<< Los Angeles by Night

02/21/24 - Rainy Day in Bel Air

Our favorite hotel in Los Angeles used to be the Bel Air. It was perched above the plain of the city and had a wonderful luxurious feel. We stayed there again. It was nice enough, and very pretty, but we were disappointed in many aspects of the physical plant. We never could get the HVAC system working in any meaningful way, and they had one of those new fangled light control systems that made simple things, like turning the lights on and off, much harder.

Despite this, we did enjoy exploring the hotel and its grounds. It's set in one of the canyons, so the rooms climb the hills and the gardens ramble. We took a walk in the neighborhood. The houses were all way larger than any McMansion and, unlike McMansions, reflected the whims and fancies of their owners. How about a chateau, a rose covered Tudor, a Japanese fortress, a 20,000 square foot New England cottage.

We took advantage of one of those weather apps that told us to expect a clearing in five or ten minutes. We rushed out as soon as the rains stopped and made our way up the canyon. The app didn't say that we only had a ten minute window, but that's how long we had been out when the rains returned. Houses in Bel Air tend to have security warnings specifying that there will be armed response to any alarm. It's almost the town motto - "Welcome to Bel Air, Armed Response". Still, people are people, and when we were drenched to the bone, a Range Rover pulled up and a nice lady asked if we needed a ride. We politely turned down her offer, but it was nice to know that Bel Air has a more welcoming side.


A garden ornament in Bel Air

Someone's fantasy garden

Another house

Yet another

The road

A view from the hotel

Another view

A koi pond

Exploring the hotel grounds

A hummingbird at rest

Another look

Keywords: los angeles, weather