Well comrades, today we were due to fly to Los Angeles. We were looking forward to seeing our Niece Steph in LA so much. We haven’t seen her since the 30th December 2019 when we had a great pub crawl in Liverpool.
I couldn’t wait to have a few beers in the Rainbow Bar and Grill on Sunset. Zeppelin used to hang out there and it was Lemmy’s local. ‘Nuff said?
I also was going to spend a night in the Troubadour. This legendary LA venue hosted the first Elton John shows in the USA. That means little to me compared to the fact that The Troubadour launched the careers of Jackson Browne, The Byrds, the Eagles, Carole King, Love, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linda Ronstadt, J.D. Souther, James Taylor, Tom Waits, amongst others. Hell, John Lennon and Harry Nilsson were thrown out for heckling. I just know that I will love standing on the shoulders of giants in this venue. Steph has been there and loves it.
I had found a guy who offers walking tours of Laurel Canyon that sounded so cool. Beautiful scenery plus commentary on where Joni Mitchell, The Eagles, Guns and Roses, Neil Young and many other musical giants had lived.
We were also looking forward to Dearly Departed tours’ Charles Manson themed day. I blogged about a book I recently read about the Manson murders called ‘Chaos’. Although the book was disturbing in many ways I looked forward to visiting sites that currently only exist in my imagination.
I was looking forward to going to Barney’s Beanery in West Hollywood. This bar was a regular haunt of Led Zeppelin, barred Jim Morrison for pissing at the bar and was where Janis Joplin took her last drink before shuffling off this mortal coil. I also wanted to eat at Musso and Frank’s Grill in Hollywood. Many Hollywood legends have hung out at this place but the attraction for me is that it is mentioned in a roundabout way in a Gillian Welch song.
No trip to LA would be complete without a visit to Venice Beach. We also fancied the Griffiths observatory and the La Brea tar pits. Do you see what we had to give up comrades??? Fuck you ‘Rona.
Are you with me on this people? On the 17th June we were due to fly to Austin, Texas. Is there a better state capitol? I for one think not. Pat and I have been to Austin many times but the last time was 1999. Too long brothers and sisters.
Much as we love the city this part of our trip was all about seeing friends. Over the past few years we have hung out with Phil in Montreal, Memphis, Nashville as well as Barrow and Ulverston. I was looking forward to Phil and Jenna taking us to their favourite bars. Phil is to good bars what Michelin is to restaurants!!
We have met Mark and Jeannie in Las Vegas and London so seeing them and their kids Larson and Liv on their home turf was another major draw. I’m sure we would have checked out a decent gig and ate some good Tex Mex.
Next year comrades!!!
San Antonio next and a chance to re-visit the Alamo. One of my favourite films when I was a young kid. There is a monument outside the Alamo that tells the story of the final battle. It moved me to tears. The night before the final Battle William B. Travis drew a line in the sand and asked those willing to die for the Texan cause to cross and stand alongside him. A bedridden Bowie requested that Crockett and several others carry his cot over the line. Only one man left and it was because of him that the story of what happened was told.
To sate my musical thirst, Ozzy Osbourne was once arrested for pissing on the Alamo wall. He was wearing Sharon’s dress at the time!
We were due to stay at the historic Menger hotel. Teddy Roosevelt recruited his Rough Riders in the Menger Bar. In the early 1900’s Carrie Nation, a Temperance crusader took her axe and laid waste to the bar! The Menger is also reputedly one of the most haunted places in the USA.
Our last night in Texas was going to be spent in Fredericksburg A first for us but a place that Phil scouted and declared to contain some good bars and Wineries……..’nuff said!
Back to Cali and a first visit to Palm Springs. This city in the Coachella Valley became a favourite haunt of Hollywood movie stars. Legends such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., George Hamilton, Bob Hope, Albert Einstein Bing Crosby, Kirk Douglas, Cary Grant, and Jack Benny had homes there. Several ladies were frequent visitors including Marilyn Monroe, Dinah Shore, Kitty Carlisle, Lily Tomlin, Elizabeth Taylor and Susan Sommers. Even though the Golden age is long gone, many A listers still buy places in Palm Springs.
The attraction for me though was a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway – the world’s largest rotating tram car-travels over two-and-one-half miles along the breathtaking cliffs of Chino Canyon, transporting riders to the pristine wilderness of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park.
I saw this on a travel programme and promised myself a visit……Doh!
The Joshua Tree National park was our next destination. I love these iconic trees and was really looking forward to spending time walking and relaxing.
The Joshua Tree also has a notorious musical connection. Former Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers member Gram Parsons died there. The death of Gram Parsons occurred on September 18, 1973, in room eight of the Joshua Tree Inn, near Joshua Tree National Park. Encouraged by his road manager Phil Kaufman, Parsons visited the park after completing his latest recording sessions. Earlier, he had confessed to Kaufman his wish to be cremated and his ashes scattered in the park in case he died.
Parsons traveled to Joshua Tree with his high school girlfriend, his assistant Michael Martin and Martin’s girlfriend. Parsons spent time in the desert during the day and at local bars at night, consuming barbiturates and alcohol every day. On September 18, after injecting himself with morphine, Parsons overdosed. On September 19, he was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
Following Parsons’ death and in order to fulfill his desires, Kaufman and Martin arrived at Los Angeles International Airport in Martin’s personal Cadillac Hearse impersonating mortuary workers. Under the impression that the pair had been hired by the Parsons family, Western Airlines released the body to them. They then took it to Joshua Tree and set it on fire. The burning casket was reported by campers to the local authorities, who investigated the incident and identified both perpetrators.
Parsons’ body was partially cremated. His charred remains were recovered and returned to his family. Meanwhile, Kaufman and Martin were accused of grand theft and fined for burning the casket, while they also had to pay for Parsons’ funeral. Parsons’ remains were later buried in New Orleans.
Music trivia buffs will note that three years earlier Jimi Hendrix also checked out on September 18th 1970.
You can book to stay in room 8 of the Joshua Tree hotel. Joshua Tree residents apparently hate people asking about Parsons but, hey, the guy was a great musician! Towards the end of his too short life Gram made a couple of great solo albums GP and Grievous Angel and also hung out with the Stones when they recorded Exile on Main Street. Respect Brother Gram, RIP.
For our final day in the Joshua Tree National park I had booked a visit to the Integraton for a sound bath!!! I’ll let them describe this:
The Integratron’s Signature Experience. This is an unforgettable sound experience for those who seek deep relaxation, rejuvenation, and introspection. All Sound Baths are 60-minute sonic healing sessions that consist of:
a brief introduction to the Integratron and its history and sound qualities,
30 minutes of 20 quartz crystal singing bowls played live, and
the balance of the hour to integrate the sound and relax in the sound chamber to ambient music. You will be resting comfortably in the deeply resonant, multi-wave sound chamber while a sequence of quartz crystal singing bowls are played. Each bowl is keyed to the energy centers or chakras of the body, where sound is nutrition for the nervous system. The results are waves of peace, heightened awareness, and relaxation of the mind and body
Does this not sound awesome Brothers and Sisters?
I intended to have the full Vegan experience……………perhaps just eat some Mushrooms!!!
I had booked a stay at the Pioneer town Motel for our last night.
This place looks awesome. It was built for cowboy-movie legend Roy Rogers in 1946 to accommodate stars filming on the adjacent set, and rooms have a wild west feel, with rustic furniture, bright textiles and porch.
Next door to the motel is Pappy and Harriet’s, a restaurant and bar, that is also a 350-capacity music venue that Paul McCartney, Robert Plant and Arctic Monkeys have used for warm-up gigs and secret shows.
Steph has been and rates this place, an awesome end to an awesome trip don’t you agree comrades??
I feel sad as I type but we are determined to bounce back and re-book this trip in 2021.
The world will get through this crisis. We will meet many rocks in the road but they can be bypassed.
We all need to keep on keeping on. We can’t change, the past nor the present but we can change the future. Hopefully the world will become a better place but regardless, we can become better people.
If you want to understand the Black lives matter movement then listen to Songs of our native daughters.
Keep safe friends, I hope you and your families are well. I can’t wait to see y’all on the other side of this.
Fuck you ‘Rona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!