California Dreamin’

I returned Sunday from a trip to Los Angeles. We took a drive through Laurel Canyon one day which naturally made me want to watch Echo in the Canyon as soon as I returned home. It is a documentary about the folk rock music made in L.A. from 1965 to 1967. Of course this music is still relevant – see the not one but two Mamas and Papas songs have been part of viral TikTok trends. I highly recommend the the film album, rerecordings made in 2019 by Jakob Dylan, Beck, and other current artists.

Other things I thought about during this trip were The Library Book by Susan Orlean and the film Mank. They are my other two familiar sources about the history of Los Angeles. Although I didn’t get to see Central Library on this trip I did see the Los Altos Hotel and Apartments. It’s a Spanish Revival style building where William Randolph Hearst and Marion Davies lived.

On my next trip to L.A. I want to see Central Library, Hearst Castle, and the Motion Picture Museum which is set to open in September 2021. What other sights do you recommend?

Your friend,
Allegra