Bit late on this update, but in July we took our annual trip to see our son and D.I.L in California. Always enjoy these trips as there is always something new to see and do and always good to visit Family.

One side note on a logistical change we made. This trip we decided to fly into Burbank vs LAX. Depending on where your final destination is I highly recommend it, Smaller, quieter and easier to get out of.

After arriving in Ca., we hightailed it to our son’s house in Rosamond, a small town in the high desert and on the way to Mojave. It is a neat little town and as a bonus there is a small food truck within 200 yards of their house that sells fresh tamales every morning. They are fantastic!

We got in on a Thursday and that is usually the day my son gets together with his co-workers at a place called Bravery Brewing Company in Lancaster, just about 20 miles south. https://braverybrewing.com/ So we took a trip down there for dinner and drinks and got the opportunity to meet a few of his coworkers.

The https://braverybrewing.com/ was amazing, The atmosphere was casual and relaxing. It is owned and run by ex-military had a distinct patriotic and military theme. Most of the patrons were military or civilians working in the defense industry in the area. My type of place.

They have a big beer menu and a small pizza menu, both of which are delicious. For the beer I am a big IPA fan, and they have many choices, and went with the experiment hop IPA (Hazy) and was quite pleased, would definitely go back! If your in the area it is worth the stop.

The next day we planned a trip down to LA to do a few things. One is a perennial favorite and that is the Peterson Museum. https://www.petersen.org/. If you’re a car/history/racing fan this is worth the trip. We go there every time we visit. This time we went for the BMW exhibit as that is my favorite marque but candidly, was a little disappointed with it as it was only 7 cars, and while the museum is always great to visit, I think this exhibit was lackluster. However, we were pleasantly surprised with the main attraction of the “Totally Awesome Cars and Culture of the 80’s” exhibition. For anyone who came of age during this time, it is well worth the trip down memory lane. From the Back to the future Delorean to the Iconic Lamborghini Countach. In addition to the 80’s exhibit there as also an eclectic artist called Mr. Brainwash https://mrbrainwashartmuseum.com/ who was featured. He blends automotive art with classics for unique perspectives. for sure worth the visit!

_{Picture thanks to Peterson Website}

After the Museum we went to an outdoor/indoor market called the Grove for a quick lunch, Then to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. https://www.academymuseum.org/. To be completely honest I was not really thrilled about this, but since everyone else wanted to do it, we went. I was pleasantly surprised and would absolutely recommend this if you are in the area. Reasonably priced and very entertaining and a lot to see.

Next we took a drive to Malibu State Park and did a quick hike to the filming location of the 70’s TV series MASH. Along this route there we a few other old filming locations such as Plant of the Apes. It is a short hike (about 2.5 miles one way) and if you are a MASH fan well worth it. The one surprising thing was how small the actual set was, likely less than 100 yards in total length. Some pics we grabbed below.

After a long day we headed back to Rosamond for the night.

Day two was a much less packed day, We took a short drive north to the city of Tehachapi, CA. https://www.liveuptehachapi.com/. I really liked this little town and if the opportunity ever came up, I would move here, my kind of town. Small, quiet, and close to outdoor activities. It was a short stay. We had breakfast/lunch at Kelcy’s Cafe. https://www.kelcysrestaurant.com/. As expected, it was good food, a lot of it and great service, I would go back for sure.

After we ate, we simply wandered around the small downtown area with many unique stores, and the highlight was the Tehachapi train depot/Museum. https://tehachapidepot.com/ Fascinating history of the train traffic and its impact on this area, and the cool Tehachapi Loop. A loop system created by the Southern Pacific Railroad to connect two lines and help traverse the steep grades. It’s a short drive from Tehachapi City Center.

As usual we had a great trip to see our kids and explore a little, I think the next trip out will include some national park trips!. Thanks for coming along.