One Park, One Museum, One Stamp at a Time
My First Official NPS Stamping AdventureAfter returning from Washington D.C. I decided that I wanted to fill up my National Parks Passport as fast as I could. I am a native of Los Angeles and was excited to see that there were some NPS sites in the LA area. I wanted to take advantage of these stamping opportunities while I could since I was planning a move to Eastern Washington for June. I was getting married this summer and my fiance and I had decided to move to her hometown of Spokane, WA. The ticking clock on my time in LA inspired me to get out and see the sites. My fiance and I started our day at the Los Angeles Flower Market where we were looking for some items for an upcoming bridal shower. From here, we decided to explore downtown LA on foot and made our way toward El Pueblo de Los Angeles and Olevra Street. Along the way we paid a visit to the Bradbury Building, originally built in 1893. This building has been used in numerous films and TV shows over the years and features a beautiful atrium filled with ornate staircases and elevators. We next made our way to the Grand Central Market to grab a drink with my cousin, who lives in downtown. Grand Central Market features a number of food and drink options along with produce and other gifts. We grabbed a beer from Golden Road and took a seat near the opening with a view of the historic Angels Flight Railway. Finally, we arrived at El Pueblo de Los Angeles. El Pueblo and Olvera Street are the oldest areas in LA. El Pueblo was the original settlement of the city of Los Angeles. The Avila Adobe with the oldest home in the area. The historic area features a plaza where the are often dancers and musicians performing. The historic buildings that line the plaza include a winery and a few museum projects. I know they are planning a Mexican food museum, which sounds amazing and will fit perfectly in the area. Opening up to the plaza is the NPS Gateway to Nature office. This was the Park Services' information center for Southern California (UPDATE: I have heard that this office has since closed). We stopped into the Gateway to Nature to pick up a few stamps and get some information about Santa Monica Mountains NRA (my next planned adventure). From here we ventured into Olvera Street and its close gathering of shops and stalls. We made our way to the Avila Adobe and took the self-guided tour of the old dwelling to get a feel for life in early Los Angeles. The woman in the Avila Adobe provided me with the remaining stamps for the location and was excited to talk about the history of the area. When we finished, we made our last stop of the day at Philippe: The Original for a french dip sandwich. This restaurant has claimed to have invented the french dip and is a fun place to eat. They still do things the old fashion way and you really feel like you have stepped back in time while visiting. New Units Visited: 2*
Old Spanish NHT - Juan Bautista de Anza NHT Total Affiliated Areas This Year: 5 Total Units: 20
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