Los Angeles visitor suggestions (#2)

[Carolina]

Dear supportive sisters,

   I'm an older, closeted CD and in late September I'm going to be  a visitor in the San Dimas/Covina area and able to open the door to my closet somewhat.  I can't "pass" but I can underdress and I expect that I'll be using The Metro quite a bit to wander about the LA area.  Does anyone have reservations about traveling on the Metro (or certain sections/time of day)? 

   And I lived in Long Beach when I was a child (leaving in early elementary school) so I've thought about maybe riding the Metro down to Long Beach and possibly taking the "Water Bus".  Does anyone have any thoughts?

   I appreciate your caring support and I will have more "tourist" questions that I'll put in new threads.  Love, Caroline.

[Lori Dee]

Dear supportive sisters,

   I'm an older, closeted CD and in late September I'm going to be  a visitor in the San Dimas/Covina area and able to open the door to my closet somewhat.  I can't "pass" but I can underdress and I expect that I'll be using The Metro quite a bit to wander about the LA area.  Does anyone have reservations about traveling on the Metro (or certain sections/time of day)? 

   And I lived in Long Beach when I was a child (leaving in early elementary school) so I've thought about maybe riding the Metro down to Long Beach and possibly taking the "Water Bus".  Does anyone have any thoughts?

   I appreciate your caring support and I will have more "tourist" questions that I'll put in new threads.  Love, Caroline.

I lived in Long Beach as a kid too. We lived in Lennox, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Anaheim before moving to the desert near Barstow. I haven't been back in decades, so I am no help with your questions, sorry.

[Carolina]

Oh Lori Dee,

  I ended up in the middle of the country, which is all right but every now and then there is a blue sky that takes me back to Long Beach.

  And then I found out that The Pike was no more when I was looking at the Water Bus.  Ouch.  My parents were Depression/WWII era and we used to go down to The Pike often and I remember my father swimming at The Plunge. Well, no more although I notice that the tattoo shop is still around so maybe I should go get a tattoo in memory - a butterfly or small flower maybe.

  Love, Carolina

[Lori Dee]

Oh Lori Dee,

  I ended up in the middle of the country, which is all right but every now and then there is a blue sky that takes me back to Long Beach.

  And then I found out that The Pike was no more when I was looking at the Water Bus.  Ouch.  My parents were Depression/WWII era and we used to go down to The Pike often and I remember my father swimming at The Plunge. Well, no more although I notice that the tattoo shop is still around so maybe I should go get a tattoo in memory - a butterfly or small flower maybe.

  Love, Carolina

I was too young to remember most of it. My brother was born in Long Beach, so I was two maybe three years old then. I remember Manhattan Beach, where I started kindergarten and first grade. Since I was older I remember more after that. In Anaheim, we could see the Matterhorn mountain of Disneyland from our backyard. My dad became increasingly concerned about crime and pollution. (Watts Riots happened in 1965). He worked on defense satellite contracts for Hughes Aircraft while attending night school at Fullerton Community College. He and my mom had been visiting the desert to find a suitable ranch that would eventually become a place to retire. While there, he got a job offer from NASA. He bought a ranch and we moved that same year to Hinkley. I have a brother buried there and I would make an annual pilgrimage to visit him, but I haven't been back since 1984.