Enjoying the Smell of Gurgling Pits

La Brea Tar Pits - Los Angeles, California

Spending a day in Los Angeles last December allowed us to make a quick "Pin Stop" at a place that I think I had first seen in the movie Volcano several years ago (yes, that Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones!). If I recall correctly, the La Brea Tar Pits were featured as the initial place where the volcano of LA first made its presence known by making the already bubbling pits even more bubblier(?).

Main La Brea Tar Pit

Our stop here came in the middle of a regular Monday - where we parked in the paid parking lot across the street to the park.  I was pleasantly surprised that the La Brea Tar Pits were more than just a fenced-in tar pit but rather a larger space and museum that was spread out in Hancock Park, providing ample opportunity to walk around and enjoy.

As we entered the park, the first thing we took notice of was the smell.  The tar pits emitted a strong smell through the area from the methane gas that is expelled through its gurgling bubbles.  The pits are fully fenced in with some playful statues of mammoths and mastodons to help illustrate how these prehistoric animals may have interacted with and got stuck in the pits.  As you walk further around the park, you'll find other smaller pits and excavation sites where researchers are continuing to discover fossil remains of sabertooth tigers and other early animals.  We saw many tar-covered fossils that were on display in a still-active dig site.

Page Museum

In addition to the surrounding park area, the Page Museum is also located here, where you can learn more about the history of the pits and animals that roamed the region.  Unfortunately, we did not have the time to take in the museum at this time, and I'm sure it's worth a stop in the future.



Pin Stops Ranking: 4 Pins

An interesting landmark and park to visit if you're looking for something unique and historical in Los Angeles.  The city seems have to have done a nice job preserving the area, so people can enjoy the history of the place.

What's a Joshua Tree?

About an hour north or east of Palm Springs, California, lies an entrance to Joshua Tree National Park, a large desert area filled with interesting foliage and rock formations.  This park covers nearly 800 acres and is well known for its abundance of the Joshua tree, or Yucca brevifolia, a tree-like plant native to this area of the Mojave Desert.

I had seen signs for Joshua Tree National Park probably a dozen times off of Interstate 10 - and while we were in nearby Palm Springs for a few days, it was the perfect opportunity to give this place a look see.  Taking local route 62 north off of I-10, we traveled through desert views and the small towns of Morongo Valley and Yucca Valley until we found the park's Joshua Tree Visitor Center, located in the village of Joshua Tree.  We were able to watch a short film on the park and get a map and information on some of the best places to see in the park on a brief few hour visit.  

Something's a Bru-ing!

Here's a local spot in Santa Monica, California, that you probably haven't heard of.  We were lucky to have some local friends in town introduce us to Bru's Wiffle, a small waffle house located away from the popular Santa Monica Pier area.  I wasn't sure what to expect of the place, but when I looked it up on Yelp!, the reviews were positive with a 4 star ranking.

We met our friends on a Sunday morning for brunch to find the place pretty full of people.  Luckily, we only waited a few minutes to have a table open up for us to sit down inside.  As expected, the Wiffle menu consisted of mainly waffle dishes - from original concoctions like the banana split waffle or pina colada waffle to several variations of chicken and waffles.  I opted for "Dwight's Special" - a belgian waffle topped with two pieces of boneless, skinless crispy chicken.

"Dwight's Special"

The Original Hot Dog on a Stick

With summer over, it's a good time as any to reflect on summertime favorites - hot dogs and lemonade.  Well, not just any hot dog - and certainly not just any lemonade.  Prominent mainly on the Left Coast and in the western part of the US is Hot Dog on a Stick.  You know, that mall food court staple with a simple menu of mainly dogs on a stick and different flavored lemonades.  Growing up in SoCal, I remember when everything on the menu was just a $1 including tax.  Now, you're probably going to find them closer to around $3 or so.

If you're not familiar with Hot Dog on a Stick - as many on the East Coast may not have seen it before - it's been around since the 1940s and known for its original recipes for freshly squeezed lemonade and sizzling hot dogs dipped in an original batter served on a stick (for those that travel Route 66, you know you don't call them "corn dogs"!).  There are now more 100 locations with many located in malls and easily spotted by the unique red, white, blue and yellow uniforms that their servers wear.

Original Location: Santa Monica, CA

During a summer trip this year to Santa Monica, California, we actually bumped into the original Hot Dog on Stick - located right below the famous Santa Monica Pier on the nearby ocean front walkway, just in front of the volleyball courts.  The stand was small - just big enough for a few workers to churn out some fresh, sweet lemonade and dip those yummy hot dogs on a stick.  Same simple menu as all other locations and tasted just as refreshing as I've always enjoyed it.  This original stand actually had the name, "Hot Dog Stick" - not sure why "on a" was dropped, but it gives it a unique look with the name and red painted wood panelling.

Up Above Palm Springs

Sure, Palm Springs is known for its hot weather, golf and poolside vacations, but did you know that one of its major attractions is an aerial tramway that takes you to the top of the San Jacinto Mountains?  I can just imagine folks passing right by the entrance to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway as they focus on getting into the downtown scene.  After reading about this place, we made sure to check it out during a recent visit to Palm Springs - and it certainly did not disappoint.

Solvang, Danish Capital of the US

I never heard of Solvang until a few years ago when a few relatives visited the place.  Since then, I have heard it come up in conversations and even saw it on an episode of the TV show, Psych.  If you've never been there, it's considered the "Danish capital of the US."

While staying in the Santa Barbara area, we drove up through the scenic mountains of Route 154 to spend a good portion of the day in Solvang.  It's a quaint little town with Danish-inspired village structures and windmills along the local blocks along with the old Spanish Mission Santa Ines, one of several California Missions that can be found up and down the coast.

Danish Aebleskiver

While browsing several shops around town, we stopped for brunch in Solvang Restaurant, where we chowed on some typical breakfast foods - pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage - supposedly prepared in a Danish style but not too unique to take note.  The main dish to try though is of course, their famous Danish Aebleskiver, traditional Danish pancakes that are shaped into a ball generally with apple slices inside and topped with powdered sugar and jam.  Ours had a raspberry jam on top - and was a delicious compliment to our brunch.  These were definitely worth trying, and many were lining up outside the restaurant to just order some Aebleskiver.  You certainly should not leave without at least picking up a few.

Bakeries around town offered several things to try - from cookies to pastries to cakes to chocolates.  We picked up a bucket of Danish cookies at The Solvang Bakery for ourselves and for some family members.  If you've every gotten one of those Danish cookie tins for Christmas - don't be turned away!  I expected the cookies to be like the ones in those tins I grew up with, but they were far from it.  These cookies were better - melt in your mouth and tastier than anything that came in one of those tins.  I recommend picking up a bucket to bring home.

The walk around town was easy and you can probably spend a few hours here and be satisfied.  Along with a tour of the Mission, we were probably there a good 5-6 hours, but I'm sure most can stop here for 2-3 hours as a drive through to another destination.  But if you love food (like we do), then be prepared as you can easily gain some pounds walking around town and trying all the goodies to eat!

Pin Stops Ranking: 3 Pins

3 pins easy for Solvang.  This place lived up to what I heard about it and was definitely worth checking out for a few hours.  Getting to gobble up some of the goodies around town certainly helped, too! :)

For more on my Pinstop Rankings, check out this post.