Romancing the Roads (29 page)

Now to the beautiful, attractive, funky, and delightful finds I made in Santa Monica.

Georgian Hotel

1415 Ocean Ave.

310-395-9945

www.georgianhotel.com

Built as a hideaway for the stars in 1933, the Georgian takes you back into another era. I found it just as the brochure described it: a light blue edifice with a wonderful big porch facing the ocean. Entering the lobby, you can just picture the dignified participants in one of those clandestine affairs of yore. After checking in, I was shown to the mahogany-paneled elevator, where, lo and behold, there was a real, live elevator operator.

My room was comfortable, although darkish in decor. The bathroom was “original,” but the nice touch was the rubber ducky by the tub, and the accommodations were clean and comfortable.

The wonderful porch is the highlight of the Georgian Hotel. You can sit and watch the beach scene as you enjoy breakfast—such an excellent way to start the day. (The hotel’s restaurant is the
Veranda
, and the original
Speakeasy
is now used for special events.)

Driving Diva Update:
Since I visited, the Georgian has been renovated and the elevator replaced, presumably putting its operator out of work.

Montana Avenue

In Santa Monica
, Montana Avenue (www.montanaave.com) is ten blocks of eclectic, upscale boutiques, coffee shops, cafés, and restaurants. Take your time. There is a lot to see. The Third Street Promenade is a wide, bustling, three-block stretch open only to pedestrians. It contains over fifteen movie theaters, a collection of shops and restaurants, and hordes of people. There is a lot of street entertainment on the promenade, such as dancers, magicians, fortune tellers, and the like.

Los Angeles

Thirteen miles
from Santa Monica is downtown Los Angeles. There are several ways to get there, but my favorite is Wilshire Boulevard.

Where else to stay in downtown LA but the fabulous Millennium Biltmore Hotel?

Millennium Biltmore Hotel

506 S. Grand Ave.

213-624-1011

www.millenniumhotels.com/Biltmore

Built in 1923, this grand dame is indeed a magnificent beauty. Touted as the “toast of the coast,” this impressive building was designed by Schultz and Weaver (designers of the Waldorf Astoria, among other prominent properties). The nearly seven hundred rooms (of all types and sizes) are very comfortable. When I stayed there, I was upgraded to a suite, so I had a lot of room. The decor was appropriate for a historic hotel, mixing the new with the old. The ballroom, known as the Biltmore Bowl, hosted the Academy Awards in the 1930s and 1940s, and the lobby is adorned with photographs from that era.

Tea is served daily in the beautiful
Rendezvous Court
(213-612-1562), which was at one time the hotel’s main lobby. This afternoon tradition lasts from 2 to 5p.m.; champagne, sherry, and kir are also on offer. This is a great respite after a busy morning, but I don’t recommend having tea late in the day if a big dinner is planned. The Rendezvous Court also has a bar. The
Gallery Bar
and
Cognac Room
are very cosmopolitan and a wonderful place to meet someone for drinks. Both are also congenial if you are alone. When I was there, I exchanged much chatter with the bartender about my hotel adventures, past and present. A couple drinks and the evening was a wrap—and delightfully so.

Dining at the Biltmore has always been exceptional.
Smeraldi’s Restaurant
(213-612-1562) serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and specializes in Californian Mediterranean cuisine. There is also
Sai Sai Restaurant
(213-624-1100) with its sushi bar and modern Asian cuisine.

The Biltmore used to have something called the chef’s dinner, for which you were invited to dine in the kitchen. I was delighted to receive such an invitation. The original china, crystal, and silverware were used, and not a thing was left undone. The menu card for my chef’s dinner read, “Le Grand Menu (Inspired by the Spartan’s Award Dinner 1946 with a 21st century twist).”

The chef outdid himself, and my dinner dates—the then general manager, his wife, the public relations manger, and a few other personnel—all combined to make it a very memorable evening.

The Biltmore is located downtown and, some say, off LA’s beaten path. But there is still a lot going on in the area.

Museum of Contemporary Art

250 S. Grand Ave.

213-626-6222

www.moca.org

The museum also has a sensibly priced café.

W
alt Disney Concert Hall

111 S. Grand Ave.

323-850-2000

www.laphil.com

Home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the hall is about half a mile from the Biltmore.

Staples Center

1111 S. Figueroa St.

213-742-7340

www.staplescenter.com

Home of the Lakers, the arena is just five minutes from the Biltmore.

Conveniently, the Pershing Square metro station is across the street from the Biltmore.

Broadway is also just a short walk away and contains several congested blocks of little shops, primarily Hispanic. I wouldn’t venture out onto Broadway at night, but during the day, you’re fine if you keep your street sense about you.

Pink’s

709 N. La Brea Ave.

323-931-7594

www.pinkshollywood.com

I had heard so much about this unique landmark beyond downtown that I could not wait to see and eat firsthand. The drive to Pinks takes you through a bit of Hollywood; then you turn onto nondescript North La Brea Avenue, and there in front of you is Pink’s. It was not even 11 a.m., but people of every variety were already queuing up to place their orders.

Pink’s opened in 1939 and apparently hasn’t changed much since then. Famous for its variety of chili dogs, I decided on an “almost-loaded” concoction, full of taste and artery-clogging possibilities. Still, I ate every bit of this monster. Pink’s is very reasonably priced but accepts cash only, and the lines can be long. I found it well worth the wait.

Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills’s
much-touted
Rodeo Drive
(www.rodeodrive-bh.com) is actually only three blocks long. It purports to be the most famous shopping district in America and the three most expensive blocks of shops in the world. Well, if you say so.

Bijan

4
20 Rodeo Dr.

310-273-6544

www.bijan.com

Bijan is supposed to be the most expensive boutique in the world, requiring an appointment just to shop there—even if you are only in the market for a $50 pair of socks. Still, much has changed since Julia Roberts traipsed down the famous drive in
Pretty Woman
. Many of the fancy stores are still there, but so are the same chain stores that you can find in Kalamazoo.

A creatively designed mall called Two Rodeo is a recent development.

Two Rodeo Drive

9480 Dayton Way, Ste. 200

310-247-7040

www.2rodeo.com

Essentially an upscale, small, outdoor mall, with tenants like Tiffany, Valentino, Cartier, Jose Eber, and others, Two Rodeo has small shops, various restaurants, and no bargains, but it is still very attractive.

Driving Diva Tip:
“Gently worn” used, upscale clothing can be found at Rodeo Drive Resale in Sherman Oaks (not Beverly Hills).

Rodeo Drive Resale

13727 Ventura Blvd.

7
13-777-0390 or 888-697-3725 (MY-RESALE)

www.rodeodriveresale.com

The selection is quite large, and “100% authenticity” is guaranteed. Their website is excellent, and you can take advantage of the fabulous collections.

Beverly Wilshire Hotel

9500 Wilshire Blvd.

310-275-5200

www.fourseasons.com/beverlywilshire

This grand hotel is not far from Rodeo Drive. Hollywood’s stars and history over the years have added to the property’s reputation. As a tribute to the hotel’s construction, it has withstood three earthquakes and served as an air raid shelter during World War II. There have been many owners over the years, but Hernando Courtright and his group of investors brought the hotel to elite status and made it an enclave for the Hollywood crowd. Pennies have never been pinched as it is continually being updated, the latest renovation being a $35 million makeover in 2005. The restaurants are excellent, but if you have to ask the price, then . . . well, that should give you a clue.

Driving Diva Factoid:
The Beverly Wilshire uses black dinner napkins so you don’t get bits of white linen on your dark clothes. Excellent. I was told they were the first to use black napkins. Very considerate.

Riverside

Fifty-five
miles east of Los Angeles, Riverside is the navel orange capital of California. It’s charming, with its Victorian homes and the very unique Mission Inn Hotel & Spa.

Mission Inn Hotel & Spa

3649 Mission Inn Ave.

951-784-0300

www.missioninn.com

Built in 1876, the Mission Inn Hotel has grown in many stages and is now the size of an entire city block. Its turrets, domes, circular stairs, art collections, bell collection (largest in the world), wedding chapel, and Tiffany windows all evoke the feel of a Spanish town. No two of its 238 Spanish-themed rooms are the same.

The inn contains
Kelly’s Spa
(800-440-5
910) and five restaurants.
Duane’s Prime Steaks & Seafood
is baronial in atmosphere and serves a fine steak.
54°
at Duane’s offers wines and tapas in a modern setting. The
Mission Inn Restaurant
(951-341-6767) offers more traditional fare. Adjacent is the
S
panish Patio
, the perfect place for alfresco dining.
Las Campanas
features Mexican cuisine and outdoor dining in the garden. The
Presidential Lounge
(888-326-4448) was at one time a four-room apartment used by eight U.S. presidents, and Richard and Pat Nixon were married here. It now has live jazz on Friday and Saturday, and the menu is casual. Another gastronomic addition at the Mission Inn is
Bella Trattoria
, which offers southern Italian cuisine: pasta, pizza, pressed panini sandwiches, and more. The ultimate for every sweet tooth is
Casey’s Cupcakes
. These cupcakes of many varieties won
Cupcake Wars
on the Food Network.

Driving Diva Factoid:
The inn participates in Riverside’s spectacular annual Festival of Lights, which lasts from the day after Thanksgiving until the end of the first week in January. Some 2 million lights adorn holiday decorations all over the property, aided by frequent live singing of carols.

Long Beach

I’d say
that the beach community of Long Beach has a lot of potential. It’s a little funky in places and chic in others, but it also has a city aura, perhaps because Los Angeles is so close.

Note:
You can take the metro from LA to Long Beach.

Driving Diva Factoid:
The post office had bulletproof-glass windows!

Queen Mary

1126 Queens Hwy.

562-435-3511 or 877-342-0738

www.queenmary.com

A famous Long Beach landmark, the Queen of the Seas is permanently docked here and is now a hotel. Checking in, you board the
Q
ueen Mary
just as if it were about to sail, and then you are shown to your cabin.

The
Queen Mary
not only transported the elite “across the pond,” but during World War II it served as a troopship, transporting over eight hundred thousand soldiers and traveling over six hundred thousand miles. After the war and some 1,001 transatlantic crossings, the city of Long Beach had the foresight to purchase the ship in 1967. After extensive overhauling in 1972, the Hotel Queen Mary was opened.

Everything is as it was on the original steamship, except some of the engines have been removed. There are many places to dine and imbibe on board, from the elegant
Sir Winston’s Restaurant & Lounge
(562-499-1
657) to the
Promenade Café
, the
Observation Bar
, and the
Chelsea Chowder House & Bar
(562-499-6695). Since I was on board, a lot has been added in the way of entertainment, such as
Tibbies Great American Cabaret
(88
8-484-2243) and
Vamp: The Lounge
(562-499-6625).There is also an annual Ar
t Deco Festival as well as other special events.

Obtaining passage on the
Queen Mary
is a unique way to have a shipboard-hotel experience. Accommodations start at around $190 and up, and no Dramamine is needed!

Scorpion

1126 Queens Hwy.

562-435-3511

www.russiansublongbeach.com

The
Scorpion
, a Russian submarine of the Foxtrot class (to be tediously precise, a Povodnaya Lodka B-427), is docked next to the
Queen Mary
. Open to the public, the
Scorpion
is in near-operational condition.

Driving Diva Plan:
On your next trip to Long Beach, take the ferry to special Catalina Island.

Carlsbad

Less than
one hundred miles from Los Angeles is Carlsbad, but don’t let the distance fool you: It took me almost three hours to get there in typical Southern California traffic.

La Costa Resort and Spa

2100 Costa Del Mar Rd.

760-438-9111 or 800 854 5000

ww
w.lacosta.com

My visit to this feature of Carlsbad coincided with the Acura Tennis Tournament, so the place was jammed, and much of the hotel was closed off since it was undergoing a $140 million renovation. While the staff definitely could have used a little help managing the crowds, getting my car parked and checking in was not a problem. Bellmen take you and your bags around in golf carts since La Costa’s terrain is hilly (but scenic). As with many such resorts, there was no real signage, so I had to make a mental note of landmarks so that I didn’t get lost among the hills. But even with all the construction and the tennis tournament, I was pleased to see how well everything was functioning.