Social Distance Road Trip: San Pedro

Getting a little stir crazy, so we hopped in the car and drove around San Pedro to explore. With little traffic, it was a quick drive down the 110. After getting some In-N-Out via the drive thru, we sat in the car and ate burgers while taking in the Pacific Ocean.

The beach below was empty, but there were people still jogging and walking around, keeping their distance.

The historic Wilshire Grand theatre, closed for now.

The Port of Los Angeles

And a quick drive over the Vincent Thomas Bridge, as we made our way to the 710 and back home.

R.I.P., Two L.A. Landmarks: Tom Bergin's and Williams' Book Store

This is why we can't have nice old things in Los Angeles: They keep disappearing. We've said goodbye to the likes of Bahooka this year (and I'm still nervous about the return of Clifton's Cafeteria). And now L.A. is saying farewell to two more retail landmarks: The 77-year-old Irish saloon Tom Bergin's and the 104-year-old Williams' Book Store in San Pedro.

Here's the L.A. Times story on the surprise Tom Bergin's shut down:

The pub -- one of the oldest restaurants in Los Angeles -- posted a message on its Facebook page announcing the closure. A reason was not given. The message simply said: "We are sorry to let everyone know that this Sunday will be Tom Bergin's last day of business. Please join us in our last few days; we'd love to see as many familiar faces as possible."

Someone who answered the phone at Bergin's this evening attributed the closure to "lack of sales." The man -- who declined to give his name -- added: "The ownership wasn't reaching the revenue needed to sustain itself."

The tavern had recently been taken over by Los Angeles restaurateur Brandon Boudet, closed for some retooling, and then reopened. Efforts to reach Boudet were unsuccessful.

Tom Bergin's Tavern first opened in 1936 on Fairfax Avenue, south of Wilshire. L.A. Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold said walking into the restaurant's dining room was like stepping back in time to Raymond Chandler's L.A.

The tavern was known for its rare Irish whiskeys, a well-drawn Guinness and hefty servings of coconut cream pies, as well as for the signed shamrocks that festooned the wooden rafters above the bar, signed by regulars and tourists alike. Still, the menu offered a bit of whimsy, such as a jambalaya.

And here's the L.A. Times on what's to become of Williams' Book Store:

Opened in 1909, Williams' Book Store is considered by some to be the oldest continuously operating bookstore in Los Angeles (Vroman's, which opened in 1894, is in Pasadena). But it stands to be the latest casualty in a business that has been moving increasingly online.

Williams' Book Store was opened by E.T. Williams, a Welshman who landed in San Pedro and decided to stay. When he died in 1940, it passed to his daughter Ethel; in 1941, when Anne Gusha graduated from college, she began working at the store full time. Ethel brought Anne and then Jerry into the business, and in 1980, the Gushas took ownership of the bookstore.

The store has moved to various locations in its century in the book business, always looking for a lower rent that would allow it to continue to serve the same community.

Williams' Book Store will close the first week of August, after San Pedro celebrates its 125th anniversary.

(Pic credits: KCRW; Williams' Book Store)

Vacation on the Palos Verdes Peninsula: The Point Fermin Lighthouse

Built in 1874, the Point Fermin Lighthouse hasn't actually operated as a lighthouse since World War II. But the historic Victorian structure has been saved from the wrecking ball and preserved, now as a museum, managed by the City of Los Angeles' Parks and Recreation department.

Some history:

Built in 1874, the Point Fermin Lighthouse was the first navigational light into the San Pedro Bay. Phineas Banning, with the support of many local businessmen, petitioned the Federal Government and the US lighthouse Board to place a lighthouse on the point in 1854. Although the Lighthouse Board agreed funding and land disputes delayed its construction until 1874.

Paul J. Pelz, a draftsman for the US Lighthouse Board, designed the Stick Style Victorian lighthouse. The design was used for six lighthouses built between 1873 and 1874, of which three are still standing. The Stick Style is an early Victorian architectural style and is simpler in design and decoration than the later high Victorian period. It is characterized by its gabled roofs, horizontal siding, decorative cross beams and hand carved porch railings.

On December 7th, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed and the coast was blacked out for fear of being a beacon to enemy ships and planes. Sadly, the light was never to be lit again. During WWII, the lighthouse served the US Navy as a lookout tower and signaling station for ships coming into the harbor. After WWII, the lighthouse was again turned over to the City of Los Angeles for use as a residence for park maintenance employees. It was during WWII that the lens and lantern room on top of the lighthouse tower was removed and a square room was set in its place. This unsightly addition was often referred to as the "chicken coop." In 1972, two devoted citizens, Bill Olesen and John Olguin, raised funds and worked diligently to replace the lantern room and the lighthouse to its original glory for her 100th birthday in 1974. Their efforts also placed the lighthouse on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2002, the lighthouse was restored, retrofitted, and rehabilitated for public access with funds from the City of Los Angeles, the Port of Los Angeles, and the State of California.

Tours are conducted at the lighthouse Tuesdays through Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The tours are free, although a donation is recommended.

Point Fermin Lighthouse Historic Site and Museum
807 W. Paseo Del Mar
San Pedro, CA 90731

Some pics:

Boo: LAUSD At It Again, Threatening Another Historic Site

(Abandoned military bunker; Flickr pic by Eyetwist.)

It's hard to argue against building new schools... yet the Los Angeles Unified School District continues to destroy old L.A. landmarks in the process. The recent victims have been heartbreaking -- the Ambassador Hotel, of course, on the top of that list.

Next up: The Los Angeles Times reports that the LAUSD plans to tear down historic buildings on the site that was once San Pedro's Ft. MacArthur:

When the bulldozers come to Ft. MacArthur next spring, Joe Janesic will take it personally.

For more than two decades, the 40-year-old has been a mainstay of the historic military site in San Pedro that was built in 1914 and served as an Army post until 1974. He organizes events, conducts tours, handles media and even restores vintage phones -- all as a volunteer. A founding member of the Ft. MacArthur Museum, he has dedicated his life to preserving every relic on the grounds.

"The buildings here were unique because of the time they were built and the methods they used -- old construction techniques that don't exist anymore," Janesic said excitedly one rainy Sunday as he pointed to a map outlining the area. "The look, feel and smell of the tactile structures -- you can't reproduce that."

So if one day the row of beige military barracks where Army reserves once slept is mowed over, if the dilapidated mess hall where tens of thousands of soldiers once ate is destroyed, if the Quonset hut that housed olive drab trucks and jeeps is demolished -- Janesic will be just as devastated as the buildings.

The Los Angeles Unified School District has plans for the land, which it has owned since 1979 when the military turned it over to the school system for educational use. The district plans to raze the structures for what is referred to as South Region High School No. 15. The 47 acres may soon be a 128,000-square-foot annex to San Pedro High School that will include the marine science and police academy magnets.

Adobo in San Pedro

Maria, Evan and I may have found a new favorite Los Angeles festival... but we may have also experienced its final hurrah.

The 16th Annual Festival of Phillipine Arts & Culture (FilAmArts.org) took place this weekend in San Pedro (at the Pt. Fermin Park) -- and boasted everything we look for in a festival.

Cheap, delicious food? Check. Cool, interesting booths (including several selling books)? Yup. Cooking demonstrations? Absolutely. Beautiful setting, complete with ocean breeze keeping things cool? Yes. Plenty for Blogger Toddler to do, including a playground? Indeed.

And... most importantly: Free Spam samples? You got it!

One of the largest Filipino-American celebrations in Southern California, the festival is well-organized and well-attended. But it also may be in trouble.

Seems the fees to keep the festival going in the city park have become astronomical -- or so mentioned KABC's Denise Dador, who hosted part of Saturday's festivities.

But let's hope it keeps going. Despite some shortcomings -- the food selection included just two booths devoted to Filipino food (and one of those was just kinda Filipino food -- what gives? It's a Filipino festival, after all!) -- it's nicely set up inside the park to take advantage of the park's amenities, like the playground that kept plenty of kids (including Blogger Toddler) busy.

Best food bet was the vendor connected to the culinary tent, which offered huge chicken adobo rice bowls and caldereta rice bowls for just $4 (among other things), as well as lumpia for $2 and calamansi juice for $2.50. Yes, we tried it all, and yes, it was good. Actually, the cheap and tasty food is probably the main reason we now consider it our fave fest.

A band shell was used for the "generations" stage, in which younger singers and bands performed. And just on the other side of the fence was the Pt. Fermin cliffs -- and the beautiful Pt. Fermin lighthouse. (The equally beautiful Korean Friendship Bell is closeby as well.)

Hell, it was so well-organized that parking was free at a near-by lot, with shuttles regularly dropping people back and forth.

Some shots:


Ladies and gentlemen... Free Spam!


Kids on parade


Food at the Culinary Arts stage.


Food eating competish -- Whoever downed the shot of vinegar first won.


Dancers.


Pt. Fermin Lighthouse