Four (or seven) iconic sights that we could see from Sunday's church

The church we visited this week is something of a landmark; its sanctuary was built before movies had sound, and it's plainly visible from the freeway.

As we drove in, we got to wondering how many other Los Angeles icons we could see from the church property. Though we didn't see the Hollywood sign until we were about a block away and headed for home, here's what we did see:

1. Palm Trees

2. LA Fitness (and the sign for Hollywood Boulevard)

3. Capitol Records Tower

4. Hollywood Tower

and the Hollywood Freeway

and a homeless encampment*

-- Mindy

*This is an incredibly serious problem in the area. While I was writing this post, I was glad to see that the church has a number of programs (as well as partnerships with other organizations) to help those literally on their doorstep. 

Four Things I Remember about Southern California

1. Even though I grew up in the Midwest, my family would sometimes spend the month of August near my grandparents' place in Laguna Hills. While driving to all the touristy things families did in the 1970s, I began to shape my ideas of the area. For one thing, there were lots of orange groves, eucalyptus trees and exotic flowers. The air around my grandparents' apartment always smelled like jasmine and freshly watered lawns.

2. Later, when we lived in Anaheim for a year while Dean did an internship at Fullerton Evangelical Free Church (more about that tomorrow), I learned another truth about Southern California: you can get to the mountains or the beach in an hour. It will also take an hour to get to downtown LA, to any of the airports, to whatever amusement park you choose, or to a museum. Things you do on a regular basis, like work, church or shopping, may (or may not) take less time. Driving on freeways is a necessary evil, and the freeway will always be both crowded and under construction.

3. It can be incredibly beautiful. The first snow on the mountains will suddenly show up against a blue sky. Palm trees sway above tropical flowers. Waves crash on sandy beaches. Afternoon light falls across undeveloped places that look like something on the moon. Summer hillsides are the color of a lion's fur.  

4. I always feel like I'm on vacation when I'm there, but I also always feel like I'm running late and just a little bit lost. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I don't like it at all.

-- Mindy

Five Things I Didn't Know about Los Angeles

1.   Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States (New York City is the largest). In 2010, its population was approaching four million. It's the largest city in California and about 342 miles south of San Francisco. Since 1995, it has had no NFL team (but wants at least one). 


 2.  In 1781, the group of twenty-two adult settlers (with twenty-two children and four soldiers) who founded and named "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porciuncula River were known as "Los Pobladores." Half of the adult settlers were women. The adults were a multi-ethnic group as well as varying in age: one was a Spaniard born in Spain, one a Spaniard born in "New Spain," nine were American Indians, two were African, one had both Spanish and Indian heritage, and were both Spanish and African in their ethnicity.

3.   After oil was discovered in the city (and surrounding area) in 1892, California became the country's largest oil producer. By 1923, about one-quarter of the world's petroleum output came from the state.

4.  Downtown Los Angeles averages just over fifteen inches of precipitation, mostly rain, each year, and almost all of that falls during the winter and spring On most days, the difference between the high and low temperature in any location is over 30 degrees Fahrenheit (16 Celsius). Due to the diversity in habitats, including beaches, wetlands and mountains, Los Angeles is rich in native plant species.

5.  When Hollywood merged into Los Angeles, in 1910, there were already ten movie companies operating in the city at the time. Eleven years later, more than 80 percent of the world's film industry was located there. Because of the money generated by the industry, the economic effects of the Great Depression were lessened in the area. Even now, the city has more artists, writers, filmmakers, actors and dancers living there than in any other city at any time in history. One in six residents works in a creative industry.

-- Mindy