Pasadena and San Diego Adventures

It was a mostly clear and cool day in Kirkland as I waited for the bus on Market Street, with temperatures in the 40s. I rode the 255 to the bus tunnel in downtown Seattle, switched to Link Light Rail (my first time) and continued to SeaTac Airport. The train ride was pleasant and, at times, we attained freeway speeds. It was nice but not as fast, or as smooth, or as quiet as the trains in Europe. However, we should feel lucky to have any trains at all considering the government we now have.

It got me to SeaTac though, and my Alaska flight left on time with me in a window seat. Although I have flown on commercial flights numerous times in my life, the surge of acceleration on the runway, the aircraft rotation and liftoff, the rapid climb out... it's still a thrill. And, it is such a triumph of human ingenuity. The fact that this happens routinely thousands of times a day does not detract from its fundamental unlikelihood. It is the everyday miracle of flight and we should not take it for granted.

I was on the right side of the airplane and felt disappointed that I was missing the magnificent views of Mt Rainier on our left. As we continued south though, I got a nice consolation prize with a great view of Mt Saint Helens! Soon after, as we crossed the Columbia River west of Portland, I looked out and saw the Bridge of the Gods as a thread-thin silver line crossing the river. Just to its east I could see the remains of the Cascade Locks which were used for ships headed across the mountains before the days of dams and railroads. I wish I had taken a picture but I was amazed that I could see so much detail and... didn't.

Mount St. Helens from the air

We arrived safely at Burbank's Bob Hope Airport 900+ miles later and I took a shuttle van to my motel, the Saga, in Pasadena where Becky met me minutes after I arrived. We went out for dinner, visited her apartment, took a long walk around the CalTech campus, and she ubered me back to the motel. Note: Uber's CEO is a Trump supporter. Boycott! And, politically speaking, Lyft is no better. Take a cab.

The next morning, a Saturday, we met at the motel at 7:30AM. The streets were nearly deserted and it was COLD, as in forties cold! I was shocked and dismayed since I had reason to believe I was in southern California.

Colorado Avenue early Saturday morning

However, we bundled up and had breakfast before going to the car rental office nearby. With only minimal hassle (concerning returning the car at the airport on Monday) we drove off to San Diego for a visit to its famous zoo. After a scenic two hour drive (Temecula - say no more), we parked in a huge parking lot and walked off without a thought. As we reached the entry gate, we realized we didn't really know what our rental car looked like or exactly where it was parked. At least we had the keys though, so we assumed all would be well.

Our first move was to take a bus tour of this rather immense zoo. It gave a good overview and helped us to prioritize the rest of our time. The only drawback was the relentless perkiness and positivity of the driver/guide. And her terrible jokes!

At length, we finished the tour and started walking. First stop: pandas! And then other animals as you can see below.

Panda!

Rhino!

Cheetah!

Pink flamingos!

Hippo under water

Malaysian tiger at ease

 After this entertainment, we headed for the car. After a certain amount of searching and pressing of the remote unlocking button, we found it and headed back to Pasadena. Due to mysterious slowdowns along the way, it took a while but eventually we made it and had a wonderful Italian dinner at Celestino on Lake Avenue.

From there we went back to Becky's apartment and then across the street to Century Books which is a tiny place but with an impressive selection of used classic books. The owners know Becky and greeted her, quite literally, with open arms. There was a saxophone player upstairs (for atmosphere) and we browsed contently among the stacks. I decided to buy a token book and selected a small volume of Mark Twain quotes for $6. I went to buy it and the lady said I could have it for only $3. I gave her my only suitable bill, a 20, but she did not have change and offered to just give it to me. I also had one dollar bill so I insisted she take that at least, which she did.

Becky says they have had trouble staying in business. I can't see why.

The next day we went for breakfast and then to a farmers' market where we bought some delicious fresh oranges. We had intended to visit the Mount Wilson Observatory but, as it was snowed in, we opted for a short hike in the foothills just north of town at Eaton Canyon Park. It was very pretty (Anna and I had been here a few years earlier) and it seemed that half the people in the LA basin were there with us. We were lucky to find a parking place and the trail was packed with groups of humans about every 20 feet. We decided to take road less traveled a few times and got out among the oaks and bushes away from the crowds.

On the Eaton Canyon Falls trail

Soon to be Doctor Becky

Seems appropriate in these times

Eaton Creek

After our hike and a lunch featuring (for me) a nice cool milkshake, we went to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. I had not heard of this museum before but it has some really good stuff. There is a nice collection of impressionists including many Degas works (lots of ballerinas), Monet, Renoir, and Manet. We also saw some works by Picasso and Vermeer among others. Not only that, but there was a wonderful exhibition of Van Gogh paintings on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago.

In the evening after dinner at Mexican restaurant (Yucatan style), we considered going to a jazz bar in downtown Los Angeles. However, after some deliberation, we decided to hang out in Becky's apartment and watch Netflix instead.

I drove back to Bob Hope Monday morning and arrived back home to the horrible realities of the Trump presidency. Resist! And use this website to do it!