For my second and last day in LA, I ventured out to explore a few places on my own. Shannon & Scott were packing for a trip to Europe a few days later, so it worked out pefectly.
I decided to head up to the San Fernando Valley and stop by my childhood home. Of the many places I've lived, growing up in LA probably had the biggest impact on me, so I wanted to see if it was all that I remembered. I found my way off the freeway and over to my old neighborhood. Turning onto my street (Citronia), a lot of it seemed reassuringly familiar. Just after I turned in, I recognized the old house of an elementary school friend about a block before from mine. As I came to my block, I passed the place where I once famously (and defiantly) ran away from home as a kid only to make as far as the corner because I wasn't allowed to cross the street. Perhaps this is the underlying purpose behind this RTW trip....prove I can now cross the street on my own and venture out into the world.
I finally came to my old house. I was a bit disappointed to see that the current owner had eliminated all the trees around the house, let the lawn go and painted the house a depressing gray. Overall, they didn't seem to be keeping the house up to anywhere near the meticulous level my parents did when we lived there. It was also quite a bit smaller than I remember, but I was quite a bit smaller when I lived there so I suppose that's par for the course. Overall, it was good to see it one more time after all these years.
Next, I headed to my old elementary school - Balboa Blvd Elementary School. Thankfully, it was also much like I remember AND in great shape. I always remembered it for a massive playground, which was my favorite part, but I wasn't sure if I just remembered it that way because I was small. Turns out my memory served me well again....it was a big as I remember. Probably 3 football fields big and full baseball/kickball fields, basketball nets, handball & dodegball courts and a few jungle gyms. It was a weekend, however, so I didn't have a chance to see if any of my old teacher's were still here...for their sake, I hope not.
From there, I decided to make my way up the coast a little to Ventura. It's a cool little surf town about 45 minutes Northwest of LA, that I'd never been to, but had heard great things of late in some outdoor magazines. It had great waterfront beaches and a small, laid-back-vibe downtown centered on a main street lined with shops and cafes. While it was a short visit, I noticed that the main street has not yet been hit by "chain fever", save for a Starbucks on one corner. A lot of local shops seem to thrive which is a refreshing change. I'm not opposed to development by any means, but Ventura seems like a good place to escape the crowds of LA without having to go too far.
I decided to return home via the PCH (Pacific Coast Hwy) heading south toward Malibu. The stretch of PCH from Oxnard to Malibu was one I'd never been on and it turned out to be a great call. 10-15 miles of open, twisting roads with incredible views of the moutains on one side and ocean on the other. It's also not very crowded which I appreciated knowing what was in store ahead. Much like Santa Monica, Malibu's beaches are packed in the summer which leads to rush hour like backups along PCH at any time of day. But, if I had to be stuck in traffic, this was the place to do it. Fantastic views all around and a chance to spend a little extra time near the beaches I used to frequent when I lived in LA.
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