Demolition ?

This pyramidal building was once a church, that sign is now gone and the grounds are falling to waste. Is it only a matter of time before this landmark is destroyed?

The sign identifying this odd building as a church is now gone. The perimeter grounds are falling into blight. Is it only a matter of time before this Paradise Valley pyramidal landmark meets the wrecking ball? I have never paid attention to which religious denomination used to worship here, as I have been more entertained with the idea that it was some church of the aliens and this was their spacecraft in disguise. Another idea I fancied was that the citizens of this rich enclave of Arizona were practicing an ancient Egyptian religion sustaining their wealth and preparing them to be mummified and entombed in a sarcophagus deep in the catacombs below the pyramid. Maybe it will be renovated into a Wienerschnitzel.

Drive-Thru

Old man in a wheelchair leaving the drive-thru at a local burger shop in Phoenix, Arizona

I would have to admit that using the handicap access ramps, maneuvering the door, and going into a cold air-conditioned lobby is probably a lot less convenient than just pulling up to the drive-thru. This guy is staying around the corner and had just gotten out of the pool, being on vacation here in Arizona. It’s nice to be so casual.

Korean TV

Korean TV as seen at a local Korean restaurant

A local Korean eatery offers up some Korean news to let us know what’s going on back in their neck of the woods. Best I could tell, Seoul had elections today with more than one winner looking like a bad guy from a Chan-wook Park film. The weather is going to be sunny for the next few days with temperatures around 27 Celsius (80 Fahrenheit), construction of an industrial complex is going forward, and the World Cup is coming soon.

Loop 101

Loop 101 travelling around Phoenix, passes through Scottsdale on this section of freeway

The loop 101 freeway passing through Scottsdale is but another non-descript bland and poorly designed freeway here in Arizona. There are onramps on curves where traffic nearly piles up every day, onramps whose traffic is so dense that miles of cars back up behind it. The newly installed radar cams to catch speeders have people slowing down abruptly and then speeding right back up. We are but months away from traffic being as congested as any freeway in Los Angeles. Driving in Phoenix is bad enough, you should try getting in and out of the city on holiday weekends.

U.S. Interstate 10 – California

288 Placer Drive Goleta, California

Attention: This is yet one more post that originally had but one photo and maybe 200 words that told of our day. Here in late 2022, this oversight is being repaired.

This corner of Placer Drive and Cathedral Oaks Avenue in Goleta will forever belong to my aunt and uncle Burns, who moved into the house as its first occupants.

Cajun Kitchen in Goleta, California

On a similar note, this is Cajun Kitchen, but without my aunt and uncle, it is not the same place. Lots of fond memories of having breakfast with those two. Remember, I’m writing this in 2022.

101 Freeway through Los Angeles, California

Passing through Los Angeles on Highway 101 and only about 7 miles before we either merge onto the 10 Freeway or the 60 for our drive home to Arizona.

Norm's Famous Hamburgers in Whittier, California

Today, though, we are detouring right from Downtown Los Angeles to make our way to Whittier Boulevard.

Carbon Canyon Road in Brea, California

We went as far as we could on Whittier Boulevard until we turned to pick up Lambert Road.

Donkeys checking us out in Chino Hills, California

That road becomes Carbon Canyon and takes us into Chino Hills right to the California Institution for Men in Chino. From there, we took Central North to merge onto the 60 Freeway that will bring us to Interstate 10.

San Gorgonio Pass wind farm near Palm Springs, California

Northwest of Palm Springs, about 120 miles from Blythe, this is U.S. Interstate 10 going east towards Arizona. Over the past 11 years, Caroline and I have plied this asphalt no less than 70 times, maybe as many as 100 times; we have lost count. From visiting family to shopping, going to concerts, movies, national parks, ethnic communities, or riding the subway and trying new food, this road to and from Los Angeles has delivered us to Disneyland, Hollywood, the Pacific Ocean, and back home again.

Arizona State Sign

The question always comes up: why don’t you fly? For the 2 of us to fly to Los Angeles from Phoenix requires a 20-minute-drive to Sky Harbor International Airport, two days of parking at $20 per day, two plane tickets at $125 each, $45 for a small car in L.A., $21 for gasoline at a minimum upon rental return. The entire procedure takes 3.5 hours from home to sitting down in the rental car, so for $356 and still no hotel, we could go to L.A. 2 hours faster than driving. But, for the 70-odd times we have made this journey it would have cost us $24,920 versus the $3,570 we have spent for gasoline (that’s averaging $2.00 per gallon over the 11 years). With the money saved, we could have bought 362 entries into Disneyland, paid for 305 hotel nights, or flown non-stop roundtrip to Hawaii 22 times, or to Europe 9 times.

Quartzsite is on the other side of those mountains in Arizona

The homestretch, we are only 160 miles from our front door.

Highway 101 – California

Los Angeles River in California

Attention: This is yet one more post that originally had but one photo and maybe 100 words that told of our day. Here in late 2022, this oversight is being repaired.

Moving slowly today after our marathon Disneyland visit, we meandered across Los Angeles on city streets, making our way from Anaheim through Cypress and Long Beach, where I stopped to take this photo of the San Gabriel River.

Wandering out of Anaheim towards Los Angeles, California

North, the streets took us up to Cerritos.

Intersection of Flower Street and Bellflower Blvd in Bellflower, California

Wandering over to the intersection of Bellflower Blvd and Flower Street.

Ming Ya Buddhist Association in Los Angeles, California

Before hitting Valley Blvd in Monterey Park and taking a left, that brought us to the Ming Ya Buddhist Association.

N Main Street and Daly Street in Los Angeles, California

At the corner of Main and Daly in Los Angeles, we would soon be in Chinatown.

Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California

Back across Sunset to Hollywood Boulevard on some strangely quiet streets.

Oki Dog on Fairfax in Los Angeles, California

We failed to get breakfast earlier, so Oki Dog acted as brunch, and well, I don’t think there’s a better brunch in all of America.

Looking into San Fernando Valley, California

We followed the road to Mulholland Drive for some beautiful views of the San Fernando Valley

Pacific Ocean north of Ventura, California

Finally left the small streets and merged onto Highway 101 for our first visit to the Pacific Ocean on this trip.

Highway 101 looking north on the drive to Santa Barbara, California

Just a few feet to the left is the Pacific Ocean, on the right is Highway 101, and in the center is the train track for the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner.

A lowered and chopped top old car in California

Our ultimate goal today was to visit our aunt and uncle in Santa Barbara; this was not them.