Nothing much on agenda for today. We just wanted to take it easy after an activity packed day. So we slept in, had leisurely lunch while waiting for laundry, and started on our packing before leaving the hotel at 3pm.
After an hour bus journey (with #20, through Koreatown), we reached the beautiful LACMA campus on the Wilshire Boulevard.
Chris Burden's Urban Light (2008) Installation was the main reason for our visit to the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art. Since seeing such mesmerizing setup in the movie Valentine Day, I had wanted to see it in person.
There are 202 restored street lights, which used to lit up areas in Hollywood, Glendale and Anaheim back in the 1920s and 1930s. Chris Burden started his collection in 2000 with just 2 lamps, purchased at US$ 800 each. With the goal of keeping his entire collection together, he invited prospective buyers to his studio. Among them, LACMA's then new director Michael Govan fit it was a perfect fit and hence, we get to enjoy such as fascinating installation today.
Some even deemed Urban Light as one of the major icons of LA.
Another intriguing art-piece was Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass. While Heizer first conceived the idea in 1969, the attempt was abandoned due to logistic issues. The idea was revisited again when Heizer discovered the rock in this photo at Stone Valley Quarry in California in 2006. The rock was brought to LACMA aboard a 295-foot long, 196-wheeled transporter custom-built for just carrying it specifically.
The artist described that his work is meant to last 3,500 years!
Cheeky Boy
We then ambled along S Fairfax Ave towards The Grove, where we planned to meet one my friends for dinner. Along the way, we passed by this Farmers Market, which would have been such a bustling & exciting place to visit earlier in the day :(
It was one day before the release of iPhone 6 and 6+ (again, sorry for the delay in updating about my trip) so The Grove's Apple Store has a line too.
The Grove is such a beautiful shopping complex that I felt I was in a park instead!
The Grove even provided mats for free so we rested there while waiting for my 7pm dinner appointment.
And I tried the famous Cheesecake Factory and they deserve to be known for baking amazing cheesecakes. Soon after dinner, my friend has to leave as it was nearing his cute toddler's bed time.
Around 9pm, my high-school friends met me at the Grove and drove us to the Santa Monica Pier. Opened since 1909, this landmark was already over a hundred years old!
Me & my partner in crime of selfies :D
And behind us, you can spot the solar-paneled Ferris Wheel.
The temperature dropped & it got chilly suddenly! What happened to the heat wave? I was dressed for it! Luckily for me, one of my friends had a spare jacket in his car.
Someone was rolling his eyes at our non-stop photo-taking :D
My friend then brought us to UCLA Westwood Village area. This neighborhood even boasted a cinema, one of the favorite movie premiere locations of Hollywood. Opened since 1931, Fox Bruin Theater had hosted premiers of some of the biggest films, ranging from Mission Impossible to Harry Potter.
We even stopped at a famous local chain Diddy Riese their ice-cream sandwiches. There was a long line even at 11pm, but we persevered.
Freshly baked cookies were just heavenly and rich in taste and texture. I'm salivating even now, just with the thought of these delightful treats. I regretted not buying cookies to go T.T Anyway, Thank you Jason, for treating us!
While LA was notorious for streets filled with shady characters, we didn't feel scared even at midnight. Probably, it was due to a beautifully lit student area. After savoring our dessert and walking around, we left around midnight and my friends gave us a ride back to hotel.
Adios!
xoxo
Miss N
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