On Christmas day through New Years, I was out in Long Beach visiting my friends D&D. There's so many cool places to see, and no way to know about them without chance or locals on your side. So here you go, some cool, weird, and lesser-known places of interest in the Long Beach / LA area. Oh, and the Joshua Tree.
The Queen Mary
Obsevation Bar on the Queen Mary
I didn’t go here, but was told its something to see. “Art deco with a feeling of being back in the day on the Titanic or some shits – and has a creepy elvis/whatever singer on Friday n Saturday nights”, says one of the D’s
Hmmmm, if I were Jimmy Buffett putzing around Long Beach and wanted to go eat somewhere I can feel at home in AND enjoy some tasty fish, where would I go? Jimmy’s! Pink and Teal walls, a shorts-wearing wait staff, and lots of old people. Perfect! The food is damn nice too.
I’m a sucker for Taquerias, add the fresh fish available along the west coast and you’ve plucked a mean riff on my heart strings. Spicy tacos, salsa bar, horchata, and fried peppers (that were outrageously hot, but usually not); if there was one of these in my neighborhood I’d be fat and broke. Still, I wish there was.
Skateboarders galore, and their tattooed friends. Skate videos supplanting the usual football game mind-sucker (see my other guide). Below is the intro to Lakai’s new video Fully Flared me and D watched jaws agape while playing pool and drinking salty dogz, we promptly bought the video the next day to watch all the way through. Nerds!
We rolled up to this Tiki styled bar in a 1000 foot 50’s hearse. The bar and car are both highly recommended.
We rolled up to this Tiki styled bar in a 1000 foot 50’s hearse. The bar and car are both highly recommended.
Santa Monica Pier
Guide photo (the Queen Mary docked in Long Beach) and above by Olivo Barbieri using tilt-shift lense technologies to make the real world look like a wee lil’ model.
West coasters know something about good coffee. So here it is, along with a nice selection of art and music magazines to peruse whilst sippin’ some tasty joey.
West coasters know something about good coffee. So here it is, along with a nice selection of art and music magazines to peruse whilst sippin’ some tasty joey.
Owned by a member / past member(?) of Social Distortion. I didn’t end up here on day 1, but I saw it while cruising on my borrowed cruiser. Punkers like good food and drinking, too.
Owned by a member / past member(?) of Social Distortion. I didn’t end up here on day 1, but I saw it while cruising on my borrowed cruiser. Punkers like good food and drinking, too.
Right along the beach. Seems to have interesting shows cycling through it. There was a great contemporary portrait show going on when I went. A creepy twins painting stands out in my mind.
Right along the beach. Seems to have interesting shows cycling through it. There was a great contemporary portrait show going on when I went. A creepy twins painting stands out in my mind.
Long Beach / L.A. area Map
Museum of Jurassic Technology
Have you ever felt like you were in the midst of a joke you weren’t aware of and everyone around you was somehow in on it? Welcome to the first 10-15 minutes of The Museum of Jurassic Technology. Fear not, if you have any appreciation of people who are so driven in one little unusual niche area of interest (ex – the guy with the largest collection of hamburger memorabilia, who had a hamburger 3-wheel motorcycle) that they somehow bring a scientific knowledge to it, this is the place for you.
All the exhibits are usually based around one persons obsessive interest in something seemingly left-field, who in the end creates something beautiful. Microscopic mosaics made out of iridescent flakes of color extracted from butterfly wings, 3-dimensional sculptures constructed on the tip of a needle, collections of weather-worn dice, trailer park dioramas – everything in this place is fascinating, and without a place like this easily lost in time.
Chicken & Waffles – who knew? Apparently Roscoe, who is a genius in many ways. There are a few of these around the L.A. area, so I don’t know if they’re all the same, but I hope so. The pink and teal fluorescent lighting lining the room is genius, as well as the cafeteria feel mixed with flowery grandma furniture.
The chicken is sumptuous, and the waffles are absurdly good. What do they put in those things to make them taste so good? I was hoping I’d see Snoop here.
The Joshua Tree National Park is warm in the daytime in December/January. It’s freezing literally 15 minutes after the sun goes down. We planned on camping there for three days over New Years. We made it two nights before deciding to head back to Long Beach.
But not before climbing all over the incredible rock formations and breaking in the new smoker D’s brother made (approximately 250 lbs.) with salmon, steak, and anything else that sounded good smoked.
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