Convergence of all things LA

Union station

Today was an extraordinary day in Los Angeles. Several things all happened at once to make it a special LA Day.

First - - there were serious traffic alerts. In the downtown area, it was CicLAvia - a day when downtown streets were closed to automobile traffic and opened wide to cyclists, skateboarders, rollerbladers and other non-gas-powered wheeled vehicles. Residents were encouraged to come downtown and ride in the streets!

Figueroa at 7th

Second - there was a film shooting on the 105 freeway near LAX, closing down the area, Such a wonderful celebration of our primary industry!

Ceiling mural, downtown Metro transit center

Third - President Obama was in town for a fundraiser, and the news was publishing which streets his motorcade would use, so we could avoid them. In addition to the Pico corridor from LAX to downtown, and Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, they happened to be some of the same streets CicLAvia was closing, only later in the day.

Mole festival at Olvera Street

 Fourth - it was the annual Feria de los Moles at Olvera Street, where the sauces of Puebla meet the sauces of Oaxaca in competition.

Mole tamarindo with handmade tortillas and cactus and pineapple agua fresca

Bike fanatics, food festival, film location shooting, and politics - the trifecta of Los Angeles traffic congestion. The message was clear. Don't go anywhere near the Westside, and keep your car away from downtown!

What could we do? Well, of course, we went everywhere. Wouldn't you?

We went to the Feria de los Moles, and ate delicious saucy things. We rode the Red Line with hundreds of bicycle fanatics. We hung out downtown and watched the cyclists cruise through the streets.

The old dude in the hat was really grooving, man.

Before leaving downtown, we had a drink in a rooftop hipster joint - more later, but all I can say is - I love LA!