San Diego Day Trip #1: Balboa Park, Homestyle Hawaiian, and the Body Rock Dance Competition

When I was a little, like many young girls, my mom enrolled me in dance classes. I loved them, but eventually I decided it wasn’t for me to pursue long term. However, the love for dance never left. Growing up with the internet, I discovered dance videos through YouTube. I would/could watch hours of videos from hip-hop dance classes and competitions. I never imagined that I would get to see it in person, but it has come to fruition.

I don’t remember how I saw an advertisement for the event, but I bought a ticket for around $30 to the Body Rock Dance Competition. It was in San Diego, which is about a 2 hour drive for me, but it was completely worth it. Even on a busy Saturday evening.

Once I got the ticket, like many other events, I searched the area for good food. I came up with Homestyle Hawaiian, which is a local chain of Hawaiian BBQ. I literally picked based off of the Yelp reviews and photos. There are a few locations, so I chose one that was on my way towards the competition venue (off of Mesa College Dr.). I ordered the Teri Chicken Plate for around $8. Completely worth every penny. It was so much food, I got two meals out of it. It was a generous portion of teriyaki chicken breasts with a scoop of white rice and a scoop of macaroni salad. All of it was delicious. I want more events in San Diego, just so I can eat there again.

Then I had about three hours to kill before the show, so I decided to go to Balboa Park. I had always heard of it, but I never new how big the park actually is. Finding parking took me about 20 minutes of driving around different parking areas. I ended up parking behind the Air and Space Museum. Luckily there are shuttles that go back and forth from parking lots to the center of the park, the Plaza de Panama, where the main buildings and museums are located.

From there, I just wandered. There were a few street performers doing a stunt. I wouldn’t call it a dance routine, but rather a giant build up to a guy leaping over a bunch of people from the audience. Literally the build up is about 20 minutes for a 3 second act. They are entertaining as far as the comedy aspect of picking people from the audience to be the ones who are jumped over. They’re so good that even at the end when they ask people for money for watching them for the past 20 minutes, you genuinely feel the need to give.

Then I walked around the grounds and took some photos, mostly of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. I strolled down Pan American Way through what seemed like a tiny international village. And ended up near the Automotive and Air and Space Museums again. I was unaware of how close the San Diego Zoo was or else I may have gone there. I was aware of the Natural History Museum and Museum of Art nearby, but I didn’t think I had enough time to really enjoy them.

From there, I continued my drive to the San Diego Civic Theater. Again, I didn’t really know where to park, even though I used my favorite parking app. I couldn’t really find where I was trying to go, so I just ended up using the Civic Theater parking. I’m glad I did because at no point was I charged for the parking even though it said $10. There was never a kiosk to take a ticket from or a person at a booth collecting money. From there I rode an elevator down to the ground floor and was among all of the dance teams practicing outside before the show. It was kind of cool getting a first hand preview.

Then I noticed a small black and white checkered mat on the ground. Some people were gathering around it, and those who were on it were doing some break dancing moves. So I decided that’s where I would hang out until the show started. As I watched, more and more people started to join me in the crowd. Eventually it was shoulder to shoulder and what’s called a cypher competition. I had never heard of it until that point, but basically it’s what you imagine when rappers have a freestyle battle, but it was dancers showing off their moves. There were legitimate rounds where people were eliminated via judges. In the end a very young girl actually won. They were saying how in the past, people who have become famous in the dance industry got their start at Body Rock cyphers.

When that was over, the doors were open around 5:30pm, and we found our seats. I sat next to these two guys, and in listening to their conversation, one guy was explaining things to the other. So I decided to ask if this was their first time. The guy explaining, he had been to a few. The other, like me, it was his first time. I wish I could remember their names, but let’s just call them Mike and Tim for the sake of distinguishing them. So Mike, the explaining guy, let me know that this was the last year Body Rock would be happening until further notice, which is why it was called Body Rock: Homecoming. The routines were to feature past famous acts that stood out in the 18 years it has been going on. Mike also let me know that Vibe was more like what you see on YouTube and that I should go in February, which is usually when it happens.

As we sat there, Mike pointed out more people in the audience who were famous. I recognized some of them from movies like Step Up and tv shows like So You Think You Can Dance. So that was pretty cool, and the dance community in Southern California seems pretty tight. In fact after watching the performances, it seemed like they were similar to famous baseball teams. People knew crews and their standout players, and they had fan bases, like being part of the popular group in high school.

Not really knowing who the crews were, I was just there to watch dance. I wasn’t rooting for anybody in particular, but I knew at the end were the Jabbawockees, from original MTV fame of America’s Best Dance Crew. As I sat there, I was amazed. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. When you watch the videos online, you see how great the dance is, but what you can’t understand unless you’re in person is they hype from the audience. It is electric. You become a part of it and you can’t even control it.

My favorite performances, and the ones that stuck with me the most, were by Geisha Crew, TwoFourSeven, and Kyle Hanagami. Geisha Crew ended up getting third place. They are a small crew of all females from Japan, where they specialize in animation. They had to honor a past performance where a set production member was taken on stage and basically given a lap dance as part of the routine. I was mostly struck by their syncopation and creativity.

Next was TwoFourSeven. They’re a group from Canada and their piece actually made me tear up. The concept was going to war and what it is like for people on both sides. There was a romantic tone to it with each side featuring couples and how it affects them during war. The best part of the entire thing was the storytelling. They not only danced well, but they acted well. I was completely sold and for a few minutes forgot I was in a theater full of people, but felt like I was there part of a movie or show.

Finally, my absolute favorite piece was an exhibition number by Kyle Hanagami. It was similar to something I had seen on SYTYCD, as far as using props that were basically floor lamps without the hood on top.  The concept was centered around Kyle’s diagnosis with Leukemia and how there’s always light/hope in the dark. It was so beautiful, not only in the presence, but also in the dancing. It was a nice break from the hard hitting hip-hop of the other routines in the competition. I didn’t get a photo or video because I was so mesmerized that I didn’t want to interrupt my own viewing, but you can see the produced version of it in the link.

The final act was the Jabbawockees, and everybody was hyped at that point. The sad part is that I was completely let down by them. Only three of them performed, and it was a very melancholy piece with an oddly abrupt ending. After we realized it ended, we all were thinking ‘what the heck,’ and ‘was that it?’ It wasn’t a short piece, just lacking something.

As I walked back to my car, my heart was so full of pure joy and adrenaline. I am not a hip-hop dancer, but I felt like I could be. It was around 10:00pm when the show let out, and I didn’t plan on staying the night in San Diego, so I drove the 2 hours back home. The entire ride I called people and tried my best to explain what I just witnessed. I wish I could share that experience in-person with everyone. So if you ever want to go to Vibe with me, let me know!

*The Balboa Park pictures are sharp because I used my camera, whereas the dance ones are not because I could only take stills from video off of my iPhone.

Todrick Hall at the Saban Theater

Since being in LA, I thought I’d look for events online. I didn’t really know exactly what I was looking for, but there are a few apps that helped narrow my search down by date or type of event. I referenced Eventbrite in a previous post, but this time I went with Groupon.

I stumbled upon a Todrick Hall show titled Straight Outta Oz. I’m a huge fan of The Wizard of Oz, and I watched Straight Out of Compton and enjoyed it. So I thought this would be an interesting concept. Instead of Googling his show, I just looked up Todrick Hall’s YouTube videos. He is famous for his singing, which I knew. The more I watched his popular videos, the more I was intrigued. So I bought a Groupon ticket to the show.

It was appearing at the Saban Theater, which I also knew nothing about. So naturally, I researched that as well. Really, I did it to understand the location so I could figure out parking, but I also wanted to know how to dress since this was my first show in LA. I had been to shows in New York City and Charleston before, so naturally I thought I should dress up for the show. That’s what you do in major cities. Spoiler alert: this assumption does not apply to LA. More on that later.

So I decided, let’s make an afternoon of this. First, I found parking via my favorite parking app called BestParking. It led me to a garage that was not filled very much at all, open until 11pm, and had green/red lights to signify that a parking spot was full or open. I can imagine during busy times, that would come in handy tremendously. It was one block from the theater and half a block from the restaurant where I was going to eat.

Near the theater there are little restaurants on S. La Cienega Blvd. I settled on a small Italian restaurant called Tutt’a Post’ Trattoria. At first I couldn’t find it, and had to call the restaurant for them to describe exactly where it was. Eventually the man on the phone literally walked out of the restaurant onto the sidewalk and waved until I saw him. Slightly embarrassed because normally my sense of direction is really good, I noticed the thing that threw me off was the Subway.

My reservation was at 5:00pm because the doors for the show opened at 7:00pm. Thinking I was giving myself a good amount of time on a Saturday in Beverly Hills, I was not expecting the incredible service at the restaurant that I received. It was most in part to the fact that I was the only person in the restaurant at that time, so I literally had the entire staff working for just me. I ended up going off of the menu, which I also never do because I used to work in the restaurant industry and I know that is frowned upon a lot of the time. I was craving pesto pasta, so I asked if they could do that, which they could, and they asked me which type of noodle I would prefer. I just went with their regular spaghetti, and it was a great idea because my craving was fulfilled.

After, I realized I still had about an hour to kill before the doors opened. So I sat a little while longer at the restaurant, and they were fine with that because again, nobody was really in the restaurant. If it had been busy, I wouldn’t have sat there because usually servers are working for tables and tips. I also tipped well for the extra time.

On a side note regarding tipping, I have two general guides that determine how I tip.  The first is that I’m Asian, and there is a stereotype of Asians being bad tippers, mainly because they’re typically thrifty in their spending. So I always give 15% as the minimum. The second is because of that, I start at 20% and if service is bad is when I only give the minimum of 15%. Again, I know that tips are the main source of income for servers because the hourly wage is usually around $2. If the service is really great, that’s when I give more than 20%.

Anyway, the only odd thing about the restaurant is their bathroom. You have to go out back behind the building to get to it, and the ambiance of the restroom does not equal that of the dining area. It almost seemed like what you would experience at some gas stations.

From there, I walked to the Saban Theater. There was construction going on around it that forced all the patrons to go around the block and enter off of S Gale Dr. near a restaurant called The Flats. When I turned the corner to round the makeshift 7ft tall wooden wall to block the construction from the street, I saw a small line forming towards the entrance of the Saban. I stood at the end for a few minutes before realizing I didn’t really know what line I was standing in. So I walked to the ticket window and found out I was in the right place.

This is where my choice of show attire comes into the equation. So I wore a dress and heels to the show, because like I mentioned before, at NYC shows, you dress up. So I figured at an LA show it would be the same. People in line were wearing jeans and t-shirts, flannels, and really relaxed clothing. After standing in line until 7:30pm (yes, doors were supposed to open at 7:00pm and didn’t), my feet were dying in the heels. At that moment, I swore to never wear heels to an LA show again. Then we got inside the building, and again had to wait in line at the doors that open to the actual theater seating, for another 15 minutes.

Now, the only thing that kept me entertained in line was who I was in line with. When I first stood in line, I started speaking to the boy and mother standing in front of me. About 30 minutes in, he kept looking at his mom saying, “That girl keeps looking at me, she knows.” Then “that girl” walked up to him and said, “Are you the boy from the film?” With the answer being yes, they got a picture together, and went back in line. He turned to his mom and said, “You owe me $5.”

Having no idea what they were talking about, I pressed them for answers. Ends up I was standing in line with a child star. I didn’t realize when I bought the tickets that this show was based off of a feature film Todrick Hall made on YouTube that’s an hour and 11 minutes long. The concept is the path Todrick Hall took from growing up in Texas to his fame today. So this boy in front of me was “Young Todrick,” and his name is Brandin Stennis. Throughout our hour and a half wait time, people kept recognizing him, and so right before we entered the theater and took our seats, I had to get a picture with him. I’m glad I did because it’s the only picture from the event that I took. The only other famous people I saw while I was there was Ru Paul. As I was waiting in line at the top of the stairs, I could look down at the foyer and saw him walk in. After the show, I saw on social media that there were a lot of famous friends of Todrick in attendance as well.

Now, when I got the Groupon ticket, I did have to go to the ticket counter again and actually check in. From there, I got a physical ticket that let people working there know that I could only go in a certain section of the theater. It was a first come, first serve section, so I wasn’t assigned a specific seat. We were at the top of the theater, but the view was still pretty great. I managed to snag a seat in the most front row of the section, and it only had one other chair next to me. Eventually it got filled by a nice man from Orange County who also was there just to check it out. As we sat waiting for the show to begin, Todrick’s most famous singing videos were playing on a giant screen hanging over the stage.

Since I hadn’t watched the hour long YouTube video, I really didn’t know what I was getting into. The guy next to me was the same. We both just bought the ticket off of Groupon interested, but he had less of an idea than I did. He thought it would be more like Straight Outta Compton, and was surprised when it was more musical than he imagined. I don’t want to assume he was in the LGBTQ+ community, but he did say he turned down going to Long Beach Pride to see the show.

Finally, what you’ve all been waiting for, the actual show. I’ll be honest, it seemed like Todrick was performing versus emoting. I wasn’t ever sucked into the show to the point where I didn’t realize I was sitting in a theater watching people perform. I love the fact that he went from small town Texas and eventually fulfilled his dreams to have his own Broadway-style musical about himself, but it just wasn’t a tremendous performance. Could I have done better? No way, but I just wasn’t thrilled by it. The second act, after intermission, was definitely better than the first half. Also, the best part of the whole show were the black women singings that intermittently had solos. They were the stars of the show for me. Also the set design was pretty good for what seemed like a low-key show, even though it did travel on a national tour. The guy next to me agreed with all of that. There was something missing for both of us, but we were both glad we saw it on a Groupon.

The show didn’t change my opinion of him. I am still a fan of Todrick Hall. I actually wish I could see it again to see if during my viewing, maybe he was having an off night. The best way I could put it is similar to judges on singing tv shows. The voice was there, but I was missing the connection factor. The only time it was really present was when he was in drag (see the feature photo, in the spotlight on the left).

I really hope I can see more of his stuff in the future because it seemed like he was just getting started and the pressure of performing in front of his best friends may have been a small factor. I am on the lookout currently for more of his shows. In a way I consider myself lucky that I got to see his major performance on a Groupon because it may not be like that in the future. I can see him becoming more popular than he already is.

Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach

After one of my LA Lyft drivers told me her favorite thing to do on a day off was go to Manhattan Beach, I thought I should check it out. I also decided to check out all the major Beach Cities piers while I was at it since they’re not too far from each other.

There is a bike/running path that is 22 miles long and passes from the Redondo Beach Pier and extends through Hermosa and Manhattan Beach. While it continues all the way up to the Pacific Palisades, it too has a nickname from locals, The Strand. It’s technically not a boardwalk because it’s not made of wood, but outsiders sometimes refer to it as such.

When asking people which of the three beaches is their favorite, the response was practically unanimous that Manhattan Beach has the best sand. Now I’m from Charleston, South Carolina, which is also considered a beach town. At no point has anybody asked me when wondering which beach to go to in that area, “Well, which one has the best sand?” That really isn’t a factor in making that decision.

So naturally I needed to find out what the heck everybody was talking about. I started with Manhattan because it was the most northern of the three. I entered Manhattan Beach Pier in my GPS and it took me on Manhattan Beach Blvd, which leads you directly too the pier. Knowing that parking near the ocean is hard to come by, when I passed an area with parking signs, I followed them. There are two garages I’ve used. One is outdoor, multi-level, and painted green. The other is across the street from that one, and is underneath buildings. Both are run by meters, which you will take your credit card or change. The meters typically only go up to two hours at a time though, so you do have to go back to the meter to feed it if you are sticking around longer than that amount of time.

Then I headed down Manhattan Beach Blvd., which is lined with coffee shops, restaurants, and boutiques. It’s also definitely a hill down to the pier. There is parking right off the pier, however every time I’ve been, it’s been full. The pier has teal railings with coral benches scattered throughout. At the end is a cafe with standing room only. On the other side of it is the Roundhouse Aquarium, but I honestly wouldn’t consider it a typical aquarium. It’s more like a room with some tanks of water and people to answer questions. I haven’t officially gone in it, but I have seen inside of it, it’s that small. They also don’t charge, but rather accept donations (They mention $2 an individual and $5 for a family). There is a shark sculpture that sits outside of the door that looks perfect for a photo opportunity, but they have signage letting you know not to climb on top of it. I’m always tempted.

I’ve gone to each pier by myself first, and then when guests come into town, I try to take them to the piers as well because they’re usually landlocked or want a nice way to see the ocean without getting in the water (so far I haven’t had summer guests who wanted to take a dip, but “winter” guests who are surprised when they touch the water and it’s freezing). I mention this because I also let them know there is a weird comparison that goes on in the area where people think the sand at Manhattan is the best. My visiting friend Natalie best described it through mashed potatoes. She said Manhattan is when you get nicely whipped, smooth mashed potatoes. We’ll come back to her analogy at each of the other beaches.

So after walking the pier and touching the sand, I went under the pier, which has a really simple structure. Many people take pictures underneath or beside it. Then it was time to head back to the car because I only put an hour on the meter. This is where you realize you parked uphill. It was easy going down on the way to the pier, and then it’s like you’ve never worked out a day in your life on the way back up.

Travel a few minutes down the road, and you’re in Hermosa. This has been described to me as the “young people beach.” At first I didn’t understand that description, but now I know it’s because of the night life. Manhattan is on the richer side, and is boutique-y. Hermosa is not as fancy, but it has a cool vibe to it. It’s definitely a hangout for 20-30-year-olds. The main area is blocked off from cars and has string lights going back and forth between the buildings. It’s lined with restaurants that feature bars, and every night of the week there are people enjoying the patio of each one.

Again, I walked on the pier and again I tested the sand. This pier had more benches than Manhattan, which is nice because each time I’ve gone, I’ve been able to hang out on a bench and take in the scenery (whether that be the landscape or everyone’s favorite crowd hobby, people watching). One time I saw a lady with a backpack walk up to the water, pull out a salad, and stand in ankle deep in the water eating her lunch for about 30 minutes. Then she put it away and left. That’s a dream lunch break. On the end of this pier is just a giant open area. At all hours of the day there are people fishing there. On the sides of the pier are what seem like dozens of beach volleyball courts.

The interesting part of the sand at this beach is they made giant dunes right next to the pier and pretty close to the water. Kids boogie board down it instead of in the water. At one point the sand was so high, you could climb over the pier railing and onto the top of the mound. It’s stretches from the pier to the first lifeguard stand on each side, and I have no idea why it’s there. Anyway, back to Natalie’s analogy. She described Hermosa sand as the mashed potatoes where the skin is left on when beating them in the mixer. It’s slightly textured, even though the potatoes are finely whipped.

Some fun facts about Hermosa before we move on to Redondo. When you go under this pier, the height isn’t nearly as tall above you as Manhattan. The pier is where a scene from LA LA Land was filmed (Ryan Gosling whistles his theme song after catching a guy’s hat in the wind and dancing with his wife). One of the building in the plaza area before the pier is also in the movie. However you have to go around back to find the neon sign for the Lighthouse Cafe.

For Redondo, lets start with the fun facts. It is the pier that was in the tv show “The O.C.” There are four major locations used in the filming: the pier cafe (Redondo Coffee and Bait Shop), Sandy Cohen’s beach office, the Bait Shop (which on the show was a music venue), and the pier itself where Ryan rides his bike and Seth skateboards. It also has two churro shops. I’ve only been to one, which was very highly praised, and I agree. Oddly both are called Pier Bakery, but the one I went to is off of Fisherman’s Wharf. There’s a really interesting, old arcade called the Redondo Beach Fun Factory. The games are all old, and the prizes are odd. You can cash in your tickets for bottled water, mystery boxes, and the highest ticketed prize is a meat slicer. Yes, a real one.

The pier itself smells like fish everywhere you go. It’s definitely the grungiest of the three locations. The water below isn’t as clear, and the people on the pier are what Natalie described as “her kind of people.” She liked that she could wear sweatpants, a hoodie, a backpack, and have her hair tied up and not feel judged. It’s the longest pier of the three, and it’s in a triangular shape. People were also fishing at certain spots of the walkway. Again there were benches scattered throughout. The main attraction compared to the others is the fact that there are shops and restaurants all along the pier. Families can spend all day fishing on the pier and grab food in the midst of it, for pretty cheap means of entertainment.

Finally the sand test. It was described a lumpy mashed potatoes. After all the accounts, I agree with Natalie and really appreciate her analogy whenever I have to explain the difference to other visitors or friends who aren’t from the Beach Cities.

Personally, I find myself gravitating toward Hermosa because there is a Starbucks, pizza shop, gelato shop, and ice cream shop all within walking distance that doesn’t involve a hill. Reading that back, it makes me sound fat, but hey, I like simple things and am a creature of habit. There’s a parking garage behind Starbucks that’s relatively cheap. Sometimes after work, I’ll grab a Peach Green Tea Lemonade, walk about a block and grab a giant $2.50 slice from Paisanos (I prefer the Hawaiian or BBQ Chicken), and have dinner on the pier for $7 or less. Before I head back to my car, sometimes I stop at either Paciugo for their mint chocolate chip gelato or Paradis for their vegan hazelnut ice cream. There’s also a guy who rides a bicycle that he completely decked out with lights  and a sound system. What more could you ask for in a beach city?

To The Sea (Jacob Jonas The Company), the Santa Monica Pier, and the 3rd Street Promenade*

*As mentioned in my “About” section, I may document some experiences that I shared with a friend. The purpose in doing that is to help you understand how to navigate that venue or business if you were on your own. Also, I have visited the Santa Monica Pier and 3rd Street Promenade on my own a few times since To The Sea happened.

I was looking for events in the LA area, and came upon an app called Eventbrite. It searches by city and date, so if you’re looking for something to do on a weekend, it narrows down the search for you.

For this particular event, the flyer had a picture of a dancer backlit by the sun on the beach, which drew my attention. Upon further reading, it was titled “To The Sea: Dance Concerts on the Pier,” and listed 7 acts and 4 films. And it just happened to be the end of the Santa Monica Pier. I hadn’t been there yet either, so it was a two-for-one as far as exploring new things. 

The best part of all, it was a free event. You just had to reserve your ticket through Eventbrite because there was limited seating. It was the last weekend in April, and was listed as a 6:00pm start. It was put on by Jacob Jonas The Company and Dance Camera West, with support from the City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Cultural Affairs.

Since I was still new to the area and trying to become friends with my co-workers, I asked my friend Hana to join me. Keep in mind two things for the remainder of this post, 1) Hana and I both had no idea what to expect, and 2) what I describe can apply to those who decide to do this adventure alone or with a friend.

There are a couple parking garages near the 3rd street promenade in Santa Monica, so we chose one within a few blocks of restaurants and the pier. If you haven’t looked into the app called BestParking, I highly recommend it. It will list all the parking lots, rates, and hours so you know where the cheapest and closest places are, when they close, and if they take cash, card, or either.

Then we wandered down the 3rd Street Promenade looking for food. There are many options, from food trucks to street vendors to restaurants. The whole street is blocked off from vehicles, so there is ample walking space. Sometimes there are even street performers. Randomly we chose Trastevere, which features Italian food. We sat outside on front patio and shared bruschetta and pesto genovese. The atmosphere was nice, and the weather was perfect.

From there we headed to the event because we were pushing 5:30pm. We walked along the park on Ocean Avenue above PCH. It’s always half full of people, who like us were meandering, and half homeless people. On a side note, having encountered homeless people in various states, these ones keep to themselves unless they’re right in front of the entrance to the pier.

As you get closer to the pier, there are there are huge crowds of people walking on and off. Since this event, I’ve gone back on my own, and it’s always like that from the morning until nightfall. Once the sun goes down, it depends on the day. Usually on weekdays at night, it’s relatively less crowded.

The Pier is just like the movies with the restaurants, arcade and carnival games, and the famous ferris wheel. If you continue past those and the kiosk sales people, at the end there are lower walkways on the right and left where people fish off the side of the pier, Then you continue through an opening made by two stairways/seating areas and a restaurant. That is where the dance event was held.

Normally, there is a giant open area where people can sit or walk around and stare at the ocean and sunset. However specifically for the event, there were metal barriers set up to close off the stage and seating area specifically for people with tickets to the event. You technically don’t have to have one, but to be on the inside, you do. And again, you might as well because they’re free.

They had speakers set up on the sides of the stage to project the music they danced to. Jacob came out first and introduced himself and how he created the idea to dance on the end of the pier with not only his company, but also influential dancers in his life and the area. It is completely worth noting that the event was scheduled so that while the dancers were performing, the sun was setting on the ocean behind them.

Herein lies the part that pains me about not writing this piece closer to the actual performance date (April 30, 2017). The following is the order of the pieces, but only a few really stood out to me, so those will be the ones I describe. If there’s a link, I did my best to find the company or performance so you could see for yourself.

“Tactility” by Cirio Collective
“Get Sea” by The Seaweed Sisters
“One Pair Off” by Jacob Jonas The Company
“Fishy” by Tony Testa
Alfie “Al Boogie” Lewis was awarded the Mr. Animation Legacy Award
“Awake O Zion” by Andrew Winghart
“Memories” by Les 7 Doigts De La Main (Mason Ames and Valerie Benoit Charbonneau)

I’ll start with the 4 I remember the least about. However, don’t compare their lack of review to the rate of their performance, but rather that my memory is terrible. Plus when seeing 11 pieces in 3 hours, there are bound to be some that stand out more than others, which is purely individualized depending on who is the viewer.

Tactility was performed by two male dancers from Cirio Collective. I remember both of them being very strong technically. Fishy started out as a solo piece and ended as a group number and seemed kind of intense. Al Boogie was recognized for an award and then performed a solo piece. I couldn’t tell if that one was freestyled or not, but I assumed so because it had an abrupt ending that didn’t coincide with the music. Awake O Zion was incredible in the fact that 12 girls were on a small stage at the same time doing many, constantly changing formations quickly in long, flowing dresses.

Now for the three that really stood out for me. First was The Seaweed Sisters. I hadn’t heard of them before the performance, but I later figured out that locally they are well known in dance circles. Their performance was Hana’s favorite because it’s rare that dance incorporates humor with technicality. Everything was intricate, yet fun. Their outfits, the music, and the interaction between the three and their audience, was all so entertaining.

After all of the performances were done, the choreographers from each piece held a Q&A together and the Seaweed Sisters revealed one method creating their pieces, which I believe they called the “and then” method. They basically make up a move and say “and then” to themselves before leading into another move they make up on the spot, and continue that system from movement to movement until they create a full composition.

The second piece that stood out was Jacob Jonas The Company, and it’s not because they created the event. The piece was four people, and each one had a chance to stand out among the synchronization set to music heavily accented by a metronome. There were tricking moves by two of the four, many levels by all, and a modern feel. I wish I could describe the feeling better. My eyes were glued the entire time. During their Q&A we found out that one of the four, Joy Isabella Brown, had only been in the company for a month and her background was in parkour. She learned the entire routine with no professional dance background, quickly, and then performed it in front a few hundred people. Pretty impressive collaboration.

Finally, the act that stood out the most to everyone in attendance: The 7 Fingers (which is a Canadian group that is normally written in French as Les 7 Doigts). If you look at their website, it’s a variety of acts, but this was just two people. Their specialty is acrobatics incorporated into dance. The performers were Mason Ames and Valerie Benoit Charbonneau. I couldn’t find their specific routine, Memories, but I did find another performance (linked in the list above) that gives you an idea of what they do. During their Q&A we found out they have been working together for a while. It’s clear the stunts they do take incredible trust and strength, as well as tons of practice. There were moments where you could tell the audience was holding their breathing hoping Valerie wouldn’t fall, and each time Mason proved he is a tremendous partner.

While the Q&A was going on, a giant screen was being blown up for the films to be shown. At this point the sun had fully gone down and it got colder. About 2/3 of the audience left unfortunately. If you decide to go to the 2018 To The Sea, which they have the green light on, bring a jacket so you’re comfortable watching the films. Below are the works that were presented. Luckily most of them can be seen in the links, so you can see what I saw.

“Retrograde” by Kyle Abraham and Carrie Schneider
“Rebellion & Johannesburg” by Leila El-Kayem and Jessica Nupen
“Grey” by Jacob Jonas
“Move On” by Yasuaki Fujinami

The only one not online is Jacob Jonas’, but I do briefly remember it. I believe it was filmed at the Getty Museum. It featured the architecture with his company performing in various locations on the grounds. I remember it being very aesthetically pleasing with a majority female casting.

Like the dances in person, it was clear why the last film was chosen to finish the event. Yasuaki’s Move On featured a beautiful concept with equally beautiful filming and execution. It’s no wonder it won so many awards. I urge you to watch the link mentioned above.

After it was completely over, Hana and I walked back to our car. On the way we talked about our favorites, but also took in the night life of Santa Monica. On the pier, you see vendors who write each letter of your name in a different water color pattern. You may usually see this at fairs and picture them going in a little girl’s room. I’m always surprised at how many grown adults I see carrying them around and wonder where in their house they’re going to put those. We also saw some more dancing in the form of street performers on the 3rd Street Promenade before finishing the evening.

Like I mentioned, if you can go to it this year, I highly recommend it. Even though that means it’ll be more crowded for me. If you’re looking for a true “California experience,” being on the Santa Monica Pier with a display of talented art being performed during sunset is a pretty great option.

Korean Friendship Bell and Marine Mammal Care Center

 

Upon visiting my dad’s cousin in the Long Beach area (I’ve always called her Aunt Dorothy growing up, but she’s technically not my aunt), she recommended I check out the Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) because her sons liked going there growing up. It also happens to be next to the Korean Friendship Bell, so I figured knock out two in one visit.

When arriving at the Friendship Bell, there is a small building across the parking lot, which I later discovered was a hostel. As you walk toward the bell, there is a sign at the entrance which explains the bell was a gift from Korea to the United States as an extension of, you guessed it, friendship. Behind the sign, there were two totem pole looking figures that make for a fun photo opportunity.

While walking up to the bell, you realize the intricate detail of the hand painted ceiling and columns. It is pretty incredible and enormous. I can only imagine how much it means to Korean culture. Even the details of what is inscribed on the actual bell itself and the tiles underneath it.

Then you take in the view behind the bell, which is the Pacific ocean. You can also see Catalina Island in the distance. There is a small hill below the front of the bell, which you can climb down, and sometimes people take pictures there.

After that, I went to the MMCC. However, to get there, it was quite the maze of roads. My GPS took me on roads that seemed like they were not meant for civilians, but rather work/government vehicles. There was a Marine center up on the hill, but not the one for animal rescue. After going through odd winding roads, I finally found it among a bunch of other random buildings.

After parking, I walked through the gift shop and came upon the back area where the animals are contained. It honestly looked a little small for the amount of seals that were present, but I’m not an expert marine animal care, so maybe it was adequate room. There were a few small caged in areas, that each had their own little pool for the seals, and two larger pools. You can observe them and learn about them from various signs posted on the fences. You can also speak to the caretakers/volunteers, who were cleaning the cages and pools the entire time I was there.

It seemed like everyone was pretty busy, so I only really spoke to one person for a few minutes. He was very helpful in teaching me about the seals ability to swim and what the rescue was doing to help them. I assume besides the rehabilitation of the sea life there, the center is mostly for educating classrooms of children about seals and how to help them if you see one that is injured.

I wish there was more I could tell you about it, but it was a very simple little afternoon trip. Maybe something you could do if you knew of a restaurant in San Pedro that you wanted to try, and then go to both places after or before. Do I see myself taking guests to these places when they visit LA, not really. But it’s nice to know the Bell has a beautiful location and that the animals are being treated and released in great condition.

La Brea Tar Pits and LACMA

Before I moved to LA, my dad told me I had to go to the La Brea Tar Pits. It’s one of those times where you say, “Yeah, okay Dad,” but in your head you’re thinking it seems kind of prehistoric and nerdy. Then my last Lyft driver from the day before said the museums are among his favorite thing to do in the LA area. I know typically a daughter should trust her dad’s judgment, but I needed a hip, local resident to confirm his suggestion.

I got to the grounds early because I had to be out of my AirBnb. However, instead of driving there and paying parking, I left my car at the AirBnb and got a Lyft. I figured the cost of one there and back was cheaper than on-sight or nearby parking. Because I was early, I went to the Starbucks across the street until it opened at 9:30am. As I headed back to the museum, I stopped by the area on their map called “Lake Pit.” It is what it sounds like, a lake where tar is still coming up from underneath. It smells exactly like when new roads are being paved. The edges of the lake are lined with tar that has bubbled up to the surface and spread out. You can still witness the bubbling tar. It is gated off, so if you have small children or curious teens, you don’t have to worry about them running up and trying to touch it.

There was practically no line to purchase tickets right at opening, so I highly suggest being there at that time.  When I was leaving the Tar Pits, which was only around 11:30am, there was a line of at least 30 people waiting to enter. Due to the size of the lobby, the line extends outside. You don’t have to worry about rain because this is LA, but if it’s a warm day, you may want to bring something to drink or shade yourself with.

A regular ticket, no perks included, is only $12. If you want to see Titans of the Ice Age 3D, which I highly suggest because it basically summarizes the entire museum for you in a nice 25 minute video, it’s an additional $5.  You can also add the Ice Age Encounters 15 minute show for also only $5 more. If you also want all three, it’s $22. Again, pretty affordable.

When I got up to the counter to pay, the girl at the checkout convinced me to get the annual membership for $59. Now, that may sound crazy instead of just $22, but you get so many added features to becoming a member. The main feature that sold me was the fact that you are also getting a membership to two other museums as well, the Natural History Museum and the William S. Hart Museum. If you visit each one just one time and see the extra features included, you get your monies worth. I also bought it in case my friends want to go when they visit me.

After you pay inside the George C. Page Museum, if you get the 3D movie ticket, they give you a time to be in line for the showing. Since I had a few minutes before the show, I decided to walk around the exhibits. It’s kind of up to you the route you want to take. I suggest getting a map because the grounds are pretty large. There is an indoor section, which comprises most of the museum. Then there is a massive outdoor area, that includes many little places to stop, observe, and learn. You could technically wander the grounds without having to pay, but the museum is pretty neat experience to have at least once.

Giant sloth

First I went to see the mammoth exhibit. It’s weird to think in the middle of sprawling LA, there were once mammoths roaming around. They had some fun hands on activities, like how hard it is to move in tar. How can you tell if you’re not actually in it? There are giant metal plungers in a display case that you can try to pull up out of the tar they’re sitting in. Kids and adults were both into testing it out, and it was more difficult than I had anticipated.

As I was only about 1/3 through the museum portion, I realized it was time for me to head to the 3D movie Titans of the Ice Age. It seemed like it only had about 25 seats total, but it was a very good showing. It explained why the museum and active dig sites are here today, and what we have learned about the past through the excavations. I thought it really helped bring the whole experience together.

After that, I explored more of the museum. I decided to go through the gift shop because it was right there as you exit the theater. It has some fun stuff, and as a member I get a discount. However, I didn’t buy anything. From there, I went through the atrium, which was beautiful. I’d only been in LA for a day and a half at this point, but you recognize the lack of lush foliage in the city, and here you get a small taste of it. It’s also nice because it’s quiet. School groups cannot go through. Kids can with their parents, but not large groups of children.

In the exhibit areas there are people standing by who help explain things in more detail or answer questions. One woman showed me some baskets that were lined with the tar inside. They were made by the inhabitants to carry water, so the tar was used as an essential tool. There were dire wolf skulls on display. Don’t know what a dire wolf is? They have plenty of exhibits to explain their lifestyles based on what they’ve found of their remains from the tar pits. They’re still being found there to this day.

Dire wolf skulls

In fact, that’s the incredible part. The La Brea Tar Pits aren’t just an attraction, they are also a working excavation site. Inside the museum there is a laboratory where you can watch people literally in the process of handling found fossils and other findings. Outside, there is a section called Project 23 where you can also watch archeologists perform in the newest active dig site. It’s one of the few places in the country, and by being connected to the museum with constant visitors, is able to continue to research the history of the area.

As you continue to walk the premises, you can see the oldest active dig site Pit 91. Pit 3, 4, 7, 9, 61, and 67 all are slightly fenced off (not as much as the Lake Pit). When I went, they looked kind of dried up, but you could see the remnants of where the tar had bubbled up. At one point in the museum, I overheard a worker talking to a little girl saying there was a section in between the entrance to the museum and the Lake Pit that had caution tape up. That’s because it was a new recent place of tar activity reaching the surface. I later passed by it, and you could definitely see the ground raised up as if it were a mini volcano ready to expose new tar. However, when you watch the speed of tar, you realize it’d be the opposite of an eruption when it does decide to surface.

Speaking of watching the speed of tar, the best place I witnessed that was in the Observation Pit. It’s a little round building with a Tar Pits worker standing at the entrance, I’m assuming to make sure you had the wrist band on to enter. Otherwise, I think you can’t see that without having paid for a ticket. It’s a random structure, but when you get down the stairs, you can finally see the tar on it’s own and bubbling. It’s not very riveting, but besides the animals and fossils, it’s kind of the point of the La Brea Tar Pits.

From there, I rounded the corner to discover LACMA. I honestly did not know that is what I was walking towards. That day I just planned to go to the La Brea Tar Pits. Then you can clearly see a building in the distance that looks nice and has a lot of people surrounding it. So I went to see what it was, and it happened to be LACMA. Being one day new to LA, I didn’t even really know what exhibits were inside, I just knew it was a famous place because I had seen the outdoor light exhibit on social media.

Again I went to buy a ticket and was convinced to buy a membership. And again, I don’t know if it was because I was still so new to LA that I was enticed by bringing guests here, but I think it was worth it. A general admission price is $15 for one adult. To see the Pablo Picasso and Diego Rivera exhibit was an extra $25. So $40 in one visit, where as I paid $60 to have free admission to many extras. They just had the Chagall: Fantasies for the Stage exhibit going on, and again it’s $25 for non-members. So between those two experiences, I’ve already paid off my membership without even taking visiting friends to the museum.

 

Most intricate pencil work

Beautiful statue

I didn’t know this would happen at the time, but each month I get sent a newsletter/calendar that has all of the events by date and time. For most of them, I’m able to go to them for free as a member. So you can definitely get more than your monies worth out of this membership. They feature films, concerts, and smaller exhibits. If you are really into art, the membership is no doubt the way to go.

As you are buying tickets, there is a restaurant on the left. I didn’t eat at it, but it had many patrons. Instead I later at at the LACMA Cafe. I got a Portabello Mushroom burger with sweet potato fries. No, I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, but I was very surprised at just how tasty this meal was. It wasn’t terribly priced, and was extremely filling. The portion size was worth the price. There were a variety of items on the menu, and because it’s LA, they included health conscious options, but you could definitely get a bacon burger if you wanted. It also wasn’t just limited to burgers. I will be going there again during my next visit to try something different.

Okay, so back to the actual purpose of LACMA, art. I started by going up an escalator behind the ticket area into the BCAM building (Broad Contemporary Art Museum). Then I climbed some stairs to go to the third floor so I could just make my way down each floor. Before you enter the building, look around. You can see the Hollywood sign, which was my first time seeing it since I arrived.

When you enter the building, there’s a giant elevator in front of you, but then you can go right or left into the exhibits. There was a pretty cool toy car piece in this building. There’s a schedule on the wall that lets you know when it will be running because it isn’t always on. Basically a couple hundred toy cars go through many different paths/roads all on the same structure. Check it out from all angles: upstairs, downstairs, front, and all sides. There is so much going on that your eyes can just wander for 10-15 minutes. There’s also some cool light work on the way.

Car structure

Light installation

I’ll be honest, I was a little overwhelmed by the size of LACMA and the amount of pieces and exhibits that it all kind of meshed together. I’m glad I have a membership and can go back and experience it again and again. I did go in the Resnick Pavilion, Ahmanson Building, Hammer Building, Art of the Americas, and ate at the Leo S. Bing Center. I didn’t make it into the Pavilion for Japanese Art. The gift shop is okay. Nothing really stood out to me there.

I should also tell you how I view art, because everybody is different. My mom is an artist. Her medium of choice is oil on canvas. Art class and my mom taught me a lot about what to look at or for. I read every placard beside each piece to understand who made it, when they made it, and what they used to make it. That’s important because it’s what is so impressive. Things look so simple, but some of them were made in the 1800s or even 1200s. Sometimes I hear people say, “I could do that,” and to those people I would say go do it then. It’ll be a lot harder when you actually sit down and try to replicate it. And at the time when the artist made that piece, it was innovative and never done before, which is why it’s now in a museum.

Sometimes there will be explanations too about the background of the art. If it’s a painting or drawing, I like to look at it up close and from the side to see the texture and thickness. I’ll look at how it’s framed or stretched. I’ll look at how many layers are there and try to find the base color. I’ll look from afar to try to get the bigger picture. I try to put myself in the artist’s shoes and feel what they felt while making it. I’ll try to appreciate it for it’s intention. I’ll try to relate it to something in my life.

Art is really beautiful because it’s an independent interpretation. I appreciate and am lucky to live near a city that really appreciates every form of expression. I’m glad I stumbled upon LACMA after La Brea Tar Pits. And check out what the outdoor light exhibit looks like at night.

The Parthenon (Nashville, TN)

When I was in high school, I took Latin as a language instead of Spanish and French. During that class, I remember making a replica of the Parthenon out of dowel rods and wood. Of course my dad helped me, and our combined perfectionism and hours of sawing and gluing got me an A+. Ever since, I wanted to visit the monument. I later discovered there was a replica in the US after attending an athletic competition in the complex across the street. We could never visit it though because it would be closed by the time we finished.

I knew when I was in town during the road trip that I would have a chance before heading out of Nashville. So, I got there just as it was opening. That would later turn out to be smart, because as I was leaving, there were over two buses worth of people waiting to go inside.

As I arrived, there were morning workouts going on around the building. On the front steps was a personal trainer motivating a woman to continue with exercises on the stairs. On the side were some people having a yoga class. I decided to start with the outside of the building because it is a pretty massive structure. The columns are large, but the intricacy of the sculptures at the top are very impressive. The doors are massive and protected by their own iron fence.

 

 

You actually start the tour underneath the structure. When you walk in, there is a front desk where you buy tickets, and a small gift shop. You walk up a ramp where there are pictures of the history of the building’s construction. It puts into perspective the scale it took to replicate it. Then, surprisingly, you enter a room with paintings. I didn’t really look at the significance of the relationship to why the paintings were chosen to be displayed here, but they were beautiful. It was a nice surprise.

As you continued through, there comes a point where you go upstairs onto the same level as where you first started outside. And then you see it, because is it the main feature of the site: a giant gold statue of Athena. She is enormous and a spectacle. If you have Snapchat, I will admit I did a face swap with the face on the shield, and it was priceless. The shield she holds is painted on both sides.

 

After you continue through her room, you find a smaller room where the sculptures from the top of the building outside are featured. It explains how they created them, and it was pretty cool so see up close to understand their size.

And that’s the whole building. Hopefully I didn’t miss anything because I was on a time constraint, but I think the art and Athena were worth the $6 ticket. I highly recommend visiting, and it can take as little as an hour and up to 3 hours to really take it all in. If I had more time, I would have liked to bring a lunch and enjoy it outside on the grass next to the monument.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Nashville, TN was the last stop on my cross-country road trip in August 2016. I know there is a ton of fun stuff to do in Nashville, but this was one of my primary destinations. I parked in an underground garage across the street. It was pretty close, but I’m sure you could find less expensive parking nearby.

As I walked in the entrance, I really had no idea where to begin. It’s sort of a giant lobby area, and there are two stores off of it with a walkway between them that leads to other areas of the building (which I’ll get to at the end). Luckily there was an information desk who was able to point me in the right direction.

To buy tickets on site, you head to the back corner of the room. The line was short, however, I was not prepared to purchase a ticket (I probably should have done more research). When I stepped up to buy my ticket, I just said, “One please.” She printed the ticket, I paid, and walked away. However, I had no idea where I was supposed to go at that point. There was a small line to an elevator, and I eventually figured out that was where I was supposed to be. Before we all get inside this large elevator, and I realize everybody around me has headphones on. When you buy a ticket, get the one with the self-guided audio tour, and you get something similar to what I experienced at Graceland.

As the elevator is almost full, a lady pops her head in and says, “You want to go to the third floor to begin the tour. It starts at the Taylor Swift Educational Center.” We all kind of laugh under our breath because this is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Taylor Swift is still pretty young. We’re all expecting things from the 1940s and Elvis era.

Then as the door opens, you can’t miss it. The Taylor Swift Educational center is full of people. So I try to see what the big deal is. There are a few workers inside directing people and answering questions. While I’m waiting in line, the young girl in front of me turns in a paper and says, “I finished the scavenger hunt.” The woman working there replies, “Which prize would you like?” and opens a giant cabinet filled with memorabilia. The girl grabs something and wanders off, and I’m next in line.

So I ask the woman, “Why the Taylor Swift Educational Center?” She explains that Taylor donated a ton of money to the Hall of Fame to create an interactive place with classrooms for field trips or tours to gather and learn more about country music. It’s pretty incredible that such a young musical artist appreciates the genre that much to try to grow awareness about its history and gain new appreciation from kids who may not yet understand it.

As I’m going through the room, there’s a display case with dresses she has worn on tour and one of the guitars she played on stage. There’s a lot of stations set up for kids to do crafts and drawings. And then I find it, the scavenger hunt. I grab one from among the display of informational sheets. On both the front and back is a list of different things to find throughout the entire tour of the building. I’m glad I took one because this is what helped me look at and read every single display in the building. Some of them were actually tough to find. And yes, there is an accountability factor to some of it that proves you actually saw these things.

As you navigate through the displays you see everything you could imagine and want from a historical standpoint. There are typewriters that were used to write lyrics, sheets of lyrics, guitars played by certain famous artists, boots and outfits worn that were iconic, things seen in music videos, even a tour bus. There was quite the variety. As you go through the tour, it literally takes you from the beginnings of country music all the way to current artists. I wouldn’t say it’s dominated by Taylor Swift, but it starts with her Center and ends with her tour bus. If you put forward the amount of money she did to the Hall of Fame, you would deserve that too. The cool thing about the tour bus is it teaches you the process of making an album and the different jobs that go into it. You can also step inside a recording studio and actually record yourself singing. When I went, there was a girl inside one who was pretty good, and a bachelorette party shout-singing in another.

At the end of the three floor tour, I went to turn in my scavenger hunt, but the room was closed. On the door was a sign that said I could turn in the scavenger hunt to the information desk in the lobby. I felt a little odd as an adult turning this in, but the prize options were pretty awesome. In line with the entire experience, I opted for the Taylor Swift book that outlined her Red album and tour. There were DVDs featuring people I had never heard of, lanyards, and other random trinkets, but I ended up giving the book to a friend for her birthday because she is a huge T. Swift fan.

So, like I said in the beginning, I was in the giant lobby again. I did enjoy the stores. I bought a shirt to commemorate my visit. When I did, they gave me a coupon for the Hatch Print Shop and directed me down the walkway. If they hadn’t told me about it, I would not have found it or known to go look at it. I recommend taking a look. It’s one of the few places that still uses a working letterpress to create designs and art for posters, shirts, and more. I liked it so much, I now follow them on Instagram. I did buy a poster from the $5 pile that was for a 4th of July event a few years ago. They have a whole wall of cute sayings printed in various fonts and designs that are super cheap and chic. Think Newsies the movie, when they decide to print their own newspaper, but with color and cooler concepts.

By the time I finished going through the Hall of Fame, two stores, and Hatch Show Print, the building was closing. Hopefully that explains that you’ll definitely get your monies worth in time, but also in entertainment. In summary: get the audio tour, do the scavenger hunt, and explore the stores in the building.

Memphis, TN and Graceland

Memphis, TN was another stop on my cross-country road trip in August 2016. The primary reason for the stop: Graceland. I was never a diehard Elvis fan. My college roommate loved the King so much, she named her first dog after him. It wasn’t until after the trip to his home that he gained a new, committed fan from me.

When I arrived in Memphis, I actually had a hotel on this part of the trip. Only one of two on my 17 day journey. I asked the front desk where I could get good, real Memphis barbecue. He and the guy standing next to me both said The Bar-B-Q Shop on Madison. It was less than 5 minutes from my hotel, and it was exactly what I was looking for. I got a sweet tea, half rack of ribs, coleslaw, collard greens, and toast. The only way it could have gotten more southern was with some homemade mac’n’cheese, but I could not have eaten that much. I didn’t even finish the plate I had.

 

The next morning I was ready to head to the home of The King. You do have to pay for parking, but it is a secured lot. The surrounding area seems like it hasn’t been updated in a while, which was odd considering how many people visit the attraction. It’s a completely different landscape than what you see and feel on Elvis’ property.

You walk through the parking lot and head to the main building where you buy tickets. There are a few options, but if you’re going to be there, go for it. That’s if you have enough time. My ticket included access to the airplanes, cars, and property. It was worth it in my opinion, especially if you plan to have enough time. I spent between 4-5 hours there that day just looking at everything and then had to get back to my road trip right after.

So, start with the property. You have to wait in line for the shuttle because his house is actually across the street. You get an iPad guided tour, featuring John Stamos as the narrator (think Full House). When you get to the house, they talk to you about the grounds and rules, and then in you go. It immediately starts once you enter the front door. There is a living room to the right and it has one of his pianos in the background. You really only have to listen to the iPad, but if you look at it, there are things you can press on to get more information about items in the room.

You continue through the entire house like this. The only restricted area is the upstairs. Nobody is allowed up there, and on occasion, Lisa Marie Presley will come stay in the house up there. You see rooms where he recorded music, areas built filled with film memorabilia, an entire hallway lined with hit record achievements, a racquetball court that was converted to display numerous performance costumes and awards, and room covered entirely of folded fabric. However the most surreal moment comes at the end of the grounds tour. You actually stand in front of his grave. His family is buried together, but to know that he is right there in front of you is pretty crazy. Fans from all over the world bring posters and flowers to place there. I personally had no idea that was part of the tour, so I was a little shocked. The impact he has had one the world as a musician, actor, and person hits you.

 

From there, you hop back on the shuttle and can wander a few gift shops. The next closest attraction are his cars. You’ll see a gift shop, but you enter the doors on the left. The amount of vehicles is impressive since there are others at different museums as well. If he drove it in a movie, it’s there. If he owned it for personal use around Graceland, it was there. Again, it’s kind of surreal looking at these items and thinking at one point Elvis was sitting inside of it with his family. It’s like you could feel his spirit in the room.

 

You’ll wander through more shops on your way to the airplanes. The smaller of the two was what you would expect of a private jet (pictured below). It has enough room for 9 passengers, and was probably used for quick trips. The larger of the two is named the Lisa Marie. Inside you’ll find a gold sink in the bathroom, a dining room, a meeting area complete with two phones and a stereo system for music, a bedroom, and a vanity. When you reach the bedroom, it’s nothing impressive, but you again realize that Elvis himself slept 1 foot in front of where you’re standing.

 

The thing that stuck with me the most was actually Elvis’ motto: Taking Care of Business with a lightening symbol (TCB). You see the moniker in his house, on his airplanes, and even on his grave. That’s how much it meant to him. That is what helped him manage the celebrity and business side of his life. He worked very hard for what he had, which is very respectable.

I would definitely recommend visiting Graceland. Is it a bucket list item? Maybe not, but it was very inspiring. While it could seem lavish to some, it also puts into perspective the expectations he may have been feeling throughout his career and life, while honoring his work.

Jekyll Island and Brunswick, GA

Each year, due to my job, I know I have a two week period off in August. In the beginning of 2016 I made plans to do a solo, cross-country road trip. The plan was to stay with friends along the way to help make it more financially feasible. I started by leaving Charlotte, NC, where I was living at the time. Then I went home to see family in Mt. Pleasant, SC. The next stop was originally in Jacksonville, FL, but the person I was going to stay with moved. So I looked to the internet to find a solution.

Only from having seen pictures, I knew there were a few beaches on the southeast coast of the US that had trees growing out of the sand. After a Google search, I discovered Jekyll Island, GA. That was the starting point of my research.

The other thing that drew me to the area was the Georgia Sea Turtle Center in Brunswick, GA. I thought I was going to sign up for a night walk on the beach where you help usher newly hatched sea turtles to the their life in the Atlantic. Due to poor planning on my part, that didn’t happen. So if you plan ahead enough, I still highly recommend you contact them and set one up.

Looking back at the process of setting things up, I also believe I was lucky to have acquired the best AirBnb I have stayed in so far (and it happened to be my first ever). If you are in this area of Georgia, search the site for “Sunset Cottage aka, Little House.” You get the entire place, and to me the price is lower than it should be for what you get. It is literally a whole house, but what’s special are the decorations. Gloria put great thought into how unique and eclectic the place feels. That’s why out of over 200 ratings, she has 5 stars.

The only reason I could see people being weary of it is the outside location. The entire place surrounded by a high fence, and you don’t realize you’re blocks from a shipyard type area. There is a sketchy looking gas station across the street, but don’t let that deter you. Remember, I was a single, young female on this trip, and I felt and was safe the entire time.

I checked in quickly without having to meet the host, unloaded my car, and then it immediately started pouring. By the time I had taken in the entire cottage indoor experience, the rain stopped, and the sun actually made a reappearance. I hopped back in my car and headed to Jekyll Island. Even the drive there was picture worthy, and only took about 10-15 minutes.

Know before you go, it actually costs money to get onto the island. It was only $5, which is completely worth it. Once you drive through the marsh land, you come to a resort-like shopping center. There is a nice hotel, which I’m glad I stopped in to ask for directions to the “beach with the trees on it.” Without the help from concierge, I would have probably never found it myself.

So for those of you who decide you want to go on this adventure, once you hit the fancy shopping center, turn left. Continue down the road for a while. You’ll see the beach on the passenger side, and it is beautiful. Once you start to hit an area filled with homes and trees, keep going until you see little dirt areas on the side of the road where you can pull off and park. Once you’ve done that, you have to walk through short paths of trees to reach the beach. Where I was, once you actually got to the beach, there were a bunch of rocks. Keep walking left down the beach. Trust me, it’s all worth the search.

Then you see them. Giant trees sticking up out of the sand. Some fallen over, some just roots, and some completely upright reaching toward the sky. I don’t know if it was because of the recent rainfall or if it was due to tides, but there were pools of water around each of the bases of the trees. These were filled with fish and crabs and insects that clearly thrive on these structures.

There were a bunch of people on the beach with me, but I can imagine on a sunnier or busier weekend it may be packed. Luckily, I was able to capture some images uninterrupted by people (see below). When you look at them, wonder. Think about how these trees are still here. Think about how few people have seen them. Think about the fact that you’re on a beach with giant trees sticking up out of the sand.

I left the beach feeling closer to nature. I know that sounds kind of hippyish, but it’s true. Most days I go through the same routine of home, work, errands, and home. This place was a great reminder that moments exist where you should stop, look, and take it all in. You don’t need music. You don’t need to talk. You can just stand there and be a part of it.

On the way back to my AirBnb, immediately after you drive through the exit of Jekyll Island, there is an observation tower on the right. Again, somehow I had perfect timing, and I managed to be there during sunset. There’s a beautiful view of the marshes and the Sydney Lanier Bridge (runs over the Brunswick River).

I continued back to my AirBnb and ate leftover Pad Thai from Basil (got it in Mt. Pleasant before I headed to Georgia). I wish I could give you restaurant recommendations, but I didn’t eat in the area. It looked like there were a few good ones in the shopping center on Jekyll Island. And I’m sure you could ask Gloria for a few when you book the reservation for the stay.

The next morning I woke up, packed up, and headed out. I did get Starbucks before heading to the next destination. So at least you know there is a Starbucks (if you’re in need).

My overall experience was this was a location I would have never thought to come to. Who says, “I can’t wait to go to Brunswick, GA!” Not many. It’s usually Hilton Head or a major city in Florida. Put this on your list of places to see. It could easily become one of your favorite weekend getaways if you live in the southeast.