Family Fun

So far this month, I've been lucky enough to have been visited by 50% of my family. It's been fun to show everyone around my new-ish hood. Tom, in particular, stepped up to the challenge of changing Shackford family views on La La Land.

Our first visitors were Mo and Buckley who came up for the first Friday night of the new year. There visit consisted less of seeing the sights and more of introducing them to our local watering holes. Actually, now that I think about it, Buckley actually provided the only real culture of the weekend when he led us to a hidden architectural museum just four blocks from my apartment.

Designed by architect Rudolph Schindler and built in 1922, the Schindler House is, according to Wikipedia, "considered to be the first house built in the Modern style."  The house was apparently intended to be a living and working space for two families, and it is made up of two connected L-shaped buildings that frame a huge (by Southern California standards) yard. It was dark by the time we got there, but the internet didn't let me down - pictures are courtesy of Wikipedia.

{source: Alan Ferguson}

Inside the museum were photographs of the view from the house at the time that it was built. Back in the day, you could see all the Hollywood Hills from the windows of the house. Now, sadly, innumerable apartment buildings, hotels, and stores tower over the little house and block the view.

{source: Alan Ferguson}

The house itself wasn't really my style, it was all concrete and wood, but it also had sleeping baskets! Apparently, the architect decided to forgo bedrooms in favor of these "baskets," areas on the roof that were protected by canvas canopies.

{interior: living room, kitchen, studio}

After absorbing some Southern California history, happy hours commenced, first - the Belmont.

The Roger Room is a spectacularly hip, prohibition-style bar, and as such, it is very dark and features gruff bartenders serving very strong cocktails. As a result, my only photographic evidence of the evening are these two underexposed, grainy pictures.

{Moscow Mules - thanks for the rec, Oprah!}

{Even their coasters are hip.}

We had planned planned to hike Runyon Canyon the next morning but ended up cheating by driving up to the Mullholland entrance to the park where we walked maybe half a mile, took in the view, and called it a day. Damn those Moscow Mules and Tijuana Brasses! [For those of you who haven't had the pleasure, a Moscow Mule is a cocktail made of vodka, lime, and ginger beer. It is also one of Oprah's favorite things, so naturally, it's awesome. Just like Stedman. I don't know where I'm going with this... Annnnyway, a Tijuana Brass is a Roger Room specialty and one of my favorite things - it's made with tequila and topped with a magical cucumber foam.]

I have been working on and abandoning this post for two days now, so consider this Part One with a thorough recap of adventures with Mom and Dad to follow soon.