The month of April was a month of Culture for me. I visited museums, saw plays, and laughed along with comedians. So let’s dig in on the best memories!
Early in the month I saw Degas: A Passion for Perfection at the Denver Art Museum with a wonderful friend and her daughter. It was an interesting exhibit showing Degas’ contemporaries and influencers in relation to Degas’ own work. From horses, to naked ladies, to the famous ballet dancers.
Then I saw the Broadway version of Aladdin. I’ve seen a few different Disney plays some good (Lion King) some bad (Beauty and the Beast). But Aladdin blew me away. I loved it so much. The Cave of Wonders set was just amazing (and apparently made from the same stuff as C-3PO.)
And then I had a chance to see Lewis Black. There are a few comedians that are on my list to see, but haven’t ever gotten around to it. After Robbin William’s death I realize I cannot wait any longer. First up, Lewis Black! It was a great show, and he read my Rant at the end of his show!
Travel
This month I spent a weekend in Los Angeles! I had found 45 one way flights on Southwest (if flying at really awkward times) and jumped at the chance to see the King Tut exhibit that is only going to be in LA this time around (and they claim its the last time this tour will be on display before going to Egypt permanently.) Instead of doing yet another theme park trip (especially since I just did that in December) I focused it on museums instead.
La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
I don’t remember where I first heard about these tar pits, but I do know it was when I was very young. I was obsessed with dinosaurs and the thought of ancient animals getting stuck in black goo was both scary and fascinating. There may have been a dinosaur based TV show that had a plot point about the tar pits (after a bit of googling, it was Denver the Last Dinosaur, I mean who wouldn’t want to find a living dinosaur egg?). So I always wanted to visit it. So fresh off the plane, with my daypack in tow I headed straight to the tar pits.
After the cold weather of Colorado, it felt a bit stifling to wander around, or maybe it was just the methane smells bubbling up through the tar. But I loved it. Seeing the pits, the current excavation work, and the bubbling tar was amazing. I know I likely would have been traumatized by the giant fiberglass mammoth family trapped in the tar when I was little. But I was surprised that the museum was smaller than I expected given the number of animals and bones found in the pits. But this guy named “Zed” was the star of the museum.
Getty Center
After finally tasting In-N-Out Burger, I headed to the Getty Center. I managed to catch two guided tours and spent hours wandering around. Their free audioguides were really well done. In addition, the Getty had their own Egypt exhibit, this one on how Egypt influenced Greek and Roman art. I enjoyed it very much, especially for the rare depictions of Cleopatra on display. I’ll need to come back someday to walk the gardens.
Getty Villa
The next day I spent at the Getty Villa with Thomas, one of my Egypt tour friends! The villa is built like an ancient Pompeiian Villa, complete with fountains and gardens. I enjoyed taking a tour of the gardens and learning about why they chose the plants there. Within the building, it houses the Getty’s ancient Greek and Roman artworks, including a special section on Palmyra, the ancient city destroyed by ISIS. I really enjoyed this museum and wish I lived nearby to go there often.
King Tut
This was the reason why I went to LA! I had seen some of these objects in Chicago years ago, as well as a few when a different Egypt exhibit came to Denver, and of course some of these objects were on display in the dimly lit Egyptian museum in Cairo. I had picked a Monday morning but didn’t realize this would mean TONS of school groups. Children pushed their way to snap photos on their cell. I watched one guard tell a tired teacher that their entire class would be kicked out if their students didn’t behave (as they had already knocked off a fire extinguisher off the wall.) But I stayed the course. Waiting for the hordes to pass so I could have a little time in the rooms alone before the next group came crashing in. And it was magical. Here are some of my favorite objects in this exhibit:
California Science Center
After King Tut and a quick lunch, I wandered the rest of the museum. It seemed very interesting with lots of hand on exhibits. In one, it asked you to face your fears, getting zapped, strange sounds, and checking to see if bugs had escaped the exhibit. After facing your fear, you had to rate how you felt. In other exhibits, you learned about various forms of transportation and a mini space & flight exhibit. I paid extra to see the Space Shuttle Endeavour which was amazing. And then I wandered around the ecosystem areas from a frozen ice wall, aquarium exhibits, a desert exhibit with an unexpected flash flood area. I was starting to lose steam, and wish I had more time here.
Natural History Museum
By this point in my day, I was so so tired. I walked to the nearby Natural History Museum and was stunned and happy to see the “Dueling Dinosaurs” in the center of the museum. I ended up sitting near it for a long time, trying to get more energy before exploring the rest of the dinosaur exhibit and the gem exhibit. I didn’t stray into the mammal or other exhibits. Beyond being tired, I was in love with the two large triceratops in this museum. I love that dinosaur, and here in CO we don’t have a full skeleton on display. So seeing two was just breathtaking.
Downtown LA
Although I was so tired, I still had a few hours to kill before my flight, so I headed into Downtown LA to explore a bit.
My first stop was The Last Bookstore, part art/part used bookstore, it was fun to explore. When I was little I wanted to be a librarian, and this place is simply magical.
Then I walked over to the Bradbury, featured in a lot of films. I only stopped for a few moments as I was eager to eat and beat traffic back ot the airport.
And then finally to the Grand Central Market. Its a large food hall with tons of shops, and I ate at the Chinese restaurant. It was probably the busiest and it was dizzying watching the staff rush orders with a slight distain to anyone stupid enough to ask something of them out of turn.
Challenges
- As usual, I did too much in single days. For example the first day I went 12 hours straight at museums, and had trouble walking/standing the rest of the trip. Just like I did back on my DC trip years ago.
- I chose a cheap hotel, and the reviews were spot on. When they said you could hear “Everything” they meant it. My first night a woman down the hall was fighting with her boyfriend. Yelling, slaps, punches – it all could be heard. At one point they started arguing that the woman had paid too much for this hotel…and on that point everyone could agree. When the police arrived to throw them out, she sobbed loudly.
Recommended Reading
Other Blogs
A few I found interesting this month:
- Evolution of Travel Photography in 10 years of photos
- 100 Travel Tips for Croatia
- Â Hospitalized in Tonga
- Coolest, Weird, Best Museums in LA
- Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Ranting Childhood Letters From Summer Camp Are Savage AF
Books
With the crazy The Magician’s season finale I picked up Lev Grossman’s series the show is based on. MAJOR differences. Not sure I like them. It’s like a weird mirror universe where even character names, descriptions, and backstory are completely different.
Audiobooks
After a middle school, I fell in love with murder mysteries via Agatha Christie. Then it was movies and police procedurals. And occasional true crime and documentaries. I head heard about the notorious Golden State Killer who up until this month was unknown. But after he was caught with DNA evidence, I’ve started the book I’ll Be Gone In The Dark. I had wanted to read it, but when he was unknown it would freak me out. But now? I hope I can listen without nightmares.
Watchlist
TV
On Netflix I watched Death in Paradise, Queer Eye, and Broadchurch.
While on cable I watched Madam Secretary, Lucifer, Once Upon a Time, and The Americans. Many of these are in their final seasons, and the cliffhangers just keep coming.
Movies
I didn’t watch a lot of movies this month, but did watch Atomic Blonde. While I enjoyed it, I didn’t pay attention much to it…so had to google the ending haha.
What’s Next
May finally slows down a bit, and I’m going to spend it seeing my friends around Colorado.
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