My friend Shawn and I spent a weekend exploring Los Angeles, a city of many surprises. I’ve lived in the area for many years and I still discover new and interesting spots. Shawn was doing research for some articles for one of his freelance journalist projects and I was tagging along, having fun. While waiting for the Griffith Observatory to open
(see last post: https://www.christa-polkinhorn.com/2017/11/20/los-angeles-a-city-of-urban-sprawl-and-the-most-exciting-as-well-as-quirky-attractions/),
we had breakfast in a nearby coffee shop and then checked out another quirky and very interesting place, called Wacko/Soap Plant in Los Angeles. This is a store that sells an amazing collection of magical and crazy stuff as well as sophisticated works of art and some splendid books.

But first we checked out the current art exhibition in the store. I knew of my friend’s love of Tiki bars and Tiki drinks and took it for just another one of his many quirks. I have to admit though I’ve acquired a taste for these Hawaiian inspired drinks myself. What I wasn’t familiar with though was the more serious aspect of this international movement of Tiki Art. The exhibition of paintings and sculptures was truly amazing. One of the famous artists among the group is a guy by the name of Shag. More about him here:
http://www.shag.com/

And here are a few pictures of the Wacko store and of the art exhibition. It’s located at the end of Hollywood Blvd. where it leads into Sunset. Here is the outside–you obviously can’t miss it.

And here the inside: paintings and sculptures, the true Tiki phenomena. I was really excited about it!

Our next stop after Wacko and the Griffith Observatory was Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles. This part of the city, which is now mainly a tourist attraction, was founded in 1781 and has an interesting and at times controversial history and Latin heritage. More about this here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olvera_Street#Early_days

We visited Calle Olvera October 21 and the street was already decked out for the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on November 2 and 3. Here are some pictures of the tourist attractions and the more historical buildings.

More follows–another fabulous Los Angeles highlight, Clifton’s Cafeteria. Stay tuned!