Visiting LA soon-car guy stuff ???

[strupgolf]

We'll be in Pasadena June 23-30 or so and was wondering if the Peterson Museum is worth it to see, or is there something else better? I'd also like to visit a high end dealership, Lambo's Ferrari's etc or something out of the ordinary. What do you think ? Thanks

[javadog]

Some suggestions:

Cars and Coffee in Irvine, early Saturday morning
Autobooks/Aerobooks store in Burbank
Newport Beach for high end dealerships

JR

[Hugh R]

Peterson is very good. Also, the San Sylmar auto museum (actually two museums) in Sylmar is great and free. But you have to make reservations. No shorts or tank tops. It was built by the founder/owner of Meryl Norman cosmetics. HOw about a beer/dinner with some of us locals?

[id10t]

There was a place around the corner from my Grandma's - corner of La Cienega and Romaine St (just off Santa Monica) that always had neat stuff in stock. The Beverly Hills dealerships.

Have breakfast at the Farmers Market. Have dinner at the Stinking Rose.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by javadog

Some suggestions:

Cars and Coffee in Irvine, early Saturday morning
Autobooks/Aerobooks store in Burbank
Newport Beach for high end dealerships

JR

And high end beach bunnies on the sand.

[strupgolf]

Actually the dates are arriving the 18th and leaving on the 26th. Staying with my bil/sil near the Rose Bowl in a house they just restored. Love to get together to shoot the breeze if time permits. I know they have some stuff planned of course, but I'm on vacation. We'll keep in touch.

[speeder]

If you're staying in Pasadena and want to have a good time, stay (reasonably) close to Pasadena. It's a beautiful area. What some of these out-of-town advisors don't understand is that Los Angeles is a HUGE city, hundreds of square miles of solid people and traffic. If you think you're going to have a good time driving all over tarnation in city traffic, knock yourself out. Not my idea of a good time.

Either stay where you plan on hanging-out or hang-out (near) where you're staying. That's my advice. I'm sure there are plenty of exotic car dealerships in Pasadena, they're everywhere.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by speeder

What some of these out-of-town advisors don't understand is that Los Angeles is a HUGE city, hundreds of square miles of solid people and traffic. If you think you're going to have a good time driving all over tarnation in city traffic, knock yourself out. Not my idea of a good time.

Just got back from a week in LA. Yeah, it's a big town. Yeah, the traffic can be bad, if you don't pay attention.

But, you're on vacation. You can pick when, and how, to get to a particular place. It's not that hard to avoid traffic.

Some of these places are worth the hassle. Cars and Coffee in Irvine is one of those. There are similar events in other areas but this is the good one. Since it starts way early on Saturday morning, traffic isn't going to be an issue.

The bookstore I recommended is also worth a look, if you're into car books. It's in a sleepy part of Burbank. I was there last Friday morning and traffic was non-existent.

You can find more stuff to do in the LA area than you'll have time for.

JR

[speeder]

You have a point about that cars and coffee deal and traffic. It does look amazing but I would not wake-up @ 6am and drive to Orange county and back for anything. I see plenty of exotic cars just driving around L.A. Yesterday a Bugatti Veyron screamed by me as I was trying to cross the street in West Hollywood.

To each their own, of course. There is a lot of eye-candy here for tourists.

[nostatic]

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[daepp]

Not a car thing, but if you like Arts and Crafts houses, the granddaddy of them all is near the Rose Bowl. Check out the Gamble House by Greene and Greene.

[tevake]

Strupgolf
!+ about the houses in that part of the city.

I will also be visiting there the last part of June and will be going to cars and coffee on the 18th. We may be back from Cambria for the 25th, if so I would be glad to have you join me for the drive over and back on that sat. It is well over an hour but the traffic that time of day is not a problem.

I will be staying in south Pasadena so it should work out easily, I'm just not sure if we will be back in town by that fri night? PM me with contact info so we can connect for that if you like.

Another, not car related but worthwhile thing in that area is the Huntington Gardens and Library, It is a beautiful botanical garden and the art collection is really nice. For my wife, and her family, that live there, this is a must do when ever visitors are in town. I have come to really enjoy spending some time there.

Cheers Richard

[Noah930]

Last Sunday of the month (June 26th) is the big Supercar Sunday gathering in Woodland Hills. It's in the Westfield Mall parking lot at the corner of Topanga and Irwin. 8-11 am, roughly. Probably a couple hundred cars show up.

I think if you have a Griot's Garage catalog, admission to the Peterson is 1/2 off.

I think the museum Hugh is referring to is the Nethercutt in Sylmar. Call for reservations/rules.

You can PM Sherwood (911pcar) to see what day his monthly Porsche gathering is. They pick a Saturday morning, IIRC, to get together over by a Starbucks next to Verdugo Hills Hospital. That's close to Pasadena.

LA, itself, is one big car show.

[strupgolf]

We will be staying at 952 N. Madison Ave. Pasadena. It's a house they bought 2 years ago and finally finished this year. I think the Gamble House is on the list of things to see. I'll miss the first Cars and Coffee on the 18th, but would love to see it on the 25th. Tevake, that does sound like a fun time if things work out. Living here in the back country, it's hard to relate to the distance from LA to San Diego, or Malibu, or East LA, but it's been a long time, 1985, since I've seen the area. Lets hope we can get together, any or all. Thanks for the tips.

[kevin993]

Good recommendations so far. The Mullin Museum in Oxnard and the Marconi Museum in Tustin are both worth a look. Don't forget some of the great driving roads in the area - Angeles Crest, Mulholland, and Pacific Coast Highway.

There is also Porsche club autocross at Pomona June 25 and 26. There is also a concours at Graystone on June 26.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by kevin993

There is also Porsche club autocross at Pomona June 25 and 26. There is also a concours at Graystone on June 26.

I went to the PCA concours last year. It was so-so. Nothing you haven't seen before. But the Greystone is a neat place. Beautiful grounds to wander. Not ginormous like the Huntington mentioned above, but very nice to spend an hour or two there. Huntington also has a tea house for an actual afternoon tea, but you have to make reservations, IIRC.

[kevin993]

Agreed. If my schedule permits, we'll be at Pomona rather than Graystone. Always prefer cars at speed than sitting still.

[5String43]

+1 on San Sylmar - Google that, and also "Nethercutt Collection." Very much worth the time of any car guy. The main facilility requires reservations, which are hard to get, especially on notice this short. The big Nethercutt museum across the street, however, is open to all comers, and is worth the visit just by its lonesome.

Unfortunately, I find that Autobooks/Aerobooks, which is moved and is under (relatively) new ownership, is but a shadow of its former self. Still has a good selection of hard-to-find magazines, though; not at all far from Pasadena and very easy to get to. Who knows, on a weekend you might run into Leno. I did last time I was there.

If you have a set of wheels, you might want to take a drive up the famed Angeles Crest highway, which just reopened after 18 months of construction following intense flood conditions that washed part of it away. It's Mecca, if you like corners with names like The Steps, Spinning Heel, Carousel, Squid's Leap, and more. It's also hell if you get caught speeding up there, which is highly possible, given the level of enforcement up there these days onaccounta lots of motorcycle fatalities. You've been warned. But 20 or so miles up you'll find a cafe called Newcomb's Ranch. It is The Hangout, especially if you like sportbikes. Go on a weekday. Avoid the entire highway on weekends. Just. Not. Safe.

If Spousal Unit is along, also consider the Huntington Library and Gardens in South Pasadena. Nice place. You'll get points because she'll like it.

Dealerships? Best bet around Pasadena is Rusnak's, on Colorado. Audis, Porsches, Jags and more. No Lambos, I don't think. Closest one of of those is out west in Calabasas, just off the 101. At least I think it's still there. If you're interested, PM me and I'll do a bit of research.

Best restaurant in the area just closed, now it's probably Far Niente, on Brand Blvd. in Glendale; plenty of good ones in Pas, though. Best burger in the area, bar none, is at Damon's, also on Brand in Glendale - Bacon/Avocado cheeseburger. Yum. Best Mexican food is, in my estimation, Mijares, right off Pasadena St. in Pasadena. Again, if you're interested, PM me and I can be more precise.

-Jon

[look 171]

Originally Posted by strupgolf

We will be staying at 952 N. Madison Ave. Pasadena. It's a house they bought 2 years ago and finally finished this year. I think the Gamble House is on the list of things to see. I'll miss the first Cars and Coffee on the 18th, but would love to see it on the 25th. Tevake, that does sound like a fun time if things work out. Living here in the back country, it's hard to relate to the distance from LA to San Diego, or Malibu, or East LA, but it's been a long time, 1985, since I've seen the area. Lets hope we can get together, any or all. Thanks for the tips.

oh boy, I finished a downstairs renovation on Madison about a block from there on the same side of the street less then two years ago.

Cars and Coffee in Irvine is worth going. You will be back way before lunch. Visit the Bentley dealership in Old Town Pasadena (there are not too many around). You can actually walk there, have lunch in Old Town and walk back. The weather will be beautiful.

Try to look up 911pcar about their monthly shooting the breeze and coffee. I am not sure when they meet, but I know it should be coming up in about 3 weeks. I haven't been going in a long while. they start early so you'll make it back by 9-10am. I usually get an email from them. They are 10 min from your location. shoot me an email, I can pick you up if you like. I live 10m minutes away. This way I will be force to exercise my 930. I only drove it once this year. Work and family duties are killing me.

Jeff

[Embraer]

the angeles crest highway just opened back up 3 days ago! lots of fun driving...