Category: Places

There are certainly many reasons to visit the Getty Center in Los Angeles. For me, however, there is only one draw – the architecture.

My personal take on it: If those guys in Europe who peppered the place with their castles (with the height of activities during the 11^th to the 15^th century) were to look at the Getty Center, they would probably say “good job.” And it is indeed, for me at least, a castle, perfectly transposed and transformed for our present times.

When one arrives over the freeway, the buildings loom overhead, impregnable and indestructible. Interestingly enough the Getty Foundation and the architect underscored this impression by preventing visitors to drive up to the Center. Cars have to be parked at the foot of the hill, the rest of the way visitors are ferried up with a small tram. Once arrived, the impression is completely different: One sees an ensemble of buildings grouped around several courtyards and gardens and there are amazing views down from the hill over all of Los Angeles.

All buildings are huge and either clad with white enameled aluminum panes or travertine in a slightly less brilliant hue. Depending on the cladding the buildings are either light and elegant (aluminum) with amazing angles and curves or solid and fortress like (travertine). While they complement each other, they are interwoven to form a tapestry which gives new delight to the eyes at every corner one turns.

It is very hard to chose just one photo as an example of what the Getty Center is like. So I decided on four out of 200.

And next time I’ll probably take another 200.

Years ago, in Japan, I sat in a bamboo grove by a small pond and marveled at the peacefulness I felt. It only took 14 h flight to get there.

Today the next bamboo grove by a pond is 20 minutes drive away.

Sitting there, in the gardens of the Huntington Library, one feels far removed from all the cares in the world.

Yes, gardens are green therapy for the soul.

Look at this photo. Imagine approximately 130 F heat. Picture yourself running. How far would you be able to go?

Well, some people manage to run 135 miles.

Yes, the Badwater Ultramarathon is on (7/14 – 7/16/2008). Without questioning myself why one would want to run 135 miles in Death Valley and beyond, I must admit that to endure this race is … awesome. I have no other word for it.

Right now the first participants have reached the goal. The fastest time was 23:20:16. Anybody completing the race in under 60 hours receives a medal, those who need less than 48 hours a belt buckle. No prize money is awarded.

I’ve been to Death Valley and hiked through Zabriski Point. It was later in the year, with temperatures somewhat cooler (only approx. 115 F). Even with plenty of water and at a moderate hiking pace it was hard going, very hard, but in the end I felt proud and elated that I did make it.

I imagine that this it exactly the feeling one has after doing 135 miles – only a hundred times more so.

The architectural landscape of Los Angeles is extremely varied. One can find anything from buildings appreciated worldwide for their high aesthetic value or sheer boldness to areas with structures so boring in their uniformity that one feels driven to tears. These are the two ends of the spectrum; in between one can find anything from the divine to the ridiculous and the weird.

This clearly falls into the latter category:

Yes, I know that this mock-Tudorbethan style was very popular from the middle of the 1920s to the beginning of the 1930s. I also know that this little “village”, a tableau consisting of eight cottages, was built adjacent to the former Disney studios (long gone, now a Gelson supermarket sits on the site), therefore it is part of the film history of the city. Still, every time I pass this spot on Griffith Park Boulevard I have to blink and ask myself: “What did they smoke when they came up with that?”

The only redeeming fact about this architectural travesty (in my eyes at least) is that David Lynch used the cottages in his movie “Mulholland Drive.” They certainly do not appear as quaint or whimsical in this film – I doubt that Mr. Lynch is even aware that these words exist – but as a dark, disturbing and mysterious background to some scenes in one of his finest movies. An architectural nightmare turned into art, at least for a few scenes. That, too, is very L.A.

When I visited Las Vegas for the first time, the Bellagio wasn’t finished yet. Some quick computing – yes, that was 1998. And yes, the Bellagio sits on the site of the former Dunes.

Since then a lot of hotels have gone up at and near The Strip. To name just a few: Mandalay Bay, Palazzo, The Palms, Paris, South Point, Wynn, The Venetian. A lot of older hotels have vanished too, to make room for something newer, larger, more spectacular. The same goes for all of Las Vegas – developments sprang up everywhere; every year there were more houses. especially during the last five years more and more subdivisions crept into the desert and closer to the mountains.

Still, one can leave all that behind and transport oneself into (nearly) untouched landscapes. Just 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip there is no more glitter and glamor, no noise, no hordes of people, this very short drive takes one to the conservation area of Red Rock Canyon. There again one has several choices, one can take the scenic drive, stop somewhere and take a hike or turn right shortly before arriving at the visitor’s center and go to Calico Basin Red Springs.

Having been to both the Red Rock National Park and the Calico Basin, I somehow prefer the latter. On driving up to the site one sees houses totally unlike the cookie cutter monstrosities left and right of the highway up to this area:

Even though the structures look quite tiny, actually they are not; they just appear so small against the backdrop of the undisturbed, massive environment.

Then comes the first surprise:

Green? In the Mojave Desert? Oh, it gets even better:

Red Springs is indeed an oasis, with three springs carrying water all year round, turning the barren looking land into this island of green.

One might wonder how such a tiny amount of water can keep a whole oasis alive – but that’s all that is needed, some water, constantly flowing, to turn the desert into a small paradise.

The difference can be seen here from top of the ridge dividing the oasis from the surrounding desert:

This is truly an oasis to recover from the glittering city a few miles away.

What better way than to spend the first weekend of summer somewhere really warm? Like Las Vegas?

A first idea of what is in store one can get from the huge thermometer in Baker at 4 PM.

Those who like even more heat turn left off the I-15 into Death Valley. There they laugh at 111 F. The less hardy ones continue on towards the last ridge of the Mojave National Preserve,

over the pass and down, down into the Ivanpah Dry Lake. Even though it is dry, it is popular for sailing – land sailing that is. With 35 square miles there’s a lot of room for that particular sport.

On the other side of the lake Nevada begins, easily recognizable from the casinos of Primm.

Then it is just another short hop of 50 miles and time for some fun. Most people go for the gambling – some go for the food. There are several great places in Las Vegas to celebrate the first day of summer with some friendly former inhabitants of Maine.

Eat, drink and be merry and forget that at 10 PM it is still 98 F outside. After all, in Death Valley it is still hotter and lobsters turn red at 212 F.

Imagine this: It’s the beginning of the 1960s. You are a young aerospace engineer. Your father-in-law has given you a lot in the Santa Monica Mountains above Mulholland Drive, with a spectacular view and a 45 degree slope. You want to build a house there, but everybody tells you that this is impossible. Your budget is limited. What do you do?

Leonard Malin (who was the young man) found help in architect John Lautner. Lautner already had a reputation as the best architect for the most difficult building lots. I can just imagine those two getting together, with Mr. Malin stating: “I have the lot. I have $30.000. I want to live there. Do what you want. And, by the way, the end result does not need to look like a house.”

Okay, I made that last sentence up. But he could have said it, because the house, better known today under the name “Chemosphere,” looks like this:

Imagine living there. What fun.

My first visit to the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park was a bit of a disaster. Not knowing then that the park is a bit larger than usual (as far as parks go) I imagined that a pleasant stroll on a lovely Sunday would be a perfect way to pass the time. Nobody pointed out to me that my attire of summer dress and high heeled sandals might not be quite the proper hiking gear; in fact, nobody told me that the pleasant stroll I had envisioned would be a hike of two miles.

Upon finally arriving at the zoo I was in pain. My feet were burning and throbbing; my teeth were hurting, too, from grinding them. I could do nothing about the pain in my jaw, but for the feet there was an instant cure: The flamingo pond opposite the entrance. I hobbled over there, took off my shoes and stuck my feet into the water. I am sure I heard a slight hissing sound as they sunk into the silken cool wetness. I closed my eyes. Sheer bliss.

When I opened my eyes again, all those flamingos had turned their heads towards me. I swear, the collective look of disgust on their faces said very clearly: “Good grief, woman, we drink that water!”

I am not sure whether they had a flamingo pond at the Old Zoo. Actually I am not sure what types of animals they had there at all, because it must have been a pretty small place. It certainly was a zoo of the type one (luckily) does not find any longer – with small cages and stockades that the animals on exhibit were just stuck into.

When, in the middle of the ‘60s, the zoo moved to its new and present location about a mile away, the abandoned site just sat there. A while later the area was transformed into a picnic ground with lovely lawns. The old grottoes were fitted with barbecue pits, tables and benches – voila, a perfect setting for an outing with the family and lots of exciting places for the kids to explore.

These grottoes were also used as a location for “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” Yes, the wacky scene with Christina Applegate, Will Ferrell, the bears and Baxter the dog was shot here, because neither the L.A. nor the San Diego Zoo could quite stomach the idea of having the Hollywood madcaps on their premises.

Detail of Gamble House in Pasadena

In February 2008 the BCMA (Broad Contemporary Art Museum) opened next door to the LACMA (Los Angeles Country Museum of Art). Both museums share the same campus, which is still undergoing a major overhaul.

Apart from yet another abbreviation the BCMA brought not only a rather interesting collection of modern art to the city, but also an installation outside on the piazza between the two museums: “Urban Light” by Chris Burden.

This installation, consisting of 202 street lamps, most of them actually originating from Los Angeles, is one of my favorite pieces. There are new aspects from each and every angle, light and shadow paint pictures of their own, surrounding buildings (even those not connected to the museum) come into play for new and surprising compositions.

And yes, they do light up at night. One of these days I’ll have to go down to Wilshire on a balmy summer night for a new series of photos.