Out and About in Solvang

California is a huge place. I am sure this is not news to you. Since it is such a massive state sometimes things can fall through the crack. For example: Did you know there is an entire town dedicated to all things Danish? Apparently in 1911 a group of Danish settlers decided to plant their stakes in the Santa Ynez Valley. Of course they had to make sure a group of Native Americans, this time the Chumash, lost their claim to their land but eventually it was taken over by the Danes. So now, when you travel through the mountains of central California, you may stumble upon a small town that makes you think you’re in the middle of Denmark. Below is a series of highlights of what makes Solvang, California a truly bizarre place:

Out and About in LA: Grand Central Market

Back in Philadelphia we have a place called Reading Terminal Market. It is a wonderful place where you can buy all kinds of produce, jewelry, and a shit ton of food vendors. I miss a lot of my home back east but I really pine for a good sandwich from DiNic’s or a marshmallow brownie from Flying Monkey. So when I heard that Los Angeles has its own kind of market called the ‘Grand Central Market’ I had to give it a shot. Unfortunately it wasn’t what I was hoping. It was more of a place to have more places to eat and crammed into one hot place. Seriously this place was hot as balls. I’m not saying this wasn’t interesting to walk through and the food I eventually chowed down on was delicious. But is it the same as home? As always the answer is ‘no’. But hey if you are new to the city I say give it a shot especially if you wanna find a cornucopia of choices. Here’s a rundown of what to expect:

Out and About in LA: Chinatown

So this is kinda silly but the other day I was watching Big Trouble in Little China. A great, John Carpenter movie by the way which is on Netflix Instant and I highly recommend. But watching that movie made me realize: I don’t go to Chinatown as much as I should. When I lived in Philadelphia I went to its Chinatown once but wasn’t impressed. It’ll be a while before I go to San Francisco and experience what Kurt Russell experienced in the movie. Although I very much doubt I will be dealing with mysticism or warriors with elemental powers. Anyways, here is a travelogue of Los Angeles…