (Dorothy’s Dream by Jerry Burchfield and Mark Chamberlain)

This is a quirky piece of artwork and one which I thought was actually quite thought provoking. It relates to the 1980 Canyon Project in Laguna Beach and the artists wanted to show that the area was important environmentally. So the artists collected a load of trash from along the road and they then arranged it on light-sensitive paper. It’s apparently a Cibachrome photograph, although that’s not something I’ve ever heard of.

Sadly the artists have both died now, Jerry Burchfield in 2009 and Mark Chamberlain in 2018, but the artwork feels modern and contemporary even though it dates to 1988. Dominating the section of the gallery that it’s located in, the artwork is fifteen feet wide and five feet high and is split into seven sections.

May 24, 2019
Los Angeles – Laguna Art Museum (Los Angeles City Hall by Paul Lauritz)

Paul Lauritz was a Norwegian painter who ended up in California, with his desert paintings apparently being his strong-point. After trying to find money in gold prospecting, he opened an art studio in Los Angeles in 1919. This painting of Los Angeles City Hall was painted in 1930, just two years after it was completed. This is also the building which has been on the badge of Los Angeles police officers since 1940.

May 24, 2019
Los Angeles – Laguna Art Museum (Tangerine by David Simpson)

“Simpson began experimenting with interference paints, soon becoming fascinated with the mercurial characteristics of the medium. Interference paints, which have only six pigment variations containing micro-particles covered with titanium oxide, reflect and refract light, giving rise to nuances of color and optical illusions of depth.”

I’ve pinched this text from Wikipedia and it was written about David Simpson, who created this artwork in 2018. I have to say, it was in my very inartistic opinion, the most abstract artwork the museum had on display. The viewer is meant to look at the various tones of what looks to me like nearly the same colour. But, each to their own, I’m sure it’s a masterpiece to some people.

I’ve come to the conclusion though when the information panel by a painting manages to describe solely how the painting was created and doesn’t mention any meaning or relevance that it might have that there’s one obvious conclusion which can perhaps be drawn. And that’s the art gallery hasn’t got any clue what it is either. But perhaps art isn’t meant to mean anything.

May 9, 2019
Los Angeles – Laguna Art Museum (Therapy by Dan McCleary)

Dan McCleary is a Californian artist and he has been spending some time trying to promote art to communities in Los Angeles. This oil painting seemed to have some clarity, and the information panel noted that “this seems to highlight the sometimes absurd complications in one human being’s attempts to understand another.”

McCleary, who was born in 1952 and is still painting, has the honour of having an artwork in The Met in New York, which I consider to be the best gallery in the United States. It’s called McDonald’s Number 1, but The Met has decided not to put it on display. That would irritate me if I’m being honest, if such a great gallery had a work of mine and then they left it out the back….

Anyway, I know nearly nothing about art, but I like the style of this artist’s paintings.

May 9, 2019