~ REAL DAY TRIPPIN' ~
~ REAL DAY TRIPPIN' ~
Surf Chinatown
Chinese culture and cuisine continue to spread east through the San Gabriel Valley, sending food critics swooning, while downtown L.A.'s Chinatown gets unfairly slighted. There are only occasional well-deserved plaudits for the dim sum at ABC Seafood (708 New High St., 213-680-2887) and the Empress Pavilion (988 N. Hill St., 213-617-9898).
Like it's all about food, anyway. Chinatown is fascinating as a place that struggles to balance a kind of ethnic theme park to draw tourists – which was clearly part of the marketing plan decades ago – with a place where people actually live. Haven't been there since you were five? Here's an update. The big, ornate gate from Hill Street to Gin Ling Way? Restored, and quite glorious. The wacky little fountain between Hill and Broadway? Less so, but you can still toss coins into bowls that promise LOTTO, HEALTH, and, in a nod to L.A. reality, VACATION and SUERTE.
Across from the fountain is the mighty fine bar Mountain (475 Gin Ling Way, 213-625-7500), with a clean, high-ceilinged interior and chill bartenders. Bring in some of the heavenly spring rolls from Via Café (451 Gin Ling Way, 213-617-1481) a few doors down. Next to the Mountain is the erstwhile General Lee restaurant, which now fronts an art gallery – indeed, an explosion of Chinatown galleries is concentrated mostly on Chung King Road.
Gin Ling Way between Hill and Broadway boasts shops like Hong Kong, with beautiful statues and ceramics, along with the incense-scented Import Bazaar offering Plexiglas cubes with embedded images like the Virgin of Guadalupe or a Chinese dragon. Poke your head into every store, from Sincere Imports to Golden Dragon. Check out the grocers on North Broadway, selling diet tea – it's a buck, but skip it – along with splendid jars of black beans in fiery chiles and bins of dried sea creatures. But, alas, no recipes. (Bobbi Murray)
Rockaway-From-It-All Beach
You have to look hard for El Matador Beach (32900 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu). It's north of busy Zuma Beach and accessible only from a turnoff that's easy to miss. An unpaved parking area accommodates about 30 cars. Leave a four-dollar taste for a parking fee, on the honor system. Hike down a dirt path and a steep set of stairs, and there it is: one of SoCal's most ruggedly beautiful and secluded beaches.
It's not a prime surfing spot, although you can certainly body-surf (watch for the rocks) or just romp in the water. El Matador is named for the big, monolithic slab of rock that sits on the shore. It's a contour of sand that garlands the feet of a long, high wall of palisades. On the north end is a tunneled rock you can scoot through at low tide; on the other side is yet another tiny, secluded stretch of sand. Caves and tide pools are ripe for exploration. Out in the water are kelp beds and maybe a far-off fishing boat. You might see a dolphin or two, perhaps even a whale.
Amenities are few. Don't look for lifeguards, except on busy weekends. One funky Port-o-san and some picnic tables sit near the parking lot. Don't be surprised if you see the occasional topless sunbathing or bare butt, but be advised: The beach patrol, which swings by once or twice a day, gives fat tickets for such things.
Maybe Matador is best savored on a weekday, or when it's overcast. You might see plein-air painters quietly working, a couple of industry people revising a script, or a model and photographer. Or none of the above. Too bad Tom Sawyer couldn't surf; he would've loved this place. (Kirk Silsbee)
All About Olvera
There's a lot to like about Olvera Street, the block-long Mexican-market-themed area downtown between Main and Alameda near Cesar Chavez. Okay, it has corny aspects, even corny origins – the city boosters who created it, including Los Angeles Times magnate Otis Chandler, intended it as a folkloric evocation of a quaint Mexican past, belying the uncomfortable facts.
Still, it's a great spot for a Sunday or any-day stroll, a common public space L.A. naysayers insist we lack. Where else can you browse unmolested by cars and find everything from purses to religious statues to candles? Head straight for the Olvera Candle Shop (3 Olvera St., 213-628-7833), full of votives, religious-themed art with a postmodern flair, and more Frida Kahlo images than you can handle. A must for Day of the Dead preparations. Olverita's Village (24 Olvera St., 213-687-7937) boasts a women's clothing section that definitely bears a look in these days of ubiquitous tiered, peasant-style skirts. Its collection of art books and music reflects the history and present-day reality of la raza; an outstanding array of T-shirts sport wry bilingual puns and lots of images of Che, Emiliano Zapata, Adelita, and other s/heroes.
Almost next door to Olverita's is the slowly-being-preserved mural America Tropical – you have to look up to see it. Painted in 1932 by David Alfaro Siqueiros – think Mexico's Picasso or Rembrandt in stature – it ostensibly was created to decorate the wall of a beer garden. But the central image was a clearly indigenous crucified man, an indio, with imperial American eagles lurking overhead, reflecting Siqueiros's take on U.S. policy in the Americas. What followed was a literal whitewash. The mural's uncovering and preservation have made for an ongoing struggle.
After cruising all of those stalls down the center of the street, stop for a meal at La Luz del Dia (1 Olvera St., 213-628-7495). I recommend No. 6, with Bohemia beer. And spare a buck for the stern woman who carries your tray to the table. (Bobbi Murray)
Romance in the Rough
Rugged and remote, Parsons Landing, on the primitive western stretches of Catalina Island, offers the most secluded and romantic respite in Southern California. Few Angelenos have ventured past the Mediterranean-flavored streets of Avalon, Catalina's picturesque version of a town on the Italian Riviera, and headed west up the coast. An arduous 7.5-mile backpack trip begins at Two Harbors – a sea-sprayed town reminiscent of late-'30s Hawaii and the site of a still-standing Union Army barracks built in 1864 – where campers must pick up the keys to the campground's lockbox (containing water and firewood). Other than that, you're on your own, supply-wise.
Hearty hikers soon find Parsons eight solitary campsites, replete with fire rings, picnic tables, and barbecue stands. There is a maximum of six people per site. There are chemical toilets, but forget about shade, showers, or fresh water, so a durable umbrella and plenty of sunscreen are essential. Daunting day-hikes and DayGlo orange Garibaldi fish swimming in the snorkel-friendly, crystal blue waters entice the adventurous. And Parsons' paradise possesses the best view of Los Angeles's shimmering night lights, 26 miles across the sea. Visitors Services: (310) 510-0303 or Visitcatalinaisland.com/twoHarbors/camp_parsonsLanding.php. (Michael Collins)
Retro Railroad
The diesel-powered City of San Francisco rolls to a stop in a secluded Ventura orange grove. The pungent perfume of citrus stirs memories of a Southern California thought lost. Passengers step down on the restored 100-year-old tracks and dive into a deluxe barbecue before dancing under the stars. The Fillmore & Western Railway still plies the rails between Fillmore and Santa Paula with vintage cars from the 1920s, '30s, and '40s. The three-hour excursions include weekend afternoon outings and Friday dinner trips, as well as Saturday murder-mystery dinner jaunts featuring a first-class full-course meal and some less-than-serious sleuthing.Kids will love the Little Engine That Could, which plies the tracks August 26-28 and September 3-4 – a baby blue train that chugs along for 25 minutes, followed by some fun: a carousel and other attractions, a coloring station, and face painting. Mom and Dad can listen to live music and belly up to the food booths, thankful that the tickets are only $15 a head. Info: (800) 773-8724 or Fwry.com. (Michael Collins)
Published: 08/04/2005
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