FROM THE BEACH TO THE BOONIES - Driving to Topanga 9/14/23 3X High Speed Meditation Exercise ASMR

The other day a rock slide occurred on Topanga Canyon Road, closing the southern entrance and exit to the somewhat "rural" village of Topanga Canyon, known as one of the last outposts of the classic Southern California bohemian hippie lifestyle.

Topanga is the name given to the area by the Native American indigenous Tongva tribe, and may mean "where the mountain meets the sea" or "a place above." As of this writing, the road is still closed and the promise of another storm this weekend may lead to its remaining closed for a while longer. This video travels South Topanga Canyon Road northbound from Pacific Coast Highway at the beach to the heart of the village where it meets Old Topanga Road. Recorded on 9/14/23, the day was warm and the road was clear.

FROM THE BEACH TO THE BOONIES - Driving to Topanga 9/14/23 Real Time Meditation Exercise ASMR

The other day a rock slide occurred on Topanga Canyon Road, closing the southern entrance and exit to the somewhat "rural" village of Topanga Canyon, known as one of the last outposts of the classic Southern California bohemian hippie lifestyle.

Topanga is the name given to the area by the Native American indigenous Tongva tribe, and may mean "where the mountain meets the sea" or "a place above." As of this writing, the road is still closed and the promise of another storm this weekend may lead to its remaining closed for a while longer. This video travels South Topanga Canyon Road northbound from Pacific Coast Highway at the beach to the heart of the village where it meets Old Topanga Road. Recorded on 9/14/23, the day was warm and the road was clear.

THE FIRST OMEN Westwood Village Premiere 3/26/24

 

Walking through Westwood Village this afternoon, one couldn't help but notice a lot of people dressed in black clothing setting up and preparing for tonight's premiere of THE FIRST OMEN at the Fox Village Theatre. 

Snapshot L.A. is predicting heavy traffic in the village tonight, with reduced available street parking, blinding klieg lights, tyrannical black clad staffers ordering you around, impatient low-level studio employees waiting to be allowed entrance, press members oblivious to anyone they can't recognize, pedestrians blocking the sidewalk straining to see a real movie star, and a select number of said movie stars vomiting in the rear alley. 

CORVETTE on FIRE! Encino Traffic Madness Firemen Policemen Traffic Horrible

Okay, so we're driving in the San Fernando Valley, heading west on Ventura Boulevard in the lovely city of Encino, when traffic stalls. In the distance, smoke arises from the line of cars ahead of us. The smoke competes with the bright late afternoon sun. There's a tragedy going on. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible.

My feet hit the sidewalk. My hands carry my camera. There it is: a gorgeous CORVETTE in FLAMES!

Firemen hurry to pour water over it. Policemen reroute the traffic. The smoke abates. The precious vehicle begins to smolder. Water falls from the wreck and slides into the gutters.

There's a car wash across the street. Is that ironic? This car will probably never see another washday.

An aggressive driver tries to pull too close to the emergency and threatens to drive over the water hoses. Authoritative shouts demand the driver to stop.

The Corvette's owner returns. A fireman asks him if he has anything of value inside to be removed before the fireman soaks the interior. Confusion remains. But the fire is out. The emergency is over.

We get back on the road and drive slowly past the scene. To this day I still wonder how the fire started, if the Corvette proved salvageable, and if Encino ever returned to normalcy?

(This incident occurred on Wednesday, September 14, 2016.)

Night Time Driving Palm Springs to West L.A. 11/25/23 4X High Speed - Meditation Exercise ASMR

We all know that trying to drive from L.A. to Palm Springs at certain times can result in a traffic nightmare. But what do we know about the best times to drive from Palm Springs to L.A.?

The first time I went to Palm Springs, I was 17. My high school pal had relatives nearby and we planned to stop for one night in Palm Springs before visiting them. My pal said it was a long drive and decided we needed to leave early in the morning. I still remember driving westward on the freeway with the sun rising in the east. I believed him. We wound up in Palm Springs in time for an early breakfast. After pancakes and coffee, we drove around until the motel opened for check-ins. Turns out the tram was closed for the season. The town looked empty. We wound up going to the movies. I mean, what else can you do when you're 17 in Palm Springs? We went on to visit his family and spent a few days enjoying the desert, but I have no memory of our drive home.

That was then and this is now: On Saturday 11/25/23, we decided to try driving home to L.A. in the nighttime. The day of the week being Saturday (thus the time of departure being Saturday night), the combined day and time became more data to factor. Now, Saturday night could be more busy, could be more trafficked, and could be more dangerous. Sunday afternoon could be even worse with all the going home traffic. We wanted to be home on Sunday to enjoy the remainder of the weekend, so driving Saturday night remained the choice. What was the drive home like? See for yourself. Zone out. Zen out. Run a treadmill mile or two. Find some delight in your rare taste for ASMR (if driving videos affect you that way). Enjoy!