Ride to yesterday

When I left Yucca Valley, CA this morning, I was eager to get to Los Angeles. After visiting and spending the night in small towns, I was ready for the big city. My first destination of the day was the American Military Museum on El Monte. This place has a wonderful collection of old military vehicles, weapons and hardware. Some of the items were used in movies and TV shows. Afterward, I was ready for lunch. At this point, I was craving a nice bowl of ramen, and I got it from Ajisen Ramen in San Gabriel. The spicy beef ramen really hit the spot, and I elected to get a takeout of order of curry with fried chicken for dinner.

The most interesting place of the day was the Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo. I enjoyed looking at the old cars, but it was even better riding one! On Sundays, they select a few cars from the collection, and offer rides to museum visitors. I had the pleasure of taking a spin in a 1941 Packard convertible. This classic automobile had a surprising smooth ride, and I was told it could actually go fast enough to drive on the freeways. I must say, it's the oldest car I've ever ridden in...my family owned a '57 Chevy when I was little, but this one tops that. The Packard was definitely opposite of the NASCAR race car I rode in a couple days ago, but almost as exciting.

My last point of interest of the day was The Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City. This eclectic museum is certainly unlike any that I've seen before. A mix of the bizarre, the scientific and the cultural, it's probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I found it fascinating. My favorite exhibit displayed old remedies and superstitions from times past. For instance, the cure for a child's bed wetting? A meal of toast with mice...with fur still intact!

Tomorrow, more fun in the Los Angeles sun. I'm getting kind of used to the rays, but I'll never get tired of the cool Pacific Northwest temps...and yes, the rain, too!