(no subject)

[fabrisse]

Today was spent at the Tar Pits. For some reason, the tar pits, which are along the part of Wilshire Boulevard known as "Miracle Mile," are home to several museums.

The bad news was that the part of the museum that I most wanted to see was closed while they install a new exhibit. I can try again at the end of the month, but it won't be free. It's still less expensive than the MFA, so I'll be going back.

The good news was that I got to explore the permanent European collections. One little boy (I'd put him at about five) was wheeled along in majesty by his mother complaining about how boring everything was until they turned into the room with the Greek jars and kraters and Roman statuary. There was an 8 foot Roman copy of a Greek Athena. He stared for a moment and then said, "Wow."

The park around the tar pits is interesting. The pits themselves are oddly fascinating. The most prominent section is something they call a lake -- it looks more like a pond to me, and a shallow one at that. However it collects its water, there's a permanent "oil slick" -- that's their term -- on top of it. The "oil" is actually liquid asphalt. And the bubbles that gloop up every few minutes and then dissipate in rings of bubbles are natural gas escaping through little fissures under the pond.

This is the pit that has some cheesy fiberglass statues of Colombian Mastadons (or were they mammoths?) being trapped by the tar.

The little museum devoted to the pits and the discoveries in them wasn't free, but I wandered in and around the gift shop. There was a big sign on the information desk apologizing to kids that there wouldn't be any dinosaurs inside as none had ever been discovered at La Brea.

It was a good several hours. I'm getting to know the Metro and Bus system. It's handy, but confusing.

Comments

[siderea]

For some reason, the tar pits, which are along the part of Wilshire Boulevard known as "Miracle Mile," are home to several museums.

First one museum wandered in and got stuck, then all the other museums heard its cries of distress and came to help, getting stuck themselves.

[eanja]

Seeing your comment reminded me that I still have SCA garb I borrowed from you and need to return at some point. I'm ratehr infrequently downtown - perhaps I could just mail it to you or something?

[siderea]

If you'd like. Do I have your email address? Could you email me at my LJ account? Then I'll email you my postal address.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

Well, from what I've seen of L.A. urban planning, that would be more likely than someone building it. *G*

[eanja]

Does the "oil slick" look like oil or like asphalt? (Because unless they mean used oil, the two are quite different colors.) I have always rather wanted to see the Tar Pits, ever since I read about them in a dinosaur book I had when I was 7 or 8. As a kid, I always imagined them as very thick and sticky, and probably w/ old hardened bits all cut away by paleontlogists when they were finding prehistoric beasties.

There was much squeeing here and on the friends list about the Veronica Mars finale. I'm so glad they picked it up for another season, though I wish they'd put it in a different time slot.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

It doesn't "rainbow shine" the way oil does on water, but it's such a thin layer over most of it that it looks more like oil than asphalt. On the edges, it begins to solidify and look sticky.

Some of the smaller pits, are thick and sticky and there is an observation pit that shows how excavations are done. Plus fiberglass giant sloths.

Sis complained that some of her best music cues got cut or softened, but, yeah, it was a hell of an episode.

Wait. You're HERE????

[alyburns.livejournal.com]

But *I'm* here too!!! Of course, *here* is in Orange County, but it's still here, as in the neighborhood!!!! WOW!!!

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

Want to get together? It'll probably have to be next week or the week after, but I'd love to do the whole "real world" thing.

But yes, I'm visiting family. I'm near the North Hollywood Metro stop.

Like you have to ask??

[alyburns.livejournal.com]

Just say the word, woman. Unless work takes a busy header, I'm available :)