This is an outline of our entire Los Angeles article including all the attractions Dave has personally visited in the greater LA Area. We visit LA often so additional attractions will be highlighted here over time, as this is by no means an exhaustive list! Airports - LAX - Hollywood/Burbank (BUR) - John Wayne (SNA) - Long Beach (LGB) - Ontario (ONT) A Accomodation - Budget - Luxury - Moderate Beverly Hills - Robertson … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Gardens
Arlington Garden Sometimes you need a break from the 210 or the 134 and you decide to pull off into Pasadena seeking a respite from the traffic and chaos of urban congestion. That place is the 3-acre Arlington Garden oasis located at 275 Arlington Dr in Pasadena. Free parking is curbside on Arlington Drive or on nearby residential streets. This free public garden (the only one in Pasadena) contains a number of short pathways winding through a … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Little Saigon
Little Saigon is located in the town of Westminster in Southern Orange County between the 405 and the 22 freeways (with good traffic about 45 minutes south of downtown LA). This is NOT a small town. It is predominately a Vietnamese community and is one of the largest Asian communities located anywhere in the USA. If you are not of Vietnamese heritage and you are in some of the stores and shopping districts in Little Saigon, chances are you will … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Torrance
Perhaps Torrance is not the first city you think of when visiting Los Angeles - but when digging into the city's history and unique attractions you quickly find that this is a city worth exploring. While flight was invented by the Wright Brothers near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina - it is in Torrance that flight was developed as a commercial entity. A number of company headquarters are located here - it is ground zero for International auto … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Venice Beach
Venice Beach is located just south of Santa Monica along the edge of the Pacific Ocean. This is a town of eclectic dichotomy of street side artists and backpackers along with a mix of trendy upscale establishments. Venice is home to numerous actors and actresses and the city has been featured in a number of films and TV shows including Baywatch. Very popular with surfers and you will often see surfers riding bicycles with their surf boards … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Accommodation
Los Angeles offers a diversity of accommodation ranging from basic rooms to some of the state's top luxury properties. If you have your own suggestion for LA area hotels, please email dave@pon.net & reference this page in your email. We will consider all recommendations. We have personally stayed at nearly all the properties listed below. And be sure to scroll down to the map at the bottom of this page listing approximate pricing and … [Read more...]
My Trip to Moxico and Angolan History (Part I)
Report by Jo Ann von Haff Pictures by Father Ornelas Stay in Lwena, Moxico Province from August 12th to August 22nd 2002 - Lwena (Angola) Monday, August 12th 2002 Day 1 Luanda At 6 AM, I had a glimpse of what my life could become in a couple of years. To wake up at 4 AM and have a 12 kilo bag and to take a plane at 6 AM, when 90% of the population is still sleeping. It was still dark; the air was fresh and windy. Only a few buses … [Read more...]
My Trip to Moxico and Angolan History (Part II)
It was delicious, and we had lots of fun. Sometimes, I remember those dinners as something I would do with friends of my age or probably not. Just with friends. I have lots of friends who are ten years older than I am. We laughed so much! Of course Maria had to ask about the role of the women in the Church. I guess she made that her mission in life! But we spoke about all. I mean: they spoke about all. I just listened and from time to time would … [Read more...]
Under the Cobalt
Africa greets you with immediate attention. You just barely exit the boat ramp before many men, who we kindly call hustlers, but who call themselves "guides," greet you, offering you their local expertise for a price. I ignored all eyes and comments as a way to say I was uninterested, but it was more difficult than that. We managed to make our way to the more honest taxi stands and request a ride to the bus station. We had decided to go directly … [Read more...]
Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb
9/1/2000 - Friday After traveling for three days and undergoing quite an ordeal getting from San Luis Obispo to Nairobi, Kenya, I finally arrive in the Nairobi airport at 7:50 pm. After going through Customs and gratefully retrieving my backpack and suitcase from the baggage claim area, I was overjoyed to see John Bragg there to greet me. We had some very long big hugs of relief to have made it to Nairobi safely and in time before the rest of … [Read more...]