Another Sunday, Another Round of Dog Walking Photoblogging

Took the doggie out for a long, long walk. Made it to the Pacific Ocean (or at least within sniffing distance of the ocean) and back. Here's the whole set, and below are a few highlights.



The signs are so bright and cheerful, nothing says festive like 'going out of business'. This is Tower Records in Santa Monica, the whole chain is closing their physical stores, and rumor is they're going to be an internet only venture from now on.



Doesn't this sign just make you want to puke? Smug much, folks? It gets worse if you actually visit their website.



The Georgian Hotel, it's a beauty, been around since 1933, and has great views (when it's clear, it's foggy frequently right on the coast) from the upper floors. Also, if you believe Peter Hamilton, it will still be around in the mid 2300s (it gets a name check in Pandora's Star). Here's where I imitate Bill at So Quoted (though if I really wanted to imitate him, I would have found a Stephenson quote that mentioned the hotel) and actually pull the quote from the text (p. 534)

Kazimir shook the hand enthusiastically, smiled a fraction nervously, and went back down the beach. Bradley watched him go for a few moments, then went up the set of broad concrete stairs at the side of the pier. He walked back along Ocean Avenue, through the narrow strip of lush greenery that was Palisades Park with its centuries-old eucalyptus trees and ornate flower beds. Gardenbots were patrolling the plants, snipping off dead flowers and trimming any errant shoots that threatened symmetry; water droplets glistened on the tough grass from the predawn irrigation sprinkling. On the other side of the broad street the bold geometrical skyline of condos presented their tiers of perfectly parallel balconies to the beach far below. Right in the middle of the gleaming new architecture their skyline took a sudden dip down, allowing the sunlight to shine on a small 1930s hotel. The Georgian, with its art deco facade painted eggshell-blue. Various brass plaques outside proclaimed the companies and civic authorities that had provided funds down the centuries to preserve the building, easily the oldest in the city. It had a raised concrete veranda along the front, with several tables underneath a yellow and pink striped awning. Adam Elvin was sitting at one, eating his breakfast as he looked out across the park and ocean beyond.

It's not currently the oldest building, or hotel in Santa Monica, but maybe by 2350 or so, that could be the case. Hopefully they will keep it that eggshell-blue color all those years, it does look good that way.

According to wikipedia, one of the buildings used by Hostel International in Santa Monica dates back to 1873.