Welcome to Glendale: The Jewel City
Posted: February 15, 2016 Filed under: Travel | Tags: California, Glendale, Los Angeles, SoCal, Southern California, The Jewel City, tourism, travel Leave a comment
Now that we’ve been living in Glendale for a few months, we’ve had some time to explore the city. We visited frequently while living in Los Angeles, but there is a big difference between passing through and actively engaging with the environment. Here are a few of our favorite discoveries so far.
Grand Central Air Terminal was very important to the development of aviation not only in Glendale, but throughout the entire western United States. The Walt Disney Company now owns it, and they are doing a wonderful job restoring it to its former glory.
Another historic property that is currently undergoing restoration is the Glendale Masonic Temple. Watching historical preservation efforts unfold, as well as following the construction of new developments, makes us feel a closer connection to the neighborhood.
There’s probably no one who contributed more to the development of Glendale than Leslie Coombs Brand. His former mansion, El Miradero, can now be enjoyed by all residents as the Brand Library & Art Center.
This sleepy little Spanish Colonial Revival train station is the source of the roaring clamor that passes by our house throughout the night.
The Streamline Moderne Seeley’s Furniture building is one of the first buildings that motorists see as they drive into Glendale from Los Angeles onto the Brand Boulevard of Cars.
At night, Brand Boulevard is illuminated by the neon of the Alex Theater.
The Americana at Brand may be a shopping mall, but the way that the space flows encourages more interaction with the streets of downtown Glendale, rather than shutting them out like a typical mall. This industrial elevator shaft seen here is the site’s most prominent feature.
In the 1930s, the Army Corps of Engineers turned the Verdugo Wash into a concrete flood control channel. They also built some beautiful truss bridges for the roadways that cross it.
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is no ordinary cemetery. Aside from the breathtaking views, it is also home to a number of quaint chapels sprinkled throughout the hillside.
We look forward to watching many sunsets over the Verdugos as residents of Glendale in the coming years. There are still many pockets of the city that we haven’t explored, and so much of the city’s history that we are yet to uncover.
Our Honeymoon: Versailles
Posted: November 3, 2014 Filed under: Travel | Tags: bibliothèque de Madame Victoire, Bosquet de la Colonnade, Bosquet de la Salle de Bal, couple, France, Galerie des Batailles, Galerie des Glaces, Grand cabinet de Madame Adélaïde, grand canal, Hall of mirrors, honeymoon, honeymoon in France, King Louis-Philippe I, La Chapelle Royale, La Flotille, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, romantic, Salon d'Hercule, Salon des Nobles, tourism, travel, treaty of Versailles, trip to France, Versailles, Wedding 1 Comment
After our two days at Disneyland Paris it was time to begin our planned tour of northern France. We rented a car at Gare de Marne-la-Vallée – Chessy at Disneyland and made our way to our next destination outside of Paris: Versailles. The palace was more lavish and grand then we could have ever expected. Walking through each room and hallway was more than just breathtaking, it was surreal.
There’s certainly no shortage of gold at the palace. So much of the moulding and ornamentation is gilded, such as this representation of the sun god, Apollo.
La Chapelle Royale is spectacular. We were not able to enter, so we had to settle for this view through the doorway.
Some parts of the palace have not been recently restored, and the weathering of the chapel’s exterior roof adds a wonderful bit of character.
There is a series of models showing the evolution of the palace over four building campaigns. We always love looking at models, especially ones as detailed as this.
The Salon d’Hercule is filled with interesting textures including a very grand trompe-l’œil ceiling.
These beautiful chairs are on display in the Grand cabinet de Madame Adélaïde.
The bibliothèque de Madame Victoire is one of our favorite rooms in the palace. It was one of the few rooms with books, and the only one with this many. It also has a certain intimacy that differentiates it from all the other rooms.
Here is James climbing one of the King’s private staircases.
The Galerie des Glaces is probably the most famous room in the château. James could hardly believe that he was walking through the room where the Treaty of Versailles was signed.
Here is a reconstruction of Marie Antoinette’s bed hangings. The bed chamber has been beautifully restored and feels like something out of an opera.
The Salon des Nobles is not so outlandish by comparison. I love the combination of the green wallpaper with the dark wood furniture and gilded trim.
Another one of our favorite rooms is the Galerie des Batailles. The room is filled with large paintings depicting French military victories. The color of the ceiling paint is wonderfully subtle, and the light filters in so softly through the skylights.
The gallery was commissioned by King Louis-Philippe I, and his initials can be seen around the oculus.
Once we ended the tour of the interiors of the palace we walked out to explore the gardens, but first we ate lunch at a restaurant right off of the Grand Canal called La Flotille.
The gardens are quite a sight and they cover well over one thousand acres. We were short on time and could not fully explore them, but we did walk through a few sections.
None of the fountains were turned on, so we could not get the full experience here at the Bosquet de la Colonnade.
The entrance to the Bosquet de la Salle de Bal was closed, but we were fascinated by the tiers of sea shells that we could glimpse through the gate. We would have loved to have seen the water cascading over the shells.
There is so much more that we would like to see at Versailles, such as the Hameau de la Reine and Grand Trianon. We certainly plan on returning to France again at some point in our lives, and Versailles and its gardens prove they are definitely worth another trip some day.
Our Honeymoon: Disneyland Paris
Posted: October 20, 2014 Filed under: Travel | Tags: Adventure Isle, Colombiad, Colombiad cannon, Discoveryland, Disneyland, Disneyland Hotel, Disneyland Paris, french star tours, honeymoon, honeymoon in France, Jules Verne, Le Bistrot Chez Rémy, Magic Kingdom, Main Street USA, Marriage, Nautilus, original star tours, Paris, phantom manor, Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy, Silver Spur Steakhouse, skull rock, sleeping beauty castle, Space Mountain: mission 2, Star Tours, Thunder Mesa, tourism, travel 3 Comments
Naturally, James and I could not pass up the opportunity to visit Disneyland Paris on our honeymoon to France. Anyone who knows us is aware that we are passionate fans of Disney Parks, and we were very excited to visit one in a foreign country. We spent two days there exploring the curious yet enchanting parks, filled with their own mysteries to discover. Being that this was on our honeymoon, we brought with us bride and groom Mickey ears featuring ‘Mr. Dastoli’ and ‘Mrs. Dastoli’ embroidery on the backs to celebrate our recent nuptials.
The Disneyland Hotel is a breathtaking structure that creates a very different feel when entering the park compared to the other Magic Kingdoms. The rooftops of the hotel contribute to what we consider to be the most beautiful version of Main Street, U.S.A.
This stained glass ceiling inside of the Emporium is an example of the ornate details found throughout Main Street.
There are two arcades that run parallel to Main Street. This one is the Discovery Arcade, which has artwork depicting futuristic projections of American cities from the late nineteenth century.
Discoveryland is the Tomorrowland that Jules Verne would have envisioned. For me, all of the lands contained elements that were familiar, but with new subtleties and twists. It felt similar to when I visited Walt Disney World for the first time after having only gone to Disneyland.
Here I am in front of the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the Columbiad cannon featured in From the Earth to the Moon as part of Space Mountain. Seeing the Nautilus was particularly nostalgic for James, since the Florida version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage was closed in 1994.
Walking through the Nautilus was one of our favorite experiences in the park. The intricate details found throughout the submarine truly transports the guests imagination into the novel.
Another nostalgic experience for James (but new to me) was riding the original version of Star Tours. Here he is in front of the attraction’s entrance wearing a Star Tours – The Adventures Continue shirt. It was very strange for him hearing Captain Rex’s voice in French, but fun and exciting nonetheless. I was thrilled to finally get the opportunity to ride the original version and meet Rex for the first time.
Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant is an interesting take on other Magic Kingdom castles. The landscaping around the castle draws direct inspiration from the film Sleeping Beauty and the interior features a giant dragon animatronic.
The story of Sleeping Beauty is told through stained glass windows inside the castle.
Beyond the castle, the rooftops of Fantasyland come into view. Similar to Main Street, Fantasyland in Disneyland Paris is a grander, more beautiful version than in other Magic Kingdoms. Meandering landscaped pathways take you from one attraction to another in a less linear fashion.
One specific example that involves quite a bit of meandering is Alice’s Curious Labyrinth. Here the Cheshire Cat is overlooking the maze.
We were able to experience seeing a dark ride with the lights on after it temporarily broke down. This was not the first time we have seen a ride with the lights on, but regardless it is always bizarre. This is the forest scene in Blanche Neige et les Sept Nains.
Rather than housing Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, there is a restaurant inside of Toad Hall. It certainly cannot fully replace the allure of the ride, but it’s an interesting and charming way to feature the story of The Wind in the Willows.
Much of Adventureland is dedicated to Adventure Isle, a giant walkthrough area taking the spot that is usually occupied by Tom Sawyer Island in other Magic Kingdoms. Here is another instance of going back in time through Disney history with Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship and Skull Rock, which have not existed at Disneyland for over 30 years.
Frontierland has an elaborate backstory based around the town of Thunder Mesa that ties all of the attractions together.
The story of Thunder Mesa culminates in Phantom Manor, which is our favorite ride in the entire park. The atmosphere is much more macabre than the American Haunted Mansions.
We had a table service meal inside the opulent Silver Spur Steakhouse in Frontierland.
We didn’t spend very much time at the Walt Disney Studios Park, but we did go on the recently opened Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy, and we also enjoyed our lunch at Le Bistrot Chez Rémy, a restaurant that scales everything so that you feel like the size of a rat.
We weren’t sure what to expect out of Disneyland Paris, but we can say that we were very pleasantly surprised by its charm and amused by its differences. I will always have an emotional and nostalgic connection to Disneyland USA, but look forward to visiting more of the international Disney resorts. After the wedding and honeymoon we likely will not be traveling internationally anytime soon, but hope to visit Tokyo and its Disney parks next.
Our Honeymoon: Paris
Posted: October 9, 2014 Filed under: Travel | Tags: Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, Église Saint-Augustin, Champs-Elysées, city of love, couple, Eiffel Tower, France, Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées, Hôtel de Vill, honeymoon, honeymoon in France, honeymoon in Paris, Hotel Napoleon, Ile de la Cité, L'Hôtel national des Invalides, La Rive Droite, Musée d'Orsay, Musée du Louvre, Notre Dame, Palais du Justice, Paris, Paris Metro, Petit Palais, Pont Alexandre II, romantic, Sacré-Cœur, Sainte-Chapelle, Seine, tour of Paris, tourism, travel 1 Comment
James and I knew well before our engagement that we would be going to France for our honeymoon. Paris was actually a very important piece of James’ marriage proposal. We spent most of our twelve day honeymoon outside of Paris itself, but made sure to devote four days entirely to exploring the gorgeous city. Paris offered an endless amount of opportunity for us to explore our love of design and architecture. It seemed that every corner we turned presented a whole new set of buildings, bridges, and gardens to fall in love with.
We spent many hours each day walking on both sides of the Seine. All of the bridges that cross the river are beautiful, but the most ornate is Pont Alexandre III.
When we weren’t walking, we were making use of the city’s extensive Métro. There are a few different styles of signage from different eras that mark the station entrances. Our favorite is the red one on the far right.
Our first views of Paris came when we emerged from the train station under the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile. Our first night was spent in a lovely hotel nearby that offered gorgeous views and easy access to the Champs-Elysées.
On the top of everyone’s list of sights to see in France is the Eiffel Tower. Although we like the structure, and value its iconic significance, it is not on our list of favorites in the city. There are so many other buildings that have more merit artistically.
The top of the tower was closed, so this picture was taken from the second level. Here you can see the beautiful roof of the Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées. We were very excited to see the interior of the building, but it was not open to the public during the three days that we attempted to enter.
Right next to the Grand Palais is the Petit Palais. We took advantage of its free entrance a couple of times and ate lunch in a charming courtyard inside. Although impossible to choose a favorite, these two monuments sitting right next to each other on La Rive Droite may be our top spot in the city.
Another one of our favorites is the Hôtel de Ville. All around the building are statues depicting figures from the city’s history.
Notre Dame de Paris sits on Île de la Cité across the Seine from Hôtel de Ville. The famous cathedral is one of many that we toured throughout our trip.
Another beautiful cathedral is the Église Saint-Augustin de Paris. We happened across this dome while wandering through the city on our first day, and were able to take a quick peak inside to admire its opulent interior. There are so many monuments in Paris that you can’t help running into one every couple of blocks.
Of all the cathedrals that we visited, Sainte-Chapelle was certainly the most unique. Its high ceilings and stained glass windows were truly awe inspiring. The colors are striking, and its use of alternating fleurs-de-lis and arms of Castilla are a wonderful motif.
Right next to Sainte-Chapelle, on the facade of the Palais du Justice lies the oldest clock in Paris, which went through a restoration just recently.
We walked through more than half of the twenty arrondissements of Paris. The farthest out that we ventured was the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur in the Montmartre district of the XVIIIe arrondissement.
Both of the hotels that we stayed in had amazing views of the mansard roofs of Paris. It’s fascinating how much stylistic consistency still exists from Haussmann’s renovation of the city during the Second Empire.
There are many cafés at the intersections of the tree-lined boulevards, which offer great places to relax and admire the postcard perfect setting.
Here is another gorgeous rooftop from Musée d’Orsay. We were unable to go inside the museum on our trip. There are so many museums in Paris, but we knew that we wouldn’t have much time to explore them.
We did go inside of the Musée du Louvre to see a tiny fraction of the artwork on display there.
Here is a courtyard that we saw from out the window of the Denon wing.
The Hôtel national des Invalides is quite a sight from across the Seine.
One of the highlights of the trip was a cruise down the Seine at sunset, which we did for my 26th birthday. It was an absolute treat, and a lovely way to spend my birthday evening.
We took hundreds of photos on our honeymoon, and these cover only some of our favorites from Paris. Over the next few weeks we will be posting more photographs from the other sites that we visited on our twelve day adventure in France.
Crossroads of the World
Posted: May 26, 2014 Filed under: Travel | Tags: America's first outdoor mall, Antique, crossroads, Crossroads of the World, date ideas, date ideas Los Angeles, favorite LA spots, free, free date ideas, free LA spots, globe, LA, Los Angeles, old shopping mall, plaza, shopping mall, shopping plaza, tourism, tourists Leave a comment
After our last visit to Barnsdall Park , we headed over to another one of our favorite places in Los Angeles: Crossroads of the World. This little plaza in the middle of Hollywood is considered the very first shopping mall in America, and although it is not much of a mall anymore, you can still walk through it and experience the Old Hollywood charm within its gates.
Perhaps the primary attraction at Crossroads of the World is the tower at the entrance holding a globe at the top. This structure may seem familiar to any who have visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as there is a replica of the tower near the entrance.
My personal favorite features are the fairy-tale like structures found towards the back of the plaza, known as the Continental Village. The quaint European cottages are embellished with decorative tiles, stained glass windows, and round top doors.
Although the area is primarily used for office space now, Crossroads of the World still captures the fantasy of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Southern California Weekends
Posted: February 5, 2014 Filed under: Travel | Tags: architecture, Balboa Park, Convention Center, couple, Gaslamp Quarter, getaway, Mission, romantic ideas, San Diego, San Diego Parks, San Luis Obispo, Southern California, tourism, travel, travelling, weekend ideas, weekender Leave a commentLike many couples, James and I love taking weekend getaway trips. Living in Southern California means that most of the time these destinations are within a few hours’ drive. Here are some photos from a couple of our adventures in Southern California thus far.
SAN DIEGO
We have been to San Diego twice now, which I suppose is a relatively small number considering how nearby it is. We most certainly intend to go many more times, as we thoroughly enjoyed our trips there. These memories are from our first trip to the city in 2012.
Our favorite part of our San Diego weekend was the grand and beautiful Balboa Park. We spent hours in the park, roaming past the edifices and gardens, taking in sunlight, and admiring everything it had to offer.
The park is filled with magnificent structures that were designed for the Panama-California Exposition in 1915.
We stayed at a lovely hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter, where we had rooftop access to admire the historic district from above.
Among the Victorian buildings are some other boutique hotels that we would love to stay at one day.
James had visited the San Diego Convention Center once before this trip, and was very glad to have this opportunity to see it without the Comic-Con crowds.
The next morning we headed to Petco Park before driving back to Los Angeles. It has become a tradition to visit the sports complexes of every city we visit, and we hope to see many more across the country on our travels.
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
On a different trip south of Los Angeles, we decided to stop by San Juan Capistrano. We did not stay for very long, but were glad to have the opportunity to visit the mission. This was the first time that we had toured the interior of any of the missions along El Camino Real.
The crumbling ruins of the mission are a sight to behold.
With wedding planning going on, it’s unlikely that we will be taking as many weekend getaways this year. Perhaps we will find time to explore a few new places in the upcoming months.
Seattle
Posted: January 31, 2014 Filed under: Travel | Tags: EMP, film festivals, monorail, Pike Place, Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Festival, Seattle, Seattle Library, Seattle Monorail, Seattle Space Needle, Space Needle, Starbucks, tourism, travel, travelling, weekend getaways Leave a commentLast night it rained for the first time in months in Los Angeles. While most of the country suffers with cold and snow, we have been lucky to enjoy a relatively sunny winter. I was personally very happy with the rain, even though it only lasted a couple of hours, it was a pleasant reminder of what other weather feels like. It also reminded me of the last time I felt truly cold to the bone, which happened to be just about a year ago on our trip to Seattle. I go back to New England every winter and it has been cold, but Seattle last year felt icier than New England had the previous month. Nevertheless, we bundled up and had a lovely weekend there.
We went with my soon to be brother-in-law and his now fiancée, as we were in town for the Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival where our short ‘Cats in Space,’ was screening. Aside from the festival, the main attraction for us was visiting the Space Needle and the remnants of the Century 21 Exposition from 1962.
The festival was associated with the EMP Museum, which we received a VIP tour of. This recently built museum has a much different look from the Mid-Century Modern of the fair, but nevertheless, it sits well along side the other pavilions.
Aside from the Space Needle, we were most excited about the Seattle Center Monorail. We were able to take the Monorail near our hotel room making the lack of vehicle that much easier during our stay.
Our second morning there we headed toward Pike Place (home of the first Starbucks location) to fuel up for our day of sightseeing. The Public Market had a wonderful variety of produce/fish stands and novelty stores – one at which we found a great print of the Seattle World’s Fair poster that we will eventually find a place to hang up in our home.
We walked through Pioneer Square, past Smith Tower and the original ‘Skid Road.’
Here is James at the gate of the Chinatown-International District.
I could not have been more impressed by the Central Library. It’s a wonderful post modern structure that offers great views and a pleasant atmosphere.
The waterfront has some great views of the city as well.
We ended our last night in Seattle by going back to the Space Needle and celebrating the end of the trip and the positive reaction to our short film at the festival. We had a lovely dinner at the Space Needle that night, but unfortunately it was far too foggy to have any view whatsoever. Which brings us back to Los Angeles, and some of the reasons I’m glad to make my home in a sunny city. Rainy cold places are nice to visit occasionally, but I can’t imagine having to live there.
Anniversary Trips
Posted: January 6, 2014 Filed under: Travel | Tags: anniversary, anniversary ideas, Anniversary trips, getaways, honeymoon, Los Angeles, romantic getaway, Santa Barbara, Solvang, Southern California, tourism, trips, Wedding, weekend away 1 CommentThis weekend, James and I purchased our honeymoon flights, and words cannot convey our excitement. We chose our wedding date based on our anniversary. We feel that as important as our wedding anniversary will be, the anniversary of our first date will always hold a heavier significance as the true beginning of our relationship, so we wanted both dates to be relatively close. The past three anniversary’s we have decided to celebrate by taking weekend trips. Our honeymoon, which begins the day after the wedding, will also celebrate our four year anniversary. After purchasing our flights, I started to look back at previous anniversary trips, the most recent which was our trip to Quebec. Here are some photos from our first and second year anniversary trips. We look forward to adding many more wonderful trips in the happy years to come.
For our first year anniversary, James got us tickets for a ride on the Fillmore and Western Railway steam train. The only trains that I had ever been on were subways or theme park attractions, so it was a wonderful treat.
The train ride took us through the farmland of Ventura County, stopping in the sleepy downtown Santa Paula, and an emporium where we were able to shop from local farmers.
We sat in a booth all to ourselves and enjoyed refreshments from the concession counter in the train.
One of my favorite details of the day were the tickets, complete with stamps and hole punches marking the date (which helped inspire our save the dates). It was a great detail to round out the experience.
For our second anniversary celebration, we took a trip to Santa Barbara for the weekend. That year, our anniversary fell right on Labor Day weekend so we were able to spend a few days exploring the romantic city.
James (who loves all things related to flags) was very excited to find a replica of the very first bear flag of California at the pier.
There was a lovely view from the top of the courthouse.
Here is the doorway of the Spanish Colonial Revival courthouse showing the great fonts that are used all around the government buildings.
After a full day and night in Santa Barbara, we decided to head to Solvang for a few hours before making our way back to Los Angeles. The charming Danish architecture proved to be quite the surprise, as we were not expecting to find anything like it in Southern California. We have decided that Solvang will need a whole weekend to itself for our exploration someday.
Québec
Posted: September 18, 2013 Filed under: Travel | Tags: adventure, Bellini, birthday, birthday weekend, boats, cafe au lait, Canada, Canadian cities, Canadian history, caramel, celebrate, champagne, Château Frontenac, chocolate, chocolate creme brulee, copper rooftops, creme brulee, Dessert, French, French dessert, French language, gooseberry, history, Old Quebec, poutine, Quebec, Quebec City, Quebecois, Romantic weekend, September, short trips, tourism, Train station, travel, travelling, Weekend getaway, weekend trip 6 Comments
We spent last weekend in Ville de Québec, Canada. We first thought of this trip a little over a year ago so that James could shoot some footage for a project that he is working on, but we decided to do it in mid September as a birthday/anniversary/engagement trip. We were able to practice a little bit of our French (which I’m committed to working on this year before the honeymoon), and even though we only had a couple of days, we were able to fully explore Vieux-Québec. It was a perfect romantic weekend getaway.
Here James is very excited to be walking along Terrasse Dufferin outside Le Château Frontenac. This grand hotel is the most prominent feature on Cap Diamant, and we spent a lot of time admiring it during the day and night, exterior and interior.
We stayed very close-by at Hôtel Cap Diamant. It was a small bed and breakfast tucked away on a quiet, charming little street.
There are a number of wonderful edifices built by both the French and English throughout the city. This building is where the Ministry of Finance is located.
Within the walls, everything feels so European. It’s crazy to think that this is just a short hop away from the northeastern United States.
The weather was a bit chilly with scattered showers. I was all too excited to wear colder weather clothing, as I don’t get the chance very often.
Sometimes it looked like we had the whole city to ourselves. Perhaps the rain kept people away.
We walked along the ramparts and saw all of the surviving city gates. This one is Porte Saint-Louis.
This châteauesque structure is Gare du Palais, which has now become James’ favorite train station that he has ever visited.
We loved how much Canada uses coins. Here is a loonie (one dollar coin) commemorating the one hundredth anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens.
To get from Haute-Ville to Basse-Ville, we mostly walked, but we also took a ride in the funicular. The varied terrain of Vieux-Québec creates spectacular views looking both down at the rooftops, and up at the promontory.
I like to find souvenirs that aren’t typically marketed toward tourists. We found a book shop on the outskirts of the city where I found a children’s book with classic Québécois stories (all in Québécois French of course).
I loved that every place had café au lait, which I needed a couple of times to keep me awake and going through the day.
Apparently this is a classic French Canadian dish – poutine. It’s something that I’ve eaten before without realizing it had an official name. It’s simply french fries, gravy, and cheese.
The city looked just as beautiful at night as it did by day.
The ship from the city’s coat of arms was on some of the windows of Le Château Frontenac.
We decided to have drinks and dessert at the bar at Frontenac on the night of my birthday to celebrate. We ordered the crème brûlée, and we got three different flavors. I can’t tell you which one was the best because they were all amazing.
It was even more fun than I could have imagined. We had a wonderful anniversary trip and it was a great way to start my 26th year of life.
The Sage Owl 