Food and art...what could be better?

I skipped any kind of breakfast this morning and opted instead to have brunch... Pink's Hot Dogs! I was SO ready for it! I had eaten Pink's famous chili dogs twice on previous road trips and I was craving it again. When I got there right after they opened at 9:30 am, I was the second customer of the day. I ordered 2 dogs and a side of onion rings, and took the food to a nearby park to enjoy. SO GOOD! I ate one chili dog and saved the other for a future meal...after I leave town! Yes, it's good microwaved!

I had four museums on my schedule for the day...not that I was actually thinking I could see them all. I like options and I plan ahead of time so I always have someplace to go. First on my list was the Chinese American Museum in downtown Los Angeles. Once I was in the vicinity, I realized I needed to find someplace to park. Every nearby lot seemed to be full. I went round and round in circles, then finally gave up in frustration. I went on to the next museum on the list...The Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo. Again, I had to move on...it was closed for renovation. I had already wasted an hour doing nothing! I drove a short distance to the main Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA...finally, success! I like modern or contemporary art as opposed to the older stuff...anything before the 1800s doesn't interest me much. Too many portraits, landscapes and still life, which simply bores me. With different mediums, styles and themes, contemporary art is just...more creative.

The MOCA had some nice pieces by well-known contemporary artists...Jackson Pollack, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. But, I wanted more. My last museum of the day was the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This is THE main art museum in Los Angeles...and they had a LOT of modern art there. I was awed by the impressive collection of Picassos. And, like the MOCA, they also had their fair share of Warhols, as well as Henri Matisse and single works by Georgia O'Keefe and Winslow Homer. But, what really made my day was seeing two paintings by my favorite contemporary artist, Rene Magritte. The Treachery Of Images (Ceci n'est pas une pipe) and The Liberator (seen above) graced the walls of the museum. It was quite a thrill. Now, even though I prefer modern art, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the old masters. I was impressed by the collection of Renoirs, Monets, Gauguins, Rodins and Cezannes. Hey, I know a LITTLE about the older stuff!

After filling my day with art culture, I was ready for a good dinner. I drove to the nearby Los Angeles Original Farmer's Market for my Brazilian grill fix. I got takeout from their buffet and selected a couple of delectable meats. I made sure to get my favorite fried plantains! Driving back to my hotel, thankfully, I didn't stay too long on the dreaded Hwy 101. That freeway seems to be in a perpetual traffic jam!

One more day in Los Angeles, then it's off to San Francisco! Looking forward to one last day of fun...yes, it WILL be fun! No more disappointments allowed!