Los Angeles often gets knocked for being less sophisticated than east coast urban areas, usually for lack of culture. The "LA LA Land" stereotype has been around for decades, associated with the glitz and surface image of Hollywood. Sure, that exists ... afterall, this is the home of Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan, along with hundreds of reality TV stars that won't show up on the New York Times best seller list anytime soon. But LA also has some wonderful art and world-class museums that go overlooked in the rush to pile on the stereotype. One of those cultural highlights is right in the heart of the city on Wilshire - the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or LACMA.
Sections of the Berlin Wall
Main LOCMA Entrance
Current Exhibits
It will set you back $15 for one adult ticket to view all the current exhibits in all the buildings, and will take a good three hours. Or you can walk through all the main buildings (minus the current shows) for free. That's probably a good idea if you are bringing some kids along. And the interactive exhibits are perfect for the young art lovers. Check out the video below.
Every Harley rider looks for that perfect "Biker Hang." It's a place to hang out with other Harley riders, look at each other's rides, have a little road food, listen to some tunes, and chat about V-twins, favorite destinations and whatever else comes up in conversation. You know when you find these perfect hangs. The best biker spots are not pretentious (can't do that), have decent food, a scenic location, and a fantastic road to get you there.
Fortunately in the Los Angeles area there are a number of those spots that meet all the requirements. At the top of the list is "The Rock Store." http://www.rock-store.com/about.htm Ed and Vern have been running this place since they bought it 1961 and turned it into a small town grocery store.
The building has an interesting history, you can feel it when you walk inside. It's made entirely from volcanic rock and had been a stagecoach stop in the 1910's. From stagecoaches to Harleys ... seems like a good fit.
Ed and Vern, the Owners
A typical Sunday crowd
Jay and a friend
Slowly the Rock Store became one of the most famous motorcycle stops in Southern California. It is known throughout the world because of it's featured status in commercials, TV shows, music videos, films and magazine shoots. You might just run into a motorcycle celeb, like Jay Leno, on a visit here.
Getting there is worth the ride. From LA, you take PCH to Malibu Canyon, you'll see Pepperdine University sitting on the hill when you turn right and head up the slow grade to the top. As you bank to the left you will enter Malibu Canyon, featured in the video below that I shot the last time I went to the Rock Store.
You follow the canyon to Mulholland Road and take a left and then enjoy the ride on one of the most gorgeous two-lane mountain roads in California ... all the way till you spot about 200 bikes lined up along the highway. You might even smell the tri-tip cooking in the back! Parking can be tricky - just make sure you don't knock over someone's prized Harley in the process.
