Travelin’ Route 66 – The California Edition
- Image by Lisa Newton via Flickr
I had no idea that Santa Monica Blvd., a long boulevard in Los Angeles, was part of Route 66, but today, when I was snapping some pictures in West Hollywood, I saw this sign.
After doing a little research, I discovered that all of Santa Monica Blvd. is part of Route 66. Because the cultural, historical, mythical, and iconic Route 66 is part of and in my backyard, I decided to do a CA Route 66 series.
Finally, it appears most of the recent rain has past. Today was bright and sunny, albeit a bit cold. In the middle of the afternoon, I was still wearing my sweater.
Loading up my camera bag, I headed to West Hollywood–each time I go to a new place in LA, I’m always amazed at the wide variety of sights to see. Some just ordinary life; but an active life chock full of walking, jogging, dog walking, or just relaxing outside with a cup of java.
When I have my camera in hand, even the most mundane views of life seem to come alive: small flowers, a corner filled with a bush trying to come to life, or seeing beauty in the ever-ongoing construction.
Like construction, advertisements abound here, which is unlike Maryland, where I previously resided not too few years ago. There, billboards were considered eye sores, thus, very few were allowed to exist. Here, billboards take up whole sides of office buildings. I guess beauty really in the eyes of the beholder.
Another feature germane to Los Angeles– which surprised me–is the number of homeless people here. To be sure, I know that most every metropolis has to deal with this issue and problem, but because the weather is fairly warm all year round, LA has more than a few homeless people, probably more than many cities and the national average. When I saw this man talking to himself and positioned under this sign, I just had to take his picture.
I’ll leave you with a quote that was featured at a small Veteran’s Park at the end of today’s journey. To see where these pictures were taken, I’ve included a map, which I’ll update with each post I feature in this series. I hope you enjoy today’s first installment of Travelin’ Route 66 – The California Edition.
