My transcontinental flight took me from NYC to California.
I used American Airlines, but I will not recommend them. The plane was not clean, the unreliable airline is notorious for delays, and its staff is not very friendly.
My flights on Asian and European airlines were all better. But it was fun to soar over the peaks of the Rocky Mountains as I crossed the Continental Divide.
Disembarking at Los Angeles International Airport is like a typical American experience: a poorly-lit airport that oddly ignored the use of skylights and resembled a shopping mall, surrounded by a maze of roads, on-ramps, and off-ramps that were jammed with traffic. Like nearly all American cities, the airport is perplexingly not connected to the city by rail; there is no train station or subway. 15 minutes is required to ride a shuttle to the nearest Metro station. Even then, riders must transfer at another station because there is no direct route to downtown LA. Maybe the abbreviation for the airport is LAX because they're lax about efficiency.
The City of Beverly Hills greeted me with glorious weather!
I noticed signs (literally) of CA's famous anti-pollution.
My ride-share driver from the airport was an immigrant from the highlands of Poland.
He thought it was funny that the USA--which never had a monarchy--had a road named Imperial Highway along the Los Angeles International Airport. That was unusual. You might think that it harkens to when the Empire of Spain had colonies on the West Coast of the Americas...
...but it doesn't. In truth, the route was named for Imperial Valley, where it began. To lure homeowners, a development company gave the land a flashy name in 1900 (an era when several empires still existed). I responded to the man by saying that I lived in Queens County, NYC (adjacent to Kings County), and my boyfriend worked near Prince Street in SoHo, Manhattan. We laughed. (Both of those NYC counties were named for the monarchs of England in 1683: King Charles II and Queen Catherine).
Actually, the City of Los Angeles (a.k.a. LA) has an imperial beginning. In 1542, Spanish conquistadors invaded California. In 1769, they took LA from Native American tribes and claimed it as an overseas property of the Spanish Empire. *To see the amazing trip that Lewis and I took to Spain, please use this link:
Los Angeles was established in 1781. Its name means "The Angels", and that blended with Spain's subversive invasion via Catholic missionaries who converted (or killed) natives and enslaved many of them. Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821, and it operated California and made LA the regional capital. Americans battled/invaded/took it in 1847 (after they annexed Texas in 1845). LA is now the second-largest city in the USA, after NYC. Los Angeles County contains the global mecca of (corporate-sponsored) film, television, and music entertainment. Amidst the county's hilly terrain is Beverly Hills.
Checking in at the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills was fun. I was assisted by a lovely South African woman with a British accent (her country is part of the Commonwealth of Nations that is headed by Queen Elizabeth). The bronze Front Desk and "lobby art" seemed modern, yet it blended with the hotel's 1960's-era décor.
Duck rillettes and duck pastrami for my appetizer (above), and then an organic hen atop baby veggies and puréed potatoes.
Last was a plate of fresh-baked cookies (pre-ordered)!
With a king-size bed, my room was on the 4th floor, in a new tower of the hotel, just across the "parking valet driveway".
At dusk, the pool area gets lit up for Cocktails, Dinner crowds, and Late-Night rendezvous. Lots of folks drive there for the ambiance, even though they're not staying at the hotel.
Nightly, I chatted with Lewis via FaceTime.
The next morning, I went for a run and then read some of my latest book by the quiet pool.
Everyone knows the mansions that make the city famous, but I enjoyed spotting cozier homes tucked in between that still give a distinctly California flair:
Back at the hotel, I sipped cocktails at the bustling bar and ate dinner in the swank dining room.
While a bellman brought my suitcase and bag up to my room, I lunched by the pool, which is set up with "cabana rooms".
Duck rillettes and duck pastrami for my appetizer (above), and then an organic hen atop baby veggies and puréed potatoes.
Last was a plate of fresh-baked cookies (pre-ordered)!
Thankfully, treadmills and elliptical machines were available to burn off any calories.
After lunch, I rendezvoused with my luggage.
With a king-size bed, my room was on the 4th floor, in a new tower of the hotel, just across the "parking valet driveway".
At dusk, the pool area gets lit up for Cocktails, Dinner crowds, and Late-Night rendezvous. Lots of folks drive there for the ambiance, even though they're not staying at the hotel.
Nightly, I chatted with Lewis via FaceTime.
The next morning, I went for a run and then read some of my latest book by the quiet pool.
Everyone knows the mansions that make the city famous, but I enjoyed spotting cozier homes tucked in between that still give a distinctly California flair:
Of note are the cement lampposts!
At night, the landscaping lighting is serene in the area...
Back at the hotel, I sipped cocktails at the bustling bar and ate dinner in the swank dining room.
Now, it's off to bed to recharge for some shopping/dining!
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