'Hood #45: San Pedro for Giant Rubber Duckie and Pi-Rat

I've been a slacker on seeing LA 'hoods, but today I went to the Tall Ships Festival in San Pedro—something I'd NEVER have done if I wasn't trying to see all the neighborhoods. I'm not necessarily into "tall ships," but I heard about it because the world's largest rubber duck would be making an appearance.

I went with my friend Shelly who knows San Pedro well, and she showed me around the town.  San Pedro is the southmost 'hood in LA, and home to the Port of Los Angeles.

The highlights for the festival:

World's largest rubber duck...the whole reason I came...that's the Vincent St. Thomas Bridge behind the duck. 

The USS Idaho... we didn't get to tour this but we did get to see another ship. Cool! 

As part of the fun duck theme... I learned a cargo ship of 29,000 rubber ducks overturned in 1992...since then, those ducks have washed up all over the world!

A pirate holding a Pi-rat!

'Hood #44: Koreatown for POT, a Roy Choi restaurant

Today I visited the neighborhood of Koreatown to have lunch at a new Roy Choi restaurant called POT (complete with marijuana dispensary-inspired logo). Although perhaps not so appropriately I brought Kara, the 13-year old daughter of a friend to a place where the menu has a picture of an old lady smoking a blunt.  Ah well, we ended up at POT because she had a hankering for a noodle joint. (Haha...I said joint.) And at least there weren't any brownies on the menu. In my defense, "pot" really refers to the fact that most of the food comes in a big pot meant to be shared.

We were originally aiming for Ma Dang Gook Soo, which got good reviews on Yelp. When we got there, however, it was perhaps a bit TOO authentic...people jammed at tables into a small room with a Korean woman yelling at us to look at the menu outside, which was sparse on the English. So... we moved on.

POT noodle of the day: a vegetarian spicy noodle, delicious!

POT is straight-up Korean food, located in the chic Line hotel on Wilshire Boulevard. They have a "noodle of the day" which was only $11—a bargain considering this is a Roy Choi place (the chef famous for starting the food truck movement and technical advisor on the movie, Chef).  I loved that you got faded, grandma-ish bibs to wear and there was a full roll of paper towels on the table to use as napkins. Lunch came with a bowl of slightly spicy bean sprouts and a weak, iced tea that reminded me of accidentally drinking water that someone had put a cigarette out in, but it kind of grew on me.  

I've never had Korean noodles—they were pretty darned good. Sweet, with a kick. These came with some kind of sweet radishy thing, mushrooms, edamame, green beans and kimchee.

Another highlight: along with your check, you get an awesome trading card (apparently there are several versions... come back to collect all!)

'Hoods #40-41—the Hub of LA's African American Culture in Leimert Park/Arlington Park

I first heard of Leimert Park when talking with a young woman who several years ago moved to LA, living in Manhattan Beach and a couple other beach cities until finally she asked a friend, "Where are all the black people?" That's when she found out about Leimert Park, the neighborhood I visited today (and where she now lives), which is a middle-class 'hood considered the hub of African-American culture in LA.... also known as "the Black Greenwich Village."

(BTW, I'm rolling Arlington Park into this because it's just a tiny, tiny strip on the east of Leimert Park, which itself is only 1.9 square miles total. I have no idea why the map I'm working from separates them into two 'hoods because nobody else - including Google - seems to.)

I went for the Festival of Ancestors and African Mask Parade along with my friend Jenifer. It was every bit as small town, community-oriented, hokey as I'd hoped: families, art in the park, street artists, drumming, singing, etc.  

Being there, I learned Sundays are a big day in Leimert Park—even though many of the restaurants are closed, apparently there's jazz and food in the park and later in the bars; things were just getting hopping as we were leaving at 5:00.

I'd planned to eat lunch at a local restaurant, but before we found one that was open, we found this guy in the park making amazing Jamaican grilled salmon, veggies and rice—we must've looked pretty happy eating it because more than one person came up to ask where we got our food.

A highlight: a city lot with parking all day for $2.50... for all day!!!  You don't get bargain parking like that too many other places in LA. Oh, and having grown up in the Detroit area where cruising Woodward Avenue was the happening thing, I was amused by these signs we saw around the neighborhood:

Also, KCET recently aired an interesting video on the gentrification of Leimert Park.

'Hood #39: Mar Vista & a Goodbye

For my 39th LA neighborhood, I went to Mar Vista—specifically, to Pepy's Galley diner, which, after more than 50 years, is going to close on June 30.  The reason: it's part of the Mar Vista Bowl bowling alley that's been bought out by BowlmorAMF, which will boot out this genuinely retro diner so they can remodel and open a—ready for it?— faux retro diner.

Anyway, I read about it in the local paper, and I wanted to go there and show my support in their final days. I'm not a regular customer—in fact, I've never been—but they're not being closed due to lack of business but, rather, in the name of "progress." Now, I understand the new owners have a right to remodel, and that it wasn't feasible to remodel the bowling alley and not the diner, but it's still a big bummer.  I can't help but feel sorry for the diner's owner, 74-year old Joseph "Pepy" Gonzalez (who greeted my friend MJ and me as we arrived), as well as sad that another faceless corporate business is taking over a mom & pop shop.

The place was packed on a Friday at lunchtime, and the prices, for the record, were cheap.  I got a huge turkey melt and fries for $6.95 and took half of it home.

As for Mar Vista, I was already familiar with the 'hood, as it's located between Palms (where I live) and Venice and is close enough that it was about a 30-minute bike ride each way.

'Hood #38: Griffith Park... for More of an Encounter With Nature Than I Was Counting On

I signed up for Meetup.com quite a while back, and today I went for my first meet up: a hike in Griffith Park (the largest urban park in the nation, home to the LA Zoo, and also neighborhood #38 on my list). I was actually surprised to see that Griffith Park is considered a 'hood vs. just a park.

Other than the zoo, I've never spent any time in Griffith Park—and even that's been about 15 years.  I got there a bit early so I decided to go see the Merry Go Round (which opened in the 1930s and according to my  hiking guide later, is rumored to have inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland).  I didn't have any money on me so could only watch vs. ride.  It seems like it could use a bit of "freshening" (couldn't we all?) but that also kind of added to the charm.

Then I met up with the group, about 20 or so people.  I know there are people out there who are natural minglers—I'm not one of them.  Still, as we set out for a 2-hour hike,  I would have felt weirder not chatting with people, so I trotted out the standard variations on "come here often?" and had some nice conversations along the way.


Some of the route was less then scenic (a long strip adjacent to the 134 Freeway interchange), but other parts were breezy, tree-lined and perfectly lovely.  It was mostly flat but the sections of uphill were enough to get my decrepit old heart pumping.  It's my understanding from the other hikers that there are hikes far more naturey at the park—but those fall into a more difficult range.  This was just fine for me.

Just as we were nearly back at the cars, something totally bit me in the ass! (OK, upper, upper thigh). Or, I'm guessing, stung me.  I'm putting my money on a bee sting.  All dignity went out the window as I jammed my hands down my pants, fishing around to remove whatever had done the damage. It hurt like crazy, and now as I sit here back home, I'm icing it.

Well, I wanted to find nature...but I guess it also found me.

Oh, and I keep saying this, but it keeps being true: I wouldn't have done this hike if it hadn't been for my challenge to visit all of LA's neighborhoods. I'd have been too lazy to make the drive and would have opted for something closer to home, but it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon (minus the sting).

'Hood #35: Venice-a-Palooza

Even though I just went to Venice Beach the other day to ride my bike along the bike path, I didn't count it because I wanted to experience the neighborhood in a different way.  So today I met my friend Kirsten for lunch on Abbot Kinney (a hip, artsy street) and then we set out to walk the canals for which the 'hood is named.

Venice, btw, is a straight shot down Venice Blvd. from where I live.  Of course, this was Venice so parking was a nightmare, but all part of the adventure.

First: lunch. We went to Lemonade, which is  a cool, healthy cafeteria on Abbot Kinney Blvd.  Oddly enough, in all my years in LA, I've never done Abbot Kinney, nor have I walked the canals (at least that I remember).  Anyway, Lemonade has a long line-up of really lovely salads to choose from: I selected two that were delicious (a lentil/feta salad & a snow pea/corn one), but turned out to be so different in flavor that I pretty much needed a palate cleanser between bites.  

Then on to the canals, just a short walk away.  For some reason, I'd pictured the canals to look like the LA river—as in a trickle of water down a concrete riverway.  These were, well, canals, banked by dirt and flanked with gorgeous homes, all nicely landscaped.  

Loved these lanterns hanging from an old tree

We wound are way around for an hour or so enjoying the sunny afternoon, the cool breeze and lookie-looing the homes.  I can't believe for all the times I've been to Venice Beach, I've never done this before.  

I'd definitely do it again!

****Update**** No sooner do I post this blog than I get an email from a friend who—having no idea I just went there today—asked if I'd go with her on a walking tour on the history of the Venice Canals coming up in June.  So I guess I WILL definitely do it again! 

'Hood #33: LA Times Festival of Books in University Park (USC)

Even though LA has a rep as being comprised of mostly uncultured beach bimbos, one weekend a year we show off our intellectual side with a huge book festival, held at USC (which is in the neighborhood of University Park).

Getting to USC is an easy trip on the Metro Expo Line, which is what I took to get there today.

As luck would have it, the event opens with a few numbers by the Trojan Marching Band which got me into that bookish collegiate spirit.

I'd bought tickets for several panels and interviews.  The first was with four authors writing women's fiction, three of whom I've read: Gigi Levangie (Starter Wife), Jane Green (Jemima J, Beach House), Lian Dolan (Helen of Pasadena) and Lacy Crawford (Early Decision).  It was like watching a bunch of my girlfriends sitting on a stage gabbing about this & that. Entertaining.

The next session was a "conversation" with Barbara Ehrenreich, who was talking about her new book Living with a Wild God.  She pulled in a crowd.  I know her from her nonfiction book Nickel & Dimed in which she spent a year living on minimum wage.  Smart, funny lady.

I blew off the rest of the sessions (so much for my intellectual side) and instead met up with a couple friends for lunch at the Moreton Fig, a cafe on campus named for the incredibly gorgeous giant fig tree whose fruit pelted customers throughout the afternoon.

'Hood #32: Westlake for the Grilled Cheese Invitational

Kraft slices chaps & string cheese bullets

Today was all about cheese & bread at the Grilled Cheese Invitational, a quirky festival held in Westlake (just west of downtown LA) that includes cheese calling, a costume contest, the Mayor of Cheese & just general goofiness.  The event actually started as a group of friends competing at a backyard bbq to see who had the best grilled cheese and grew to become a cheese lovers paradise.

I went two years ago as a contestant (I entered with a sandwich of goat cheese, provolone, basil, strawberries and pepper jelly on sourdough, but didn't win). This year, I bought a judging ticket, which was a much more relaxing (and fattening!) way to enjoy the day.

It's sort of luck of the draw which sammiches you get to rate as a non-professional judge—luckily my friend MJ had a gift for charming the servers into giving us the ones that looked really good.


Our favorites:

The Crust Lord with nut bread, some amazing cheese, caramelized shallots & lemon

Banana split cheddar grilled cheese, fresh whipped cream with maple sauce

Yeah, people get creative with names - this one had a mild cheese & pesto ... my 2nd  fave behind Crust Lord

I also liked some gooey cheesy mess called the Famous Queso Dip Grilled Cheese that involved pepper jack cheese, Velveeta-Rotel Dip Cheese Slabs and Dijon-Mayo Butter on crusty bread—seemed like it would rule at a Superbowl party.

The dud:  (sorry): something involving (we think) apple butter and ricotta.

The only other time I went to this festival was at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and it was hot & felt like a suburban event - with this being so close to downtown LA, it felt far more funky. Super nice crowd.  Small town even though we were in a big city.

BTW, Westlake as a neighborhood is probably most famous for MacArthur Park, which is melting in the dark, all the sweet green icing flowing down...no really, MacArthur Park is a real park which has a bit of a dodgy history, but according to what I read online, the neighborhood is in an upswing (as is much of downtown LA).

'Hood #31: Brentwood - The Getty & a Jackson Pollock

I haven't been to The Getty in years, even though it's only a 10-minute shot up the 405 Freeway from where I live.  When I heard they had a special exhibition all about how they restored an iconic Jackson Pollock painting, I decided it was time to finally go there—and while I was at it, check the neighborhood of Brentwood off my list.

(Brentwood, btw, is an affluent, celebrity-infested neighborhood on the Westside of LA.)

My Aunt Marcy joined me, and we timed our visit for a guided tour of the exhibition at 1:30.  Before doing so, however, we perused the museum's permanent collection (which, as a side note, I learned has no modern art in it because J. Paul Getty was not a fan).

Then on to see the Jackson Pollock painting Mural.  The docent explained that this painting, commissioned by Peggy Guggenheim in 1943, made Pollock an overnight sensation. While the legend is that he painted it in one night in a flurry of creative inspiration, xrays done of the painting during conservation efforts showed it had to have taken months.

Mural belongs to University of Iowa, which—in an effort to protect the painting because it was starting to flake—applied a layer of varnish.  While it seemed like a good idea at the time, over the years it dulled the painting.  

I love hearing about stuff like this, and I was probably annoying the docent with all my questions about exactly how did they remove all that pesky varnish?  (The answer:  two years, Q-tips, and gently rolling over it bit by bit with a solvent that was safe for the paint but the restorers had to wear protective gear.)  

The Before & After photos were more fun than the reveal in an episode of  Extreme Makeover.  Sorry I don't have those, but here's the painting (which, btw, is a gigantic 20' x 8'):

The exhibition runs until June 1. Admission to The Getty Center is free; parking is $15.

'Hood #30: Del Rey to See My Pal Tyrone

I did the math and figured out that I'm sightly behind schedule on my challenge to see every neighborhood in Los Angeles this year.  (I should up to 35 by now, and that's not even accounting for times out of town when I won't be able to see any 'hoods.)

That said, I've been in a bit of a slump mood-wise.  It happens, but when it does—perhaps it's my writer's personality—it is my tendency to hunker down and stay in.  My saving grace that the writer in me also hates to miss a deadline... so here I am, doing my best to get out there and stick with the challenge.

Tyrone, always ready for a w-a-l-k

'Hood #30 is mere miles from home in a neighborhood called Del Rey, which is sandwiched between Marina del Rey and Culver City.  It's where my BFF Mary Jo lives, along with the supremely handsome and hilarious Tyrone.  

Sometimes a walk with a dog is just what a gal needs, so that's what I did to experience Del Rey.

An odd thing about this neighborhood:  Mary Jo has been living in her house for more than 10 years, only it used to be in Mar Vista.  Somewhere along the line, borders shifted, and now she's in Del Rey.  (Mar Vista is now to the north).  That's the thing about LA neighborhoods:  Many aren't all that official so shifts like this can happen.  

Anyway, it was a blustery day (but, hey, wind is nothing compared to these earthquakes we've been having lately).  We walked for an hour along Bollona Creek, a nearly 9-mile waterway with a bike path that goes from Culver City-ish to the coastline.  I've biked portions of it before, but this is the first time I've deliberately walked it and (embarrassingly enough) even noticed the creek had a name.  Sometimes I have to marvel at my lack of geographical curiosity.

And there we have it: 30 down, 107 to go... I can do this!

     

Bollona Creek Bike Path in Del Rey, Los Angeles

'Hood #28: Fairfax to See Bill Maher Being Taped

I seem to be on quite the star-studded run here.  Today, I went to a taping of Real Time with Bill Maher, which films at CBS Studios in LA neighborhood of Fairfax and is adjacent to The Grove in mid Los Angeles.  My friend Melinda goes so often that—when I arrived a bit later than the rest of the group—I just dropped her name and was ushered in like a celebrity.

Tonight's guests were Errol Morris (director The Fog of War, The Thin Blue Line), Sheila Bair, Rep. Keith Ellison, Simon Schama and Shane Smith. I wasn't familiar with most of the guests but it was interesting anyway... especially since I don't subscribe to those fancy channels like HBO so it's nothing I could otherwise watch from the comfort of my home.

As a bonus, to add to the star-studdedness, after the show was over, Seth Rogan stopped by to say hello to us and film a brief scene for his upcoming movie The Interview—a short bit of Bill Maher doing a fake monologue.  I (along with everyone else there) played "the audience."  Although we were not actually captured on camera (other than our applause and laughter), I'm sure I'll personally be mentioned in the credits.

'Hoods #26, 27: A Hidden Gem Thrift Shop in Sunland & Top Filming Location in Tujunga

To check two more 'hoods off my list, I headed to the sister cities of Sunland-Tujunga for Sunday dinner at Aunt Marcy's.  (As quaint as that sounds, she's actually three months younger than me...but she can cook up a storm).  In addition to mooching a meal, I felt I needed to "experience" these 'hoods just as I would any others.

Sunland and Tujunga are located north of Burbank/Glendale on the edge of the Angeles National Forest. I lived in Sunland very briefly years ago.  While I'm sure many love the area and call it home, truthfully, there were really only two things I liked about it:  1) having family nearby and, 2) Sun Thrift.

Sun Thrift, located on Foothill Blvd. right off the 210 Freeway, is one of those hidden gems of a thrift store.  In fact, I hesitate to even mention it here for fear if word gets out, it will be swarmed by hipsters.  It's large, cheap and always jam-packed, and the fact that my very cool 19-year-old cousin shops there underscores that among the piles of junk there's some great stuff at bargain basement prices.

We only spent about 20 minutes poking around, but honestly, you could spent hours.  There's row after row of clothes, dishes, furniture and PILES of misc.  Right now I'm in a downsizing mood so didn't buy anything, but I'll definitely be back—especially right before Burning Man when I'll be stocking up on clothes I can use as costumes.  Can't believe I'd forgotten about this place.

On to Tujunga...

To check out the highlight of Tujunga, on the suggestion of my aunt we  stopped at Verdugo Hills High School, which—due to its proximity to Burbank, its 1930s charm and (most likely) its need for studio dollars— has been the location for more movies, TV shows and commercials than any other school in the world.*  Among them: the TV shows  Felicity, Beverly Hills 90210,  Quantum Leap, My So-Called Life; the movies Heathers and 10 Things I Hate About You and many, many more.

The nice thing about this challenge is that I love stuff like this—yet even though I lived minutes from Tujunga at one point, I never bothered to find out anything about it.

Due to it being a weekend the school wasn't open, but I at least got this pic so I can cross-reference it later with any TV shows & movies I might see:

Oh, and for dinner Aunt Marcy cooked up bbq chicken, roasted potatoes and asparagus & cousin Dani made an amazing salad—at least for me making Sunland/Tujunga definitely worth the drive.

*According to the school's website

'Hood #25: Take a Dam Walk in Lake View Terrace & Dam It Was Hot

Today, I started the day by taking a dam walk—a play on words that never gets old between my aunt and me, because it means we walked Hansen Dam in Lake View Terrace.

Lake View Terrace is an LA neighborhood in the northeast San Fernando Valley that is perhaps best known for being the location of the beating of Rodney King by LAPD in 1991.

(Actually, I didn't know that—I just looked it up on Wikipedia.)

It is also home to Hansen Dam, part of a large recreation area and a popular place to walk.

The dam is a nice elevated walk four miles round trip with a view of nearby valleys and mountains.

Even though it's only mid-March, by 1 p.m. when we got to the dam it was a blazing 90-degrees—or dam hot.

Still, thanks to some nice breezes along the way, it was a delightful walk.  Dam nice I'd say!  (I told you that pun never gets old for me.)

'Hood #24: Wilshire Vista for a Famed Cake Shop & Irish Pub

St. Patty's Day is Monday, but I'm all about avoiding the rush, so today I set out to visit Tom Bergin's Irish Pub on Fairfax Ave., one of LA's oldest pubs (since 1936), the first in the US to serve Irish Coffee and rumored to be the inspiration for the TV show Cheers.  Unfortunately, I realized I couldn't count this toward my 'hood challenge because Tom Bergin's is in the Miracle Mile district, which I've already checked off the list.

Hence, the plan was amended to make a stop along the way for a cupcake at Hansen's Cake shop, which is also on Fairfax in the tiny neighborhood of Wilshire Vista.  Oh the sacrifices I make for this 'hood challenge.

Back when I got married in 1990, Hansens was the place to get a wedding cake, and they were often featured in the bridal magazines I read like porn.  Alas, one of their cakes would have (pardon the pun) eaten up too much of my budget, so I went with one from a local bakery.  It was fine, but it was no Hansens.  As a side note, about six months into my marriage, I came home to find my then-husband John eating the cake top that the couple brings home to share on their first anniversary... by himself.  Yeah, that was probably a sign.

Anyway, my friend MJ and I got to the Hansens cake showroom just before it closed. There were dozens of cakes on display and...um, er, ah... I had to wonder if some of them were the same cakes that were on display back in 1990.  Seriously, the cake shop was fairly tired and worn looking, and—while some cakes were pretty—some were downright tacky.  It was, however, fun playing "which cake would you choose if you were to get married again."

The actual bakery was a few doors down, past an erotic cake shop (which, unfortunately, had already closed for the day).  We each had mini cupcakes—I did not choose wisely (it was basically a lemon rock) but MJ enjoyed hers.

After checking Wilshire Vista off my list, we headed a block up the road to Tom Bergin Public House.  Technically it's not worth a mention because it's a different 'hood, but it's a landmark and this is my blog so I'm mentioning it anyway.

Other than being surprisingly small inside, it was everything you'd want & expect from an Irish pub.  Alas, because they had a special St. Patrick's Day event happening, they'd cleared out their usual full bar and were only serving beer and whiskey drinks & lots of 'em—but I don't like beer or whiskey.  (I may be excited about the idea of Irish coffee, but not so much with the actual drink.)  With his only prompting being, "Do you perchance have any wine?" the absolutely adorable bartender hunted around until he found the very last half-empty bottle of Chardonnay and proclaimed it mine.  With service like that, needless to say, 5 stars for Tom Bergin's pub!

'Hood #23: After Touring the "Disneyland of Poop," I Go for Lunch in Playa Vista

Today, my friend Sandra and I went on a tour of the Hyperion Sewage Treatment Plant—or as the tour organizers called it, "The Disneyland of Poop"—in Playa del Rey.  Truth be told, I've already checked Playa del Rey off my 'Hood Challenge list, so to make this count, we tacked on lunch in nearby Playa Vista.

An "air scrubber" pipe

But let's face it: what's really exciting is finding out about how LA handles its sewage.  Seriously, I've wanted to see this place for years, prominent as it is right there off the ocean.  The tour guides warned us the facility would be smelly—and parts of it were.  What keeps it from being unbearable—and also from stinking up the surrounding areas?  They use air scrubbers (??!) that remove odors.

Rather than give you a blow-by-blow of the tour (which was really interesting!) I'll share a few fun facts I learned:

• This is the largest of four LA wastewater treatment plants and it treats, as our docent dubbed it, "sewage of the stars" that's piped in from upscale areas like the westside, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Sherman Oaks, etc.

Our lovely volunteer models the poop sorting machine

•  Incoming sewage gets the big stuff pulled out (condoms, cardboard, etc.) and then is treated twice through a settling process in which water is separated from remaining solids.

•  There are pipes that take the treated water five miles out to sea so we're not swimming in it —it's not clean enough to drink.

•  The solids ("the poop stuff") get ground down and put on trucks to be used as fertilizer.  (We got to see it being loaded up into the trucks—good times!...and I'll be washing my veggies a whole lot more thoroughly from now on.)

•  Only stuff that goes down drains/toilets gets treated—anything that goes into storm drains (motor oil, plastic trash bags, doggie poo, etc.), goes directly into the ocean.


• Weirdest things that've come in through sewage lines:  a bowling ball, a motorcycle without its wheels and, yes, body parts.

The tour lasted three hours, after which Sandra and I went to Piknic restaurant in Playa Vista.  We'd considered lunch only a "maybe" based on whether we were too grossed out by the tour to eat.  Ha, I should know myself better than that.  Nothing stands between me and food.

There's really not much to report on Playa Vista.  It's a new, clean community of condos, offices and shops next to a restored wetlands.  My salad was delicious.  Yep, that's about it on Playa Vista.

'Hood #20—Palms, Part 2, an Awesomely Oddball Little Museum

Since Palms is the 'hood I live in, I decided it was worthy of both a day and evening exploration.  Last night was karaoke at Boardwalk 11, and today I set out with my friend Sandra to visit the Museum of Jurassic Technology—which is possibly the weirdest museum I've ever been to (in a good way).

I hate to ruin the fun, so let me just say that the displays included deteriorating dice... collections from California trailer homes... microscope slides of art made from scraped butterfly wings... cat's cradle art and—a highlight for me—a taxidermied fox in which you look through a scope to see a holograph of a man in its head, along with barking noises.

Oh, and mice on toast!!

The beauty of it all?  I have no idea if the entire thing was on the level or one big joke... and I don't care.  It was a delight either way.

Before I left, I asked where the name of the museum came from, given that there are no dinosaurs.  I was told that there used to be dinosaur artifacts, but when those were rotated out, they kept the name because... well... and I am paraphrasing here... why the  hell not?

Admission: a suggested $8, or $5 for students & seniors.  It takes about an hour to get through the museum.  Don't miss the tea room & aviary (with cookies)!