This weekend we had a great day out at the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum. The museum features works of Noah Purifoy (1917–2004), an assemblage sculpture artist who worked in LA and Joshua Tree, California. Recently, LACMA has displayed some of the sculptures as part of a retrospective which brought interest to this body of work (this article by KCET is an interesting read if you want to learn more).
Last month, Karen and I went to the LA Times Festival of Books at USC (all thanks to Karen, I was literally going to sit and watch Netflix that day because the new season of Daredevil is not going to watch itself!) – and it was so much fun! We went last year too and just like last year, I got way too many books. Which is the whole point I realize. Originally, I was going to make a vlog out of our adventure but this is one of those events where you go, listen to the panels and just take it all in. I decided to share the day in a short comic instead – hope you enjoy!
Event: LA Times Festival of Books at USC
People Mentioned: Sam Alden; Leah Hayes; Maggie Thrash; Mimi Pond.
Besides the amazing panels and all the books, there was this awesome Rey cosplay <—link to her Instagram with even more awesomeness. I mean, seriously it’s so good. How.
Here’s how this adventure began: “You’ve never been to Olvera Street? We’re going to Olvera Street.” Starting out in Pasadena, Karen, Jeremy and I took the Metro out to LA. Taking the train will save you the hassle of trying to find and pay for parking. Honestly, I love the Metro – you get to skip the traffic and catch up on Hearthstone.. I mean, the news.
If you haven’t had breakfast or lunch, a great place to stop is the Grand Central Market. Want tasty sandwiches? They got that. Sticky mango rice that you’ll end up craving days after? That too. They’ve got healthy juices, meats, and if they are missing something then it’s sure to be opening up next week or so. This time, we were there for Eggslut, a breakfast place that serves up egg-centrific American food. There’s no way around it, Eggslut is deeply hipster and loved by very many people, so make sure to get there early. After devouring my breakfast I can tell you, it’s worth the wait. For coffee, Karen introduced me to B&G Coffee and their almond and macadamia nut latte. So good, even the New York Times mostly agrees.
From there we headed to Union Station to get our photo on. Unfortunately, taking pictures in the tunnels is prohibited according to security but I can understand, safety reasons and all that. With it’s iconic interior and exterior architecture, there’s a great many spectacular views so it’s definitely worth a visit.
Olvera Street is across from Union Station, so head there on foot. I would recommend bringing cash because right away you’ll see lots of stalls filled with things you want. The day we were visiting there was a performance at the adjacent Los Angeles Plaza Park, a nice spot to rest if you’ve been walking all day. Olvera Street is one of the oldest parts of Downtown LA making it a tourist destination and a lively place for people watching and photos. You can visit the oldest historical residence in LA, the Avila Adobe, grab a bite to eat or buy as many sugar skull crafts as you can carry.
Where should we go next?
See Jeremy’s photos from a day in LA:
http://jeremiahfishell.com/downtown-los-angeles/