On this portion of the trip, Cathy and I arrived in Los Angeles for my family reunion. As those of you who recall the early logs may recall, Cathy and I are a visual study in contrasts. However, just as we were welcomed at Cathy's own family reunion, so were we by my own extended family.
We stayed at the Hacienda Hotel in El Segundo, just south of LAX (Los Angeles International Airport). The decor reminded me of an off-Strip Vegas casino, which was ironic considering our imminent stay in Sin City.
The hotel lobby was actually very pretty. The inner courtyards were a nice touch, especially the one that included the outdoor heaters. The best feature of the hotel may have been its in-house coffee shop. The food was very good and the prices surprisingly reasonable for what I expected in the LA metro. The hotel staff in general was friendly although some knowledge of Spanish would have improved my communication with housekeeping.
As for the room itself, it was a mixed bag. It was a very tiny room, certainly not made for someone who planned to spend an abundance of time there. (That said, we visited the balcony rooms which were a little bigger.) The bed was a little soft for our tastes. They did have a decent selection of TV channels on the console.
Concerning transportation, while family members who flew in raved about the convenient and speedy shuttle from LAX, those who drove in found parking to be rather inconvenient for those who did not qualify (or arrive in time) for one of the accessible parking spaces.
We didn't venture out of the hotel much for most of our stay as we focused on getting (re)acquainted with family members. However, we did take one day to see Long Beach, touring the downtown area as well as making a pilgrimage to VIP Records, an iconic location for a Generation X hip-hop aficionado such as yours truly. (In case you visit, it should be noted that those who are accustomed or open to city environments would be most comfortable in the somewhat gritty neighborhood surrounding VIP Records.) The store also featured R&B and Gospel CD's as well as clothing merchandise reflecting the tastes of the local community.
On Sunday afternoon, I accompanied some family members on an bus tour that we arranged through the hotel concierge. This is where the bulk of our pictures on the Summer of Love tour were taken. So you won't be surprised that the collection merits its own blog.
States visited:11.
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