032314 The Pacific, at last. Days 1 & 2 in LA

On 03/20/14 we made it to the Pacific Ocean.  After 24 days we are at the beach.  Here I am standing in the Pacific Ocean.

Here is the sun setting in the Pacific.

Our first two days in LA are at Dockweiler RV Park.  It's a great location except for being at the end of the LAX runways.

Those planes are loud and they fly all night long, but for a couple of days, it was doable.

We drove up to Santa Monica to see the pier there.  However, that was a disaster.  The Cirque de Soleil was performing there.  Tons of people and little parking.  What parking that was available, was already taken.

We did drive through Venice beach.  That area was nice looking.

Mary hates LA.  Way too many people.  I'm not fond of all the folks either, plus they drive like idiots or with a touch of insanity.  I'm just hoping I leave with an undamaged truck and trailer.

I have decided after visiting the Regan Library in a few days I'm turning the nose of the F150 eastward.  I had given some thought to going up to Santa Barbara and then visit the Hearst Castle at San Simeon, but have decided not go there.

Our second day in LA was better.  In the morning while on a walk down the beach, we found guys setting up for a location shoot for the ABC TV show "Revenge".  He said the crew and cast would be back in the afternoon to do the filming.

Here we are on the Bikeway above the beach where the the location filming was going to take place.  That scaffold over us was used to get the heavy electric lines from the support equipment to the filming location down on the beach.


Later in the morning, we visited the La Brea Tar Pits and Page Museum.

I first read about the Tar Pits when a kid.  I'm fascinated that they still exist in the middle of Los Angeles.  Driving up to La Brea, we drove through a large oil field pumping out crude, also in the middle of a large urban city.

Part of an ongoing dig.  That's a bone by the red flag.


Across the street from the Tar Pits when we first arrived, Mary was wondering where the street repairs were being done, since the smell of tar/asphalt was so strong.  Then she realized it was the tar from across the street at La Brea.  Scientist/archeologist are still searching for, and finding many fossils.  It was what I expected, except maybe a little smaller.

We walked down to the film location site after returning from the Tar Pits.   Down on the beach, they were filming.  Mary went back to the trailer while I stayed back and watched from the bikeway above the beach.  Struck up a conversation with one of the crew who was with all of the equipment in the parking lot.  He suggested I could go down on the beach as long as I didn't get in their way or get in the line of filming.

I approached a solitary guy and started talking with him.  Turns out he's a production assistant.  Another name would be "gofer".  He's at the bottom of the food chain, and runs all the errands the higher ups want.

This PA's job was to steer folks on the beach around the "set" where the filming was taking place.  He doesn't work for the show on a regular basis.  He's freelancing.  The show uses people like him when on location and they need extra people.  He normally works for the cable network Lifetime.  Jobs like this, helps him to get known by more people, and hopefully get a credit.  In Hollywood, credits and who you know is the currency for getting ahead.

He's an aspiring script writer and actor, with a degree in film from San Diego State.  Such is the life of a youngster in Hollywood.

A shot of the "on location" filming of one or two scenes.  A lot of equipment and support is needed for just one scene that might last 2 minutes.

Support equipment in the parking lot.

It's late and I need to get to bed.

Hopefully, tomorrow night I can get caught on my blog postings.