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April 21 - 23, 2023
This is a 2 parter/maybe even a three parter, so please indulge me for a moment and continue along in my 10 day journey.
PART I
In January, my favorite band announced a mini tour on the left coast, including 3 shows at the Hollywood Bowl in LA. Let's get this show on the road. There was no doubt I had to jump on this. I didn't even check with the Mrs. and I bought tickets for all 3 shows. Very excited to see the band I love in a place that I love, at a venue that I have never been to! Epic. Turns out some of the community form Toronto was also heading to the shows, 4 friends who rented an epic house in the hills of Glendale, so it was easy for me to hook up a room or a couch in this instance. Los Angeles is indeed one of my favorite places to visit, not sure I could ever live there, but there is such a great vibe, from the scenery to the people to the history and lively hood of it all. It's a place that makes me want to run like an antelope out of control. I've talked about my love of Hollywood and the movies and the magic that's made there, the history of rock n' roll, the "scene", the place that dreams were made, were lived and were broken. There is an awe there for me and every time I visit LA, I take myself back and imagine what it was like to live there in the 60's and 70's and I guess my hippieish side comes out. Still every time I visit there is a new experience, new restaurants and new people to meet and spend time with. Of course, this time was no different. 3 nights at the Hollywood Bowl, an iconic historic venue that has been around since the 20's. 1922 to be exact, and seen everyone perform there from Stravinsky to Billie Holiday to the Beatles. Jazz giants to rock and roll icons. In all my years of seeing live shows, never been to a venue with so much history and elegance and allure. Truly spectacular! The band this particular weekend was Phish and the history, elegance, and allure that we share is second to none. I have seen about 45ish shows, I lost count a while ago but they keep getting better. Maybe like wine, with age they and I seem to have a better appreciation for (the dude of) life. But with age, also comes a real need for a good night's sleep! Although I was couch surfing for the first 3 nights of this leg, I still got a sense from my pals how sleep was. The house in the hills we rented had 4 bedrooms and strangely enough had 4 different mattresses, and I know what you are thinking, "Is he really going to bore us with 4 different reviews of mattresses that he didn't even sleep in?" Or maybe that's just what I am thinking. I won't bore you, see below and will quiz you at some point.
SET UP
Stunning house in the Glendale Hills, about a 20 minute drive for the venue and perfect. Quiet, modern, clean pool on deck with a view like no other. 4 bedrooms and a couch! A pretty good couch actually, I slept well. This house had all the amenities you need and with parks and trails near by, the outdoor adventure is within a short walk. A few cool shops for coffee and sundries if you need nearby, and all while the sun is shining bright and hot.
MATTRESS
As mentioned above 4 different ones.
If you ask me who slept where, that's a different post. I know for sure I asked everyone how they all slept and they said well. I can tell you the Simmons Beautyrests are a nice touch, nothing overly expensive and a pretty standard mattress store purchase, probably in the 1400$ range for the king or queen. All were non pillow tops and seemed comfy when I tested them out. The Sertapedic felt a bit old and saggy but didn't get the label on it, so not sure what year it was from. The Ortho mattress was a straight up firm foam and did not feel great. All the matts were on nice slatted bed bases with gaps not too far apart which is key in making sure the support stays through out. You don't want gaps between slats more than 2 1/2 " otherwise mattress will start to seep through and affect the way the mattress lies and the way you lie.
SLEEP
I was on the couch and drifted while I was sleeping. How could you not? In a gorgeous house in the Hollywood hills, with pals and seeing some great shows.
OVERALL
I really can't believe this was part I of III. I look forward to sharing with you (Axilla) Part II. What a way to start! We also spent a day at the Grand Central Market, as must if you like food. Then a short walk to the Broad museum which had a small Basquait showing, some Lichtenstein's, Koons famous metal balloon dog was on display and some nice Warhol's too. If you are a deli fan, there are numerous places to visit, including Langer's, Canter's, Daughters Deli, Nate 'n Al's to start with. Love them all, even Mel's diner you can get a good pastrami or corned beef. The city has so much to offer and we didn't even get to the beach. You need a month here at least to enjoy everything this great city has to offer. Can't wait to get back and remember whatever you do, take care of your shoes! đłđ„Łđđđ đĄ
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