Camino Portugues Itinerary

16 Days and 343 kilometers later, we have completed the Portugues Camino from Porto to Santiago de Compostela!
343 kilometers?
"But John," you say, "most guidebooks say the route should only be 260 kilometers." That would be true, if I was a bird, had food delivered to my albergue, and never veered from the Camino to explore the beautiful towns and cities we passed through. Even if we did those things, we did walk a couple days on the coastal route, then cut over to the Central Route, took a side trip to Bom De Jesus in Braga (in a taxi from Barcelos), then walked and boated the Spiritual Variant, and finished back on the Central Route. Here is our itinerary, with mileage per day:

Over the next few months, I will write blog posts or upload vlogs taken on our May Camino as I work on my next book. If you are planning your own Camino, I hope you find the stories and information helpful. If you are not planning a Camino, I hope you find my stories entertaining and perhaps insightful as we met many interesting people, overcame a myriad of challenges, and saw amazing sights.

Buen Camino!
P.S. The link to my about about our first Camino, From Sarria to Santiago: With Family and Friends, is at the top of the top.

New Video: Camino Portugues Reservations

Debating whether or not to make reservations for your Camino Portugues? Watch my video about what I have found so far in my planning for my Camino starting in Porto this Spring.

Books to Prepare for the Portuguese Camino

I have done a lot of reading for my upcoming Camino Portugues. I had a brief visit to the country over 30 years ago and was impressed with its rugged landscapes, friendly people, and long history. Now, that I will be spending over a week in Northern Portugal, I want to arrive prepared and have a better understanding of the country.

Two books I read that provided alot of history about Portugal, general travel insights, and great pictures were Rick Steve's Portugal and Eyewitness Travel Portugal . Unfortunately, neither book spoke about the Camino. Rick Steve's had one paragraph in the entire book about the Portuguese Camino, Eyewitness had none. However, they both provided the most comprehensive history and travel tips for the major tourists destinations like Porto and Lisbon which is most people's starting points. Also Eyewitness Travel Portugal living up to its DK brand had amazing, gorgeous pictures and diagrams and backstories of places, buildings, and people.

The two books I read that are targeted specifically for the Camino Portugues are Village to Village's Camino Portugues and John Brierly's A Pilgrim's Guide To The Camino Portugues. These two books are great resources for pilgrim's. They both have maps of the Coastal, Central and Spiritual routes. Brierly also talks about the Senda Littoral. Both books have an introduction that includes Portugual's history and customs are broken up into stages. Each stage has an elevation map and lists of places to stay and eat. Village to Village's book is 96 pages, very thin and lightweight. Brierly's book is 272 pages. It's is filled with more detailed information about the routes, places, and stages, with his personal notes, pages for you personal reflection, inspirational quotes, and messages, and more. Looking at chat boards, this is the book most pilgrim's talk about. There is a reason it is the #1 best seller in Lisbon Travel Guides on Amazon. However, it does weigh 9 oz vs Village's 3.6 oz, so if you are a lightweight backpacker it might be something to consider. Of course, you could go 0 oz with the plethora of Camino apps out there, but there is something nice about having a book in your hands.

In conclusion, all the books have their uses. I really enjoyed the Eyewitness Travel Portugal book for its great pictures, stories, and descriptions providing me with solid background on Portugal, and Lisbon and Porto specifically. Brierly's book is insightful, a great planning tool, and really has me thinking about my introspective and spiritual journey. I will probably leave it at home as it is heavy, but have not decided yet. If I carry a book, it will probably be Village's as it has the essential information. I will remove the first half of the book that covers Lisbon to Porto to cut weight.

There are so many great books out there, but only so much time to read. I do encourage you to read at least one book about Portugal before you go, as I feel it will enhance your trip by understanding a little more about the country than what is on the surface.

Bom caminho!

New Video: Portuguese Camino, why?

Posted YouTube video about my upcoming Portuguese Camino. Where my wife and I are we starting from and how it will be different from our Camino in 2022. I will be posting weekly about our upcoming Camino. If you have any questions, let me know. Bom Caminho!

Routes of the Portuguese Camino

There are many ways to tailor the Portuguese Camino to fit your needs. It has three traditional starting points and a number of popular variations. The traditional Portuguese Camino starts in Lisbon, passes through Porto, then onto the border of Portugal and Spain at Tui, ending at Santiago de Compostela after 610 km. The book Camino Portugues published by Village to Village Press breaks down the the Camino into 26 stages, or 26 days.

The most popular spot to start the Portuguese Camino is in Tui, Spain, meaning many pilgrims who walk the Portuguese Camino never step foot in Portugal. Tui is the most popular starting point becuase it sits 115 km from Santiago de Compostela: the minimum distance a pilgrim has to walk in order to earn their Compostela (Certificate of Completion) is 100 km. The other nice thing about this distance is most people can complete this walk in a week so they only have to take off a week of work. This is also the reason why Sarria, on the Camino Frances in Spain, also approximately 115km outside Santiago de Compostela is by far the most popular starting point of all the Caminos. (I wrote a book about my Sarria Camino, From Sarria to Santiago: A 10-Day Camino With Family and Friends, which is available on Amazon.com - see link in sidebar.)

Rosemary and I will be starting our Camino in Porto, 260 km from Santiago, the second most popular jump off point on the Portuguese Camino.

From Porto, there are two popular variants to the traditional or Central Route that passes through the middle of Portugal and into Spain. The first is the Coastal Route. This route has grown in immense popularity in recent years. It had an increase of over 20,000 pilgrims from 2022-2023, while the Central Route's numbers remained roughly the same. The Coastal Route follows the Douro River out of Porto to the coast, then follows the coast until Vigo, then goes upriver to Redondela where it then meets up the Central Route. Rosemary and I will walk two days along the coast before we cut over to the Central Route.

The second variant, is the Spiritual Way. It splits from the Portuguese Camino in Pontevedra, goes to Vilanova de Arousa, then connects back to the Portuguese Way at Padron. This variant adds an extra day to a pilgrim's journey, but the journey from Vilanova de Arousa to Padron is by boat along the Way of the Cross. This was the way St. James' body supposedly travelled to Padron where it was then carried to Santiago de Compostela.

To conclude, there are many places to start the Portuguese Camino, and various options to make it your own. I hope this posts gives you more options and insight into the planning your Portuguese Camino.

If you like this blog, please subscibe and check out my YouTube Channel @johnpetersii and TikTok @jp2writer where I vlog about the Camino. If there is anything you would like to know about our previous Camino from Sarria or our upcoming Camino, please ask in the comments.

Buen Camino!

The Camino Again?

That's right! Rosemary and I will make another pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, this time on the Portuguese Camino and will start in Porto in Portugal. John, why again?

First, the challenge. The Portuguese Camino from Porto (260 km) is twice as long as from Sarria to Santiago (115 km). We will also be walking an average of 20 km a day versus 10km during our first Camino. A fantastic challenge! Second, only Rosemary and I will be walking this time. We feel that this will give us more time to reflect on our path and on ourselves. The longer walking days and overall distance will also provide us with that extra time. Finally, we look forward to starting in a country where we do not know the language and have not visited in over 30 years. We are both eager to learn about another culture and language. We have been practicing our Portuguese on Duolingo the last two months.

Every Thursday until we depart, I will post about our preparations, including YouTube videos here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWhvHexA3qh2nPY6Ik2WH8g

1 min video of last camino:

I hope you find my information helpful and that my journey inspires you to take your own.

My book From Sarria to Santiago: A 10 Day Camino With Family and Friends is available on Amazon.com here:

Subscribe for updates.

Hiking Mt. Bell Griffith Park

This is a great 5-mile hike in Griffith Park! The Mt. Bell Hike in Afoot & AField or on All Trails app the Mineral Wells hike.



Great on a cool day as it was challenging (see clip to Mt. Bell peak) and there was little tree cover. My statistics showed an 1155 ft elevation gain. Make sure you pack extra water. Never fails, every hike I have been on, people always ask if I have extra water. Just throw in that extra disposable water bottle as a just in case.

Nice thing about hikes in Griffith Park is you are never too far from another hiker if need help, but there is also enough space to feel isolated if you want to be.

Returning from Mt. Bell, we took a short cut, cutting the All Trails hike length by a quarter. It was more of a goat trail than a path as seen in the video, it was an official trail, but if you are really hungry, and want to save a half hour or so, it is an option.

Another nice thing about hikes in Griffith Park is the free parking, except around the observatory area. We parked in Mineral Wells lot for the Mt. Bell hike.

Have a great hike!

Please subscribe and check out my four books on Amazon : From Sarria to Santiago, Yellowstone to Mt. Rushmore: A Three-Week Roadtrip, 10 Days in Egypt, and From Lions to Pharaohs Book 1: Kenya.

Hiking Runyon Canyon

Runyon Canyon is a great 1.8- mile hike in Hollywood.

Parking is neighborhood streets. Most are 2-hour limits which is plenty of time to finish the hike unless you hike the extended 3.5-mile portion. I hiked the 1.8-mile loop (car door to car door) in an hour and fifteen minutes. Please read all parking signs as I have read parking enforcement is active in the area.

Usually it is a crowded trail, but on a Labor Day Saturday at 3 pm it was pretty empty.

There is one steep part on the 1.8-mile loop. See my stair portion of the video. You can avoid stairs and the steepest part of the loop if you take westside of the loop up and back. You can see the paved westside trail at the end of my video as I look across the canyon. (There is an extended 3.5-mile loop, but I have not hiked that one.)

Great activity after a movie or meal in Hollywood. Bring plenty of water as there is no shade on a sunny day.

Puerto Nuevo Lobster Run

Two weeks ago, I made a lobster run from San Diego to Puerto Nuevo Mexico. It was a fantastic time!

The coffee shop phenomenon has reached Tijuana years ago, so there are plenty of places to get a good cup of Joe. My friend’s favorite place is Blue Luna.

From here we drove through Rosarito, past beautiful ceramic stores and an enormous Jesus statue to reach Puerto Nuevo an hour and a half from the border.

Puerto Nuevo is a very small town with numerous restaurants serving lobster and seafood. There are a number of Villa Ortega restaurants throughout. The nicest one is probably Restaurant Villa Ortegas overlooking the ocean in the southwest corner of town with parking.

There are mariachis, waiters are in uniforms, it is very clean, and views are amazing. Good Instagram photo opportunities. It probably also cost the most in town. We ate there because it was my wife’s first time to Puerto Nuevo. When I go with my best friend, we tend to hit one of the smaller establishments. Almost all will give you rice, beans, tortillas, and salsa to go with your lobster. At the Villa Ortega’s it was $36 for large lobster and all the fixings – which my wife and I shared.

In comparison, when my friend and I went a couple years ago to a smaller place, restroom in backyard, no air conditioning, view of buildings across the street, we got 3 small lobsters each (6 halves!) the usual fixings plus tortilla soup and a beer for $18. We literally could not finish our last halves. There is beach access, but it is a steep walk, and not a beach to layout on. There are lots of vendors and lots of people asking you to come in their shops or park in a certain spot. Very much like the Tijuana of old.

On the way back, we visited a couple ceramics shops, stopped in Tijuana for some churros, walked along Revolucion, and then crossed the border before dark.

Tips: CASH ONLY. I did not see any restaurants or vendors in Puerto Nuevo that take credit cards. Villa Ortega has a sign that says cash only. Bring sufficient cash that you are comfortable with bringing – dollars or pesos are fine. If you pay in dollars, expect a crappy rate from the vendors, but nothing too obscene. I used dollars the whole time, my friend went to Costco in San Diego and bought pesos. We both did fine.

Returning across the border, takes a long time. Otay Mesa may be a better choice depending on conditions. It’s not that long of a detour. But check your driving directions for updates.

If everyone in your car has a global entry pass and your car is registered in the Sentri program, then you can use the sentri lanes and save a ton of time on the way back. However, things change all the time, so please research the global entry pass and Sentri lane requirements on your own. This goes with passport requirements as well and any U.S. government advisories.

If you are driving, look into buying Mexican auto insurance in the U.S. before you cross the border. There are a number of places in San Diego to buy it for a day or however long you will be in Mexico.

Have fun!

3rd Book Released! 10 Days in Egypt

My 3rd book, 10 Days in Egypt: From Lions to Pharaohs Book 2, is available now on Amazon in Kindle and paperback! Order using link below:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1732898421

Explore Egypt with me and Rosemary as we learn about Egypt's history and cultures as we visit the country's famous monuments and cities. As in my first two books, nothing ever quite goes according to plan on our adventures leading to some quite dramatic and comedic moments. Dang camel.

Enjoy!

My Audiobook Just Released!

Great news! The audiobook for my book, Yellowstone and Mt. Rushmore: A Three-Week Road Trip, just released. It is available through Amazon/Audible and Apple Books/iTunes. Thank you to Jim Chapel for narrating. Click on the link below based on your preferred method of listening to audiobooks and get ready for an 80-minute adventure.

Amazon/Audible (copy and paste link):
https://www.audible.com/pd/B09YKLMD13/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-305778&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_305778_rh_us

Apple/iTunes:

Coronavirus Best and Worst of Road Trip

A road trip during coronavirus?! It was awesome. Here are the best and worst situations we experienced on our two-week roadtrip from Los Angeles to Olympic National Park. Let me say, that we felt safe at every hotel we stayed in as they all had coronavirus measures in place. 

Seattle

Stringent coronavirus checks

Most - Hyatt Place in Emeryville - asked us 3 coronavirus questions before they let us check in and gave us a handout on covid measures at hotel

Least - Bars - once you had a beer in your hand masks came off

Covid breakfast (every place except 1, staff handed you your breakfast items)

Best - Seattle - only place on entire trip with hot breakfast - scrambled eggs and bacon or sausage.

Worst - Redding - lots of cold choices, but we were allowed to grab our own food

People wearing masks

Most - Olympic National Park

Least - Stockton and small towns in Washington

Reliable bathroom opportunities

Most - rest areas along interstate 5

Least - California gas stations (many were "out of order")

Park experience

Best - Mt. St. Helens - very few people there due to coronavirus - I saw pictures from last year and observation decks were packed with people.

Mt. St. Helens

Worst - Cape Flattery - it is located on Indian Reservation and the reservation was still in Phase 1. We were turned back after an hour drive by police since we were not locals.

Dining

Best - Pastini - first sit down meal in 4 months! Seating was outside. All servers wearing masks, tables were wiped down between guests.

Worst - Oyster restaurant in small town - owner not wearing mask

Coronavirus precaution Items I brought

Best - hand sanitizer I placed in doors of car

Worst - wipes - never used them. We were very good about hand sanitizer and never saw a necessity for these.

Other coronavirus observations: many elevators had spots on floor where you were supposed to stand for social distancing purposes; one hotel said most were operating at 40% capacity or less; one gas station in WA gave out gloves so you could pump your gas; traffic was great- everywhere - even going into and out of San Francisco at rush hour on a Monday; and everywhere we went most people wore masks similar to what we see in Southern California - most people do, but there is that tiny minority that refuse.  Only in a couple of  businesses we found mask wearing lax and we abruptly left.

Being on the road filled us with a sense of freedom that we had not experienced in the last four months. I am ready for another one.

Take care and be safe.

Me at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park

Travel During the Great Coronavirus Reopening

Cities, states, and even countries are reopening to tourists. Not all, but many. 

On June 15, most European countries opened their borders to residents of its member countries. Spain waited until June 21. And on July 1, the Europeans will tentatively open their borders to international tourist for the first time in four months. 

While there are stipulations like your country's infection rates have to be held in check, sorry U.S., they are allowing tourist.  Similar to the U.S. where certain states are blocking other states domestic travelers. Key West authorities arrested a woman and sent her back to Florida for trying to visit. New Mexico said they love tourist, just not right now.

And cruise lines? Oh, the poor cruise lines. Spain has said no cruise ships can dock in any Spanish port for the foreseeable future. Norwegian cruise lines said all cruises are suspended at least through September. That is the entire summer season. Although they are making exceptions for the Pacific Northwest. And a week ago, the first Danube-Rhine river cruise made it without mishap.

https://www.cruisetradenews.com/first-european-river-cruise-resumes-sailings-post-coronavirus-recovery/

However, Greece welcomed one of its first international flights a couple of weeks ago from Qatar - 12 people on board tested positive for Coronavirus.

We are not out of the woods yet.

Last week, I cancelled my family's 3-week Spain trip that was to depart July 8. I poured over news reports daily about the  Europe's reopening. But with a potential quarantine for travelers, U.S. infection rates increasing, the need for reciprocal travel arrangements (the U.S. is still blocking travel from Europe), and my airline change my flight where I would have to literally time travel backwards three hours to make my flight, I figured it was time.

Fortunately, I was able to cancel everything and get full refunds except one hostel in Spain. Somehow I overlooked their no cancellation policy. If that was all it cost me, plus my hopes and dreams, I was ok with that. 

Are you planning on traveling?

Take care.

Posts Tuesday and Saturday

Coronavirus When Can We Travel

"Americans may be able to take summer vacations, Fauci says," according to CNN 4/9/20.

 

This headline brought a smile to my face when I looked at my phone this morning.

 

Apart from being safe at home, one of my big concerns about the coronavirus is if I will have to or even be able to cancel a trip I have booked this summer. And the most important question, "Will it be safe?"

 

The trip is to complete the Camino de Santiago. Unfortunately, that destination is in Spain, one of the most adversely affected coronavirus hotspots in the world.

 

I have been reading Spain news daily everyday to see how the country's coronavirus rates have changed. Today, Fox News said Spain could be seeing the start of a coronavirus decline. That's good news.

 

Especially since, as of today, airlines are only allowing you to cancel or change your flights without a fee for trips that commence before May 31, 2020. 

 

What happens if travel bans are lifted at the end of May? Would you feel safe enough to travel in June?

 

What if you can only cancel with a fee?

 

Perhaps there may be more travel restrictions put in place as Dr. Fauci suggests: taking temperature readings at airports, wearing masks on planes, continued social distancing, and no handshaking.

 

As of today, if travel bans are lifted I am going. I will mind any restrictions and recommendations by government and travel agencies.

 

I feel that you have to maintain your goals for as long as you can. It gives you something to strive for, a sense of purpose during these murky days. To prepare for the Camino de Santiago, I workout daily in my living room thanks to all the free online content - thanks Barry's and Nike Training Club! I also walk daily practicing social distancing and wearing a mask.

 

I hope that Dr. Fauci's hopeful words come to pass and that we can all take vacations this summer safely.

 

Take care and be safe.

 

Posts: Monday, Thursday, and Saturday

When The Corona Virus Invaded Los Angeles

"Production is shut down due to Corona Virus!" said the assistant director. "Everyone head back to base camp to sign out and then go home."

Everyone had spent two hours going through hair and makeup and getting dressed in our period costumes when that happened.

That was my last day of work as a background actor before Hollywood shutdown on March 13.

March 12 was the last time I saw my mom; the last time I ate out.

March 13 my son's school said  they would close for 3 weeks.

March 14 my gym closed.

March 15 my jobs on the 16, 17, and 18 were cancelled.

The value of my 401k collapsed over the course of three weeks

That was the bad news.

The good:
•I finally have emergency supplies for the next big earthquake
•not having to fight with my son over homework
•taking walks with my wife daily through our empty neighborhood streets
•having something to discuss with my teenagers that they are actually interested in
•amazing signs of community
•learning to adapt to a new reality

I will post every two days what interesting (and hopefully uplifting) things I have heard or seen regarding the Covid-19, how it affects me me, my family, and my fellow background actors, and how I and/or we have adapted.

I hope that you find it interesting and look forward to your comments and questions.

Take care everyone.

10 Tips for a Puerto Nuevo Lobster Run

“Three Lobsters for $16!”

My friend and I were wandering the dusty narrow streets of Puerto Nuevo hearing offers left and right from a score of men trying to lure us to their restaurants. $16 was the best offer we had heard so far. The clincher was not the included promise of beans, tortillas, chips, salsa, and tomato soup, but the one free margarita or cerveza to go along with the meal.

My friend and I used to go on an annual lobster run south of the border and taco runs more frequently until the drug violence and kidnappings reached a fever pitch in the late 90’s. Since that time, we had talked wistfully about returning but never did. Until last year, when we walked across the border to good Old Revolution for some tacos and beer and to see what had changed.

A lot.

There were fewer American tourists not of Mexican descent there than in the 90s. The restaurants and bars were relatively empty during our day trip. But the cheap beers and delicious tacos had remained the same. After this trip, we felt good about driving to Puerto Nuevo. It helped that each of us had coworkers recently visit with nothing but good things to say about their experience.

In the end, we were served more delicious lobster than we could possibly eat, ate fresh paletas for dessert, saw great sights new and old, and met many friendly people.

There are a number of things that you can do to help ensure that your trip is successful:

1. You need a passport or a PASS card to visit Mexico.

2. You need to buy Mexican insurance before you leave the United States and keep it in your car during your trip. You can purchase it online or at a few places in San Diego.

3. Drink bottled water – never tap water - or risk Montezuma’s revenge.

4. Check to see what your cell phone plan covers in Mexico. With my Verizon Unlimited Plan, I was surprised to hear that calls and data were covered in Mexico.

5. Map out your trip before you go to Mexico, making copies to keep in your car in case you lose cell service. We indicated our destination as Villa Ortega’s in Puerto Nuevo.

6. If you do use your phone, driving apps are great albeit a little tricky as the streets in Tijuana seemed purposefully confusing.  Waze did not work for me once across the border. However, Google Driving Directions did. It really was a lifesaver when we missed our first turnoff after crossing the border and found ourselves deep into Tijuana where I’m sure few Americans ever venture.

7. Take the toll road. It is faster, smoother, and feels safer.

8. Once in Puerto Nuevo, just know you will pay for parking. The streets are few and narrow and are a pain to drive.  Save yourself time and frustration and pay for parking in one of the first lots you see.

9. There are lots of lobster restaurants in town, all with different specials. Villa Ortega’s has multiple locations throughout the town as they claim to be the original. We ate at one of these.

10.. A second option on crossing the border on the way back is to cross at Otay Mesa. It usually can save you a bit of time.

Have fun!

My New Book! From Lions to Pharaohs

NOW AVAILABLE!

From Lions to Pharaohs is now available in paperback and Kindle through Amazon.com!  Click here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JLVRLNN

Description:

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Two exotic destinations swirl in John’s mind. Destination #1: Embark upon an African safari to watch herds of elephants moving unhindered across wide open plains, to photograph lions chasing zebras, and to float in a hot air balloon over sweeping savannahs. Destination #2: Explore Egypt, land of the pharaohs. As a history buff, John imagines climbing the great pyramids, descending into the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and cruising down the Nile like an Indiana Jones adventure.

Which experience to choose?

Fortunately, his wife likes both ideas and wisely suggests, “If we are going all that way to explore one country, we should go to both! We don’t know when we will have this opportunity again.”

With that answer began the planning of a 20-day exploration of these two fascinating countries. The two books in this series detail their exciting adventure filled with amazing wildlife, awe-inspiring monuments of Egypt, and insights into modern life.

He hopes that after reading these books, you will be inspired and entertained as well as have a deeper understanding of the people, their history, and the daily life in these countries, which are both similar and very different from our own.

From Lions to Pharaohs is a two-book series. Book 1, available now, is based on Kenya while book 2 is based on Egypt and will be released in 2019.

To order paperback or Kindle version:  Click Here 

Summer Coffee in Los Angeles' "Towns"

My coffee house visits this summer had me exploring numerous "towns" in Los Angeles. For example, I never knew there was a Japantown in LA aside from Little Tokyo. See below:

Japantown

Balconi Coffee Company

11301 Olympic Blvd. #124

Los Angeles, CA 90064

Balconi is a small quaint coffee shop in the revitalized Sawtelle Japantown area. Just off the 405, this 4-block stretch on Sawtelle near Olympic has numerous Japanese and Korean restaurants and stores. I enjoyed a delicious Almond Essence Latte. They sell almost equal amounts of coffees and teas as well as a small selection of pastries. There is plenty of free parking on the side streets of the 1- to 2-hour variety. Just make sure you check the street signs as those time limits are strictly enforced. Both when I left my car and when I came back, I saw parking enforcement officers patrolling the neighborhood.

Beantown

45 N.  Baldwin Ave.

Sierra Madre, CA 91024

Beantown has a laid-back community atmosphere with lots of coffee choices as well as smoothies, ice cream, and an array of sandwiches - everything one needs to spend a day getting work done. Lots of space. On the record hot day I came here, their iced cherry latte really hit the spot.

Koreatown

LaB Coffee & Roasters

429 N. Western Ave. #5

Los Angeles, CA 90004

My mocha had a very strong coffee flavor that would keep me humming for the next few hours. The diverse crowd was comprised of a few Koreans, a few Latinos and a couple of Caucasians. The current demographics of the neighborhood. Bags of coffee beans were used as décor and plaques on the wall discussed the sourcing of their coffee beans. LaB Roasters was a nice find. Having been born and raised in Koreatown, before it was known as Koreatown, it was nice to see a legitimate coffeehouse open in my old neighborhood.  It is small, but large enough for a number of tables, including communal tables with people working on laptops.

Tinseltown

Coffee + Food

5630 Melrose Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90038

From the few tables out front you can see the world sitting atop Paramount Studios and iconic Astro Burgers. Quite a few people who work at or want to work at the studios come by here. One woman getting out of her old beat up car had headshots in hand. Drinking my mocha, I had a really good lunch while people watching.

5 Great Things To Do In Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park are amazing adjacent wilderness areas that are 100 miles closer to Los Angeles than Yosemite and a lot less crowded. Below are five great things to do when visiting these magnificent parks.

1. Visiting the biggest trees in the world. If you are traveling to these national parks, then you must visit the General Sherman Grove and/or the General Grant Grove. The trees a truly magnificent. While the General Sherman is the biggest tree, I enjoy visiting General Grant Grove’s more due to the stories attached to its various trees, especially the Fallen Monarch which had once served as saloon.

2. Hiking Morro Rock. It is a very short, strenuous, half-mile hike that has spectacular views of the Great Western Divide and sheer drop-offs on either side of the trail. There are 400 stairs on the trail. Think of it as a 20-minute Stairmaster. Huffing and puffing to the top, we all enjoyed it, even our teenage boys. It is not to be missed.

3. Drinking milkshakes and root beer floats at Lake Hume. Lake Hume is a gorgeous blue jewel surrounded by a pine forest with a back drop of snowcapped mountains. As if this is not a strong enough lure to entice you to visit the lake, there’s a very large Christian camp here with a host of facilities that includes a snack shop with great burgers and at least a dozen of flavors of ice cream for shakes, floats, and malts. The camp also has one of the best general stores in the two national parks, rents paddle boats and kayaks, and allows fishing with a permit.

4. Hiking to Topokah Falls. This is a 4.4-mile hike that follows the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River. Walking through that granite valley, my son said it was one of the most majestic things he’d ever seen. It is a leisurely hike, although you are in full sun for the last quarter mile to the base of the falls. Sunscreen, hat, and water are necessities.

5. Driving to Road’s End at the bottom of Kings Canyon. Kings Canyon is the deepest canyon in the United States. Yes, it is even deeper than the Grand Canyon. It is also one of the most remote wilderness areas in the world. This is because the road to the bottom of the canyon is closed from November through April. This means that nature can run amok for six months out of the year without human interference. When I told the ranger that I saw a bear in the parking lot, he said, “Oh yeah, they are all over the place down here,” and walked away. In Yosemite, bears cause mass hysteria with rangers following them and hordes of tourists trying to get their picture during the day or banging pots and screaming to scare them away at night. In the canyon, there are a number of great really short hikes to Zumwalt Meadows, Roaring River Falls, Grizzly Falls, and a beach just off the Road’s End parking lot. Also, at Cedar Grove Lodge in the canyon, you can eat a hot lunch and take a shower.

One thing that I have not done is visit Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park located in the southern end of the park. I have heard good things about it, but have never made it there.

I hope these tips on where to go and what to see when you're in Sequoia and Kings Canyon entice you to go and stay longer than just one day to see the towering trees. These are beautiful areas, uniquely different from Yosemite, that take time to discover all their natural treasures.

Happy trails!

Zweeting Roasted Vegan Dinosaur - LA Coffee Shops In May

Four coffee houses to try this month: one with outstanding mochas, another with amazing pies, another created for writers, and one with horchata lattes.


 Best Mocha

Stamp Fine Foods

4500 Los Feliz Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90027
One of the best mochas I ever had. Very creamy. This coffee shop in the Los Feliz area also has a pretty large breakfast and lunch  menu. The décor has lots of wood giving the place an old timey feel. I couldn't resist ordering a meal here seeing the customer's plates around me. I had the vegan banana buckwheat pancakes. Good stuff.

Best Pies

Dinosaur Coffee

4334 Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90029
Yes, there is a dinosaur in the bathroom. Hearing about this is one of the reasons why this coffeehouse piqued my interest. Another was the excellent reviews on the coffee. The reviews were correct, the coffee is good. They also have a pie or two brought in daily by Nicole Rucker. I had a delicious slice of blueberry pie. Also across the street is the LA County Store - all things made locally. It is where I purchased my coffee cash wallet.

Writer's Paradise

Zweet Café

4682 Eagle Rock Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
While I enjoyed my mocha here, I really liked the vibe. When I walked in, there was a writers group meeting at one table, a black board field with "inspirational" coffee quotes, and many interesting items to gaze at as you think about the next line in your novel. An added bonus was that after 3:00, a number of pastries are priced at a dollar for that little extra sugar push to get you over the edge.

All Types Here
Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters
260 Allen Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91107
This coffee shop has a special drink menu. On the day in May I went in, they had a creamy iced horchata latte which had lots of yummy cinnamon in it. Jameson's had a good flow of people coming and going from students to professionals to firefighters. I liked their cool mood music and the fact that they had a rewards program with specials on your birthday. It is also away from the hustle and bustle of Old Town and PCC.