Beaches And Other Places

...Continued from previous post:     

        I left Chicago on Friday, August 26 in the morning and by the early afternoon - Pacific time - I was 2,000 miles away in Los Angeles,

...for a ten-day visit with my L.A. hosts.
         As always, I was greeted by the resident poochie Pinky,

...the resident kitty Yajou,

...and Mrs. Leafy, the so-named backyard resident palm tree.

​         One Sunday morning we​ drove to nearby Hermosa Beach,

     We walked along The Strand, the walking and biking path that runs for 22 miles along the Southern California shoreline.

​     Our destination was  the popular breakfast spot, Good Stuff,

​...part of the appeal of which is that the place serves not only people but dogs as well.
​      While we waited for a seat we watched some beach volleyball.

​        We humans enjoyed our Good Stuff breakfast,

​...as did Pinky, who had the chicken and rice.

       After breakfast we walked back along The Strand,    ​

...to Pier Plaza, an esplanade off The Strand lined with shops and restaurants.

      That afternoon, when asked how I would like to spend the afternoon. I said I'd like to walk around Venice. 
        And so one of my hosts and I drove to Venice Beach. 
    On this beautiful afternoon Venice Beach was crowded with a diversity of walkers,  

​...bikers,

​​...and folks involved in other activities on and off the beach.

​​    The stores and vendors along the Venice Strand seemed more garish than I had recalled from past visits.

​​      "Do you have the feeling of being in some kind of dystopia?" my daughter asked me.
       I told her that indeed I did have that feeling. And yet I had to admit that the place did have a little bit of an Ohio State Fair vibe.

​      But only a little bit.

         ​  The next morning, Monday morning,  it was back to work and school for my host family, and I, for my part, took it upon myself to cook and bake for the family. 

      On Wednesday, having been requested to make more pizza but having run short on pizza-making provisions and being without transportation, I decided to walk to Target, which was two miles away. And so I walked over the hilly terrain, ​

...enjoying the scenery along the way.​

​​...though kind of wishing L.A. would put their utility wires underground.

​​    I was especially charmed by the red and white blooms on some of the palm trees,

​...which the children call the trees' jewelry.

      The following Sunday we went out for brunch at a nearby brunchery called Urth Caffé.

​​     The place was cute as anything,

​​...and crowded as anything,

​​...most likely because the food there is awesome as anything, and the baked goods on display were works of edible art.

...as were the quite lovely cups of coffee.

​​      The outdoor section of the restaurant was a pet-friendly place, so since we'd brought Pinky with us that's where we sat.

        A couple of us had the delicious veggie omelette,

...and ​though  I resisted the pastries this time, I promised myself that someday I would return to Urth Caffé and snag myself one.  
​      That was the last day of my travels, which began on August 18 with our trip to St. Louis, from where I continued - after a brief necessary stop at home in Columbus - on to Chicago, and ended with this visit to Los Angeles.
       And so very early the next morning, Monday, September 6, after saying my good-byes, I Ubered back to the L.A. airport,

​...to return home.