#243: The Original Farmers Market

What are these? Tacos for ants? Well whether you're a hungry ant or an indecisive human, you'll drool over Loteria Grill's 12 piece mini taco sampler. Each mini taco is loaded with a different topping, such as cactus salad, chicken in mole sauce, and mushrooms with epazote.

Loteria Grill has restaurants all over the city, but there's no better place to enjoy your bite sized taco platter than at their stand at the Original Farmers Market.  

The Farmers Market is located at The Grove on the corner of 3rd and Fairfax. Just how original is this Farmers Market? It was created in 1934! Old school.

Unlike other farmers markets, this one is open everyday and has permanent shops which sell sushi, crepes, sausages, nuts, pastries, toffee, ice cream, and much more.

When you're finished with your tacos, ride the free trolley around the rest of The Grove and get your shop on!

The Original Farmers Market

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#242: Lower Arroyo Seco Park

As a new parent, I find that my mind and body are often at odds with one another.  In my mind, I envision myself taking my little girl on fun filled adventures everyday. My sleep deprived body, however, says... Um.... Uh.... Zzzzz... 

Take last weekend. After spending Saturday sprawled on the sofa, Brad and I vowed to at least take our girl to the park on Sunday. Sadly, our tiredness won out yet again and our front lawn became the "park". Yeehaw. 

This weekend I told myself "Mind Over Body!" and was determined to get out and do a nature walk. Kelly encouraged me to check out the Lower Arroyo Seco Park in Pasadena. The walk takes you along a river bed and under beautiful bridges, including Colorado Street Bridge. It's also on fairly flat ground, making it great for the out of shape and weary. The pictures on Yelp looked amazing, so when our little rooster woke at 6 am, we hit the road. 

We started our walk at the parking lot which can be accessed at the corner of South Arroyo Blvd and Norwood Drive.  

Turn when you see this sign and follow the road down to the parking lot.  

at the beginning of the walk

heading north toward the bridge

The walk starts at the archery range and takes you north along the concrete channel towards the Colorado Bridge.



You can walk along either side of the channel, but as you approach the bridge, get to the right side (the left side dead ends).

Once under the bridge, you'll have to go up a semi steep dirt hill to continue along the path, so this is not a walk for strollers or high heels.  Continue walking and you'll find yourself under the 134 freeway.

We continued walking a little more, and then turned back around. This KCET article outlines our 1.4 mile walk.  If you want a longer walk, I found this L.A. Times article that describes both a 3 and 7 mile walk you can take in the area. 

When we left around 10 am, the lot was full and there was a line of cars waiting. I think this was due to Saturday morning archery practice. So if you plan on going, you might want to avoid this time or just park on the main street and walk down.

I loved Arroyo Seco Park and only wished I had more time to explore it. While we were there, we saw a lot of joggers, hikers and dog walkers, but in no way did the park feel crowded. It's the perfect urban nature getaway! 

Have you been to Arroyo Seco Park? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below! 

Arroyo Seco Park

#241: Lots of Food Truck Lots!

I must confess, Gourmet Food Trucks exhaust me. Just the thought of following them on Twitter, driving to wherever they're located, standing in line, and then eating my food on a street corner... It's enough to make me want to get Thai food delivered to my house and veg out while watching The Voice. Who's with me?

Don Chow Tacos

If you're like me (i.e. lazy), then a Food Truck Lot might just make you want to give food trucks another chance. What's so great about a Food Truck Lot? Instead of one food truck, you get a handful, and you can graze to your stomach's desire while knowing that this event will always take place at a regularly scheduled time at the same location.


This past Tuesday, we headed out to Santa Monica to check out Santa Monica's Food Truck Lot as they celebrated their 2 year anniversary. The lot is located on the corner of Main St. and Ocean Park next to the California Heritage Museum and it's open every Tuesday from 5 - 10 pm.  Bonus points for the large lawn where you can relax and enjoy your meal.

Don Chow Bowl

The selection of trucks changes weekly and is posted on their calendar.  When we went, the most popular trucks seemed to be the Lobsta Truck (lobster rolls) and LudoTruck (fried chicken). There was also the Buttermilk Truck, Coolhaus, Komodo, India Jones, Slammin Sliders, Don Chow Tacos and Fry Smith. We went with some tacos and a bowl from Don Chow and a couple of tacos from Komodo.

Komodo Tacos

Here are some tips for your outing:

• If you go, you might want to bring your own drinks since the trucks don't sell beverages. Otherwise, there's a small booth in the middle of the lot that sells drinks. 
• Bring a blanket to sit on if you're going to eat on the lawn. 
• Even though the Lot is advertised as opening at 5 pm, some of the trucks didn't open until about 5:30 pm. 
• If you ride your bike there, they have free bike valet service starting from 5:30 pm. 

Don't live close to Santa Monica? Here are some other Food Truck Lots: Gateway to Go near LAX, Westside Food Truck Central (although somewhat unreliable. I would check their Twitter page to make sure they're open on the day you want to go), Culver City Food Truck Fest, and On the Lot in Los Feliz.

Can you recommend any other Food Truck Lots in L.A.? Leave me a comment below!

Santa Monica Food Truck Lot

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#240: Culver City Farmers Market

What do Culver City's Farmers Market and my husband have in common? They're both short but have plenty of personality! 

This market is one block long on Main Street between Culver and Venice Blvd. It's open on Tuesday from 3-7pm and there's free parking right near the market.  

Kelly invited me and my little girl to walk around the market last week, where I purchased some coconut juice straight from the coconut, a Korean sticky rice dessert, and beef jerky. 

Kelly snagged a couple of cobblers from the cobbler lady and a gourmet balsamic vinegar.  

It's impressive how many booths they fit onto this stretch of Main. There were booths selling bakery items, hummus and dips, cactus tortillas, smoked meats, crepes, artisan chocolate, jewelry, gourmet Korean food, fresh seafood, knife sharpening, plenty of fruits and vegetables, herbs, and wild mushrooms. There was also a clown, and this guy playing music for little kids:

Even though this farmers market is quite small, I like the quality of vendors who sell here (the seafood booth is expensive but fantastic!) and the friendly atmosphere of downtown Culver City. 

Check out more farmers markets here: Beverly Hills (#229), Westwood (#171), Hollywood (#139), Mar Vista (#134), Santa Monica Main Street (#91), and Santa Monica Arizona Ave (#90). 

Have you been to the Culver City Farmers Market? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

Culver City Farmers Market

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#239: FIDM Museum

Game of Thrones Costumes

photo from Huffington Post

 "Do you want to check out the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum this weekend?" I asked Brad. I think he just heard the word "fashion" and replied with a half-hearted "Eh". This is a man who owns five identical plain grey t-shirts and still says he needs to get more, so perhaps fashion isn't a big draw for him.

"The current exhibit has the costumes from Emmy nominated costume designers."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, like Game of Thrones."

I said the magic words. Brad has read five of the novels (no small feat, since they are enormous!), and is hooked on the TV series. We were soon out the door with our little adventurer in tow.

 Boardwalk Empire Costumes

photo from Huffington Post

The FIDM museum is located on the corner of Grand and 9th in Downtown L.A.. After grabbing a quick bite to eat at Bottega Louie two blocks away, we met up with a couple of friends to check out the museum.

The exhibit is in a large room and features costumes from Boardwalk Empire, The New Girl, Pan Am, Once Upon a Time, Smash, Pretty Little Liars, Sons of Anarchy, American Horror Story and more.

Downtown Abbey Costumes

photo from Huffington Post

There is a mini exhibit in an attached room that showcases women's hats from the 1820's to the 1920's, and a fragrance archive which features cosmetics and perfumes from the house of Lucien Lelong. (Unfortunately, we didn't realize there was a fragrance archive until after we left. Be sure to ask someone who works there to show you the way.) There's also a museum shop which sells everything from PanAm bags to the latest Game Of Thrones book.

The current exhibit runs until October 20th. There is no photography or cell phone use allowed in the museum.  When we went on a Saturday afternoon, the underground parking was free (normally it's paid parking, but there was no attendant when we went). The museum admission is free as well and they even had some candy and pink lemonade in the lobby for visitors.



There's a beautiful park adjacent to the museum. Pack a picnic and you're all set for a fun adventure!

dog statues

Have you been to the FIDM museum? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum

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#238: Beverly Gardens Park

For the residents of Beverly Hills, "Bigger is Better" applies to their homes, their jewelry, and even their parks. While most parks take up just one or two city blocks, Beverly Hill's Beverly Gardens Park takes up an astounding 22 blocks along Santa Monica Blvd!  This oddly shaped long, narrow park includes a cactus garden, rose garden, modern art, the iconic Beverly Hills sign, and a fountain made famous in the "I love Josh" scene in Clueless.

A line of tourists waiting to take pictures at the Beverly Hills sign

Beverly Gardens Park was the ideal place to take our little adventurer on a stroller walk because the path was completely smooth which made for an enjoyable bump-less ride for her. We went on a weekend afternoon as the sun was starting to set, and we passed joggers, tourists, and people just out for a nice walk.

 Hymn of Life: Tulips by Yayoi Kusama 

Beverly Gardens Park was built in 1911 and is 1.9 miles long. With all of the modern sculptures decorating the paths, the park is the perfect setting for the semiannual Beverly Hills Art Show in May and October.

Erratic by Roxy Paine 

The park is right across the street from all the shopping and eating areas of Beverly Hills. Sprinkles, Harajuku Crepe, and Barney's are just a couple of blocks away!

There are two minor problems with the park; there is the sound of traffic from busy Santa Monica Blvd, and you have to cross the streets every time you go from block to block. The good news, though, is the crosswalk signs change really quickly and there is ample parking in outdoor lots all along Santa Monica opposite the park. If you go after 6 pm, the parking is free. 

Cactus Garden

Have you been to the Beverly Gardens Park? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

Beverly Gardens Park

#237: The Santa Monica Traveling Rings

So you've done #28: Trapeze School and thought it was a piece of cake? I've got another challenge for you: show off your apelike swinging skills on the Santa Monica Traveling Rings.

The rings are located just south of the Santa Monica pier along the beachside cement path. According to this article, the rings were built after a lot of debate with the city's risk management team which feared the rings would be a liability. The equipment was originally built in the 1930's and was restored in 2000. You'll find all types of people using the rings, and even more spectators lounging on the cement wall. Around the rings are also ropes and bars that people do tricks on.

When we went on a weekend afternoon, the rings were busy with about ten guys waiting in line. Some of them listened to their ipods while they swung, and all of them had talent worthy of a Cirque du Soleil show. I found myself hypnotized as I watched guy after guy take his turn, twisting and flipping and gaining more and more momentum until his time was up. Ladies will especially like watching the rings because these athletes are buff and bronze! ;) Bring a lunch and some form of sun protection (there is no shade) and enjoy the show!

The Santa Monica Traveling Rings

#236: Los Angeles Police Academy Rock Garden

Talk about a hidden L.A. treasure! The rock garden at the L.A. Police Academy Revolver and Athletic Club in Elysian Park reminds me of an ancient Aztec temple. It's a city landmark, and was designed by Francois Scotti in 1937.  The garden features waterfalls, four pools, walking paths and stone benches.

When I saw pictures of the garden on the website Big Orange Landmarks, I knew I had to check this place out. The problem is, since it's a private club, it's not open to the public unless you make an appointment to see it. They rent out the space for weddings and other events (it costs $550), so if you want to see the rock garden, you can call the athletic club and request to see the space with the intention of possibly renting it. They'll give your name to the guard at the front entrance, and he'll give you directions to the garden.

The perfect setting for a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" themed wedding. 

When we visited on a Saturday morning, we were the only ones enjoying the garden. It was peaceful, and our girl loved the soothing sound of the rushing water. Note that there are many stairs at the garden, so we left the stroller in the car and just carried the little adventurer. 

Morning bicep workout

It was nice having the whole garden to ourselves, but it is too bad that the general public can't have regular easy access to the place. With a little planning, though, you can also see this beautiful garden. 

Los Angeles Police Academy Revolver and Athletic Club

1800 North Academy Drive

Have you been to the L.A. Police Academy Rock Garden? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!

#235: DIY Houses

The Gehry Residence

Hello stranger! I've got a good excuse for the lack of posts in the past few months -- my life has been taken over by a little baby girl! Our girl is 2 months old, and a feisty little creature. This was her first 365 L.A. adventure!

I love it when home owners take creative control over their houses and turn them into something avant garde. This weekend we went on a drive around Santa Monica and checked out two DIY houses in the area. The first is the Frank Gehry Residence which was built in the 70's. Gehry is the architect behind downtown's Disney Concert Hall. His house in Santa Monica is thought to be one of the catalysts of the Deconstructivism movement. 

Front of the Gehry Residence

Gehry gave the original house a makeover by keeping its exterior intact and building around it, adding chain link, plywood and metal. You can find the house on the corner of 22nd Street and Washington Ave.  It's pretty crazy looking, and supposedly some of the neighbors were not thrilled when they saw the finished product. 

The second house we visited was just a few blocks away. The Farnam Mosaic House is on the corner of 26th Street and California Ave. The owner of this house runs a mosaic business called Custom Mosaic Tile and has decorated the house's exterior, interior and back alley with beautiful mosaic. Thanks to Experiencing L.A. for letting me know about this house!

Want more DIY houses? Other notable homes in L.A. that were designed by their owners include the famous Watts Towers (#75), the Adamson Tile House (#22), and the Eames House (#86). Facebook follower Laura R. also suggested checking out the Garden of Oz in Hollywood. 

Do you know of any other unique houses in L.A.? Leave me a comment below!

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