Kernville

Now, most people in LA are never going to say, "I want to go to Bakersfield this weekend!"  Unless you are a trucker, or passing through to get to San Francisco or Sequoia, Bakersfield isn't going to be on your radar. ever.  That being said, its still kind of an interesting place. Because it is a major hub for people who are "just passing through",  it has a mysterious, eerie vibe of non permanence, at least the trucker motel we stayed at on our way to Kernville did.

I brought my cowboy boots because I thought we were going to go to a honky tonk bar the night we got there, but we were so exhausted by the time we got there that we just went straight to bed.  I'm planning on going back to Kernville, so hopefully I will have another chance to get that Honky Tonk in.

So about Kernville.  If you're pretty much from anywhere else on the planet, you have a cool river to hang out at near you, but in Los Angeles, all we have is a huge ocean. Yes, we do have the L.A. River, and the folks here are putting in a great effort to revitalize that natural resource, but its going to take a while before you can swim or fish in it again (if ever).

Kernville is three hours away from L.A. by way of the scenic highway 178.  I love that my boyfriend loves to drive on road trips, because I got to look at the view the whole way, and it was gorgeous!

The city of Kernville is really cute with a small western town feel.  They also have their antique game down. They have some good stuff in those antique stores.

After we stuffed our faces at the Cracked Egg Cafe, we headed out to our camp at Headquarters Campground.

Headquarters Campground is located about 10 minutes from the city of Kernville.  It is great because it is close to the river, and there are several campsites that are right along the river.  The only downside is that each camp does not have a lot of shade cover, and privacy is definitely lacking between campsites. (We were at site # 30). We had a great time, though, and we made friends with the other campers.  Don't expect to have a quiet camping experience if you go though, thats not what this place is about.  This place is about drinking beers on the river and hanging with your buds.  Good times!

We had a great time camping in Kernville. We saw a couple of shooting stars and satellites, had a nice campfire, and ate a ton of food that we cooked over the fire.  After we packed up camp and headed back to town, we decided to try stand up paddle boarding.  The place we went to was very helpful and had a great rate for 4 hours of paddle boarding.  We found out that we couldn't paddle board on the river, so we headed to Lake Isabella which is about 10 minutes from Kernville.

We returned our rental exactly 4 hours later, and we were absolutely starving, so we decided to drop by the Kern River Brewing Co.  It was a good decision on our part, if only for the amazing fried pickles!   They also had a great house made BBQ Sauce.  I got the beer sampler flight, and all of their beers are tasty, especially their Just Outstanding IPA.

After that we headed home, but I'm sure we will be back.  We still need to try out river rafting, and other river sports that we don't have back in LA.  Until then....

Cowboy boots + Thrifted

Tan shorts + Gifted

Floyd Shirt + Walmart :-/ (sorry, I won't do it again)

Bikini Day 1 + JC Penny?

Bikini Day 2 + American Apparel 

Other top + An American Artist original

Watts up?

 

I think my mom was the first person to tell me about Watts Towers. Many a hippie in her day had sojourned to the depths of South Central to see this magnificent work of art.  Ever since I found out about the towers, I knew that one day I would visit.  The visit I had this weekend was definitely long overdue, but I'm happy to say that I can finally scratch this little Los Angeles adventure off of the list!

I think the most amazing thing about this piece is that it was created by one person, Simon Rodia, who worked tirelessly for over thirty years to create his masterpiece.  Then, when it was done, he simply gave the ownership of the property to his neighbor and walked away,  leaving behind a legacy that in its own way, paid homage to the legacies of his heroes- Da Vinci, Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus.

Its really like nothing you have ever seen! Everyone in Los Angeles should give it a visit. Even if you are not from L.A., it is definitely worth your while to make a little detour over to Watts Towers.  Tours are $7 which includes access to a small art exhibit in their visitor center and a short documentary. To find out when you can go view the property, click here.

It was a hot day in Watts and we didn't eat any breakfast, so we decided to try Hawkins House of Burgers.  It was pretty damn tasty.  Brian really liked his fat egg cheese burger, and my fish sandwich was perfectly cooked.  The onion rings are awesome, too!

We decided that we were on a roll and so on the way home we stopped by another Los Angeles landmark, Randy's Donuts in Inglewood, Ca.  I love the 50s vibe, and don't be fooled by the kitschiness, these donuts are REALLY good. We got two jelly filled for two bucks!  Can't beat that. :)

Sunglasses + Vintage

80s shirt + Thrifted

Jean Skirt + Thrifted

Shoes + Vans

zoooooooommmmm ouuuuuuuuuuuutttttttttt  :)

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Mazes and Surprises on La Brea

As an Angelino,  have you ever driven by that place on the corner of La Brea and 1st street and said, "what the heck is that?!"  Well, after asking myself that for the last 10 years, I finally decided to stop in and see what exactly the place is about.

As it turns out, its kind of a neat place.  It is called Metropolis Nick Collectible Furniture.  As soon as we walked in we were greeted by an interesting fellow with purple hair (possibly Metropolis Nick).  We walked through the place, which was like walking through a colorful maze. There are a lot of large vintage and antique pieces of furniture, paintings, and signage.  But, there are small things that catch your eye too.  It is definitely a fun place to check out if you are in the area.

On a side note, if you are a man on a mission in search of fashionable items, this is the area for you. Right next door to Metropolis Nicks there are several men's fashion boutiques.  (Sorry, that doesn't sound very manly).  They all are a bit different and all have great style (Union, Stussy, Undefeated, Black Scale, And Still).  We went in store after store and it seemed to be never ending!  There are also a couple of cute looking restaurants nearby, so you don't have to shop till you drop.

Here's a pic of a dressing room in one of the men's clothing stores. Unfortunately I forget the name of this one.  But if you ever end up in it, say hi to buff Alf for me. 

Romper + Lulu*s

Sunglasses + Desert Daze find

Sandals + Amazon :P

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