Moments after we ran into a school of playful dolphin, we found ourselves sharing water with a blue whale as promised – one of only 2,000 in existence. It was amazing to realize that the creature I was looking at is larger than any dinosaur that ever existed. Scroll down and check out our photo gallery!

If you’re interested in seeing blue whales for yourself, they’re out there so now’s the time! Details below.

WHAT: Aquarium of the Pacific and Harbor Breeze Cruises three and a half hour whale watch excursion with Aquarium experts
WHEN: Daily at 11:30am & 3:00pm
PRICE: $62.95 adult 12+, $54.95 senior 62+, $38.95 child (includes whale watch & Aquarium admission). Combo ticket is available for purchase on-site at Aquarium of the Pacific and may be purchased in advance by calling 562-590-3100
DETAILS: Guests are now able to listen to the whales they see, and can learn more about whale communication through the Aquarium’s “Whales: Voices in the Sea” interactive kiosk exhibit featuring the largest and smallest whales on the planet—the blue whale and the vaquita. More information here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Famed songwriter and multimedia artist Allee Willis sure loves our local kitsch!
And if anyone is an expert on kitsch, it’s gonna be Allee… she owns a museum full of it! :)

Two men standing near a water ditch at the bank of Los Angeles River, north side of Griffith Park.

I’m happy to say that our sold out Los Angeles River tour is this Sunday and there are actually upwards of 30 people on the waiting list for another one! Wow. There’s been a lot of discussion on our Facebook page about the revitalization of the river and its reputation as a drainage ditch this week, so I decided to make another dip into the ol’ USC Digital Archive to see what kind of imagery I could find. This 51 mile river that explorer Gaspar de Portolá named El Río de Nuestra Señora La Reina de Los Ángeles de Porciúncula in the year 1769 didn’t always look the way you might imagine. Although it changed course many times over history, the river shown below was the reason that the 44 Los Pobladores chose to stop and create a settlement here… The LA River is the reason that Los Angeles exists.

Photograph of a man standing near a water ditch at the bank of Los Angeles River, north side of Griffith Park, ca.1900.

Prior to the arrival of Los Pobladores from New Spain,

“The River and its rich plant and animal habitat provided a livelihood for the Gabrielino Indians, one of the largest group of Indians in North America. Although it is unclear today what this group called themselves, they are referred to as the Tongva. Over 1000 years ago, the Tongva established a settlement on the banks of the River near where Los Angeles City Hall stands today.” (SOURCE)

Photograph of hundreds of pigeons bathing in the Los Angeles River on a pigeon ranch just past the Riverside bridge at the junction of Verdugo Road and San Fernando Boulevard, ca.1900.

Father Juan Crespi was a member of the Portola expedition and documented the river in its first written description:

“Wednesday, August 2. ~ We set out from the valley in the morning and followed the same plain in the westerly direction. After traveling about a league and a half through a pass between low hills, we entered a very spacious valley, well grown with cottonwoods and alders, among which ran a beautiful river (yep, the LA River) from the north-northwest, and then doubling the point of a steep hill, it went on aftwards to the south. Toward the north-northeast there is another river bed (the Arroyo Seco) which forms a spacious water-course, but we found it dry. This bed unites with that of the river, giving a clear indication of great floods in the rainy season, for we saw that it had many trunks of trees on the banks. We halted not very far from the river, which we named Porciuncula (meaning “small portion of land”). Here we felt three consecutive earthquakes in the afternoon and night. We must have traveled about three leagues today. This plain where the river runs is very extensive. It has good land for planting all kinds of grain and seeds, and is the most suitable site of all that we have seen for a mission, for it has all the requisites for a large settlement.”

Below is visual documentation of the main reason that the concrete drainage ditch system was originally conceived… containing the river and flowing it as quickly as possible to the ocean was the Army Corp of Engineer’s chosen solution for flooding like what’s depicted in the photo below. Potential flooding is something everyone working on the revitalization plan is very aware of, though.

Fingers crossed, technology has come a long way since 1930.

Photograph of a flooded Los Angeles River flowing under a Pacific Electric Railway bridge, 1916. Looking north from a wagon bridge on Anaheim Street in Wilmington, the water fills the foreground, stretching towards the bridge in the background, which crosses from left to right.

Photograph of the Los Angeles River in Griffith Park, ca.1920.

Above, a teaser from the upcoming movie ROCK THE BOAT.

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Learn about the past, present and future of the mighty (!?) L.A. River, PLUS enjoy some fantastic tacos and cream puffs along the way

*This tour is perfect for people of all ages who would like to learn more about the river that once brought fresh water to Los Angeles*

Difficult as it is for Angelenos or anyone else to believe, the Los Angeles River was once a very real flowing river, along the banks of which the city was founded. In 1781, 44 people (Los Pobladores) traveled from Sonora, Mexico to settle along its West bank. For more than 100 years, this 51 mile long river was the sole source of water for the city that grew around it.

Have you ever *really* seen the LA River? Do you ACTUALLY know anything about it? Sure, maybe you’ve passed a concrete slab with an LA River sign… but have you seen where it flows? Do you know the *true* stories of the river’s past and present beyond the fictional details you remember from seeing Chinatown? And what about its future? Sure, everyone in Los Angeles has seen the LA River, and many have heard that it’s being revitalized. But who knows where and what exactly is happening on its banks? There’s much more to the story than meets the eye as you pass from a speeding car while commuting.

On this tour, we’ll walk and drive along the river, as we talk about its central role in the city’s history and the necessity of the ambitious revitalization to LA’s future. The tour convenes at the Los Angeles River Center & Gardens (570 W Ave. 26, near the 5/110 – DIRECTIONS HERE), where we form car pools, and stops at the gorgeous Sepulveda Basin (San Fernando Valley), new parks in the Glendale Narrows (across from Griffith Park), the historic Arroyo Seco confluence, the Los Angeles State Historic Park (aka the Cornfield) in Chinatown, and the industrial downtown location that everyone’s seen in movies and on TV.

We’ll eat lunch at an excellent taqueria en route (or you can bring your own), and end with an optional stop at the world’s best cream puff shop, in Little Tokyo.

Led by Jenny Price. Group rate available. Bring snacks and water and shoes that can get just a little wet (optional).  Dogs welcome. Spaces limited. TOUR BEGINS PROMPTLY.

If you would like to help Homeboy, vote online at the Chase Community Giving Facebook page to make them eligible for $250,000 in funding. If you’d rather get involved and donate directly, contact them through their web site or just go to the Homegirl Cafe for lunch and spend some dough!!!

Homeboy Industries provides comprehensive job training, job development, social and educational support services, all offered free of charge, to the most disenfranchised segment of our community, formerly gang affiliated youth, parolees, the under-educated and poor. Homeboy Industries is a beacon of hope and opportunity for those seeking to leave gang life, for whom the barriers and challenges are great, and for whom there is virtually no other avenue to have a second chance to enter the mainstream of society.

CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEWS

Photograph of the ideal field of summer celery in the Venice Celery District, just before applying blanching paper, April 12, 1927. The rows of thick leaves of the celery plants form a congested square at center with a dark irrigation ditch in the foreground. A darker field lies on the far edge of the celery field on the right while another field lies on the far left. Hills stand in the background on the right while electrical poles spot a clearing of grass in the background on the left. “Note the regularity of the plant foliage.”

Photograph of a celery patch in Venice Celery District, April 12, 1927. Men wearing hats and overalls stand in the field at center with unearthed stocks of celery lying in rows in the foreground and the still-planted celery behind them. What appears to be a small, wooden table stands on the right while crates are scattered throughout the ground behind it. Two dark horses pull a wagon of filled crates to the right of the workers while grassy hills stand in the background.

Photograph of Ross H. Goot bunching carrots in Venice Celery District, April 12, 1927. Rows of unearthed carrots lie in the soil as Goot ties them together at center. He wears dark pants and a lightly-colored shirt as he squats down and carefully bunches the carrots at his knees. A crate sits in the soil just behind him on the left. What appears to be an empty field of sifted soil lies in the background just beyond the edge of the carrot field at center.

Photograph of harvesting and packing summer celery in the Venice Celery District, April 12, 1927. The remains of celery plants lie in the foreground while the unearthed celery is stacked in two parallel rows of crates at center. Men in overalls and hats examine the crates while crops of celery wait to be pulled on the far left. Several homes can be seen beyond a row of electrical poles in the background.

If you’re the sole person who’s never seen this band’s videos before, check them out. I am clueless as to how these guys have the energy to tackle so many super clever and uniquely intricate video ideas *and* also make music.

The club’s ride schedule is here.

From their site:

“We are a group of bicyclists who enjoy the pleasure of riding with friends. We are not a racing club, and we welcome members of all abilities. We offer easier, moderate and difficult rides. We hold some multi-day trips, and in late June we offer the Grand Tour, a 24-hour ride of 120+, 200, 300 or 400 miles. At our social events, we make up for all the calories burned while riding. Our monthly newsletter, “The Gooseneck,” contains a descriptive ride schedule and much other news. Newcomers are welcome to try a few of our rides before deciding whether to join. Helmets are mandatory on all rides.”

CLICK ON PHOTO FOR LARGER VIEW

Photographic portrait of the 11 Los Angeles Wheelmen posing as a group in cadet type uniforms at the East Side (Boyle Heights) track, October 3, 1893. “The Los Angeles wheelmen on the track include, left to right, standing — Jack Winters, John S. Thayer, Faye Stefenson, Phil Kitchen, W.J. Allen, E.S. Pauly, Tracy Hugh Rall, W.A. Tufts, and Walter Tyler; seated — Lord Gattensbury, A.D. Cummings, and Ernest Steuart, Paully.”

Below is a photograph of a deposit check written by Bloomingdale heir Alfred S. Bloomingdale in an attempt to purchase the team from Short for $700,000. Although this offer was refused, in 1962 Bloomingdale purchased 29% of the Lakers while Short still kept the majority share. The club was later sold to Jack Kent Cooke for $5 million in 1965.

“Letters and check, 3 April 1961. Negatives show a copy of an offer to buy the Los Angeles Lakers basketball club; Also a check for $100,000.00.”

CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW FOR LARGER VIEW

The letter reads:

March 15, 1961

Mr. Alfred Bloomingdale
900 North LaCienega Boulevard
Los Angeles 46, California

Dear Mr. Bloomingdale:

Thank you for your letter of March 7. We are complimented to learn of your interest in the Los Angeles Lakers.

Your offer was carefully considered by those who hold a majority of the outstanding stock of the Corporation. Their position has not changed. The Lakers are not for sale. In the event that we are of a different mind at a later date, you will be contacted.

Your check is herewith returned. Thank you for your interest.

Sincerely,
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
R. Short
President

Just so the directions ARE VERY CLEAR… we will be on the Malibu beach north of the pier. We *SHOULD* be the only people HANGING OUT WITH A GIANT FINDING NEMO PIÑATA.

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Tonight is our first grunion run!!!! Woo hooo!!!! Remember if you don’t have time to get a fishing license today you can’t bring the critters home… but a lot of people prefer catch and releasing anyhow.

It’s just a lovely night to hang out on a beach together! Sooo, we’re using mythical fish as an excuse… :)

Okay… so for everything you need to know about grunion runs… just check out the information from the Department of Fish & Game after the jump…

Please note, no dogs are allowed on the Malibu beach. We’re as sad about that as you are.

Introduction

Along southern California’s sandy beaches, from March through September, one of the most remarkable life cycles in the sea is completed; the California grunion comes ashore to spawn. The grunion has been known to many southern Californians for more than 70 years, but there are still those who are skeptical of its existence. To be invited out in the middle of the night to go fishing with only a gunny sack and light for equipment does sound a little ridiculous, but in reality this is the most popular method.

California grunion are small silvery fish found only along the coast of southern California and northern Baja California. Most sportsmen would be unaware of their existence were it not for the unique spawning behavior of these fish. Unlike other fish, grunion come out of the water completely to lay their eggs in the wet sand of the beach. As if this behavior were not strange enough, grunion make these excursions only on particular nights, and with such regularity that the time of their arrival on the beach can be predicted a year in advance. This phenomenon can be seen on many beaches in southern California. Shortly after high tide, on certain nights, sections of these beaches sometimes are covered with thousands of grunion depositing their eggs in the sand.

Grunion hunting has become one of the famous sports of southern California. Since these fish leave the water to deposit their eggs, they may be picked up while they are briefly stranded. Racing for fish spotted far down the beach and trying to catch them by hand provides an exhilarating experience for young and old. The common sight of thousands of people lining the more popular beaches in southern California in anticipation of a grunion run attests to its ever growing popularity. Often there are more people than fish, but at other times everyone catches fish. All that is needed to catch grunion is a valid State fishing license and a willingness to get one’s feet wet.

Description
Grunion are small slender fish with bluish green backs, silvery sides and bellies. Their average length is between 5 and 6 inches. Early Spanish settlers called this fish grunion, which means grunter. This term has been anglicized into grunion. Grunion are known to make a faint squeaking noise while spawning. The scientific name for the California grunion is Leuresthes tenuis, and this fish belongs to the family Atherinidae, commonly known as silversides. Other more abundant atherinids found in California are the topsmelt, Atherinops affinis, and jacksmelt, Atherinopsis californiensis. Silversides differ from true smelts, family Osmeridae, in that they lack the trout-like adipose fin.

What Every Grunion Hunter Should Know

Regulations
A valid State fishing license is all that is required for taking grunion. The season is closed during April and May. However, this is an excellent time for observing runs. Grunion must be taken by hand only, no appliances of any kind may be used, and no holes may be dug in the beach. There is no limit to the number that may be taken, but grunion should not be wasted.

When to Go
The spawning season extends from March through September. The California Department of Fish and Game issues schedules of expected grunion runs in advance of each season. Predictions are made only through July, since runs in August and September are very erratic. These schedules of expected runs are published in newspapers and copies are given to many sporting goods stores throughout southern California. If these are not available, all that is needed by the grunion hunter to make his own predictions is a tide table. Grunion runs may occur anytime from the night of highest tide throughout the descending series of high tides. Runs are most likely to occur on the second, third, fourth, and fifth nights following the night of new or full moon. Generally, the third and fourth nights are best. The time of the run will be 30 to 60 minutes past high tide and it will last from 1 to 3 hours. The heaviest part of the run usually occurs at least 1 hour after the run starts.

Best locations
Grunion runs will occur on most southern California beaches, but may not occur every night on the same beaches and may be limited to small areas of any one beach. The ends of beaches are often the best spots. Some of the beaches in southern California that are known to have runs are: the beach between Morro Bay and Cayucos, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice, Hermosa Beach, Cabrillo Beach, Long Beach, Belmont Shore, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Doheny Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Mission Beach and the Coronado Strand. The beaches near Ensenada in Baja California also have good runs.

Hints for Successful Grunioning
It is best to go to the end of an uncrowded beach. This is not always possible, but the fewer people the better. Fires and lanterns should be used sparingly. Light may scare the fish and they will not come out of the water. After a wave has receded, flashlights may be used to help locate fish. A small gunny sack makes a good grunion creel. Finally, plan to stay late, many grunioners quit an hour after high tide and miss a good run.

Cooking Your Catch
Grunion should be cleaned and scaled. For best results they should be rolled in a mixture of flour and yellow corn meal to which a little salt has been added and deep fried until golden brown. Although bony, they have a very delicate flavor and provide excellent table fare when prepared fresh.