El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles

Who in their right mind would go to Los Angeles in August? Trust me, no one! 

During my 4-day visit to see a friend of 30+ years (!), it was over 100 degrees in the city, so strolling the streets of the city did NOT seem appealing to me! Luckily, I was in a lovely neighborhood (Westwood) near UCLA, and was able to visit the 7-acre botanical garden on campus. It was shady, quiet, and almost cool!  With 3 years of conversation to catch up on, we spent a great deal of time chatting but we also had a little party time. 

From here, it was a bit of San Diego, Nevada for a night, and I'm now camping at Zion National Park. Will write soon.