quintessential quotes-travel

“Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.”

– Mohammed

Image of the Santa Monica Mountains-Leo Carrilo State Park

Day Trippin-The Inspiring Watts Towers

Nuestro Pueblo (Our Town), The Watts Towers by Sam Rodia.

Construction Worker by day and Artist by night!

Ever since I saw the Watts Towers on a lecture slide in my undergraduate Art Survey class, they haunted me. They seemed so mysterious. Was it a sacred site in an urban jungle, I wondered what was Simon Rodia, the artists inspiration and how could he spend thirty four years of life on this colossal Sculpture. It kind of blows me away, his clarity of vision and his mastery of persistence.

Also, Simon was totally ahead of his time as the Watts Towers are completely Up Cycled. The Watts Towers are created from bottles and odds and ends. Rodia transformed others peoples "garbage" into ART. Maybe that is why he called in Nuestro Pueblo, Our Town, the sculptures were really bits and pieces from and of every one in the community. His work was essentially community ART reach. It is also curious, how when the Watts Towers were finished, he gave his ART and his land away.

The Watts Towers our a short trip only around 13 miles from Downtown LA. The neighborhood is unserved and at times could be a little sketchy. It reminded me of parts of Oakland or Richmond, it is really not that bad.

Next to the towers there is quaint little community Art Center. It was cute on the day we went they were having a piano recital. We got to see several community youth nervously play. It was wonderful to feel the pulse of the community.Also,the gallery had some great art exhibiting.

Simon Rodia had a big dream and he made it happen! Get inspired by the Watts Towers, it is definitely worth the trip!

Simon Rodia Watts Towers on Google Maps

quintessential quotes-travel

"The best and most beautiful things in the world

cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." -Helen Keller

Snow Monkeys (JAPANESE MACAQUE),Yudanaka, Japan 2009

Check out where the snow monkeys spa! Live Cam

"What is the best thing on the menu?"

What is the best thing on your menu? This is a Donism.

Since, I met Don eleven years ago, every time we go to a restaurant he always asks this question to our waiter/waitress:"What is the best thing on the menu?" or "What is your signature dish?" or "What is your favorite thing on the menu?"

This inquiry works magic as I have seen that 9 times out of 10, he gets a really tasty meal. I found that this strategy is really useful. Also, you connect with your waiter/ress and you usually get the best food in the house! Try it, next time you sit down in a restaurant. Instead of hemming and hawing about what to choose, ask some good advice from the wait staff who are "in the know."

Speaking of "What is the best thing on the menu?", a couple of weeks ago when I arrived back in LA from my SF intense Take5:ARTbreak Day marketing meetings, we stopped at the Wilshire Restaurant in Santa Monica for some nosh.The restaurant was booked, so we ate in the lounge area. I, with my paint splotched,brown hoody on, clicked my Keen's and said I am not in San Francisco anymore. The scene was so stereotypically LA. Girls in really, really short skirts with stilettos and boys talking about how many flat screens they had. It really was good people watching though and kind of a culture shock. But we asked our waitress, "what was the best thing on the menu?" and she suggested the sweet English pea soup.

It was the best pea soup I have ever tasted!!!

We will go back to the Wilshire Restaurant; the food is really good and the ambiance is awesome. And we did spot a cool fireplace in the dinning area, amongst all the bling.

The Big Boy image is from our weekend journey camping to Joshua Tree (that is another post). On our way we had to stop for some food and Big Boy brought back nostalgia from my days of growing up in Wisconsin. Don, as always, asked our waitress "what is the best thing on the menu?" and par for the course, he happily devoured the "Big Boy" hamburger.

quintessential quotes-travel

“Half the fun of the travel is the aesthetic of lostness.”

– Ray Bradbury

The Loot! CSA's in SoCal

Food for thought-thought for food!

We finally committed to joining the Slow Food Movement and to receiving our first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box filled with some delectable and edible loot!! This week we tried the CSA from the South Central Farmers in Los Angeles. I was kind of bummed to findout that the farm in South Central was closed down and now the Farmers have to travel two hours to Bakersfield to toil their crops. The closure of the farm was a really bad government decision and was really bad for the whole community. Having a farm in the urban jungle was idyllic and healing for all. I am sure it is missed.

Here is a documentary about the South Central Farm. For fourteen years the farm thrived.

What is a CSA?

Local Harvest is an amazing national resource for CSA's and you find one in your local community. Here is what they have to say.

Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

Getting fresh and seasonal vegies and fruits is really a win, win situation for consumers, farmers, and the environment!

Today we had to pick up our South Central Farmers produce box at a residential house in Santa Monica. Like most CSA's they will not deliver it unless you have fifteen neighbors, who want to participate. So, they provide pre-existing pick up and drop off locations. We arrived at the house and no one was in site. We rang the doorbell and then saw that it was self service. The box was very light and we opened it up it was so beautiful. Yummy! The array we received was awesome! Don and I each had an orange and that was delicious. Now I have to get creative with my cooking.

Anyone know a good recipe for Fava beans? I will keep you posted on what I create from these amazing vegies. Intuitively cooking seasonal "slow" food is good for your body, soul, and your pocket book.

If this has made you epicurious, remember you can find a CSA in your neighborhood at the Local Harvest.

Thanksgiving and Gratitude!

quintessential quotes-travel

Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.
Joseph Campbell

Photo from an amazing campsite in Big Sur, Kirk Creek Camp Ground.

Love this place!

Camp Kirk Creek,Big Sur on Google Maps.