LA - Fairfax, Miracle Mile & Windsor Square

We're coming up on 20 years of marriage, plus the extra years of living in sin, and one of the things we've always done, but I've failed to write about much is that we go away at least once a year together without our children. I don't know if it's because we are so involved with our children through homeschooling, or if all couples just feel this way, but I count down the days until this yearly event happens. This was just a one-night trip, back to the Motherstate, in June, to see a concert, just like we did in 2011, which I didn't realize was so similar to 2011 until I logged on to fire up this very latent blogspot account, and I realized how boring we are even when we are trying to be exciting. Ho-hum. However, there are a few things I want to promote here on what has become the blog that is my extended Yelp account so here goes . . .

Johnnyswim -- really dumb name -- amazing duo. This is Donna Summer's daughter married to some Latin heat. Think Civil Wars without the hating each other part. I think they're going to end up in the singer-songwriter genre, but right now it's a little like hipsters with soul. I love my bluegrass and folk, but God help us, someone's got to pull us out of this flooded genre, and I think they might do it. The sound is fresh, and they have tons of energy since things are just taking off for them. It was easily one of the best concerts that Mike and I have ever been to. The good news is that they are playing at the MIM (great place to see a concert) on Monday, June 9th if you are local and want to see them.

However, I have always wanted to see a concert at the El Rey Theatre, and since this was their first big hometown show, we elected to see them there. Built in 1936, the El Rey is a really cool art deco theater with lots of red velvet and chandeliers. It's the perfect size, holding just over 700 people, and the show was sold out.

Since the El Rey is in the Miracle Mile district adjacent to Fairfax, of course I had to plan the trip around one of my favorite places in LA, the Farmers Market at Fairfax and 3rd. Now . . . when I used to go here in the 80s, I don't remember the big Grove Shopping Center next to the market -- not sure when that appeared, but the Farmers Market is otherwise unchanged. You can get any food imaginable -- cooked or uncooked. We had a Reuben from Phil's Deli and fish & chips from the nearby fish market which started the Coleslaw Wars. I vote for the deli coleslaw, and Mike votes for the fish market coleslaw. These are some of the things that we like to do, like argue about coleslaw. 

Coleslaw Wars

Across the street from the Farmers Market is a hotel called the Farmer's Daughter. Clearly, this daughter had had enough of the farming life and decided to renovate what looks to be an old Motel 6 into a boutique hotel. Farm equipment and Adirondack chairs are strewn around, Hall & Oates the parakeets greet you in the lobby, and you can play fussball or ping pong, borrow a bike, or check out books from the lending library in front. 

We arrived just in time (5:00 to 6:00) for Whiskey Tasting in the lobby. I sampled both corn whiskey and rye whiskey, and I liked the rye better. It was Mike's first time tasting whisky, and as you can tell, he really liked it!

The fine whiskier (sp?) who poured our whiskey went and got Mike a coke to put in his whiskey, but he still didn't drink it so I had to help. Note to self: don't drive 6 hours in the car with nothing to eat and then down 3 glasses of whiskey in the lobby prior to wheeling your suitcase across the courtyard. I don't remember the trip across the street to the Farmers Market. I was told that I walked there . . . 

We stayed in the No-Tell Room. That is all that I can say about that per contract. ;)

If we had more time, or if someone wanted to make a 2-night weekend trip out of this destination, then the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, La Brea Tarpits, and the Petersen Automotive Museum are all nearby to this hotel (but places that I've been before.) I really wanted to go to the Skirball Cultural Center to see the Ezra Jack Keats exhibit, but unfortunately we were there on Shavuot so the Skirball was closed. Fairfax has a significant Jewish history which you can read about here. We did go to Canter's 24-hour Deli  for matzo ball soup and phosphate soda rehydration after the concert, and we picked up some Hamantaschen for the road trip home. 

No spring road trip to Southern California would be complete for me without photographing some flowering trees. Here are some Jacarandas and Magnolias from the Windsor Square area en route to the freeway. My very sweet husband picked me a magnolia flower from a streetside tree, and I carried that sucker all the way back to Phoenix in a water bottle cap. The car ride smelled delicious!