Visiting the Southland

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First of all, let me make this perfectly clear. I do NOT love L.A. I know a lot of people do. People travel from around the world to visit this part of Southern California. Some love the hustle and bustle. Others come for the beaches or the museums or the theaters. I come to visit family. In fact, if I didn't have family here, I'm not sure I'd come this way.

Then again...

We're spending the entire week here, and we've made lots of plans. The L.A. Basin has a LOT to offer for people who like to get out and see, do and certainly taste! We've picked a handful of the museums, a theatre, a certain kid-focused store and other kid hot spots to visit this week, all with said relatives.

We started today with V's special request: visit the L.A. City Central Library. During a brief visit last summer, the girls and I had our first introduction to this library, even got our own library card here. The Central Library is fantastic. Clearly the most wondrous library I've ever entered. It includes not only an expansive collection of books, but also a cafe, art galleries, and a wonderfully extensive children's area - room after room of books for children, plus a puppet/storytime theater. We spent nearly 6 hours at the library today, almost entirely in the children's section, though we did wander through the map exhibit currently on display in the Getty Gallery. That led us BACK into the children's section where we found the story of "The Pacing Mustang" to which one of the maps referred.

Mom & Doug had dinner plans already. (We were supposed to have camped at the Page Museum, but that didn't work out because we couldn't find 6 others to join us on short notice to meet the 10-person minimum/group.) So the girls and I were on our own. I thought about taking them to one of my favorite Chinese food places down here - Chinese Friends - but I didn't dare go without my mom. Surely we can hit that one later in the week, together! But she'd also taken me to a great spot years ago, NBC Seafood, so the girls and I headed that way. With the help of our sometimes-trusty GPSr, I found our way to this fabulous, authentic Chinese restaurant. We were the only Euro-Americans in the place, and the food and service was just as fantastic as I remembered. Mmmmm....

OK...so I don't HATE L.A. And MAYBE I would come down now and again even if we didn't have relatives here. Then again, everything good I know about L.A. I learned from my mother.