The Gifts of Spontaneity

   

"Spontaneity is being present in the present." -Wei Wu Wei

    When I set out on my errands this day, I had no idea the path I would end up winding down.  I had the odd week off from work and was busy catching up on my many to-do's around the house.  By Wednesday, I needed to mix some business with pleasure, so I threw on my helmet and gear and settled on the Buell for a little run around town.  Just before I fired it up, I had a little visitor.  I love that this little guy landed right by the "B".  His little butt was bobbing up and down on the tank, as if speaking to me in morse code.

I think he's saying ... "bee in the moment, bee present, bee here now."

    I desperately needed a ride, but didn't feel like committing the time to ride through Malibu Canyon, so I settled on a fun treasure hunt to get at least a few miles of wind therapy in.  I had seen on instagram a picture of a mural of the "Bernie Meme" here in Los Angeles.  It turns out it was only a few miles away, so I did a little 405 practice and headed towards Washington Pl and Inglewood Blvd to find the mural, hopefully before someone tagged over it.  It was super easy to find heading west from the freeway.  He's just chillin on the side of the wall looking thrilled as ever to be there.

I have to admit, I had a good chuckle at all the Bernie photoshop pictures that came out after the inauguration.  

    Turns out this mural was a few blocks from where I lived when I had both of my children. 💛

I especially enjoyed the photoshopped pictures where people had Bernie riding bitch on a bike 😂.  I think the country needed a little levity after last year. 

    While taking pictures, a guy comes strolling by smoking a cigarette and I said hello.  We ended up having a nice exchange about murals and things.  It feels like it has been so long since I've had the opportunity to have an engaging conversation with a stranger.  I miss it terribly.  Positive, random interactions are fun and often there is so much to be gained from chance meetings.  He told me about an organization called Beautify Earth and how they were responsible for most of the murals you see in Santa Monica.  He recommended I go check it out and so I did.  Santa Monica was just a hop, skip and a jump down Lincoln Blvd from where I stood.  Why the hell not?  I didn't have any locations, I was just wingin' it and figured I'd ride around and see what I see.  

    If ever I needed a sign that this was good decision, I definitely found it.  I mean, BUBBLES!!  HELLO!!!! 😍😍😍. I turned the key off and the engine quieted, as I lifted my visor a homeless man (I'm assuming) walked by pushing his cart of randomness (the reason for the assumption).  He turned as he passed me, paused for a moment and said, "That has a Harley engine in it, doesn't it?"  Well, sir, you had me at hello!  That made me grin from ear to ear.  I gave him the peace sign and replied, "Sir, you sure know your bikes!  Right on!"  That surprised me in the best of ways.  Again with the random, positive interaction with strangers. 💗

I believe this is just west of Lincoln on Arizona?  I'm not positive, but it's a cross  street off Lincoln Blvd towards the beach just after you cross into Santa Monica from Venice.

I'm doing my best to blend in.  Where did Bubbles go???😜

    As I left my homage mural and headed towards the ocean, I randomly turned down 7th St.  I saw this vibrant, pink, 80's infused Santa Monica mural on the opposite side of the road.  It was accented by a lonely, discarded Byrd scooter (if you know, you know) leaned up against a parking meter and a homeless man laying spread eagle, face down, across the entirety of the sidewalk, looking equally as lonely and discarded.  And most likely wasted.  I continued on, mainly because it was on the other side of the street, but also because it just felt kinda yucky.  I drove around a bit and ran into lots of stop signs and stop lights, enough to make your clutch arm quiver.  Then, highlighted in neon orange road blocks, I realized what day it was.  It was Farmers Market day.  When the city shuts down several city blocks of 3rd St near the Promenade.  Honestly, it's actually a pretty legit farmers market, but if there were a sign that it was time to skedaddle, that was it.  It didn't take long for me to remember what it was about Santa Monica that I didn't love.  I've spent some time here and while there are things I do enjoy and appreciate, it leaves me with an unpleasant aftertaste.  Besides, I had already found the mural that would perfectly sum up my feelings and the area.  I headed back to the happy, pink portrayal of the city, waking up the passed out prince of pavement with the rumble of my v-twin as pulled in.

I was hoping I could get a picture with the homeless guy sprawled out like he was.  It was just so striking and sad.  I also would have liked to frame the shot, so you can see the Byrd scooter better, but like I said, it was yucky and I woke up a man who was currently mumbling incoherently, so it was a snap and zap situation.  
Santa Monica is notorious for having Byrd scooters all over the place and people discard them randomly anywhere and everywhere.  Often in the middle of sidewalks, like our dear homeless friend, making it a hazard for disabled people and wheelchairs to get around. I'm not a fan of those things at all for several reasons.  I'll spare you my old lady list of complaints for now.
I think this was on 7th St near the Venice and Santa Monica Border. 

    Leaving the freshly awoken man to his mumbling, I headed down Ocean Blvd towards Venice.  Venice was a no brainer.  There are oodles of murals out there.  I lived on a walk street off the Boardwalk in Venice for a brief time.  I knew if I headed down Brooks Ave and turned left down Speedway, the alley that parallels the Boardwalk, I would have a variety of art to choose from.  I didn't stop at all of them, but I picked a few of my favorites to photograph.  

The rare sighting of a Saint in Venice.  However, you will see many Hare Krishna wandering around.

I guess this was on the corner of Speedway and Zephyr.

       I was in search of my favorite, and arguably, the most famous mural in Venice.  The depiction of Jim Morrison.  He is as iconic as this city, his legacy tightly intertwined in the Venice culture, which still reflects his vibe today.  This area is always moving, but in many ways stands still in time.  You don't need a way-back machine to revisit the past, you just need a trip to Venice Beach.

"Are you a lucky little lady in the city of light? Or just another lost angel?"
Such incredibly apropos lyrics for this city, then and now.

    A little further down, I spy the Red Hot Chili Peppers and hop off for a quick shot, letting the bike idle.  So many of their songs address the underlying drug culture and addiction that is so pervasive in this town and all of LA.

"And if you want these kind of dreams, it's Californication"

    Muscle Beach and Venice are synonymous.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of my muscle bike with all the muscle men and women.  Truthfully, I loved how all the orange complimented my pretty rims.

   

That girl knows a pretty bike when she sees one.  Even Mr. Muscle can't draw her gaze away.

    I was getting to the end of Speedway, but I couldn't pass up this classic mural of the Governator in his chonies.  It's hard not to chuckle.  I can't help but wonder  who lives in Arnold's crotch?  If I lived there, I'd have an awful time not reaching out my window and sticking "something" on the wall.  Use your imagination kids.  Make sure it's your dirty one. 😂

 

 I'll be back, Venice.  Stay weird!

    As much as I wanted to stop and do a little lap down the Boardwalk, hunger was knocking on my belly.  I swung by the bank, so I could still count this as an errand run, and headed home for a bite to eat.  There was still some daylight left and I had one more thing on my list of to-do's.  I was having so much fun cruising around exploring the local beach towns that I genuinely wanted to continue on this adventure.  

    One thing I noticed immediately as I set out towards the South Bay, is the lack of murals in the more "upscale" beach towns.  You definitely find more art in the areas that are more seedy, for lack of a better word.  It's disappointing.  I think the affluent areas are a bit too uptight and regulated to allow color and art to decorate the streets.  It's not as bad as some cities in the valley where everything must be a similar shade of beige, but you can feel it's restriction of free, artistic expression and there is an air of compliance and order.  It took me a bit of exploring before I stumbled on this stunning piece on the side of Hermosa Beach Brewing Company.  I mean, it's a brewery, I'm definitely stopping!

I absolutely love this piece.  I'm a surfer at heart.  I love having my two passions in one picture together.  Now I need to go back and try their beer. 😛

    

    On towards Redondo Beach, where I know Wyland, the infamous marine artist, has painted a beautiful and enormous mural of the grey whale migration that has been towering over the oceanfront drag near King Harbor for many, many years.  It is an iconic backdrop for the city that beautifully disguises the industrial power plant that sprawls out behind it.  Sadly, it is far too big, covered by trees, and there's no great place to park to get a decent shot.  I have heard rumors that it is to be painted over and the power plant is potentially set to shut down (read more about the debacle here if you're interested), so I highly recommend a trip to come see it in person before it is gone for good.   Redondo has been getting a little crazy on their path to renovate and revitalize their pier and Fishermans Wharf over the past few years.  It has been met with much controversy, understandably so.  King Harbor, which by the way is my favorite pier to visit, has always been a little bit dingy and raw, but therein lies its beauty.  On any given weekend you could walk around and see families enjoying time together on the pier, playing games at the (now closed for good) Fun Factory, and listen to live mariachi bands while slurping down some oysters or crab legs with a cold beer at Quality Seafood.  Clearly, I'm not for the renovation.  It's meant to be the way it was, that's what made it wonderful and accessible to so many.  It's a multicultural melting pot where everyone could come and enjoy a little food, fun, and a nice ocean breeze without breaking the bank.  I'm sure many of the other businesses that adorn that wooden wharf will soon follow the fate of the Fun Factory, as they are driven out by increasing rent and the financial impact from covid.  I guess everything can't stand still in time like it seems to on the Venice Boardwalk.

    After realizing I couldn't get a shot of the Whale Wall, I flipped around and headed up Hernando St, back towards Manhattan Beach to catch the sunset near home. Apparently, It's been a while since I have been down that street.  The whole wall that  blocks another side of the power plant mentioned above, has little sections of murals along it.  If you know me, you know I love (borderline obsessed with) The Simpsons.  I was so stoked when I found this mural!!  It was the perfect piece to end my day of mural hunting through the local beach cities.

Accurate depiction of me when I see my bike after too many days of not riding. 😛
I think this might be my favorite. 💖

    With the sun slipping down below the clouds, I made my way towards Manhattan Beach Pier, hoping that it being Wednesday and rather chilly, would secure a spot for me in the lot with a birds eye view of the sunset and pier.  After a day like today, I had no doubt the perfect spot was waiting for me to roll in, relax, and watch the beauty of the day sink into to the sea and into me.

It's easy to get lost and overwhelmed in the fast pace and pressure of living and surviving in this city.  It's moments like these when I am filled with so much gratitude and love for this place that I am so fortunate to call my home.

    This was one of those special sunsets that went from amazing to phenomenal.  After the sun dipped into the sea, the sky let loose in color, and the clouds painted the horizon with shades of orange, pink and purple.  It was as if the universe was unveiling a live mural painting just for me.  I stayed until the last hues of pink gave way to deep blue.

I don't know who painted this mural, but it is absolutely stunning.💛

    I never would have imagined this is how my day would go when I pulled out of the driveway early that afternoon.  It's a reminder to slow down, be present, take time to listen to the signs, and go with the flow.  It's easy to get caught in the rush of the city and life's never ending demands.  Sometimes letting go of the reins and allowing the universe to guide you leads you on the most epic journey you may never have imagined yourself on.  I'm also reminded to take the time to be a tourist in my own city.  I have never gone around looking for murals or even taken pictures of them.  I've appreciated some as I have walked by, but never actively looked for them, photographed them, or learned about their background, origin, and significance.  I have lived in Los Angeles now for the greater part of my life, but I know I won't stay here forever.  A day like today helps me to appreciate what I have and I hope to continue to take the time to be a tourist in my own town and see the multitude of offerings and beauty it has available throughout its urban landscape.  Sometimes it takes a sunset to recognize the highlights of every city, see all its many colors, dark and light, to appreciate the beauty they behold.

    I took a short video of the sunset to capture this beautiful moment to share.  Absolutely no filter, just pure sol.

    I hope you enjoyed following me on my spontaneous mural adventure through the streets of Los Angeles.  I enjoyed myself so much I may even do this again sometime.  Hopefully this inspires you to have an adventure of your own, be a tourist in your own town, or just pull out  of your driveway and go wherever the wind blows.  Adventure awaits those who meet it with an open heart and open mind.